The shekel-dollar exchange rate continues its downward trend, falling to NIS 3.36/$.
(as of 4:30 pm IST, Wednesday)

At the recent JAFI Board of Governor’s Meeting we heard about the significant effect the falling dollar was having on this year’s budget.

On CNN yesterday, an in-depth report on American citizens working in Europe paid with dollar salaries and how the falling value effects their everyday purchases at the market.

Now, today in Haaretz, an article on how this historic low is challenging the local NGO community.

“Hundreds of local social charities and nonprofit groups that depend on funding from abroad fear that the continuing decline of the dollar exchange rate, combined with the growing U.S. economic crisis, will force them to dismiss employees and curtail the services they provide in the fields of education, welfare and health. The dollar’s fall has cost some of these organization’s a 20 percent decline in income.

“There hasn’t been a crisis like this since the expansion of civil society in recent years,” says Prof. Benjamin Gidron, the director of the Israeli Center for Third Sector Research at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Be’er Sheva.”

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Some doom-sayers worry about the intermarriage rate; others the shrinking birthrate in the Jewish community; or the lack of reasonably priced communal affiliation.

Guess for these people the glass is always half empty.

For those of us on the other side, those of us who see the beginnings of a new golden age of Jewish communal innovation, those of us out in the trenches (so to speak) with the new, young innovators, the students in the various professional programs, and the just all around ‘younger’ interested and non-affiliated, not only is the glass not half empty, it’s close to overflowing!

The most recent example, this past week’s Jewlicious Festival 4.0. Writing on the Jewlicious blog, “ck” tells us:

“Looking back on this past weekend, I can’t help but be a little awed. I know that sounds a bit dramatic, especially since we are talking about what can be viewed as a glorified Shabaton, but the latest Jewlicious Festival was seriously nothing less than a transformative experience…

But this year, when I stopped running around and just tried to absorb what was going on, the images that really stood out were those of the various Jewish communal leaders from all over the place who were in attendance and seemed a bit… what, stunned?

Stunned?? Yeah. Stunned. Jewlicious united people from across the Jewish spectrum…”

Now, also this past week, thousands of miles away in Jerusalem, I was at JAFI’s Board of Governors Meeting. I realize looks are deceiving, but there sure was a lot of grey hair among the UJC set. More to the point, where was the younger crowd? They certainly did not have a seat at the Board table. Or for that matter in the Observer’s / Guest area either.

Our professionals need to get out of their office suites and see what’s happening.

Jewlicious is but one among many examples. I spoke with several B.O.G. attendees who complained, yes complained, about the ‘younger generation’. Though when asked what they are doing for them, about the ONLY answer I heard is “our Federation subsidizes their Birthright trip”. Now this is well and good. And I, for one, know the money is well spent; I also strongly believe we are beginning to see the pay-off for this investment and it will only grow.

But the ‘old rules’ no longer apply. Whether it’s a traditional Synagogue membership or the entrenched leadership style in far to many places that shuts out this younger demographic, large parts of our community are ignoring this new group. It’s already a problem and will continue to fester.

Is your coffee getting cold? There is still time to reheat, but time’s running out. This generation is already creating their own agenda.

Pretty soon, you will want a seat at their table.

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In light of the security situation in Sderot and the Gaza perimeter, the Jewish Agency is giving $1.7 in scholarships to the Sapir College in Sderot. The scholarships of $1000 each will be given to 1,700 students studying at the college. The funds were raised by the UJC.

This significant assistance for the college will help Sapir continue to function and grow. The scholarships will be available in the coming weeks to students currently enrolled.

Hundreds of students receiving scholarships are also involved with volunteer work in the local community, particularly assisting children and young people.

According to JAFI Chairperson Zeev Bielski

“the best answer to the murderous attacks on the college is to support the college by providing an incentive for students to continue studying there. The Jewish Agency and the donors abroad will continue to invest in the area in order to fortify the resolve of the residents, ease their conditions and encourage growth and development.”

Be sure to also check out the UJC’s blog, Voices from Sderot.

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One of the biggest conversations in the Jewish world today is the interaction between the Diaspora and Israel. Or, if you are sitting on this side of the ocean, between Israel and the Diaspora.

