Awakening Exercise | Assaf Sharon, Yofi Tirosh, and Rami Hod in Conversation with Asaf Liberman

Much has been said and written about the fragmentation of the liberal camp in Israel in recent years. The judicial reform that began in 2023 and the protest movement that emerged in its wake marked a reawakening of what had been a largely dormant political camp. The “Ofek” publishing initiative by the Berl Katznelson Foundation was born out of this moment of public upheaval. Through a series of short, low-priced books, the series seeks to offer a renewed liberal political agenda aimed at building a better future in Israel.

Three thinkers whose books have been published in this series—Assaf Sharon, Yofi Tirosh, and Rami Hod—will join journalist Asaf Liberman in conversation about their visions for a better future in Israel and about the renewed belief in writing manifestos as a tool for political change.

In his book “Civil War”, Asaf Sharon examines how rhetoric of unity has been used to silence critical voices and to depoliticize the left. Sharon grew up in a religious-Zionist family, studied in a yeshiva high school, served as a combat soldier in the Golani Brigade, and later left religion. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at Tel Aviv University and head of the undergraduate program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.

In her book “Thus We Were Separated”, Prof. Yofi Tirosh, a legal scholar and dean of the Faculty of Law at Tel Aviv University, argues that gender segregation is not solely an intra-religious issue and examines how it has permeated broader Israeli society.

Rami Hod, CEO of the Ideological Center at the Berl Katznelson Foundation and author of “Zero Hour,” explores the roots of liberal neglect in the education system.