Through a New Lens: The Third Sector and Israeli Society

Abstract

HE TASK OF STUDYING THE third sector' in Israel is difficult. In addition to the regular confusion and misconceptions abundant in this field of research, until recently Israel's third sector had been absent from both the research community's agenda and Israeli public discourse. Moreover, the third sector has not been recognized as a distinct entity in Israel. The delineation of sectors has been rather ambiguous; therefore, the concept of a third sector with clear-cut, distinct societal roles and functions does not exist in Israel (Gidron, 1992). Indeed, most Israelis have difficulty grasping the idea of a single sector of very diverse organizations that includes large service-provision bureaucracies-such as universities or hospitals-grassroots community-based voluntary organizations, and ultra-orthodox religious educational institutions. Each of these organizations is associated with different aspects of society that ostensibly do not mesh together. This is somewhat surprising given that these organizations have a very tangible and even central presence in the Israeli economy and society, and, as will be shown, have been deeply involved in practically all major events and processes throughout Israel's history. Nevertheless, as we will show, using the nonprofit organizational form as an organizing principle and investigating its components is an excellent way to examine Israeli society from a new and unexplored angle. From this perspective, the different purposes for which this organizational form is used can be explored and understood, providing a potentially important contribution to the understanding of Israeli society. Furthermore, Israeli history, which by all accounts has some very unique features-i.e. a society that developed outside of its territorial boundaries, an active Diaspora-can be an excellent case for testing the major nonprofit theories. This is even