Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 19, 2009 Page: 3 of 36
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TEXAS JEWISH POST #SINCE 1947
November 19,2009 I 3
Silverman looking golden at first GA as Federations' chief
By Jacob Berkman
WASHINGTON (JTA) — "So
what's the big story here? What's it
all about?"
That was the question bounc-
ing around the halls last week at
the General Assembly of the Jew-
ish Federations of North America,
the annual conference of the Jew-
ish federation system.
For about two weeks leading up
to the GA, held here at the Mar-
riott Wardman Park, there was a
clear-cut answer: Obama.
The U.S. president was set to
make the conference of more than
3,000 lay and professional leaders
of the multibillion-dollar char-
ity system his first appearance at
a Jewish event since moving into
the White House. Simply, it was
the biggest "get" the system could
have landed and reinforced efforts
to give participants a sense that
theirs was still the Jewish commu-
nity's most important charitable
network.
Then, on the eve of the start of
the GA, organizers received word
from the White House that the
president had to cancel to attend a
memorial service for the 13 killed
in the shooting in Fort Hood, Tex-
as.
The GA had lost its superstar,
along with some of the initial buzz
surrounding the conference.
Over the course of the three-
day parley, however, it became
clear that there was still a big story
about a fresh new leader — and at-
tendees didn't have to look beyond
the conference halls to find him.
Representing the Dallas Fed-
eration at the GA were President
and CEO Gary Weinstein, Chair-
man David Veeder, Campaign
Chair Ari Sussman and Vice Chair
Harold Gernsbacher, who also
serves on the Board of Governors
for the Jewish Agency for Israel
and as Chair of Partnership 2000
Western Gallilee. Representing the
Federation of Fort Worth and Tar-
rant County were Vice President of
Campaign and Allocations Mari-
lyn Englander and husband Marty,
and Board member Alan Luskey.
This GA was the first for Jerry
Silverman since he took over in
September as CEO of Jewish Fed-
erations.
A federation outsider, Silverman
came to the organization after a
much-heralded stint as the CEO of
the Foundation for Jewish Camp,
where he raised the philanthropic
profile of Jewish camps, helping to
bring in tens of millions of dollars
per year. And his influence already
was being felt at the GA — at least
the excitement about his hiring.
Photo: Robert A. Cumins /Jewish Federations of North America
Jerry Silverman, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, addressed the
organization's General Assembly in Washington on Nov. 10.
To be sure, local and national
federation leaders acknowledge it's
been a rough year, with pledges to
local campaigns off by more than
$80 million. And many federation
insiders now embrace the idea that
even before the recession hit, theirs
is a system that needs to do a better
job of embracing change.
Yet the mood among GA par-
ticipants seemed upbeat, espe-
cially compared to the economy-
related gloom-and-doom mood
that gripped last year's gathering.
According to the hallway chatter,
much of that positive feeling is tied
up with Silverman's arrival.
Silverman's message to the fed-
erations and their partners is clear:
The system has its problems, but
he and they are all in this together.
"We have many problems to
solve, and we won't agree on any
point," he said during his address
at the opening plenary. "But we
have shown in the last year of chal-
lenge the ability to make real and
unprecedented progress."
Silverman went on to say, "If
we work together effectively, there
is no limit to what we can accom-
plish. After all, anything is pos-
sible."
Judging from dozens of conver-
sations with local federation heads,
people seem to be listening.
"In Dallas, we are delighted
with Jerry's appointment and look
forward to working with him and
promoting our common agenda,"
said Gary Weinstein, Dallas Fed-
eration president and CEO. "We
had developed a meaningful rela-
tionship with Jerry several years
ago when as CEO of the National
Foundation for Jewish Camp, Dal-
las had partnered with his organi-
zation in providing scholarships for
176 first-time, sleep-away campers.
In my dealings with Jerry, I found
see SILVERMAN, p.4
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Community Spotlight
Shirley Davidoff
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Dallas is honored to
introduce Shirley Davidoff, Chair of the JCRC Anti-Poverty Campaign Task
Force. Shirley has a passion for Jewish community and for tikkun olam. In
addition to her leadership with the JCRC, Shirley serves on the Boards of
Congregation Shearith Israel and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.
The JCRC Anti-Poverty Campaign seeks to educate the Jewish community
about the realities of poverty in Dallas and to find creative solutions that can
make a difference. The community is invited to attend a special interfaith
breakfast, "Fighting Poverty Then and Today: The Values and Legacy of MLK
Jr." The breakfast will feature the Rev. Gerald Britt of Central Dallas Ministries
and take place at 8:00 a.m. on January 18th at Congregation Shearith Israel.
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Wisch, Rene. Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 19, 2009, newspaper, November 19, 2009; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth188267/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed June 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .