Roy Meron

Moreh Shaliach

A) What qualities make the nominee deserving of the Z3 Bridge Builder Award?

Roy is the epitome of a bridge builder. Roy came to America as an accomplished teacher at the Kfar Hayarok where he received several awards and had an exceptional reputation with peer teachers, students and families. He came to Wornick Jewish Day School as a Moreh Shaliach (A teaching emissary) meant to bridge the divide between Israel and the Diaspora. Over the past four and a half years he has developed a remarkable rapport with the students and has led our entire Jewish Studies program towards immersive study and educational excellence. Our students are enthused to take tests in Jewish history, find their voice in the conversation on Israel and Zionism and more deeply understand their roles in the American Jewish landscape. They are pushed to take on leadership and understand the potential they have to make a difference in the American Jewish Community, in Israel and globally for our entire people.

In addition to significantly professionalizing our department by standardizing Jewish Studies across all grade levels and ensuring that students are growing in their knowledge, confidence and relationship to Judaism and Israel, Roy has also strengthened the entire North Peninsula Community.

His "Unity and Diversity" initiative (the same name as the award), brought our students to dozens of congregations across the Bay Area and brought dozens of clergy to our school over the past three years.
His Anti-Semitism unit gave our students the voice and choice necessary to advocate for their identities and the state of Israel and brought a diverse set of local officials to our school.

B) In what ways has the nominee demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to their work in bridging divides?

To make a difference in the future, educating the next generation is of critical importance. Adults can occasionally have a more fixed mindset and be more difficult to persuade to change.

Roy has ensured that the next generation of Jewish leaders will be able to find unity among diversity and appreciate the diversity in a unified centralized community.

In one project Roy designed, middle school students visit 6-7 synagogues within the Bay Area on any given year from different denominations. In this process they learn about their history, religious values and unique architecture. The students meet with rabbis and cantors and learn about the similarities and differences between different denominations. They also learn about the unique values that each synagogue prioritizes.

Students choose to visit one synagogue a second time and research it in a deeper way. Students document by journaling, taking photos and ask questions about unity and diversity within the congregation. At the end of the project the students lead a showcase of all the congregations at the school and clergy from different denominations and backgrounds come listen and interact with each other. They share their knowledge and understanding as well as their reflections on the Jewish community.

A second event that showcases these values is Roy's development of the anti-semitism unit. Roy designed a culminating event to our unit on the history of antisemitism. In this event, parents and community leaders (including the Mayor of Foster City and other elected officials) come to learn from students on the way antisemitism has expressed itself historically and the ways it expresses itself today. During this event, students develop the confidence to speak to adults about antisemitism and advocate for their safety and right to express themselves.

C) How has the nominee's work impacted the Jewish community and beyond?

Last year, it just so happened that the antisemitism event was held a few days before a motion went before Foster City council on whether or not a ceasefire motion should go before the council. It also happened that a member of the council (which only has five seats) attended this past year. Needless to say, we all felt the correlation between the failure of the motion and the advocacy that the one council member engaged in on behalf of the Jewish community a few nights later.

In general, Roy has been a force for unity across the community. Due to his efforts countless clergy come to visit our school and see opportunities for us to focus on what we have in common as Jews more than what divides us. Roy is a true bridge builder and by allowing us to focus on the next generation he is able to cut through denominational divides.