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AJCOP held a Seminar and Professional Leadership Recognition program at the United Jewish Communities General Assembly in Nashville, TN early Tuesday morning, November 13, 2007 in cooperation with the Jewish Communal Service Association of North America (JCSA) and the World Council of Jewish Communal Service (WCJCS). Dr. Jonathan Woocher, Chief Ideas Officer of JESNA, delivered the keynote address: "Building Community and Peoplehood During a Time of Personalism: Challenges and Strategies" (text below). Each organization recognized professionals for exemplary service. AJCOP recognized: Emilie Kuperman, Director of Development of the Tampa JCC/Federation as the AJCOP 2007 Norman Edell Fellow; Jeffrey Klein, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and Phyllis Cook, Director of the Endowment Fund & Associate Director of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin & Sonoma Counties, received the AJCOP 2007 Mandelkorn Distinguished Service Award. (Bios on site under News/Awards.) WCJCS honored Jacob Solomon, Executive Vice President of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, and Alan Hoffman, Director General of Zionist Jewish Education for the Jewish Agency for Israel, for their service as the program chairs of the WCJCS 11^th Quadrennial in Jerusalem last summer. JCSA honored Shoshannah Frydman, Director of Family Violence Services, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty of NY and Edward M. Bruckner, Senior Development Officer, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Boston, for exemplary service. It was a great morning!

Above left: Jeffrey Klein (R), CEO, Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County is presented the AJCOP Mandelkorn Distinguished Service Award by Jacob Solomon, Executive VP of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.
Above right: Phyllis Cook, Director of the Endowment Fund & Associate Director of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin & Sonoma Counties, is presented with the AJCOP 2007 Mandelkorn Distinguished Service Award by Maxyne Finkelstein, CEO of JAFI North America.

Emilie Kuperman, Director of Development of the Tampa JCC/Federation is presented with the AJCOP 2007 Norman Edell Fellowship Award by Jeffrey Feld, Executive Director, Memphis Jewish Federation.

Above left: Alan Hoffman (R), Director General, Dept. of Zionist Jewish Education, Jewish Agency for Israel, received the WCJCS Professional Leadership Award from Misha Galperin, Executive VP, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and above right, Jacob Solomon, Executive VP, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, received the WCJCS Professional Leadership Award from Max Kleinman, Executive VP, UJC of MetroWest NJ.

Ellie Aronowitz (L), JCSA President and Brenda Gevertz (R), JCSA Executive Director, congratulated JCSA 2007 Young Professional Awardees Shoshannah Frydman and Eddie Bruckner.

Left: Debbie Dolgin and Sean Mandell were on hand to congratulate Jeff Klein. Middle: JCSA award winners Ed Bruckner and Shoshannah Frydman share a cup of coffee before the program. Right: AJCOP Past Presidents Danny Allen and Allan (Geli) Gelfond, catch up.

Left: AJCOP President Alan Engel goes over the program with AJCOP Exec Lou Solomon. Right: Howard Ross, Alan Engel and Steve Morrison share a cup of early morning GA joe.

A large contingent of Palm Beachers were on hand to congratulate Jeff Klein. Left: Jeffrey & Carla Klein. Right: Jeff with Michelle Wasch, COO of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.

Tova Grunes, AJCOP Edell Fellow for 2006, and David Edell,
congratulate Emilie Kuperman, AJCOP Edell Fellow for 2007.

Thanks to our own dedicated execs, Lou Solomon (AJCOP), Brenda Gevertz (JCSA)
and Ted Comet (WCJCS) for putting together such a stimulating and meaningful morning at the GA.

AJCOP Presidents past and present keep involved in our programs and projects. L-R: Lou Solomon, Max Kleinman, Alan Engel, Bill Bernstein, Danny Allen and Geli (Allan) Gelfond.

