Dear ORT Friends and Leaders,
A few mornings ago, I was walking along the beach in Israel, and I stopped for a moment to let my toes curl into the sand.
There was something powerful about feeling the ground beneath my feet. Being barefoot made me conscious of where I was standing, of the land itself, and of the layers of history, memory, and meaning beneath it. After so much travel and so many meetings in so many places, it felt deeply grounding to be here again.
Moshe is told at the burning bush: Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. There are moments when simply standing somewhere, really feeling the ground beneath your feet, can remind you that you’re part of something bigger.
And the sand. Countless individual grains. Each one small and distinct but, together, they create something vast. Like the promise to Abraham that the Jews would become as numerous as the sand at the seashore. I like that metaphor for World ORT too. Our work is built up through layers of relationships: students and educators, schools and communities, colleagues and leaders, Board members and supporters, funders and partners. Each relationship is meaningful on its own; together, they form the extraordinary global network that makes World ORT possible.
I’ve been reminded of that during my time in Israel this week. I’ve had the privilege of spending time with members of our Board, with colleagues leading our work on the ground, and especially with funders and supporters whose generosity and commitment make our programs possible.
I’ve also had the opportunity to see some of our work first-hand and to meet the people who turn our mission into reality every day. What stayed with me is how much of our impact depends on connection. Our ability to do this work around the world depends on an extraordinary network of people who believe in the same mission and are willing to invest their time, energy, expertise and resources in it.
These relationships are not separate from our work. They are our work.
We’re coming to Parashat Shoftim tonight, which speaks powerfully about justice, responsibility, and the values that should guide a community. Tzedek, tzedek tirdof, Justice, justice shall you pursue – we’re not just told where we should go; we have to think about the values that guide us along the way. We’re a global organization, spanning countries, cultures and communities, but what connects us isn’t geography. It’s a shared set of values and a shared belief in the transformative power of education: that knowledge creates opportunity, that skills create possibility, and that every young person should have the chance to shape a better future.
Being global doesn’t mean being unrooted. In fact, I think the opposite is true. The strongest networks are those with deep roots, roots in values, in relationships, and in a sense of shared purpose. Standing barefoot on the sand this week reminded me of those roots. So I’m grateful for the many people who are part of our World ORT network: those who teach, lead, govern, support, fund, advocate, and believe in what we’re trying to accomplish together. Each of us may be only one grain of sand. But together, we’re building something deeply inspiring, rooted, and vast.
And I’m excited to continue strengthening those connections and pursuing that shared path together.
Shabbat shalom,
Dov
Dov Ben-Shimon
Chief Executive Officer, World ORT