REINVENTING NORTH AMERICAN JEWISH COMMUNAL STRUCTURES The Crisis of Normality

JEFFREY R. SOLOMON, PH.D. President, The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, New York

The author played a central role in the complex merger ofthe Council of Jewish Federations (CJF), the United Jewish Appeal (UJA), and the United Israel Appeal (UIA) that resulted in the creation of the United Jewish Communities (UJC) in 1999. Dr. Solomon chronicled that process in an incisive article in the Fall/Winer 1999 edition of the Joumal of Jewish Communal Service. He concluded that the success or failure of the UJC would depend, in large measure, on "professionals and volunteers who are committed to the risks of change. " With the publication o/"The Crisis of Normality,"Z?r. Solomon begins to assess the future of this critically important communal structure in Jewish life in North America and, indeed, throughout the Jewish world.

basic hypothesis underscores much of 1. The Jewish community was affluent. Ahis analysis of the oiganized American 2. Jews self-identified as Jews. Jewish community scene today: The leorga- 3. As such, they felt a sense of insecurity nization that resulted in the creation of the caused by anti-Semitism in society, mani­ Unhed Jewish Communities and the dissolu­ fested by quotas and glass ceilings and tion ofthe United Jewish Appeal, Council of essential risks to Jews in different parts of Jewish Federations, and United Israel Appeal the world. is the first Jewish organizational change cre­ 4. There was an organic connection to na­ ated from non-events. Today's crisis is that tion-building in Israel, both fot the gloiy we have no crisis. Normalcy has emerged in of the stmggle and as an insuiance policy the American Jewish community as a blessing fot Diaspora Jews feeling vulnerable after of Ameiican and Jewish life. the Holocaust. Yet, the resolution of the crises of the late 5. There was comfort with making a single IQ"" and much ofthe 20* cenmry is iionically, gift to the "community" and letting com­ the greatest crisis that American Jewish orga­ munity leadeiship decide how best to di­ nization life faces today. By any standards, vide the gift among competing needs, Jews have achieved success. As has been following fiom the traditions of the often observed, when Jews succeed, Judaism Kehillah. suffers. We do best when we are mobilizing 6. Theie were vety few secular organiza­ for action. The pressing issues in American tional options because Jews were not Jewish life today are less uniquely Jewish and readily welcome into the leadership ofthe more typical of other Ameiican subgroups great universities, museums, and hospi­ than ever before. tals. Indeed, Jews built their own such Six conditions led to the enormous success institutions. of American Jewish organization life, espe­ cially philanthropy. Of these six conditions, only the first re­ mains tme—the community continues to be an affluent one. However, assimilation into American society has eaten away at the self- Presented as the Arnulf Pins Memorial Lecture at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, March 5,2000. identity of Jews. The community's very suc-

