THE 2020 GA AND MORE

 JFNA convened a GA this week streaming it worldwide. And its workshops/breakouts which I joined were uniformly excellent; the Plenary sessions, noit so much. (If you go to JFNA's website and you wish to do so, some of the Plenary "experiences" are available on replay; so you can come to your own conculsions. Here are some observations:

• Registration: At the JFNA Board meeting just days before the GA, there was a great deal made of the projected attendance -- 9,000 pre-registrations. Sounded like a lot -- after all, this is the same JFNA that announced a laughable 3,000 registrants for GA after GA for the last decade until confronted with a real number of...750. And, by the time the GA ended, that number was up to 10,000. Honest!! Yet, there were 2,800 registrants who participated in the Opening Plenary; a great number given past experiences. Shows what can happen when you give something away to the sofa-loving, quarantined Jewish leadership;
• Bougie Herzog, the Chair of the Executive of the aJewish Agency, an omportant position in Jewish communal life, is a great and self-effacing partner. He was relegated to the role of a panelist with the leader of OneTable, a great program, somewhat of a false equivalence and to a conversation with one of Israel's top entertainers. I give Bougie great credit for his equanimity.
• The streaming worked quite well if one wanted to observe, Mark Wilf and Eric Fingerhut spoke well.
• And, yes, streaming is no substitute for being together.

Now, the unmentioned. There were many references to the "collective" -- its importance, and our system's commitment to it. The reality that collective financial support of our overseas "partners" has fallen once again to historic lows went unmentioned. In fact that support will have fallen at calendar year-end to levels that keadership should be calling "an embarrassment." The total amount that will be allocated (and remember that this is JFNA's projection; it may actually be even lower) -- $102.8 million in the aggregate to JAFI ($72 million), JDC ($29) and ORT ($1.9) -- yes, that aggregate total was exceeded at the time of the merger by an allocation to the Jewish Agency alone was greater by 200% than the total allocation to all three agencies. 

Shame on us and shame on the top leadership of the three "partners" for their pro forma public "thank yous" for allocations which are no longer worthy of "partners" but wholly appropriate for supplicants. 

At the close of its numbers presentation, JFNA announced: 

"JFNA/Federations will pursue al;l possible avenues to increase the available amount."

Sure.

Rwexler 

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN...OR MAYBE NOT

Clearly, the very successful elimination of institutional memory at JFNA has accomplished one thing for certain -- to the professionals in charge today and over the prior decade, it is so easy to embrace as new ideas that are, in fact...not. This is especially true if these programs come with cash. As we discuss two of these "newbies" (which appear not to be), would some Foundation or mega-donor come up with some funding for...actual fundraising? Because FRD appears to have been relegated to the trash heap along with the United Jewish Appeal, United Israel Appeal and generations of lay and professional leaders.

Anyway...let us look at something called Amplifier and, if you will, another titled Enter. The former offered with funding from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation; the latter the brainchild of Charles Bronfman and Jeff Solomon.

Amplifier -- great name, BTW. We are told that Amplifier is "a philanthropy idea generator" that will now be located under the JFNA umbrella. I assume that JFNA, which has no apparent interest anymore in raising money (once presumed to be its primary purpose on behalf of the federations), has plenty of time in "reimagining and inspiring thoughtful collaborative giving inspired by Jewish values." So said JFNA's National Campaign Chair. (Maybe Amplifier could come up with a new title for this position inasmuch as it no longer has much if anything to do with "national" or "campaign." As examples of the value-added that Amplifier has already created, the article in eJewishphilanthropy describing the program cites: a giving circle for Women's philanthropy at UJC of Virginia Peninsula and "(S)everal years ago" something with an Asian Women's giving circle and some more giving circles -- one "of people of color" and some other stuff. If you wish, you can read the whole story at https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/the-jewish-federations-of-north-america-warmly-welcome-amplifier/

The great philanthropist, Charles Bronfman, and the brilliant innovator, Jeff Solomon, along with Alon Friedman the (former?) Director of Hillel-Israel as CEO, have created Enter -- not as great a name as Amplifier, BTW -- "...aiming to educate Israelis about the role and significance of diaspora Jewry -- and bring Israeli and and North American Jewry closer together." In this effort, Bronfman/Solomon have recruited a number of major private foundations to each pony up $250,000 per year for three years -- not an insignificant amount of money. Of course, this is not the first effort along the same lines but without the focus and investment that Enter and its Founders/Partners will bring to the effort. 

