OUR BRIGHTEST STARS BRIDGING THE GAPS or conditional connection to Israel. in the world (a tiny fraction of the BETWEEN ISRAEL The remaining 20% are Orthodox, global population of 7.8 billion) and live a deep, daily connection to – some 6.8 million in Israel, 6.1 Israel. It is only through rebuilding million in the US and Canada and AND THE DIASPORA the connection of the Diaspora to the rest elsewhere. Wherever they Israel, and Israel to the Diaspora are, Jews appear to punch above ho are the most as Israel faces a series of serious that both will sustain one another. their weight. Of more than 900 influential Jews on challenges – from beating coro- Rebuilding this relationship is a people receiving the Nobel Prize the planet? Every na to reviving the economy, from key focus of mine over the next few since 1901, at least 20% have been year, The Jerusalem confronting its enemies to making years.” Jews. W Post seeks to an- peace with its neighbors and from The challenge was described in As we enter the year 5782, we can swer that question for its special advancing national unity to boost- another way by Amira Ahronoviz, bask in pride over Jewish achieve- Rosh Hashanah magazine – and ing ties with the Diaspora – the the first woman to serve as CEO of ments in Israel and the Diaspora, every year we endeavor to put new Bennett-Lapid government is ush- the Jewish Agency for Israel. and applaud our brightest stars who names in a variety of fields on the ering the Jewish state into a new “With the establishment of shine while making significant list while acknowledging that era. Israel, the prevailing paradigm was contributions to our world. certain people are worthy of being As we were preparing this year’s that all Jews would gather in one May this be the year in which we included year after year. We also list, comments from one of our place, the State of Israel. Today we learn to reach out to each other for seek to balance personalities from top 10 – World Jewish Congress understand that there are two big the benefit of all. Let’s not forget Israel and the Diaspora, men and President Ronald S. Lauder – centers of almost the same size, that of necessity, a bridge needs women, and professions across the struck me as particularly relevant. one in Israel and one in North to have two sides. If it ends in the spectrum. Asked how he sees the relation- America, which are developing in middle, it collapses. So it is with This year, we have a powerful ship between Israel and Diaspora different directions and conduct- Israel and the Diaspora – which is pair in the top spot. As Israel’s new Jewry, Lauder replied: “In a word, ing essentially different Jewish why it’s essential to reinforce the leaders, Prime Minister Naftali negative – and that’s a problem for lifestyles,” she said. “It seems that bridges between us. Bennett and Alternate Prime the Jewish people and the State of these two centers will be different I’d like to thank all those who Minister Yair Lapid, who serves Israel long-term. Here’s why: in forever and we have to find ways to contributed to this magazine and as foreign minister, succeeded in the Diaspora, over 80% of Jews are connect them without falling into wish you all good reading and dethroning Benjamin Netanyahu Reform-to-Conservative and lead the growing gaps between them.” shana tova! after more than a decade. And now, more secular lives, with a fleeting There are almost 15 million Jews STEVE LINDE CEO Jerusalem Post Group: Inbar Ashkenazi Editor-in-Chief: Yaakov Katz Magazine editor: Steve Linde Assistant editor: Ilana Egel-Tal Chief photographer: Marc Israel Sellem Copy editors: Daniel Haberman, Yakir Feldman, Elli Wohlgelernter, Aaron Engelberg, Heddy Abramowitz, Avraham Gold Graphic designers: Daniela Gleiser, Debi Lerner Cover design: Baysberg Team THE LIST IN FULL 1. Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid 17. Wendy Sherman 34. Winnie Sandler Grinspoon 2. Antony Blinken 18. Avigdor Liberman 35. Anthony Pratt 3. Rochelle P. Walensky 19. Esther Hayut 36. Yael Eckstein 4. Albert Bourla 20. Jan Koum and Shari Dollinger 5. Avril Haines 21. David Friedman, Steve Mnuchin, 37. Shuki Hershcovich 6. Isaac Herzog Jared Kushner and Yossi Cohen 38. Yifat Oron 7. Ronald S. Lauder 22. Douglas Emhoff 39. Susan Solomon 8. Eynat Guez 23. Ariel Zwang 40. Mayim Bialik 9. Michael Ellis 24. Stacey H. Schusterman 41. Russell F. Robinson and Lucy Frazer 25. Roman Abramovich 42. Felicia Herman 10. Benjamin Netanyahu 26. Houda Nonoo 43. Dan Gilbert 11. Sylvan Adams 27. Deborah Lipstadt 44. Avraham Duvdevani 12. Gideon Sa'ar, Benny Gantz 28. Larry Ellison 45. Sarit Zehavi 13. Ayelet Shaked, Yifat Shasha-Biton 29. Sara Blakely and Tory Burch 46. Yael