The Social Cohesion Leadership Program was launched by the Ted Arison Family Foundation in 2019, in partnership with Ruach Tova and Merchavim. It provides Israeli government, non-government, and business leaders with critical knowledge, awareness, networks, and tools to promote greater cohesion in their organizations and Israeli society. Two cohorts (36 organizations represented by 49 individuals) completed the program in 2019, and a similar number of organizations are participating in 2020 and will participate in 2021.

The Challenge of Social Cohesion in Israel

The State of Israel ranks high in various critical areas: technology, agriculture, health, and more. However, the State of Israel is currently low ranked for its Social Cohesion (in the Social Cohesion Index of the German Bertelsmann Foundation, published in 2013). While this ranking can be explained against the background of many challenges, these explanations do not contribute positively to the future of the country. There is a broad consensus in Israel and among international agencies that strengthening the cohesion of Israeli society will be a significant challenge for decades to come.

Cultivating the conditions for the formation of a more cohesive society is conditional on systematic organizational action based on a body of knowledge and an orderly action plan.

The program has three main components:

• A cycle of ten meeting days over five months
• Direct support of the implementation of an action plan in the first year
• A network of graduates representing the participating organizations

Examples of some of the topics covered at the meetings include:

Watch a program video clip here

For more information on the program go here (Hebrew).