New Voices for Pluralism in Israel: A Discussion with Shira Ben Sasson Furstenberg

A new coalition for pluralism, including Israelis of all Jewish backgrounds, is actively changing Israeli society for the better. Behind the headlines about religious extremism and coercion, these Israelis are rethinking the relationship between religion and state and creating new realities in Jewish life in Israel. They are challenging the ultra-Orthodox rabbinate to secure freedom of choice in marriage, opposing racism and efforts to remove women from the public sphere, and creating new expression of Jewish life.

How can these new voices promote religious pluralism, confront extremism, and reclaim public space for all?

NIF Religious Pluralism Grants Officer Shira Ben Sasson Furstenberg will give an overview of these issues and the work on the ground advancing religious pluralism. Come hear how Israelis are successfully working together to promote tolerance, inclusion, and respect for diversity. 

For more information, please contact philadelphia@nif.org or 212-613-4426

This event is presented in parntership with Congregation Beth Am Israel and Main Line Reform Temple-Beth Elohim.

About Shira Ben Sasson Furstenberg:

Shira Ben Sasson Furstenberg is the Grants Officer for the New Israel Fund's Religious Pluralism Pool. Previously, she served as Religious Pluralism Project Coordinator for SHATIL, NIF's Empowerment and Training Center for Social Change Organizations in Jerusalem. Born and raised in a liberal Orthodox family in Jerusalem, Shira was an officer in the IDF and received her BA and MA in cultural anthropology from the Hebrew University. She is a founding member of Hakhel, an Orthodox egalitarian congregation in Jerusalem. She is married and a mother of three.

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