I’ve been thinking a lot about responsibility lately.  Personal responsibility, parental responsibility, spousal responsibility, family responsibility, community responsibility and worldwide responsibility.  What about the responsibilities as a leader and of our leaders?

I was inspired to think about this by a number of different things happening right now.  The lack of leadership being shown by University Presidents both in their testimony in front of Congress and recently with the pro-Hamas demonstrations on many campuses.  Columbia University gets the most attention, but they are going on at 40 campuses, highlighted by Harvard, Penn, Brown, The University of Michigan, Yale, MIT, Cal Tech, Northwestern, and George Washington. We have also seen University Presidents and administrators break up these protests at University of Minnesota, University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California, Emory, Princeton, and Emerson College.  The difference in the two groups of campuses is entirely based upon the University’s leadership.

There is little doubt that had these encampments been created to protest any other ethnic group in existence, all of the Universities would have shut them down.  An anti-LGBTQ+, anti-Muslim, anti-Black, anti-Christian, anti-Hispanic, or anti-woman protest with racial/sexual epithets being shouted at these students and threats of violence along with actual violence would not be tolerated.  So, what is the difference?  Why is it ok when it’s Jews being targeted?

Many people say it’s the influx of Arab money, specifically from Qatar.  Others cite the latent antisemitism that has existed for generations at many of these schools.  Still others cite the woke movement in which Jews are considered white and privileged and not deserving of protection.  While all these play a part, I think it is entirely about a lack of leadership at these Universities.  The leadership of those Universities are choosing not to protect Jewish students and instead protect the racists, bigots, and those assaulting other students.  Columbia actually created an arguably apartheid situation where Jewish students must take classes and final exams online while those who harass and attack them are allowed to take them in person.  The lack of leadership enables and encourages bad behavior.  The lack of leadership means there is no consequence for inappropriate actions.  After giving a midnight deadline for the encampment to be taken down, Columbia President Minouche Shafik promptly did not enforce it and a few days later, nothing has happened.  That’s a serious lack of leadership.  USC cancelled graduation ceremonies because they can’t control the protestors.  That’s a serious lack of leadership.  At the Universities where there were involved leadership, these encampments were taken down, often by law enforcement, those not following the campus rules and regulations were arrested and face consequences.  Their graduation ceremonies are not in jeopardy of being cancelled. In a country ruled by law, this is how things need to be handled. 

Compare that to the University of Florida, where the Chabad Seder had over 1,000 in attendance, including UF President Ben Sasse. President Sasse addressed the crowd, stating, “What is happening on campus at Columbia and Yale the last few days is grotesque, and we don’t want anyone here to be confused.  We are delighted that the University of Florida is the most Jewish campus anyplace in North America.  We don’t want anyone to be unsafe, or to feel unsafe….”  That’s leadership.  Two sentences is what it took.  And there is no doubt that had he been speaking to any other group that was facing similar situations that he would have said the same about and to them. 

This week, an anti-Israel, anti-Jewish protest happened on the campus of University of Florida.  Why is it not in the news?  Because the leadership of UF did what leaders do.  They led.  They set in place the enforcement of their campus rules and regulations THAT WERE ALREADY IN PLACE.  They promised to hold students, faculty, and anybody else attending the rally accountable for their actions.  Look at the rules that UF published for everybody to see and follow.  There was no encampment at UF, no violence and calls for death of Jews. Free speech is being permitted.  That is how leaders act. 

It’s not just on the college campuses where leadership is missing.  President Biden finally made a big deal about the hostages held by Hamas on Thursday April 25^th when he issued a statement along with leaders of 17 other nations calling for their release.  Why it took over 200 days of captivity for this to happen is beyond me. 

How we still have members of Congress calling the war between Hamas and Israel “Bibi’s War” or “Netanyahu’s War” is beyond me.  Hamas began the war on October 7^th with their attack.  If Hamas released the hostages and surrendered, the war would be over.  This is Hamas’s war.  This is Iran’s war.  Israel is doing what is needed to protect herself but has not nor been the aggressor.  While we have seen some of our leaders being very public about the war and antisemitism on campus, particularly Senators John Fetterman (D-PA) and Rick Scott (R-FL) along with Rep Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY), Cory Mills (R-FL), and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), many others have been silent or playing both sides for election politics.  That’s not leadership.  Hamas and Iran are evil.  The people of Gaza and Iran want regime change.  Instead, we get Rep Nancy Pelosi and Sen Chuck Schumer calling for early elections in Israel, which is totally inappropriate for an ally and another democracy. 

President Eisenhower is the example of what is needed.  Jason Riley in the Wall Street Journal says it best:

“In 1957, white mobs in Little Rock, Ark., in defiance of the [Brown vs. Board of Education] ruling, were preventing black students from safely attending school. President Dwight Eisenhower decided to do something about it. In a prime-time television address, the president explained that ‘demagogic extremists’ and ‘disorderly mobs’ were thwarting the law and that he had an ‘inescapable’ responsibility to respond if Arkansas officials refused to protect black students. ‘Mob rule cannot be allowed to override the decisions of our courts,’ he said. Then Eisenhower sent in the 101st Airborne Division. The particulars then and now may differ, but the same principle is at stake. The federal government was obligated to come to the aid of an ethnic minority group being threatened by mob violence. Jews in 2024 deserve no less protection than blacks in 1957. And if university officials can’t handle the situation, or won’t let police deal properly with the unrest, Mr. Biden needs to step up.”

