Business leaders find complexity on federation mission to Israel

“It’s not a trivial statement to say that the situation in Israel, on almost every level, is way more complicated than outsiders can even begin to appreciate,” Conrad Prusak said, after returning from his first visit to Israel. “The diversity, the cultural points of view, the political points of view – there are so many, driven by people of so many different origins.”

Prusak, a master chair business coach with Vistage International, was one of nine participants in a mission organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix for non-Jewish business and community leaders to experience Israel firsthand, gaining insights into the myriad challenges Israelis confront every day.

“Israel prides itself on facing all the complexities that make up its cultural and geopolitical realities,” Prusak wrote in a journal he kept from Oct. 25-31, 2015. “It assembles talent that is willing to be very self-critical as it works to find solutions to problems that can defy solution. The consistent focus on taking nothing for granted, on questioning authority, on displacing leaders if solutions fail or are deemed inadequate is more than impressive.”

Already familiar with Israel’s reputation as a global leader in start-ups and innovation, the participants were very interested in visiting the incubators and accelerators that help start-ups gain traction and visibility. East Valley Partnership President and CEO Roc Arnett said, “They’ve had to build their economy on the backs of this innovation, which they have done. And it’s very impressive.”

Arnett noted in particular Israel’s solutions for irrigating and growing crops in a region plagued by drought. “I was absolutely blown away by the agriculture and the water conservation and the drip irrigation system that is literally from north to south – from up in the highland and mountainous areas … down to the desert.”

Federation President and CEO Stuart Wachs said these visits led to conversations around the question, “What is it about Israel that creates that possibility (for innovation)? … Maybe the plusses and minuses of the stress of life and the live-for-today mentality?”

Traveling the length and breadth of the country drove home the contrast between persistent existential concerns and the vibrancy of everyday life in cities and rural areas alike. During a briefing with an Israel Defense Forces intelligence officer on the Golan Heights, participants could see plumes of smoke from the civil war on the Syrian side. “Our guide had a map that showed in Syria itself about 12 different factions, and they’re all against each other. They’re all fighting,” Arnett said. The group also drove down to Netiv Ha’asara, a village that lies just a few hundred yards from the border with Gaza, where they visited the “Path to Peace” border wall mural and learned about the resiliency of life under a constant threat of rocket fire. As Wachs pointed out, it’s a dichotomy that’s hard for Americans to grasp.

On the other hand, Prusak also identified many commonalities between Arizona and Israel. He noted that Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey was in Israel just a few days earlier for an international conference on water technologies. “If our governor has taken away even some of the impressions that we did, in terms of what we might learn as a state that we’re trying to grow into a more impactful economic engine in the United States, there’s a lot to be gained,” Prusak said. “There are some amazing parallels in terms of climate, diversity and desire to develop technologies. It’s just stunning how similar we are. And I hope that we can learn from each other.”

The group met with senior statesmen from both sides of the Israeli political spectrum, including MK Ze’ev Binyamin “Benny” Begin (son of the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin) from the right-wing Likud party and Ambassador Alon Pinkas, who served as advisor on U.S. affairs to Prime Minister Ehud Barak, from the left-wing Labor party. Hearing opposing perspectives on key political issues such as the Iranian nuclear deal firsthand from top-level policy makers emphasized both the deep divide in Israeli society and the need to overcome those differences to work together for the country’s future.

A week in the Holy Land would not be complete without its spiritual moments. For Prusak, it was visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Western Wall, both located within the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, in the same day. “Appreciating the years and centuries of history and meaning that those two sites embody was very impactful,” he said.

Arnett cited a side trip he took with his brother, Chet Arnett, to Brigham Young

University’s Jerusalem Center on Mount Scopus with its stunning view of Jerusalem. He was particularly moved by two announcements at the Sabbath service. One called on all members in the Jerusalem District of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to dedicate their monthly fast day to prayers for peace and for a lessening of the tensions in Israel. The second involved a letter from the First Presidency, the highest governing body of the LDS Church, encouraging all Mormons to contribute to the church’s humanitarian effort on behalf of immigrants. Arnett found significance in the global connection between the First Presidency in Salt Lake, aid to immigrants all over the world and hearing this call to action while in Israel.

In the final entry of his journal, Prusak summed up his impressions. “This immersion for the past week was humbling, confusing, gratifying and bonding. … We will all … continue to learn from what is being done in the cultural and religious laboratory known as Israel. We need to let those working in and taking care of this laboratory continue to do their good work. Those of us living 8,000 miles away should not feel removed from this laboratory. If anything, we should do what we can to watch and learn from all the good that can come out of this laboratory. The challenge will be to keep everyone involved in it safe, so we can learn from all that is being done inside it.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email


For advertising information, please contact [email protected].