ISRAEL
The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute (VLJI) is a leading intellectual center for the interdisciplinary study and discussion of issues related to philosophy, society, culture and education. The Institute gives expression to the wide range of opinions in Israel, and takes particular pride in its role as an incubator and creative home for many of the most important civil society efforts to enhance and deepen Israeli democracy.
Founded in 1959 by the Van Leer family from the Netherlands, the Institute and its mission are based on the Van Leers’ vision of Israel as both a homeland for the Jewish people and a democratic society, predicated on justice, fairness and equality for all its residents. The Institute’s work today, still indelibly shaped by the Van Leers' legacy, is designed to enhance ethnic and cultural understanding, ameliorate social tensions, empower civil society players and promote democratic values.
The Institute pursues its mandate by employing different methodologies: academic research, public policy analysis, advocacy and civil society projects. Throughout its history, the Institute has initiated or participated in more than 200 different projects, which are clustered broadly under four "umbrellas":
Advanced Learning
Israeli Civil Society
Jewish Culture and Identity
Israel, Palestinians and Mediterranean Neighbors
Activities range from the sponsorship of domestic and international conferences, symposia and workshops to the publication of periodicals, books and monographs to the initiation of grassroots dialogue and major educational initiatives. The Institute actively promotes pluralist public dialogue by making its intellectual and academic work accessible and by seeking wide input and representation in all of its endeavors.
The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute is located in Jerusalem's Rehavia district, adjacent to the President's residence. As a center for advanced learning, the Institute houses a unique, 27,000-volume library focused on the history of ideas. The library strives to offer an interdisciplinary perspective on philosophy, the history and philosophy of science, historical sociology and political theory. It is a private library, open only to its Fellows.
VLJI operates a multi-lingual Hebrew, English and Arabic website at www.vanleer.org.il.
Live web-casts of events are shown on the site.
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