2006 June 19 | Peoplehood.org

Dear Peoplehooders,I’ve been invited to submit a paper on Peoplehood in response to the Commentary article by Jack Wertheimer and Steven M. Cohen. Here’s my working draft; I have two weeks to get it back to them.

Thanks! Yossi

Peoplehood With Purpose, updated draft By Yosef I. Abramowitz
There is a drastic need for a paradigm shift in planning for a strong Jewish future. With American Jewry having the highest attrition rates of any religious group as well as the lowest belief-in-God-quotient, the 200 year compact the Jewish people have had with western civilization, and each other, needs to be altered. Jewish peoplehood – and its universalistic, noble purpose – must replace the now irrelevant definition of Jews as essentially a faith community.
The historic choice made by the French Sanhedrin in answering Napoleon’s challenge—to define themselves as “Frenchmen of the Mosaic Faith,�? rather than as part of the Jewish people —ushered in a new era for humanity and for the Jewish people. Eviscerating our national characteristics paved the way for Jewish individuals as well as for Judaism to be both in law and in the public imagination equal to Christians and to Christianity.
The culture of individualism that is so defining of America accelerated the equality of Jews and of Judaism. The greatest public relations coup of the 20^th century for American Jewry was the mainstreaming of the term “Judaeo-Christian�?, which means that 2% of the population had not only equality with the super majority of Americans, but even top billing. This served our community’s public policy interests and assimilationist yearnings.
This remarkable achievement must now be undone. Read more

Dear Mr. Abramowitz:Thank you, thank you, thank you for your article.

A week ago I was “let go” from my dream job position as an ED of an
organization I was madly in love with. The problem was that I
questioned the founder who is also the board president. Any sort of
question or recommendation came as direct blow to her personally.

Decisions weren’t made by the board. Everything was rubber-stamped by
the board. Nothing was up for discussion. Nothing was ever up for a
vote. The founder created a beautiful, successful organization but now
the NPO is suffering under her (sometimes tyrannical) reign–an
inability to let go, share her knowledge, and establish a legacy that
will thrive long after she is gone.

Your candor is refreshing and encouraging.

I’m certain that you’re familiar with the article as well:

http://www.help4nonprofits.com/NP_Bd_FoundersSyndrome_Art.htm

I only wish that there were more founders doing such wonderful work
with an appropriate and realistic understanding of their limitations
as well as gifts and strengths.Most respectfully,

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