ENGAGE WITH ISRAEL
Events, Programs, & Resources
EVENTS COMING UP
Israel Programming & Classes
Reform Judaism & Zionism: An Evolution
Tuesdays, May 26 - June 16
7:00pm BHS
This course explores the shift in Reform Judaism from early anti-Zionism to strong support for a Jewish state, shaped by antisemitism, the Holocaust, and key platforms like the 1937 Columbus and 1997 Miami statements. Taught by Rabbi Josh Weinberg of the Union for Reform Judaism and ARZA.
Israel Day Parade on Fifth
Sunday, May 31
11:00am in Manhattan
A NYC parade and meaningful gathering in celebration of Israel. BHS is a participant with coordinated groups and activities.
JCC Israel Film Center Festival at BHS
Sunday, June 11
7:00 BHS
BHS is a hosting a film screening in partnership with JCC Manhattan as part of the 2026 Israel Film Center Festival. Join us for the screening of the Israeli comedy-drama, Love, Statistically Speaking, and a Q&A with Film Director, Amichai Greenberg.
Israel Matters: Book Discussion
Thursday, June 18
6:30pm at BHS
A conversation about The Future is Peace, by Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon. Led by Shlicha, Lior Lekner. In their book, Aziz and Maoz, lifelong peace activists and guides to Israel/Palestine, wrote about their life-changing journey across their lands and the mythic, political, and personal histories that divide—and bind—them and their peoples.
GET INVOLVED AT BHS
BHS Israel Matters Group
The BHS Israel Matters Group is built on a simple, foundational principle: Israel matters deeply to us as individuals and as a diaspora community. While we are united by this connection, we recognize that the way Israel impacts our lives—emotionally, spiritually, and politically—varies greatly. Our individual relationships with Israel are shaped by our unique perspectives on its history, people, culture, and government.
This group is intended as a safe and open space for members of our community to express and explore their connection to Israel, for better or worse. We recognize that for many, this is a time of intense emotion and rapid change. Rather than navigating these feelings in isolation, we gather to find community and clarity together.
Informally organized and led by lay leaders, Israel Matters serves as a forum for sharing information about Israel in all its dimensions. We welcome diverse viewpoints and seek to learn about the many ways American Jewry can support Israel’s democracy and the Israeli Reform Movement at this critical time.
Whether you are a close follower of Israeli media or are looking for new resources to help understand a complicated landscape, we invite you to join us. We gather both in person and online to discuss Israeli history, culture, and current events.
Topics of Interest Include:
Unpacking Israeli History— Exploring the historical forces that shaped the nation
Contemporary Perspectives— Engaging with resources like the Hartman Institute’s What Matters Now podcast
The Reform Movement— Discussing the URJ’s response to how the American community can support Israel
Politics & Policy— Discussing both domestic Israeli politics and Israel’s place in the international community
Culture, Food & Arts— Exploring Israeli identity through its world-renowned culinary traditions, literature, music, film, and the arts
Media & Analysis— Sharing resources from leading newspapers and religious and political thinkers
For information about joining this group, please contact israelmatters@bhsbrooklyn.org.
BHS Israel Film Group
The Film Group meets biweekly to watch and discuss Israeli films available for streaming. Conversations are wide-ranging and engaging, with each film offering a window into Israeli culture, society, and history. BHS members are welcome to join, whether regularly or as your schedule allows. If you’re interested in joining, keep an eye on our events page for film group meeting dates and movie selections. For any questions, please reach out to lisa.kopel@bhsbrooklyn.org.
Partnerships at BHS
BHS Religious School Mifgash Program
Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, together with the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ), participates in the Yachdav’s educational twinning program, which matches students in Jewish supplementary schools, grades 4-11, with their peers in Israeli Reform Jewish schools. BHS began our Mifgash (encounter between Diaspora Jews and their Israeli peers) Program with the Hadarim School in Rishon Lezion, Israel in 2016.
Our 4th graders along with 5th graders in Rishon Lezion come together two times a school year on a virtual call to learn about what life is like for 4th and 5th graders in Israel and in Brooklyn. With the help of our BHS Faculty and the Israeli teachers, students prepare questions in English and Hebrew, share pictures, stories, play games and converse with their peers. The goal is to begin fostering a relationship for our students with Israel.
Meet Our Israeli Shlicha & Shinishit
BHS is proud to partner with The Jewish Agency for Israel, bringing Israeli emissaries into our community and across the Brooklyn area, in meaningful and complementary ways.
Through this partnership, we welcome a Shlicha— an official Israeli emissary who helps strengthen Jewish community life, foster connection to Israel, and expand opportunities for engagement — and Shinshinim (an abbreviation of the Hebrew phrase sh’nat sheirut, meaning “year of service”).
Shinshinim/yot are Israeli high school graduates who dedicate a year of service before their military service. They are called "Shinshin/it" because they are participating in a Sh’nat Sheirut ("Year of Service"), a unique leadership program of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Shinshinim have been part of the BHS community since 2013, and together with our Shlicha, play an important role in building meaningful connections between our community and Israel.
This year 5 Shinshiniyot will be living together in a shared apartment in Brooklyn, working in Jewish schools, synagogues, and Jewish communities across Brooklyn and Manhattan. Through teaching, volunteering, and building personal relationships, they bring Israeli culture and contemporary Israeli life to people of all ages.
Lior Lekner | Senior Shlicha in Brooklyn for the Jewish Agency For Israel (JAFI)
With over two decades of experience in informal education, community building, and cultivating a pluralistic Jewish identity rooted in Zionist heritage, Lior is a dedicated educator who empowers teens to explore their Jewish identities with curiosity, confidence, and a thoughtful understanding of Israel and its complexities.
