Sandwiches in a Very Small World

June 8, 2009

Occasionally, an organization meets at Sheatufim’s home, the Robert Goldberg House in Bet Yehoshua, the funds for which were donated by Robert Goldberg, from where else, but Cleveland. The building is a concrete and glass two-story, high ceiling-ed, box-like giant C built around a lovely courtyard, with a flat, square fountain and an olive tree. In one arm of the C are several private offices, as well as the open space with four desks that I share with members of the staff. The back of the C is a corridor that leads to the other arm where, on the second floor is a library and two large meeting rooms. On the first floor are two more large meeting rooms.

These organizations use the space for free, but arrange for their own food. Often there are leftovers that the staff is invited to have. To retrieve a sandwich, I walked into the conference room where today’s meeting had just adjourned and two young men were chatting. I looked at the sandwiches and then paused for two reasons. I did not want to appear to be an obvious scavenger and while in Israel I take every opportunity to make an acquaintance. Today’s meeting was of a nonprofit organization that helps other nonprofits with their hi-tech needs. I introduced myself, as did they, but I missed one name. I went on to explain that I was a visiting scholar from the University of North Carolina and before I could proceed much further, one of the men interrupted me.

“Where are you from?” he asked.
“University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I used to be president of our local Jewish federation and I have been active in the community. I decided to take a leave of absence to explore philanthropy in Israel,” I went on.
“Do you know T.J. Raney?”
The name was familiar, but so out of context that it took me 2 or 3 seconds to respond with, “Of course, I used to work with Ziva.”

“I know Ziva. I was the shaliach in Little Rock with her. We had dinner together in Toronto at the GA.” Indeed, I had met Tal Frankfurt with Ziva in Toronto, when she was the associate director of the Durham-Chapel Hill Jewish Federation.. What if I had passed up the opportunity for a sandwich? What if I had not bothered to say hello? Yet another amazing coincidence in Israel, the small crossroads of the Jewish people.