On Thursday night, January 29, the halls of the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem (MOTJ) hummed with a rare intensity. Students of all ages, genders, and backgrounds gathered not because they had to, not because a grade was at stake, but because they wanted to be there. Phones stayed in pockets. Laptops remained closed. No one slipped out early, and they leaned in.
The some 350 students gathered came to MOTJ for the Ein Prat Leadership Academy’s Fifth Shavid Conference, which celebrated Jewish leadership and was a testament to the enduring relevance of Professor Eliezer Shavid, whose ideas continue to shape the moral and intellectual landscape of Israeli society. Shavid believed that Jewish identity and Zionism are not sustained by individual success or comfort, but by belonging to something larger—a story that demands moral courage and ethical choice, again and again.
Erez Eshel, founder of Ein Prat, passionately explained this unique experience for Israeli youth. “We are dreamers of reality,” he said. “Look at these students – different ages, different genders, sitting together, wanting greatness. They’re not here for money or credit. They’re here because they want depth, responsibility, and the ability to be something more.” He gestured toward the students, some of whom had been awake since 5:30 a.m., others who had sat through hours of discussion on philosophy, Zionism, and ethics. “This doesn’t exist in universities. Not in Israel. Not anywhere. And yet it happens here, every Thursday.”
Many of the students present were no strangers to MOTJ’s halls. Ein Prat regularly sends its students to the Museum for a full day of programming curated by MOTJ’s School of Civic Discourse, giving them an immersive experience in leadership, ethics, and civic engagement. The Shavid Conference built on this foundation, creating a space where historical reflection, moral inquiry, and active learning converged.
The students, many of them in their late teens and early twenties, embodied that living knowledge. Yael, 19, explained why she chose Ein Prat: “The main reason I chose En Prat is that it’s so strange to me that I don’t know my religious brothers. I come from a secular family, and it was really strange to me that I didn’t really know many religious Jews.”
Her words underscored the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem’s own vision of building bridges between different segments of Israeli society. By bringing together students from diverse backgrounds, Ein Prat naturally complements MOTJ’s programming, helping young people explore their shared heritage, challenge assumptions, and learn to engage with one another across cultural and religious lines.
Nitzan, another student, echoed her sentiment: “I realized that I really miss the subject of studying… I want it to exist in a meaningful way. Ein Prat is one of the only places where this is possible. As Erez said, they offer both a reality and a dream. This knowledge is mine now. No one can take it from me.”
The conference moved seamlessly between the weight of history and the vision of the future. Students, teachers, and scholars discussed Jewish thought, leadership, and the moral challenges of modern life.
By the end of the night, the energy in the room was palpable. It was more than learning; it was an insistence on belonging, a refusal to accept intellectual or moral complacency. The young people present were not just absorbing ideas—they were inheriting a story, tasked with carrying it forward.
MOTJ and Ein Prat created a rare space: a place where memory, intellect, and responsibility converge, and where the next generation of Jewish leaders can discover not only what it means to know, but what it means to act. MOTJ became a place where knowledge becomes personal, enduring, and alive—and where greatness, once sought, can take root.
