“Build it and they will come.”
That line is often associated with the 1989 film, Field of Dreams, a touching story of faith and dreams. In the movie, an Iowa farmer named Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) hears a mysterious voice telling him to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield. Despite skepticism from those around him, the farmer decides to follow the advice of the voice without any assurance of what will happen next. Eventually, ghosts of famous baseball players come to play on the field, leading to a series of heartwarming and transformative events for the farmer and his family.
Ever since its release, Field of Dreams has served as inspiration and motivation for entrepreneurs all over the world. Its message is universal and timeless, a reminder that there are no guarantees in life and taking a chance on something you believe can produce amazing results.
We started Global Jewry one year ago with that exact mindset and, just like in the film, people are coming. Our advisory board numbers almost 700 leaders from across the Jewish world, we have close to 275 Jewish organizational partners and our following on social media continues to grow every day. We are quickly emerging as one of the broadest and most connected networks in the Jewish community, one dedicated to broadening the reach and amplifying the messages of the members of our collective.
And people outside of our collective are taking notice. Journalists are reaching out to us, podcasters are interviewing us and supporters are using our website to ask how they can become involved. Jews from all over the world are contacting us and asking us to help them connect to others. We are making a name for ourselves but, far more importantly, we are raising awareness about the importance of Jewish unity and connection at this critical moment in the history of our people. Our togetherness has never been more important.
Looking ahead, we are very busy growing our collective, scheduling webinars, establishing communities of practice and making connections. We are also making great progress technologically; we recently added a chatbot to our website to make searching for information as easy as possible. When you get a chance, go online and ask our virtual guide, Shana, to help you find whatever you want to know. Then, drop us a line to let us know how Shana is doing and what we can do to make her better.
With your help, we can turn Global Jewry into a field of dreams as vibrant, active and meaningful as the one Ray Kinsella built in Iowa.
Shabbat shalom and may this be the week the hostages return home,
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.
