VU’s assumption was that in order to develop new conceptions of Israeli education, it would be necessary to address the philosophical educational foundations upon which it was first established.  Consequently, VU’s work on Visions of Israeli education was launched by Daniel Marom, who became the project’s director, with a comprehensive study he undertook on the vision of Professor Ben Zion Dinur.  As Israel’s third Minister of Education, Dinur founded its public educational system as well as many other programs and institutions that serve as foundations of Israeli education until this very day.  Marom’s work on Dinur appeared in an extended version of his doctorate as well as in several published articles.    

Marom recruited Yael Bar Lev to co-direct VU’s work in Israel and together they focused the project on three areas in contemporary Israeli society and culture that were identified as requiring the development of new visions. 
---  The first area relates to the challenges posed to Israeli life and education by the conflicts that lay between the traditions of Zionism, Judaism and Western Democratic Humanism.
---  The second area relates to the challenges posed by ethnic and cultural diversity. 
---  The third area relates to historical education and Holocaust memory.

VU’s work in these three areas was also based on collaboration with leading thinkers and educators in Israel and it produced various publications and demonstrations, as are delineated in the description of the activity in each area. VU’s development of visions of Israeli education will continue as part of its work with MLI fellows, staff and graduates studying in the Mandel School for Educational Leadership Program. The products of this work will be developed responding to the curricular and pedagogical needs of this program.