Public Initiatives

Gesher Multicultural Film Fund

For more than two decades, Gesher has turned to film as a powerful media to reach the masses to promote a shared Jewish future. In partnership with the AVI CHAI Foundation, The Gesher Multicultural Film Fund (GMFF) has funded and produced of over 500 broadcast hours of cinema and television, including award winning feature films, drama series’ and documentaries. The GMFF supports the production of films and television programs that reflect the diversity of Israeli culture and correct the stereotypical images of minority segments of society. The fund provides grants and editorial guidance to veteran film-makers, and scholarships and training for promising young scriptwriters, producers, and directors emerging from minority segments of the population.

The Gesher Multicultural Film Fund’s Jerusalem Brew, Ushpizin and Shtissel are just a few of the top-rated television shows and movies that have demonstrated a large-scale impact on Israeli Society.

Shalom Shabbat

Shalom Shabbat is a national educational initiative to unite Israeli youth and teens around the theme of Shabbat. After graduating from the Gesher Leadership Institute, Avi Wurtzman, the former Deputy Minister of Education, realized that Shabbat, a time and concept that is meant to be unifying, has become so divisive in Israeli society. In hopes of returning Shabbat to its original features, Avi together with many partners including Gesher and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, created Shalom Shabbat, a national program to foster conversation and dialogue directed to the youth, to recreate and reinvigorate the uplifting and unifying aspects of the day.

The program includes a series of musical performances for the general public and dialogue groups between religious and non-religious schools, all revolving around the theme of Shabbat. Some of the most famous and well-known Israeli musical artists (including Kobi Oz, Yishai Ribo, Shuli Rand, Rona Kenan) led high-quality musical performances that filled theaters and cultural institutions in 50 towns all over Israel, from Metulla in the North to Yeruham in the South. Over 20,000 people came to take part in these performances.

Global Jewish Unity Day

Global Jewish Unity day is one set day in the calendar that is dedicated to Jewish unity across the globe. The day was inspired by the sense of unity that engulfed the Jewish world at the time of the kidnapping of Eyal, Gilad and Naftali who were killed in the summer of 2014. Unity Day’s purpose is to earmark one day to consider consciously deriving strength from our wholeness, our uniting across labels, across compartments, and across communities. To learn more about Unity Day click here.

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