WASHINGTON — When leaders from 119 North American Jewish federations met here this week, they did not make any earth-shattering decisions.
Instead, they did what many involved described as more revolutionary: They listened to each other, built trust and began to explore what it will mean for them to be “owners” of their year-old umbrella organization, the United Jewish Communities.
“I’ve begun to see a trusting relationship start,” Charles Bronfman, chairman of the UJC’s board, said at the two-day meeting’s closing plenary on Monday.
Discussing the group spawned from the merger of the United Jewish Appeal and the Council of Jewish Federations, UJC leaders say they are attempting to transform the system, which, was top-down and somewhat mysterious in its decision-making, into one that is more open.
What happens with the UJC is significant because its 189 member federations across North America raised almost $882 million last year for domestic and overseas Jewish needs — everything from day schools to rescuing and resettling refugees.
Following the retreat, the UJC’s board of trustees on Tuesday approved:
*A two-year nonbinding plan for federations to maintain at least their current contributions to the UJC and to overseas needs. The board also passed an amendment that would require UJC to come up with a formula by Dec. 31, 2001, that would determine the “fair share” contributions of individual federations in the future.
*A decision to work with local federations and the Jewish Agency for Israel to become partners of Birthright Israel, a program started by philanthropists Michael Steinhardt and Bronfman to send unaffiliated Jews on free trips to Israel.
In addition, leaders from within the UJC system agreed on their top priorities for what they want the new organization to accomplish: coordinate overseas needs, help with training for lay and professional leaders, and assist with fund-raising.
But there remain many points of conflict and uncertainty:
*Many small and intermediate-sized federations assert that they do not have a large enough voice in collective decisions and have expressed fears that proposed budget cuts — particularly to regional offices that assist smaller federations with things such as fund-raising and personnel matters — would adversely affect them.
*Issues of obligation and enforcement — particularly on the issue of financial commitment for overseas needs and the national system’s overhead — were considered so divisive that they were moved off the agenda weeks before the retreat. Nonetheless, the UJC committee charged with assessing overseas needs is requesting federations to contribute at least 105 percent of what they gave last year.
*Federations agree that they want to trim the budget — which is approximately $40 million — for the national system but cannot agree what programs and services should be cut to achieve that goal.
Despite the sense of growing confidence, leaders — particularly from smaller federations — noted that they were still not certain what the long-term impact of their discussions might be.
Sara Schreibman, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, N.C., described the retreat as a learning process, but noted that “the real test” will be “if the board really listens.”