147 Journal of Jewish Communal Service / 148 cess has diminished the sense of insecurity. tions always had local autonomy. Indeed, The very universities that had Jewish quotas a they could choose to earmark as much or as generation or two ago have Jewish presidents little of their funds for overseas needs as theh today. Few Jews in the world are at risk. indigenous leadership chose. In the decade Recent research demonstrates that the con­ prior to the merger, the overseas share of the nection to Israel is weakening, especially aggregate annual campaign—that going to among younger Jews who did not experience the Jewish Agency for Israel and the JDC— either the Holocaust or an Israel constantly on dropped from 55 percent to 38 percent. The the brink of survival. Individuals want to reasons for diminishing support for overseas follow their philanthropy to end-point deci­ are rooted in the history of the federation sion making. While federation annual cam­ movement and of organized Jewish philan­ paigns in the last decade have lost more than thropy in the United States. Federations are one-third of their buying power and are flat, more than 100 years old, having started in donor-participatory campaigns, tiiose in which Boston in 1895; federations in Cleveland, donors retain the ability to advise on the use of Baltimore, St. Louis, and Milwaukee were their gift, have increased in the federation estabhshed in the next ten years. system alone by some 186 percent in the same While Jews from Spain and Portugal ar­ ten years. Finally, secular organizations out­ rived very early in the colonial history of the side the Jewish community are capturing two- United States, the first significant migration thirds of Jewish giving, up from one-third just occurred in the 1840s from Germany. These a generation ago. Jewish philanthropists domi­ Jews thrived within the context of American nate the nation's great arts, educational, and freedom as successful merchants, bankers, health care institutions. and professionals. With the 1880s came the beginning of an influx of Eastem European BRIEF HISTORY OF THE Jews, characterized by greater religiosity and PREDECESSOR ORGANIZATIONS adherence to Old World customs, massive immigrant poverty, and associated social dys­ To appreciate fully the paradigmatic shift function. The established German Jews cre­ emerging in Jewish organizational life, an ated settlement houses, hospitals, clinics, analysis of the creation of United Jewish Com­ homes for the aged, children's services and a munities (UJC) from the United Jewish Ap­ range of programs to meet the needs of their peal (UJA), Council of Jewish Federations co-rehgionists. As described by Hertzberg (CJF) and United Israel Appeal (UIA) is in (1989, p. 182): order, beginning with some background in­ formation about the predecessor organiza­ Though the German Jews were almost unani­ tions. mous in regarding themselves to be a different The United Jewish Appeal, organized just breed, they were also very nearly one of mind after Kristallnachtin 1938, operated in behalf in accepting responsibilities for the Russian ofthe Jewish Agency for Israel and the Ameri­ Jews. This concern was only part a form of can Jewish Joint Distiibution Committee self-defense against the anti-Semites, as a way (JDC). Indeed, UJA was owned by the United of keeping these Russian Jews from being too Israel Appeal in behalf of the Jewish Agency embarrassing. There was an element of want­ and the JDC via a corporate stmcture in which ing to behave, and to be seen to behave, in the these were the sole two members of the UJA way expected of 'better people' in the America corporation. The Council of Jewish Federa­ of the last decades of the 19'* century. tions, organized in 1932, was a membership organization of the federations throughout Begiiuiing in the 1890s, local federations the United States. These federations, raised developed as the centtal fundraising, plan­ funds for both local needs and overseas needs. ning, and allocating agencies to meet these It is poorly understood that the 188 federa­

SPRING/SUMMER 2001 Reinventing North American Jewish Communal Structures / 149 needs. Federations emerged in newer com­ pean Kehillah, the local federation. munities as Jews settled in areas other than The formation of the United Jewish Ap­ large Eastem and Midwestem cities. While peal in 1938 followed the trauma of distinctly separate from synagogues and Kristallnacht. Clearly, the American Jewish yeshivot, the federations became the Jewish community had to mobilize to help Jews in communities' health and social service net­ Eutope and in Palestine. In many communi­ work. They also became very effective ties, federations became the vehicles for this fundraising agencies, raising millions of dol­ help as they evolved into local United Jewish lars annually as early as the beginning of the Appeals. In other communities it took far twentieth century. longer. In New York, for example, the UJA of Daniel Elazar (1995, p. 2) argues that it is New York raised money for overseas needs precisely the development of federations that for six months of each year starting in the defines American Jewish life. spring, and the Federation of Jewish Philan­ thropies raised money for local needs for the To know American Jewry as a force and as a other six months beginning in the fall. In factor in Jewish life or Jewish history is only in 1973 as the federation campaign for local a limited way a matter of intermarriage statis­ needs held its opening dinner just after Yom tics or demographic trends. More concretely, it Kippur, the Israeli-Arab realities instantly is a matter of how those Jews who choose to be created the impetus for the final merger. It Jews, act collectively to achieve Jewish goals, was the Yom Kippur War that was the ulti­ how the American Jewish community has over­ mate catalyst for the leaders of the Federation come the problems of a beneficent post eman­ and UJA to agree to a combined campaign. cipation existence to define Jewish goals for Yet, differences between the UJA and federa­ itself and build the inshtutions needed to achieve tion leadership, culmre, and approach were so those goals. significant and deep that thirteen years passed before these two organizations agreed to fi­ In 1918, as the JDC was dealing with nally merge and to create a unified UJA- European Jewish communities devastated in Federation in 1986. the wake of World War I, federations assisted United Israel Appeal was established as a by mnning separate overseas campaigns, technical bridge between the American which yielded millions of dollars. At that fundraising organizations and the Jewish time, they did not see these overseas Jewish Agency to provide careful compliance with relief efforts as part of their core mission and all tax and govemmental regulations insofar so did not integrate them into their core opera­ as U.S. tax-exempt funds were being used for tions. The competition between local needs charitable purposes in a foreign country. UIA' s and overseas needs continued as American role broadened to become an advocate for the Jews debated Zionist, anti-Zionist, and non- Jewish Agency within UJA and with the U.S. Zionist approaches to Jewish statehood in govemment. Palestine. The federation leadership in vari­ The pressure to merge the national organi­ ous communities was involved equally in zations grew in the 1990s. To be successful, these three streams of activities relating to however, the merger had to reconcile their pre-state Palestine. Other organizations disparate organizational cultures. emerged to deal with the difficulties of anti- UJA was seen as a group of generals with­ Semitism and the rights of Jews in American out an army. As strong advocates for overseas society: the American Jewish Committee, the needs, its leadership would move quickly to American Jewish Congress, and the Anti- meet a range of needs as they arose. Its Defamation League to name three. Yet, the effectiveness in 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973 largest share of funds being raised related to are the subject of legend. Its organization of the American version of the Eastem Euro­ a billion-dollar Operation Exodus campaign

