It's become a Rosh Hashana tradition for newspapers to publish lists of the "most influential" or "most prominent" Jews. The lists are a potpourri of the wealthy, powerful, pop-culture famous and organizationally well-positioned.
Here I offer a different type of list: a smattering of "interesting" Jews to follow in 5779. Interesting in my book means profound, positive, substantive, and making a real contribution to the long-term future of Israel and the Jewish people.
Therefore, without any ranking, I encourage you to pay attention to these people over the coming year:
Alon Davidi
The mayor of hard-hit and hard-bitten Sderot, who has rejuvenated the city, bringing in high-tech employment and advanced science education to the school system – attracting young couples and leading to a housing boom.
Mirit Shaked-Barak
The dynamic leader of a grassroots movement called Tapuzim ("Oranges"), running for mayor in Kfar Saba. A wonderful representative of the idealistic young generation that is seeking political leadership – free of the cynicism and corruption we have become used to on the municipal level. I hope she wins.
Ze'ev Elkin
One of the smartest and most sincere politicians, now running to become mayor of Jerusalem. His deep diplomatic experience and close relationship with the prime minister would serve the city well. He should win.
Yair Golan
One of the four generals in line to be the next IDF chief of staff. He has taken a hit for misspeaking about "dark trends" in Israeli society, but his conservative intellectual leadership and clear perspective on the centrality of the ground forces in winning wars makes him the right candidate, in my view.
Sharren Haskel
The second youngest member of Knesset, a dynamo in Likud with the recognized top record in Israeli politics on social issues, ranging from deregulation and demonopolization to medical reforms. An articulate and knowledgeable hawk on national security matters, too.
Yitzhak Herzog
He didn't gain traction as opposition leader, which isn't surprising when the party he led remains wedded to the discredited Oslo Accord. Perhaps as Jewish Agency chairman he will succeed more. How will he use the pulpit at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly in Tel Aviv in October? Perhaps to redirect Israel-Diaspora discourse off the current poisonous "blame Bibi" trajectory and toward reinvigorated Jewish identity programming?
David Friedman and Ron Dermer
The indispensable anchors of the relationship between the Trump and Netanyahu administrations, these two ambassadors have shepherded their leaders through a year of tectonic and supremely necessary change in U.S. foreign policy relating to Iran and the Palestinians. Their contributions are huge.
Amiad Cohen
The assertive director of the Tikvah Fund in Israel, which spearheads conservative and unabashedly Jewish/Zionist educational ventures in secular, religious and haredi leadership circles, at the highest intellectual level. Tikvah has been growing in influence, to the point where the Left has begun to make the fund a bogeyman for its own failures.
Aviad Hacohen
One the most brilliant constitutional law and Jewish law experts, he is president of the Academic Center for Law and Science in Hod Hasharon and the legal commentator for Israel Hayom. An obvious candidate for a Supreme Court spot in future, where he could help articulate a sophisticated, updated balance between Israel's Jewish and democratic moorings.
Yossi Klein Halevi
Author of the new, best-selling book "Letters to my Palestinian Neighbor" and "Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation," Shalom Hartman Institute scholar Halevi points a path forward in Muslim-Jewish relations and intra-Jewish relations. How do we get all wayward Jewish millennials to read his new book and rediscover Jewish Israeli and national-spiritual identity in the 21st century?
Eran Lerman
Former military intelligence colonel and National Security Council official, now vice president at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies and a lecturer at Shalem College. His erudite writings on Israeli diplomacy and defense policy, regional politics and US strategy are essential reading.
Gil Troy
A Jerusalem resident, Jerusalem Post columnist and distinguished scholar in North American history at McGill University. His new anthology, "The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland – Then, Now, Tomorrow" is an important update on Arthur Hertzberg's classic book, offering diverse and shared visions for realizing Israel as a democratic Jewish state. As chairman of Birthright's International Education Committee, he has played a key role in combating the recent hard-left attacks on this important program.
Jack Wertheimer
Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and the most provocative researcher and commentator on modern Jewish American life. He is a consistent (and correct) critic of the progressive consumer fashions and cultural illiteracy of American Jewry. Read his newest online essay about this in Mosaic Magazine – penetrating and frightening.
Rabbi Nahum Rabinovitch
On his 90th birthday, the most senior hesder yeshiva dean completed his monumental 23-volume commentary, Yad Peshutah, on Maimonides' Code of Jewish Law, and has boldly established an independent rabbinical court to compassionately convert Russian immigrants. His universalist humanism is striking.
Dr. Ephrat Levy-Lahad
A scientific superstar, Professor Levy-Lahad is director of the medical genetics institute at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem (and – full disclosure – Ph.D. mentor for my daughter). This year she was awarded the Emet Prize for her innovative research in epidemiology of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and clinical work in pre-implantation fetal testing, as well as her leadership in bioethics of genetics research in Israel and abroad.
Sivan Rahav-Meir
A rising star in television journalism and Torah education. Her portraits on Channel 2 news of Israeli leaders and intellectuals are always smart and sensitive, and her learned Bible lectures are followed online by tens of thousands of people. Her best-selling book "#Parasha" is now out in English.
Einat Wilf
This super articulate, left-wing former MK (who was affiliated with Ehud Barak's breakaway faction in Labor) has written a timely and important new book, "The War of Return." Among other, the book exposes the Palestinian campaign for everlasting refugeedom and the "war of return" of Palestinian refugees, and rips into UNRWA for perpetuating the Palestinian dream of destroying Israel.
David Be'eri
Founder and indefatigable leader of the City of David institutions, Israel Prize laureate, he is one of the great discoverers and builders of Jerusalem in the modern era. His teams are now digging up the Second Temple-era main pilgrimage road from the Siloam Pool almost all the way up to the Temple Mount, a magnificent and stirring enterprise that further roots the Jewish people in Jerusalem.
Miriam Peretz
The inspirational educator whose two sons were killed in combat 12 years apart, and this year was awarded the Israel Prize for "strengthening the Jewish Israeli spirit." If you haven't already done so, watch her rousing, patriotic prize address online, which is now to be taught in all Israeli high schools. She could be a candidate for the next president of Israel.
