Greetings from Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem

 …….I call upon our host mayor, friend of Paamonim, Mr. Nir Barkat…..

Nir Barkat: Good evening to the Paamonim organization, Uriel Lederberg, Director of Paamonim, and esteemed members of the panel:

I listened closely to your words. I apologize in advance that for a moment we will seem to digress from the subject, but it’s really the same topic…

I’d like to share a fascinating experience with you: About six or seven years ago I had a long conversation with Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, of blessed memory. He was still in good health at that time. I presented him with my communal world view: I had established an organization called “New Spirit” in the city of Jerusalem whose aim was to encourage the younger generation to remain in the city.

Following that we established another non-profit organization, called “Start-Up Jerusalem” – to build economic models to further develop the city of Jerusalem, because without employment opportunities, young people would not stay in the city.

Then we founded the “Snunit” Association – “Snunit” is a massive investment in the younger generation to give them the means to stand on their own feet.

The Rav stopped me, opened the Rambam, and asked me to read the “Eight Levels of Giving”, with which, I admit, I was unfamiliar. In my ignorance, I thought, as perhaps many Israelis did, that the highest level of giving was giving in secret – when the giver does not know the receiver and the receiver does not know the giver. Or perhaps some similar act of compassion.

After reading the Rambam I understood that the highest form of giving, according to Jewish Law, was to help people change the situation in which they were trapped, so that they would no longer need aid and assistance. Perhaps by giving a loan, or some other form of assistance – I had a really long conversation with the Rav.

I told him that one of the reasons that this highest level of giving had not been developed or widely discussed was because it obliged us to create a management process. We would need to define the potential capabilities of each person we were helping, each community, each city and even the country. We would have to understand what could be achieved, and the current reality. Only then could we become partners in the process towards independence.

Someone would need to monitor this procedure. Then we could help the person in need to get out of his present reality and allow him to achieve his desired goal – his realistic potential.

This would demand great inner strength, plentiful energy, and a thorough understanding of how to manage the procedure of giving aid.

The entity guiding this process would need to be firmly rooted in ethical principles on the one hand, but would also need to have a comprehensive grasp of management procedures on the other.

I told the Rav that this was basically my world view of how to run a city like Jerusalem. How we could get it to stand economically on its own two feet. How we should develop its relative advantages and potential, its tourist attractions and its culture as a holy city and a focus of international pilgrimage.

How do we keep the youth within the city? How do we hold onto our youth, who, to our great dismay, have been leaving the city for decades, and turn them into part of the solution? How do we create a growing community of young people in Jerusalem who are prepared to take responsibility to improve its neighborhoods, and in doing so enrich their own lives?

How do we upgrade the educational system in this leading city so that it may be attractive to all? And profit on three levels – community, individual and family – as a result.

We now have fourteen such communities in Jerusalem. They are developing very nicely and their numbers are growing each year.

When I heard about the Paamonim organization I immediately identified with its way of thinking.  I felt a sense of déjà-vu when I spoke to you a few weeks ago and I got caught up – or I should say – you, Paamonim, got caught up with the desire to help the homeless in Jerusalem. It was very important to me that people with your philosophy would come into the picture and help people take advantage of the various solutions that the government and the city were able to offer.

This attitude of taking responsibility, not only for the individual’s success, but going deeper into all the details, for the benefit of the community, and the city as well – this, in my view is the best way of thinking if you truly want to help others.

We face many challenges in Israel and I know that this panel works for the triangle: individual, family, community. For the public good, I believe the key is to think alike. We must think about the process and have common goals. The country cannot always solve all the problems, nor can the individual, nor can the community. But if we all think in the same terms: how to help the individual, the community, the cities, and the country – to help themselves – all have a better chance to succeed.

Whoever has the ability to give does not ask “Why don’t they give me?” “Why don’t they do this for me?” “Why are things done so badly”?

We all are familiar with the Israeli national sport of sitting around at the weekend and complaining that things are bad.

Here, in this hall, in addition to the panelists, (I know most of them), there are people who care very, very much, and are partners. They came here – to Paamonim – because they recognize and acknowledge your work.

For me it was very important to come here to strengthen your efforts and the solutions you offer, which constitute a process, not isolated ideas. There are some differences of opinion among us, but as long as we think alike, our actions can greatly improve the chances that we will be able to help many more people stand proudly on their own two feet.

In the name of hundreds of citizens of Jerusalem who have been helped by Paamonim, and thousands of Israelis who have been helped by Paamonim and will be helped by Paamonim in the future, I say: Thank you very much.

May you have an interesting discussion and a Chag Sameach.

My heart is with you – Thank you.