Idealist Stint Turns Into “Real Job”

Written by David Harris, AJC Executive Director, February 2010

When I joined the Jewish world in 1975, I thought it would be a brief idealistic stint, more or less like a Jewish Peace Corps experience, after which, to quote a family member, I’d find a “real” job.

It turned out rather differently. Thirty-five years later, I’m still at it. Truth be told, I love my work at AJC and still can’t believe I’m being paid to do something that fills me, day after day, with such passion, meaning and fulfillment. I can only wish others the same sense of satisfaction.

In those 35 years, even as there have been dark and difficult moments, I’ve been fortunate to witness some remarkable achievements in the ever-unfolding history of the Jewish people: the rescue of Soviet and Ethiopian Jewry; the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and renewal of Jewish life; peace treaties for Israel with Egypt and Jordan; the repeal of the infamous “Zionism is racism” resolution; Israel’s start-up revolution; burgeoning Jewish days schools and Jewish studies programs across the U.S.; and so much more.

I mention these milestones to encourage new dreams. Jewish professionals should never solely see themselves as firefighters, for we must be, above all, architects. We face fear, yes, but we should never allow ourselves to be defined by it. Our goal is to ensure that the best days of the Jewish people lie ahead of us. It is for Jewish professionals to shape the vision and chart the path.

If I were starting now, I’d set three goals in the course of my lifetime – an Israel living in peace and security as an integral part of the Middle East; a global Jewish community, growing in number and commitment; and a world in which hostile oil-producing states can no longer hold the rest of us hostage to their resources.

The path won’t always be easy. Challenges abound. We are few in number to begin with, and still fewer when it counts. We are too often divided among ourselves, at times working at cross-purposes. Civility and mutual respect are not always the hallmarks of Jewish life they should be. Understanding of the Jewish journey, including especially the abyss of the Holocaust and the rebirth of Israel, is on the wane both outside and, indeed, inside the Jewish community. There will soon be an era when the survivors and eyewitnesses of the Shoah are no longer with us and able to testify to what took place. Shifting power balances in the world and the U.S. require constant friend-raising and cross-cultural diplomacy.  And in a time when many seek instant gratification and immediate concrete results, our work, requiring infinite patience and perseverance, may at times discourage long-term dedication.

But we have come a long way. Considering where the Jewish people were in the days immediately following the Second World War, the upward trajectory of the past 65 years has been nothing short of miraculous.  If that happened, it was because of those who came before us and found the faith, footing and fortitude to press ahead. Let their example always serve as an inspiration.  We each stand on the broad shoulders of the generations that preceded us. How fortunate, then, each generation is!