Leadership and the Strength of Weak Ties
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach taught that the Jewish people are like a Torah scroll. Just as one or two damaged letters will render an entire Torah scroll unusable, so too is the importance of each unique individual in forming the whole that is the Jewish people.
My perspective on leadership has been informed by my own Jewish upbringing. As a teenager I was deeply influenced and impacted by two, at the time, living Jewish leaders: the Lubavitcher Rebbe—Menachem Mendel Schneerson—and Carlebach. Vastly different in many ways, I would posit that they were remarkably similar in at least one respect: namely that these were two of the greatest advocates and promoters of bringing different Jews together into one space. They certainly took divergent positions on Jewish observance and politics, and may have had different motivations for their outreach, but one could argue that each has been widely recognized for their open doors and active engagement of all Jews.
Their leadership impacted Orthodox Jews and non-Orthodox alike, including myself, a student activist who grew up in a non-Orthodox home. Both of these leaders left the world in a five-month span in the summer and fall of 1994, and in the two decades since their passing, no single Jewish leader, in my opinion, has emerged to fill their shoes in promoting an engagement to all Jews as a cornerstone of their leadership.
This void is noticeable. Today, we find ourselves in a period of time when tension and disagreement in the Jewish community are on the rise and arguably creating more division. Connection to and support for the State of Israel among the Jewish community are no longer givens. Many communities embrace pluralism and inclusivity, but others are closing themselves off behind boundaries that they cannot, or will not, bend to accept non-traditional Jewish identities. When it comes to service and tikkun olam, communities are choosing to either look inward and help themselves or to look outward and ally with other communities who are struggling in ways that Jews remember all too well in our history.
The problem is not a failure to engage with the subject matter. Leaders today are broaching these difficult subjects, and many Jewish leaders have emerged as articulate advocates for various positions, eloquently connecting their causes and perspectives to Jewish texts and values. It is, however, a failure to acknowledge, respect, and engage with other perspectives. It is a failure to show respect for other views, even—especially—when they are not one’s own. To borrow a note from the Allman Brothers, we need more leaders to personify the adage “I respect your right to be wrong.” We need Jewish leaders to strengthen and embrace all Jews as a prevailing value by modeling understanding of and empathy for other perspectives, despite fundamentally disagreeing with them. This, I believe, is the essence of Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh L’Zeh.
In our age of unprecedented connectivity, we have ample opportunities to connect with people, learn about their perspectives, and allow their perspectives to shift our own—in theory. In practice, our connectivity has led to our comfort zones becoming even more comfortable, as we immerse ourselves—both online and off—with our friends whose posts often reflect our own thoughts and opinions. Rather than broaden our perspectives, many of our cutting-edge tools to stay connected have actually presented us with roomy echo chambers in which to incubate our preexisting notions.
But there is a way to avoid the echo chamber, to see strength in others with whom we have weak ties. A refreshing example of this was at the 10th ROI Summit in Jerusalem this summer. I had the privilege of witnessing unexpected connections form between people from notably different perspectives and backgrounds: Jews of color, those who are gay, those who are intermarried, Ultra-Orthodox Jews, secular Jews, right-wingers, left-wingers, those with unique abilities, and those with disabilities. I witnessed Jewish leadership in action as I observed the networking and the one-on-one Brain Dates. Nobody was trying to convince his/her peers that his/her particular perspective was absolute truth or why his/her way of life was more correct. They were all engaged in dialogue aimed at expanding their horizons and gaining a greater understanding of how their fellow young Jewish leaders see the world. Despite fundamental differences of opinion, there is still a tremendous amount that can be learned from one another. This is dialogue that makes us as leaders and community members stronger and more thoughtful.
This is one of the remarkable outcomes of the strategic network that is the ROI Community—a wide web of people from all fields under the sun, some of whom maintain close relationships, but many of whom are connected through what network theorists call “weak ties.” The name wouldn’t suggest it, but weak ties are extremely important: while our close friends tend to move in the same circles as we do and are privy to much of the same information as we are, our acquaintances know people that we do not and thus receive more unique information.
By maintaining connections with our “weaker ties,” we allow ourselves to be exposed to perspectives that are fundamentally different from our own, and we give ourselves the chance to grow and be stronger leaders. The interactions between participants at the ROI Summit demonstrated a thirst for this kind of perspective sharing among young Jewish leaders and provided a snapshot of what the Jewish world could look like if this attitude were adopted broadly. It was an image of a Jewish world not in complete agreement, but unified by a curiosity and a regard for differing opinions.
To ensure a strong and united Jewish community, a pipeline of charismatic leaders with articulate, compelling calls-to-action—even if deeply rooted in Jewish values—will not cut it. The type of leadership that will help guide us there will be that which extols the virtues of weak ties, encouraging Jews everywhere to step outside their comfort zones, hear new perspectives, acknowledge them, and respect those who keep them.
Justin Korda is the executive director of ROI Community and has been with ROI since its inception in 2005. Growing up in Montreal, Canada, he saw how young people can truly be instruments for change, thereby setting the stage for a life of Jewish activism. In 1999, he led the first Taglit-Birthright Israel trip from Canada. Justin went on to serve in a number of positions at the Canada-Israel Experience, where he was instrumental in implementing Taglit-Birthright Israel for the initial 5,000 Canadian participants. Justin holds an MBA from the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya and a BA in Political Science from McGill University.
