In an effort to strengthen global Jewish unity, earlier this year Israeli President Isaac Herzog launched the Voice of the People Council, a groundbreaking initiative designed to tackle the most pressing challenges facing Jewish communities worldwide.
The council, comprised of 150 leaders from diverse backgrounds, will work over a two-year period to develop actionable solutions for key issues identified through an extensive global survey.
In a phone interview with the Journal, Shirel Dagan-Levy, CEO of Voice of the People, explained that the council will include 50 members from Israel, 50 from North America and 50 from other regions across the world. “Every two years, we will choose new council members and each council will work on the most urgent topics related to the Jewish people,” Dagan-Levy said. “The goal is to develop actionable solutions that will change our reality.”
Dagan-Levy explained that the council’s selection process was designed to ensure real diversity, with an algorithm developed to screen candidates from a wide range of backgrounds. The members span all ages and represent various sectors, including secular and ultra-Orthodox communities, high-tech professionals, Jewish educators, entrepreneurs, media figures, artists and community leaders. She emphasized that bringing together such a diverse group fosters creativity and innovation, which is essential to the council’s mission.
The council members recently gathered for their first virtual meeting, marking the beginning of their two-year journey. In early March, they will convene in Israel for an intensive five-day conference aimed at building trust, forming working groups and solidifying their mission.
The topics the council will address were selected based on a global survey that received over 10,000 responses in six languages. “We wanted to understand what people believe are the most urgent issues facing the Jewish world,” Dagan-Levy said.
“We wanted to understand what people believe are the most urgent issues facing the Jewish world.” – Shirel Dagan-Levy
The initiative started on April 2023, but after the war, everything was frozen and then they had to kick it off again. “So we re-asked the questions and it was interesting to see what the answers were after the war. Before Oct. 7, antisemitism ranked seventh or eighth in priority, but after the war, it became the number one concern across all languages and demographics.”
As a result, the council’s focus will center on five key issues: antisemitism, Jewish and non-Jewish relations, polarization and dialogue, Israel and the diaspora and Jewish education and heritage.
Each topic will be addressed by two specialized groups within the council, with the goal of developing practical and impactful solutions. “The council is not just about discussion — it’s about action,” Dagan-Levy said. “We want to see real outcomes — initiatives that people will look back on and say, ‘This came from Council #7 or Council #12.’ We want to shape the Jewish future.”
The project, launched in partnership with the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization, is supported by three major philanthropic partners: the Wilf Family Foundation, the Azrieli Foundation and the Patrick and Lina Drahi Foundation.
For Dagan-Levy and her team, leading this initiative is about more than just policy — it’s about hope. “Especially in these challenging times, it is crucial to focus on the future,” she said. “One of the greatest strengths of the Jewish people is our ability to maintain optimism even in adversity. No one else will do this for us — we must come together and take action.”
“Our Jewish culture is one that celebrates the living vitality of discourse,” Herzog said at the launch of the project. “It is our responsibility to deepen the conversation between us — to come together and have honest discussions about vital issues facing the Jewish people, and to develop the next generation of committed Jewish leaders who will bring their gifts and talents to preserving our precious peoplehood.”
To learn more, please visit: www.voiceofthepeople.network