SPRING/SUMMER 2001 Journal of Jewish Communal Service / 150 to help support the aliyah of Soviet Jewry is Chanukah: The Changing Holiday Practices an extraordinary achievement. Yet, revenues of American Jews, 1880-1950." It observes of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Joint that Jewish cultural adaptation of religious Distribution Committee were declining at the rituals resulted in the emergence of new and same time as total American financial support redeveloped Hanukah celebrations as an al­ for Israeli institutions was growing. No care­ ternative to the dominant Christmas-observ­ ful analysis of and action plan relating to the ing American culture. There was the need to changing donor market were developed, create romance in Jewish hohdays to offset the seductive nature of the majority culture. MORE AMERICAN THAN JEWISH Denominational switching is characteris­ tic of Jewish life in the United States, reflect­ To understand the dynamics of the philan­ ing the choice inherent in the American way thropic change, one has to appreciate the of life. changes that were taking place within the United States and within the hves of Jews in Overall, 44% of American Jewish adults have the United States. In a recent study, Stephen switched from the denomination of their child­ M. Cohen (1998, p. 6) concludes that these hood to another as an adult. This frequency of traditionally interwoven religious and ethnic change is somewhat more than 15 to 35% aspects of Jewish identity have been split. higher than that reported for white Protestants....The proportion who are Ortho­ Several pieces of evidence point to the decline dox Jews has declined considerably, with 22% of the ethnic aspect of American Jews, Juda­ reporting being raised Orthodox and only 6% ism, and Jewishness. Among these are the rise declaring it is a current choice. Although the in intermarriage, a decline in in-group friend­ popular media have claimed there is a retum to ship, and the geographic dispersal of the Jew­ Orthodoxy among American Jews, the data do ish population, both within metropolitan re­ not support such a claim...The proportion gions and across the United States. On all these who prefer Conservative Judaism appears rela­ levels Jews are maintaining fewer ties with one tively stable (around 40%). However, the another. In other areas, Jewish membership appearance of stability belies changes in the organizations report aging and declining con­ composition ofthe Conservative population. It stituencies. Moreover, informed observers results from the fact that the Conservative sense weakening enthusiasm for Israel....At denomination has gained enough adherents the same time, indicators of specifically reli­ from among those reared as Orthodox to offset gious involvement seem to be holding their its losses to the Reform denomination (some own, if not, in some cases increasing. Among 28% of current Conservative Jews were raised these are memberships in synagogues, enroll­ Orthodox; the same percent switched from ment in Jewish day schools, adult study of Conservative to Reform). The major benefi­ classic Jewish text, as well as publication and ciary of Jewish interdenominational movement reading of books in Jewish spirituality, theol­ has been the Reform denomination. While just ogy, and religious practice, possibly even 26% of survey respondents report being raised amounting to a flowering of American Jewish Reform, 39% claim this denominational pref­ intellectual life, specifically in areas under the erence as adults in 1990 {American Jewish religious rubric (Cohen, 1998, p. 6, author's Yearbook, 1997, p. 125). emphasis).

