PREDICTIONS REVISITED

Oh me.

"When all is said and done, the sad chapters of the Kanfer/Rieger years will be behind us and their successors in UJC or in a successor entity will clean up the mess with which they have been left. How is it possible that we could have permitted and continue to permit these so-called "leaders" (who actually believe that they speak for and represent the federation owners) to be dismissive of the leaders of the Next Generation while claiming to be dedicated to them; ignore the pleas of the federations they "represent" for, e.g., a reduced Budget, focus and the reconsideration of the Strategic Planning Work Group before its public airing next week; dismiss the historic partnership between our donors and federations while claiming that JAFI and JDC are our partners; engage consultants to advise our system on gender equality while pushing away senior women professionals with no consequences, etc., etc., etc.? How?"

I wrote this a while ago -- it seems a long, long time ago. At a time when the current leaders could have made a start at righting the ship...unfortunately, they had no interest in doing so. They had deluded themselves into thinking all was well, or would be. But they weren't alone. There were those who believed it more critical to cheerlead than to offer even "tough love." Worse, some well-meaning lay leaders time and again bought into the b.s. they were being spoonfed by UJC and a few, very few, chief professional officers. Some day all of them -- the UJC leadership at whose feet the blame for the catastrophe they have created, and those who chose to turn a blind eye -- lay and professionals alike -- will know that they led us to the abyss into which UJC was falling.


They were wrong. Now, cleaning up the mess will fall to others. After these leaders and their cheerleaders wasted close to $200,000,000 that could have accomplished so much for our People, we must all hang our heads in shame.


And, today, we must focus on the task ahead of us. It has become monumental. But it not beyond our abilities or our dreams.



Rwexler