DISTRACTED BY SHINY OBJECTS

So, over the past few years, rather then reform its governance and those who govern us, JFNA has been permitted by us to distract us with a bunch of shiny objects -- Heroes, #ish, rebranding, TribeFest, GPT. But, on closer examination, these shiny objects aren't silver...just dross....just waste material to distract us. Week after week, day following day, we follow the shiny objects, often-times applauding them as any claque would do.

For some who have watched, as one involved friend observed, JFNA has been engaged in "raccoon management" -- chasing shiny objects. It's been much worse than that, confusing the shiny objects for goals and results. For example, TribeFest "attracted" a purported 1300 participants; lost $253,000. If you accept JFNA's numbers -- notoriously overstated -- the organization lost $200/participant (before accounting for the additional costs of staff overhead and travel). So, what does JFNA do -- it declares and declares and congratulates itself on a great victory and plans for another TribeFest. No thought is given to just supporting another organization with a proven track record with this generation -- like jewlicious or Moishe House -- instead we have a crazy, wasteful and frivolous effort now to be repeated. Shiny objects...

The Young Leadership Cabinets, once the pride of our system, the place where so many of the men and women who lead federations and federation campaigns today, learned and committed so much, are but shadows of what they once were. They raise less today than at any point in the history of the United Jewish Appeal. Rather than Washington and Tel Aviv Conferences, they read the scripts for TribeFest. And we see JFNA chase shiny objects instead. And the federation leaders sit on their hands, eyes and mouths closed. Shameful...

$2,000,000 of our donors' dollars "invested" in "rebranding" to JFNA and how much more "invested" in "spreading the brand? And, to what end? UJA is still the "brand of record." Cost to the system for "UJA the brand"...none. Examine the 2012 Budget and see if you can determine how much will now be invested in "JFNA the brand?" Shiny objects...

And now JFNA's "leaders" chase the Holy Grail of the GPT as if it were a panacea. But, trust me, your objections, your constructive criticism of the GPT are being totally ignored. More millions will be wasted on a product that few want and, to the best of my knowledge, for those who have examined the GPT "model" carefully, no one supports. Shiny objects...

A perceptive observer once said that "chasing shiny objects can lead an organization...into failure." Federation leaders, take your hands away from your eyes and look what we have permitted to happen by our silence, with our acquiescence and, too often, by our silence, with our encouragement.

Rwexler