TSK, TSK, TSK...

In an interview with the JTA's Jacob Berkman this week, Joe Kanfer, UJC's Chair, finally emerged from the shadows with a typical litany of misrepresentations -- at least with regard to your writer. This time he chose to add what he referenced as "...the UIA Executive Committee" having "...pushed (me) out." When the reporter asked me for a comment on this most recent and most outrageous of supposed insights, I could only laugh for the members of the UIA Executive Committee have, as a group and individually, been uniquely supportive even risking the wrath of this Chair and those who surround him with the ostracism that has greeted others who have objected to their tactics.

In the course of his assaults on me, Kanfer alleged to UIA Nominating Committee members, among other things, that I, as the past Chair of UJC's Financial Relations Committee had called a Federation Chair after a settlement of unpaid dues and allocations in which I allegedly stated: "You should have called me directly, I would have gotten you a better deal." Outrageous fabrications like this one, made up out of whole cloth, demonstrated nothing more than the lengths that Kanfer and his UJC leaders who would sacrifice integrity for an end they felt justified their tactics would go in their attempts to silence criticism. When confronted about the stream of falsehoods being whispered into the ears of UIA's Nominating Committee members, Kanfer had neither a defense nor an answer. When accused of McCarthy-like tactics, Joe merely continued with more of the same.

Now, Joe used the JTA to state, among other misstatements, that I have been "...blogging publicly with untruths." Yet, he has failed to identify a single "untruth" in this Blog. When expressions of opinion are characterized as "untruths" it is typically by those who can't tell the difference. And, that's the real shame. As I have written before, UJC can only succeed when its leadership realizes who are the owners and responds to, engages with and strengthens those who own it. For ownership and a passing leadership are not one and the same thing. This leadership doesn't....and, apparently can't...understand that.

Tom Petty's anthem resonates with me: "No, I won't back down, you can stand me up at the gates of Hell, but I won't back down."

Rwexler