American and Israeli Jewry represent the two largest and most vibrant Jewish communities in the world. But despite their shared ancestry and values, they have evolved in dramatically different ways. This growing divide, and what it will take to bridge it, was the focus of a recent episode of “The Pitch Meeting” podcast, hosted by Jewish Link Publisher Moshe Kinderlehrer, featuring Rabbi Chaim Strauchler, head rabbi of Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck, and Rabbi David Fine, founder of the Barkai Center for Practical Rabbinic and Community Development in Israel.

That disconnect is growing more noticeable with time. As Rabbi Strauchler put it, “Their common roots with every generation become that much more distant.” Alarmed by that trend, he reached out to the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), which ultimately introduced him to Rabbi Fine and the Barkai Center’s work.

The structural contrast between Israeli and American Jewish life is stark. In the U.S., shuls often serve as communal hubs, with rabbis taking on significant leadership roles. In Israel, however, “over 90% of Dati Leumi shuls don’t have any rabbi,” said Rabbi Fine. “If there is a rabbi, he’s basically giving a shiur or issuing psak halacha.”

This model, Rabbi Fine explained, was by design. Early Israeli leaders believed the European-style Jewish community was outdated. “The creation of the state of Israel … replaced the role of community with the state,” said Rabbi Strauchler.

Through Barkai, Rabbi Fine is now working to reintroduce the idea of rabbinic leadership as a communal force. “We started a center to train rabbis to be community leaders,” he said. Barkai launched a pilot partnership program that brought six Israeli rabbis to the U.S., pairing each with a local rabbi for an immersive exchange. After the chagim, the American rabbis will visit their Israeli counterparts’ communities.

This model flips the traditional “scholar-in-residence” approach, where a guest rabbi is brought to a shul, speaks from the bimah, and then goes home. “That’s not really a relationship,” Rabbi Strauchler said, because no bond is formed between the Israeli rabbi and the U.S. congregants.

Additionally, Rabbi Fine said several of the Israeli rabbis had never even been to America. “They had no real understanding of what’s happening in an American Jewish community.”

The collaboration has already sparked deep learning on both sides. Israeli rabbis are witnessing active community engagement, while American rabbis are gaining a clearer picture of the complexity and diversity of Israeli Jewish life.

At a recent RCA convention held in Israel, a rare event in itself, Rabbi Strauchler was deeply moved by a story shared by Rabbi Rashi Tvito. After a soldier in his community, Ron, was killed, the family was reluctant to attend shul for Simchat Torah. Rabbi Tvito suggested using Ron’s tallit for Kol HaNe’arim, a symbolic gesture that brought the family back, and soon after, the entire community followed.

“The ability to think out of the box, to say not just ‘This is what you have to do,’ but ‘What can we do with what you have’—that’s a critical rabbinic skill,” Rabbi Strauchler said. This also reflects the deeper role rabbis are increasingly taking on: comforting and healing families.

The horrors of Oct. 7 and the ongoing war have intensified the relevance of Barkai’s work. Many of its rabbis are now serving in the army, offering emotional and spiritual support to soldiers, many of whom are secular. “While they weren’t able to be with their original communities,” Rabbi Fine said, “they were able to create a new community within the army.” These experiences have reinforced the importance of rabbinic presence even in unconventional settings.

Barkai also conducted a survey which found that communities with Barkai-trained rabbis were faring significantly better emotionally, spiritually and communally than those with untrained or no rabbis. “Our job of explaining this to the Israeli public has gotten much easier,” said Rabbi Fine. “Our rabbis have been right there on the front lines.”

With the help of his congregants, Rabbi Strauchler recently partnered with Metiv, a mental health organization in Israel, to sponsor a trip for a unit of Israeli combat soldiers to the U.S. for a week of healing and therapy. “And we gave them a hero treatment,” he said, describing parades and cheering students at Yeshivat Noam. One soldier later told him, “I wasn’t sure if I was really a Zionist, but after this week, now I am.”

These moments highlight what American Jewish communities can offer Israel: a culture of community-building and emotional support. But it also opens the door for American Jews to see “real Israel”—beyond family visits to Bet Shemesh and Modi’in. Rabbi Fine urges American rabbis to visit towns like Dimona and Nahariya to truly understand the needs and dynamics of the country.

Ultimately, the efforts of Rabbi Strauchler and Rabbi Fine are about building bridges between two Jewish worlds that often speak past each other. “We can only bring community to Israel,” said Rabbi Fine, “if Israeli rabbis have these experiences and are able to learn from their American counterparts.” And perhaps just as importantly, American Jewry has much to learn in return.

The episode featuring Rabbi Strauchler and Rabbi Fine is available on YouTube and major podcast platforms. For more on the Barkai Center, visit israelrabbis.org/en.

Rachel Abramchayev is the assistant editor of The Jewish Link.