The following essay is a reflection, from the joint perspective of my daughter and I, on our combined 100 years of service in the Jewish community.

When we recently sat down to compare notes—not accomplishments, not titles, just years—we paused, recalculated, and laughed in disbelief.

Together, as a mother and daughter, we have spent 100 years serving the Jewish community.

Some of those years were professional, others volunteer. Some were public-facing, others quiet and behind the scenes. But all of them were animated by the same commitments: love of Jewish life, belief in Israel’s future, and faith in the power of people to make a difference when they are invited, nurtured, and trusted.

We marked this milestone with a trip to Israel in December—a celebration that was also a reflection. It was a chance to look back at the paths that brought us here and forward toward the work that still lies ahead.

A Life Shaped by Engagement

Our story begins not with a career plan, but with a young mother looking for purpose.

Early in adulthood, one of us was invited to a meeting of Women’s American ORT—a simple invitation that became a lifelong calling. What began as volunteer involvement grew into leadership at the local and national levels, then into a professional role with Israel Bonds, and eventually into a position with Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) that has now spanned four decades.

What followed were years of relationship-building, leadership development, and donor stewardship. It has never been just about fundraising. It is about helping people understand how they could become part of Israel’s story.

When you connect with people in a dedicated fashion, we have learned, it has to be honest. It has to be caring. And it has to be rooted in understanding what education truly means to Israel.

Growing Up Inside the Mission

Jewish communal life was never an abstract concept in our family. It was lived.

Kitchen tables doubled as workspaces. Evenings included phone calls, event planning, and conversations about how to bring people together around shared purpose. Synagogue life, Jewish learning, and service were woven into everyday experience—not as obligation, but as opportunity.

That environment shaped a second career path of its own: work in Jewish campus life, Israel advocacy, community engagement, and now human services—all grounded in the same values of inclusion, creativity, tikkun olam (repairing the world), and responsibility.

At one point, the continuity became literal. Opening a daughter’s desk drawer on the first day in a role at Israel Bonds once held by her mother revealed a ruler used during childhood, labeled in careful handwriting. It was a small object, but a powerful reminder that the work—and its lessons—had been passed down long before any job title.

Shared Lessons, Shared Work

Despite generational differences, our approaches to Jewish communal service have always aligned.

We believe people give—time, energy, resources—when they feel genuinely valued. That leadership is cultivated through trust and partnership. That strong institutions are built not by single moments, but by sustained relationships over time.

Late-night conversations still revolve around the same questions: How do we bring someone new into the fold? How do we help people see their own capacity to lead? How do we respond creatively when the moment demands more than routine solutions?

These are not theoretical discussions. They are the daily realities of serving a community that is dynamic, diverse, and constantly evolving.

Why Israel—and Why Now

Visiting Israel together in December gave new urgency to these reflections. It was clear to us that the work of building Israel’s future is ongoing, especially now.

After 100 years of shared service, the lesson we carry forward is simple but profound: The future is not inherited automatically. It is built—through commitment, through relationships, and through generations willing to show up, again and again.

That is the work we have been privileged to share. And it is the mission we are continuing to advance.

This piece was co-authored by Claire Winick and Eden Winick Aaronson

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)