Even without news reports from Messrs. Silverman and Sandler, all of us know that the Israeli towns in Shaar Ha'Negev, in the Gaza Envelope, beginning in June and almost constantly thereafter, were subjected to Hamas-initiated rocket attacks and the new tactics of "fire kites" and incendiary balloons destroying crops and property and endangering the lives of Israelis. Other than those soporific news updates, JFNA. DID. NOTHING.
Contrast that institutional inaction with the proactivity of JNF-USA which sdemonstrated what a nimble and focused organization could and would do. For a number of years, JNF has had in place a Gaza Envelope Task Force -- a lay-professional leadership group that both related to the needs in the Gaza-adjacent communities and in the construction of shelters and facilities to protect our extended Israeli mishpacha there. And, then, the terrorists attacked again -- and JNF-USA acted.
On August 1, two weeks after JNF began to organize this effort, that organization announced on social media:
"Emergency Town Halls: the Gaza Border CrisisThe description for the JNF-sponsored Chicago Town Hall included:
Aug 19- Aug 30, you're invited to learn about the Gaza Border Crisis. In a series of town hall meetings throughout the country, residents of the Gaza border will be sharing stories of living under attack. http://jnf.org/gazatownhall https://t.co/bjfwTZJydX"
"Join us to meet a mother, a young pioneer, and a farmer—residents of Gaza border communities—who will share their personal stories of living under attack, with hundreds of incendiary kites, balloons, and rockets steadily raining down on them. Hear about the needs in their communities and the issues they face on the ground: their experiences running to bomb shelters and sleeping in saferooms, their fears of a ruined economy, the ecological disaster, and their challenges dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)—both their children’s as well as their own."
I remember as a young leader in the 70's being invited to a UJA Regional Caravan, where one of Milwaukee's historic communal/UJA leaders inspired us to step forward in support of Israel in the face of a major Israeli crisis. That's what the United Jewish Appeal did; it's what JNF-USA is doing today.
And what is JFNA doing? In its torpor, in its lethargy, JFNA. IS. DOING. NOTHING. The organization can't even rouse itself to open a "Mailbox." NOTHING. What is its Israel Office doing? NOTHING.
So ya'shir koach to the leaders of JNF-USA and its Gaza Envelope Task Force.
Rwexler
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8 comments:
I, like many of your readers, have already received several email blasts from different organizations soliciting support for the Gaza emergency. I remember years ago when UJA/CJF called organizations together to coordinate the fundraising to meet whatever the crisis was. They evaluated needs and saw that resources were available to meet the needs.
As with anything that JFNA is not doing -- there is no comparison with JNF or any organization for that matter.
As a regular reader who apprecaites the Blog, I would note that you always use JNF to offer acontrast with JFNA. I ask you, have you looked at JNF's 990's? Have you seen that rganization's claim that it has raised 1/2 a billion dollars in just a couple of years for its so-called Roadmap Campaign -- have you checked whether those representations bear any relationship to reality? Until you investigate the JNF pipedreams, please stop extolling JNF'SVIRTUES AS IF THEY ARE REAL.
I have looked at their most recent 990 and they are real!
And, where is the JNFA/Federations?
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/JNF-speaking-tour-raising-awareness-on-agriculture-devastation-kicks-off-564187
You seem to have forgotten that the JNF Board authorized large loans to the CEO and CFO resulting in an inquiry from the New York AG. JNF claimed thqat the loans were perfectly fine raising specious defenses until theorganization finally complied after the loans were exposed in The Forward. Compare and Contrast that.
The loans WERE legal and appropriate (and not so large). Sounds like alot of 'sour grapes' from people who have no clue as to the successes of today's JNF.
Enough!! As the Post reports, the JNF-sponsored Town Halls are a magnificent response to the Terrorists' threats and attacks (which grew in intensity and damage last night). This national effort could not be more timely.
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