A SORRY CONTINUUM

Over the past six years JFNA has evidenced a sad continuum in its treatment of the best and brightest of its senior women professionals (and so many on its administrative staff). That terrible treatment was one of the contributing factors to the continuation of this Blog at that time. And, in spinning Jerry Silverman's slick wordsmithing and shameful attempt in his "statement" yesterday to characterize Joanne Moore's resignation as a termination, that treatment continues.

You will recall that terrific pros like Gail Hyman, Vicki Agron and Gail Reiss were forced out of their respective senior professional positions by Silverman's predecessor. And, now, this. Moore, with a superb set of credentials, took on a set of responsibilities that, had she been permitted to do her work over the past year -- in the Global Planning area, in reversing years of GA decline, in creating a planning and research function which federations so desperately need -- she might have saved JFNA from itself. I saw in her background even the possibility that she might be Silverman's successor. Perhaps, he saw the same thing...and was somehow threatened by Moore's resume and her capacity. Whether it was that or the Board Chair's demands that her design for the GPT take on the trappings of Torah that forced Ms. Moore to resign...we may never know. 

When Hyman, Agron and Reiss left, I asked Kathy Manning, then the Chair of the Executive, given her responsibility under JFNA's governance to lead JFNA "operations," to debrief these valued pros. And, while she said she had, it turned out that "debriefing" meant saying "sorry you're leaving" with no inquiry as to why. Since that time Ms. Manning has announced she had become a "full-time volunteer" and, therefore, I presume that she knows full well why Joanne Moore has resigned, and her role in that resignation -- even if we do not.

What we do know is this...another strong woman's professional voice has been lost to JFNA. But, like Hyman, Agron, Reiss, Debbie Roshfeld and others, Joanne Moore will certainly go on to make important contributions to our communities and our People.

And, to spinning Jerry Silverman, remember Jim Croce: spin, spin, spin, spin around...

Rwexler