Abstract: Dr. Zvi Feine served the Jewish communities of Romania and Poland as country director for the Joint Distribution Community during those two countries respective transitions from Communist rule. This memoir of his work under the constraints of communism, through the violent December 1989 revolution in Romania and the more peaceful transition in Poland, and in the aftermath of transition to democracy describes the challenges of effective communal service in turbulent times. The mission of the JDC was to support and partner with the Jewish communities that remained after the devastation of the Holocaust, sustaining the Jews of Eastern Europe with material and communal assistance. Dr. Feine relates poignant and harrowing memories of working under the constant surveillance of the Securitate secret service agency and dealing with the aftermath of the revolution and the resistance to change, all the while navigating a complex and delicate web of history, religious and cultural mores, personalities, ideals, and hopes. Illustrated here are numerous principles of communal work, including the importance of understanding the cultural context, resource and leadership development, and the crucial role that lay leaders can play. Communal workers in the Jewish community and beyond will benefit from Dr. Feine's accumulated wisdom over a lifetime of community service in positions all over the globe.
Abstract: Mandated by the Leeds Jewish Representative Council (LJRC), a group of community lay leaders and professionals, representing a wide cross section of the community (including ages, gender, organisations and affiliations) undertook the challenge of producing a strategic assessment of the Leeds Jewish community. This exercise of analysis, needs assessment and planning is vital for Jewish communities that want to thrive and grow in the complex times we live in, that in many cases make obsolete many of the certainties of the past. This cross-section group, which started its work with a year of training in community development issues, could develop a comprehensive view (a sort of 'bird's eye view') of the whole community beyond organisational boundaries. After this initial stage, the group
evolved into the Leeds Strategic Planning group (SPG), which, with the support of UJIA and Leatid, undertook this strategic analysis. The aim was to understand the current trends in the community, the needs of its different
populations and to envision different scenarios in the evolution of the community in the next few years. This would constitute the basis for offering a set of strategic directions for the community as a whole. A strategic planning process requires many qualities from a Jewish Community. Not every community is ready to undertake the challenge that a planning process demands. One needs to have a solid basis to build on, a committed, positive leadership and the openmindedness that comes from strong convictions and solid values. The community needs to have the daring and the intellectual honesty to look at itself without preconceived ideas and with the desire to improve and grow. The fact that the Leeds Jewish Community undertook this task is further proof of its solidity and dynamism.
