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Message: <br /><br /> If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/37620/full/37620/grassroots-effort-plants-a-seed-for-east-bay-federation/ <br /><br /> <b>Grassroots effort plants a seed for East Bay federation</b> <br /> Thursday, March 26, 2009 | by <br /><br /><p>Everyone knows that old joke about two Jews, three opinions. How about 29 Jews, one opinion? That rare convergence occurred in our community recently, and it was no joke.</p> <p>As a story in this week’s j. describes, 29 rabbis, Jewish educators, synagogue administrators and other community leaders came together to sign a letter sent to the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay. Their message: The time has come to accelerate the dialogue between the East Bay and S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation.</p> <p>The signatories to the letter want to see much closer cross-bay cooperation, and they even suggest a possible merger between the two federations as a long-term solution to the problems facing our community.</p> <p>We applaud the initiative of the signers. To have so many community leaders stand together on any one issue is impressive, especially when it is on behalf of a controversial yet long-overdue step for the Bay Area Jewish community.</p> <p>We are not neutral on this matter. Recently, this newspaper openly advocated a merger of the S.F.-based and East Bay federations. We believe it is best for the community, but even if it cannot happen right away, we hope to see merging on a smaller scale, perhaps with the two Jewish Family and Children’s Services operations or with the S.F.-based Bureau of Jewish Education and the East Bay–based Center for Jewish Living and Learning.</p> <p>Though spread far and wide, the Bay Area Jewish community truly is echad –– one. If we pool our resources, we will better confront future economic and other challenges, especially during these frightening economic times.</p> <p>Even if lay and professional leaders at the federations are not prepared to undertake a full-scale merger at this time, they fully recognize the importance of cross-bay enterprises. They do not need to be cajoled into it. Already the two federations have launched several collaborative projects, and neither has ruled out a merger someday.</p> <p>Those federation leaders understandably stress the need to assess needs first, and only then determine the optimum structure for addressing those needs. We have faith in their abilities to navigate this path.</p> <p>Meanwhile, we thank the signatories to the letter as well as the federation leaders who have embraced the spirit in which the letter was written. Clearly, within our community, we have the talent, the imagination and the will to work through our problems.</p> <p>Now, we must find the way.</p>

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