Being a representative of a Jewish Federation or Foundation in Israel is lots of fun. We really like our jobs. Our communities raise funds to support programs here, and we, the reps, get the privilege of giving it out to the recipients. Many times it gets even better: the representative, being the only authentic delegate of the community on the ground, is honored and called to the stage to give greetings on behalf of the Federation/Foundation. Usually in such scenarios the protocol is clear: the master of the ceremony would say how grateful they are for our support and in most cases would use the phrase from Pirkei Avot: “Im ein Kemach ein Torah,” “If there is no flour, then there is no Torah,” to demonstrate the importance of our financial contribution, the wisdom of the ancient Jewish sources and…his/her familiarity with the text.

Personally, I hate these situations. Not because I am too humble or don’t like to speak from the stage. On the contrary, I love public speaking (and writing). It is not because I don’t think my community deserves the recognition. On the contrary, I think that most Israelis are not appreciative enough of the hard and highly successful work that is done on the other side of the ocean to raise funds for them and send it here. I hate these situations only because I am called to the stage in the sole capacity of...flour. I like to think that UJC MetroWest, at least when it comes to Israel Operations, is the opposite: mainly Torah and only partially flour.

My philosophy in this regard is simple, and I am sure that by now you are already sick of hearing it time and time again. Yet I'll use this stage to repeat: If we stick to the traditional charity model that was used for decades between Israeli and Diaspora communities, we are doomed. This old practice of wealthy American Jews efficiently collecting dollars to help their poor Israeli brethren has been irrelevant for years. Instead, we are moving into a model where both communities pool resources (flour) and work together (Torah) in partnership to answer needs on both sides of the ocean and strengthen each other. This new paradigm is not a direct result of the current financial situation. However, in times of global economic crisis and fewer available funds, it proves itself to become the “insurance policy” that will keep our communities strong and our people connected.

Here are some examples from the last couple of weeks that demonstrate my point:

• Through its Religious Pluralism efforts, UJC supported the largest ever pluralistic Beit Midrash, which was held in Jerusalem under the auspice of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Israeli Batei Midrash network. Hundreds of Israelis and Americans from all streams of Jewish life gathered together to deal with their joint heritage. Although again we were mistakenly introduced as such, I had the privilege to make a correction from the stage and explain that UJC was not there only as a financial source (flour). We have been actively involved for many years in initiating, developing, and executing pluralistic Jewish identity in Israel. We are a significant player in this realm of activity, working together with our Israeli partners (Torah).

• The “Epstein Program” is a young promising leadership group that is trained by UJC to become the next generation of activists, donors, and solicitators. They were here for a week, and from morning to night were told that successful fundraising is only a result of deep involvement, a pure sense of belonging, lasting connections, and a real feeling of peoplehood. Their very first visit upon landing here was to the Bnai Tzion army preparatory (Mechina) program which UJC supports (flour). The Israeli youngsters taught them a class about leadership, pioneering, love of Israel, and Tikkun Olam. Only during the study session did both groups realize that they are demonstrating these values in their own personal and communal lives (Torah). One of the girls in the Mechina, Ma’ayan from Ra’anana, is a poster child of our involvement in Israel: She is a graduate of the Tali school, a graduate of MetroWest high school, a graduate of a Bat Mitzvah program, and is now at Bnai Tzion.

• Last week the joint steering committee of the Ofakim/Merchavim/Metrowest partnership (P2K) enthusiastically approved the “renewal plan.” The idea is to connect the communities through a serious of encounters and joint activities. In spite of the severe economic crisis and limited financial resources in all three communities, the leadership decided to stick to the new paradigm and use it as an engine for growth and strength. The amount of available funding is important but is not the only factor. We truly believe and have already proved that the connections will not only bring new people but eventually will generate more money. The flour feeds the Torah but the Torah feeds the flour as well.

So, next time I am asked to go on stage and am introduced as “the flour,” I am going to demonstrate my own familiarity with the text as well as the wisdom of the ancient Jewish sources by saying something like:

“Thank you… It is my honor and privilege… UJC MetroWest is very proud to be able to support you….you are doing a wonderful job… but please remember that we are partners and are helping each other. Im Ein Kemach ein Torah (if there is no flour then there is no Torah) is only the first portion of the phrase from Pirkei Avot. Rabbi Elazar Ben Azarya went on and added a second portion that is sometimes forgotten, although is no less important: Im ein Torah ein Kemach (If there is no Torah then there is no Flour)… For us in MetroWest, the two portions are intertwined, coincide and support each other… let’s always remember that and continue to act accordingly. Keep up the good work”