THE BUSINESS OF BEING JEWISH
Inspired People Bring Torah Values
to their Professional Lives
by Dena Yellin
A doctor, a lawyer, a CPA…the stuff of a Jewish mother’s dreams.
Aside from this hallowed connection, where do the two worlds – of faith and career – meet?
The young man who’d just begun the practice of law was newly returned from studying in Israel. He had chosen to delay his career for a time to focus first on the study of Judaism and the laws of his own heritage. “I will tell you that I really thought I would show the world that Jews answer to a higher standard,” recalls Ron Coleman, of Passaic, New Jersey. “I was idealistic and a little naïve, too, I guess. I was simply shocked to face - pretty quickly – the powerful stereotype of a Jew in business. I learned with time that I cannot deny the stereotype, or fight it. I can only do whatever I can within my little space to turn it around.”

For Coleman, who has found himself cast in the role of “Jew’s Jew” because of his observance, this has meant many things. “In New York, where I work, I am always surrounded by Jews of one type or another. Dressing the part is a lightning rod. I must be able to field questions of all kinds about Judaism and about Jews. It forces me to behave, and works as a great motivator to become really knowledgeable. As a Jew, too, I feel that this awful stereotype forces me to be honest beyond reproach. I will not cut corners or try to just get by.”

Having a strong sense of his own values, Coleman believes, is essential to keeping his commitment. To him, the bigger picture provided by Torah brings it all together: “As human beings, our actions take place in two spheres: between man and G-d, and between man and his fellow men. Being focused on honesty works on both planes –it is right because it’s the kind of person G-d wants me to be, and also because it reflects responsibility for the interests of others. This is just one example to me of the holistic system here, where doing what would appear to be between me and my Creator actually works out best for the people around me, too.”


And the same knowledge of the ultimate standard that Coleman has embraced, keeps him focused professionally as well. “At the end of the day, because of the live concept in my life that it is G-d running the world, I feel I have help keeping my expectations, my responsibilities and my ego in check. Ambition, fame and fortune must have their limits.” Coleman balances it out with many hours logged pro bono on behalf of Jewish community causes, and was recently honored for this ongoing commitment, which he feels is just part of giving back.

Pamela Rose
“Jewish values play a role for me every single day,” says Pamela Rose of Chicago, a real estate executive. “The way I do business is dictated by my sense of what is ethical. And I appreciate that in others and prefer to work with people who share this.”

Beyond this significant fact, Rose uses her commitment to supporting Jewish causes as the chief motivator to keep the success coming. “Jewish giving plays a major role in motivating my work: the more I earn the more I can give,” she says. “And that sets the tone for everything I do.”

“Integrity in the Jewish community has been trampled on by some bad characters so it is important to double our efforts to provide the highest levels of integrity while conducting all our affairs. Over the years, I have fine tuned my giving and narrowed my focus. Though I look at Federations as a very important community umbrella, I also try to get the best bang for every giving dollar. I get the greatest satisfaction from supporting grass roots organizations where the results can be seen every day. My primary focus is college outreach through JET (Jewish Education Team) in Chicago, led by Rabbi Zev Kahn. I am fortunate to have experienced this organization grow from day one and can measure positive results every semester. ”

“There was nothing like this at all when I went to college, and I know it would have made a big difference in my life had I not had to wait until I was in my thirties before I had access to experiencing an authentic Shabbat meal. My son is at Madison now and I am thrilled at the great stuff going on there at JEM, and how he has of his own initiative gone looking for connection. This is something so great, and we’ve just got to keep doing it.

“I am very happy to find myself in a position where I can influence other high-level decision makers like myself to give, too, and this has made my work something way beyond real estate.”

Alan Morinis
The sad story of one man’s misstep in business has become a stepping stone to growth for many people.

When Alan Morinis of Vancouver, British Columbia put his film production company up on the Toronto Stock Exchange, it was the first company of its kind to have achieved such success. But he was shocked to realize shortly thereafter that the fiction on which the films were based weren’t the only yarns he’d been spinning.

“At some point, I realized I was saying things that I could not back up,” he recalls. “And this was humbling, because I’d always thought I was honest. It made me think: how had this happened to me? I hadn’t noticed it, but slowly, slowly, it had happened. More troubling even than the untruths I’d told was the question of how I had gotten into that position. By very small increments, I’d really gotten lost.

“I did not have a strong moral compass. A compass does not dictate where you must go – it just shows you which way you are facing. If you really want to go north, you still can – but at least you know which direction you are facing right now.”

