Strengthening Zionist Awareness in the Jewish Educational Framework and Within the Jewish Communities

Imparting the Hebrew Language and its Culture

1. Jewish Zionist Education

1. The 34th Zionist Congress regards the youth movements and university student organizations as the educational foundation for the growth of a new generation into Zionism and into leadership of the Jewish people. It recommends that responsibility of the world movements be transferred from the Jewish Agency to the World Zionist Organization, and be given high priority, this on condition that the budgets connected with the activities of the youth movements be transferred to the authority responsible for these activities, and that the entire issue be the responsibility of the youth movements themselves. This proposal has come together amidst the background of the tendency to reduce the number of Shlichim to youth movements in the West, in order to place the issue of youth movements as a top priority of the Zionist movement, and in order to ensure the joining of the young generations to the Zionist Movement and to the World Zionist Organization.

2. The 34th Zionist Congress calls upon the Israeli government to support the funding of Zionist youth movements' activities in Israel and in the Diaspora, and all youth movements connected to the Zionist Movement.

3. It is necessary to emphasize the status of the independent educator, of the deepening of learning, of educational experimentation in meetings with the individual and the group.

4. It is necessary to set aside thought and resources for the treatment of the Jewish education of Israelis in the Diaspora, placing special emphasis on the young generation.

5. The 34th Zionist Congress sees the importance of strengthening the family and its aliyah to Israel. The family must be safeguarded as a cornerstone of Jewish life.

6. The importance of speaking Hebrew must be insisted upon at conferences of the World Zionist Organization and at other Jewish institutions.

7. The educational mission increases the ability of the State of Israel and of Israeli society to make connections with the Jewish people in the Diaspora. Connections with the shlichim should continue to be developed even after their mission is completed.

8. Recognizing the central function of education as a tool for the continuing existence of the Jewish people, the 34th Zionist Congress will work toward the allocation of appropriate budgets for education in all its forms: formal and informal education, communal frameworks, academic and movement frameworks, for small children, youth and adults.

2. Preparing Programs for Developing Jewish Education

The formal and informal Jewish education of young people as well as adults, and the education of the entire Jewish family, constitutes the basis for the development of
Jewish identity, for the reinforcement of identification with and belonging to the Jewish people, and for the reinforcement of Zionist consciousness.

Therefore, the 34th Zionist Congress has decided to instruct the Zionist Executive to present to the first session of the Zionist General Council a strategic and operative program for the development, expansion and foundation of the Zionist aspect within Jewish education, based on Jewish heritage, tradition, history and culture.

3. Preservation of the Hebrew Language and Its Culture

In light of the serious decrease in the learning and knowledge of the Hebrew language at schools and in educational institutions, the Zionist Congress instructs the Zionist Executive to create a comprehensive program for the instruction of the Hebrew language at schools and in educational institutions, and universities and in formal and informal education and for the establishment of Ulpanim for the learning of the Hebrew language and Jewish tradition, identity and heritage worldwide.

4. Imparting the Hebrew Language in the Diaspora

Whereas the Hebrew language must serve as a common platform for the Jewish people, and
whereas a common language allows a dialogue to take place between all portions of the Jewish people, and

whereas we are living in a "global village", in which it is necessary to reinforce the connection between Jews within this framework,

it is hereby resolved by the Zionist Congress to act towards the imparting of the Hebrew language to the Jewish people in the Diaspora.

5. Deepening of Jewish Identity

In order to heighten the Zionist awareness within the system of Jewish education and amongst the Jewish communities and youth,

the Zionist Congress calls for the support of the expansion of the reservoir of suitable educators who are capable of relating to the religious and secular streams in the Diaspora for the deepening of Jewish identity, knowledge and familiarity with Jewish sources, the roots and values, for raising the mutual responsibility and the emphasis of the centrality of Israel in the life of the nation.

6. The Promotion of Zionist Education

The Zionist Movement has to strengthen formal and informal Zionist education, the connection to the State of Israel, and the need for Zionist realization and aliyah to Israel.

The strengthening of the connection between Jews in the Diaspora and the State of Israel and its residents comes as a result of the continuing work over years, and depends upon Jewish Zionist education. The expansion of the circle of members who join the Zionist Movement in all its factions, unions and organizations, depends on hasbara activity, on continuing education and on the recognition of the rightness of the ideals of the Zionist Movement.

Whereas the Jewish National Fund operates in the area of Zionist education, helps and promotes the activity of the magshimot movements, we consider it of the utmost importance to strengthen Zionist education, deepen the knowledge and experience that are part of the acquaintance with the history of the Zionist Movement, its principles and realization in the modern age.

