Dear Friends,
Eighty years ago Rabbi, Dr Elk came to Haifa and chose the verse “Truth springs up from the earth” (Psalms 85:12) as the main theme and the slogan of the Leo Baeck Education Center.
In the 80 years since its founding, this vision has deepened and developed organizationally into the Leo Baeck Education Center, a unique model consisting of an educational system with kindergarten through grade 12 schools at its core; alongside it is a spiritual, religious space in the Ohel Avraham Synagogue, and an inspiring social platform in the Community Center, with its eight branches around the city, that invites people to fulfill and share their values in the reality of their community.
Five issues challenge our vision of Israeli society and the Jewish people in future generations. We strive for every one of our 2,500 students at Leo Baeck to go through a transformational conversation about these challenges in the hopes of equipping them with the means and wisdom to shape their lives accordingly:
- Liberal Judaism, pluralism, Jewish identity, and their expression in this time
- Israel-Diaspora relations
- Multiculturalism and the attitude toward minorities living in Israel
- Human rights and building a democratic and egalitarian society
- Gender equality
Therefore, participants in the Leo Baeck experience are required to:
- Take responsibility for their Jewish identity and participate in Tikun Olam programs
- Maintain contact and dialogue with Diaspora Jewry.
- Engage in an ongoing conversation with the “other” in general, and with the Arab minority in Israel in particular .
- Study the moral principles of the Prophets of Israel as set out in the Declaration of Independence and promote human rights as the supreme actualization of Jewish education.
- Learn about groundbreaking women and be exposed to their accomplishments, interpret the Jewish and Zionist masculine tradition in new ways, and create opportunities and possibilities for true equality between women and men.
By imbuing our students and community members with a strong sense of identity, justice and social awareness, we are raising a generation of young adults and citizens rooted in Jewish values who are willing and prepared to be responsible members of the community, thereby strengthening Israeli society.
I invite you to connect with us and experience what is uniquely Leo Baeck by visiting our campus and enjoying authentic and interactive encounters with our diverse student body, staff, and community members.
We are pleased to welcome you.
Rabbi Ofek Meir
Managing Director and Headmaster
Leo Baeck Education Center