Local leaders head for international gathering

By Anne Koppel Conway

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Eight lay leaders and staff members from the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and local Jewish organizations will attend the annual General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities (representing 400 independent Jewish federations across North America), this year in Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 11-13, said Charles R. Schiffman, the JFGP’s executive vice president.

“It’s a worldwide gathering,” he said.
   
Not only will delegates hail from the United States and Canada, but some of the 4- to 5,000 community representatives will come from Israel, European communities and South America. This international event is the largest annual gathering of Jewish leaders, he said.
   

In addition to Schiffman, Portlanders heading to the Grand Ole Opry (for some events) will be JFGP President Bob Philip; JFGP Financial Resources and Development Chair Priscilla Kostiner; Young Leadership Award winners Barbara Cohen and Josh Blank; Laurie Rogoway, associate executive vice president and campaign director; John Moss, executive director of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation (a nonprofit community endowment organization responsible for $45 million in endowment fund investments); and David Fuks, chief executive officer of Cedar Sinai Park, a comprehensive senior community.
   
Some delegates may be hard-pressed to choose which sessions to attend, since there will be “literally hundreds of sessions encompassing every issue in contemporary Jewish life,” Schiffman said. 
   
But the federation’s executive VP has already determined that his major thrust at the conference will be financial resource development.
   
“With our changing times” it will be important to determine “how our federation can continue to raise adequate funds for