BIZARROWORLD

On February 5, a friend forwarded on a terse statement from the Jewish Agency's Director General to the "Leadership of the Jewish Agency North America," advising that Gail Reiss, the JA North America/JA International Development CEO for the last year, "...will be leaving the organization effective February 7. Yeah, that's right, the next day. While no reason was stated, there was this:

"[T]he decision comes at a time when The Jewish Agency is building our structure and determining our model of operation as a result of the Strategic Change Process."

As Gail Reiss described the action cryptically in her own letter to North American leadership on February 7: "The Jewish Agency has decided to reorganize/restructure their efforts with Financial Resource Development." In another departure letter resonating like one demanded by someone, Gail after stating how honored she was to work for JAFI, she wrote: "...and I respect their work." (Maybe Gail was strapped to a chair unable to leave.)

JAFI's own message went on to announce that on an interim basis JAFI head of North American Shlichim and the JAFINA COO, with the active engagement of the JAFI Director General, will be running the show. It should be noted that these very fine professionals have not demonstrated any fund-raising experience. 

When she joined JAFI, I wrote on these pages my concern that Gail would be treated to the same unreal expectations of her potential success as were all -- all -- of her predecessors. I pled for patience, to give Reiss the chance to replicate the success she had had at Tel Aviv University, and New York-UJA and the national United Jewish Appeal. Precedents suggested that her term would end no better than her predecessors'. It didn't.

And, of course, the Jewish Agency pattern of undermining its worldwide fund-raising effort continued -- Gail Reiss, one of the best FRD lead professionals with whom I and others ever worked, never had a chance, I was told; she sure wasn't given one. From David Sarnat, to Maxyne Finkelstein, to Misha Galperin, to Josh Fogelson -- each a great professional, each frustrated by decisions made by JAFI Jerusalem after they were hired by JAFI to lead JAFI-NA and JAID -- each ultimately left the organization while on the cusp of success. Now Gail joins that list: she had a little over 12 months on the job for a very complex organization and clearly never had the necessary support from those at the top of the Jewish Agency. 

If the Agency is contemplating taking its FRD efforts in-house, centralizing it in Jerusalem, going back to the future as it were -- that's been tried before; it was an abject failure. Jerusalem is incapable of raising funds: it has proved to be so for decades. This would be all about control; and it would end up being all about failure. 

The Jewish Agency International Development was created to raise funds in support of the Jewish Agency's work. Now it will be professionally led on an interim basis by three leaders with no provable fund-raising involvement. Meanwhile community financial support for the core activities of JA is at an all-time low.

Like you, I love the photos of JA Executive Chair, Bougie Herzog, as he travels the Jewish World spreading the word, offering comfort or inspiration. Bougie has always been a personal favorite. And I have great admiration for Michael Siegal, now the Agency's Board Chair, a great philanthropist dedicated to the organization. But...where the hell are decisions being made -- on staffing, on mission, on strategies, on programs -- and what is informing those decisions? Did they believe that again would show up at the Sachnut on day 1 in a Brinks truck hauling bags of tens of millions?

I have a serious suggestion for Michael, Bougie and Amira: give JAFINA/JAID a chance to succeed. The continued interference in JAID/JAFI NA FRD has been disastrous -- it is as if the Jewish Agency never loses an opportunity to lose an opportunity.

I am confident that Gail Reiss will emerge from this experience strengthened, ready to lead a good organization to a better place. The Jewish Agency, however...

JAFI has truly morphed into BizarroWorld, not a good place to be. 

Rwexler