Groveman, Dweck, Klinghoffer, Kieffer Leonard, Raskas, M. Levy, Bernstein, Rosen Adelman, Arbit, Barish, Braham, Feinberg, Weiss Firestone, Fishbein, Goldstein, Janks, Kleper, J. Levin, Wise Oreck, Pack, Riekes, Sandler, J. Schwartz, Shapira, S. Silverman, Silvers, Sterling, Turkel, Wilf, ZimmermanI know all of these leaders, most personally; others by reputation -- leaders in their federations, leaders at JFNA; most of them committed to the work of the Jewish Agency -- and almost to a person, each and every one of them engaged in the work and leadership of the United Israel Appeal.
After the January vote of the JFNA Board, on or about June 1, 2019 most of these communal leaders will receive a letter (if past is prologue, it will be a form letter) from Cindy Shapira, the incoming UIA Chair, telling them their services to UIA have been eliminated and, of course, "thanks" while announcing a "new" Board.
What Jewish communal organization has ever discharged 60% of its lay leadership not for exceeding Term limits set by its governance, but...for no reason whatsoever. Because that is what is happening at JFNA and UIA right now. The rationale for this Draconian action was, what? Efficiency? C'mon now...In the debates leading to this elimination of 60% of the UIA Board seats, JFNA leaders could not/would not respond to direct questions demanding how and how much "efficiency" would be achieved here. And, as you think about this, recall: UIA was fully performing pursuant its charge as this defenstration was imposed upon it. So, of course, fulfilling its operating principle, JFNA decided: if it ain't broke, break it. So JFNA.
"Efficiency" is not/will not be achieved by eliminating dedicated communal lay leaders from the UIA Board -- what was clearly the intent of the authors of these heinous acts was the elimination of the irritants among those who served as UIA Board members and the strange decision to vest much of UIA's work in the ever-failing JFNA_Israel. Just observe the names of those who shall become the next generation of UIA Board members and what their roles have been at JFNA...you will readily understand what the real motivation was for the elimination of 60% of the UIA Board leadership because these lay leaders just "get in the way."
What communal organization does this kind of thing? What communal organization rationalizes the elimination of dedicated, mature lay leadership? What does this action tell you about JFNA and its leadership -- because this action is really about JFNA's top lay and professional leadership not about UIA's. And that JFNA lay and professional leadership --- those at the very top who engineered this fiasco -- have demonstrated once again how quickly and irrationally they pursue the next shiny objects in their field of vision, picking in this case low hanging fruit while ignoring the rot at the organization's very core.
Shame.
Rwexler
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5 comments:
While the main focus of UIA is JAFI, it is clear that all of these leaders have been and probably continue to be among some of the most influential in Jewish life in the US. They didn't get to the positions on UIA board by being narrowly focused, but because they care about the Jewish people around the world. I am sure that JAFI, JDC, and World ORT would be happy to engage any and all of these leaders. Given your relationships to the leadership of all three organizations, perhaps you might want to send a letter to the three presidents/chairmen with the list and invite them to engage with any of the list being tragically dismissed by JFNA.
It's too late to relitigate the JFNA Board's decision to downsize or, in their view, "right size" the UIA Board in the apparent interests of JFNA. It should not be forgotten that UIA's Board itself voted to fall on its sword in this process as they did in voting for the merger two decades ago. This desire to be seen as "the good guys" for some it was with hope and, perhaps, the expectation that they would be among the survivors, the organization itself be damned.
Some of these UIA leaders would and did argue "we got the best deal we could" and that's just fake news. The "best deal" would have been the rejection of the JFNA demands. That's right, "no deal." But that would have meant putting at risk these leaders futures if they really have any.
There is to question that JFNA has done evil.
It is also true though that the JAFI leadership and the UIA leadership themselves share the blame because they allowed this to happen.
JAFI will certainly pay a price for not fighting this hostile takeover of UIA. Its leaders didn't read the map correctly and didn't realize who was their ally and who was their enemy.
The UIA leaders will now have to live with themselves for politely agreeing to commit suicide rather than fight - either to defeat this latest attempt to destroy them or at least to force JFNA to go on record to formally take hostile action against them. Even if they weren't able to prevent this awful result, at least they could have been courageous and lost the battle with honor.
Maybe you know a good bankruptcy lawyer - JFNA urgently needs one!
There's only one person who could have prevented all this, but he's dead
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