How might mixed motives affect our global service work?
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“For these type of altruistic endeavors to be sustainable, there’s got to be a little bit of self-interest… I think of the commandment to love God ‘with all your heart’. The mishna in brachot interprets this as serving God with both your inclinations – the good and evil inclination. The evil inclination, self-interest, is always going to be there… as long as the good inclination is leading the way, the model of ‘both your inclinations’ is the key to success.” -Rabbi Dr. Daniel Roth
What are the myriad of motives that bring us as Jews to serve global communities in need? Are some motivations more “pure” than others? How might the interests we carry into development work affect the outcomes of that work?
Join the conversation as Rabbi Dr. Daniel Roth of Pardes and Ilan Fluss of MASHAV shed light on how to serve with integrity against a landscape of mixed motivation.
Guest Bios
Rabbi Dr. Daniel Roth
Daniel is the director of the Pardes Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution. He holds a PhD from Bar Ilan University‘s Program for Conflict Resolution, Management and Negotiation writing on Jewish models of conflict resolution, peacemaking, and reconciliation. Daniel has been teaching advanced rabbinics, Bible, conflict resolution and other subjects at Pardes for over ten years. He is also a lecturer at Bar Ilan’s Program for Conflict Resolution, a senior research fellow at George Mason University’s Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution and an Israeli certified court mediator. He holds a MA in Talmud from Hebrew University, a B.Ed in Jewish Philosophy and Talmud from Herzog Teachers’ College, and studied for eight years in Yeshivat Har-Etzion, during which time he received rabbinic ordination. Daniel is married with four children and lives in Jerusalem.
Ilan Fluss
Ilan Fluss serves as Deputy Head of Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was previously posted as a Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, having assumed the position in August 2006. In his capacity in the mission he was responsible for Israel’s Economic and Social Agenda at the United Nations. Formerly, Ilan served in the Embassy of Israel in Pretoria, South Africa, as Acting Ambassador and later on as Deputy Chief of Mission. While in South Africa, he was also responsible for Israel’s diplomatic relations with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland. Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994, he has represented Israel in a variety of capacities. From 1995-1998, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines. Later on, he was appointed Spokesperson and Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of Israel in The Hague, Netherlands (1998-2000). Back in Jerusalem (2000-2004), he served in the Ministry’s Asian Division, focusing on Israel’s bilateral relations with the nations of South and Southeast Asia. Born in Haifa, he served in the Israeli navy for five years. He has a graduate degree in psychology and Israel Studies from the University of Haifa, and an MBA from the University of Derby. Ilan and his wife, Gila, have four children.