Therefore, with JAFI Board Members beginning to congregate in Jerusalem for their upcoming meetings, it was no surprise that a closed-door session at the Prime Minister’s Office late Wednesday, was leaked to the press last night in time to be THE headline splashed across the Israeli press this morning (this one from JPost)…

Olmert’s task force aims to revolutionize Israeli-Diaspora ties;

“U.S. Jewry is in crisis, and we can help”

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has established an unprecedented high-level government task force charged with fundamentally altering the Israel-Diaspora relationship.

The new task force heralds a revolutionary change, officials in the Prime Minister’s Office said, in that it will seek ways in which Israel can begin to invest in the Diaspora, rather than remaining merely the recipient of Diaspora aid.

“This prime minister knows Diaspora Jewry well,” said a Prime Minister’s Office official familiar with the meeting, which was kept secret until now. “Olmert understands that Israel has a problem in its relationship with the Diaspora: it’s mainly one-way, and Israel campaigns as the poor, weak party. But now US Jewry is in a crisis of identity, of intermarriage. We see it and we feel it, if nowhere else, in the cash flow.”

According to the official, Olmert believes…

“Israel doesn’t really need the [Diaspora] money. Israel can defend itself on its own, can fortify itself without help, can build community centers on its own.“

Asked why no Diaspora Jews were present in the meeting, one official said, “This was on purpose. We’re still figuring out what Israel wants. We can’t begin a dialogue until we know what we want ourselves… But everyone agreed there is a need for a new direction, which is no small thing with organizations like the WJC and WZO. Once we have a concrete plan, we plan on opening a dialogue with Diaspora Jewry. This is all meant to be done together.”

for the complete JPost article, click here and a JPost editorial on the subject, here

So, with the JAFI Board preparing to officially convene on Sunday morning, besides discussing budget shortfalls and a cash crunch, Diaspora leaders can ponder Olmert’s most recent move. All this I’m certain behind closed doors and not in the ‘public’ forums.

Shabbat Shalom form Jerusalem.

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It’s sleeting (here) in Jerusalem; the Winograd Committee is set to deliver their final report later this afternoon and I would like to share some thoughts on a session I attended last week at the Herzliya Conference.

The session was billed as, ‘Rethinking Jewish Philanthropy – Interrelations between Israel and the Diaspora’. A more apt title would have been, ‘An Infomercial from JAFI and the N.Y. Federation’.

I really should not complain. For the first time ever the subject of Jewish Philanthropy has reached the table at the Herzliya Conference. And however brief (only 45 minutes) and the only session I attended that did not allow follow-up questions, or comments, at least there was a presence.

For four long days Israel’s security was addressed; as was the upcoming Winograd Report and a nuclear Iran. What John Bolton had to say and Ehud Barak didn’t made the front page of every Israeli paper. The participants came from multiple continents and most sides of the Israeli political and academic worlds. The worldwide Jewish press was in attendance. But unlike 2003 when then Prime Minister Sharon announced his ‘Disengagement Plan’, there was no new news.

Still, the very fact that the topic of Jewish Philanthropy was on the agenda for such a high level gathering marks a notable achievement; one that I hope continues in the future.

However, given the opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities the session title suggested, what did we get? Did anyone rise to the challenge?
I, for one, think not; and was definitely disappointed.

From Zeev Bielsky, we received a pep talk on JAFI. Now don’t get me wrong; I like Zeevik and enjoy listening to him. More important, he has built upon what Sallai Meridor started and has made JAFI both more responsive and transparent. This is good and long overdue. He does recognize the connection between Israel and the Diaspora is undergoing dramatic change. And he definitely recognizes that here in Israel, Israelis are taking responsibility for what is happening. How much of this is the cause, and how much the effect of the changes taking place between our communities is open to question, but this is not what is important. What counts is how JAFI leverages this knowledge.

And with the largest single visible change in years having recently played out (the new strategic partnership between JAFI and The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews) why was nary a word said on this current topic? Avoidance will not make the naysayers go away.

