Although research on the third sector has a long history, dating back to de Tocqueville and before that to studies of religious organisations, this research was reborn and recharged about fifteen years ago with a big push from the Program on Nonprofit Organizations (PONPO) at Yale University. I was present at and participated in this rebirth, but Í have not been actively working in this field for the last few years. So I feel like a mother who has not seen her child for a time. In revisiting the field, I would like to do three things: first, to recapitulate the research that was done 10-15 years ago when this area was still in its infancy; second, to compare it with the research that is being done today; and third, to suggest some topics that I think should be on the research agenda for the future. In concluding, I will speculate about some of the tensions and ambiguities in this field - tensions that may be destined to grow as the third sector grows. Issues concerning trust and distrust will resurface several times during the course of this discussion, as they seem be at the heart of the third sector's role in society.

The article presents a case study of the evolution of Israel's third sector. It uses quantitative data on the economic structure of the sector, as well as historical data on the changes it has undergone in the past 80 years or so. This period is subdivided into three eras, each characterised by a different dominant ideology within which third sector organisations develop. The analysis emphasises the interplay between the dominant ideology and the type of existing third sector organisations in each era, and their functions in society. The changes are illustrated using the examples of two key organisations (the Histadrut - Federation of Labour Unions, and the Jewish Agency) and two minority populations (the Charedi - Ultra-Orthodox and the Arab).

Studying the Israeli third sector within the context of its social history provides an opportunity to test some of the theories explaining the evolution and characteristics of that phenomenon. Thus, the article explores the implications and contribution of the Israeli case to international third sector theory.