Mitzvah learning give and take

I have a couple of days to get caught up on. Tuesday was a busy day; I met with Mitzvah hero Libby Reichman at Tal Bagels for a breakfast meeting to get caught up on the status of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Israel, the grant process, talk about collaboration on a grant from a source in the DC area. Many US funders have cut back or stopped funding for the time being. Meanwhile BB/BS is still trying to save at risk youth by matching them with mentors and providing support to their families. I hope I make it sound as important as it really is.

Then I went with Danny and Arnie to HUC to meet with the first year graduate educators, cantors and rabbinical students to discuss tikun olam, halacha and volunteer opportunities for them during their year here in Israel. It was a big group, a great group, and gives real confidence in the future of the Jewish people. It helps that the coordinator of their program, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, is one of the good guys, a founder of the Tzedakah Fund Kavod, and we hope a future collaborator of ours.

Danny and I went for a late lunch at a great local middle eastern place, Rachmo (I had goulash, a very beefy stew) and then did some planning on the phone for future meetings, winery visits and shabbat plans. In the evening I met my friends Shlomi and Hila Zadok for a light, italian dinner with their girls (I ate a quarter of what I was served, a great lasagna - the rest is in the freezer in Jerusalem).