CONFIDENTIALITY

In one of its more bizarre mailings, UJC sent a Memo from one of its Senior Vice Presidents, Barry Swartz, to "Federation Executives and UJC Executive Committee" on the status of "Emigration of Yemenite Jews." While the Memo discloses the status of this "emigration" to Monsey, Rockland County, it demands: "Please do not share this information." So "this information" is in the hands of at least 157 Federation CEOs and 35 members of the UJC Executive, but "shhhh" is the mandate.

So, although you can add this writer to the list of recipients (indirectly from 5 different people who received it directly), I will maintain the confidentiality except:

~ UJC is now, once again, referring to this as its "mission to rescue Jews in need worldwide." What UJC referred to for the past two months as a "relocation" is, once again, a "rescue." And, now, it is UJC, not JAFI, not Nefesh b'Nefesh, not the Government of Israel...which engages in direct "rescue" of Jews purportedly in need thereof.

~ The Swartz Memo goes on to reference the participation of a "consortium of Jewish communal institutions" by name, omitting any reference to Satmar's work (which triggered this "rescue" in the first instance) unless they are covered by the vague "funded through...locally generated cash and in-kind contributions."

~ Then there is another vague reference to the $800,000 federation "ask." Suffice it to say that the Memo speaks directly to "...59 federations have made pledges..." A little over 1/3 of the federations have "pledged" something. No reference is made to how much of the $800,000 has been pledged; no mention is made of what UJC's own contribution from its Budget might be (we're guessing $0000).

And, everything else is wrapped in Confidentiality. But, if you wish to know the rest, call your federation CEO and, then, shhhh.


Rwexler