Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Not A Rumor...continued

Yesterday, the CEO convened an all-staff meeting to redeliver the bad, bad news that a Budget reduced to $37 million will result in major staff cuts but UJC will "help" those who will lose their jobs. No mention of what salary and benefit cuts top management will be incurring in this process. Our bet is none; what's yours?

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Questions

Just two questions, not four:




  1. Has the National Campaign Chair really decided not to accept a second year (after significant pressure to accept another term)? And, if so, why? And was he told not to go public with his decision? And, if so....

  2. Has another UJC Senior woman professional tendered he resignation? And, if so, why? (Has any lay leader here any interest in "why" or in the bigger question, why does UJC appear to be so inhospitable to women professionals?)

Just asking if anyone cares about what is going on here.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Not A Rumor!!

OK, we'll keep this brief.

The staff here received an e-mail last night directly from the President and CEO -- it's so rare that we hear from him it's a shanda. He directs us to keep on trucking even though our jobs are now at risk. And, why are they at risk? Because those mean old Large City Executives are demanding a big budget cut -- yeah, it's their fault. This is no Harry Truman writing us.

So, maybe the President and CEO will also consider cutting his compensation first. Yeah, sure.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

The Latest Rumor at 111

Continuing a pattern of inconsistency, the hallways here at 111 Eighth Avenue are abuzz.

Rumor (and we acknowledge that this is only a rumor) has it that the Big Poobah Chair of the UJC Board has given orders that what was Renaissance & Renewal then changed in the big Reorganization one year ago to the Jewish Peoplehood Initiative be wholly transferred to JESNA!! The Chair seems to think that that National Agency, which he Chaired prior to his demotion to our Chair, is better equipped to carry on this work and avoid duplication. Many here are wondering how, if this rumor is true, Boston's brilliant Barry Shrage, whose "baby" Renaissance & Renewal was, will react. Should be fun to watch.

Of course, any such transfer of responsibility would presumably save budget and, thereby dues, and we have also heard that the Large Cities have demanded a budget for dues purposes of no more than $37 million. How convenient.

Remember as this all unfolds that Renaissance & Renewal was one of the "pillars" on which UJC was initially constructed. Is it possible that the Chair can merely issue orders on a matter of such importance? Probably.

Monday, April 7, 2008

WOE ARE US!!

We have some wonderful correspondents, as we have noted in earlier Posts, but, in the event any of you know one of our correspondents -- fromwhereisat -- please get that person admitted to the appropriate facility. In a little less than one month's time, this commentator has gone from incoherent to bonkers. Let us review:

On February 28: Dear Anonymous, As a former UJC "professional" myself, I must say I disagree with your characterization about the nature of "how UJC professionals have been forced out of their jobs after years of service>"

In fact, after reading your blog, I wonder if we both really worked for the same organization!

Do you really believe that UJC had a successful/innovative marketing department under the stewardship of Gail Hyman and Fran (sic) Sommers? Or (sic) that the campaign/FRD department under Mrs. Agron's leadership added value to the organization and system as a whole? (ed, We did, but that wasn't our point was it?)

If so, what data support (sic) your claim?

During my unpleasant tenure at UJC, I came to exactly the opposite conclusions and ...these and other departures were if anything, too little, too late.

Hmmm, let's see...

during "years of service," these senior professionals collected very generous salaries (which, let's not forget, are culled from donors' (sic) contributions) while national campaigns stagnated and the donor base actually SHRANK.

....In my experience, the vast majority of UJC's "professionals (especially those whose departures you lament on this blog) were uncreative, unmotivated, afraid of change, and ANYTHING but assets to the system as a whole.

And as far as Howard Rieger goes, my major criticism is that these changes were, as I said earlier, too little, too late.

....Although, knowing how the North American Jewish Federation system seems incapable of embracing visionary and dramatic change (ed, you just have to love this excerpt from a weekly View) as typified by your expressed views, I doubt that greater change would have been possible..."

OK, markedly incoherent, certainly personally nasty. Then, one week later:

With all due respect to this anonymous author, I don't believe for a second that "UJC boys/girls" is who he/she says they are..."

Fine, think what you will. Unfortunately, he/she went on 4 days later" ostensibly responding to another commentator on our Blog:

Yes, "Committed to Community," it seems to me this "anonymous" blogger (ed, that's us!!) has admitted to lying about his/her identity (ed, not yet we haven't).

It was completely obvious to me that this person is not a junior-level UJC staffer, but a disgruntled (fired) senior executive or volunteer.

I'm not sure whether pity or opprobrium is more deserved.

Surely, this blogger has a legitimate right to voice their opinion and dissent, but to do so in a misleading and dishonest manner is shameful. (ed, all this in response to a post on Lay-Professional Partnerships)

Then, fromwhereisat went silent. We thought maybe locked away in an appropriate institution. But, no.on March 21:

Here's (sic) a question for you:

since you've already admitted to lying about your identity, why don't you drop the charade?

It is painfully obvious that you are NOT a junior staffer at UJC, but rather a disgruntled, marginalized, national volunteer or one of the incompetent "esteemed professionals (haha)" that were let out to pasture much, much too late.

I check this blog from time to time out of some perverse interest in seeing a formerly "dignified" leader (RW?) dig themselves a deeper and deeper hole of obvious deception and self-inflicted shame.

Well, we can't wait for more. Not knowing who we are has clearly driven fromweherisat insane. We are sorry for that...but only that.

boys/girls