Herzog Launches New Jewish Leadership Initiative in Budapest

President Isaac Herzog made a 12-hour visit to Budapest last week, meeting with his Hungarian counterpart András Baka and newly appointed Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who replaced Viktor Orbán. The primary purpose of Herzog's trip was to attend a conference for the "Voice of the People" (Kol Ha'am) organization, an initiative he spearheaded. Herzog stated that the idea for "Voice of the People" has been with him for years, stemming from his time as Chairman of the Jewish Agency, and that he believes the Jewish people's greatest strength lies in their ability to meet, listen to each other despite disagreements, and work together for a shared future.

Herzog described the initiative as a vision to create a space where Jews from all over the world, regardless of their streams and backgrounds, can convene, voice their concerns, tackle current issues, and cultivate a new generation of Jewish leadership. He emphasized the crucial connection between Diaspora Jewry and Israel as integral to their collective identity and resilience. He expressed pride and excitement seeing the first cohort of "Voice of the People" participants present their projects, transforming a vision into a vibrant community that demonstrates shared values outweighing differences, even amid deep divisions and unprecedented crises. He views this as an investment in the future of the entire Jewish people, fostering a new leadership generation to shape the Jewish narrative and contribute to global betterment.

Shirael Dagan-Levi, CEO of "Voice of the People," explained that the organization has established a global network of 150 Jewish leaders and entrepreneurs who share knowledge, experience, and connections to develop solutions for pressing Jewish challenges. The network comprises 50 Jews from Israel, 50 from the United States, and 50 from other countries. They initially met 18 months ago and have since held monthly Zoom meetings to advance various initiatives. These initiatives include developing AI tools to bridge divides within Jewish communities and combat antisemitic biases, creating a platform connecting Israeli travelers with Jewish hosts for Shabbat meals, and fostering a network of young leaders for Middle East cooperation.

Noam Mairov, 30, who led a project on Middle East cooperation, noted that the "Abraham Accords" survived the recent war due to their shared interests. He believes in identifying mutual interests and engaging future decision-makers at a young age. Mairov leveraged the "Voice of the People" network for connections with Jewish leaders and entrepreneurs globally.

Barak Sala, 41, a senior research fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School, discussed how the "Voice of the People" network aided his project, "The Israel Program," launched in response to the war. He observed significant ignorance and antisemitism on campus following October 7th, highlighting a lack of serious research on Israel in elite universities. His program aims to establish a new research initiative on Israel within Harvard's Middle East department, fostering a more integrated understanding of Israel as part of the region.

Erin Shrodi, 35, an environmental activist from California, founded "Tiny Tribe," a project inspired by the war, aimed at creating Montessori-based toys for infants that connect them to Jewish heritage, values, and language. She felt a deep need to connect with her Jewish journey after October 7th and sought to instill a positive Jewish identity from birth. The toys are designed to be aesthetically pleasing, environmentally sustainable, developmentally appropriate, and imbued with Jewish content. The first cohort of "Voice of the People" began 18 months ago, and these toys are now in production.