This year, I have been fortunate to engage meaningfully with diverse Jewish communities around the world. First, by moving from Israel to the UK, I became familiar with the British Jewish community. Then, through the UJS Leadership Fellowship, I got to know the Bulgarian Jewish community. Finally, while travelling in Mexico this summer, I encountered the local Jewish community there.

These communities differ significantly, often in ways shaped by their size and history. In both the UK and Mexico, Jewish life is organised through multiple overlapping institutions. In contrast, Bulgaria’s small community is primarily unified under a single umbrella: the Shalom organisation, which attends to nearly all communal needs. In Mexico, institutional separation is even more distinct than in the UK, shaped by heritage—Sephardi, Ashkenazi, Syrian, and others—resulting in communities that often operate independently. These divisions are so pronounced that “intermarriage” can refer to marriage across different Jewish communities rather than between Jews and non-Jews. In fact, intermarriage rates with non-Jews are under 4% in Mexico.

Encountering these communities led me to reflect on Jewish life in Israel, where I grew up. Israel, too, is composed of diverse Jewish traditions resulting from centuries of immigration. It is similarly divided into various institutions and customs, and has a low intermarriage rate. The connection between Israel and the Jewish community in Mexico is also quite strong—there's a strong commitment to Hebrew in the Mexican community, and many Jewish youth participate in gap year programmes in Israel. Some even choose to serve in the IDF. Interestingly, both countries have Jewish heads of state, a symbolic testament to the integration and prominence of Jewish identity in Mexico.

These contrasting community structures also require different kinds of leadership. Living in the UK and meeting Jewish leaders from around the world has challenged and expanded my understanding of leadership—especially compared to what I grew up with in Israel, where leadership styles are often shaped by military influence, even in youth movements and educational contexts. In the UK, Jewish leadership takes the form of political representation for a sizable minority. In Mexico, it involves community-specific leadership that navigates tradition and autonomy. In Bulgaria, leadership is unifying and focused on resilience and survival, seeking to sustain a small but vibrant Jewish presence.

Each of these models offers valuable lessons. They highlight that leadership is not a one-size-fits-all role—it adapts to history, demography, and context. Exploring these diverse approaches has inspired me to think critically about the kinds of leadership needed in different contexts, and the ones I may want to learn and use.

Yahel Halevi - UJS Leadership Fellow 2024/25