About Parallel Lives

Parallel Lives, or in Hebrew- “Zehut le’Chaim” Association, deals with Jewish Identity as a bridging factor between young Israelis and Diaspora Jewry youth. We bring together combat soldiers from Special Operations Units of the Israel Defense Forces with young Jews from around the world, with the aim in mind of creating a dialogue and long lasting bonds between them.
The soldiers and Diaspora youth - Jews of the same age living parallel, but very different lives due to the exigencies of Life, conduct deep discussions whose aim is the enhancement of Jewish identity for both sides, the creation of bonds of friendship, increasing solidarity with Israel within the realm of Diaspora youth, and the creation of awareness as to the Jewish world, amongst the soldiers.

 The soldiers are chosen with meticulousness, based on classification methods mutually satisfactory to both the IDF and the Association’s team. The Diaspora Jewry youth are present in the Country within the framework of long term study programs or volunteerism in Israel and participate in the project, voluntarily. Together they connect in Parallel Lives meetings, arranged jointly by additional bodies such as “MASA” and “Hebrew Union College”. These meetings deal with fundamental questions of Jewish identity and are led by the best of lecturers and even by the Diaspora youth and soldiers, at will. During the second stage of the project, after three to five prolonged meetings taking place in Israel, the Association sends a delegation of soldiers from those participating in the project, to campuses and Jewish communities in North America, from which the participant originate and together with the students conduct a special project within the Jewish community. In the main the soldiers’ visit to the communities take place in the month of May, in which wide ranging activities on the subject of Israel take place, due to Yom hashoah, Yom hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut. In addition to the joint project, the soldiers participate in the memorial commemorations, Yom Ha’aztmaut celebrations, they initiate activies for strengthening the ties with Israel, participate in discussion evenings, lectures in study halls and in Jewish community activities.
Parallel Lives is a nonprofit association established by private individuals and funded by donations from Israel and abroad.