Jews as individuals in American society New religious rituals have emerged to re­ reflect American culture in every way, in­ flect the realities of livmg in America. In his cluding their organizational affiliations and 1992 work, The Uses of Tradition: Jewish the demands that they make of those organi­ Continuity in the Modern Era, Jack zations. As the majority of American Jews Werthheimer includes an article, "Merry

SPRING/SUMMER 2001 Reinventing North American Jewish Communal Structures / 151 reach the third, fourth, and fifth generation of bly" that was heralded at the time? By the American life, Jews appear more American third year of collective responsibility for re­ than Jewish. settlement, the compliance rate with this vol­ untary reallocation of resources for resettle­ FORCES FOR CONSOLIDATION ment was only 45 percent. An earlier effort to create an Instimte for Jewish Life by CJF also At the same time as Jews were becoming failed to produce the necessary resources. increasingly integrated into American soci­ The push for consolidation stemmed largely ety, the dysfunctionality of the national orga­ from the major communities, which felt a nizations was becoming more apparent. J.J. strong sense of frustration with an unaligned Goldberg, in his classic work, Jewish Power: group of national entities that used substantial Inside the American Jewish Establishment resources with little added value. Local fed­ (1996, p. 353), describes the gap between the erations, led by New York and Chicago, de­ image and reality of the UJA. manded more from their national organiza­ tions and mmed that demand into concrete For a half century, the United Jewish Appeal political action, driving for serious organiza­ has been a central engine driving all the other tional change. parts ofthe machine called the organized Ameri­ It took five years from the call for a serious can Jewish community....The reality of the organizational self-study to the acmal con­ UJA does not match the image, however. Most solidation, which is likely the most compli­ of the money credited to the UJA Federation cated merger in the history of American non­ campaign is actually raised by local federations profit organizations. As expected, there was that are only loosely affiliated to the United serious resistance to it. To achieve the orga­ Jewish Appeal. From its New York headquar­ nizational resttucmre required these changes: ters, the UJA offers to federation its guidance and encouragement, and it helps to craft a the two overseas beneficiaries gave up their unified image for each year's campaign; indi­ rights of ownership of the United Jewish vidual federations may follow the UJA's cam­ Appeal; the boards of the United Jewish Ap­ paign theme or not, as they choose. The UJA peal, United Israel Appeal, and Council of also lobbies the individual federations to send Jewish Federations voted themselves out of in as large a share of their revenue as they can business; and the boards of two-thirds of the spare for the use of the two overseas relief 188 federations accepted the creation of the agencies, the Joint and Jewish Agency, which new organization with the privileges and re­ technically own the UJA... .Despite its outsized sponsibilities of ownership, including com­ image as a massive organization with tentacles plicated and carefully developed govemance spread to every corner of the Jewish world, the stmcmres. In many ways, the consolidation fact is that the UJA itself is primarily a speakers process reflected the democratic namre of bureau and cheering section for a diffuse, de­ American organization life as thousands of centralized Jewish welfare process. copies ofthe 273-page "Merger Book" were distributed from Toronto to Hawaii and from Florida to Alaska. In a 60-day period starting Goldberg goes on to describe the effort of in Febmary 1999, the boards of these many the Council of Jewish Federations to create organizations took formal action, with the continental responsibility at the time of a legal stmcmre approved and an interim gov­ large migration of Jews from the former So­ emance and management system put in place viet Union to the United States. He notes that that April. Final ratification of all interim for the first time, a national Jewish otganiza­ actions and the first formal meetmgs of the tion won the power to tax local Jewish com­ boards ofthe new entity. United Jewish Com­ munities and make centralized decisions in munities, took place at the General Assembly their name. Yet, did CJF in fact achieve the in Atianta in November 1999. sense of parliament and "taxpayers assem­

