When Joe Kanfer and Michael Gelman were in their best vendetta form in early 2008, attacking me behind my back for writing this Blog, Michael and Joe would e-mail or phone their attacks never once responding to my reminders to them that what they were writing and saying were fabrications. Some things just don't change.
One of the JAFI Governance changes approved on Tuesday was to create a new Board Nominating process to assure and reassure that those serving on the JAFI Board owed their prime fiduciary obligation to JAFI notwithstanding that an individual was nominated by his federation through UIA/UJC. I voted for this change (even though I believe it weakens the JAFI-Federation relationship); so did Gelman. I understood it; as you will read below, Michael, unfortunately, hasn't a clue.
At the JAFI Budget & Finance Committee meeting yesterday, Gelman reported, taking no responsibility, that cash to JAFI "...this year will be very, very, very, very bad." (As a reader of this Blog, you are aware that UJC has been an "advocate" only for its own Dues, not at all for cash or allocations to the Joint or Agency.) A federation leader, who is not on the JAFI Board, and whose community allocation and cash are remarkably below the norm for its City-size, chimed in suggesting that as cash transmittals will be so low, perhaps "JAFI should consider shutting down." Michael did not respond but one federation leader did speaking to UJC's failure to advocate, and reiterating with passion and sincerity the criticality of JAFI programs. So what did the incoming UJC Chair of the Executive do? He e-mailed a bunch of his "friends" stating that that federation leader/JAFI Board member should not have spoken out in support of JAFI and that, in doing so, that leader had "breached his fiduciary obligation to UIA/UJC."
Thus, Michael continued his proud tradition of operating in the shadows. Michael, did you forget that less than 48 hours earlier you had voted that you, yourself, and every other JAFI Board member owed her or his primary fiduciary duty to JAFI? Apparently. (This is the same leader who continues to attack me to others, refers to other leaders who push back as "mini-Wexlers," etc.)
Kathy, with a Chair of the Executive who spends more time on vendettas than values and, apparently, a new CEO who knows so little about our system, you will have your hands full. Good luck.
Rwexler
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
5 comments:
There appears to be white smoke emerging at UJC; the board of trustees will be convened next week to authorize the final negotiations for a new CEO.
The word on the street is Jerry Silverman, ceo of Foundation for Jewish Camping, will be the annointed.
Good luck to Jerry... He'll need it.
Richard, it's intriguing to see that you are now giving Kathy Manning a "pass" in your repetitive attacks on Joe Kanfer, Michael Gelman, and Howard Rieger. Could it be that you harbor hopes that she will listen to you in a way that the current leadership team clearly decided not to?
If so, I expect that you're going to be disappointed. The problem is that beyond the generalities, the substance of what you have consistently recommended for UJC is little more than a return to the "good old days" of UJA. In your version of history, everything was hunky-dory till Howard and Joe appeared on the scene. Would that it were so!
I got a chuckle reading your appreciation of Jacob Berkman's imagined future for the federation system and UJC, primarily because you didn't seem to realize that what Jacob is advocating is almost exactly what Joe Kanfer has been urging for the system (Jacob himself gives credit to Joe at one point).
I share your hope that the new team of Kathy and Jerry will be able to respond effectively to the many challenges facing UJC and the federation system. If they do, it will be by building on the admittedly painful process of the last several years in which the remnants of a system that was already on a downward spiral have been cleared away and space created for a new beginning.
To "Anonymous, again" your "Comment" suggesting that I just want to effect change back to UJA, I will publish your Comment in full in a Post. Thanks as always.
To "Anonymous, again" your "Comment" suggesting that I just want to effect change back to UJA, I will publish your Comment in full in a Post. Thanks as always.
Post a Comment