Dear ORT Friends and Leaders,
There’s something I really love about this week.
We spend the High Holy Days looking inward, reflecting on the year behind us, thinking about what we want to change, and considering who we want to be in the year ahead.
And then, almost immediately, Judaism tells us: Okay. Now go build something. (Specifically, build a sukkah). It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to last forever. And, most importantly, it isn’t meant to be built just for ourselves. We build it so that we can invite people in.
That feels like a pretty great message as we begin a new year at World ORT. Over the past year, so many people have connected themselves to World ORT in one way or another. Students and teachers. Alumni and volunteers. Donors and partners. Lay leaders and professional colleagues. Friends who have been part of World ORT for decades, and people who are discovering us for the first time. I’m deeply grateful to every one of you, because an organization like World ORT isn’t ultimately about the structures we create. It’s about the people who fill them, with ideas, energy, relationships, generosity, and purpose. And as I look ahead, I’m excited about what we can build together.
I think we build so we can imagine what the next chapter can look like. What new connections can we create? What new opportunities can we give young people? Who else can we invite into the ORT family? And what might become possible when all of us bring our own ideas, experiences, and hopes into the same space? I recorded a short video this week about Sukkot and some of the lessons I think it offers us. You can watch it here if you’d like to hear a little more about what we can learn from the sukkah — and what it might mean for ORT.
For now, though, I hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy the holiday. Build something. Invite someone in. Make room at the table. And rejoice in the people who make our communities what they are. I’m incredibly grateful to be part of this community, and I’m even more excited about what we’re going to build together in the year ahead.
Shabbat Shalom, and Chag Sukkot Sameach.
Dov
Dov Ben-Shimon,
Chief Executive Officer, World ORT