WHERE WE AREN'T

There is an ancient Basque saying: "We are because we were." No doubt there is a parallel Yiddish phrase expressing the same mantra. At JFNA, however, the Basque message has been reinterpreted to be: "We are because we are." The organization into which the federations -- that is the donors to our communities -- pour $30 million per year in Dues without any expectation that they will receive anything at all in return exists because...well, just because.

It is hard -- not impossible but damn hard -- to conjure any Jewish organization more shambolic than is our JFNA. And, unless it might be a one person show, like, e.g., the ZOA or the IFCJ, it is almost impossible to find a Jewish public non-profit so in need of hands'-on direction from its officers and Board than JFNA -- and getting none. As the JFNA ship continues to sink, Richard Sandler and his happy band are saying: "What a beautiful day for a swim." 

Friends, it's truly hard to believe. 

I never knew what the bonobo is until Frank Bruni employed it in a recent column -- it is a species, the perfect synonym for JFNA: "endangered, possibly on the way to extinction." JFNA is the institutional bonobo. And that's not a good thing. Not at $30 million a year; not at $10 million a year; not.at.all. 

We have seen interesting kinds of JFNA lay leaders of late --  those like Michael Siegal and Richard Sandler, great, kind guys, embodiments of Jewish values and integrity, warm and often funny; one a wonderful philanthropist perfectly willing to be parachuted into the chairmanship of complex organizations that he then attempts to fully understand; the other, drafted into the position and immediately announcing his intent to "get out of the (chief professional's) way" clearly without regard for that CEO's demonstrated inability to lead. An "intent" apparently fully realized.

And, I admit to being confused. Seriously, what purpose(s) does JFNA now serve other than to sop up like a dry sponge the annual Dues from Federations still willing to pay for almost nothing in return? Critical matters for which the predecessor organizations stood -- professional development and placement, meaningful Financial Resource Development, serious advocacy for the legacy overseas partners, a robust (I know) Missions program with an Israel orientation, meaningful, packed General Assemblies, financial support for the system's national agencies, significant special campaigns, serious community planning and consulting and more -- all gone or "delegated away," or diminished to the point of fading or faded away. 

The core programs that have disappeared haven't been replaced with something better; leadership pretends that they never existed at all. And that has been made easier by leadership's dedication to and success in erasing all institutional memory; if no one can remember, did it even exist? 

So leadership just hates being reminded of what was expected of JFNA at its creation and how far short its leaders have fallen in meeting the goals and purposes expected of it it and them. Oh, they hate it so much that those who might try to remind them of those institutional values are accused of questioning their "integrity" when that has never been the case.  Friends, it is not the lay leadership that lacks "integrity," that leadership, instead, lacks the will to lead because real leadership is tough, and hard decisions have to be made and hard decisions take time and strength and they are unwilling to make them. So they now call meetings with community leaders about mission, program and priorities when the top professional leader is incapable of implementing any of those.

So, it seems to me that it's long, long past time for JFNA lay leaders to sit together and discuss in candor where JFNA is...and where it isn't. And, then, do something about it.

They won't.

Rwexler