 |
|
February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
|
| |
Jewish World Review
Jan. 3, 2005
/ 22 Teves, 5765
What's in a Name?
By
Jonathan Tobin
Do new 'brands' bring meaning, money and happiness to Jewish groups?
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Ten years ago, philanthropist Samuel Bronfman made something of a stir in the
Jewish world when he proposed that the three main Jewish defense groups in
this country merge.
He believed that it was long past time for the American Jewish Committee, the
American Jewish Congress and the Anti-Defamation League — who were all
committed to fighting anti-Semitism, supporting Israel and a platform of social
justice — to pool their efforts and merge.
The reaction to Bronfman's proposal from the staff and the lay leadership of
the three groups was, to put it mildly, less than enthusiastic. The proposal
was dutifully applauded by many in the Jewish world and then quickly forgotten.
The two AJCs had at various times actually met to discuss merging. But the
complicated business of meshing two disparate sets of professionals and
volunteers — and the egos of all of them — was never resolved.
Instead, the groups continued on their merry way, fighting for the scraps
that a declining Jewish population and, even more importantly, a shrinking donor
base could throw them.
Both continue to do important work, though all stumble at times on the
political rocks, as their traditional constituency forces them into defining the
secular liberal agenda as Jewish issues.
NEW AND SNAPPY
While the older and more prosperous AJCommittee has fared better than
AJCongress, the ability of each to sustain itself may be diminishing. That has led
the bright lights there to think about a way to increase visibility. Listening,
no doubt, to the siren songs sung by public-relations consultants, some of the
good people at AJCommittee are pondering a name change. According to a recent
report in The Jerusalem Post, the group's board has discussed renaming the
organization in time for the group's 100th anniversary in 2006.
Apparently, they want something new and snappy that will speak of their
heightened concern about the worldwide rise of anti-Semitism and the continuing
propaganda assault on the State of Israel.
Of course, those who want to do away with the old moniker are right when they
say it is easy to confuse it with the other AJC. Jewish life is a melange of
alphabet-soup groups that are virtually indistinguishable to those not
immersed in the minutiae of the so-called "major Jewish organizations."
Once upon a time, you didn't need a scorecard to tell the difference between
the AJCommittee and the AJCongress.
The committee was founded in 1906 by the wealthy grandees of the old German
Jewish elite, such as Jacob Schiff, Oscar Straus and Cyrus Adler, and their
redoubtable president Louis Marshall. Moved to act by the plight of victims of
czarist pogroms, the committee came into existence as a sort of council of great
men who acted out of what the Enclopaedia Judaica calls a sense of "noblesse
oblige." They used the traditional tactic of the "court Jew" who interceded
on behalf of his less fortunate brethren.
By contrast, the AJCongress, created by Rabbi Stephen Wise in 1918, was seen
by the great men of the other AJC as populist in nature and radical in
character.
But before another generation had passed, the differences between them were
already starting to recede. Wise, who came to prominence as something of a
rabble rouser, eventually came to embody the political establishment of his day.
At the same time, AJCommittee, which was originally cool to Zionism,
eventually came to identify closely with Israel. And where once its membership was
restricted to just 60 persons (think of it as a sort of exclusive country club
for monied political activists), it is now as eager to get average Jewish Joe's
to sign up as any other group.
Given the fact that the Jewish world that gave birth to these groups no
longer exists, would AJCommittee be better off if it were called something else?
The answer is that, although repackaging themselves as the Jewish equivalent
of "New Blue Cheer" may be tempting, whether they call themselves a
committee, a convention, a conglomerate or a confederacy, the problems they face will
not be altered.
THE PLAGUE OF CONSULTANTS
Indeed, if their leaders pause and consider the success of the merger of
three major national Jewish philanthropies a few years ago that resulted in the
scrapping of the familiar name of "UJA" — and its replacement by the obscure
"UJC" — they would not even consider it. New and snappy is nice, but change
for the sake of a new marketing campaign is a poor substitute for substance or
original thought.
As is often the case in the business world, consultants who use jargon such
as "branding" to tell companies what to do have become a universal plague.
Armed with focus groups, market surveys and polls, consultants, who usually know
little about the reason the group exists, and a lot about public relations
(which is to say nothing), have a way of diverting people from core issues and on
to narishkeit like name changes.
Those confronted with such choices should always remember that the three
worst words in the English language today are "studies have shown."
The point is, if the folks at AJCommittee are focused on the real priorities
of the Jewish people today — and given their recent emphasis on the issues of
anti-Semitism, Israel and Jewish continuity, there is reason to think they are
on the right track — then what they need is not a new name, but to continue
working on those issues.
If they are making a difference, Jewish donors will find them no matter what
the name on the door says.
That's because the problem of redundancy that Bronfman talked about will
eventually be solved by a form of natural selection. Those groups that serve the
needs of the past, and which look to outdated ideology rather than the urgent
priorities of the present, will ultimately perish just like the dinosaurs after
the asteroid hit.
If AJCommittee — or any other denizens of the alphabet-soup bowl — want to
survive, let them speak to the present danger facing us.
And before they change their names, they ought to take a deep breath, and
then tell their consultants to run — not walk — to the nearest exit, and not let
the door hit them on the way out.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Jonathan S. Tobin is executive editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent.
Let him know what you think by clicking here.
Jonathan Tobin Archives
© 2004, Jonathan Tobin
|
