What is

Director of CommunicationsShai Davis

shaidavis@presentense.orgintroduction of selfpt comes to answer a question

What does the average

student think it means

to “be” Jewish?

think about the average college student -- or any young, ‘desirable’ semi-affiliated Jew that organizations try to reach.

fight ing

&anti-semitism assimilationthey broadcast 2 general messages: be jewish by fighting anti-semitism and assimilation (or put more positively, be proud of being Jewish and marry Jewish).

why?...but

but we don’t enough ask the obvious question: why? why fight the trends? why no go darwin-style into the dark night?

Well, what’s the point of a Jewish state? What’s the point of a Jewish people?

to answer that, we need to consider the most basic questions

what does “jewish” really mean?

and this. let’s do a thought experiment:

a tale of 2 conferences

2 conferences. both met in the same building, a few months apart.the GA - meets to discuss the basic challenges facing Jewry and Israel. Issues of money and security are paramount.the president’s conference - on the other hand - brought together the leaders of google, facebook, yahoo, and 7 nobel laureates to discuss the possibilities for the future. Our tomorrow - issues of technology, medicine, culture, etc. that effect not just the Jews but the world at large. Solutions coming from israel for the good of the globe.

so we have challenges vs possibilitieswhich is more jewish?

in fact, there are 2 approaches to “being” Jewish - internal and external

israel is home to 2 types of zionism

israel is home to 2 types of zionismthis dichotomy is reflected in the 2 historic zionisms (broadly speaking):israel for the sake of jewish security and israel for something greater - as a platform to solve global issues.

survive

inspire

Jewry is a social network.

the jewish ppl is social network:nodes, language, culture, even an ‘operating system’we can put it to work to get our ideas, our solutions out there

PresenTense Leverages the Jewish Platformthat’s what PT is doing.we began 2.5 years by asking why be jewish

PresenTense Magazine

the magazine provided a forum for young (=optimistic, innovative, fresh) Jews to exchange ideas about issues at their heart

8 issues to date, 232 contributors this year, 30K readershipad-supported, volunteer drivenopen-source

PresenTense Summer Institute

now answering the question of HOW to get these ideas going6 weeks, jerusalem, 16 fellows, marketing, networking, business models, plans, pitches27 ventures launched to date, 11 have received funding or have been acquired by other organizationsmentors, coaches, faculty - top of their industries

Bible Raps

starting their second US tour - launching a CD soon

Bible Raps

starting their second US tour - launching a CD soon

10K in funding so far, 250 family members 70 units

strip acquired by OU, commissioned for greeting cards, businesses and organization

PresenTense Hubs

even the how is not enough, you need a communitycreativity community pioneeringhoping to expand in more cities

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Fostering Innovation for the Jewish People

PresenTense Network

volunteer-initiated events in 5 cities this yearexpanding online soon

www.PresenTense.org/PioneerWithUs

creative zionist - the movement of the jewish people to realize their collective potential.