HUH?

 David Sarnat, Jeff Kaye, Maxyne Finkelstein, Misha Galperin, Joshua Fogelson, Gail Reiss.......

If you are wondering whom these people are: they were the professional leaders of the Jewish Agency North America/Jewish Agency International Development from braisheet to 2020. Each and all of them were/are incredible professionals; each/all of them were/are either great federation leaders and/or great fundraisers; each/all of them either raised significant millions for the Jewish Agency's critical work or were on the cusp of doing so when they left the Agency, often frustrated with a lack of support (and worse) from JAFI Jerusalem. 

So? You ask. Well, the Agency announced yesterday (in a transmittal portentously and gratuitously called ("head of NA letter") that "...after an extensive and incredibly professional search process," JAFI has hired a CEO for JAID who "...will enhance The Jewish Agency's presence in North America." Dan Elbaum, who has left the position of Chief Advocacy Officer (!) of the American Jewish Committee (!!) joins JAFI with rave reviews from those who have worked with him.

I hope he can succeed given that he is being asked, in addition to federation relations and fundraising, and "enhancing," manage the 100's of shlichim across North America, liaise with the Jewish Agency North America, run all "JAFI programming in North America," and something called "strengthening our Partnership platform." God help him.

And, of course, in all of this, the JAFI Search ignored Santayana's warning. You know it: those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. How does that apply here? Let me count the ways:

1. You hire someone who has no experience with the federations which are his main challenge, to relate to the federations (think of, e.g., Jerry Silverman);
2. You hire someone who will be resident in Chicago, expected to commute to New York (think of, e.g., Brian Abrahams or Brian Lurie); 
3. You hire someone who knows nothing of the complexities of the Jewish Agency bureaucracy but is expected to conquer it (e.g., almost anyone and everyone); and
4. You hire a person who has not engaged in the kind of fund-raising the Jewish Agency needs so desperately to be its professional fundraising leader.

I really hope Dan Elbaum succeeds but I fear he is being set up for failure as was the case for so many of those who preceded him. I hope he asked the right questions and that he spoke with at least some of his predecessors, but I am willing to wager that he spoke with none of them.

As I wrote: "God help him."

Rwexler