“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding. … Its ways are pleasant ways, and all its paths are peace.  It is a tree of life to those who take hold of it; those who hold it fast will be blessed.”  (Proverbs 3:13, 17–18)

As the Jewish High Holidays that call for reflection, teshuva (return or repentance) and Bible study approach, Israel’s Foreign Ministry in an unprecedented move has invited 87 foreign diplomats living in Israel to study the Tanakh (Old Testament).

The September 21 “seminar of study and dialogue” will give the ambassadors three hours to dive into themes of the holiday season, linking Biblical principles to possible diplomatic application today.

A table set with the symbols of Rosh HaShanah (Jewish New Year’s). The blue book is the Machzor Rosh HaShanah, a special Jewish prayer book for the New Year celebrations.

The first-of-its-kind Bible study was launched by Daniel Meron, the head of the Foreign Ministry’s United Nations and International Organizations Division, who said Rosh HaShanah (the Jewish New Year) provides a good opportunity for the invitation.  (Times of Israel)

“The Jewish Holidays at the beginning of the Hebrew calendar year are traditionally a time of reflection and give expression to many of Judaism’s fundamental ethical values regarding the meaning of society and human purpose in the world,” states the invitation.

“We’re always looking for ways to expose the foreign representatives in Israel to ways of life in Israel,” Meron told Times of Israel.  “By inviting them to this session we are achieving a few things: We’re exposing them to Jewish texts and talking about relevant issues, bringing to light issues that were discussed maybe 2,000 years ago but are still relevant today.”

The three-hour event will be split into two sections, the first led by Rabbi Baruch Brener on “Jonah in Nineveh: The Universal Message and Mission of the Prophet-Messenger” and the second by Rabbi Dov Berkovitz on “Water as a Global Gift: The Ecological Dimension of Sukkot.”

Jewish men holding the four species of Sukkot pray at the Western (Wailing) Wall.

Berkovitz has authored books that “interface between Jewish texts and social and cultural issues” and Brener teaches and works as a director, actor and vocal artist.

Both rabbis work with Kolot, an academic center that “serves secular and religious participants from a broad spectrum of Israeli society.  Together they engage in the study of Jewish sources so that they can understand their relevance and application to contemporary society.”  (Kolot)

Kolot, which means voices in Hebrew, “engages participants in establishing strong links between vibrant text studies, the headlines of the moment, and a far-reaching vision for the Jewish people.”

The study sessions will be conducted in a traditional Beit Midrash format, a form of study-hall discussion that encourages participation and interpretation based on participants’ own reflections.

Before issuing the invitation, Meron found support for his Bible-study idea from the Foreign Ministry’s former chief of protocol Talia Lador-Fresher, who is understood to be secular, and Akiva Tor, the head of the Foreign Ministry’s Bureau for World Jewish Affairs and World Religions, known to be religious.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara study a text at the weekly Bible study.

On Thursday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara also hosted a Bible circle, as they do every week.

“I draw great inspiration from the Bible when I read it every Saturday, and particularly enjoy reading it with my son Avner on weekends when he returns home from the army,” Netanyahu wrote in a Facebook post in Hebrew, sharing pictures from this week’s study.  “The Bible is the rock of our existence—without it there is no meaning to our being here.”

The study session itself has Biblical precedent: under the Kingdom of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat, whose heart was “devoted to the ways of the Lord,” leaders of Israel also “taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.”  (2 Chronicles 17:6, 9)

As a direct result of this return to the Torah, “the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat.”  (2 Chronicles 17:10)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other guests study the Tanakh (Hebrew Scripture) together.

Israel’s Bible study for foreign ambassadors, however, is not defined as a religious event.  Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, who will provide the introduction at the study session, affirmed that the event does not push religiosity.

Tor also affirmed, “We absolutely want the pluralistic approach, without question. I don’t view this as a religious activity.  I view this as a Jewish cultural activity.”

If the ambassadors accept their invitations, they will be able to explore the depth of Israel’s Biblical heritage and the roots of Jewish culture with no obstacles of religious expectation.  Bible study in a pluralistic setting could expand this important part of Israel’s identity and bring it out from behind religious doors.

The study circle will be hosted in Jerusalem the day before Yom Kippur officially begins.