Of course, chevre, these are worthy efforts and, perhaps, with real commitment and application Amplifier and Enter will succeed. But, really, these are old wine in new bottles. After all...giving circles...really. In my community, and I would wager yours, what would morph into federation began with a group of men (yes, back then...men) of wealth coming together annually to decide the communal needs and, then, commit to meet them -- Giving circles writ large. And Enter echoes the efforts of the Council of Jewish Federations to educate Israelis about the Diaspora through missions and education.

These are efforts that should have begun with and within JFNA. Because of the void at our umbrella agency of and for the federations, great philanthropists have stepped in -- and that's both great and very sad. You can join with me in asking what the hell has JFNA-Israel, with its top-heavy and bloated staff (even after COVID created the need for down-sizing), accomplished . Or, to put the question in another way: would Charles Bronfman, the first JFNA Board Chair, and Jeff Solomon, my professional partner in the merger process that resulted in what is now JFNA, have created Enter within JFNA if there were any there there?

Think about it. 

Rwexler

ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH

While we (and our organizations) were (a) asleep; (b) distracted by shiny objects; or (c) distracted by COVID-19, "right wing and rigidly Orthodox political parties" in Israel were preparing a "coup" pursuant to which they would usurp the critical positions at the "...key international Zionist institutions." And...we would have only ourselves to blame. If it happens, it will happen...today.

As Judy Maltz reported for Haaretz, Right-wing, ultra-Orthodox Parties Accused of Plotting "Hostile Takeover" of Key Zionist Institutions. How? By Resolution of the World Zionist Congress at its once every five year meetings starting today on-line. The "deal" appears to have been engineered by the inestimable WZO leader, Avraham Duvdevani, who engineered the WZO's walk from everything but its powers and large amounts of cash when it "separated" from the Jewish Agency almost a decade ago thanks to the inept "negotiations" of Diaspora JAFI leadership. (WZO gave up a title or two, but retained its power to control 70% of the JAFI votes, and was paid millions for doing so. JAFI leaders' version of the "Art of the Deal.")

If this "hostile takeover" proceeds, the American religious movements would face cutting a deal for representation and positions at the Agency, for example, with ultra-Orthodox religious leaders who reject the Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist and Modern Orthodox Movements both out of hand and in the most insulting ways. Another "winner," if that's what it is, would be the Likud Party. Bougie Herzog might be out as JAFI's Israeli leader. And, these are but two examples. 

For an important analysis of just where this balagan is: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/hadassah-president-denounces-wzo-coalition-agreement-calls-for-changes-646297?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Israel%2C+UAE%2C+US+launch+joint+fund+in+Jerusalem+during+first+state+visit&utm_campaign=Oct+20+day 

JFNA, later this week, will reveal the Jewish Federations' allocations to the core budgets of JAFI, JDC and ORT -- allocations which will, no doubt, be at levels so low as to belie the term "partner" so often thrown out these days by the umbrella organization in lieu of cash. If the takeover of JAFI contemplated by this "deal" goes forward, one can foresee the ultimate abandonment of the Jewish Agency by its North American supporters in short order.

One must assume that Jewish Agency Jerusalem leaders were aware of these developments but chose to remain "behind the scenes." Given the consuming ignorance of critical matters such as these at JFNA-Israel, asleep at the switch, one can also assume that no one at 25 Broadway was aware of this coup -- and, if they were, then more shame on them. We have not heard leadership's voices on a matter of this importance to, if not to others, the religious movements to which most of us belong.

This is serious business taking place in the shadows.

Rwexler

PURPOSE

Commenting on the United Kingdom's recent response to Brexit, one Brit opined that there is "a conspicuous infirmity of purpose." Very British, yes, and equally applicable to far too many of our Continental and national institutions in North America. Institutions that wander aimlessly, without apparent purpose, are doomed at best to mediocrity and at worst to a well-earned collapse.

I find it impossible to believe that any Jewish orghanization believes that "business as usual" works when donors and donations have cratered in the face of the COVID plague. In just the last few days I've heard of multiple federations with 2020 operating deficits in excess of $10 million dollars. The Jewish Agency and the JDC will see federation allocations to their core activities at dollar levels that will not permit them to do the work that we ask of them. National and Local agencies around the Continent are operating on fumes. If you do not believe it...ask.

And yet, and yet...Much like the Trump Administration and COVID, months into this catastrophe, there is no plan. Do our organizational leaders somehow believe that God will provide? That the clouds will lift and all will be well? Look around...look around. In Community A, vital services to the elderly have been cut to the bone, programs for the most frail among us completely eliminated; the community being told "we can't afford it." In Community after Community, lay-offs are diminishing the ability of the "system" to serve. Jewish Community Centers are closing temporarily and with those closures, everything from pre-schools to social programs for Holocaust Survivors...on hiatus at best. In too many federations there will be less allocated overseas than Dues paid to JFNA; and, in many other communities, JFNA Dues will be unpaid or paid only in part. And, the list goes on and on.

