This Week
Insight
Changes At The Top
Joel Tauber looks back at two years in the hot seat
at United Jewish Communities.
El
HARRY KIRSBAUM
Staff Writer
is term may be ending, but there's no chance of
Joel Tauber slowing down.
After helping to create United Jewish
Communities (UJC) in 1999, the West
Bloomfield businessman and philanthropist stayed on, tak-
ing a leadership position at the new North American feder-
ated umbrella group — which com-
bined the United Jewish Appeal,
United Israel Appeal and the
Council of Jewish Federations.
"When we formed [in 1999] it
was so hectic we weren't sure it was
going to be successful," said Tauber,
who serves as chairman of the exec-
utive committee. The major hurdles,
he said, were streamlining the-three
institutions into one, installing the
board, picking top professional lead-
ership, drawing up bylaws and hir-
ing staff; all under the watchful eye
of individual federations.
Two year
. s later, all positions are
filled, and there is full participation
by the Federation system, he said.
According to Tauber, he will likely
be succeeded by Robert Goldberg,
immediate past board chair of the
Jewish Community Federation of
Cleveland, during this year's
General Assembly (GA) meeting in
Washington, D.C., in November.
Looking back, Tauber is happy
with the results. "From :ay view, by Joel Tauber
the time [UJC President] Charles
[Bronfrnan J and I leave, the organi-
zation will be at a point better than what either of us con-
templated," he said.
"Going down the list, all the things in the governing
structure that were required to be done have been done
with one exception — fair share.
"How you divide financial responsibilities of the national
organization has been a battle for over 20 years," he said.
Dues for each federation are based on a percentage of
their annual campaign, but when special initiatives are
approved by all, how are the costs split up?
He expects the federations to vote on this issue at the GA.
At a high-level meeting last week, Tauber said, a "mission
vision" was established, and the leadership is going through
6/29
2001
30
a process of ideas that "will change Jewish life."
Looking Ahead
Federation members will have the opportunity to vote on
three or four major initiatives in the $50 to $100 million
range, including a solidarity initiative to show support for
Israel, teacher training programs and help for Ethiopian
Jews in Israel.
UJC leadership has been working on other initiatives to
help fledgling Jewish communities
become more involved in the feder-
ation system. A model program has
begun in Las Vegas, an area where
about 60,000 Jews live. This year,
Tauber said, the Jewish Federation
of Las Vegas collected $1.8 million
during their annual campaign. In
comparison, the Cleveland federa-
tion collected $30 million from a
Jewish population of about 80,000.
Tauber and UJC President Stephen
Solender recently visited seven western
cities in two-and-a-half days to get
more interest from transient Jews,
younger Jews and Jews in high-tech
fields.
"If we're successful by bringing
major speakers, and doing missions,
just bring them in and get them
interested, then we can do this in
Ann Arbor, and all over the country,
he said.
Tauber said he will help the UJC
in any way he can, and is only a
phone call away.
Looking back on the last two
years, his only regret is the lack of
enthusiasm from some federations
who do not share his vision. He couldn't understand why
some federations weren't able to give up some independence
for the greater good of the whole.
"It's all done to enhance and build their community,' he
said. "It's Jews working together. Sure, Cleveland may do
something better than Boston, and Boston may do some-
thing else better. OK, bring that to the table and say, 'Here's
a model, let's get together and talk about it. And let's make
these things happen,' not 'We don't need that. Boston's
already has a great program for Ethiopians in Haifa.'
"I said to them, 'Let's take it across Israel. Let's affect
30,000 in Israel instead of 100 people in Haifa. Let's work
together to accomplish it.'" E
O
Remember
When . • .
From the pages of the Jewish News for
this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50
years ago.
ItallOWIMINEIMM
Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical
Center in Israel developed an oral
insulin pill for treatment of diabetes.
West Bloomfield Township Board
of Trustees approved site plans for
construction of Temple Shir Shalom.
Postal authorities in London inter-
cepted a letter bomb addressed to
Grenville Janner, president of the
Board of Deputies of British Jews.
Alan Yost was appointed executive
director of Adat Shalom Synagogue.
Detroiter Fayga Dombey was one
of the delegates to the Conference
on Volunteerism and Resettlement.
I 911:~1111111111111111.11111
—
Rabbis in Atlanta urged the Atlanta
Jewish Community Center to
reconsider plans to open Zaban
Park on the Sabbath.
Detroiter Dr. Maurice M.
Silverman was elected to the presi-
dency of Congregation B'nai David.
Ninety-two paintings by State
Sen. Jack Faxon, D-Southfield,
went on exhibit in the Community
Arts Gallery at Wayne State
University.
Adolf Eichmann, on trial in Israel,
went into a description of the Nazi
genocide organization to prove he
was bypassed in the chain of com-
mand ending in the mass murders
of European Jews.
Detroiter Norman Rotter began
his internship at Detroit's Henry
Ford Hospital.
1951
Detroiter Harry C. Kent has been
appointed trial attorney for the
Detroit Police Officers Association.
Nearly all the Jewish industrialists in
Budapest, Hungary, have been forced
to give up their homes in a move by
the government to rid the capital of
so-called "inefficient" persons.
Detroiter Stan Goyer pitched the
Philip Handler Lodge softball ream
to a 5-3 victory over Brandeis Lodge.
—Compiled by Sy Manello,
editorial assistant