Then we come to John Ruskay. Over the years I have been to the G.A. and quite a few B.O.G. meetings of the Jewish Agency. This is where one expects to hear an infomercial; in Herzliya, we needed more. John’s presentation was so PR oriented that even Gary Rosenblatt, sitting at a diagonal to me, couldn’t think of one word of John’s to include in his column on the conference. And this, from the Editor of a major publication, in the Federation’s own ‘backyard’ and a city that calls itself home to so many Jewish organizations.

In fairness, I will say that in the last 90 seconds or so of his 14 minute presentation, almost as an afterthought, John did bring up three points worthy of mention to consider:

• “Birthright” (Taglit) and “Masaa”
• Curriculum, formal and informal, to enrich a shared collective Jewish identity
• Should we develop a “Jewish service corps” including Israeli and Diaspora participants to strengthen the Jewish world

The third speaker, Avi Noar, a successful Israeli entrepreneur and philanthropist, was the only speaker to not stray from the session’s objective. By equating the philanthropy of his family foundation with social investment, he may be taking a page from the corporate world, but he is certainly bringing a new perspective to the forefront in our world of Jewish philanthropy and responsibility.

According to Avi, “…There is no justification for investment that does not have a measurable and provable return…”. Straight from an undergraduate textbook, but a guiding principal missing in so many of our organizations.

Perhaps the most engaging comment of Avi’s was his question, “should Israelis invest in world Jewry?”
If this was not laying the groundwork for ‘rethinking’, at least here in Israel, nothing was.

So, where do we travel from here? As I indicated earlier, the fact this session made an appearance is a very good thing. Perhaps the Conference organizers will give it a stronger voice next year. Perhaps the independent Van Leer Institute, or some other academic institution, will pick up the ball and run with it (that being a serious academic conference on Jewish philanthropy). It is overdue and needed.

During the session immediately preceding this, titled, ‘Trends in the Connection of the Diaspora’s Young Generation to Israel’, Professor Lenoard Saxe of Brandeis, in speaking about the challenges and opportunities for our Jewish community with Birthright Alumni, said “Institutions Must Adapt or Be Replaced”. All of the speakers at the Rethinking Jewish Philanthropy session were in the room;

I hope they were paying attention.

photo source: The Jerusalem Post
note: I tried for a Conference follow-up with both John Ruskay and Zeev Bielsky. John is M.I.A., he did not respond to requests. As for Zeev, JAFI’s press officer responded, “will do my best”. I’m still waiting.

copyright 2008; you may include any individual eJewish Philanthropy post in your blogs, on-line publications, personal web sites, and non-profit web pages, as long as you include a link back to eJewish Philanthropy.

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Facing Internal Unrest, the UJC is taking flak from an “Insider Blog“.

On the heels of yesterday’s upbeat announcement on 2007 fundraising income comes public word of the dissension that has been brewing in the UJC/Federation system.

In a front page article in this week’s Forward, (the) “UJC has been criticized as ineffective and inefficient almost since its formation in 1999 through a merger of three predecessor agencies, the United Jewish Appeal, United Israel Appeal and Council of Jewish Federations. UJC’s current president and CEO, Howard Rieger, has attempted, since taking office in 2005, to restructure and streamline the agency, but his tenure has been marked by turmoil.”

“The organization has also been accused of being closed and resistant to criticism. Now, however, long-rumored internal complaints are being aired in the new blog.”

“Low staff morale is a major focus of Disunited Jewish Communities, active since early last December. The blog, written in a strident tone and rife with typographical errors, discusses several topics, especially criticisms of UJC’s work environment.”

to read the complete article from today’s Forward, click here.

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The North American Jewish federation system raised $2.4 billion last year.

The system now has more than $13 billion in endowment funds. Its umbrella organization, the United Jewish Communities, made the announcement today for the system of 155 Jewish federations and 400 non-federated Jewish communities.

The UJC also collected $90 million in 2007 through the Israel Emergency Campaign and raised an additional $52 million through various supplemental giving campaigns.

“When the day is done, we all care about the bottom line,” the UJC’s president and chief executive officer, Howard Rieger, said in a news release. “Well, the bottom line for UJC and the Jewish Federations of North America during 2007 is $2.4 billion. And in many respects, that is just the beginning of what we do.”

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The Jewish Agency for Israel began a new campaign today in the Israeli press. In front page mega-sized ads they proclaim: “Keeping the promise that any Jew, every Jew, has a home in Israel.”

