TL;DR: Global Jewry has been constructed into a dynamic global network connecting Jewish leaders across sectors and continents. What began as informal conversations during a time of crisis evolved into a structured yet flexible platform fostering collaboration, dialogue, and joint initiatives among 500+ organizations and 1,000 leaders. Now, the network is entering a new stage of maturity, with a solid connective ecosystem and a growing impact on the Jewish future.
Exactly two years ago, I began what would prove to be one of the most meaningful professional chapters of my career. It started with a conversation. I heard about Sandy Cardin’s vision and asked: “how can I help?” Sandy brought me on board as we were still only debating potential programming while painstakingly refining the vision in parallel. We were in the thick, chaotic, traumatic fog of war here in Israel and around the world, and global connection was critical. What “connection” could actually look like was still foggy, too. But the big picture was clear.
At its core, Global Jewry was born of a conviction both obvious and ambitious: if the Jewish world were more connected, we would be more effective. Across continents and sectors, impactful leaders and organizations are doing incredibly powerful work. Yet many of us are disconnected from each other, and we miss out on critical opportunities. The potential for collaboration, shared learning, and coordinated action is there. The technology to connect us exists and the need was evident. The question was: “how can we create a framework that meaningfully empowers those connections?”
I’ll admit that it’s easier said than done. When I stepped in to help bring the Global Jewry vision to life along with our tiny and talented team, much of our early work centered on listening. Our WhatsApp group became a living laboratory. Leaders shared resources, debated ideas, raised concerns, and expressed hopes. We paid attention to the pain points and passions of our partners, and where there was a genuine appetite for deeper engagement. Through the chaos came deeper clarity, with time.
One of the earliest lessons we learned is that connection is complicated. The Jewish people are passionate, thoughtful, and deeply invested in the future of our community. We debate how to build, protect, and strengthen what we care about. That intensity is our inheritance and our strength. The Jewish people care deeply and think diversely. We care about education, about innovation, about continuity, about ethics, about justice, about the world we live in. We care about surviving and thriving. We care about one another, even when we disagree on the details or the path forward.
Creating a space for that intensity requires delicate navigation. In the beginning, we were cautious about opening combustible conversations. Over time, we realized that some of the most important topics are those that require thoughtful facilitation. The work transcends simply gathering people. We’re designing environments where meaningful dialogue can occur and where we can harness diversity of thought rather than fear it. It’s an art form, and one we’re certainly still learning to master.
From those early conversations emerged some of our most significant initiatives. The Round Tables that now feel like a natural feature of Global Jewry were first proposed by members of the community itself. We began bringing together leaders by sector: environment, sports, volunteering, arts and media, education, and more. Our leaders sat in the same virtual room to speak candidly about their challenges and aspirations. The value was immediate and collaborations formed organically. Resources were shared. Relationships deepened. We learned how much meaning is created through the simple act of connection. Some of our most meaningful sessions offered no output at first, simply personal conversations that blossomed into whatever they were meant to.
I often like to think of Global Jewry as a garden. We plant seeds, nurture them, and allow them to grow or cross-pollinate. Who are we to over-engineer a living breathing ecosystem or too tightly control specific outcomes achieved between our partners? That would both constrict and distort our intention of providing real value for our leaders. But we learned how to introduce a strategic structure that allows for more fruitful growth and connection.
As the network matured, so did that structure. What began as open dialogue evolved into a more intentional framework: Sector-Based and Cross-Sector Round Tables, Open Mic Networking Events, Masterclasses, Rapid-Response sessions with experts during moments of crisis, and partnerships with organizations such as the JFN and ANU’s Tisch Center for Dialogue. We introduced the Global Jewry Prizes and the Round Table Fund to encourage collaboration and fuel joint projects.
From just a seed of an idea, we’ve grown a diverse ecosystem of more than 500 partner organizations and 1,000 of our most impactful Jewish leaders around the world. All of this has been built by a small, dedicated team operating with limited resources but an abundance of passion.
One of Global Jewry’s defining characteristics is that it evolves with its community, for the community. It is an adaptive model co-created with our network. We learned that clearly defining every detail too early can limit possibility and blind us to the real needs of the community. Instead, we focused on creating a framework flexible enough to respond to emerging needs while grounded enough to provide stability. We’re still refining it, along with our partners.
This approach can sometimes make it challenging to succinctly explain what Global Jewry “is.” It is not a traditional institution, nor a single-issue initiative. It’s connective tissue. A platform for dialogue, collaboration, and shared responsibility. A space where leaders can encounter one another across geography and ideology while remaining anchored in our shared commitment to the Jewish future. A space where leaders can initiate conversations that lead to impact.
Working at the intersection of vision and execution is always beautifully challenging, and demands a degree of comfort with ambiguity. A founder or visionary typically holds a clearer image of the future than anyone else at the outset. The process of translating that internal clarity into shared structure while inviting others to shape it is delicate and iterative. It demands patience, listening, adaptability, and trust. A collective willingness.
Over these past two years, I have witnessed the magic of leaders across the globe sitting in the same room (virtually or in-person) and choosing to engage with curiosity and commitment. Never before have Jewish leaders been able to do that in this way, as we learn to leverage our technological advancements to our benefit.
On a personal level, this experience has shaped me tremendously. I’ve learned so much from all of you. These past 2 years have been a true crash course in Jewish peoplehood in all its beauty and nuance, through war and peace. It’s an honor to work with so many passionate leaders, each one of you with your own beliefs, missions, and wells of wisdom. You’ve expanded my mind and further fueled my faith in the Jewish nation.
As Global Jewry enters a new stage of maturity, my role within it will evolve as well. I am stepping back from my hands-on consulting and will remain on our Leadership Council as we navigate our long-term future. We now have a growing team, a clearer roadmap, and an expanding vision. The foundation has been built with love and care by all of us together.
There is still much to do. Expanding our resources and capacity, strengthening partnerships, listening even more deeply to our partners, introducing new programming, and investing in the team that brings this work to life will be essential for the next chapter.
I am grateful to our visionary Sandy Cardin for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful mission, to our brilliant team, and to every leader who helps shape our model through participation, feedback, and collaboration. Global Jewry is the product of many voices and the shared belief that our global nation’s connection is more critical than ever before.
Shavua tov, Thank You and Thank God,
Ashley Aboodi
Have an achievement (e.g. publications, awards, appearances, etc) you would like highlighted in a future GJ Connections? Let us know by emailing sandy@globaljewry.org.
PS: If you don’t already do so, please ensure you are staying connected with Global Jewry by following us on social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