Lior holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and History and a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies. Originally from Tel Aviv, she has been an active member of the innovative educational community of Kibbutz Na’aran in the Jordan Valley. She now lives in Brooklyn with her partner, Omer, and their three children, and looks forward to building meaningful relationships with teens and families across the community.
Tamar lives in Haifa with her parents and four siblings. In her free time, she loves mentoring and teaching, whether as a water polo coach or through youth movements and volunteer programs such as Mashatzim (Young Tour Guides), FIRST Robotics, and other educational initiatives.
At school, Tamar majors in Computer Science, Physics, and Robotics. She also participates in the Alpha Program at the Technion, where she conducted academic research in neuroimmunology and discovered her passion for medicine. Outside of school, she enjoys traveling around Israel, leading hikes, and spending as much time as possible with her friends.
In November 2023, Tamar and her family spent a month living in Manhattan. During that challenging time, she experienced the incredible warmth and support of the local Jewish community. That visit introduced her to the Jewish Agency's Shinshinim program, and she knew she wanted to give back before beginning her military service. She deeply believes in the connection between Jewish communities abroad and Israel, and is excited to help strengthen it.
Tamar Rabinovitz | 2026-2027 | Shininit working with schools and congregations in Brooklyn, including BHS
STAY INFORMED
Journalism
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Israel News, the Middle East, and the Jewish World
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News from Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish World
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News from Israel, Middle East, and Jewish World Coverage
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All news from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
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For a secure, Jewish, and democratic Israel
Podcasts
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A weekly exploration of one key issue shaping Israel and the Jewish World right now. Created by The Times of Israel.
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Join self-confessed history nerd Dr. Noam Weissman on a journey through the fascinating and sometimes controversial events and personalities that have shaped Israel’s past and present. Each week, Noam explores the layers of Israeli history, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the cultural forces at play—drawing on a variety of sources and perspectives. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply looking to better understand this complex region, you’ll find a nuanced, authentic, and thought-provoking take on Israel—free from oversimplification and political spin.
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Yonit Levi of Israel's Channel 12 News and Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian are two of the most prominent journalists in the world today. They are also Jews. Each week, join what MSNBC's Rachel Maddow calls "two great, smart smart smart hosts" as they dissect and debate current events shaping Israel, Jewish life - and the wider world. Their blend of nuanced discussion and sparkling conversation, featuring a dazzling range of guests, is why New Yorker editor David Remnick calls himself a “proud, avid listener," why Ira Glass says he "completely enjoys this show" and why Malcolm Gladwell calls it an "incredibly fun podcast". For a weekly fix of globally informed talk – including nominations for the greatest act of chutzpah and outstanding mensch of the previous seven days – there’s only one destination. Make every Friday morning Unholy.
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Political and geopolitical analysis from the world's top experts, hosted by Dan Senor.
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Hosted by Noah Efron, Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman, Linda Gradstein, and Miriam Herschlag
An inside view of how Israel can warm your heart and make your blood boil. It’s a show hosted by folks who live in and love Israel even though it drives them crazy, and who each week discuss the latest in Israeli politics, culture and society.
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Now officially part of the Unpacked family. Smart, engaging, and inspiring content about Israel, Judaism, and the Jewish experience.
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Welcome to Israel Story – the award-winning podcast that tells extraordinary tales about ordinary Israelis. Often called “the Israeli ‘This American Life,'” we bring you quirky, unpredictable, interesting and moving stories about a place we all think we know a lot about, but really don’t. Produced in partnership with The Jerusalem Foundation and The Times of Israel.
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For Heaven’s Sake is a weekly podcast presented by Ark Media and the Shalom Hartman Institute, hosted by Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi. The podcast draws its name from the Jewish concept of machloket l’shem shemayim, “disagreeing for the sake of heaven,” which is exactly what takes place each week as Donniel and Yossi discuss the moral aspects of topics affecting Israel, world Jewry, and the future of Zionism.
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Hosted by Haviv Rettig Gur
"Ask Haviv Anything" is a podcast about history, a podcast you, dear listener, will help to shape and direct, focusing not just on what I want to talk about but on what you want to learn and discuss. Nothing is off limits. We're going to talk about big and painful things, and also beautiful and fascinating things, wars and identities and painful history. And also more light-hearted things. Humor matters, especially when facing tough subjects.
RECOMMENDED READING BY OUR CLERGY
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Can We Talk About Israel?: A Guide for the Curious, Confused, and Conflicted by Daniel Sokatch
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Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World's Most Contested City by Andrew Lawler
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The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland – Then, Now, Tomorrow by Gil Troy
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The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel’s Borderlands by Amir Tibon
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The Third Temple by Yishai Sarid (Author), Yardenne Greenspan (Translator)
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Zionism: A Brief History by Michael Brenner (Author), Shelley Frisch (Translator)
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Defining Neighbors: Religion, Race, and the Early Zionist-Arab Encounter by Jonathan Marc Gribetz
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Zionism: An Emotional State by Derek J. Penslar
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A Brief History of Israel by Bernard Reich
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On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice by Adam Kirsch
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The Thinking Heart by David Grossman
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Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict by Oren Kessler
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Uprooted: How 3000 Years of Jewish Civilization in the Arab World Vanished Overnight by Lyn Julius
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Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Yardena Schwartz
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Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn by Daniel Gordis
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The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace by Adi Schwartz & Einat Wilf
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10/7: 100 Human Stories by Lee Yaron
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