RANDOM THOUGHTS

The idle mind.....

~ Why is Abe Foxman, who I thought was the chief professional of the Anti-Defamation League, offering his own version of an almost endorsement of Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense? Does the ADL lack a mission statement (or a mission)? Is anti-semitism no longer of any interest to the ADL or has the organization branched out into the political realm? Does it no longer "fight anti-semitism, bigotry or extremism?" Jeez.

~ I read a very exciting article in the January 8 Wall Street Journal on the great value of "small bursts of exercise." I told my wife who is always urging me off the couch that walking up the stairs, walking down the stairs, getting up   from the couch, walking to the kitchen, lifting fork to mouth (vigorously) and similar, will henceforth count toward my weekly exercise totals. I should be svelte by June. Thank you WSJ.

~ I give great credit to JFNA for scheduling a Panel discussion at the 2012 GA on succession planning. The Panel included Dean Hal Lewis (whose speech was expanded into an excellent paper in ejewishphilanthropy), Mark Terrill, the brilliant Baltimore Federation CEO and the mysterious and elusive Debra Smith of JFNA. What successful business operates without a succession plan? And, what federation has one -- whether it be a presently successful federation or one currently in stasis? The attitude in our system (including JFNA) toward succession planning is clear: "I don't need no stinkin' successor..." Sure, who needs a potential successor learning the ropes, ready to succeed when succession occurs? Are you kidding me?

Rwexler