Through a New Lens: The Third Sector and Israeli Society

THE TASK OF STUDYING the third sector 1 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.