The interesting sidebar, JAFI’s new tagline:

As Israel’s largest and most effective nonprofit, the Jewish Agency is the leader in partnering the people of Israel with communities and donors worldwide to meet Israel’s 21st century challenges. The Jewish Agency is supported by UJC/Federations of North America, Keren Hayesod and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. (click here to see the ad)

I guess this must be part of their new marketing approach on how to seem in touch with their constituents:

“JAFI has to adapt itself to the new environment,” acknowledged Oded Salomon, director general of JAFI’s immigration and absorption department. “We must remain relevant.”

Sounding very much like a marketing executive, Salomon said the “modernization process JAFI has undergone in recent years has led the organization to pursue a much more marketing-oriented concept.”

JAFI’s home page now lists all three of the above organization’s as Our Partners.

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Perhaps, perhaps not. But one thing is certain: in their relations with both the American Jewish community and the growing and influential world of Anglo Olim, JAFI is in serious need of a spin-doctor.

I remember well two plus years ago, when Zeev Bielski, the popular and charismatic Mayor of Ra’anana, with the genuine support of the American Jewish community defeated Natan Shransky for the position of Chairman of the Agency.

Today, it seems the love affair is over.

The Jewish Agency, known in Israel simply as the Sochnut, has roots all the way back to the early years of the British Mandate. Storied earlier leaders include David Ben-Gurion. Following the establishment of the State of Israel, a quasi-government new Jewish Agency for Israel was created to facilitate economic development and the absorption of immigrants.

Today, JAFI is an organization operating in almost 80 countries on five continents with a 2008 budget in excess of $300. million.

However, like so many other organizations, JAFI operates with a deficit, partially due to cutback’s initiated by the North American Federation community. And in today’s world, this means JAFI needs to tighten up and look elsewhere for funding, reduce programs, or both. They have done a commendable job during recent years clamping down on expenses, reducing waste and generally becoming more efficient. Slowly, they are even beginning to understand the word transparency.

But, they sure seem to be making miss-steps these days. Let’s look at two front page stories this week in the English language press. (Among most Israelis, the Sochnut has become so irrelevant, the organization almost never makes the Hebrew papers).

First, appearing a few days ago in Haaretz, and echoed in America, this article:

“Jewish Agency, interfaith group deal angers U.S. community”

We all know of the major agreement announced two weeks ago between JAFI and the IFCJ where in exchange for a three year pledge of $45. million Christian supporters of Israel will sit on the Jewish Agency Board. At the time, there were virtually no unfavorable comments coming from America. Today, this seems to have all changed. According to the Haartez article,

“An agreement on increased cooperation between the Jewish Agency and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has upset many American Jewish leaders.”

Are we seeing the beginning of a backlash? The talkbacks on the Haaretz article were 100% against the agreement and have all since been removed from the paper’s website.

The only comment from JAFI when I asked for a response was,

“no pressure has been exerted on the jewish agency by its constituents following it`s agreement with the ifcj.”

Yet, and again from Haaretz,

“American Jewish leaders have not yet drafted a formal protest. However, they conveyed their objection to agency officials informally, and, as a result, the formal signing ceremony that had been scheduled for this week has been postponed.”

The UJC has not responded to a response request.

Somehow, I think we have not heard the end of the story.

On a different note, and from the front page of today’s Jerusalem Post,

“Several ulpanim expected to shut down”

This is pure dollars and cents, or more correctly skelels. In a move to save money, the government will apparently cease funding several ulpanim in March. While the closure was a decision by the Ministry of Education (”I am not denying that we are making budget cuts,” said a ministry spokeswoman) the Jewish Agency makes partial payments to most ulpan programs and is certainly in a position to exert enormous pressure. According to one recent oleh and ulpan participant,

“It does not seem logical. I don’t know how they expect us to function in society without providing us with the basic tools to survive.”

I would be very curious to hear JAFI’s response.

So, where are we? what are JAFI’s priorities for 2008? If you think they are ‘upsetting the apple cart’ by allowing IFCJ representation on their Board, the relationship as of late with western olim is an embarassment. We’ll talk about this another time.
Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.

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