The S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation has announced three staff layoffs as part of the suspension or restructuring of some services and programs.
Jewish Community Information and Referral, a program that centralized information and provided referrals for callers, will be suspended effective April 1. Its two staffers, including 12-year federation veteran and JCI&R director Gail Green, will depart on that date.
Also laid off: Joseph Tietz, the Israel and Jewish Peoplehood Commission senior planner. Tietz had overseen the federation’s grantmaking and programming work in Israel and overseas Jewish communities.
“We are not planning any more layoffs,” said Richard Miles, spokesman for the federation. “We are doing everything we can think of that is non-personnel related. In an economy like today’s, it’s important to make sure you’re really focused on your core.”
The federation is also planning to replace PlanetJewish.com, an independent online resource, as its place to announce community events. Instead, the federation will develop its own online community calendar.
With the suspension of the JCI&R, the federation is forming a task force to consider ways to reconstitute the program.
Coming at a time of severe economic recession, any layoffs can be viewed as harbingers of more bad news to come. But Miles says otherwise.
“We’re cautiously optimistic, extremely vigilant and trying to do all we can to roll into the next fiscal year in as good shape as we possibly can,” he said. “Given these are extremely challenging times, these are prudent steps, but there’s no emergency, now. This federation is in amazing shape compared to some other federations around the country.