BINA Center for Jewish Identity and Hebrew Culture is an organization founded in 1996 and based in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel. BINA means "wisdom" in Hebrew and is an acronym for "A Home for the Creation of Our Nation's Souls", a phrase coined by Hebrew poet Chaim Nachman Bialik. BINA was founded by a group of scholars and educators from the Kibbutz Movement and operates under the Israeli nonprofit Merhavim Hevra Lehinuch Vetrabut. BINA established the first Secular Yeshiva in Israel and currently operates branches in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. BINA is supported by the Posen Foundation and other donors in Israel and the USA.
The assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 exposed deep rifts in Israeli society causing many secular Israelis to question the shared Jewish narrative and value system in Israel. Wanting to find a way for secular Israelis to reconnect with Israel and Jewish values, a group of intellectuals and educators created BINA as a forum for exploration of Jewish identity for the secular community. The aim was to restore the connection between modern Israeli culture and Jewish heritage and offer a way for secular Israelis to express their Jewish identity through social action and community building.
BINA Center for Jewish Identity and Hebrew Culture is a Jewish organization and educational institution that offers pluralistic programs and forums for adults and young adults seeking to explore their Jewish roots. The goal of this institution is to engage secular Israelis and Jews from all over the world in Jewish study, social justice and action, community and leadership. BINA's mission is to strengthen the democratic and pluralistic aspects of Israel through the notion of "repairing the world", tikkun olam.
BINA was awarded the Constantine Prize in Jewish Education from Tel-Aviv University for its success in using Jewish values to promote community service and social justice in youth.