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The recent
innovation summit
in Jerusalem brought
together young
Jewish change-
makers from around
the world.

Global Change-Makers

Detroiters at Jewish innovation summit in Israel bring ideas home.

Adam Finkel | Contributing Writer

T

o see the future of the global
Jewish community, you need
to attend ROI (Return on
Investment), an annual summit that gath-
ers 150 of the Jewish world’s brightest young
minds from every corner of the globe and
every field of endeavor to “dream big, net-
work intensely and learn a great deal from a
cohort of talented peers.”
The most recent sum-
mit, now in its second
decade, occurred June
26-30 in Jerusalem.
The ROI Community is
an international network
of activists and change-
makers redefining Jewish
Adam Finkel
engagement for a new
generation of global citi-
zens. The community, now exceeding 1,000
global members, is focused on “channeling a
diversity of perspectives, skills and interests
toward a shared passion for advancing ideas
and partnerships that will strengthen Jewish
communities and improve society.”
Funded by the Charles and Lynn
Schusterman Foundation, ROI empowers its
members to take an active role in shaping
the Jewish future. Today, ROI members are
creating new and innovative ways to engage
wider audiences in Jewish life globally —
from Tunis and Melbourne and Tel Aviv, to
grassroots projects closer to home in our
greater Detroit community.
The ROI Summit includes presentations
from people rethinking the Jewish communi-

ty, such as Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR LA.
Brous created IKAR (“essence” in Hebrew)
in Los Angeles to be a bold laboratory for
creative Jewish practice, and today it is one of
the more successful models seeking to build
Jewish life in America.
The ROI Summit also includes TED-style
talks, workshops on creativity, lectures by
individuals regarding Middle East policy,
nonprofit experts on scaling organizational
models globally and plenty of time for net-
working to share the best practices one-on-
one between participants.

PASSIONATE PARTICIPANTS
One of the most compelling aspects of the
event is the diversity of backgrounds, careers
and Jewish affiliations. Attendees range from
the head of the European Union of Jewish
Students on the front lines of fighting anti-
Semitism in Brussels to the 30-something
owner of one of the largest food and bever-
age companies in Israel who organizes initia-
tives around Holocaust remembrance and
other Jewish causes.
Rafram Chaddad came from Tunis. He
is an artist who crafts sculptures with
Jewish themes; he also created a company
that brings Tunisian food to life and wrote
a book on his incarceration in a Libyan
prison. He was arrested while in Libya
to document the remnants of the Libyan
Jewish community.
Liron Atia came from Ashkelon, Israel. A
snowboarding accident at age 18 left Liron
paralyzed from the waist down. The accident
instantly forced Liron to reinvent himself;
today he runs a business making commer-

cials for many of Israel’s largest companies
Yuval Bdolah moved to Lod after the social
and created a nonprofit called Tachles, which protests that broke out in 2011. Located
makes viral videos around public service
in one of Israel’s most challenging cities,
messages; one video educating viewers about he made use of innovative models of civic
physical disabilities had 35 million views in a engagement to effect change in the city. The
single week.
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
Sarah Waxman came from San Francisco.
has supported Yuval’s efforts. One goal was
Sarah pours her passion into programs that
to rebrand Lod as an ideal location for young
empower Jewish women to feel more spiritu- people.
ally connected. Her growing program, At
What began as a core of 30 students has
the Well, “enables young women to gather
grown to become a vibrant and active com-
monthly in peer-led groups to rediscover
munity of more than 300 young people. As
Jewish wisdom, modernize Jewish
founder and CEO of the project,
traditions and express Jewish values
Yuval was asked by the Israeli gov-
and spirituality.”
ernment to duplicate it in other
Menachem Bombach, who came
cities. The project has expanded
from a town outside Jerusalem, has
to five new locations (Kiryat
already founded a religious high
Shemona, Tiberias, Rahat, Kiryat
school, a preparatory program for
Gat and B’nei Barak).
haredi students and leads a seminar
Rabbi Dan
DETROIT PRESENCE
for young people in a Hassidic com-
Horwitz
The 2016 ROI Summit included a
munity. He is executive director of
significant presence for the greater
an inspiring program called Torah
Jewish Detroit community, includ-
Academy, which allows “students to
ing Rabbi Dan Horwitz, Shimon
combine their traditional education
Gal Levy, Kevin Lieberman and
with an opportunity for educational
me.
and professional advancement as
Lieberman is a robotics doc-
adults,” and he does this in a system
toral student at the University of
that does not easily embrace change.
Michigan and a National Defense
Rabbi Menachem Wolfe came
Kevin
Science and Engineering Graduate
from Australia. His extremely suc-
Lieberman
Fellow. He was formerly president
cessful center, Spiritgrow, brings the
of the Duke University Jewish
teachings of Jewish spirituality and
Student Union.
contemporary life sciences together in an
“Whether I had questions about how to
applied manner (mindfulness classes, cuisine
more efficiently cook Shabbat dinners for
demonstrations, Kabbalah sessions, guest
presenters in all areas of personal growth) to 30 young adults, how to write effective com-
munity newsletters or how to discuss ethical
help people live better, more fulfilled lives.

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20 August 18 • 2016