Journalists and media professionals are definitely a special breed.
It seems like they've seen it all, heard it all, and what they haven't learned is probably hardly worth learning. At least that was my impression before traveling with them, as part of the Gesher.com course for senior media professionals, organized by the Gesher organization, for a fascinating and exciting journey in New York.
Apparently, consciously or unconsciously, those members of the program who agreed to join came in advance knowing that Gesher's program would require a higher level of openness from them than they were used to.
Before traveling to the US, the group met in Israel several times a month, for about six months, visiting various places while getting to know new worlds of content.
The group included people from the Israel Broadcasting Authority and Kol Israel, various commercial channels, ultra-Orthodox media channels, leading journalists such as Haaretz and Makor Rishon, some from the world of online content on various websites, including this respected site.
There is much talk about the role of the media. Basically, it is supposed to report and, as an added value, also provide commentary.
There is a common claim that the media not only covers, but shines a spotlight on what divides and causes conflict, and never on what unites.
When Attorney Dov Halbertal writes, for the sake of provocation, about the festival following the murder of the teenagers, and when a person like Amir Hetzroni is put on air - it is 'familiar', since "media owners also need to make a living" [I heard this formulation from a senior person in the Haredi media].
Everyone has a red flag.
One of the reasons why the Geshrim.com course goes beyond the borders of Israel is to create a different dynamic within the group.
Not just a weekly meeting, during which everyone is connected and distracted by their smartphone, but an intensive stay together for a week. From breakfast (and morning prayer for those who want it) until the moment they go to bed.
Every day, we experience a number of powerful experiences, such as: a meeting with a senior journalist from the New York Times, a visit to a Haredi yeshiva that combines high-level Torah study alongside general and professional studies for students who have difficulty studying, a meeting with rabbis from a variety of streams, and finally an open dialogue with a senior activist from Stamar in Williamsburg.
Each of the participants has an encounter that challenges them. Each has a potential red flag. A Reform rabbi for one, and a Satmar activist for another. What do we do, who do we sit with, how do we relate, what to report and in what form?
As part of the program, participants come into contact with places that challenge them. Each one is forced to deal with this. What are the limits of discourse, where is the end of tolerance, and how do you deal when deep values clash with the desire to build something together?
The program created a kind of small laboratory for society as a whole, which sparked quite a few heated discussions, within the framework of the respectful discourse within the group.
At least in this laboratory, the people at Geshrim.com have proven that it is possible to continue to disagree, even at high levels, but without breaking things.
I am optimistic, albeit cautious.
At the end of each day, we sat together, ultra-Orthodox - secular - religious - women and men, in an attempt to analyze, emotionally and intellectually, what we had been through, but mainly what we had learned about ourselves.
Multiculturalism
At the beginning of the process, there was a heavy feeling that beyond one's personal identity, each person comes with another identity. For example, the media outlet they work for, the agenda presented in it, the sector they belong to, and in other words: one of the many identities that each and every one of us carries everywhere.
When one experience follows another, and there are also shared bus trips, many hours accumulate together, and with their help, it is possible to slightly, if only for a short time, reduce the burden we came with and treat each other as human beings who go through experiences, people, and encounters together.
Needless but important to note, there is no thought to change or convince. Absolutely not.
What was so beautiful and challenging about the meeting was putting together such a high-quality group, coming from strong and cohesive content worlds, with each person having multiple identities, Jewish, Israeli, gender, and more. In New York, there was an opportunity to touch on self-identity, perhaps (?) in a place I'm not used to touching.
The intention was to get to know, listen, learn, experience things, and do so with a group of people and unique people with whom one could share a thought, emotion, or insight.
Time will tell what the impact of this unique program will be, but I believe that the public arena in general and the media in particular are very important in creating an in-depth discourse on burning issues in our society - and it doesn't matter what your opinions are.
I was honored to join the journey, and I am confident that with our perseverance in building one bridge after another, we will succeed in seeing a positive change that will not only affect the media, but society as a whole.
As we have learned to say after every meeting with our guests and hosts, I wish all of us – "Be different, be together!"
• Daniel Goldman is the chairman of the Gesher movement and a businessman, who lives with his family in Beit Shemesh.
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
