Haaretz is reporting this morning that Young Judaea in Israel to lay off staff in wake of financial crisis, Madoff scam. The highlights:
- Employees learned that a financial crisis is forcing Hadassah to cut $1 million from the YJ in Israel budget.
- Hadassah’s hospital system and college face even bigger budget slashes of $15 million and $6 million respectively
- It was also announced that over 20 employees would be let go. Members of the program’s administrative staff would be fired immediately, while educational staff would be lose their jobs at the end of the school year.
- Yesterday, instructors were informed by senior Year Course staff that the full-time faculty would be dismantled, and that starting this fall Year Course would rely on freelance teachers.
(eJP note): Despite the Year Course boasting a forty percent increase in early registration, between the staff reductions and the YJ youth hostel campus in Jerusalem for sale, it sounds like this historic and successful program is being decimated.
For more on Young Judaeas’s major cutbacks, be sure to also see our companion post, Young Judaea Makes Massive Funding Cuts.
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I really don’t know what this article is alluding to. I am the director of the Year Course program and it hardly is being decimated. Matter of fact, as usual, we are offering new and innovative programming. Year Course is an ongoing social experiment in how to inspire young adults to lead a Jewish and Zionist life. The great strength of Year Course over other programs is that we constantly revamp the program to meet the needs of today’s youth. We are continuing with this process. I for one am excited for these new opportunities. Whatever is happening in the Jewish world is not going to effect Year Course which is the jewel in the crown of Young Judaea. Keith Berman
Keith,
Perhaps if Young Judaea Israel and Hadassah in Israel would come out and on-the-record speak about what they are/are not doing we would all be better informed. As I am sure you know, in addition to what has been reported, the Anglo world of Jerusalem (among others) has been filled with great anxiety about all of Hadassah’s various initiatives here in Israel. To the best of my knowledge, your comment is the only public or official comment/statement that has been made by a representative of either organization on what is/is not happening in this country.
At the very least, Hadassah has a public relations disaster of their own making.