ROI Participants Speak Out
Two participants from different sides of the Atlantic offer their views on the recently concluded ROI120 Summit.
from the London Jewish Chronicle:
What the next generation wants
It seems we are on the verge of what Malcolm Gladwell calls “the tipping point”, with Jewish events to suit all interests. The emphasis will be on highly individualised, minority projects — not “one size fits all” schemes and events.But when it comes to nurturing individuals, the returns are about reaching out to disenfranchised Jews rather than showing bottom-line profits.
Although it’s hard to measure the growth of spiritual capital, the sheer number of active participants in Jewish programmes suggest we’re on the right track.
and this from Yavnet: Jewish Wisdom at Your Fingertips:
This entertaining second link was written by JT Waldman who in addition to being a participant at the ROI Summit is a Fellow this summer at the PresenTense Institute for Creative Zionism.
JT is working on a project titled: YAVNET and the Tagged Tanakh – A start-up endeavor from the Jewish Publication Society dedicated to creating dynamic online experiences around Torah. You can learn more here.
ROI Global Summit For Young Jewish Innovators
Recently, 120 up-and-coming members of The Tribe from twenty-eight different countries ascended to Jerusalem to network, consume lots of wine, and “innovate.” With a third of the constituents hailing from Israel, another third from North America, and the remainder from the global village stretching from New Delhi to Krakow, one fact was abundantly clear at the ROI 2008 Summit : South American Jews have more fun!
Somehow the analytical and social hang-ups that plague most of the Jewish world dissolve in laughter and clapping around these jovial people. In the closing forum of the summit, primary evidence from participants as well as statistical data gleaned from surveys conducted during the summit confirmed this reality. Judeos Latinos gozan la vida y el Judaísmo!
Even with a full range of 20-30something heebs from around the world—including hedge funders, Youtube celebrities, the complete LGBT spectrum, organizational reps from Hillel, AJC, Hadassah, and The Sochnut—these Judeos were, in many ways, the magnetic bonds of the five day summit. Their approach and demeanor as a group was infectious and refreshing, pointing to what is most lacking in Jewish innovation (in my humble opinion): JOY!
Over the course of five days, we painted murals in immigration absorption centers, divided into tracks related to our fields of expertise, and rubbed elbows with tech entrepreneurs, philanthropists and each other. And all the while, like amino acids fueling our collective body, the Judeos delighted and thrived within the formal programming and informal activities.