Israel Community Center Board Members: What Do They Do and Whom Do They Represent?

Publication Date: January 1993

Publisher: Jewish Communal Service Association of North America

Author(s): Alan S. York

Research Area: Social conditions

Keywords: Communal Organization; Management; Jewish Organizations

Type: Report

Coverage: United States Israel

Abstract:

This article analyzes the membership of community center boards in Israel, their attitudes to policy issues, and their performance. The Israeli Association of Community Centers (lACC), in contrast to its American counterpart, the Jewish Community Center Association of North America, is a government agency under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Although the lACC employs the directors and in a number of ways influences the policy and day-to-day running of the individual centers, each center is incorporated as a legal voluntary organization, and most of its budget and operations are locally determined. A study of 19 community center boards in Israel found that board members and executive directors disagreed about the proper domain of the board, who held the ultimate authority, and who should monitor the implementation of board decisions. Clearly, both directors and board members need education and training in working with each other so that the resources of both can be used most effectively.