Shalom Hartman Institute

The Shalom Hartman Institute (SHI) is a pluralistic center of research and education deepening and elevating the quality of Jewish life in Israel and around the world. Through our work, we are redefining the conversation about Judaism in modernity, religious pluralism, Israeli democracy, Israel and world Jewry, and the relationship with other faith communities.

We are working to build an Israel that overcomes its current divisions to achieve a rich democratic and religious pluralism. In order to build an Israel that lives up to its historical, global, and pluralistic mandate, SHI is dedicated to serving as an educational engine for tolerance, mutual respect, and inclusive Judaism. We believe the essential work of building a shared moral and spiritual language and common principles begins with innovative ideas, followed by the empowerment of extraordinary change agents who can reach a broad range of society through ground-up education.

SHI’s Min HaBe'erot Initiative: Jewish-Arab Education Toward a Shared Society redefines the way Israeli Jews and Arabs live side-by-side in Israel by establishing an infrastructure within the education system that fosters conversation and respect between different sectors and builds a more unified Israeli society. The program promotes pluralism and tolerance and fosters understanding and a shared society between Jews and Arabs in Israel. Min HaBe’erot asserts that culture and religion can inspire humanistic-values education, which has the power to serve as the foundation for an egalitarian society in which members of diverse cultural and religious groups can live together harmoniously. Engaging with one's identity and culture through the study of traditional sources reinforces a commitment to the shared moral values found in these traditions, positively affecting the ways in which we deal with contemporary challenges.