At the Central federation’s Leadership Retreat are, from left, Women’s Campaign immediate past present Erica Needle, host Ruth Pogany, event cochairs Susan Cahn and Linda Weissbrod, and Women’s Campaign president Sharon Rockman.
July 31, 2008
The 20 women who assembled at the Scotch Plains home of Ruth Pogany on July 23 were women with a mission.
Representing the cabinet and executive committee of the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey’s Women’s Campaign, they were participating in the annual Leadership Retreat.
The goals were to hone their leadership skills, learn more about federation member agencies, and kick off the year’s fund-raising campaign by making their own personal commitments.
“This retreat enables everyone to come together and re-energize for the year ahead,” said Susan Cahn, who cochaired the event with Linda Weissbrod, both of Scotch Plains. “It is an opportunity for us to share our commitment to the ’09 campaign and sets the tone for others to do so.”
According to Women’s Campaign director Felicia Korman, the retreat is designed to provide these leaders with the know-how and skills needed to be successful fund-raisers for the federation.
The day’s agenda addressed both goals — developing the women’s abilities and deepening their knowledge about the federation’s mission. Randy Nathan, a personal empowerment coach from West Orange, conducted a leadership training seminar, while two representatives from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee —Judy Amit, chief operating officer of program and budget, and Vivian Green, executive director for resource development — outlined the priorities and challenges faced by the JDC in its work among Jewish communities overseas.
In attendance at the Women’s Campaign event are, from left, Women’s Campaign president Sharon Rockman, new Pomegranate Nan Fechtner, event cochair Susan Cahn, and Women’s Campaign chair Maxine Schwartz.
Participants varied in age and occupation. Some were as young as 30 or so; others were in their 70s. Some were stay-at-home moms, others were businesswomen.
“Leadership is defined by character and behavior, not age or status” said Nathan. “Either you choose to be a leader or you become a leader by default. There is a leader inside each one of us. It is up to you to choose the type of leader you want to be — positive or negative. When you realize you’re a leader, you begin to live your life differently. Leadership is not just what you do; it’s who you are.”
In his two-hour workshop, Nathan presented strategies to help participants create dynamic growth. Using a Personal Leadership Assessment, the women identified their individual leadership traits. Next, they defined their core leadership qualities and developed an action plan to help them reach their full potential. Finally, they set out the steps needed to put their action plan in place.
“It’s not about right or wrong,” Nathan said. “It’s about how you perceive things as leaders. It’s up to leaders to shift people’s paradigms. This is what inspirational leaders do.”
Positive thinking is key, he said. According to the “Law of Attraction,” made famous by Rhonda Byrne in her book The Secret, whatever you think about, you bring about. “If you keep focusing on the bad stuff, you’ll get more bad stuff,” Nathan said. So it’s important to get rid of the victim mentality.
It’s also important to let go of assumptions that might get in the way of moving forward, he said.
“Assumptions stop us. We assume we’ll get the same outcome based on past experience. But just because something didn’t work a couple of years ago, doesn’t mean it won’t work now.”
Our interpretation of things can also hold us back, Nathan said. Interpretation is essentially fiction; let it go, he advised.
Finally, he urged the leaders to keep a wary eye out for limiting beliefs that you buy into and that hold you back.
“You can control your mind. You can choose how you interpret and react. When you find yourself in a rut, step out of it and create a paradigm shift,” he said.
The JDC, which has been engaged in the rescue, relief, and rebuilding of Jewish communities around the world since 1914, is stretched particularly thin today, in light of the dwindling value of the dollar and increased inflation, Amit said.
“The global economy has impacted our lives everywhere. The purchasing power of the dollar has dropped by some 20 percent globally. Falling exchange rates have eroded real value of contribution dollars.”
Since the JDC does not operate at a deficit, it has been forced to cut back on the programs and services that it provides. Welfare programs, which include services to children and the elderly, have been cut back. For example, she said, the JDC today is serving some 180,000 elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union, compared to 220,000 a year ago. The organization also has laid off some 60 staff members worldwide.
Jewish renewal activities have also been affected.
“There are 1.5 million Jews in the former Soviet Union,” Amit said. “This is an opportunity to bring them back to being Jewish. We will lose them if we don’t take this opportunity.”
She showed a video documenting the JDC’s work with children in the former Soviet Union, Europe, and Israel.
“So it is critical,” she said, “that donors increase their gifts to the federation this year. So much is riding on it.”
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