The most recent postings have dealt with the “Jewishness” of the Jewish non-profit organization and what contributes to characterizing it as a “Jewish non-profit organization”. In this week’s article I would like to focus on the role of the professional’s Jewish identity and practice. In every organization the policies are determined by the board and the services are delivered by the professional staff members. However, the staff members have an opportunity to both help shape the organization’s policies as well as to become the “face” of the agency in their contact with clients and members.
Historically, articles in professional journals have addressed questions like:
- What role does the Jewish identity of the professionals play in their work in Jewish communal agencies?
- Are there criteria for the knowledge base the professional should have about Judaism in order to work in a Jewish non-profit?
- Are the professionals in the Jewish organization role models and should they exemplify a Jewish life style in their own lives?
Although the questions have been posed over many years there is no consensus when it comes to answering them.
In looking forward the issues have to be clarified and perhaps decisions have to be made to implement standards that begin to address the difference between a Jewish communal professional and a communal professional who is Jewish. In my opinion a Jewish communal professional is a professional in the Jewish community who not only practices a particular professional activity – social work, teaching, rabbinics, early childhood education, caring for the elderly, etc – but also represents Jewish values and practices in both the way they work in the Jewish community and the way they live their lives.
In establishing minimal criteria for Jewish practice the Jewish community is articulating preferences for the meaning of a Jewish lifestyle in the same way they have acknowledged preferences for professional practice and behaviors in the communal agencies. Of course one can ask what right do the communal organizations have to address the personal life style of people who work for the community. Similarly there are minimal standards for ethical behavior. The community would not tolerate someone who exemplifies anti-social behaviors that are in contradiction to the values of the general community. There are also specific behaviors that can be identified as not strengthening Jewish continuity and peoplehood.
Additionally the raising of a question about establishing minimal criteria for Jewish identification can be a red flag for many people. Immediately we think about whether we have the right to require people who work for the Jewish community to live their lives in any specific way. At the same time, if we accept that Jewish professionals are role models in the community and in the organization for the volunteer leaders, other staff members, clients and members, then we need to understand the seminal role Jewish communal professionals play in the community. It is much broader than just delivering a professional service in a voluntary organization that is providing social, educational and/or health services to people in need.
The aim is not to mandate observance of one form or another form of Judaism. Rather it is setting an expectation that someone who works for the Jewish community, and is a member of the Jewish community, has a made a decision to live a Jewish lifestyle that reflects Jewish values and their own values. It is a decision that is proactive and intentional rather than being apathetic or passive. It requires Jewish professionals to make a decision as to how they want to live as a Jewish person.
In the course of their professional and personal lives Jewish communal professionals have to communicate their connection to the Jewish people and their understanding of a concept of Jewish peoplehood. Jewish peoplehood refers to what unites us as a Jewish people without respect to the form or stream of Judaism that we find meets our needs. This is reflected not only in their personal lives but also in the day to day work with the voluntary leadership and staff of the the agency.
In order to make a decision about the nature of their Jewish lifestyle Jewish professionals need to have a basic knowledge of Judaism and Jewish practice. This is another red flag. What is needed for a Jewish person to make a decision about how they want to live as a Jew has not been defined. There are enough books on a range of topics that a basic Jewish library could be assembled and Jewish professionals could be required to read these books. They could then enter a process of either making a decision about their own lives or decide to engage more seriously in Jewish learning.
Based on this journey the Jewish professional would be in a position to decide (in an intentional way) how their lifestyle reflects a commitment to the Jewish people and to working for Jewish continuity. With this basic connection to the Jewish community in terms of a professional and personal commitment the communal professional will be a Jewish communal professional.
Stephen G. Donshik, D.S.W., is a lecturer at Hebrew University’s International Leadership and Philanthropy Program and has a consulting firm focused on strengthening non-profit organizations and their leadership for tomorrow. Stephen is a regular contributor to eJewish Philanthropy.
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With respect I could not disagree more with the implications of this article. While I am sure Steve would say that there are varied and secular modes of Jewish expression the upshot of his approach is to judge by some vague standard he barely articulates the private lifestyle, the rishut hayachid, of the Jewish professional. A hiring committee has a right even an obligation to probe as to the wellsprings of my passion for my people and to insist on some level of Jewish literacy. They have no right to pass judgement on what I eat, who my lifepartner is, or whether I spend my shabbat morning in a cafe or drinking expensive scotch at a shul kiddush. By the authors standards Herzl, Brandeis, Golda and Einstein would be potentially pasul for communal service. In the 21st century Jewish identity is complex and varied and the public sphere of Jewish life, our rishut harabim, should be open and welcome to all self defined Jews of talent and good will.
There is always great reluctance, as Avi expresses, to judge our fellows. But without that judgement to some reasonable extent, we open the floodgates for Jewish professionals to be unsuitable Jewish role models…and they are role models whether they like it or not, and there is such a thing as an unsuitable role model, whether we like it or not. We don’t need a Star Chamber court or a role model police force, and that’s not what Stephen is recommending – he’s really leaving the “content” quite open, but I think he’s saying that we do need a general social-contract-type agreement that Jewish communal professionals should exemplify commonly understood values and practices of the Jewish life that they are supposed to be promoting by virtue of working in a Jewish setting. If this is not the case, then what will some future clients of our agencies think, based on the professionals they work with: That Jewish life has no norms? That Judaism requires nothing of us as Jews? At this moment we don’t have any statement of standards that I know of, but perhaps it’s time for the dialogue to begin. It won’t be easy and it may have no definitive end, but asking these questions is healthy and Stephen is to be complimented for raising the issue.
Steve opens his article by referring to three questions:
?What role does the Jewish identity of the professionals play in their work in Jewish communal agencies?
?Are there criteria for the knowledge base the professional should have about Judaism in order to work in a Jewish non-profit?
?Are the professionals in the Jewish organization role models and should they exemplify a Jewish life style in their own lives?
In regard to the first question, the galiciana in me would say that I would never hire a professional for certain positions who did not feel her or his Jewishness in their gut and was not prepared to bring that fire of peoplehood to their work.
In regard to the second, the litvak in me would always look carefully at the Jewish intellectual inquisitiveness of a potential hire.
As to the third question I’m not sure and come out a bit closer to Avi than Charlie. Basic menschlikeit, integrity and honesty aside,one person’s role model can be another person’s antithesis of a role model. I cringe thinking of what both the interview process and the deliberations of the search committee would be like. In addition, would we hold to the same standards those who serve on our boards and committees? And if not why not?
Bottom line in my thinking: a paid professional (and the many unrenumerated pro’s who sit on our boards), those who dedicate their lives and the bulk of their waking time to making our Jewish world better, are saintly enough role models for me.
gut shabbes all and thanks Steve for a challenging article.