The Voice Of What?
Conference of Presidents of Major American
Jewish Organizations prepare to elect a new
head amid questions about whether it still
speaks for most American Jews.
THE CONFERENCE
To become a member of the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
an organization must be at least five years old, have
democratically elected officers and members of the
board, have a professional staff, be committed to
the continuity of the Jewish people and have pro-
grams and policies that relate to Conference of
Presidents issues, such as strengthening the U.S.-
Israel relationship and protecting and enhancing the
security and dignity of Jews abroad.
Following is a list of the conference member
organizations:
American Friends of Likud
STEVEN ROSENBERG
Jewish Renaissance Media
New York
N
Zuckerman, who declined to
be interviewed until after the
May 23 vote on his nomina-
don, has played an increasing
role in organized Jewry, serving
as president of the American-
Israel Friendship League and as
a back door channel for
President Clinton during
Middle East Peace negotiations.
His U.S. News column has,
in recent months, been highly
critical of the recent Palestinian
intifada (uprising). The four
Reform groups have called on
him to give up the column,
saying the chairman's public
statements should reflect a con-
sensus of the conference. But
he insists he will continue the
biweekly column.
early half a century ago
the presidents of the
leading American Jewish
groups decided they
needed an umbrella organization
that could speak up for their con-
cerns in a single voice. But now the
organization they created the
Conference of Presidents of Major
American :wish Organizations, is
struggling to stay both unified and
connected to rank-and-file Jews.
Critics say the group — made up
of the heads of 54 organizations
ranging from massive membership
groups like Hadassah and the reli-
gious movements to narrowly
focused operations such as CAM-
ERA or B'nai Zion — is veering
Critical Connections
increasingly to a conservative and
With the second billionaire in
Mortimer Zuckerman
hawkish stance that does not reflect
four
years expected to lead the
the liberal or centrist views that sur-
conference,
some critics are ask-
veys show are held by the majority
ing
what
connection
of the six million Jews in the U.S.
Zuckerman might have to the millions of American
The critics say the ascension of billionaire Jewish
Jews
who belong to the organizations that make up
businessmen to the top post of chairman has further
the
conference.
Others question the relevance of the
underlined the distance between the conference and
conference.
the people it seems to speak for in Washington, in
But, notes Brandeis University Professor Jonathan
Jerusalem and in other world capitals. That trend
Sarna,
the organization is more important for its
toward rewarding the wealthy will be continued next
ability to give non-Jews an understanding of the
week when real estate and media magnate Mortimer
American Jewish community. "I don't think the
Zuckerman is scheduled to take over as chairman,
Presidents' Conference cares that much if the average
succeeding cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder.
American
Jew looks at the conference and says
Four Reform organizations — the Union of
`That's
my
leader.'"
American Hebrew Congregations, the Association of
"I
don't
think
there's ever been a connect," says
Reform Zionists of America, the Central Conference
Robert
Aronson,
chief executive officer of the Jewish
of American Rabbis and Women of Reform Judaism
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. "The confer-
— have taken the lead in opposing Zuckerman, call-
ence is not representative of American Jewish life in
ing his organized Jewish experience "limited."
my view. It's representative of organizations, and I
The Canadian-born Zuckerman is publisher of the
don't think there's necessarily a connect to each and
New York Daily News and U.S. News & World Report.
every Jew on the street.
Some members of the Presidents' Conference say
"That does not mean it doesn't have a valuable
that his media expertise and access might help shift
role
to play. But this is not an organization that can
public opinion toward Israel.
speak for American Jewry."
Robert Lappin, a Massachusetts philanthropist
Related editorial: page 35
5/18
2001
22
American-Israel
Friendship League
American Israel Public
Affairs Committee
American Gathering!
Federation of Jewish
Holocaust Survivors
Jewish War Veterans
of the USA
Jewish Women
International
Joint Distribution
Committee
Labor Zionist Alliance
American Jewish
Committee
Merra7 USA Zionist
Organization of the
Conservative Movement
American Jewish Congress
NA'AMAT USA
American ORT Federation
National Committee for
Labor Israel
American Sephardi
Federation
American Zionist
Movement
Americans for Peace Now
AMIT
Anti-Defamation League
ARZA World Union North
America
B'nai B'rith International
NCSJ: Advocates on Behalf
()flews in Russia, Ukraine,
the Baltic States and
Eurasia
National Council of Jewish
Women
National Council of Young
Israel Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbinical Council of
America
B'ai Zion
Religious Zionists of
America
Central Conference of
American Rabbis
Union of American
Hebrew Congregations
Committee for Accuracy in
Middle East Reporting
(CAMERA)
Union of Orthodox Jewish
Congregations of America
Development Corporation
for Israel
Emunah of America
Friends of Israel Defense
Forces
Hadassah, Wornen's Zionist
Organization of America
Hebrew Immigrant Aid
Society
Jewish Community
Centers Assocadon
Jewish Council for Public
Affairs
Jewish Institute for
National Security Affairs
Jewish National Fund
Jewish Reconstructionist
Federation
United Israel Appeal
United Jewish
Communities
United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism
WIZO USA
Women of Reform Judaism
Women's American ORT
Women's League for
Conservative Judaism
Workmen's Circle/Jewish
Labor Committee
World Zionist Executive,
USA
Zionist Organization
of America