Last year, something changed and I finally could think seriously about flying to meet overseas congregations, colleagues and potential collaborators. I attended the ROI summit, and got familiar with ROI's micro grants program. Thanks to a Speaker's Bureau micro grant, I could plan an exciting trip with meetings across the States: organizations such as JCRC and JESNA, colleagues like Yechiel from Limmud LA and Federations in New York, Boston and Los Angeles. I also had the chance of being a guest speaker in services of two leading synagogues in LA: Ikar and Temple Beth Am. 

All these meetings have been inspiring. Some opened new opportunities for cooperation between our Israeli-based Tav and American Jewish communities that want to engage in the subject of ethical Kashrut. For instance, the Tav will contribute to Ikar's database protocols and text for study sessions on the social justice in Jewish tradition, while the congregation will support Tav certified establishments throughout their upcoming Israel mission. 
 

Many other meetings and gatherings helped me to better understand the complex array of similarities and differences between Israeli and American society. While it seems that many of us, all around the globe, are dealing with the same major issue of how can we connect our Jewish identity to modern life and democratic values, it seems that our ways of going about it might diverge. This divergence is a matter of one basic difference between life as a Jew in and outside of Israel. Israeli Jews are a part of a prominent majority in a sovereign Jewish-democratic country. You practically don't have to be active about your Jewish identity in order to feel Jewish in Israel, whether you like it or not. Meanwhile, being a Jew anywhere else in the world requires, as it seems, much more effort, yet allows greater pluralism in the emergence of different Jewish life styles and practices. Other than that, there is of course our cultural  background, being similar insofar as it has to do with Jewish practices, yet different as it comes to matters of cultural norms. For instance, based on Israel's socialist heritage, I have a positive regard to worker's unions, alike many of my friends. During this trip to the USA, I was a bit surprised to learn of a rather different, less sympathetic approach many Americans have for these unions. 
 

I would like to thank ROI for allowing this experience to happen. I would also like to give special thanks to ROI's consultant Esther Kustanowitz, who has been a huge help in connecting me to so many inspiring people throughout this trip!