Alone We Do Little; Together So Much

Collaboration begins with the assumption that everyone is a potential ally.  Valley Beit Midrash and PJ Library in Phoenix recently joined forces based on the principle that we deliver more to the Jewish community as ALLIES than we could do alone.  Our organizations are now partners in the Phoenix community for delivering educational content & programming to families, children and adults.

Imagine our Jewish communities where we all view each other as potential allies… as opposed to potential threats.  We are all the drivers of potential change in our communities.  When was the last time you looked to form an allegiance or identify a new partner?  In working together, a Wexner Graduate Fellowship alum (Shmuly) and a Heritage alum (Allie) we remembered these words:  “Alone we can do so little; Together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

Alison Betts, a Wexner Heritage alum (Phoenix 09), is a Director at American Express and the chairman of PJ Library in Phoenix.  She is a former board member of the Jewish Community Association (JCA) of Greater Phoenix and a member of the JCA Community Planning Council. She has also been a committee member of JCA’s Young Jewish Phoenix and led the JCA’s Outreach allocations council.  She has also been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona for eight years.  She lives in Scottsdale with her husband, Adrian, and their sons, Elliot (5) and Cameron (2) and can be reached at THEalisonbetts@gmail.com.

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the President & Dean of the Valley Beit Midrash. He is also the Founder and President of Uri L’Tzedek and the Founder and CEO of The Shamayim V’Aretz Insitute. Rav Shmuly completed his Masters at Yeshiva University in Jewish Philosophy, a Masters at Harvard in Moral Psychology and a Doctorate at Columbia in Epistemology and Moral Development. Rav Shmuly is the author of 9 books on Jewish ethics. Newsweek named Shmuly as one of the most influential rabbis in America in 2012 and 2013. He can be reached at RavShmuly@gmail.com.