UJC Taps Silverman as Chief Executive

The umbrella organization of the North American Jewish federation system has hired Jerry Silverman, a key player in raising tens of millions of dollars for Jewish summer camps, as its next president and CEO.

Silverman was tapped to take the reins at the United Jewish Communities, which serves as the North American arm of a federation system that raises and distributes about $3 billion annually from its general campaigns, endowments and special fundraising drives.

Since 2004, Silverman has served as the executive director of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, overseeing the growth of the organization’s budget from slightly more than $1 million per year to more than $22 million.

A former high-level executive at the Levi Strauss and Co. and at the Stride Rite Corp., Silverman will succeed Howard Rieger on Sept. 30, a month after Rieger’s term as chief executive ends.

At UJC, Silverman faces a series of challenges, starting with a shrinking budget and increasing questions about the need for a national system.

“I am going into this really clearly with my eyes open,” he said. “I will be doing an inordinate amount of listening as we really look to put our agenda together going forward,” he said.

Federation campaigns across the country have been down or stagnating in recent years, a problem that has been exacerbated by the recession. In the past week, UJC officials said they project a 13 percent decrease in the system-wide campaign this year.

Groups Set Major Iran Push for September
U.S. Jewish groups are planning a mass push in September to press for Iran sanctions.

The groups are planning a Washington Day on Sept. 10 that would bring together 300 to 500 leaders from across the United States to press for sanctions legislation, as well as a mass protest outside the United Nations in New York City on Sept. 24 — about the time Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is set to address the General Assembly.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations established a working group last month to examine how the post-June 12 elections crisis in Iran would affect efforts to isolate the hard-line regime as long as it sustained its suspected nuclear weapons program. The elections, widely regarded as rigged, have sparked a major protest movement.

“We held off for a little while to see what the outcome would be,” Presidents Conference vice-chairman Malcolm Hoenlein was quoted as telling member groups in a conference call Monday to announce the dates. “While it’s not completely clear, Ahmadinejad announced he was coming to the United Nations and the nuclear program continues.”

The Washington day will include meetings at the White House and with congressional leaders.

Alan Solow, the chairman of the Presidents Conference, was quoted as telling those on the call that a huge turnout at the Sept. 24 rally was critical. Hoenlein said groups should reach out to non-Jewish groups as a means of emphasizing the broader threat the Iranian regime poses; he said he would seek Muslim and Christian participation.

Empire Launches Organic Poultry Line
Empire Kosher poultry is launching lines of organic and antibiotic-free (ABF) poultry.

The Pennsylvania company announced last week that it is ready to roll out both lines nationally.

“As we’ve seen demand for ABF and organic products grow in the non-kosher world, we decided to enter these markets with kosher products,” CEO Greg Rosenbaum said in a statement.

ABF designates poultry that is not injected with any antibiotics or hormones. Organic chicken also adheres to ABF standards, as well as U.S. Department of Agriculture standards for organic poultry.

Empire also announced last week that new equipment design would enable the company to increase its peak production volume from 350,000 chickens per week to nearly 800,000.

Israeli Witnesses Testify Before U.N. Panel
Witnesses from Israel testified before a U.N. commission investigating human rights violations during the Gaza military operation.

The Israeli witnesses, including the father of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who is being held in Gaza, testified Monday in Geneva since they were unable to testify before the commission last month in Gaza.

South African Judge Richard Goldstone, a war crimes prosecutor in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda probes, is heading the commission. Israel did not allow the commission to enter the country to carry out its investigation, saying it would be biased.

Noam Shalit had already submitted a written statement asking the committee to call for his son’s release.

A resident of Ashkelon who was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza testified before the committee Monday, as did Ashkelon Mayor Benny Vaknin, lecturers from the Sapir College and several representatives of the Sderot Information Center, Ynet reported.

“What was my crime — that I’m a Jew living in Ashkelon?” Dr. Mirella Sidrer of Ashkelon told the committee, according to Ynet. “I studied medicine in order to help people from all over the world. I helped women in Gaza.

“I am a common civilian who has never had a hand in any kind of act of war. I also regret the casualties and the innocent victims on the other side. Enough with the blood and the suffering; it has to stop.”

Briefs courtesy Jewish Telegraphic Agency.