תיאור
We lack a Torah Yisraelit — an Israeli Torah. Torah, meaning a normative value system, a way of life for a broad and diverse society, whose roots run deep and draw from the living wellspring of Jewish faith in its most sublime expressions. Israeli — one that is ours, belonging to these generations. Ours as those who merited witnessing the Jewish people's return to their land; ours as people living in a modern and postmodern age; ours as those to whom the chain has been passed — and who are now its living link.
The encounter with a faith and halakha grounded in common sense; with a halakha that is not anachronistic; with a halakha that embraces all of Israel; with a Torah that enriches life and enables a wide range of lifestyles — this will be, for so many, a wondrous experience, like discovering a source of living water after a long wandering in the desert. Cold water to a weary soul, and good news from a distant land.
Creating this encounter is the work of 'Torah Yisraelit — Lechatchila.'
Dr. Yoav Shorek — thinker, editor, and historian — sets out in this short pamphlet the story behind the 'Lechatchila' initiative, which he leads together with a group of leading intellectuals. In many respects, this essay can be read as an updated précis of his book The Israeli Covenant (Yedioth Books, 2015).
