WHAT RUMORS?

Many of you have asked me what rumors I have heard about the Search for a successor to Gerald Silverman. The answer: many. All rumors. 

I am not comfortable naming names, my friends, for fear that seeing names on these pages could cause the best of those to be eliminated out in a fit of pique by the Search Chair. If you go as far back as the Search that hatched Jerry, I have consistently refrained from premature disclosure hoping against hope that the Search process could produce the best leader. I was wrong then.

So I have, as have many of you, heard the names of three federation chief executives who are/were/will be finalists; each of whom has demonstrated an understanding of the federation system, all of whom have served their communities with creativity and at least two of whom have demonstrable and consistent results. And, let me say this: any one of them would be better, far better, than the sorry situation we have now.

And, as you would expect, senior JFNA professionals appear to be in the mix as well. 

I have also heard that one national agency professional leader has made the finals. Best I can tell, a fine person, a fine leader and one who has no experience with the complexities federations face today or any first hand knowledge of the challenges our communities and our national and international organizations are facing. One thing any of us who have watched JFNA crater over the last decade no for certain: Jerry's almost decade-long example proves absolutely that JFNA is no place for learning on the job. 

A recollection: in 1999 I was among those asked to interview and prepare those that the then Newco (now JFNA) leaders wished to consider as the merged organization's first CEO. Dan Shapiro, the incredible Council of Jewish Federations lay leader, and I sat for over two hours with the brilliant CEO of one of the national agencies. We explained the place of federations in the communal system and the complexities of the organization that would emerge in a matter of months. As we had with other interviewees, we explored the umbrella leadership that would be expected of the new entity. It appeared to Dan and I that this terrific pro was evaluating the complexities of a system with which he was barely familiar when the "candidate" said: "Guys, thank you so much for this. This is overwhelming. I would only want a position like this if I could hit the ground running and I see no way to do so." We hugged and moved on. 

Almost 10 years ago, that parallel process resulted in...Jerry Silverman.

This is just those one of those times to reflect and act upon Santayana's reminder that: who don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it. Sadly, the leaders of JFNA have over the years tried, with perhaps their only "success," to erase institutional memory -- as recently as in the fiasco of the deconstruction of the United Israel Appeal. Now, the obvious question is: have these leaders learned anything at all from the errors of the past? A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G?

I suppose it is past time for me to admit that any hope for organizational transformational change in the best interests of the federation system has passed. Even the slim hopes for incremental change appear to have passed as well as the baked-in leadership have proved to have no appetite for standing up for principle or progress in any meaningful way. 

As they say: #sad.

Rwexler