Oregon Area Jewish Committee means local focus
AJC chapter becomes independent affiliate
By Deborah Moon
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When the American Jewish Committee Oregon Chapter becomes the Oregon Area Jewish Committee on July 1, the only change Oregonians are likely to notice is more focus on local priorities.
As of July 1, the OAJC is an independent affiliate of the AJC instead of a chapter of the national organization. OAJC already has received 501c(3) status under the Internal Revenue code as a non-profit corporation with charitable status.
“There will be more continuity than any observable difference,” said the last AJC Oregon Chapter President Michael Simon, a local attorney who helped create the new agreement with AJC. “We will continue focusing on civil rights, intergroup dialogues, energy independence … The difference is now we have greater freedom to focus on areas of more local emphasis such as hunger relief and hunger awareness.”
The first OAJC president, Allan Abravanel concurred: “Our committed and highly talented board of directors—all of whom have served as past presidents or members of the board of directors of the AJC Chapter or as members of the national board of governors of the American Jewish Committee—is looking forward to the growth of our productive working relationship with leaders of the American Jewish Committee, while maintaining the OAJC’s independence to expand our activities in matters of particular local concern, including hunger initiatives, and interfaith and interethnic dialogues.”
Abravanel said he sees great benefit in the new independence with continuing ties to a national organization.
“We have the best of both worlds: the foundation provided by AJC’s intellectually dynamic leadership throughout the United States and the world, as well as its broad base of information and analysis, and the freedom to build on that foundation in unique, Pacific Northwest directions,” he said.
“We are extremely pleased that Emily Gottfried, the executive director of the AJC Chapter, has agreed to become the executive director of the OAJC, assuring the continuity of the quality programs that have been provided by the AJC Chapter and the personal creativity required for OAJC’s new initiatives.”
“We are not going to change significantly what we’ve been doing,” said Gottfried. “We may try to read what the priorities of the local community are and follow them a little more. But the things people know about us will be there.”
Gottfried said that the OAJC will stay connected to AJC by looking at national’s priorities and by helping the national office make local connections that affect national issues. For instance, she said a couple months ago, the local office helped national connect with Methodist leaders involved in that denomination’s consideration of divestiture in Israel.
Oregon, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, Wisc., are the three chapters that choose to become independent affiliates of AJC.
Gottfried said the shift came because AJC has decided to put more energy into larger Jewish communities.
“National is looking at all its chapters,” she said. “They closed a couple and put a couple on part-time status with a coordinator instead of an executive director.”
“Our board and local people didn’t want a placeholder organization; they wanted a full-time office,” she said. “This was offered by national as another option and we decided to take it. We are excited about this model. We’ll be able to serve the local community and still retain connections with the national organization.”
Another change with OAJC’s new status is that all fund-raising done in Oregon will stay in Oregon. Previously money raised by AJC-Oregon Chapter was sent to the national office, who returned some to Oregon to run the local office.
Those who support OAJC will have the option of also joining the national organization. Technically, she said, OAJC and AJC are not membership organizations and the $100 annual dues are support rather than membership. Still supporters receive member-like benefits such as discounts to events and newsletters. Oregon still has two representatives on the AJC National Board of Governors—Susan Abravanel and Kenneth Lewis.
Local projects the OAJC plans to continue are its lunch and learn series, interfaith and interethnic dialogues, the Community Inter-Group Seder, the Judge Learned Hand Luncheon, the human relations award dinner and the Maurice D. Sussman award dinner. OAJC will continue to be active in the Oregon Faith Roundtable Against Hunger, the Coalition Against Hate Crimes, as well as collaborating with Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and the Archdiocese of Portland.
“In the fall we will have the 29th Maurice Sussman Award Dinner and the Learned Hand Luncheon,” said Gottfried.
For more information on the OAJC, call 503-295-6761 or visit the new Web site at www.oajconline.org.