Back in my youth -- in other words a long, long time ago -- our system confronted what we called back then "the new Jewish poor." Today is so much worse and, only now are our organizations taking baby steps toward confronting what will soon be a tsunami of poverty impacting the most vulnerable. And we are not prepared.

Of course I am well aware that JFNA is no longer in the fund raising/donor raising business. Even the offer of FRD consultation with communities, JFNA's last fund raising initiative has become just a shadow of its former self, if it exists at all. Here's what the national system (viz, UJA) used to do -- we focused our own initiatives and the communities' on focused fund raising, on getting into the trenches with our own and federation FRD leadership getting back to the basics in an intense and very personal way. And the federations were successful. But, "back to basics" -- to the blocking and tackling that built the incredible safety net for those of our People most in need is, apparently, so last Century. 

Instead of the basics, we read of the latest bright, shiny object -- in an "Announcement," ejewishphilanthropy highlighted The Jewish Federations of North America Warmly Welcome Amplifier. Sure they do. https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/the-jewish-federations-of-north-america-warmly-welcome-amplifier/?utm_source=Oct+14%2C+2020&utm_campaign=Wed+Oct+14&utm_medium=email

Amplifier we learned is a "philanthropic idea generator...incubated at the Natan Fund" and supported at JFNA with a grant from the wonderful Schusterman Foundation. The National Campaign Chair raved about it "reimagining and inspiring thoughtful collaborative giving inspired by Jewish values,." Uh huh. The examples cited in the ejp include "giving circles," a young leadership exercise in "Flash Philanthropy" and, more giving circles.

Don't get me wrong; I am all in favor of new models and experiments in building Jewish philanthropy. But...and this is a big but...if these new forms are not built upon the bedrock foundation of focused FRD, of in the trenches FRD, of incredibly hard work at the local and Continental levels, the financial collapse we are seeing all around us will accelerate and the very communities engaged in distractions from FRD fundamentals will wither and die.

Focus...Focus...Focus.

Rwexler

PRIORITIES

 A few nights ago I attended the Annual Meeting of a local care for the aging organization. It was not unlike countless annual meetings of local Jewish agencies around the Continent -- putting the best case forward that "all is well" when, in fact, nothing really is. In too many places at this worst of times we find our agencies running on fumes as never before -- that "best case" is too often nothing more than "putting lipstick on a pig."

Friends, to paraphrase a great American leader: 

"The moral test for our communities is how we treat those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the disabled, wherever they may live."

In one sentence, those are our priorities -- or they damn well should/must be. But, what if the resources, during this time of COVID-19, just aren't there? What is a community to do, individually and collectively? For those agencies and federations with endowments, this is the "rainy day" for which those assets have been built and held -- use them, apply them. 

It's great that the leaders of some mega-foundations working together allocated $91 million, plus or minus, to address the greatest of needs -- but, as we have explored on these pages, that is $91 million of $21.7 billion of communal assets under management -- .004%. Yes, it can be argued that I am comparing apples and oranges inasmuch as the communal assets are mainly in Donor Advised Funds and Supporting Foundations, and, almost always the communities have been singularly focused on amassing assets rather than in their distribution. Now...now...is it possible to "retrain" the fund raisers to become advocates for distributing them to meet the communities' highest priorities? Because, my friends, everywhere...everywhere...the rain is falling, and those of our People most in need, are suffering.

At that care of the aging agency annual meeting I observed, I listened to the federation CEO express passionately the communal dedication to the agency even as that same federation has cut its allocation to the agency because its annual campaign cannot meet the needs it sees everywhere. I was reminded of the conversation I had with the then CEO of our largest federation way back when we found ourselves in a deep, deep recession: "Richard," he told me, "we are having a horrible time keeping our Board members when all we can ask them for is to cut, cut, cut allocations while we ask them for greater contributions." 

And, here we are again. Only...worse. The social safety net we have created with such pride, is on the verge of collapse.

It's time, friends, for JFNA to show real leadership --as it did in raising and finding significant dollars for Holocaust Survivors. Convene a blue ribbon committee, and create a national loan program, as was done during the Exodus, whereby the mega-foundations and the largest federations would be asked to allocate tens of millions to fund priority prograns in those communities in greatest need, with established criteria for (a) those priority programs; and (b) repayment. 

That may not be the only alternative; I would welcome yours. 

What I know is that treating today with a "business as usual" approach will not work.

It is so hard to utter Mo'Adim L'Simcha this Sukkot this year unless we recommit ourselves to our priorities and ignore the shiny objects which are our distraction.

Rwexler