Against the background of today’s economy and the continuing Mid-East crisis, the spring quarterly board and national committee meetings of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds (CJF) were held here at the Fairmont Hotel where Jewish communal leaders and Federation executives from North America assessed the full range of concerns and priorities of their communities at home, overseas, and in Israel. Participating were more than 200 representatives from some 65 Jewish communities throughout the United States and Canada with a large contingent from the Southern region.
Among the highlights of the meetings last month was a report on the present status of community federated campaigns which, as of the end of February, have raised almost $230 million for local, national and worldwide Jewish needs.
On two major issues of deep Federation concern considered by the Community Planning Committee, the following actions were taken: in the matter of “Local Resettlement of Soviet Jews,” the creation of a broad-based national committee to involve local Federation leadership with key agencies (such as United Hias Service, Jewish Welfare Board, United Jewish Appeal, Jewish Occupational Council, National Council of Jewish Women) was approved to coordinate services, costs and staff, mobilize volunteers, help in shaping community understanding; as well as to refine the process of matching job skills with local placements for the newcomers, and to start a process of “interpreting the American and general Jewish community” to them before they leave Europe.
In its review of the “Impact of the Recession on Jewish Communal Services,” Federations were urged to seek out fresh funding sources, in particular governmental, and to be open to more intensified service needs, new clients and to maintain an ongoing review of their agency’s programs.
At the meeting of the Overseas Services Committee, Max M. Fisher, chairman of the Jewish Agency board of governors, reported that the Agency’s budget has had to be cut from $750 million to $500 million.
JEWISH EDUCATION AND CULTURE
The newly-constituted National Planning Committee for Jewish Education and Culture explored effective means for the development of comprehensive national services and leadership in the field that takes into account existing organizational structures. The core agencies to be involved include: American Association for Jewish Education, Institute for Jewish Life, National Foundation for Jewish Culture, and collateral agencies such as the National Jewish Welfare Board as well.
The committee’s timetable looks to have its proposals for an integrated and coordinated national approach shaped within 30 days, available for community review and reaction before the summer and ready for consideration by the General Assembly in November.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
