"When making decisions, every yes is a no to something else"
What: He became dean of Moriah College in Sydney, Australia, his alma mater and one of the largest Jewish schools in the world at only 26 years old. He grew into a communal icon and one of the most influential Jewish leaders from Australia. He was headhunted as CEO of Mosaic United, a joint venture partnership between Israel and global Jewry to strengthen Jewish identity and connections to Israel for youth around the world. In that capacity, Benji led a team that raised over half a billion shekels and launched several major initiatives to engage hundreds of thousands of young people across the globe. After enlisting in the IDF as a reservist in the Spokesperson’s Unit at the belated age of 35, he cofounded Israel Impact Partners, working with leading philanthropists and nonprofits to achieve meaningful impact.
Where: Benji grew up in Sydney, Australia, and earned his BA in media and communications; first class honors in Jewish civilization, thought, and culture; and a PhD in philosophy from the University of Sydney. He studied for five years in Yeshivat Har Etzion where he completed rabbinic ordination, earned a teaching degree at Herzog College, and completed the Principals Program at the Lookstein Center in Bar Ilan University. He has traveled around the world in various teaching and consulting capacities, and resides with his wife and four children in Jerusalem.
Why: Fourteen years ago, Benji and I worked together on a leadership program for students in Sydney. Ever since, I’ve always been impressed with the way he’s managed to infuse his efforts in the Jewish communal sector with the best practices from the corporate world. Bridging both of these worlds, Benji has created sophisticated metrics and raised standards where they don’t exist, bringing profound meaning to so many people around the globe.
My father is my mentor, and growing up, my home was my greatest classroom. My dad went from the youngest partner of his firm to private equity and sat on boards of listed companies across many fields, from fashion and film to retail and property, leading government task forces, professional sports and so much more. He always explains that Jews don’t believe in luck — we believe in mazal. Mazal, he says, is an acronym for makom (place), zeman (timing) and la’asot (action). We are all put in a certain place at a certain time, but the question is whether we realize this and are ready to take action. In my life, I have been blessed to notice when I was in the right place at the right time and always strived to make my mazal in those moments.
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