Tzohar - Keeping Israel Jewish, Together
Our Mission
Tzohar’s mission is to foster vibrant and inspiring Jewish identity to guarantee the Jewish future of the State of Israel. Tzohar provides an array of Jewish lifecycle programs and services for hundreds of thousands of Israelis every year.
Tzohar shapes Jewish life in Israel through advocacy and legislation and cultivates an
influential and responsive Modern Orthodox leadership.
With over 1,000 volunteers, Tzohar is a socially conscious movement securing an ethical, inclusive, and united Jewish society.
Our Story
Tzohar was founded in 1995 in the wake of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin. Tzohar’s founders witnessed deep divisions within our society based upon differing perspectives on religious practice and identity. These schisms have often led to outright animosity within Jewish society and as such many Jews feel alienated within the very country that was founded to be the home for all Jews.
Tzohar’s founders sought to reverse this course and create an organization that shapes the Jewish character of Israel through dialogue and common elements of Jewish identity. In keeping with this ideal, Tzohar operates from a non- judgmental perspective, providing its services in a welcoming and non-coercive manner, with respect for each individual’s life choices.
Tzohar works to provide each and every Israeli Jew with the sense of belonging to the Jewish People, pride in their Jewish heritage and access to Jewish practices and traditions.
Our Strategy
Tzohar works tirelessly to achieve its mission by providing an array of Jewish lifecycle programs and services that reach over a hundred thousand Israelis every year. Tzohar also shapes Jewish life in Israel through advocacy and legislation.
Tzohar concentrates its efforts in three program areas in order to advance its mission:
Grassroots Services
Tzohar functions as Israel’s largest private alternative to the Chief Rabbinate, providing personal assistance to over 100,000 Israelis every year through programs for Jewish marriage, Jewish status and Jewish holidays.
- Over 143,000 secular brides and grooms have enjoyed meaningful traditional Jewish ceremonies through Tzohar’s Marriage Program.
- Over 125,000 immigrants have proven their Jewish roots via Tzohar’s Shorashim project, enabling them to legally marry as Jews in Israel.
- Over 220,000 people enjoy welcoming traditional Jewish holiday services and activities each year, strengthening their bond with their Jewish heritage.
- Over 300 restaurants and food purveyors have placed their establishments under Tzohar Kashrut supervision.
- Over 2,600 bar/bat mitzvah children have participated in Tzohar’s meaningful programs which create a lasting connection to Jewish heritage.
- Over 4,250 couples have signed Tzohar’s halachic prenuptial agreement in order to prevent get-refusal.
Public Policy
Tzohar drives and shapes public policy to secure the Jewish character and future of the State of Israel. Tzohar has a successful track record of informing the media and rallying the public to advance its goal of creating an ethical, inclusive and inspiring Jewish Israel.
Rabbinic Leadership
Tzohar convenes and grooms an influential cadre of moderate Modern Orthodox Rabbinic leaders renowned for their professional, tolerant and inclusive approach who can have a positive impact on Jewish life in Israel.
- Rabbinic Council made up of 42 highly respected engaging rabbis who reach halachic decisions on matters of national importance.
- Rabbinic Enrichment courses for veteran and young rabbis. Tzohar’s courses are renowned for their professional, tolerant and inclusive approach and cover a wide variety of pastoral skills with a focus on opening the community doors for religious and secular families alike.
- Tzohar’s Jewish Ethics Center – The Center fosters an Israeli society that is just, moral and fair by contributing a Jewish ethical perspective to the public discourse on the relevant issues of the day.
In 2018, Tzohar launched Kashrut Tzohar, a subsidiary of Tzohar that brings integrity, competition, and transparency to kosher supervision in Israel.