In case you want more on this story, Jim Besser has a Q&A in the New York Jewish Week with Daniel Sokatch about Sokatch’s decision to leave the San Francisco Jewish federation for the New Israel Fund.
What were the frustrations?
In any big organization there are people who are resistant to change, just as those who welcome change and are excited by it.Where I found the conversation most difficult was around Israel. This federation does amazing work in working for pluralism and inclusivity for all Israelis. But over and over again, we saw a highly mobilized, motivated and determined minority that found any change in the status quo in the conversation about Israel very threatening. That’s not something indigenous to the federation; it’s a factor in the whole Jewish community.
How did that resistance manifest itself?There were relentless efforts to quiet the diversity of opinion when it comes to Israel by going after professionals who were deemed insufficiently pro-Israel. … I think this points to the limits of the Federation, at least for now, as something that can be a tent for all pro-Israel voices.
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