The selected representatives, hailing from 16 European countries, represent areas of interest ranging from Jewish Salons directors in Vienna and Amsterdam to building online community in Hungary, and organizations like Hillel-Ukraine, Bnai Brith in Luxembourg, and Blickwechsel, an organization focusing on post-Shoah life in Germany. At the conference, participants will gain new knowledge, share their expertise with other European activists, present their work and learn more about other initiatives that are being developed all over Europe. The Gathering was open only to ROI & Paideia alumni from Europe who are developing, implementing or planning a European-based project as individuals or as part of an organization. The selection committee made its decision based on the project's impact, what stage the project is in and considered geographical and gender balance factors.

Of the 31 participants representing 16 countries, 10 participated in a past ROI Summit or Regional Gathering. The faculty is made up of local community leaders with representation from the two sponsoring organizations: CLI Director of Israel Programs Justin Korda and the ROI Program Director Beto Maya are representing CLI on faculty for the Gathering, with Barbara Spectre, Brachi Lipshitz, Fabian Sborovsky and Erik Gribbe representing Paideia. Past ROIer Aharon Horwitz (Israel), co-founder and director of the PresenTense Group, will serve as one of the facilitators for the Gathering together with Nirit Roessler, director of the Pradler Program and Clive Lawton, one of the founders of Limmud UK .

Read more about the ROI/Paideia participants here.

Paideia – The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden is a non-denominational academic framework that was established in 2001 with funding from the Swedish government. Dedicated to the revival of Jewish culture in Europe, Paideia educates leaders for Europe - academicians, artists and community activists - towards fluency in the Jewish textual sources that have served as the wellspring of Jewish civilization. For more information, visit: http://www.paideia-eu.org/

The ROI Community is a growing global network of young Jewish innovators that was created by Lynn Schusterman in the summer of 2006 as a partnership between the Center for Leadership Initiatives and Taglit-Birthright Israel. With participants and alumni from more than 30 countries, ROI identifies outstanding young Jewish innovators, ages 22–34, and provides personal and career development and support. Equally encouraging of both projects carried out within local Jewish communities and universal initiatives based on Jewish values, ROI channels young innovators' activism by introducing them to like-minded innovators and activists from around the world, and inspires them to reach new levels of achievement. For more information, visit: http://roicommunity.org