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In a spirited, vigorous discussion that spanned over an hour at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzilya, the futuristic topic of "Jewish Peoplehood circa 2110" inspired a wide range of talking points which included (but were not limited to):
- Tensions between religious and secular populations
- The reconciliation of democracy and a Jewish state
- Demographic issues
While according to Dr. Passig, history may be prone to predictable, cyclical patterns, one can never truly predict or know what the future holds in store for us. For now, the main concept all the panelists agreed upon is that the future of Israel has much to do with its present state...
Panelists
Dr. David Passig: Occupational futurist, author of novel "2048", professor at Bar-Ilan University, described himself as optimistic, even in the face of all the challenges that face the Jewish people today.
Dr. Noam Lemelshtrich Latar: Dean of the School of Communications at IDC-Herzilya, some might say the "resident pessimist" of the discussion; he was not afraid to challenge the assumptions of the questions put before the table.
Leah Biteolin: Works at the Jewish Agency for Israel, Israeli immigrant, and Ethiopian Jew. Leah shared her personal story of growing up in Africa and returning to Zion.
Reprinted with permission from Leadel.NET