What is unique about the Yaacov Herzog Center? YHC is unique in being an Orthodox institution that is committed philosophically and in practical terms to the pluralistic study of Jewish tradition as a way of bridging the estrangement between different populations among the Jewish people, and in this way making it possible for all to share a Jewish future. Very few are the Orthodox Zionist institutions in Israel that have an interest in "the other" in its broadest meaning, including cooperative work with different religious streams in Judaism, the pursuit of equal rights for women within the context of Judaism and modernity, and the building of bridges between secular and religious Jews without covering up the principled differences that divide them. Rather, difference is seen as the basis for real encounter and mutual understanding. Only if the other stands on his or her own terms can true dialogue take place. The uniqueness of the Yaacov Herzog Center also finds expression in a number of salient characteristics common to its study programs, teaching staff and study methods, as follows: 1. A focus upon the connection between contemporary values and issues and Jewish sources. 2. Multi-disciplinary approaches to Jewish Studies (Bible and Art, Judaism and Film, Talmudic issues and modern literature, field trips with the Bible in hand, etc.). 3. A diverse teaching staff that represents different voices in the Jewish-Israeli world. 4. Instruction that is characterized by close attention to the student and the nurturing of dialogue, and not simply the frontal transfer of knowledge. 5. An informal and friendly atmosphere of camaraderie. These characteristics contribute to the implementation of the Center's approach and goals. The Herzog Center's Main Goals: 1) To open a window on a Jewish world that is becoming more and more unfamiliar or strange to a majority of Jews today: to teach Jews to know their own heritage better. 2) To overcome the alienation between the various and diverse groups in Israeli society without denying or belittling the principled differences that divide us. 3) To empower the southern periphery to take a more significant role in the social-cultural discourse in Israel, by developing pluralistic Jewish identity resources. 4) To develop the reading, listening and dialogue skills that make possible a conversation based on mutual respect, and on genuine and sincere attentiveness to all the voices involved, with the intention of cultivating a process of positive social change, or Tikkun Olam ("Repair of the World"). 5) To broaden and revitalize Jewish education among different groups, in order to strengthen modern Jewish identities in a multicultural society, all sharing a common Jewish cultural heritage, even when understood and held differently. 6) To facilitate a pluralistic meeting with the sources of the Jewish cultural heritage in such a way that Judaism is grasped as a process of enrichment for the individual and his or her community.