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CHALLENGES OF ZF^-CENTURY ing an Israel at risk are no longer relevant to AMERICAN JEWISH LIFE the contemporary scene. While there has been enormous success in building first-rate As Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg has pointed local Jewish institutions to meet the health out, American Jewish organizational life was and social service care needs of the popula­ built upon a mobilization concept for Jewish tion, the overall affluence of the American defense—locally and overseas. As the mobi­ Jewish community results in this achieve­ lization mandate and needs diminish, and the ment having less of the mobilizing effect than defense posture is less resonant, we must it might have had in the past. While Jewish retum to the question. What are our values as communal professionals and involved Jewish an American Jewish community, as part of a lay leaders decry the dangers of assimilation, global Jewish people, and as an important that alone does not have a great fundraising component of a voluntary system of civil appeal to the American Jewish community, society? The ability to mobilize to meet an most of whose members are very content extemal threat diminished even in the six- living in the two worlds of assimilated Juda­ year period from 1967 to 1973; fundraising ism and free America. efforts in the wake of the Yom Kippur War were much less successfiil than they were in Change in Donors 1967. Critical trends in the larger American society and withm the Jewish community Today's donors, both in the Jewish and require an organizational response not based general population, are far more interested in on extemal threats but on sustaining Jewish pursuing their charitable gifts to the "end values. product" and are more questioning of the Here are ten challenges of 21st century need of umbrella organizations to distribute Jewish life. their acts of charity. Higher educational lev­ els, greater confidence, and a long-standing Structural Change in Society/Economy American belief in individual and local initia­ tive have resulted in demands for increased The information era has replaced the in­ donor decision making and less confidence in dustrial era, resulting in massive global any "federated" system. changes ranging from the fall of Communism to the world-wide hunger for market econo­ Transition in Lay leadership mies and democratic ways of life. Within the United States, these changes are seen in both The American Jewish community has been the economy and in government. There are blessed with strong lay leadership, histori­ huge consolidations in business, including cally drawn from the top entrepreneurial ranks the creation of synergies across traditional of the community. As a group, these indi­ business lines, as was recently seen in the viduals came to the Jewish communal table United States' largest merger to date, that of with great generosity in the context of sub­ Time Wamer and AOL. In the last ten years stantial wealth, resources beyond cash be­ there has been a rethinking of government's cause of the size of the companies they owned, role, taxation policy, and its competitiveness and the reach of those companies in other with market sector services. parts of the community. They possessed the The third sector, nonprofit civil society, knowledge of how to grow an enterprise and has yet to respond to these enormous changes, the ability to work with professional manage­ although that response is inevitable. ment, but they had little time to devote to volunteer work. Consequently, they wished The Shift in Needs their charitable life to reflect their corporate life, which was focused on key decisions, not Previously resonant appeals of remember­ on endless process. ing the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, and build­

