Posted July 21 2008 by Jewneric
The Jewneric Leadership Series: Neil Gillman
Jewneric recently had the opportunity to speak with Neil Gillman, Aliyah Shaliach for the Jewish Agency for Israel for DC and its surrounding areas and a prominent Jewish leader. We asked him a series of questions to help us better understand and appreciate their significant contributions to our community.
Born in London to a traditional Jewish family, Neil Gillman reached the conclusion that a young Jewish state and a young Jewish person were a perfect shidduch and made Aliyah at 22. Having completed Ulpan he served for a year in the IDF. In 1999 he began working with English speaking Olim in Israel, assisting them through the ongoing absorption process. Since August 2006 he has been based in Rockville and has already helped hundreds of people to make Aliyah. He is joined by his wife Aliza, herself an Olah from Pittsburgh and baby Mordechai, born in the US. They will be returning home to Israel in August 2009.
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1. All organizations should be addressing a problem in the community. What is that exact problem and how are you solving it?
The Jewish Agency for Israel is addressing a wide variety of challenges in the community, both in Israel and the diaspora. My own personal role is encouraging Aliyah and promoting programs which strengthen the connection between American and Jews and Israel.
2. You could be doing so many other things in the world. What about this particular idea strikes you?
I made Aliyah in 1996 for ideological reasons. 12 years on (I celebrated an Aliyah anniversary last week) I still believe that Israel is the best place to be living a full Jewish life. I’m lucky enough to be one of a select group of people, sent by the Jewish Agency for Israel to assist other people in realizing their dream of making Aliyah.
3. What organizations or people do you look to for inspiration?
The people that I look to for inspiration are most often the very ones that I’m assisting. Making Aliyah is rarely a simple move. The sheer determination that many of my Olim have to overcome the obstacles is mind blowing and quite humbling.
4. What is the biggest issue facing the Jewish Community today and how would you deal with it?
The rate of intermarriage keeps increasing and the size of the community in the US is decreasing rapidly as a result. Far smarter people than myself have been grappling with this issue for many years and will continue to do so.
5. If one Jewish leader could come back and take a role in strengthening the Jewish community today, who would it be?
Clearly a very broad question! The ability to work miracles would be a significant plus so I’ll go with Moses.
6. What is the most exciting Jewish project you have encountered in the past two years?
Our 8 ½ month old son is by far the most exciting Jewish project I’ve ever encountered (his Grandparents back me up on this one!)
7. What is your favorite part of your job?
A young girl wrote to me the other day to say that having been in Israel for 18 months she’s just got engaged to her Israeli boyfriend and that she wanted to thank me for making it happen – I get a real high from that sort of thing.
8. What do you feel are your biggest challenges?
I’m helping people to make a move which is one of the biggest steps that they’ll take in their life. I have to make sure that they are as well prepared as possible so that they have the best chance of succeeding. I don’t want someone to fail to realize their dreams because I didn’t do my job properly.
9. What do you think is the best way to foster a sense of responsibility amongst potential new leaders?
Start young. I’m always amazed when I encounter the resumes of young men and women here who have fit far more into their lives by the time they apply for college than many people do in a life time. In almost every case this only happens when their parents guide them appropriately from a young age.
10. What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders?
Remember that one determined person can make a real change in the world.
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