Friends, at this point I should be beyond surprised by anything that happens in the organized Jewish community; but, of course, I'm not. So I was not totally surprised when I received a direct mail fund-raising solicitation from the JDC last week.I don't recall ever receiving such a plea from the Joint before -- although, perhaps, I missed one in the past.
So, what drove the Joint proceeding in this manner; ignoring even those communities that still make a significant allocation to the Joint's core budget. Can one fairly conclude that the JDC was apparently more focused on the reality thst just days before the mailing hit, JFNA announced that the federations' aggregate core budget allocation to JDC had dropped below $30 million in calendar 2020, the lowest allocation in my memory -- not only to JDC but to JAFI and ORT? (BTW, back a little over a decade, pursuant to an assignment from the JFNA leadership at the time, I negotiated a firm commitment from the JDC and JAFI to be subject to a national Campaign Guideline; which, when brought to the JFNA Board for approval, the guidelines were first "tabled" in response to objections from JFNA leaders who wore their conflicts of interest on their sleeves [they also served as leaders of smaller federation beneficiaries which ignored local Guidelines] never to arise again. My professional partner in this effort, the wonderful Yitzchak Shavit, z'l, advised me: "Forget it, Richard, these mamzirs will never let this see the light of day." So true.)
Our system, when it was a real system, was once bound by our collective response and characterized by an informal (in some places, formal) commitment to systemic discipline. Seems so long ago, so very long ago. Back in the day our communal beneficiaries respected the annual campaign, restrained by the funds they were receiving from the community's central address; today, in most communities, the beneficiaries -- local, national and overseas -- have been "encouraged" (by diminished or lack of funding) to compete with what was the central organization or what was that central body has become but a conduit for beneficiary funding with maybe some crumbs falling off the table. Thus, that self-discipline is but a memory; and in so many places, what was a "system" has become a chaotic mess.
Think about it: the communal system premised in part on the centrality of the federation annual campaign splintered into a thousand pieces; allocations becoming a smaller and smaller piece of beneficiary agencies' budgets; agencies forced to engage in fund-raising, hire development directors, competing with what was the core funder in years past. This is not a new phenomenon; what was a trickle over the years has become a flood. There are not enough fingers to plug the growing number of holes in the communal dike.
Those in leadership at 25 Broadway, if they truly understood what was happening locally, might step up or, at the least, strive to right the ship -- examine what is happening in communities where federation has ceased to be the central planning body (a precursor to the abandonment of its central fund-raising function) and what the affects on community qua community have been. And from the understanding gained through this process, recommend necessary chan.
Doing nothing is hard; you never know when you're done.
R,wexler
We used to have a UNITED Jewish Appeal and a UNITED Israel Appeal. We aren't UNITED anymore in any way and all we have is an umbrella trade organization named JFNA.
ReplyDeleteThe merger was supposed to be a merger - not a abandonment of the missions of 2 of the merging bodies.
Now that all is left is a trade organization for federations there is no longer a need for a gigantic budget that was once designed to actually do things - not just to coordinate between the various federations. Dues of a few thousand dollars from each federation should be enough to get done what is still being done.
As far as the mission and us accomplishing anything it seems that we are all on our own.
JFNA = JEWS FOR NO ACTION at all.
Sad but true!
Rich
ReplyDeleteFirst I miss you. Second, to restate something I said to you long ago: "they are taking the extraordinary and making it ordinary": It was, they did.
Bernie, how are you? Miss you. I’m still at the same email. You?
ReplyDeleteI remember your prediction so well that I have claimed your quote as my own!
Richard
Yes indeed, they have taken the "extraordinary" and made it the "ordinary."
ReplyDeleteThey have taken "UJA. UIA and CJFWF" and merged them into one big black hole.
They have taken the "collective" and made it the "separative."
They have taken the "We are One" and made it the "We are all on our own."
They have taken the "united" and made it the "competitive."
They have taken the "We are all responsible for each other" and made it the "We are responsible only for ourselves."
They have taken the "global" and made it the "local."
They have taken the "system" and made it the "chaotic."
They have taken the "common agenda" and made it the "individual agenda."
They have taken our overseas "partners" and made them "service providers."
They have taken "financial commitments" and made them "recommendations."
They have taken the "accepted practices and rules" and made them "anarchy."
They have taken the "mutual support system" we once had and made it "philanthropy."
They have taken the "campaign" and made it the "mailbox."
They have taken the "mission" and made it the "tourist deal."
They have taken the "Breakfast of Champions" and made it the "Last Supper."
Yes, JFNA have taken our dues and used them to "accomplish" all of the above.
JDC evidently understands that there are no rules left anymore. The others will no doubt follow soon.
What were we thinking while we allowed all of this to happen?
What are we thinking today while we allow it to continue to devour everything in its path?