1. Alan Hoffman, the Jewish Agency CEO/Director General, whom I had known for decades as a charismatic, even brilliant professional and one who always held his cards very, very close to his chest, gave an amazing and candid speech to the Israel Democracy Institute as reported in Haaretz -- Young American Jews Increasingly Turning Away From Israel. Read the entire Judy Maltz by-lined article at https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.5751616.
Certainly many will dispute the findings of a recent Survey cited by Hoffman that disclosed that disclosed that support for Israel among Jewish college students had fallen by an horrific 32% between 2010 and 2016. In addition, Alan disclosed that in a presentation to New York UJA he was bombarded with questions about religious pluralism in Israel -- "how could Israel do this to us?"
While Hoffman, who may (or may not, things change ya' know) be on the cusp of retirement, may have been teeing up a JAFI Jewish Unity Plan -- but even so, Alan's candor was as refreshing as it was revelatory.
Kal ha'kavod.
2. And a kal ha'kavod to JFNA. The umbrella organization convenes its Board Retreat this morning in Atlanta and it actually has a very important Agenda -- filled with important "stuff." To me, the most critical, assuming it leads to change, is a Discussion document Rethinking the GA. Sure, it's long, long overdue; but it's here...now.
Finally there is disclosure that there is a "$2.5 million minimum price tag" annually for the GA and that there is what the authors very gently characterize as "[S]talled participation and a lack of consistent recruitment" laying the fault at the feet of the Federations.
Significant questions are raised, but the authors' "simple thesis is:"
"The GA must be a platform for what the system needs and for what it will use to achieve its business objectives. Otherwise, producing the GA is tantamount to putting on a play; it is entertaining but has no/limited functional application."Alternatives are offered but the critical thing is that there may be (one never knows) serious discussion among JFNA's/Federations' leaders of the reality that the current GA (as reflected over recent years) is comatose and alternatives need to be explored. I am, as you reguar readers know, more than cynical about JFNA's "table discussions;" more filler than substance, promised summaries never appearing let alone acted upon; farce. May this discussion, if that's what is going to happen, make a difference.
There is more to observe about JFNA of course and those observations will be upcoming.
So consider the good news.
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15 comments:
JFNA is going to allow discussion at a board meeting? Thanks RIchard for helping me begin the week with a good laugh.
:-)
Yeah, nice attempt Richard to give us some hope.
However, we all know too well what will happen when the rubber meets the road.
To paraphrase Einstein, "Having the same people making the decisions over and over, and expecting different results."
Total insanity.
They'll keep running the GA untl the only attendees are a bunch of octogenarian Large City Executives, JFNA staff, and past JFNA chairs. The LCE don't ind the wasted $2.5 million annually let alone the tens of millions in Dues they throw down the JFNA sewer a year.
so they are having a board meeting - so what? does anyone expect anything new to result? anyone to dare to ask difficult questions? to demand change? to demand anything?
The "new strategy" needed by Israel requires a change of Prime Minister and a change of government. Geschraying BDS is simply not facing up to the very real implications of actions Israel's government has taken and continues to take. It has made its bed and there are now consequences to pay for this.
No amount of hasbara, branding or propaganda is going to work. That's like saying Trump needs a better strategy to appeal to young American Jews.
To Anon last night 9:05 p.m. Even as I may agree with your conclusions, your Comment has nothing to do with the Post (or anything ever written on this Blog).
So sorry -- I have had to reject your Comment
The two matters you cite for credit are tied together in this way -- the Jewish Federations of North America provide only lip service in support of the Jewish Agency, Joint and World ORT. JFNA is but a conduit for federation allocations (if you read its 990, you might think that JFNA raised that money.) So if JAFI turned to JFNA to seek federation support, JAFI can forget about it. JFNA has no clout within the PM's office;, truth be told JFNA is viewed as a joke. JFNA is a joke.
Richard, I just returned from the JFNA Board Meetings. I have told my Exec I will never attend another. I did learn that JFNA is failing as much as anything because of inbreeding and constant self-congratulations that shuts out criticism in all of its forms. In fact, it was Jay Sanderson, LA's CEO, who made the telling point when he demanded of the FRD Chair how there could be a discussion of FRD without any mention of how the system is "hemorrhaging donors" -- too which he received no answer. The organization is wasting resources at an alarming.
By the way, they don't like you.
There are those few brilliant moments in life, when the flash-bang explodes in your face and you say to yourself “seriously WTF”?
JFNA has an office in Israel. You knew that. It is headed by Becky Caspi. You may not know who she is unless you are deeply involved.
Becky Caspi works out of the Jewish Agency Building in Jerusalem, where she is the highest paid person in the building.
Why? Because she works for JFNA
Come on, you say. How can that be?
Alan Hoffman receives $232,701
Natan Sharansky receives $232,308
Becky Caspi receives $345,348
This is in Israel. Becky makes more than Prime Minister Netanyahu.
I know, I know. I must be wrong.
So read the reports to the IRS
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2016/131/624/2016-131624240-0e07f4fb-9.pdf
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2015/237/254/2015-237254561-0d952234-9.pdf
There are those few brilliant moments in life, when the flash-bang explodes in your face and you say to yourself “seriously WTF”?
JFNA has an office in Israel. You knew that. It is headed by Becky Caspi. You may not know who she is unless you are deeply involved.
Becky Caspi works out of the Jewish Agency Building in Jerusalem, where she is the highest paid person in the building.
Why? Because she works for JFNA
Come on, you say. How can that be?
Alan Hoffman receives $232,701
Natan Sharansky receives $232,308
Becky Caspi receives $345,348
This is in Israel. Becky makes more than Prime Minister Netanyahu.
I know, I know. I must be wrong.
So read the reports to the IRS
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2016/131/624/2016-131624240-0e07f4fb-9.pdf
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2015/237/254/2015-237254561-0d952234-9.pdf
Can Richard Sandler please explain to all what, exactly, Becky Caspi does to deserve such an outlandish salary?
No, he can't.
Why aren't you all screaming to the New York State Attorney General's Charity Affairs Office?
She does a lot of damage to our system and everything it stands for. The problem is not the outrageous salary and inflated staff. The problem is that this monstrosity even exists!
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