Kol Ha’am – Voice of the People
The Kol Ha’am – Voice of the People conference initiated by President Isaac Herzog is set to take place this Sunday at Melbourne’s Beth Weizmann Community Centre.
President Isaac Herzog with Jeremy Leibler
In partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organisation, the conference was initiated as part of a greater project regarding Israel’s connection to and understanding of the Jewish communities in the diaspora.
The invited delegates reflect the religious, political and cultural diversity of the Australian Jewish community, with up to 100 delegates from across Australia making their way to Melbourne for the event.
The Zionist Federation of Australia’s President Jeremy Leibler said, “The Kol Ha’am conference presents a timely opportunity for an inter-communal and international dialogue about key issues concerning world Jewry.”
“President Herzog’s initiative is a significant step toward strengthening the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry and is a prime opportunity for us to engage with community representatives from different backgrounds about collective goals and challenges regarding Zionism and Jewish identity.” Mr Leibler said.
“It is exciting to see the interest this conference has generated and we look forward to learning from the outcomes of this important initiative.”
CEO Ginette Searle echoed his sentiments.
“The Kol Ha’am initiative is a pragmatic way of bringing together thinkers and leaders, particularly among younger cohorts, to raise important issues and work on strategic solutions and will ensure that diverse perspectives from across the Australian Jewish community are included in this important global dialogue.” Ms Searle said.
In April, Herzog announced the Kol Ha’Am initiative at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly, which was held in Tel Aviv this year. Calling it a ‘Jewish Davos’, Herzog said the point of the initiative is for the global Jewish community – both within Israel and without – to gather and discuss issues of key importance. The point, Herzog stressed, is not necessarily consensus but dialogue. He also said its goal was not just to improve dialogue, but to identify and develop young Jewish leaders.
The Melbourne strategic lab is one of 15 such dialogues taking place globally.