    The topic I’ve been asked to address is one that is on many of our minds today. In this group, I don’t need to elaborate on the challenge we face: There are multiple signs that the commitment to Jewish community and peoplehood as we have understood these terms is eroding, especially among younger Jews. We’re not alone in facing this situation. The developments we see are part of larger trends in American society. But, these trends are especially problematic for us as Jews, both because of the central role that community and peoplehood play in our heritage, and because, as a small minority, we rely to a considerable extent on our solidarity to preserve our vitality.
     The key question at this stage is not how we got here – we can debate the details, but the general story is well known. It is how do we respond – can the commitment to community and peoplehood be strengthened and, if so, how?
    I want to say at the outset that I believe there are no easy or obvious answers, including the suggestions I shall offer. We will need a spirit of openness and experimentation as we test out approaches and look to see their impact.
    One important point is worth noting: The challenge to community and peoplehood comes from two directions, though the two are not unrelated. On the one hand, we see an accentuation of individualism, personalism, and choice as dominant features in our society and culture. This thrust, epitomized in what has been called the “sovereign self,” undermines all a priori loyalties, and especially loyalty to collectives that are perceived as seeking to impose limits on personal freedom or as setting standards for behavior that contravene the ultimate decision-making power of the individual. On the other hand, we also witness today, especially among young people, a heightened commitment to globalism, multi-culturalism, and universalism. This commitment renders what might be seen as particularistic loyalties – e.g., loyalty to a specific ethnic group or nation – as morally problematic. Why should we single out members of one community or one people for special concern when so many need so much?
     Efforts to connect Jews strongly to the Jewish community and to the Jewish people, including the state of Israel, must contend with both of these challenges. We must be perceived neither as too demanding nor too parochial. We must make the case that attachment to this community and this people is something that should be chosen, not something that is expected or assumed.
    So, what can we do as a practical matter?
    I want to borrow a concept and a strategy from my colleague and teacher Shlomi Ravid, who now directs the School for Jewish Peoplehood Studies at Beit Hatefutsot: We need to invest in building Jewish social, communal, and peoplehood capital. The concept of social capital, popularized by Robert Putnam in his influential work, Bowling Alone, recognizes that underlying the formal structures and institutions of society lies a sub-structure of relationships and dispositions that are necessary to sustain these institutions. These critical dispositions include trust, mutual respect, and norms of reciprocity that both motivate participation in social institutions and that “lubricate” their ongoing operations. Without social capital, institutions eventually go bankrupt and collapse. People won’t participate, and when they do, they do so without enthusiasm and deep loyalty.
     This line of argument suggests, therefore, that in order to strengthen the Jewish institutions that comprise the Jewish community and that give concrete form to the concept of Jewish peoplehood, we must strengthen the direct connections and concrete relationships among individual Jews. These relationships build the trust, concern, commitment, and sense of mutual responsibility – and also the joys of comradeship and familiarity – that give substance and spirit to and thereby sustain institutional life.
     Focusing on building communal and peoplehood capital means, in a sense, adopting the advertising slogan of RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland), “less talk, more action.” I’m not suggesting that we give up entirely trying to clarify what we mean by Jewish peoplehood or community, or making the case verbally for why these concepts are valid and important. But, I am suggesting that this discussion is not our top priority today, nor that we need to agree on what we mean by the terms as a pre-requisite for “doing community and peoplehood.”
     What would such an approach focused on building Jewish peoplehood and social capital mean in concrete terms? Let me suggest three implications.
    The first, and most obvious, is that we need to invest much more in creating and encouraging participation in experiences that build social, communal, and peoplehood capital. Birthright israel is a prime example of how this can be done and the impact it can have. The evaluation studies that have been undertaken indicate that the power of birthright israel emanates from several sources: the free gift of the trip, the carefully crafted educational program, Israel itself, and, not least, the experience of being with other Jews in both small and large groups (sometimes more Jews in one place than participants have ever experienced before) for a concentrated period of time. This includes Jews from Israel and from other diaspora communities – a palpable encounter with the reality of global peoplehood.
      The impact of birthright Israel, not on every participant, but on many, and of other programs that bring Jews together in creative and purposeful ways, highlights the need to create many more such opportunities. When Jews to come into contact with other Jews in contexts that encourage serious relationships to develop, the reality of peoplehood is created, regardless of the rhetoric that is used. Feelings of connection, mutual responsibility, and shared destiny don’t develop in the abstract, nor from slogans. They grow out of real experiences. We have the know-how and the financial capacity to create many such experiences for youth, for young adults, and for families. The relative ease of travel and the revolution in technology make forging such concrete connections more feasible than ever before. But, connections can be built on much smaller scales as well. How much might it mean to a young family, perhaps one just starting out on its Jewish journey thanks to a program like PJ Library, to be connected to other young families at a similar stage in their lives and in their Jewish development? We have manifold opportunities to build community and peoplehood capital. We simply need to seize them.
