Director of Student Affairs
The Department of Education of the Jewish Agency for Israel

This upcoming year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of the visionary of the State of Israel, Theodore Herzl. Herzl's vision, which seemed quite improbable at the time, came true scarcely half a century later. Today, there is a need for new visions and dreams about the Jewish future- visions with the potential to have a profound impact on our future. I believe that Jewish students are especially capable of articulating such visions- if engaged and encouraged to do so.

This internet site, a treasure house of sources and insights into the idea of vision throughout the epic sweep of Jewish Civilization, can help us focus on some of the key questions of our times: What can Israel look like twenty years down the line? Fifty years? What will the Jewish People look like in the future? What are the things we would most like to change? What is our vision of the future?

The Jewish Agency's Department of Education, along with a global coalition of student frameworks, has produced this anthology as the starting place for a global discussion among students about visions of the future and the importance of dreams and change. We encourage you first to find ways to use this material on campus, in seminars, in discussions and among friends. We then encourage you to articulate your own vision. You can do so by any form of media: writing, drawing, sculpting, film-making etc. These visions, as formulated by Jewish students around the world, will be presented by the students in Israel at a special event/competition to be held this summer in Jerusalem, commemorating the 100 year anniversary of Herzl's death. Details on the competition can be found by clicking on the appropriate link.

I look forward to seeing you in Israel this summer.