As Jerry Benjamin approached the dais at the Milwaukee Jewish Federation 2009 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 11, most attendees were likely expecting an earnest speech.
After all, these are serious times; the evening’s theme was “Meeting the Challenges.”
Instead, shortly after he was approved as the federation’s new president, Benjamin spoke for just a few minutes and then led the room of 126 community members in an adapted Yiddish song, “Lomir Aleh In Eynem,” “All Together.”
“I wanted people to leave the room with a smile on their faces and feeling good. I personally think there are lots of good reasons to do this [community work] but it’s best to do it with a light heart,” Benjamin said in a later interview.
His choice of song came straight from his vision for the community. “I was interested in using Yiddish to remind people of the history of community life…. I wanted people to feel connected to previous generations and to not be under the illusion that what we do is original and unique.”
“It’s the beauty that comes from being part of something much larger than ourselves that began before we were here and hopefully will continue long after we’re gone,” he said.
That vision and creativity may serve Benjamin well as he takes the helm of the community’s umbrella organization in the midst of today’s economic crisis. As a result of decreased donations and financial reserves, the federation implemented deep cuts to its operating and direct service budgets. Allocations to all local agencies have been reduced.
Though painful, these times are “fraught with promise,” Benjamin said in an interview, adding that the federation will likely continue “reshaping things,” before the economy stabilizes.
His goal is to ensure “that this house is in great order for the future and that we’re ready to move ahead, without sacrificing any of the core values that make up the federation.”
“Hopefully, we will emerge in better condition, able to embrace growth and change on the road ahead,” he said.
Benjamin also addressed the importance of having the federation as a central community body.
“I’m hoping that our leadership, the most active members of our community, will re-embrace the idea of the federation at this point in time…. We are much better off united than we are divided,” he said.
Benjamin has been active in the federation since moving to Milwaukee in 1981. But his Jewish community involvement stretches farther into the past.
In 1976, he was one of two founders of CAJE, the Coalition for Alternatives in Jewish Education.
(Later renamed the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education, the organization aimed to empower Jewish educators to excellence through professional development, advocacy and collaboration. It closed its doors this year.)
In Milwaukee, he helped found Lake Park Synagogue, the modern Orthodox East Side shul, and became its first president.
Benjamin is clearly devoted to his roots. He counts among his Jewish communal mentors the late Marty Stein, the late Esther Leah Ritz, Betty Lieberman and Mel Zaret.
And his term as president seems an organic next step for him. “I’m here because I sort of feel like I have this brit [covenant] with preceding generations. I feel like I’m taking my place at the table, keeping the seat warm for someone who’s going to follow me, just like they kept it warm for me.”
Held at the Zelazo Center of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the meeting began with a reception and program at its neighbor, the Joseph and Vera Zilber Building, which houses the new Hillel Student Center. Wayne L. Firestone, president of the national organization Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, spoke on “Building a Jewish Future.”
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