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In contrast, today's lay leaders are largely bility, as demonstrated by the reduction in mid-career fee-for-service professionals and overseas support, is weak. non-working women for whom a professional In response, the merged entity is actaally career was not a choice earlier in their lives. placing the overseas beneficiaries and repre­ They have a lower level of wealth and giving sentatives of federations in the same room to and less experience in growing an organiza­ engage in needs assessment and to determine tion or working with professional manage­ core and elective needs with the expectation ment. Because time is less of an issue, the that a collective will can emerge from this corporate culmre is dominated by "process." process. However, it is too early to determine whether that collective will can be revived. Professional Challenge Diversity Professionals, especially those in leader­ ship positions, have had to acconmiodate to The leadership of the organized instita­ this change in organizational culmre. More tions of Jewish life does not look like the Jews time is spent in making sure every one is "in they ate selected to lead. The gross under- the loop." The bold professional vision and representation of women and young people in rapid professional action that characterized both lay and professional leadership circles United Jewish Appeal during its most suc­ comes at a time when diversity in the work­ cessful era are things of the past. Profession­ place is an American norm. And, it does not als have become the gatekeepers for this new go unnoticed by the amcha. Among the leadership and are often shackled by the pro­ largest forty-four fedeiations, there is only cesses demanded in their engagement; too, one woman chief executive officei, an abhoi- they frequently lack the skillset necessary to lent condition that sends a powerful message lead serious organizational change. to the laity and professionals alike. Where else in American society is there but a single "Reshtetlization" woman in the top 80 percent of revenue- producing activities? The failure to diversify With the chaos created by massive changes leadership is part of the disaffection that has in the needs, the donor marketplace, and the emeiged. leadership scene, the natural desire for ho­ meostasis and control leads many communi­ Inclusiveness ties to look inward. Consequently, we ob­ serve what I defme as a reshtetlization: a In the past, theie was a separation between voluntary drawing of borders around a com­ "synagogue" and "state," as the philanthiopic munity that defies the very essence of the vehicles seiving Ameiican Jewish life weie precept, Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh—all not integiated with synagogue or synagogal Jews are responsible one for another. To the organizations. This was an artificial separa­ degree that looking inward dominates a tion that did not align with the very organic community's policies is the degree to which natare of Judaism: "Without Torah there is no we lose our sense of peoplehood, of shared bread. Without bread there is no Torah." obligation. Although initiatives such as Creating a Jewish renaissance and assur­ Project Renewal and Partaership 2000 link ing Judaism in the context of an era of unprec­ communities, they violate some of the very edented choice require that synagogues and core principles described by Elazar (1995). representatives of the philanthropic Jewish At a time when Jewish philanthropic power world work together as full partaers. Each of would enable the creation of a system to reach the four American Jewish denominations was any Jew in need in any community in the given only one seat in the UJC trustee govern­ world, we are increasingly focused on the ing system of more than 500 delegates. This local scene. The will for collective responsi­ shortsighted strucmre is now being rectified,

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as one-third of those governing the Jewish Further, we are witnessing a national search Renaissance and Renewal Pillar of UJC are for meaning and spirituality, unparalleled in coming from the synagogue movements. recent history. Yet, while the work of our community is filled with such meaning and Quality can easily imbue spirituality, we have neither the tactics nor the language to make these One of the tme paradigms for American connections effectively for all but those few life today is that of quality. The market who devote most of their life energy to the system of capitalism has enabled all but the field. poorest American to demand and receive qual­ ity as they define it in all aspects of their lives. A CALL FOR TRANSFORMATION Yet, the Jewish community is less coimected to market-driven quality. In part because of Responding to these ten trends is the chal­ the communal (and often, monopolistic) na­ lenge faced by the nascent transformation. ture of community and in part because of its Yet, as is typical at times of chaos, command history of crisis mobilization, American Jew­ and control instincts emerge. Leadership tends ish organizations are only now beginning to to focus on doing the old better, rather than think about performance improvement as a reassessing all past assumptions and leading a component of their operations. In health care change that attempts to surf the waves of the and higher education, standards and accredi­ new environment. "Major change minimizes tation processes are built in and have been for our ability to dominate events. For a species decades. Only today are the Hillel and Jewish whose entire existence is predicated on its Community Center movements starting down ability to control its environment, the ultimate the road of quality assurance and potential nightmare is an inability to assimilate change accreditation as they recognize the power of in a world transforming itself faster by the the marketplace and the need for them to minute (Connor, 1992, p. 26). provide quality service if they are to succeed In a classic chapter, "Sacred Cows Make in an era of choice. The Federation movement the Best Burgers," in their book, If It Ain't is not even focused on this issue, and its Broke, Break It, Kriegel and Patier (1991, rhetoric is unconnected to its reality. p. 115) write ofthe risks of avoiding the new and fresh approach to a healthy corporate Welcoming Community culture.

More than a third of American Jews give Many controls and systems quickly tum into up their synagogue membership shortiy after sacred cows because we do not take the time or their son or daughter becomes Bar/Bat expend the energy to keep them new and fresh. Mitzvah. People join Jewish Community As a result, they become invisible, part of the Centers when their child needs a preschool environment, fading into the woodwork of our and disappear until an elderly parent needs a unconscious. Sacred cows are well camou­ senior center or a teen wants an after-school flaged because many of us are distracted by the program. American Jewish life is filled with pursuit of the bigger game.. .the result of 'go­ a consumerism that the Jewish community, ing along with the program' and not rounding has not yet fully understood nor to which it up our sacred cows is that we unwittingly has yet responded. Whether in supplemen­ contribute to their perpetuation, even when tary congregation-based Hebrew schools or they have far outlived their usefulness, and m adult Jewish education, the competition when you let them roam, they keep growing with more "normative" aspects of American and gnawing on your patience as well as on life calls for a welcoming philosophy that is profits and productivity. Sacred cows come in the very essence of community. Whether all shapes and sizes. Among the most common American Jewish institutions can embody the varieties are: sense of community remains to be seen.

