תיאור
So, what is the story of Lechatchila?
In the short booklet before you, Dr. Yoav Sorek—Chairman of Lechatchila—presents the vision, the rationale, and the milestones. It is essential reading for members of Lechatchila and for anyone intrigued by our vision.
We are lacking an "Israeli Torah." A Torah—meaning a normative value system and a way of life for a broad and diverse society—whose roots are deeply planted and draw from the well of living waters of the Jewish faith in its most sublime expressions. "Israeli"—meaning a Torah that is ours, belonging to these generations. Ours, as those who have merited the return of the Jewish people to their land; ours, as people living in a modern and postmodern era; ours, as the generation to which the chain of tradition has reached—and which now serves as its living link.
The encounter with faith and Halakha that are connected to common sense; with a Halakha that is not anachronistic; with an all-encompassing Israeli Halakha; with a Torah that empowers life and enables a variety of lifestyles—will be for so many a wonderful experience, akin to finding a source of living water after a long wander in the desert. "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."
Creating this encounter is the mission of "Israeli Torah – Lechatchila."
Dr. Yoav Sorek—thinker, editor, and historian—unfolds in this small pamphlet the story behind the Lechatchila initiative, which he leads alongside a group of prominent intellectuals. To a large extent, this work can be seen as an updated summary of his book The Israeli Covenant (Yediot Sefarim, 2015). Appended to this work is the article "The New Generation," written in the wake of the war and addressed to parents and educators within Religious Zionism.