     Second, a focus on social and peoplehood capital suggests that we must not confuse the current institutional forms of community and peoplehood with their essential content. I believe that the fundamentals of human motivation do not change. People still seek connectedness to one another and to something larger than themselves, just as they seek meaning and mastery over their own lives. And, people can still be inspired to take action and to devote themselves to ends beyond their own pleasure when they experience this connectedness. Too often for too many, however, our current Jewish institutions don’t provide this kind of connection and inspiration – these institutions are not building social capital, at least for a significant portion of our younger Jews. Third, we do need to confront squarely the challenge not only of personalism, but of universalism, and to do so not just in rhetoric, but in action. To me, this means re-positioning Jewish community and peoplehood not as parochial, limiting categories, but as platforms for an activist engagement with the world that advances human freedom and dignity. I believe that over the last few decades, in both our language and our behavior, we have too often projected a defensive and self-protective communalism – one focused on survival and “continuity,” even at times an “us vs. them” mentality. Putnam argues for the importance of balancing what he calls “bonding” and “bridging” social capital – connections within a tight group and connections beyond that group. As Rabbi Sid Schwarz has pointed out in his excellent book, Judaism and Justice, there is certainly a basis for emphasizing the importance of group integrity and self-preservation – what he calls the “Exodus impulse” – in our history and tradition, not to mention in a world in which threats to Jewish survival remain all too real. Nonetheless, I suggest that in today’s world, and especially for younger Jews, we need to put greater emphasis on the other thrust in our tradition (what Rabbi Schwarz calls the “Sinai impulse”) that sees our identity as Jews as a “calling” directed to each of us individually and to all of us collectively to bring righteousness and justice into the world.
    By being visibly engaged in building bridging social capital we will also, I believe, strengthen bonding social capital. When young people see a Jewish community, a Jewish people, and a Jewish state that manifest this commitment, whether by leading the struggle to stop genocide in Darfur and to resettle the victims or by fighting on behalf of the poor and immigrants – Jewish and non-Jewish – here in North America or in Israel, the value and validity of affirming a collective identity as Jews become clearer.
    This is the time of year when we are reading the book of Genesis. It tells a striking story that connects how we became and who we are as a people to nothing less than the redemption of creation. Recall the story: God creates a world that is good, indeed “very good,” a world where humans are intended to live a paradisal existence. This is not to be, however, as we humans prove ourselves all too prone to egoism, avoidance of responsibility, and violence. God tries again, wiping out all of humanity except for one family. But, even with a second chance, humans prove arrogant and unruly. So, God acts again, dividing humans into diverse peoples and tongues. Less room for conspiracy, perhaps, but no closer to living out the vision of harmony that is the intent of creation. And here enters the Jewish people, quietly at first, in a single couple that must leave their home and start fresh in an unfamiliar land, comforted only by a promise: “I will make of you a great nation, and through you will all the families of the earth be blessed.”
     This is the Biblical myth. Universal redemption is the goal. Forging a people that is truly dedicated to justice and righteousness is the way. Throughout the book of Genesis, Abraham, Sarah and their descendents learn what it is and what it requires to be a people of integrity, compassion, forgiveness, and peace. Then comes the greatest lesson of all: the experience of being slaves. We know how we should treat others, the Torah repeatedly enjoins, because we were strangers in the land of Egypt. At Sinai, we learn what God means by a “great nation” – a “holy nation, a kingdom of priests,” striving – and usually failing, we must be candid – to serve as a light to the nations, a model, an exemplar, and thereby hasten the day when creation’s harmony will be restored.
     I believe in this story – not literally, perhaps, but as a story that helps make my own personal story, the one I am writing with my life, more meaningful and more rewarding. This story gives me an identity and a purpose, and it also suggests where I can find at least some of those who will write the next chapters of the story with me – among my community and my people.
    I realize that others will read and write this story somewhat differently than I do – but I don’t believe that the story has lost its power, even in a time of personalism. We just need to remember it, to tell it and, above all, to live it, as individuals, as a community, as a people.
    So, this is what I propose:
Let’s strengthen the human connections from which community and peoplehood are woven through experiences that bring Jews together across all sorts of boundaries. Let’s continue the work of remaking our institutions and of supporting new ones that enable Jews to connect with one another and with larger purposes in their lives. And, let’s live a vision of Jewish community and peoplehood that is not narrow and tribal, but that makes us a springboard for strengthening trust, generosity, and mutual responsibility among all humanity.
    If we can do this, then I believe that Jewish community and peoplehood will have a bright future indeed, and we will see fulfilled the blessing given to Abraham millennia ago: “I will make of you a great nation ... and through you will all the families of the earth be blessed.”

