A week ago it was JTS; this week Hadassah. Organizations continuing to put up "walls" in dealing with the press. Nancy Falchuk and three unidentified colleagues have called for a "cease-fire" in which Hadassah doctors would not grant interviews to the Israeli press in the ongoing confrontation over the departure of HMO director-general Shlomo Mor-Yosef. Actions like this just do not make the cut in a post-Madoff world. No wonder the continuing problems facing Hadassah and Young Judaea have become the single most talked about subject in Jerusalem. The JTA's weekly philanthropy newsletter had this to say today: "In light of the circumstances, the hospital employees decided to call on the Board of Directors to be replaced so that it is made up of persons who understand the culture and … Continue Reading
Year Courses Battle in the Media
from The Jewish Week: Battle of the Israel Programs Keith Berman, who resigned suddenly from his post as director of Hadassah’s Young Judaea Year Course at the end of December, is in the hot seat for planning another long-term Israel program while still on Hadassah’s payroll. The Feb. 1 launch of Aardvark Israel, a nine-month program that will take place in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and offers such enticing add-ons as a trek on the Israel Trail, a Kenyan safari and skiing in Bulgaria, shocked professionals involved in Israel programming. In interviews with the Israeli media and in heated exchanges on the Internet, Berman’s detractors assert that his actions were unethical and possibly illegal. ... Berman’s supporters, in contrast, insist that a high-quality program will … Continue Reading
Former Young Judaea Head Launches Rival Year Program
from the front page of today's The Jerusalem Post: Former Young Judaea head launches rival year program Former Young Judaea Year Course director Keith Berman, who announced his resignation from the organization last month, has launched a new “year in Israel program” for teens Monday aimed at stirring up competition for long-term programs here and making such experiences more affordable to young Diaspora Jews. “Many charities have very large overheads and bureaucracy that does not need to exist,” Berman, who ran Young Judaea’s wildly successful year program for the past decade, told The Jerusalem Post in an exclusive interview. “We will run our new program with much less overhead.” ... More importantly, Aardvark Israel will offer a very competitive price likely to lower the … Continue Reading
Young Judaea’s Gap Year: Changing Direction?
from Haaretz: Some hoping new director will revert Young Judaea course to simpler times Expectations are high for the new leader of the largest gap year program in Israel, with some hoping he will reverse the expansionary path of Young Judaea Year Course's outgoing director. ... In recent months, Hadassah, which counts Young Judaea as its official youth movement, has made massive cuts to the organization's budget and was forced to sell two buildings - Young Judaea's new youth hostel in Jerusalem's Givat Masua neighborhood and Merkaz Hamagshimim, a community center for immigrants in the capital's German Colony. Both institutions moved to the capital's Baka neighborhood. Numbers of participants are down as well: This year, the program has 312 participants signed up, compared to 540 in … Continue Reading
Key Staff Resignations at Young Judaea and Hadassah
from The Jerusalem Post: Key directors resign from Young Judaea American Jewish youth movement Young Judaea and its long-running sponsor, Hadassah Women's Organization, suffered another blow Wednesday following the resignation of key staff member, YJ/FZY Year Course Director Keith Berman. Berman's decision to leave Young Judaea after more than 20 years with the movement closely follows the resignation of its director, Rabbi Ramie Arian, who is scheduled to step down in the coming weeks. It also comes after a slew of staff firings in Israel and cutbacks to key aspects of the Year Course program. ... In the US, shrinking resources have also forced the youth movement to scale back on its regional gatherings for members and even close down one of its West Coast summer camps. These camps are … Continue Reading
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