BINA Bashchuna: A Model of Jewish Pluralism for Bringing about Change at a Community Level

 
The “BINA Bashchuna” (“BINA in the Neighborhood”) model, which BINA has developed and implemented in recent years in South Tel-Aviv and Shchuna Daled Beer Sheva, has been a hugely successful example of comprehensive pluralistic Community Building. Community building and engagement is a method of implementing change through the creation or enhancement of community among individuals within a regional area (such as a neighbourhood). Loss of community in society is a key cause of social disintegration and the emergence of harmful behaviors. Building community is a means to increase social justice, individual well-being and reduce negative impacts of otherwise disconnected individuals. BINA's innovative community building efforts aim to revitalize underserved neighborhoods and improve the lives of its residents and their families, including social, educational, economic, physical, and cultural components. At the heart of our community building efforts is the principle of Jewish pluralism.  
 
BINA’s approach is based on the assumption that community change must be rooted in the needs, assets, actions, and goals of neighborhood residents. Therefore, BINA seeks to actively engage residents in all aspects of the neighborhood transformation process, from identifying and prioritizing changes to devising and implementing strategies to achieve them. In the Shchuna of South Tel-Aviv, we encounter residents of a wide range of backgrounds: Masorti (traditional, Sephardic, from Islamic countries), “old” new immigrants from Buchara, Kavkaz (some orthodox, some formerly orthodox, others completely alienated), BINA secular “tzabar” activists, Orthodox women volunteers (National Service), students of assorted identities and others. Engaging residents from such diverse backgrounds to work individually and collectively to foster and sustain positive neighborhood change is Jewish pluralism “in action”.
 
BINA’s community-based program in South Tel-Aviv and Beer Sheva focuses on building ongoing, permanent relationships with the local authorities, welfare and education departments, schools, Youth Advancement (Kidum Noar), community centers, local NGOs and other stakeholders. Through joint action, BINA’s model creates new affiliations and connections among constituencies and populations in Israel with very diverse Jewish identities, for the purpose of applying a collective vision in moving the community towards change. The activities undertaken aim to strengthen and promote Jewish pluralism; the collaborations created are themselves demonstrations of Jewish pluralism – in its complexity and intricacies in Israeli society.
 
BINA Bashchuna uses a wide range of organizational and programmatic strategies to promote positive community change, embodying Jewish Pluralism in various forms and formats. A few examples include:

• BINA activists volunteer alongside young orthodox women from Sherut Leumi (National Service) with children at-risk in after-school clubs in the local community center. The common cause bridges the gaps between the groups and serves as a constructive platform for dialogue. The interactions are supported through study and discussion – each group individually as well as jointly – and professional supervision and guidance.
• “Kehilla Hogeget” offers low-income adults facilitated study sessions on topics related to the Jewish calendar. Participants are encouraged to “give back” to their own community and volunteer organizing communal holiday celebrations. The residents and families who participate in the events reflect the diversity of Israeli society and this diversity is expressed in the content and process of the events themselves.
• Parashat Hashavua: A study session of the Torah portion-of-the-week is held every week at the local community centers of Shapira neighborhood in South Tel-Aviv and Dalet neighborhood in Beer Sheva. The sessions are conducted by a different speaker every week. Past speakers have included; HaRav Lau, Muki Tzur, Rabbi Naama Kelman, Yehuda Meshi Zahav, Kobi Oz, Shimon Parnas, Tzvia Valdan and many more. The sessions offer an opportunity for individuals from very different backgrounds to come together in study and discussion. Here too pluralism is apparent in the diversity of the attendees as well as in the viewpoints of the diverse speakers each week.  

BINA’s experience in South Tel-Aviv and Beer Sheva has produced a wealth of learning on the opportunities and challenges of a pluralistic community building approach to neighborhood transformation. Several municipalities and local authorities have approached BINA expressing an interest in replicating the model to neighborhoods in their locale. Other local authorities have sent staff members to visit the neighborhoods we operate in to understand how the model functions. We are now in advances stages of preparing to launch an additional “Shchuna” next year in Beit Shemesh. The local municipalities of each “Shchuna” are true partners in our endeavor. Tel-Aviv Deputy mayor Asaf Zamir, Beer Sheva Deputy mayor Dr. Heftzi Zohar and Beit Shemesh Deputy mayor Richard Peres are avid supporters of the program, making every effort to harness the relevant local constituencies and leverage collaboration for professional and financial support.