This realization became a major turning point for Morinis, and ultimately led not only to the transformation of his life but to the founding of a revolutionary organization.

His search for a path to a better way eventually led him to the study of mussar, the Torah vision of personal growth and character development. This approach had been greatly enhanced by what is known as ‘the Mussar Movement,’ established in the great academies of European yeshivos in the nineteenth century. What began as balm for the moral failings that had pained him so gained momentum and in time he transformed himself into a Jew with strong connection to Jewish living.
“I had convinced myself that if I could pull this off and make a lot of money with the business, then I’d have time to be spiritual,” he recalls. “Now I know that you cannot divorce your day-to-day actions from the big picture. You cannot be connected to morality and faith only within one sphere of your life. There is no way you can experience the richness of the whole scope of life the way it was meant to be lived, in all its fullness, without an integrated heart. The spiritual must be part of the picture, now, wherever you are.”

But he has not kept the treasure of its teachings for himself alone. After writing a book in 2002 about his growth experience (Climbing Jacob’s Ladder, Broadway Publishers), he discovered just how many people were looking for the same sort of approach. Soon, he founded The Mussar Institute (www.mussarinstitute.org), an international organization dedicated to the study of mussar. With hundreds currently taking part in weekly study sessions using materials he authored drawn from classical sources, the Institute draws students from all points of that compass – seekers who are looking for new insight on character building. He has made the tools of authentic Jewish teachings available to people all over the world.
He speaks openly, publicly, about the slide that catapulted him to this new place and about accountability.
“Talking about my mistakes is part of taking responsibility for my actions. Before you reach this level of accountability and realize that yes, you must come clean, you can come clean, you think it will make you small. But it is just the opposite. It has allowed me to grow, unencumbered by all that guilt. And I have seen firsthand that my development as a Jew, with a strong and very personal connection to G-d depends greatly upon my conduct with my fellow men. Accountability allowed me to put down the burden and grow. It has brought me to a much more joyful place and unleashed tremendous energy for me. The self-deception fell away and the rationalizations tumbled down with them, giving me a much truer vision of who I am and where I want to be going.”

Kenny Broodo
Law: divinely given or by the people, it is exacting. While Ron Coleman (above) was applying his Jewish learning to his practice of law, Kenny Broodo of Dallas, Texas, was doing just the opposite.

Law. Divinely given or by the people, it is exacting.

“As I grow as a Jew, my law practice has helped me understand what that means,” he says. He explains: “I began my law career well before I began to learn Torah. And my understanding of the concept of law as a sophisticated system of genuine rights and obligations – not recommended but obligatory – was enlightening to me as I approached more serious study of Judaism.

“I think a lot of people look at the traditional Jewish lifestyle and think of it sort of like a club. There are events, and a uniform of sorts, and club leaders. Practicing law, and spending so much of my time delving into the intricacies of it, have helped me appreciate the Torah’s complete spiritual legal system and to apply it to my life. It’s not just an attitude but a body of law, as expressed in the mitzvot.

“With time, my life as a Torah Jew has continued to mature and that has helped sharpen and improve my understanding of what is proper behavior for me as a Jew in that environment. At this point, after some fifteen years as a returnee to our heritage, my law practice has merged with my community involvement. I’m fortunate in that my firm is very supportive of pro bono work and community service. So it does all come together somehow right here at the law office.”

Jonathan Gordon
Jonathan Gordon of St. Louis is co-owner of an agency that staffs therapists of many kinds and also works himself as a physical therapist. From his hands-on work with patients as well as the administration of the company, he has found great spiritual opportunities presented by this work.

“I was not raised with much Jewish practice. Now I guess I’d say I’m on the other end of the spectrum. And as a result, I’ve found that Judaism has made a huge impact on my business.
“I know that I, with my kippah, am a visible symbol to people. I am conscious of the fact that to many people I am an extension of G-d. If I were to do something unethical or unseemly it would reflect badly on my identity as a Jew.

“Because of this concern, the decisions we make as a company are centered around this approach. For instance, we’ve chosen not to be involved with nursing-home owners we thought might be unscrupulous. In making that decision, we consulted with our rabbis, which we do for anything we think might be questionable, and this is a tremendously helpful thing. We’ve gotten very clear guidelines on the limits of our personal responsibility, and on which circumstances to avoid because they might compromise our values.

“Over the years, we’ve had many, many opportunities to bring people greater awareness about Judaism, something that has helped me expand my own horizons. On many occasions I’ve been gratified to be a connector for people with whom I come into contact. They’ve felt comfortable asking questions, and in some cases have reached out after that to educational opportunities here in the city to which I have referred them.