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• Corporate Cows—Obsolete corporate communal life. With greater inclusivity, all culture those working in behalf of the common mis­ • Company Cows—Archaic, complex sion will be welcomed and treasured as col­ company policies leagues. • Departmental Cows—Divisive turf wars UJC can then build its mandate boldly • Industry Cows—Unquestioned industry­ through pursuit of a sacred vision emerging wide standard operating procedures from these core Jewish values; • Personal Cows—Unproductive routines, ruts, and habits • Tzedakah—The belief that giving is not a matter of charity or choice but a require­ Both in its development phase and in UJC s ment of justice. early months of operations, the pressure be­ • Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh—All Jews tween those who wanted to maintain homeo­ are responsible one for another. UJC must stasis, even with the environmental changes, not rest until every Jew in the world requir­ and those who wanted to change and lead in ing relief can be reached. Each day hun­ this environment, was the most interesting dreds of thousands of Jewish elders, dynamic. The UJC has succeeded in athact- whether in Baku or Brooklyn, Beersheva ing serious entrepreneurial leaders who are, in or Brazil, are helped through these collec­ fact, far more representative of the Jewish tive efforts. cotnmunity in terms of gender, age, and geog­ • Pidyon Shevuim—Redeeming the captive. raphy than was the case in the predecessor In the last decade alone, more than one organizations. The combination of the new million Jews were rescued and resettied faces, many of whom will make organiza­ from countries in which they were in physi­ tional mistakes as they strive for change, and cal or spirimal peril—the states of the the veteran leadership can help UJC trans­ Former Soviet Union, Syria, Iran, Yemen, form itself Ethiopia. UJC, in parmership with Israel, In his memoir. Roots of the Future, Rabbi must guarantee that every Jew can live free Herbert Friedman (1999, p. 368), a former from concem that their Judaism places chief executive office of UJA, states, "Long- them at risk. range goals will contribute to the mamrity of • Tikun Olam—Healing the world. The fed­ the American Jewish community and switch eration health and social service instim­ its thinking away from the question, What is tions represent the best of a compassionate this year's crisis? What are we giving our community, uplifting the lives of millions money for? There may very well be a this of Jews and non-Jews in North America year's war or immigradon or housing crisis, and, with overseas partners, around the and those must be handled. But taking the world. long view guarantees sustained, visionary at­ • Ahavat Yisrael—UJC must be dedicated to tention and I find that a strong and healthy the principle that while we as Jews, differ attimde." on much, we agree on more. We are united Therein lies the greatest opportunity for by a common memory and bound to a today' s United Jewish Communities and many common destiny. of the other organizations of American Jew­ • L'Dor V'Dor—From generation to gen­ ish life. A national Jewish agenda, which is eration. UJC must emich lives as it guar­ clear, with transparency in all aspects of op­ antees the education of our young through­ erations, and builds on collaboration with out the world to the wonders of our faith others, has the potential to tum UJC into a and our people. community of conmiunities. It will then have the inherent strength to recognize that each UJC can take the leadership in creating individual community will seek its own self- compelling Jewish life, which becomes a expression within the rich heritage of Jewish magnet encouiaging Jews to choose that life.

