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If I Am Only for Myself, What Am I? Reflections at the Close of NOA

22/06/2026

News from NOA | Date: 22 June 2026

As the NOA – Networks Overcoming Antisemitism project comes to a close, one lesson emerges repeatedly from the conversations, partnerships and initiatives developed over the past years: fostering Jewish life is a shared responsibility.

This idea was present throughout the Final European Conference of the NOA project, held in Brussels on 26–27 May 2026. Bringing together representatives of European institutions, municipalities, Jewish organisations, educators, researchers and civil society actors, the conference reflected the diversity of partners needed to address antisemitism and create environments in which Jewish life can thrive.

Perhaps one of the most enduring expressions of this principle can be found in Pirkei Avot: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” This teaching, which inspired one of the conference sessions, captures a central tension in the work of fostering Jewish life. Jewish communities must have the ability to define and sustain their own futures. Yet Jewish life has never flourished in isolation. It grows through relationships – with neighbours, institutions, educators, municipalities, cultural organisations and wider society.

This insight is reflected throughout the Guidelines for Fostering Jewish Life. The most vibrant examples of Jewish life across Europe are often those where local authorities, community organisations, cultural actors and citizens work together to create spaces of participation, visibility and dialogue. The goal is not simply the absence of antisemitism, but the presence of meaningful Jewish life as an integral part of democratic and pluralistic societies.

The final conference offered many examples of this approach in practice. Discussions explored how cities can become ecosystems for Jewish life, how educational initiatives can build understanding across communities, and how policy tools such as the National Report Cards can help translate commitment into action. Throughout these conversations, a common theme emerged: sustainable change depends on cooperation.

This principle has also guided NOA itself. The project brought together organisations with different expertise – from education and youth engagement to policy, advocacy, culture and heritage – around a shared objective. The result demonstrate that the most effective responses to antisemitism emerge when different sectors work together.

As NOA concludes, perhaps its most important legacy is not a particular tool, report or methodology, but the network of people, ideas and partnerships it has helped bring about. What’s more, throughout the Brussels conference, participants were reminded that there is no single Jewish story, just as there is no single path towards fostering Jewish life.

And so, though the NOA project is ending, the conversations it has started are not. The challenge now is to ride this forward momentum to develop new initiatives, forge new partnerships and continue building on the foundations laid over the past six years. In that sense, the conference was less an ending than an invitation: a reminder that fostering Jewish life, like democracy itself, is an ongoing process.