With the passage of time, due consideration and reflection of the public debate, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans now declares its opposition to the Agreement.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
While the CCJN respects the authority of the Federation to comment on matters of critical importance as they reflect on the local and national Jewish communities as well as those that may have an effect on the Jewish State of Israel, the use of an executive board statement to push a political agenda is, in our opinion, over the line.<\/p>\n
When the Federation was founded over 102 years ago, the reason for its formation was to ensure an efficient gathering of community resources in which the disparate Jewish charities and service organizations could work within one central administration. There was never an intent to organize as a political mechanism and, indeed, its tax-exempt status – like many religious organizations that have felt the need to advocate from a bully pulpit – might eventually be threatened by taking a political stand.<\/p>\n
This question is not only of import to us in New Orleans. It is clearly being addressed in other areas where the same thing is occurring. As an example, a recent letter by members of the affluent Ratner family in Cleveland took exception to a similar political stance being advocated by their own Jewish Federation. Indeed, the operative words of the opening of the letter were to express “great dismay” at a recent Cleveland Federation’s email sent in opposition to the proposed agreement.<\/p>\n
Like the Ratners in Cleveland, we have major concerns about the authority of our local Federation being twisted to one political position and to claim it speaks on behalf of all<\/em> Jews in our community. “While it is the right of any individual on the board to express his or her own view on this issue,” said the Ratners in their letter, “it is disturbing to see the board of an organization that depends on enormous support from the entire community ally itself publicly with one point of view.”<\/p>\n We couldn’t have said it any better.<\/p>\n Do not mistake our opposition to Federation’s misstep here as being soft on the issue. We are no friend of Iran, especially where the agreement may provide the means for compromising either the security of Israel or the United States.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, Federation’s ongoing mission has been up to now to educate and promote the Jewish population of Greater New Orleans. We see no reason for a Federation that solicits funds for the betterment of the entire Jewish community to become a politically divisive force, even if it does so with the best of intentions. To take a specific political stand on this issue is confounding and borders on what the Ratners have called “a violation of our trust.”<\/p>\n We respectfully ask that the Federation executive board think carefully about the position it has taken and to consider the ramifications that may come about as a result. This is a dangerous precedent and one that alarms us.<\/p>\n \n![\"Share](\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\")