When will our leaders actually lead instead of worrying about re-election campaigns?  I’ve said for a long time that I want leaders who lead and will support them for doing it.  And when they worry about being re-elected instead of doing their job, I won’t.  It goes back to the classic line in the movie, The American President, when Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepard, says the following line, “I was so busy keeping my job I forgot to do my job.”  It’s time for our leaders to remember to do their job instead of being busy keeping their job.

Recently, Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), an avid antisemite, began accusing those who disagree with him and are supporting his primary opponent, George Latimer, of only doing so because of his race.  We cannot tolerate this any longer.  Rep. Bowman has a history that is being attacked which has nothing to do with his race or ethnicity.  He has taken public stands that people disagree with and that’s why he is being targeted in the primary and that’s why he will hopefully lose the primary.  When our leaders fall to this level of excuse, it minimizes the situations when it is real.  When students are targeted on college campuses.  When a Jewish woman is raped in France to ‘Free Palestine’.  When people are attacked for being Jewish or wearing things that identify them as Jewish, Muslim, or a member of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Our Jewish communities struggle with leadership as well.  The time when significant leaders went through a serious training process and there were being mentored and trained by significant and serious leaders is gone.  In some communities there are still roles and a pathway to leadership positions.  In most there is not.  Whoever is willing to take the board leadership position often gets it, whether they have the training, experience, and knowledge or not.  The serious involvement in the National Young Leadership Cabinet of JFNA is no longer emphasized by most Jewish organizations. 

Our Jewish professionals are not getting the training they need either.  There are some excellent programs available however not enough of them nor are there enough participating.  I was lucky to have an incredible mentor/coach when I was first beginning my career.  He spent a week a month on the road with me for an entire year and we spoke weekly when we were not together.  I learned at his feet, and I will always appreciate his mentorship and teachings.  I still think of the lessons he taught me and hear his voice in my head on a regular basis, guiding the decisions that I make.  As I have now taken on that role for others, it is a combination of my profession and paying it forward.  If we want to have excellent Jewish communal leaders, investing in our volunteer and professional leadership training and development is essential.  Great leaders don’t just happen.  They are taught.  They are given experiences and responsibilities to build upon and grow and develop.  I talk with a number of my friends and former colleagues about the challenges in the Jewish world and leadership is one of the big ones. 

I always think of the stories I heard about the old guard in Seattle.  The “triumvirate” of Seattle, Jack Benaroya, Sam Stroum, and Herman Sarkowsky, would make sure that the people they did business with who were Jewish were investing philanthropically in the Jewish community.  They would make sure that anybody who was going to ‘make it big’ in a deal with them, understood that part of their new wealth included a responsibility to philanthropy and giving back.  If people didn’t want to follow their lead, they would do business with other people instead.  They taught many of the large philanthropists of today about the importance of giving.  Some of those they taught also taught others.  Far too few people do that today.  Without the guidance and training from ‘the old guard’, there will be no ‘new guard’. 

Which brings me to my favorite leadership development program, The Jewish Leadership Institute (JLI).  Founded more than 30 years ago by Rabbi Mayer Abramowitz (z”l) and now run by his son and my friend David Abramowitz, this is the premier leadership training program in the country for college students.  Taking students to Israel for 2-3 weeks for an immersive and intensive leadership development program, they get results.  I admit I am biased.  I had the privilege of sending students on this trip for the 15 years that I ran University of Florida Hillel and got the benefit of the experience when they returned.  It changed their lives.  It changed our campus.  And it continues to change the world as the students who had the experience are now adults and making a difference in the world.  There is going to be a trip in July 2024 (July 2-16) and this incredibly subsidized trip (only $395 INCLUDING AIRFARE FROM MIAMI) will change lives, change college campuses, and change the world.  I encourage Jewish student campus leaders to apply and go. 

In addition, we are working on a JLI young leadership trip in early 2025.  This will also be a highly subsidized trip and I can’t wait to share more information about this as it is developed and confirmed.  As somebody who believes in leadership development, believes in leadership training, mentoring, and role modeling, I am excited to work on this with David and make it into a reality. 

Leadership and responsibility go hand in hand.  We have many people who have the title ‘leader’ but are not.  In the words of Winston Churchill, “The price of greatness is responsibility.”  Many of our ‘leaders’ merely think they are great but shirk their responsibility.  Those who are truly great, embrace the responsibility.  I found this quote by Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus about great leaders and believe it to be true. 

“While great leaders may be as rare as great runners, great actors, or great painters, everyone has leadership potential, just as everyone has some ability at running, acting, and painting.”

Leadership potential doesn’t become true leadership without training, mentoring, and guidance.  The same is true with responsibility.  People don’t understand responsibility and how to act that way without training, mentoring, and guidance.  We’ve seen enough of our ‘leaders’ exhibit no leadership and no responsibility.  It is time for us to change that by investing in our future leaders.  By holding our current leaders accountable for their actions.  For not settling for what we can get but demanding what we desire.  It’s only through our efforts to improve our future leaders and to hold our current leaders accountable that we will get the change we so desperately need.