Partner, not competitor

By now, everyone should know how I feel about Federation and competition. Simply put, we have none. I joke with people when arriving in Israel that when they see a crane, those are their Israel Bond dollars at work. When they see a new playground, those are their JNF dollars at work. And, when they see an Ethiopian or Ukrainian oleh, those are their Federation dollars at work. While the analogy is oversimplified, the takeaway should be that all three (and many others) are critical for a thriving Homeland for the Jewish people.

We attended the Leket conference this week and learned how Leket, like Federation, does not have competitors, but rather relies on many partner organizations to fulfill its mission. Leket collects food—that would otherwise be wasted—from farms, hotels, and even the IDF, stores it, repackages it, and distributes it to those in need. Leket depends on a whole cadre of partners to collect and widely distribute. We spent a couple of volunteer days picking and packing and were very impressed with what we saw.

Ethiopians, Ukrainians, Bedouins, and the Gaza border in next week’s report.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem, and warm regards from Albany native, my friend and host, Rabbi Sam Shor.

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