With three Orthodox representatives, two ex-Soviets and one Israeli, the new board of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation is more diverse than ever before.
John Goldman, JCF president, said that while promoting religious pluralism in Israel has long been at the top of the JCF’s agenda, somehow it’s been less of a priority here at home.
Calling the new 68-member board one that “embraces the entire community,” Goldman said, “I’ve always felt a little uncomfortable that there has been criticism about divisions or lack of religious pluralism” on the federation’s governing body.
Jeff Farber, the Tiburon lay leader who chaired the nominating committee, said a concerted effort was made to “go outside the old paradigms” of prior boards.
“I’m not saying it wasn’t good before, but this year we had such a great opportunity” to seek new blood, he said.
That opportunity included an attempt to tap people who represent a greater geographical area, as well as some of the younger generation, moving up the ranks from the Young Adult Division. Three people on the new board are under 40, and several are in their early to mid-40s.
Ukrainian-born Rabbi Shimon Margolin, who was traveling in Russia and could not be reached, will represent both the ex-Soviet emigres that he serves as well as the Orthodox community.
While every attempt was made to diversify, Farber said that all those selected still had to meet the committee’s main criteria — “people who would make a positive contribution to the federation’s governing process, provide leadership and inspiration, and serve as a link between federation and the community at large.”
Bernard Hall, 41, of San Francisco, is one of the new Orthodox board members. A physicist by training who is now in venture capital, he is a member of Young Israel of San Francisco. He has volunteered in the community, mostly for his synagogue and Hebrew Academy, the Orthodox Jewish day school that his four children attend.
Hall said that he is looking forward to being able to represent a viewpoint that did not always have a voice on the board.
Emphasizing that the Orthodox community in the Bay Area is often overlooked, he noted that while a number of people spoke of the opening of the Jewish Community High School as “finally, a Jewish high school,” Hebrew Academy has been in existence for 32 years, serving preschool through 12th grade.
“It’s not intentional but it’s a lack of awareness, and it’s one of the things the Jewish community should be proud of in San Francisco,” he said.
While he does not believe only Orthodox people can provide an Orthodox perspective, he thinks they will bring more balance to the board.
“I’m hoping to be able to present a point of view that isn’t normally presented,” he said.
The last board had only one Orthodox member, Mark Schickman, who remains on the board for another term.
Schickman said he is glad to no longer be the lone voice of Orthodoxy there. Many Orthodox people, he said, are reluctant to get involved in local organizations because “they often think ‘it’s a liberal board and we’re not going to be able to change it,’ but that’s the wrong approach.”
Furthermore, Schickman, who identifies as modern Orthodox, said Hall and Margolin each represent another segment of the Orthodox community, which can only be an asset to the board.
“I’m really glad they’re coming on,” he said. “There has been a real lack, and there are streams of Orthodoxy that I didn’t represent.”
In addition to the Orthodox members, joining the JCF board are Russian-born Galina Leytes of Palo Alto and Israeli-born Davidi Gilo of Woodside. Gilo is not the first Israeli to serve; Liki Abrams of Foster City was on the last board.
Will the diversity of the new board hamper its decision-making process? Sam Salkin, JCF chief executive officer, says no.
“I think that in any organization, when a board nominates a committee that consciously works to ensure broad and widespread representation of the community, it leads to better board dialogue, and better decisions and better understood decisions,” he said.
Goldman agreed. “I’m hoping we will have a greater diversity of opinions, which will help us make better decisions.”