Yesodot – The Center for Torah and Democracy was founded in 1996 in response to the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. This event split Israeli society and increased tensions between the religiously observant and non-observant communities.

As a result of the Disengagement from Gaza and Northern Samaria in August 2005, Israel’s national religious community once again feels torn between their commitment to Torah law and their loyalty to the State of Israel and its democratically elected government.

Yesodot, whose staff are themselves members of the national religious community, believes that by exposing religious teachers and students to authoritative religious texts which support democratic values, and by allowing for open discussion of volatile issues in a secure environment, we will be able to strengthen the religious community’s commitment to democratic values and to a democratic Israel.

To accomplish this, Yesodot designs in-service training programs and curriculum for teachers and students in the religious school system that include topics such as respect for the rule of law, autonomy, tolerance and commitment to equality and human rights for all citizens. Yesodot is the only democracy education program working intensively within the religious educational system to demonstrate that Orthodox Judaism is compatible with, and even enhanced by, a commitment to democratic values and a democratic order.

• Over 500 school principals, superintendents and senior educators have participated in Yesodot’s Educational Leaders Program.

• Over 2,500 religious teachers have participated in Yesodot’s in-service training programs

• Over 6,000 religious students have used Yesodot’s specially designed curricula on Judaism and democratic values.

Yesodot Management

Yaacov Bing, Chair, Board of Directors
Dr. Shlomo Fischer , Founding Director
Shoshi Becker, Director
Rabbi David Atzmon, Curriculum Writing Director
Gail Resnick Esq., Development Director
Tirza Frankel, Pedagogic Director
Dr. Gila Yaakov, Evaluation Director
Yiska Oppenheim, Recruitment and Marketing Director
Rina Yitzhak, Office Manager