Beyond donations: A vision for a new Israel-Diaspora social partnership

They told me it was the Oscars ceremony of the Jewish world. Indeed, the annual conference of the Jewish Federations of North American (the GA) held this month in Washington DC lived up to my expectations. Tens of thousands of participants, including all the “who’s who”s of Jewish communities from the United States and Canada, gathered at a time when Israel faces an ongoing war, antisemitism is surging worldwide, and America has just elected its next president. There was almost too much to discuss.

I came away with a strengthened understanding that Israel is not alone. At the GA, I saw, heard, and personally met Jewish leaders whose hearts are with us. Caring for Israel is a central part of their identity. This was exemplified by billionaire Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook, when she said from the stage: “We are Zionists, we are pro-Israel, whether we are Democrats or Republicans. We know how to do the hard work, and we will do it. Because being Jewish is wonderful. It’s a heritage of charity, of caring for others, of knowledge and learning, of family and community.”

Indeed, the feeling at the conference was one of Jewish unity. From the many meetings at the GA, the speeches and workshops, it was clear that October 7th united and strengthened Jewish community members in a new kind of way.

This is particularly significant because these are talented and wise leaders with impressive abilities to change the world. Over the past year, they raised almost one billion dollars (!) in donations from various Jewish communities for Israel. Their contributions translated into extraordinary and life-saving civil aid in every possible aspect.

For example, the New York Federation alone, whose representative office in Israel is headed by former MK Itzik Shmuli, has already donated $144 million, saving many lives by directly helping equip hospitals, supporting affected local authorities, evacuated communities, and families of hostages, as well as those directly impacted by the war.

The underlying theme of the discussion about Israel in the conference revealed the special connection between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora: they strengthen, enrich and challenge each other in an everlasting connection to the deepest values of Jewish history. Together with the commitment to Israel, I also heard an aspiration to a new kind of partnership, one that is much more reciprocal, founded on shared values, dialogue, and partnership.

In my view, the meaning of reciprocity is, for example, that Israel needs to assist the Jewish community in dealing with antisemitism. Also, Israel needs to stop treating the Jewish communities as an open checkbook that funds activities the state should be doing. We must create a real dialogue with the Jewish communities abroad, listen much more to what matters to them and how they perceive the partnership with Israel.

The traditional “donor-recipient” model between Diaspora communities and Israel no longer fulfills the full potential of both sides. While financial support remains crucial, the complexity of Israel’s current social challenges demands a more sophisticated partnership.

The Diaspora has much more to offer than money. There is extensive expertise and knowledge in various fields, including public policy, which can help find smart solutions to the challenges Israel faces. This knowledge could be invaluable as Israel works to address its mounting social challenges in the wake of October 7th.

Recent successes demonstrate the potential to assist the state in addressing significant social challenges. When Israeli civil society organizations identified gaps in support for at-risk youth, they developed comprehensive proposals that became government policy, helping thousands of students. Similarly, when employment challenges arose during the war, collaboration between social organizations and decision-makers led to expanded unemployment benefits for vulnerable populations.

These achievements point to the possibility of a new partnership model – one where Diaspora communities contribute not just funds, but also expertise and experience in solving complex social challenges, together with social organizations in Israel.

This evolution is particularly crucial now. The task of social rehabilitation facing Israel is enormous: from mental health support to educational gaps, from employment assistance to community rebuilding. These challenges require not just resources, but proven solutions and innovative thinking.

What might this new partnership look like?

First, it will create partnerships between civil society organizations and experts from Israel and the Diaspora around central social challenges in areas such as education, welfare, resilience, and employment. Second, the partnership will develop proposals for innovative policy regarding social challenges, to ensure sustainable social infrastructure. Third, it will leverage international best practices in implementing and measuring the impact of the new state programs.

This approach offers significant benefits for both sides. For Israel, it brings valuable international expertise to its social challenges. For Diaspora communities, particularly younger generations, it creates opportunities for meaningful engagement with Israel beyond traditional philanthropy.

Moreover, this model could help address another pressing challenge: the growing distance between younger generations in the Diaspora and Israel. By creating opportunities for meaningful engagement in social impact work, we can build bridges based on shared values and common purpose.

Recent months have shown that when Jewish communities worldwide and Israeli society work together, we can achieve remarkable results. The foundation for this new partnership already exists. Now is the time to build upon it, ensuring that the strong bonds demonstrated during crisis times evolve into sustainable, long-term collaboration for social impact.

As Israel faces the complex task of rehabilitation and renewal, this new model of partnership could be transformative. It is an opportunity to strengthen both Israeli society and the bonds that unite the Jewish people worldwide.