Delicious
Digg
Facebook
Flickr
Friendfeed
Last.fm
LinkedIn
MySpace
Reddit
Stumble Upon
Technorati
Twitter
Vimeo
YouTube
What I’ve Been Up To Lately
- mazel tov to @bluenatic and @grandstreet on the birth of their baby girl 2 weeks ago
- RT @JTownCrier: Tropper? Kolko? Margulies? Balkany? Dwek? Rubashkin? NO. Moetzes Gedolei Torah condemn AVI WEISS as more offensive. 2 weeks ago
- Rorschach from Watchmen is the new Freddy Krueger http://bit.ly/7s61Cj 2 weeks ago
- More updates...
UJC: We speak for you whether you like it or not
The following is a conversation between me and William Daroff, Vice President of Public Policy at the United Jewish Communities (the umbrella organization of America’s Jewish federations), which took place the morning of Monday, September 14 via Twitter.
The discussion began after I challenged some strong remarks Daroff had made condemning J Street’s position on the diplomatic engagement of Iran. What ensued was an immensely revealing dialogue that exposes the chutzpah of our so-called national Jewish leadership, who operate as self-appointed arbiters and representatives of Jewish public opinion.
Daroff: @isaacluria And @JStreetdotorg stands with the Mullahs and the hard left at NIAC opposed to sanctioning Iran. UR to left of Obama & everyone
Mobius1ski: @Daroff The organized Jewish community and the actual Jewish community are two completely different animals.
Mobius1ski: As a former Republican Jewish Coalition operative, you’re to the hard right of at least 60% of American Jewry.
Daroff: @mobius1ski I represent most consensus-driven org of North American Jewish community; the consenus is w/sanctions; J Street is outside.
Mobius1ski: @Daroff Sanctions worked great in Iraq! Only 500,000 innocent children died according to UNICEF!
Mobius1ski: @Daroff UJC doesn’t rep me, nor my peers, in any way, shape or form. Until we have a vote @theJCPA, you’re just a good ol’ boys club to us.
Daroff: @mobius1ski Who is “we”? 140 orgs have a vote at @TheJCPA – including @TheRAC & the Reconstructionists.
Daroff: @mobius1ski UJC does rep you – we care for your grandparents when they are sick, we brought them from the old country via @HIASadvocacy
Daroff: @mobius1ski UJC funds Jewish Family Service Agencies and Jewish Vocaitional Services that help millions of displaced Americans
Daroff: @mobius1ski UJC represents u by raising billions to support the social service infrastructure of #Israel & for Jews around world
Daroff: @mobius1ski UJC represents you by funding Jewish Community Centers & Jewish camps that help to ensure Jewish continuity
Daroff: @mobius1ski Lastly, UJC & the Jewish Federations of North America will represent you, even if you don’t appreciate it or recognize it
Daroff: Iran sanctions are targeted at energy sector RT @mobius1ski: Sanctions worked great in Iraq! Only 500,000 children died.
Mobius1ski: @Daroff Actually, the JBFCS just denied my elderly grandmother w/ Alzheimer’s support.
Daroff: Send me a note & I’ll see if I can help. RT @mobius1ski: @Actually, the JBFCS just denied my elderly grandmother w/ Alzheimer’s support. [When I read this, I immediately thought of Senator Tom Coburn's response to the crying woman at his town hall meeting in Oklahoma City. --Mobius]
Mobius1ski: @Daroff I appreciate that. I’m not anti-UJC, I just don’t think raising & disbursing funds entitles you to speak on behalf of all Jews.
Mobius1ski: @Daroff As Abe Foxman told a Jewschool blogger once, “I don’t represent the Jewish people. I represent my donors.” Same goes for UJC.
Mobius1ski: @Daroff “We,” by the way, are young American Jews who do not affiliate in traditional ways, such as through denominations & institutions.
Daroff: @mobius1ski Jewish agencies supported by UJC/Jewish federations help millions of people – regardless of affiliation or donation
Mobius1ski: @Daroff Yes, they help, undeniably. But that doesn’t mean they speak for those they help. If I give to UJAFedNY, do I speak for you?
Mobius1ski: @Daroff I’m not debating whether the UJC does good work, but whether its positions on Iran are actually in-step w/ most American Jews’.
Daroff: @mobius1ski Does Obama represent you? Did Bush? You might not agree w/everything we say or do – but we do represent you.
Mobius1ski: @Daroff Comparing UJC to elected officials is beyond hubris.
Mobius1ski: @Daroff My U.S. citizenship is a social contract w/ the gov’t. My Jewishness is not a social contract w/ UJC.
Daroff: @mobius1ski Didn’t mean to be hubrisy; simply stated: organized Jewish community endeavors to represent Jewish communal interests.
To reiterate, I do sincerely believe that the UJC is a well-intentioned organization and that Jewish federations do immense good for the Jewish population. I also think Daroff is generally a stand-up guy — a good and decent fellow — despite his willingness to misrepresent hard-right positions as reflective of the broader American Jewish community’s feelings.
My bone of contention is that the UJC and local federations — as non-democratic entities beholden only to the whims of their donors — cannot justifiably claim to represent the totality of American Jews politically. This is chiefly because wealthier Jews who take interest in Jewish issues tend to skew to the right, and when their money buys them influence, that skews Jewish policy to the right. Therefore, when UJC speaks on behalf of American Jews, it does so without a mandate from the people, narrowly representing the interests of its benefactors alone.
