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Zionism 3.0 Experience Goes Totally Virtual for First Time as JCCs Worldwide Host forums on Israel-Diaspora Relations
Sixth annual Zionism 3.0 focuses on Jewish unity in dialogue featuring Amb. Ron Dermer, journalist Bari Weiss, with proceeds funding JCC programs
PALO ALTO, CA—The Zionism 3.0: Reimagining Diaspora Relations is scaling its sixth annual Z3 Experience nationally and globally by making the event completely virtual, with leading figures such as Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer; journalist Bari Weiss; Natan Sharansky and many others.
Each day of Hanukkah, from Dec 10 –17, Z3: Visions of a Shared Future will feature exclusive access to video conversations, interviews, and other inspiring content from leaders from across the Jewish world. Z3 is an initiative of the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, with 70 Faces Media, OpenDor Media, Virtual JCC, and JCC Association of North America partnering with the OFJCC to bring the experience to more communities.
“For the first time ever in Jewish history, we have two strong, distinct, flourishing centers of Jewish life: in Israel and in the West, primarily in North America. We depend on each other, and stand to enrich each other, in different ways than ever before,” said Zach Bodner, CEO of the Oshman Family JCC, Palo Alto, CA.
“We must recognize that Jews in both places add to the other—not just for security, but with each other’s spiritual and cultural contributions as well. We can’t let political frameworks dictate the nature of our relationship but must use our shared sense of peoplehood and our common destiny to frame our relationship.”
Z3 is also innovating this year with a new platform, Virtual JCC, a proprietary platform built by Schwartz Reisman Centre, Vaughan, Ontario, and supported by Elite Digital. A new place to learn, connect, grow and engage the entire JCC Movement face to face but online, Zionism 3.0 is just one of the many offerings available through the site.
In another unprecedented initiative, Z3 will also be crowdsourcing proceeds from conference ticket sales by creating a global Z3 Giving Circle, in which participants will vote and decide how to allocate funds, via an RFP process, through JCC Association of North America and the JCC Global network. The programs will focus on tikkun olam (repairing the world), arts and culture, community, holidays and rituals, learning, identity and safety and security. The winning projects will be announced on the final day of the conference.
“JCC Association is honored to support this critical dialogue that has the potential to help shape the future of world Jewry,” said Doron Krakow, President and CEO of JCC Association of North America. “The involvement of 18 JCCs across the US and Canada is the next step in bringing Zionism 3.0 to every corner of our movement, the largest platform for Jewish engagement on the continent.”
In addition to the main event led by the Oshman Family JCC and four other JCCs in the Bay Area, Z3 is assisting JCCs around the world in hosting local programming parallel to the conference, centered around Jewish peoplehood, including JCC Metrowest (West Orange, NJ), Kings Bay YM-YWHA (Brooklyn, NY), The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (New York, NY), Miles Nadal JCC (Toronto, ON), Peninsula JCC (Foster City, CA), Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia (Fairfax, VA), Schwartz Reisman JCC (Vaughan, ON,) St. Louis JCC (St. Louis, MO), Tucson JCC (Tucson, AZ), Stroum JCC (Mercer Island, WA) and York JCC (York, PA.)
To learn more about Zionism 3.0 or register for tickets, visit https://z3project.virtualjcc.com/.
About JCC Association of North America
JCC Association of North America leads and connects the JCC Movement, advancing and enriching North American Jewish life. With 1.5 million people walking through the doors of more than 170 Jewish Community Centers and Jewish Community Camps (JCCs) each week, the JCC Movement is the largest platform for Jewish engagement on the continent. JCC Association, the convening organization of this dynamic network, partners with JCCs to bring together the collective power and knowledge of the entire JCC Movement, including 12,000 full-time and 41,000 part-time and seasonal professionals. By supporting them, together we enhance and strengthen Jewish life throughout North America. Learn more at JCCA.org or on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About the Z3 Project: Reimagining Diaspora Israel Relations
The Z3 Project is an initiative of the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, CA. Our aim is to promote a stronger relationship between Diaspora Jewry and Israel. We are dedicated to modeling how Zionism can evolve, and how our communities can come together for meaningful discussions about the Diaspora and Israel. Since 2015, we have gathered leading voices from across the political spectrum for a day of debate and conversation, aimed at creating a new model of Jewish engagement in the 21st century.
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