Young Blood
Bronfman looks to younger leadership in his departing UJC speech.
STEWART AIN
New York Jewish Week
he outgoing chairman of
the United Jewish
Communities, Charles
Bronfman, has challenged
the UJC leadership to "change the
perception out there that rich, old
guys who write big checks are the only
ones who count."
"There are rich young men and
women, who may or may not write
big checks but who may have a wealth
of ideas," he said. "They may even
have a desire to become more involved
with the Jewish community. Will we
give them the opportunity to lead?"
Bronfman, said in his departing
speech to the North American Jewish
federation system.
"If a person in his 20s or 30s can
lead a major corporation, why can't
she or he run a federation project or
an agency or, indeed, a federation?"
Bronfman made his comments
Monday at the UJC's annual General
Assembly, held this year in
Washington.
Bronfman pointed out that private
Jewish foundations, which now have
assets in excess of $25 billion and
distribute more than $1 billion
annually to Jewish and non-Jewish
causes, have surpassed the federation
system in their distribution of dol-
lars.
Last year, federations in the U.S.
and Canada raised $920 million; their
endowment funds total $8 billion.
"These numbers have to tell us that
we are living in a very new Jewish
philanthropic world," said Bronfman.
In 2nd Place
Charles Bronfman
"Are Jewish foundations a threat to us
or can we collaborate with them, now
and in the future?"
General Assembly Snapshots
Assembly Goers
Israel Bound
Washington/JTA — Nearly 500 people
left for Israel as part of a United Jewish
Communities mission. Most departed
from Washington at the close of the
UJC's annual General Assembly, with
the largest delegations hailing from
Washington, Boston and Philadelphia.
Planned long in advance, the mission
took on greater importance after the ter-
ror attacks of Sept. 11, according to
Stephen Hoffman, UJC's president and
CEO. After a meeting in Washington,
Hoffman said, participants "are getting
on a plane carrying our message and
spirit to Israel."
Because of security concerns, organiz-
ers decided not to have a big send-off or
news conference for the group. In keep-
ing with the "Capital-to- Capital"
theme of the five-day mission, partici-
pants presented Jerusalem Mayor Ehud
Olmert a photograph of Washington.
They also met with Housing Minister
Natan Sharansky, got a briefing on
international terrorism from Israel
Defense Force officers, toured an air
force base and split into local delega-
tions to visit Israeli sister cities under
the Jewish Agency for Israel's
Partnership 2000 program.
U. S. Loyal
To Israel
Washington/JTA — A Bush administra-
tion official says the U.S. supports Israel
unconditionally.
Addressing the closing plenary of the
United Jewish Communities' General
Assembly, Cabinet member Tommy
Thompson said that "supporting Israel is
absolutely essential to the security of the
United States," and that "America will
stand for Israel, period." Delegates
responded with a standing ovation.
The health and human services sec-
retary followed Israel's deputy foreign
minister, Rabbi Michael Melchior,
who said that despite daily Palestinian
attacks on Israel, "We have to contin-
ue to struggle over moral issues,"
In an interview, Bronfman said the
"big question is how will the federa-
tions locally and nationally take
advantage of good-hearted people who
want to do good? Federations offer an
infrastructure and delivery system and
most foundations don't have that."
In addition, Bronfman suggested
that the UJC was getting bogged down
in its quest for consensus among its
189 federations. He hoped in the
future there would be "less consensus
and more of a democratic organiza-
tion" in which votes would be taken
and the majority view would prevail.
"You can process yourself to death,
and then you don't make many
yards," he said. ❑
For the latest General Assembly coverage,
please see www.detroitjwishnews.com
Israel Insight
THE
weighing the Jewish state's need for
security with its responsibility to
respect the Palestinians' humanity. The
speeches closed a General Assembly
noteworthy for its modest attendance,
tight security and unusually large stu-
dent delegations.
U.S. Looks To
Israel For Help?
Washington/JTA — A White House
official said he believed the United
States can learn from Israel about
domestic security.
Tom Ridge, the director of home-
land security for the White House,
told the United Jewish Communities'
General Assembly that 'America has
much to do and much to learn, and we
can look to Israel for help."
Ridge said he was interested in solic-
iting assistance from community
organizations, including Jewish
groups, and would "find something
for every American who wants to par-
ticipate to do."
alte6
REBIND THE
sco an
pe ar.
gael earlier
which P estiflian terror groups rook
responsibiti•for, clearly fall into
this definition.
-- Allan Gale, Jewish Communi
Council of Metropolitan
11/16
2001
21