AJCOP held a Professional Development Day and it's 38th Annual Meeting on Monday, August 6, 2007 at the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County in cooperation with the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, The Jewish Federation of Broward County and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. "We Are One: But It Ain't Easy" was the theme of the day, and Paul Jeser, West Coast Director for American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, took the redeye in from Los Angeles to deliver Part I of the Sam Hatow Memorial Lecture on that theme. Jeffrey Klein, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, delivered Part II of the Sam Hatow Memorial Lecture, "Future Challenges to Our Field". Over 130 professionals from the four federations and several national agencies attended the full day program that gave plenty of time for networking with colleagues and interacting on topics crucial to the important work that we do. Many thanks to our Planning Committee:
Richard Jacobs, Chair; Sarah Berkowitz, Adam Bronstone, Marla Egers, Sara Beth Levine, Marcy Rosenbaum, Robert Schwartz, Dany Shandler, Daniel Staffenberg, Robert Tropp, Bruce Yudewitz, Louis Solomon and Marlene Solomon. It was a great day!

AJCOP Exec Lou Solomon (center) with young colleagues Dahlia Bendavid, Judi Breinin and Eleanor Powers
Alex Rosenberg and Sara Beth Levine. chat over a cup of coffee.

Lou introduces AJCOP President Alan Engel to Leon Weinerman. Paul Jeser, Danny Allen and Harry Nadler
They are both from Youngstown, OH, where Alan's father Stanley
Engel (z'l) directed the Federation for 45 years.

Nina Kaplan, Randee Schneider, Scott Brockman, Ali Berliner, Sharon Cooper

The program began with a welcome from President Bill Bernstein, CEO of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County. Program chair Dick Jacobs, VP of Community Planning, Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, introduced Paul Jeser, who delivered Part I of the Sam Hatow Memorial Lecture, "We Are One: But It Ain't Easy".

C. Creating the Workplace of Choice for a Diverse Professional Cadre
Facilitators: Sarah Berkowitz, Senior Development Associate, Jewish Federation South Palm Beach County; Dany Shandler, Director, Human Resource Development, Greater Miami Jewish Federation

D. Building Your Personal Strategy: Career Advancement in the Jewish Communal Field
Presenter: Marcy Rosenbaum, Executive Director, Mandel Center for Excellence in Leadership, Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, Represen tative, Professional Leaders Project, Jewish Leaders Network.
Facilitator: Daniel Staffenberg, Director, Major Gifts, Greater Miami Jewish Federation

Bill Bernstein gave the State of AJCOP Alan Engel presents Bill Bernstein a small token of our
address and presented Leon Weinerman a appreciation for his leadership of AJCOP.
certificate as 2007 Rodkin Israel Experience Fellow.

Jeffrey Klein delivers Part II of the Sam Hatow Dany Shandler comes to the mike during "Ask the Exec", and impromptu open
Memorial Lecture, "Future Challenges to Our Field". session with the CEOs.

Campaign Managers
Facilitator: Suzanne Andisman, Campaign Director, JF of Broward County

Campaign Professionals
Facilitator: Dina Burg, Assistant Director, Campaign, JF of South Palm Beach County

AJCOP held its 5th Annual Retirees Reunion Luncheon on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County. Chaired by Murray Schneier and Norman Schimelman, AJCOP President Bill Bernstein was on hand to greet his retired colleagues and bring them up to speed on where the organization is going. Bruce Yudewitz and Randee Schneider made presentations on the Strategic Plan Implementation Process of the Demographic Studies done by Ira Sheshkin in 2005/06. It was a great day!

L-R: Don Cooper, Murray Kamen, Bruce Yudewitz, Murray Schneier, Herman Markowitz, Lowell Lander, Edith Steindler, Norman Schimelman, Dick Jacobs, Randee Schneider, Mike Fischer, Lou Solomon, Joel Telles.

Presenters Randee Schneider, Planning Staff Associate, Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and Bruce Yudewitz, Director of Planning and Allocations, Greater Miami Jewish Federation with AJCOP Exec, Lou Solomon.

