Conceptual Framework for the ILC's Potential Future Leadership Role

Background and Introduction​​

1. The goal of this report is to offer a conceptual framework for the ILC’s strategic thinking in the coming years, seeking to answer two broad questions: (1) “What are the recent major trends affecting Israelis living in the United States, and (2) Amidst these changes, what is the ILC’s potential future leadership role?"

2. This project emerged as a result of collaboration between the Reut Institute and ILC board members over the past months:

   • The Reut Institute deploys a taskforce that studies the future of Israel's relations with the Jewish world and the major trends affecting Jewish communities. Through its work, Reut has identified the ILC as an innovative organization able to play a leadership role vis-à-vis the Israeli Diaspora in the context of the changing relations between Israel and the Jewish world.

   • Four years after its inception, the ILC is reassessing its strategic direction. As such, the ILC is reassessing its strategic direction in light of changing trends within the Jewish world today.​​

3. This collaborative effort materialized in order to assess the ILC’s needs as an organization, and to examine its potential role in today's rapidly changing reality.

4. The ILC's leadership invited Reut Institute to explore these ideas and to present our findings to members of the ILC board. This report is the product of extensive research, interviews, and strategy sessions based on the following:

   • Preparatory meetings with the Executive Director of the ILC regarding the challenges and opportunities facing the organization;

   • Interviews with dozens of experts and leaders in Israeli and Los Angeles Jewish communities, including members of academia, Jewish day schools, rabbis, Israeli and Israeli-American media, lay-leaders, community members and finally, ILC board members and staff. The bulk of these meetings took place in April 2011, during the Reut Institute’s study visit to Los Angeles, CA.

   • Review of ILC's key documents and reports such as the ILC 2007 Business Plan, 2008-2009 Action Plan, 2009-2010 Action Plan, Position Paper presented at the Sderot Conference (2010), and others.

5. It is important to note that this report is conceptual. Its translation into a strategic plan and concrete programs would require internal deliberations by the ILC and potentially further research. The Reut Institute is looking forward to partnering with the ILC on this future effort.

6. Although this report is based on the above mentioned conversations and documents, it reflects the analysis and conclusions of the Reut team alone.

7. The structure of this report is as follows:

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Part 1: The ILC’s Playing Field: Changes taking place among the Israeli Diaspora

• Background: the changing paradigm in the relations between Israel andthe Jewish world: Jewish Peoplehood taking center stage;

• Current mindset and changing reality vis-à-vis the Israeli Diaspora;

• The emergence of a new identity group: the Israeli ‘New Tipus’;

• How can the 'New Tipus' be connected to the Jewish network.

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Part 2: Future Strategic Directions for the ILC

• The organizational history of the ILC;

• The unique assets of the ILC;

• The ILC today: vision, mission, strategy;

• The untapped potential of the ILC within the changing landscape of the Israeli Diaspora;

• The ILC’s future strategic opportunities;

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