JAID -- WHY?

A few weeks ago in a Post titled Who's In Charge...And Why? I lamented what appeared to be the imminent demise of the Jewish Agency International Development ("JAID"), the Jewish Agency's fund-raising arm. This sad state has been dictated by the retired JAFI Director General, Alan Hoffmann. It seemed evident to me, both by personal experience and by observation, that Alan resented JAID's apparent independence (it really was/is in no way an independent body given that its sole purpose was/is to raise significant dollars for JAFI) and its locus -- at offices in Mid-Town Manhattan far from Hoffmann's clutches.

Well, as it turns out, things are worse than I reported on September 30, much worse. I still don't know if the last JAID CEO, Josh Fogelson quit, was forced out or just plain terminated (perhaps a distinction without difference) last month. But, I have learned that the entire fund raising staff in North America are also gone. Great pros dedicated to JAFI and their work on JAFI's behalf...gone. And this at a time when core allocations to JAFI from the federations have reached an all-time low and will, by calendar year-end 2018 reach new depths.

One insider Commented anonymously:

"I am not certain of the personal and/or professional reasons for Joshua Fogelson's departure as CEO of JAID.. However, as a Jewish communal professional who had the privilege of working with him at the Agency I can speak directly about the work environment and his leadership. On the former, very challenging. Working for an Israeli based non-profit is very different and more difficult than U.S. based organizations, the limitations imposed by the governance model, our U.S. based partners, as well as the inter-departmental battles and competition created anxiety, confusion, mixed messages and ultimately less than optimally effective fundraising. Even within this unusual, to put it mildly, model, Joshua was a strong, focused and principled professional leader. He had high expectations but didn't demand more of us than he did of himself. He did his best to shield his Israeli and American staff from the unhealthier aspects of the organization's culture. And, despite the pressures he faced, he consistently defended the Agency, spoke passionately about its mission and pushed as much as possible to advance all areas of financial resource development. Given his his sudden departure as well as the experiences of his immediate predecessors, I imagine JAID may be hard pressed to find another top flight pro willing to risk taking on such a position."

This is a sad situation. Literally, on his way out the door, Alan Hoffmann deconstructed JAFI's FRD function...totally. And, he did so at the worst possible time historically and on the Jewish FRD calendar. He must have convinced the JAFI Board Chair, Michael Siegal, and the JAID Chair, Richie Pearlstone, that somehow JAFI and JAID would be best served to have no external fund raising arm, because that's exactly what Hoffmann, by these ill-considered actions, has created.

Michael Siegal and Richie Pearlstone are wonderful philanthropists, excellent proven leaders and nobody's fools. Perhaps, someday, they will be able to explain why they allowed Hoffmann to run amok (for lack of a better phrase) if not violating his fiduciary responsibility, something very close to it. It's not possible to contemplate that JDC or WorldORT or any responsible international organization would erase their fund raising staff in one fell swoop, the consequences be damned.

Any one who believes that this was some aberrational isolated event, consider this: in 2002, David Sarnat, the founding Jewish Agency North America (which would morph into JAID 10 years later) CEO and I (in my role as JAFI-NA Chair), traveled to Jerusalem where we met with each and every JAFI Department Head, the Agency FRD staff, and with the then JAFI Director General, Giora Romm. Our message: JAFI was damaging its own resource development results by sending FRD emissaries from every department to North American federations with no coordination, often in competition with one another, for funding of their departmental activities. I related being at a meeting with the then Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles CEO, who told me: "I am constantly getting requests from one JAFI Department after another. Why don't you get your act together." 

David's and my message: "Be One JAFI. Let us manage the FRD within North America, all JAFI Departments will benefit." There was an enthusiastic receptivity...but for one. I met with the then Director General of the JAFI Education Department, Alan Hoffmann. Here's what Alan told me: "Your message is a nice one, Richard. If you and Sarnat want to guarantee my Budget, fine. If not, we're not changing."

Sarnat and I returned to the States knowing that the hope for a coordinated, single FRD message from JAFI would not happen. 

Then, before the ink on his contract was dry, Misha Galperin, Fogelson's predecessor as JAID CEO, was being undermined by Hoffmann. And even as Misha was delivering significant dollars to JAFI, Hoffmann continuously worked to undermine his and JAID's efforts.

Now, as he literally walks out the door, Alan Hoffmann has turned back the clock. 

And no one at JAFI or JAID has pushed back while Alan Hoffmann has been interviewing Search firms -- to search for what, exactly? Only Alan would know.

Rwexler