http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/obama-should-speak-to-all-of-us/ JTA’s Ami Eden says the White House should provide a full transcript of President Obama’s Monday afternoon White House meeting with 16 leaders of Jewish organizations. en-us aeden@jta.org Copyright 2009 2009-07-13T;19:51:00-05:00 stephen.steinlight@gmail.com I whole-heartedly endorse Ami Eden’s demand for transparency and a full transcript of a record of these talks.  He offers several rationales, all legitimate, but, understandably, he does so in diplomatic language that tends to obscure or evade the central, inescapable point.  These purported “Jewish leaders” do not speak for American Jewry, let alone “lead it”.  What permits them to make this delusional claim is outrageous hubris.  None of them was elected; their organizations are aging and shrinking; their membership numbers are known to be wildly inflated; the great majority of American Jews has never even heard of these leaders or their organizations let alone knows what they stand for; and even a cursory analysis of the numbers of Jews belonging to these organizations (which in some cases, like ADL, have NO members) suggests that they “represent” a tiny percentage of American Jews.  Even the term “represent” is a misnomer as many “members” or donors have no idea of the policy agenda of these organizations, all of which are oligarchic plutocracies.  So by all means let the community—which is infinitely larger and not purblind and monolithic in its opinions (as is the Establishment)—know what is happening that affects Jewish values, allegiances and interests, including the Administration’s decidedly worrying actions and statements on Israel.  These “leaders” are frauds with no mandate.  They speak for tiny cadres of like-minded people.  We don’t require them to “filter” the message of our President.  It’s time to begin ending this charade. I whole-heartedly endorse Ami Eden’s demand for transparency and a full transcript of a record of these talks.  He offers several rationales, all legitimate, but, understandably, he does so in diplomatic language that tends to obscure or evade the central, inescapable point.  These purported “Jewish leaders” do not speak for American Jewry, let alone “lead it”.  What permits them to make this delusional claim is outrageous hubris.  None of them was elected; their organizations are aging and shrinking; their membership numbers are known to be wildly inflated; the great majority of American Jews has never even heard of these leaders or their organizations let alone knows what they stand for; and even a cursory analysis of the numbers of Jews belonging to these organizations (which in some cases, like ADL, have NO members) suggests that they “represent” a tiny percentage of American Jews.  Even the term “represent” is a misnomer as many “members” or donors have no idea of the policy agenda of these organizations, all of which are oligarchic plutocracies.  So by all means let the community—which is infinitely larger and not purblind and monolithic in its opinions (as is the Establishment)—know what is happening that affects Jewish values, allegiances and interests, including the Administration’s decidedly worrying actions and statements on Israel.  These “leaders” are frauds with no mandate.  They speak for tiny cadres of like-minded people.  We don’t require them to “filter” the message of our President.  It’s time to begin ending this charade.

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