“If there is one lesson we have learned particularly well in the past year or two, it is this: We as human beings can overcome today’s most urgent challenges only if we join hands across national borders. JReady is a model program for how to act in a time of crisis, and how to act not only locally but globally,” said Professor Milette Shamir, Vice President of TAU, who oversees the university’s international academic collaboration.

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In November 2021, a JReady webinar called “Resilience in Times of Crisis,” included a panel of JReady users from around the world who shared their region’s personal experience with the pandemic.

One participant in that webinar panel was Wendy Kahn, National Director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies in Johannesburg. Wendy found JReady forums on education, food distribution and more invaluable, as they allowed her to learn from other communities.

Virtual and in-person participants gather for the “Resilience in Times of Crisis” seminar | Photo provided by JReady

“JReady helped us prepare ourselves quickly and allowed our decisions to be made with information learned from other communities and professionals,” said Wendy. “Feeling like we’re really one big community is the real beauty of JReady. It brings people with expertise and knowledge and the willingness to help fellow communities to one central forum.”

As the pandemic impacts people globally with new strains of the virus, ​​JReady continues to provide a crucial service, working with Jewish communities to build resilience, training professionals in emergency preparedness and fostering supportive relationships worldwide.

“We participated in many international forums through JReady, and the platform will be beneficial to us even after the pandemic. Now we have so many relationships and feel we’re never alone,” reflected Dr. Aaron Wornovitzky, President of the Council of Jewish Education of Mexico and a professor in the master’s department of the Universidad Hebraica in Mexico City, Mexico. “In a way, COVID has made us stronger, and JReady has played a key role in overcoming physical boundaries, allowing us to turn problems into opportunities. We need to ensure that continues.”

Aner Tausig for The Jewish Agency for Israel