Therefore, the Zionist Congress asks of the Jewish National Fund, the Zionist Movement and the Jewish Agency, until such time as the Education Department changes its structure, to establish an operative committee for the creation of a strategic structure for cooperation that will bring about a development in Zionist education, Hebrew culture and the strengthening of the centrality of Israel based on knowledge, the acquisition of excellence in language and culture and the experience of visiting the country.

This committee should encourage the unification of resources, in order to reinforce Zionist education in Jewish communities worldwide, as well as among the youth and young people in Israel, with the intention that the combining of human resources among the organizations will bring about the creation of a strategic and operative program for the coming years.

A committee of the Zionist Movement will be elected immediately following the Zionist Congress. It will maintain contact with the Jewish National Fund and the Jewish Agency to examine methods of cooperation, with the aim of establishing a combined structure.

A report must be presented to the Zionist General Council in 2003.

7. Jewish-Zionist Identity

Zionism is the national-social movement of the Jewish people, and is an existential alternative for every Jew who wishes to maintain his Jewish Zionist identity, personally and collectively.

Zionist consciousness will be reinforced by expanding the ideological basis and deepening the dialogue between the citizens of the State of Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora, while respecting the uniqueness and sovereignty of each community, its different streams, and the State of Israel.

Ways of Strengthening Zionist Consciousness

1. The State of Israel is able and obliged to assist the Diaspora in the development of formal and informal Jewish educational frameworks in the spirit of Zionism, as a project of the entire Jewish people.

2. Studies will include the history of the Jewish people, the current situation of Jews worldwide, acquaintance with Israeli society, Jewish cultural works throughout the generations, including secular free Jewish cultural works in modern times whether in the Diaspora or in Israel. In order to do so, it is necessary to develop the study of the Hebrew language as a first priority, but also the study of other languages of the Jewish people (Yiddish, Ladino, etc.).

3. It has been proven that informal education, within the framework of youth movements, student organizations and the Dor Hemshech, is most the efficient in developing long lasting identification.

4. In youth movements, in student organizations and in Dor Hemshech, Zionist consciousness will be expressed and strengthened through personal actualization, through acts, each according to his ability:
- The expression of active solidarity with the Jewish people everywhere, where it is coping with phenomena of Anti-Semitism, discrimination or distress.
- They will participate in writing, activism and hasbara and demonstrations, recruiting of public support, up until aliyah, as the peak of self-actualization.

5. We must develop within frameworks of multi-generational communities, the three phases of reinforcement of Zionist consciousness - to know, to identify and to act. We must awaken among them affinity, belonging, identification and activity. The community center will unite different generations under the same roof, from kindergarten and up to the old age. It will in this way create a tapestry of increasing Zionist consciousness with the help of an Israeli shaliach. Such centers, can realize, on a small scale, Zionism as a collective project of the Jewish people in the 21st century.

8. Informal Education

The Zionist Movement believes that informal Jewish-Zionist education is the tool that helps Jews of the Diaspora to maintain their Jewish identity and to keep a living connection with the state.

With its help, all children of Israel, whether in Israel or in the Diaspora, will acquire a world of terms, values, culture and language, which will prevent them from becoming disconnected and alienated.

9. Deepening Zionist-Jewish Education According to the Principles of the Declaration of Independence

Whereas the vision and goal of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel (14/05/48) represent the moral and spiritual ideals, which are at the foundation of the State of Israel and the Zionist Movement, and

whereas the ideological part of the Declaration of Independence includes the following words:

"THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations." (from the Declaration of Independence)

The Zionist Congress herewith resolves to instruct its representatives in the Jewish Agency to act for the deepening of Jewish-Zionist education according to the principles of the Declaration of Independence and for Jewish values and formal and informal education for realization - aliyah to Israel.

10. Increasing the Budget for Youth Movements

The 34th Zionist Congress praises the youth movements, student organizations, and young leadership standing at the forefront of the struggle on campuses worldwide against expressions of Anti-Semitism and demonstrations against the State of Israel.

The 34th Zionist Congress calls upon the Executive of the WZO to allocate a special budget for Zionist activism at universities and other educational institutions and youth movements, in light of the broadening of the struggle and expressions of hatred, which are daily passing new heights.

11. Establishing an Informal Education Department in the World Zionist Organization

Whereas the informal educational activity of the youth movements, students and adults is one of the basic goals of the World Zionist Organization, and

whereas education toward Zionist values can be carried out by the World Zionist Organization in the best and most efficient way, and

whereas the World Zionist Organization regards informal education as being of the utmost importance,

be it hereby resolved that it is necessary to renew the activity of informal education within the framework of the World Zionist Organization, and to transfer functions together with the relevant budget from the Jewish Agency to the World Zionist Organization.