The JCPA is somewhat a different story, but even its member organizations operate non-democratically and represent only their constituencies — a model increasingly irrelevant to my generation of post-institutional Jews. Which isn’t to say that they’re bad organizations — some of them are great organizations. It’s just that my peers aren’t members or aren’t otherwise represented.
Until the UJC considers, in its policy discussions, the feelings of every Jew — especially those who can’t afford to donate to their local federations, let alone donate tens of thousands of dollars or more — it cannot and should not claim to speak on behalf of American Jewry.
thank you for posting this and speaking so articulate. you speak more on behalf of me than ujc. i had this EXACT argument at a party that i went to with my sister in a city i don’t live in. (much to my sister’s dismay). a young 20-something was talking about a young leadership-type event and the nonjew next to us was asking about it…i described it as an exclusive, a meat market, fundraising thing…and she got very defensive. anyhoo…this is a more articulate, exact sum-up of that debate. THANK YOU
[...] grandma to move here from the old country; Mobius dissents. The juiciest part I excerpt below, but do read the whole thing: Daroff: @mobius1ski Does Obama represent you? Did Bush? You might not agree w/everything we say or [...]
Fantastic argument vis a vis social contract. How many Jewish organizations exist in a social contract with their members…?
The dilemma reflected in this debate – how do large organizations legitimately claim to “represent” people? – is, of course, by no means unique to the United Jewish Communities (whose Washington office William quite ably runs). Every organization of any size, especially those with a diverse membership, faces the same challenge. That is true of UJC, of the Jewish Council on Public Affairs, of my own office for the Reform Movement, and, for that matter, of AARP, the AFL-CIO, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
It is true, as you and others argue, that the Jewish community is a vibrant place, and that we are in the midst of what I hope is an era of innovation. There is, indeed, an impressive array of new organizations on the scene; they are doing important work, and, often, reaching Jews who are not being reached by the more established institutions. But the troubling notion that an umbrella organization should not claim to represent anyone unless it can represent everyone is a prescription for paralysis and on the part of these organizations.
When representing any constituency, all any organization can do is come up with the best and most democratic processes possible, and stick to those processes unwaveringly. Unanimity, ideal though it might be, is simply not a realistic option, but neither is foregoing the pressing and critical opportunity to be a strong voice for the consensus views of the people who our organizations do, indeed, represent. (I would note, for example, that the specific issue which drew your attention, economic sanctions against Iran, is one that enjoys a very broad consensus within the American Jewish community.) UJC (and JCPA, and the URJ, etc.) have extensive decision-making processes in place to make sure that our policy positions do, in fact, reflect (as best they can) the consensus views of our constituents.
Mark Pelavin
Associate Director
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Amen, brother.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your comments.
The threat Reform Judaism faces is not that it will stultify should you embrace greater democracy, but that the tyranny of good intentions has already ossified it.
I will never forget when Eric Yoffie branded the indie minyan movement — the one movement where I found meaning in prayer and community after a life-long search, one which empowers individuals and embraces direct democracy — as “freeloaders.” The arrogance of such entitlement is staggering.
(None of which is to say, by the way, that I have anything less than the utmost respect and appreciation for the work of the RAC.)
Furthermore, the broad consensus on Iran you speak of was a coup. When was there ever a broad public discussion within the Jewish community as to whether or not to promote economic sanctions against Iran? This was a policy position cooked up internally — by the same neoconservative intellectuals responsible for the Iraq War, mind you — and then promoted as a threat requiring immediate public action. There were no policy debates or referendums. There were no critical assessments offered by the Jewish press. This is an imperative instilled in the Jewish polity by men standing on podiums raving about an alleged existential threat to Israel, shouting down their critics and labeling them self-haters. If this is the best approximation of democracy you have to offer, I fear for the rigor of your democratic commitments.
The Federation system does see itself as the only legitimate representative of the Jewish community as a whole. In many cities, Federations are actively hostile to Jewish organizations that don’t wish to affiliate with the Federation. I get the strategy. Combined philanthropy only works well if the Federation has a near-monopoly on the marketplace. The greatest threat to that status quo is exciting new organizations that do not depend on the Federation allocation process for funding and who can appeal directly to donors and volunteers. In other words, like in most monopolies, there is a built-in disincentive against innovation.
At least, this is something we can agree on. Being on the opposite end of political spectrum, I also dislike the Diaspora organizations’ presumption to speak for all Jews.
On this point, I agree with you 100%. Thank you for expressing it so clearly, as well as stating the fact that you (like me,) give them the benefit of the doubt, do appreciate their intentions, but not their putting words in my mouth.
As in any culture, there has ALWAYS been a rift between the interests + stances of “wealthy” Jews and “poor” Jews (my family belonging to the latter.) And I like how you describe our now-burgeoning society of “post-institutional, unaffiliated” Jews, whereas many organizations – and individuals – don’t even CONSIDER us Jews anymore. We’re “too diluted.” People don’t understand that just because I was raised in a “reform” lifestyle or work Friday nights to pay my bills doesn’t mean that I don’t carry certain more religiously “conservative/traditional” beliefs at heart.
That is a fight that I have had with the so-called “Jewish community” since we were growing up.
Thank you for expressing it with such clarity. I do not have the time (nor the individuals surrounding me) to address these issues on a daily basis recently. I am glad that YOU do, yet still associate poor schleps like me with beings JEWS…