By Harold Gernsbacher    
 

I have just returned from our homeland from truly an incredible moment for me and for our Partnership, and for The Jewish Agency under the new leadership of Natan Sharansky. I want to try to convey the essence of what I think and feel but know in a report it will be difficult.

I first want to thank our Partnership staff. Over the last 12 months I have seen an incredible rededication to their work. We have a very complex model with many moving pieces (too many to name), and they have found ways to expand their limited resources and get the job done. We ARE recognized as one of the premier partnerships in the Agency and it is because of their energy we enjoy that position. I want to recognize Li-at Cohen who never misses an opportunity to further our goals or push me to extend myself to continue to grow and urges our staff to do the same. I also want to thank Beth Zuriel. She is a professional- professional. She has tireless energy, insight, imagination, a consummate mediator. I describe her to my own staff as the standard by which we should all hold ourselves. I also want to thank Deborah Fisher for continuing to work with me here in Dallas, even when there are a bunch of people pulling at her for time.

I want to recognize my Co-chair Dalia Fayerman who invests her energies in our Partnership and with her spirit promotes our endeavors with our Israeli partners.

We planned at this steering committee meeting to focus and highlight the celebration of our Bar Mitzvah. With that as a background it became a milestone to not only celebrate where we have been but where we are going together.

Our meetings began with an afternoon workshop for all of the professionals from both sides. The session was led by Marc Zarrouck. The objective was for us to begin to harmonize the work flow, process, mutual expectations, and effectiveness of what we do together. We have found that over time we have presumptions of outcomes without the path to see they are connected.

The results were great beginning, a warm atmosphere and a desire to continue to develop tools to improve the communication and mutual planning of connection and the programs that express it.

Our second session will be here in Dallas at the next Steering Committee.

Andrea Arbel, the Director of the JAFI Division of Partnerships addressed the group and delivered the new platform of Partnership.

Vision- A global and united Jewish people made up of strong interconnected Jewish individuals, families, and communities with Israel at its heart

Mission- To develop and strengthen Jewish communities in Israel and overseas by creating meaningful engagement based on mutual endeavor and shared Jewish identity.

Purpose- To be the central platform for the promotion, empowerment and development of cohesion, among Jewish communities.

Our Partnership has developed and delivered incredible value for ourselves and the system. We under the leadership and direction of Rami Raz and Zoe Riekes have done so again. We as a Partnership agree that we have a responsibility and desire to connect to the Jewish people of Budapest. We also agree that we do not have all of the answers but have the skills and ability to help define and develop a community that has expressed desire to connect. We began a joint campaign to create a “Table” for communication and direction. In the room, we raised $10,850. This fund includes contributions from 5 Israelis and 5 Americans.

This is a FIRST. The mission of course is for us together to reach out to another community. It is my fervent hope and encouragement that all of us will participate in this mutual effort. The most important part is participation, by all of us. We have set a goal of 500 participants.

I met with the finance department and they confirmed no one has ever done this before and in fact they will have to set up a process to receive the money.

My thanks and praise to our leadership to doing what they do best - lead.

We have approved a tentative budget that will be refined and tightened in Dallas at the next Steering Committee. We will forward the budget to your communities when we have completed the changes. We have been forced to change our process due to the changes the agency has been forced to make because of available fund reductions. We are and must remain fiscally responsible for ourselves and YOUR diligence makes all of the difference in the world.

In Jerusalem we attended the National Partnership Conference. There we received an award for the Tri-Teen Project. This is a BIG deal. It was one of four awards given to all Partnerships and there were over 40 entries. At this meeting I also sat on a panel and addressed the group about how we manage to have 15 different size communities and through it all we stay together. You should be very proud, we are the Gold Standard. Thanks to Li-at for creating the environment for us to win this very nice award.

As we entered the weekend for Shabbat we were able to spend time together in a completely different environment. We were there to share and spend time celebrating a great relationship that had until then in my opinion a missing component. We spend a majority of our together managing the process of Partnership. This was a time to spend together. From a very interesting encounter in Mea Shearim in search of Shabbat challah, to touring Jerusalem together and learning about different Jewish community areas to spending a relaxing Shabbat learning, sharing, and growing together, it is now a memory that will not soon fade. Spending time with the spouses and families of our partners provided an insight to them as people. It was simply fantastic.

 The following week of the JAFI   Assembly and the Board of Governors was no less dynamic and engaging. During the week I met with Jerry Silverman CEO of the Jewish Federation of North America several times. Jerry has a very difficult job. There are areas we agree on and of course areas we are challenged. One of the areas we agree on is People to People relations and the role JFNA might play in Partnership. We subsequently had a meeting with Andrea so they could begin to communicate. I agreed on our behalf that we might be willing to add additional communities that are not affiliated with a Partnership. There will be a gathering of all the   Partnerships on Sunday prior to the GA in New Orleans.

Finally, the Board of Governors has passed a concept direction to change the direction of the Agency. The new mission statement will be “Inspire Jews throughout the world to Connect with their people, heritage and Land, and Empower them to build a thriving Jewish future and a strong Israel”

The key strategies will be to:

·         Connect through a continuum of Israel and Peoplehood experiences through to Aliya.

·         Inspire through leaders, educators and role models as change agents for Israel and Jewish Peoplehood programming.

·         Empower through creative social activism in Israel in the service of vulnerable populations and an inspiring society.

 JAFI realizes and take responsibility to guide and direct those changes that we are facing.

The direction we are living is not as important as the direction we are going. Once we were a people without a home, today, we cannot become a home without a people.

I remain,
Very Truly Yours,
Harold Gernsbacher