Vizel and Tamar Zandberg 30. Tamara Cofman Wittes 47. Artem Dolgopyat 14. Aviv Kohavi and David Barnea 31. Joshua Harris and Linoy Ashram 15. Nicola Mendelsohn and Marc Rowan 48. Julia Haart and Adi Soffer Teeni 32. Amira Ahronoviz 49. Shalev Hulio 16. Ronald Klain 33. Betsy Berns Korn and Howard Kohr 50. Delphine Horvilleur THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL JEWS JPOST.COM ❙ SEPTEMBER 2021 3 NAFTALI he biggest change in Israel held an unprecedented Netanyahu negotiated, but even BENNETT Israel in the past year fourth election in two years. if Yamina joined the coalition, was the departure of Lapid was in the “Never the numbers just didn’t add up AND YAIR former prime minister Netanyahu” camp, and had been to 61. T Benjamin Netanyahu since Netanyahu fired him from So, Bennett shifted to talks after 12 consecutive years in the Finance Ministry in 2014. with his former brother Lapid, LAPID “Balfour,” as the official residence Bennett said he was leaving his head of Yesh Atid, the largest on the corner of Jerusalem’s options open; he didn’t think party in the anti-Netanyahu Balfour and Smolenskin streets Netanyahu was disqualified, but bloc. And since Lapid needed has come to be known. he was open to other options if Bennett, as well Ra’am, to form a The people who made it Netanyahu was not able to get coalition, they were able to make happen are Prime Minister Naftali majority backing. big demands. In Bennett’s case, it Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Though a majority of the was to be prime minister in a ro- Lapid, and they did it as a team. Knesset’s seats went to right-wing tation agreement, and to go first. Bennett and Lapid have a and religious parties, Netanyahu, Lapid is due to take his place in history of getting Netanyahu once again, could not cobble to- mid 2023. to do things he doesn’t want to gether a coalition. Parties that With Netanyahu out of the do. Back in 2013, the “brothers,” once worked with him refused way, the duo got to the business 01 as they were nicknamed due to to do so again for myriad rea- of leading what they call the Bennett’s penchant for calling sons: he was under indictment “change government.” everyone that, banded together on multiple charges of corrup- In many ways, one can look so that Bennett would get into tion; he was beholden to the at this government and the one the coalition, despite Netanyahu haredi parties; he had broken one we had several months ago and THE CHANGE not wanting him there, and so promise too many. The parties sigh, “plus ça change.” The Del- the haredi parties would stay out, that were willing to work with ta variant has Israel in a state of GOVERNMENT as Lapid insisted. That coalition him weren’t all willing to work pandemic deja vu – though the was a rocky one – even Bennett with each other, like the far-right COVID-19 vaccine continues to and Lapid joked they were down- Religious Zionist Party, which be highly effective in preventing graded from brothers to cousins – refused to be part of a coalition severe illness – and the prime and only lasted a year and a half. that was dependent on the minister and health minister Fast-forward to 2021, when Islamist Ra’am Party. Bennett and are still constantly urging (JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS) THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL JEWS 6 ROSH HASHANAH 5782 Though Lapid and Bennett have decided, unlike Netanyahu, to actually engage with the Biden administration on ways to counter Iran, the mullahs’ regime is still moving forward with its nuclear plan Israelis to get jabbed. Though Lapid an incredible amount of hubris for give each other – and other ministers and Bennett have decided, unlike someone who only won seven seats – credit, something the previous Netanyahu, to actually engage with in the last election to even think government lacked, as ministers the Biden administration on ways to he could be prime minister, this would anonymously grumble. counter Iran, the mullahs’ regime is government is structurally immune The government that Bennett and still moving forward with its nuclear to the kind of concentrated power Lapid are leading has the potential plan and the West is mostly unde- that Netanyahu had cultivated. With to make changes, for better or for terred from trying to negotiate with such a diverse coalition and such a worse, far beyond its spirit of partner- them despite their aggression across small party within it, Bennett can’t ship. The Health Ministry received the Middle East, and there have been just do what he wants or amass more a major, desperately needed budget mysterious power outages and fires and more authority under the Prime increase.