My position in this American organization gave some people the mistaken impression that I was a big expert on Israel. I worked very hard to be sure that nobody realized how little I knew about the topic. I learned to remain silent at the right times.

I had no experience, no training, no nottin, but I was able to manage it. Actually, coming to Israel, it just confirmed all of this.

I arrived, and right way, I was put on the board of the national AACI.

All right, there was an excuse for that.

I was a past president of AACA, and they wanted continuity or something.

But for reasons that I can't understand, I was elected to the local community council.

I said nice things, without any bright policies, and people voted for me.

I didn't stand up and make speeches.

I was afraid.

I certainly wasn't a politician. Yet, I was on the Ramot Community Council. I was the old timer, and the eleventh generation Jerusalemite, who just moved to Ramot yesterday, was the newcomer. People began to talk to me as a representative of Israel.

I also told shlichim what needed to be done. I was the expert. I had made my own protektzia.

It’s good in general to be able to have a field of expertise in which you can set yourself up as somebody who people want to listen to.