Judah Segal, Exec of the Raleigh-Cary Jewish Federation
visits with Howard Ross, Exec of the JF of Northern Louisiana.

Jeff Feld, Executive Director of the Memphis Jewish Federation,
says "Ha-shana ha-ba'ah b' Nashville! Y'all come now, y'hear!

Lee Wunsch, CEO of the JF of Greater Houston runs out for lunch
with his good friend Eric Stillman, Exec of the UJC of Broward County.

Marc Blattner, COO of the Atlanta Federation with Lou Solomon, AJCOP Exec.

Bonnie Cousens, Executive Director of the Society. for Humanistic Judaism,
and daughter Beth Cousens, Director for Campus Advancement,
Hillel: Foundation for Jewish Campus Life in Washington,
D.C. are mother/daughter AJCOP members.

Lou Solomon, AJCOP Exec, catches up with Danny Allen,
past AJCOP president and Executive Vice President
of the American Friends of Magen David Adom and his son Uri.

David Edell, President of DRG, Inc. with his niece Karen Edell Yoskowitz.
Karen, a Senior Federal Grants Advisor for UJC in Washington D.C.
and granddaughter of Norman Edell, z'l, is our first 3rd generation AJCOP member!

AJCOP held its Awards Reception on Sunday evening, November 12, 2006 at 8:30 p.m. in the Beaudry Salon of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles , honoring our colleagues Maxyne Finkelstein, 2006 AJCOP Mandelkorn Distinguished Service Awardee, Tova Grunes , AJCOP Norman Edell 2006 Fellow. Zeev Bielsky, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization, presented a special briefing on the current situation in Israel. Planning Committee included Mitch Orlik, Lee Rosenblum, Rebecca Sobelman-Stern, Bill Bernstein, Lou and Marlene Solomon. Alan Engel, President Elect of AJCOP, served as emcee. Our thanks to Wells Fargo for generously sponsoring this event.


Maxyne Finkelstein was presented with the AJCOP Mandelkorn Distinguished Service Award for 2006 by longtime colleague Mitch Orlik.	Tova Grunes was presented with the AJCOP Norman Edell Fellowship by Alan Engel, Edell Committee Chair.


*Zeev Bielski, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization, presented a special professional briefing on the current situation in Israel.*	David Edell (L) and Karen Edell Yoskowitz (R) congratulate Tova Grunes on behalf of the entire Edell family. Karen represents the third generation of AJCOP members in the Edell family.


Lee Rosenblum, Mitch Orlik, and Lou Solomon thank Jonathan Weedman (representing Wells Fargo) for their generous sponsorship of our Awards Reception.	A great crowd was on hand for the event.

Jerry and Ruby Bubis draw a crowd of former students of the School of Jewish Communal Service at HUC. (L-R):Front:Mitch Orlik, Ruby Bubis, Marlene Solomon, (Middle): Alan Gelfond, Lee Rosenblum, Jerry Bubis, Rick Meyer, (Back): Lou Solomon. Don't they look great!


Howard Ross, Steve Terner and Gloria Schwartz, all Small City Execs, shared "coffee and" at the reception.	*Jay Rubin and Marilyn Chandler Foreman*

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Early Monday morning, November 13, 2006, AJCOP, WCJCS and JCSA cosponsored a session recognizing our professional colleagues from Israel, who have rendered extraordinary service during the war in Lebanon, and to honor our young professionals for their outstanding performances.


Alyssa Abrahamson, 14^th Street Y, Educational Alliance, Ilana Aisen, American Jewish World Service and Alisha Goodman, Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services, received the JCSA 2006 Young Professional Awards.	Ita Shahar, Deputy Director Ashalim, JDC-Israel, received an award presented by Steven Schwager, Executive Vice President, JDC


*The Field Staff of the Jewish Agency for Israel, was recognized for their outstanding work during the Summer War of 2006, presented by Moshe Vigdor, Secretary General of JAFI.*	*Dvora Blum, Deputy Director, UJC-Israel, accepted an award from Sam Astrof, COO, UJC.*


Ted Comet, WJCJS Exec, Brenda Gevertz, JCSA Exec and Lou Solomon, AJCOP Exec	Ellie Aronowitz, JCSA President, Bill Bernstein, AJCOP President and Max Kleinman, WJCJS President.