Building Bridges: Decades of Partnership Between BJ and Israeli Spiritual Communities

Over 30 years ago, Rabbi Rachel Cowan z”l introduced Rabbis Roly Matalon and Marcelo Bronstein to the leadership of HaMidrasha at Oranim, a then newly established educational center dedicated to the renewal of Jewish life in Israel. By helping so-called “secular” Israelis reclaim their Jewish cultural and spiritual birthright and engage questions of personal and collective Jewish identity, HaMidrasha aimed to foster a pluralistic Jewish cultural and spiritual landscape within a democratic Israel.

Rabbi Cowan recognized in both HaMidrasha and BJ a shared commitment to a Judaism centered on community—dynamic, living, and continually seeking. She saw the potential for these two communities to learn from one another and envisioned a mutually enriching relationship in which Israeli and American Jews could deepen their understanding of each other’s challenges, perspectives, and expressions of Jewish identity.

Over the years, the relationship blossomed through visits by members of both communities. BJ groups traveled to Israel, while delegations from HaMidrasha came to BJ, often staying in members’ homes and joining in community retreats. These shared experiences went beyond formal programs—they created moments of genuine connection, fostering deep friendships and a lasting sense of kinship that bridged the distance between Israeli and American Jewish life.

This was the start of a series of partnerships between BJ and Israeli institutions that brought BJ members and Israelis together to learn from and with one another, and forge relationships that have lasted until this day.

Two spiritual communities in Israel were created as a direct outgrowth of the relationship with BJ, inspired by BJ’s spiritual vision, its model, and approach to musical services:  Niggun HaLev in the Galilee, formed in 2000 by members of HaMidrasha, and Beit Tefila Israeli in Tel Aviv, founded in 2004. 

In 2005 and 2006, under the leadership of BJ’s rabbis and BJ member Steve Stulman, additional spiritual communities joined Nigun HaLev and Beit Tefilah Israeli to form a network of like-minded communities, including the pioneering Jerusalem congregation Kol Haneshama. This network has fostered the development of an organic liberal Israeli Judaism that reflects Israeli culture, spiritual longings and the richness of the Jewish tradition.

In addition, BJ formed a partnership with Invitation to Piyut, an Israeli organization dedicated to preserving and reviving thousands of years of liturgical poetry and music from Jewish communities around the world. This relationship, which has significantly enriched our BJ music, led to the creation of Piyut North America to help further disseminate global Jewish music.

Over the following two decades, the relationships with the partner communities have deepened on both sides of the ocean through BJ trips to Israel, delegations of our partners visiting BJ on retreats and for various holidays, and since the pandemic, learning and connection via Zoom. Special encounters included: a delegation of Israeli women who joined the 2nd BJ women’s retreat and in turn established their own women’s retreat which a delegation of BJ members attended; a special trip to bring a Torah scroll as a gift to Nigun HaLev; and several prayer and music retreats both in Israel and in the New York area.

Following October 7th, in these very difficult times of war and trauma, BJ has looked to hear the perspectives of our partners on the ground, including how they were personally and communally impacted by October 7th and the ensuing war, and the work that they are doing in communities to create healing in Israeli society. Rabbis Matalon and Sol brought two solidarity delegations to Israel post October 7th, one in January of 2024 and one in January of 2026, to continue to strengthen our relationships and demonstrate our love and care, in addition to learning on the ground about the sparks of hope and healing that are being planted amidst the trauma and pain.

As we approached our bicentennial in 2025, we knew that an essential component of our celebration would be to reflect on this vital aspect of our community’s recent history. In May 2025, we had the honor of a remarkable delegation of rabbis, educators, and community leaders from across Israel; this group included leaders of BJ’s longtime partners, as well as representatives of newer organizations that have joined the movement to shape a vibrant, pluralistic Jewish landscape in Israel.

Throughout the week, the delegation took part in public events, Shabbat services, and intimate gatherings across our community. Together, we explored the civic and spiritual response to October 7th, the search for Jewish meaning in a time of upheaval, and new models of spiritual community in both the United States and Israel.

Following the delegation, BJ and the participating organizations committed to deepening and expanding these connections. A small committee composed of representatives of each of the communities is developing opportunities for community members to build relationships on a grassroots level; our hope is that Torah study, small group conversations on such topics as Jewish and Israeli identity, home hospitality, and other initiatives, will all foster a stronger sense of shared identity and commitment to the future of our shared Jewish story.