The Next 60 Years:
Sharing Future Concerns
By Daniel S. Mariaschin,
Executive Vice President, B’nai B’rith International

In a year of worldwide celebrations marking Israel’s 60th anniversary, I believe one in particular has stood out: the “Facing Tomorrow” mega-conference last May, hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres.

A plethora of international Jewish and non-Jewish leaders from the worlds of politics, economics and business, the arts, media, academia, and community service gathered from across the globe—not only to celebrate a milestone anniversary of the State of Israel, but to discuss trends and challenges facing us all in the 60 years to come.

B’nai B’rith was honored to be represented by International President Moishe Smith; World Center Chair Haim Katz and Director Alan Schneider, and me.

Other major conferences have been held before in Israel, attracting some—perhaps many—of those invited to “Facing Tomorrow.” But no previous gathering has ever assembled so many leaders from as wide a spectrum, to try and confront so many critical issues.

For three days, the conference—patterned after the World Economic Forum, the successful annual leadership conclave in Davos, Switzerland—featured panel discussions on a vast array of diverse subjects and issues. In his message to participants, Peres spoke of a future “which awaits our decisions, our inventions, our dreams, and imagination.”

The roster of speakers, moderators, and facilitators was well-equipped to respond to Peres’ challenge: former heads of state such as Vaclav Havel, Joschka Fischer, and Mikhail Gorbachev; diplomats such as Henry Kissinger and Dennis Ross; Elie Wiesel, Natan Sharansky, Irwin Cotler, and other human rights figures; Internet and media leaders such as Sergey Brin and Rupert Murdoch; and academics such as Emmanuel Sivan and Itamar Rabinovich.

Unfortunately, the prestigious list is just too long to name everyone, but you get the idea.

And, in the midst of all this, there was a special evening devoted to U.S.-Israeli relations, with an address by President Bush (who delivered another speech two days later at the Knesset).

Discussions, held in meeting rooms in Jerusalem’s massive international conference center, covered topics ranging from “Wrestling with Creation” to “What Does the Scientific Tomorrow Hold in Store?” to “How Can the Jewish People Strengthen its Friendship to the Chinese Giant,” “Why is the ‘New Middle East’ Not Here, Yet?” and “A Jewish State: What is Its Content? What is Its Meaning.” And there were more than 30 other sessions as varied in content as these.

Some sessions were so crowded, and interest so intense, that attendees poured out into hallways. Many had to watch sessions on TV monitors, rather than being seated in the rooms in which the panel discussions were held.
And, as at all such gatherings, side meetings were held outside the meeting rooms—in corridors, in front of the coffee bars, and at makeshift meeting spots that were made up of small tables and folding chairs.

I was particularly impressed with the large numbers of young people in attendance, representing Israeli universities and <i>aliyah<i> organizations like MASA. At the conclusion of the panel discussion moderated by Israeli entrepreneur Yossi Vardi and featuring, among others, Brin, the co-founder of Google; Susan Decker of Yahoo; and Rupert Murdoch, several dozen young adults crowded on stage to meet the speakers—and more than one business card was exchanged.

Much credit goes to Peres, who, in his 85th year, is Israel’s pre-eminent world leader. His name, credibility, and reach, and wide circle of friends and colleagues accumulated over 60 years of service to his nation, were the “gold stamp” on the invitation that enabled the organizers to draw such a diverse group.

That—and Israel’s 60th anniversary.

Despite many wars and a six-decade assault by terrorists, in the face of constant opprobrium at international forums, and with a dearth of natural resources, Israel at 60 is both a vibrant democracy and a world leader in science, agriculture, medicine, and technological innovation in multiple fields.

The “Facing Tomorrow” conference was an opportunity, amidst the daily mood swings of geopolitics and diplomacy, to celebrate an actual miracle—miracles, actually.

How is it possible to absorb such a cavalcade of intellectual brainstorming? Many of us picked and chose those areas of discussion in which we had a professional interest or special curiosity; it was impossible to see and hear everything on the program.

Word is that Peres would like to have “Facing Tomorrow” become an annual, or at least regularly scheduled gathering, much along the Davos line.

If it does, I believe that’ll be good for Israel and for the Jewish people. There are only about 14 million of us in the world; in the global village and economy we find ourselves inhabiting; in a world where communication is instant and unceasing; in a world in which Israel, having overcome some challenges, faces new imponderables and threats to its existence, and at a time when reaching Israel is as easy as buying a ticket online—gathering Jewish leaders and others who share our concerns and interests on a regular basis makes eminent good sense.

The genius of this conference was the disparate nature of the participants; it was not just a reunion of those of us who work in the Jewish communal field; it was that, but also thousands of others, most of whom are Jewish, but who excel in other fields. Indeed, the word “cross-fertilization” is the first term that comes to mind when looking to describe the value of those three days.

During the course of the conference, some folks discussed the long-term value and utilitarian accomplishments of such meetings, asking what concrete proposals and solutions would actually be produced for the problems discussed. Some important ideas, for sure, were aired and discussed, although to expect this conference to solve every problem, in three days, would be asking too much.

While important (busy people taking time off from important pursuits), the real value of the conference was in something else: assembling people from around the world who are interested enough to drop everything to look broadly and introspectively at the Jewish and Israeli future.

That, in itself, should not only strengthen our resolve as those who serve and lead the Jewish community, but should also serve as a source of inspiration to Israel as she “faces tomorrow” on her 60th.