tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565163061165974643.post2604873091163292697..comments2023-07-27T04:33:11.719-05:00Comments on UJ Thee and Me: L'HITRAOT...FOR NOWGracklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315763008609379449noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565163061165974643.post-17995257777361948942008-10-11T11:27:00.000-05:002008-10-11T11:27:00.000-05:00In response to my Posts, I have been gratified by ...In response to my Posts, I have been gratified by the number of professionals and lay leaders in our system who have written me privately with the concerns that they and I share. I have heard from current and past professionals within UJC some of whom have poured their hearts out to me. All who have written me have done so knowing that I would not breach the confidences they have shared with me -- that may include the anonymoyu "long time observer" who can't bring himself/herself to attach his/her own name to Comments accusing me of being wrong about just about everything I have written laughingly stating, this time, that I have written out of "personal pique" and that I am dead wrong in terms of what (I) advocate for the federations and UJC," while never stating what might be "right." <BR/><BR/>I have engaged in my introspection with the advice and counsel of others. But, I will be back to these pages soner rather than later.RWEXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01583858140298821830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565163061165974643.post-38055021790954269592008-10-11T05:33:00.000-05:002008-10-11T05:33:00.000-05:00Dear longtime observer,As someone who also blogs a...Dear longtime observer,<BR/><BR/>As someone who also blogs about our Jewish world, I can tell you that a great number of people prefer to offer their comments privately. Whether in 100% support or disagreement with what is written is not important. <BR/><BR/>My experience is that the majority of senior professionals and lay leaders in the Jewish world are not comfortable enough with the open forum of blogs to venture in this realm with real dialogue. Probably why you don't yet see open blogs on their sites.Jerusalem Updateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031330608128029007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565163061165974643.post-54985224737689497632008-10-10T16:26:00.000-05:002008-10-10T16:26:00.000-05:00I didn't get to this till today, but I must say th...I didn't get to this till today, but I must say that I am both sad and glad that you are putting the blog on hiatus: sad, because we do need a venue in which to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the federation system and UJC; glad, because your blog clearly wasn't it.<BR/><BR/>I'm truly sorry that you were never able to separate what is apparently your personal pique and the attacks you chose to make on individual leaders from the substantive critiques that you offered of policies and directions. You have been a significant and dedicated leader in our system, and even though, as I have previously written, I think you are dead wrong in terms of what you advocate for the federations and UJC, the issues you raised are genuinely important.<BR/><BR/>Sadly, I notice that you could not resist one final (?) effort to point the finger of blame at Joe Kanfer and Howard Rieger. Anyone who knows them will likely (and rightly) dismiss your characterizations. (The notion that Joe Kanfer does not understand lay-professional relations will, e.g., be laughable to anyone who has worked closely with him as a professional.) For those who may not: Be assured. Richard has a version of reality that is obviously deeply felt, but only loosely connected to what actually takes place. <BR/><BR/>Happily, you are quite right that the federation system will go on without you (and me). There is indeed lots of work still to be done to re-calibrate the federations and UJC for the 21st century, and many good people working on just that, including Joe and his fellow leaders at UJC.<BR/><BR/>So, take a break. Do some post- Yom Kippur reflection on how Jewish tradition teaches us to speak about others, even in offering reproof, and if you can get over what seems to be your personal animosity, I look forward to reading and responding to your thoughts again in the future. <BR/><BR/>(BTW, how come if so many people write you to express their support, they never comment publicly on the blog? Oh well. Having more people in the discussion would have been useful.)<BR/><BR/>In the meantime, Shabbat shalom and chag sameach to all.long time observerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06936585172903233071noreply@blogger.com