AND THE BEAT GOES ON

~ I spent six hours on the phone on Monday, June 4, listening to the JFNA Board Meeting. I understand there were over 180 men and women leaders -- lay and professional -- present in New York. An excellent turn out. I can attest that there was a spirit of good will and a consistent display of good humor at the meeting. It was a "feel good" meeting to be sure.
 
~ Congratulations to the JFNA Nominating Committee. For the first time in a long, long time, a JFNA Committee understood its responsibilities and executed them without accepting interference from sitting officers or CEO. The nominees for Board Chair and Chair of the Executive have incredible backgrounds in leadership -- Campaign Chairs, Federation Chairs and in the Jewish and general community as well. Only time will tell if they can rescue JFNA from itself...but their nomination alone offers great promise even if the Board Chair position was a really hard one to fill -- if you get my drift.

~ In the meantime, the current leadership continues its damage to the organization unabated. While I will write in detail about the  Budget in future Posts, know that the "Budget reduction" of $750,000 is but camouflage -- leadership intends to raid the funds raised by the Network and the JFNA Endowment to help make up the Dues reduction...and your federation and mine will be requested to once again increase its funding of the SCN (the Secure Communities Network which JFNA agreed to fund going forward...never mind) as well. (This doesn't begin to describe the bizarre budgeting in which JFNA is engaged -- example: JFNA has sent out multiple letters over multiple years pleading for increased support for the Ethiopian National Project. In 2013, JFNA will cuts its budgetary support for the ENP.) This is the JFNA shell game, friends.

One can only sit back in amazement at JFNA's leaders' chutzpah. Months ago we described on these pages the putsch in which the Board Chair engaged when she essentially stole the leadership and governance of the 400 communities and leaders of the Network because that leadership was getting in her way. She claimed at the time that she was "making the Network more efficient," assuring that the Network was "on the team." Instead we have a Network without any governance body from within the Network itself; its decisions being made by the Board Chair and her claque. This is how far the Network has fallen since its creation by UJA.

~ Perhaps I should feel honored. The so-called "leaders" of JFNA never fail to advise me that they "never...never, never, ever..." read this Blog "...except when some one sends a Post on to them." Sure. So it a rare honor when three days (including Shabbat) after I published Unreal. my shout-out to the Board Chair about the impropriety of the leader of the federations' organization accepting an award from a fund-raising organization that is (a) a major beneficiary of the Owners and (b) holding its incredibly expensive Awards Banquet at the height of the federation owners' annual campaigns...yes, just three days later, JFNA itself in one of its hyperbolic Leadership Briefings "congratulated" the Board Chair for being so honored. With quotes from CEO/President Jerry and a summary of JFNA's "accomplishments" over KM's six years of what passes for leadership these days -- it's a brief list, of necessity. Hmmmm. I wonder who ordered the Briefing...and why?

~ And, on a personal note, I am awaiting the day on which JFNA's current leaders attempt to poison the environment between the incoming Chairs and your Blogger. Never missing a chance to slander, I don't believe they would miss this one.

Rwexler