The New Jewish-Israeli Identity: Four Years in Kfar Nehar HaYarden | Shalom Ashkenazi

Shalom Ashkenazi celebrates four years in Kfar Nehar HaYarden and describes how working there changed his perception of Israeli society. He moved from a dichotomous view of right-left, religious-secular, to an understanding that one can hold clear opinions and still see the person opposite. The village serves for him as a laboratory for Israeli society, where diversity is not a threat but a strength, and the Jewish-Israeli identity becomes less binary and more complex.

Shalom Ashkenazi, the article's author, celebrates four years in Kfar Nehar HaYarden and shares his insights on Jewish-Israeli identity. Before arriving at the village, he saw Israeli society dichotomously: right versus left, religious versus secular, rich versus poor. The debates surrounding the government and the judicial reform intensified the polarization. However, working in the village taught him that there is no need to choose between identities. One can hold clear opinions on the complete Land of Israel and still see the integration of Arab society as a vital part of Israeli society. One can be religious and participate in activities on Shabbat, and one can be secular and respect the religious way of life. The village, he says, is a small laboratory for Israeli society, where the central question is not 'which side are you on?' but 'who are you?'. He argues that the Zionism of the current generation should be a Zionism of connection, responsibility, and mutual guarantee, where difference is not a threat but part of the strength. The article concludes with a call to remember that we are together, even when we disagree.