Purim Spiel

For a good laugh and keen observation, read Purim '08: UJA Completes Strategic 'Sweep' at



http://thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c238_a5373/Special_Sections/Special_Holiday_Issue

Heard By the Water Fountain

...and here is what people here are talking (actually whispering) about...

• It's 2 and 1/2 years after Katrina. UJC did a great job collecting the money, deploying our professionals; a great job; an inspirational job. But when is our CEO going to stop writing and writing and writing about it?
• The Masters of Their Domain here are gathering for a meeting with the Large City Presidents and Executives today. Is there a chance that that esteemed group will finally take control of that which they own? Or is that too much to ask?
• We hear that there is the beginning of discussion of a successor CEO. Who might be in consideration?
• The "master plan" for revamping UJC Dues seems to have been vetoed somewhere among the federations. Not surprisingly, we have learned that there is no Plan B. Is there ever? Oh, wait a minute, it's "let's take over UIA."

Look Out Below!!

Welcome back. We have had to lie low for a while because the thought police have been checking "suspected bloggers" or suspected informants out-going e-mails. But, what the heck.

Everybody out of the pool. There's a fight going down in the deep end. The big boys/girls at UJC have decided to pick on the little ones at UIA for a while -- and have gone public with their takeover plans. Looks like having forced out some great pros (see our earlier Posts), now they're trying the same tricks with lay people.

We can't tell what the prize is yet but when we (or you) do, let's clue each other in.

Lay-Professional Partnerships

The JCSA, Jewish Communal Service Association of North America, is hosting a teleconference this week. Great topic -- Best Practices in Long term Partnerships Between Professional and Volunteer Leadership -- and the Session will be moderated by UJC's Vice-President, Debbi Roshfeld. The Panelists will be Audra Berg from Chicago, an Assistant V.P. Leadership Development; New York UJA-Federation's Louise Greilsheimer, Senior V.P. Agency and External Relations (and a former lay leader there) and UJC's National Campaign Chair, David Fisher.

Now, we don't know David, but we hear he is a super guy. But which Lay-professional partnership is he going to speak about? His partnership at UJC with Vicki Agron? That's over. His partnership with Gail Reiss? Over. His partnership with Eric Levine? Just begun. Now, none of these "partnerships" ended because of anything David did, certainly. As the announcement of this conference stated: "Understand the complex dynamic in building a lay-professional relationship; taking it to the next level." Well, here at UJC, it's sure "complex" and no one should better understand that than David.

We all have a lot to learn.