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To accomplish this requires a commitment to certified to be of need, merit, and quality. the creation of a mandate and a set of expec­ Donors can then fulfill their philanthropic tations for UJC that are themselves compel­ dreams within the context of community. The ling. For example, UJC must be seen as Tmst for Jewish Philanthropy, currently un­ having the highest level of integrity. It must der development as a semi-autonomous arm seek greater perfection in all its endeavors. It of UJC, has the capacity to achieve this goal, must recognize its responsibility and account­ but only if it avoids being mired in the high ability to member federations but be prepared organizational maintenance demands of to take the risks of leadership and confront today's national Jewish institutions. issues and opportunities that propel achieve­ UJC needs to help its member federations ments and aspirations. It should highlight and reinvent themselves as centers for Jewish share federation best practices on the basis of philanthropy; tiiat is, organizations that link quality alone. It must eschew bureaucracy at their sacred mission and its manifestations every level. with individual donors. Financial support UJC's agenda must be clear and measur­ should be seen in the context of a hierarchy in able and reflect the mission and values of this which the unrestricted gift is the highest form new entity. It should include the following of giving to a federation. However, it should objectives: no longer be seen as the primary form of giving. Language such as "primacy of the • supporting Aliyah from countries in which Annual Campaign" distances federations from Jews are at risk intelligent donors who seek to make a differ­ • rebuilding Jewish communities in the states ence in Jewish life but believe they should of the Former Soviet Union experience some of the responsibilities of • assisting American communities in build­ decision-making. With the increased re­ ing Jewish schools at the elementary, sources of unrestricted endowments, and the middle and high-school levels while assur­ ongoing momentum of Annual Campaigns, ing that adequate trained personnel are some of the least visible but most important available programs can and should be protected by • assuring high-quality health and social ser­ sttategic planning and allocation processes. vices in partnership with the American Some federations have developed creative govemment through a sophisticated value- solutions that capitalize on donors' desire for added approach to local federation agen­ decision-making involvement. Washington, cies for example, has developed for young • providing a meaningful living and learn­ donors a venture philanthropy fund, wherein ing experience in Israel as a gift to every each "partner" conttibutes toward a general Jewish youngster via an emerging partner­ fund designed to support new approaches to ship between a group of philanthropists Jewish challenges characterized by the will­ and the Israeh govemment; UJC should ingness to take additional risks in program lead this partnership and service development. For a number of • doing a regular needs audit of Jews at risk years, New York has had professional staff throughout the world so that the systems working with "friendly" donors and founda­ are in place to recognize the need for sup­ tions to connect them directly to projects port and be able to respond quickly when whose need is certified by the federation. necessary More recently, it has challenged donors and foundations to match gifts for specific projects. Finally, and most importantly in this era of Throughout Nortii America, many federa­ philanthropic choice, the richest opportunity tions have begun to work with local founda­ hes in UJC becoming the switching station tions with Jewish interests, better educating between donors who seek to do good and them about needs in the community. support the UJC vision and those projects

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CONCLUSION REFERENCES

In commenting on some American compa­ Cohen, Steven M. (1988). Religious stability and nies, corporate reinvention expert Michael ethnic decline. New York: Florence G. Hammer (1994) states, "When memories ex­ Heller Jewish Community Centers Associa- ceed dreams the end is near." The importance hon Research Center. of American Jewish organizational memories Connor, Daryl R. (1992). Managing at the speed is profound. Yet, the dreams of a caring, of change: How resilient managers succeed cohesive, dynamic conmiunity as a byproduct and prosper where other fail. New York: of choice in the context of freedom are no less Villard Books. profound. Goldberg, J. J. (1996). Jewish power: Inside the To achieve the potential of the organiza­ American Jewish establishment. Reading, tional change that has come about in the past MA: Addison-Wesley. year within an incredibly complex environ­ Hammer, Michael with Steven Stanton. (1994). ment, UJC must clarify its focus, obtain align­ The reengineering revolution. New York: ment of its key stakeholders, and move for­ Harper Business. ward with the intensity of a compelling cause. Hertzberg, Rabbi Arthur. (1989). The Jews in It is that cause that has been at the heart of the America: Four centuries of an uneasy en­ success of the American Jewish community. counter. New York: Simon and Schuster. It will be that same compelling cause that will Kriegel, Robert, &Patler, Louis. (1991). If it ain't assure our children and our children's chil­ broke, break it. New York: Wamer Books. dren the deep and vital successes that we have Wertheimer, Jack (Ed.). (1992). The uses of been blessed to witness in our own lifetimes. tradition: Jewish continuity in the modern era. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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