1. JFNA announced (in the ever-stranger rag, FedWorld) that it had "created" the Hurricane Relief Fund 2018, another Mailbox '...to help victims (of Hurricane Florence) recover." This is a sacred purpose -- but:
- It was only after the public announcement, the JFNA Emergency Committee learned of the Fund thereby contributing to the well-founded belief that to JFNA's professional leaders, lay leaders are an after-thought; and
- Just how will the funds raised be spent?
2. In the same edition of FedWorld (and, please remember, I have been deleted from the world of FedWorld distribution list -- I am grateful that you send me a copy), the editors announced in a front page box that: "FedWorld is going on vacation for the holidays." Returning for the GA. Maybe, just maybe this is the end of FedWorld. Oy!!
3. Off-line, several of you have asked why Jerry remains on the bloated payroll of the bloated JFNA as it appears to them...to all of us...that he is on some kind of hamster wheel farewell tour of the federations which will have him. "Why should the federations pay for this ego trip?" one of you wrote echoing the common sentiment. Another of you commented -- "Silverman has been on a farewell tour since he signed his first contract, he certainly hasn't been a CEO." So it continues...
4. In the "almost too sad to be believed category," the Reform Movement has been reported to "take unprecedented precautionary measure(s) after repeated instances of liberal Jewish visitors held for questioning by Israeli authorities" at Ben Gurion Airport. .https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-reform-movement-takes-action-to-prevent-detention-of-its-rabbinical-students-at-israel-s-border-1.6509651 #sadder
5. If, as Judy Maltz reported in Haaretz, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-orthodox-groups-recruit-worshippers-to-take-over-egalitarian-space-at-western-wall-1.6512101, Orthodox groups are organized to block access to even the modified "egalitarian prayer space" at the Kotel, where is the voice of the Prime Minister who offered this "space"as a compromise to that promised in his original agreement now just a distant memory? And, as is the usual question, where is our voice on the subject?
6. As reported in Haaretz, three top pros, including the CEO, at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, have left...together. at the same time. No one seems to know why, and those leaving aren't saying. Yechiel Eckstein, the IFCJ Chair for Life, was dismissive -- he was quoted that he won't even bother to replace the three. What a guy!!
7. Finally, maybe you received this sequence of direct mail appeals from a national Jewish organization (which shall remain nameless here): first an appeal, offering few (none) compelling reasons to support the organization, over the signature of the entity's fund-raiser. Then came a "follow-up" from the entity's Board Chair "hoping" I/you received the fund-raiser's letter asking for a response. We've written enough about substituting direct mail solicitations for tachlis fund raising -- you know, like face-to-face FRD -- but organizations like this one, which suffered a high six figure reduction in financial support with the collapse of National Agency/Federation Alliance, are heading toward resource Armageddon. Best of luck to them.
Rwexler
4. In the "almost too sad to be believed category," the Reform Movement has been reported to "take unprecedented precautionary measure(s) after repeated instances of liberal Jewish visitors held for questioning by Israeli authorities" at Ben Gurion Airport. .https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-reform-movement-takes-action-to-prevent-detention-of-its-rabbinical-students-at-israel-s-border-1.6509651 #sadder
5. If, as Judy Maltz reported in Haaretz, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-orthodox-groups-recruit-worshippers-to-take-over-egalitarian-space-at-western-wall-1.6512101, Orthodox groups are organized to block access to even the modified "egalitarian prayer space" at the Kotel, where is the voice of the Prime Minister who offered this "space"as a compromise to that promised in his original agreement now just a distant memory? And, as is the usual question, where is our voice on the subject?
6. As reported in Haaretz, three top pros, including the CEO, at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, have left...together. at the same time. No one seems to know why, and those leaving aren't saying. Yechiel Eckstein, the IFCJ Chair for Life, was dismissive -- he was quoted that he won't even bother to replace the three. What a guy!!
7. Finally, maybe you received this sequence of direct mail appeals from a national Jewish organization (which shall remain nameless here): first an appeal, offering few (none) compelling reasons to support the organization, over the signature of the entity's fund-raiser. Then came a "follow-up" from the entity's Board Chair "hoping" I/you received the fund-raiser's letter asking for a response. We've written enough about substituting direct mail solicitations for tachlis fund raising -- you know, like face-to-face FRD -- but organizations like this one, which suffered a high six figure reduction in financial support with the collapse of National Agency/Federation Alliance, are heading toward resource Armageddon. Best of luck to them.
Rwexler
What is going on at JAFI? Are Federation leaders playing the same make no waves games there as they have at JFNA? There seems to be no lay leadership at work in Jerusalem, are lay leaders even consulted on anything from policy to personnel? Or should I not worry because the organization won't be around much longer?
ReplyDeleteThat FedWorld, like its JFNA parent, is on a permanent hiatus.
ReplyDeleteSo the task force that was set up to study JFNA operations in Israel and related activity has its recommendations ready, although they are not yet being released for now so as not to spoil the GA (as if it would matter).
ReplyDeleteOne wonders what this document is going to suggest, although there is probably very little room for optimism.
Since active lay involvement is something that is not appreciated by the powers that be, we can expect yet another attempt to destroy UIA and to make it just another department operationally and to crush its ability to really include any meaningful proactive lay leadership and advocacy functions. Having gotten rid of UJA after the merger, there will almost certainly be an attempt to finish the job by "merging" UIA into the "professionally" led wasteland where lay leadership have no real role.
As for the operations of the JFNA "Global" empire in Israel, they probably won't touch the untouchable and will allow the empire-building trend of the past decade to continue unscathed, wasting our resources and accomplishing nothing at all that could be considered as being a positive contribution to the federations, to Israel or even to JFNA itself. That is unless one takes into account the wonderful feeling and illusion that we are overseeing the Knesset and the Israeli Government, while creating new and innovative programs and alliances to further philanthropic causes in Israel (Gee, that really sounds impressive!). The only important function of an Israel and Overseas department or unit should be advocacy in North America and the providing Israel and Overseas programming resources to federations, not trying to run its own lobbying and programming activities in Israel.
So, after the GA circus we will be seeing the task force report and recommendations (if they decide to really share them). Maybe we will be pleasantly surprised but more likely not. The big question is whether we will stand up and fight or just sit back and watch the continued irreversible destruction of any meaningful collective continental communal organization.
Then again, maybe it will just be a wonderful report and we can all just say "aye" to it. Or maybe it will be a disaster and we will all say "aye" anyway so as not to make waves and rock the boat.
Time will tell.