“Physical therapy is all about effecting healing, and this is a great fit for a Jew, given our culture of concern for the welfare of others. And helping people learn more about Judaism is something that fits right in there too. I’m happy that my work affords me that opportunity as well.”

Howard Cabot
For Howard Cabot, an attorney living in Phoenix, Jewish values are an anchor. ”I draw from the ethics that are so much a part of our heritage. Praying every morning and every night remind me that I must stay focused on trust, loyalty, and integrity.

“I am called on to make tough decisions and take care of the interests of third parties. Without a strong moral compass this would be so much harder. These values are a gift from our culture.

“I started learning more about Judaism during the last ten years and over time I see that it has made a great difference in my life. I am much more deliberate now. I think more about everything. If I see a piece of trash on the floor, I will pick it up – I never would have thought about that before.
“I am more conscious of the consequences of my actions now and I also understand better why I am inclined to do what I do. Learning more has explained to me where it comes from and how to do it better. Now I understand how many of my visceral responses are rooted in Judaism, and the added perspective of my learning makes a great difference in everything I do.”

Jeremy Berzon
“I see my workday as an exercise in character building,” says Jeremy Berzon of Jerusalem, CEO of Talk & Save, an international cell-phone rental company which primarily serves North Americans coming to Israel. “I know that as an observant Jew, I represent Judaism to many of the people with whom I come into contact and it is so important to me to reflect positively on my heritage.

“I make sure not to have anything going on in my business that carries even the slightest suggestion of impropriety. There are of course many situations a person in business might find himself in that, while they are legal and within the letter of the law, nevertheless just don’t smell right. I stay away from all such things because I know that I am a visible representation to many people of what Judaism is. This is a standard of which I am very conscious at all times and it has forced me to remain above reproach.

“Through my work, I have also had the pleasure of introducing many people to what Judaism is all about. One VP of a communications company used to joke with me, suggesting that maybe I’d want to start off our meetings each time with a Torah thought. Finally, I decided to take him up on it and before long it became an official part of the schedule. He even wrote it into his calendar – first, a little study time; then the meeting. And it was intriguing and enlightening for him, it was his first experience with delving into classics like the parsha or the Haggada.

“I have seen time and time again that when people see that we conduct ourselves with integrity, and treat them with respect, as our Torah has taught us, they take note of it. It is clear to me that we are representing something to them, something important.”

Alan Proctor
For a Wharton grad like Alan Proctor, the interview with Clorox promised to be the fulfillment of a dream. But what he found once it was over was a career-building experience of a kind he hadn’t anticipated.


“These guys were high-level executives with the company, and it was considered a real honor to even be granted an interview. They looked over my resume’ and my grades and put the question to me: ‘Tell us why you want to work for us.’ I thought about it and realized that they expected me to tell them how excited I would be to wake up every day and go out and become the world expert in their kitty litter. And I was left thinking that there really had to be more to life than this.

“Well, as I advanced professionally in different companies with high achievement, I was rewarded again and again for my efforts with great bonuses and prizes. But after a while it left me a little cold – been there, done that…

“At some point, my desire to learn more about Judaism peaked and led me eventually to Israel where I studied for a few years. One thing my rabbi taught me that always stayed with me is that while many people think that every Jew’s primary way of connecting with G-d is through learning Torah, that’s not always true. For many people, learning and praying do not come easily. They take a long time, you have to learn a few new languages like Hebrew and Aramaic to do them at the highest level, and it can be difficult. But Torah is a tree of life – you’ve got to grab onto a branch, whichever one you can reach.

“For me, this has meant trying to use my business skills to benefit the community. And I believe that many people can do this. There are as so many opportunities.”

For Proctor, this philosophy ultimately led him to professional positions in community service. In this capacity, he’s had ample opportunity to see firsthand how skills garnered from the for-profit sector can be of great help to community organizations. He has been a great catalyst for many people to get involved in community projects on a volunteer basis, enriching organizations tremendously as they go.

“There are so many ways that people can contribute their time and expertise. We’ve got great resources in the form of talented people with wide experience in so many areas. Once someone like me realizes that their experience and expertise in the for-profit world can of great value to a Torah organization, a whole new world opens up for them. Rather than feeling like they are struggling to catch up to those more knowledgeable, they can derive enormous satisfaction, and greatly strengthen their own connection to Hashem, by using their talents to help Torah organizations further their mission of bringing Jewish people closer to their father in heaven. I’ve been very fortunate to have that opportunity.”