Buncher - 25 years of investing in people

Buncher 25 years of investing in people 1



Buncher 25 years of investing in people 3

table of contents

Letters 8 Chapter 1 16 Chapter 2 32Chapter 3 The Buncher Family Chapter 4 Jack Buncher's Chapter 5 Develop Foundation Vision: Leaders, Jewish Federation A Force for Develop of Pittsburgh Sustainable Community The Joint Distribution Leadership Committee (JDC) 80 Introduction 64 Ensuring 50 Cultivating Jewish A Supportive Futures The Program Environment grows with for Jewish 114 new leaders Communities Questions 90 104 for your considerationChapter 6 A Light unto the Chapter 7 Epilogue APPENDIX Nations

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Chapter 1 The Buncher Family Foundation Jack Buncher was my father, my mentor, my strongest supporter and my most critical judge. Under his tutelage, I learned about business as well as the business of life. My Dad provided me with a strong moral compass and sense of purpose, because he realized a time would come when he’d allow me to steer the foundation he built. I have always admired Sir Winston Churchill. Perhaps my fondness for him stems from the fact that he was similar in many ways to my remarkable father – a character larger than life. This British statesman, who lived to be 91, was a tough negotiator, resilient, determined and dedicated. However his private side – as a painter, writer and butterfly breeder – demonstrated that he was also sensitive and somewhat of a romantic. Both Jack and Churchill were firm believers in the value of education and the great importance of books. My father imparted this to me when I was young and it kindled my love for libraries. I remember too, as a very young girl, my father telling me that if you were fortunate enough to be blessed in this world, you had to give back; it was a responsibility to be accepted willingly and joyfully. And while my father had a high business profile, he always preferred to keep his benevolent endeavors quiet. He taught me that it was enough to let my accomplishments speak for themselves. To be boastful was neither fitting nor ladylike. Growing up, I recall going every Sunday with my father to visit all the different Buncher Company job sites. Far from being mundane, these excursions were always talkative times. My father would share his philosophy on topics ranging from commerce to compassion for others. And I would tell him about my school performance and activities with my friends. There were also quiet moments spent together. I have fond memories of walking with my father from our home to a certain spot in Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park. There we would both stretch out on our backs beneath one of the enormous Norway maples. Jack would look up silently through the trees as I gazed at cloud formations and tried to imagine what each resembled. We spoke very little on these outings, and to this day I wonder what my father was contemplating. Not all childhood recollections are pleasant. I wasn’t ten years old when my father returned home from the office very shaken. I discovered that one of his employees, a man who was 8

helping to dismantle a bridge for scrap, had been killed. My father held loyal employees inhigh esteem and this loss shook him deeply.As I matured, the Buncher Company grew. Although my direct involvement with it waslimited when I was first married and my four children were young, my father still shareda great deal with me. Often Jack would speak of his key protégé, Fielding Lewis, who inmany ways was the opposite of my dad. A very cultured man, Fielding came from an upperclass churchgoing family who could have come over on the Mayflower. Yet despite theirdifferences, Jack and Fielding were a dynamic business duo.My father was a secular man, whose dealings were with the business of the real world. Hisoutlook suggested that religion wasn’t necessary to dictate ethical and moral behavior, buthis personal values were very strong.When travelling for his scrap business, my father would often depend upon local individualshe had just met to provide crucial information. This could range from the location of ademolition site filled with scrap metals to an honest hotel keeper who served excellentfood. Jack immediately recognized the importance of these tips to him. But he also realizedhow helpful such a network could be to other entrepreneurs. The seeds of the LeadershipDevelopment Program had been sown.Great minds can think along similar lines. Interestingly, Churchill decided that afterhis death he wanted a scholarship program set up that enabled ordinary individuals fromparticipating countries to travel overseas for the purpose of meeting new people andlearning from their experiences.The last memories I have of my father are bittersweet; it was when he died. Jack was 90 yearsold. He had lived a full life and had many remarkable accomplishments under his belt. If hehad regrets, they hadn’t been voiced to me.As I rested on his four-poster bed in my childhood home, I remembered him as a stern butloving father, an avid boater and fisherman, a bit of a rogue and gambler, an extraordinaryentrepreneur, and most of all a philanthropist. As I imagined his spirit leaving its earthlyconfines, I visualized myself reaching up to capture that life-force. Once it was secure in myhands, I tucked my father’s essence deep into my heart.Visitors to the Foundation offices will see a great many photographs displayed. Young andold, sick or disabled, troubled and lonely, hungry or otherwise in need – these are some ofthe images documenting various projects and programs funded through the years by the 9

Chapter 1 Foundation. They are not on exhibit to be boastful. On the contrary, they are on the walls in the hope they will inspire viewers to take action in any way that they can. Whether here or abroad, many lives have been touched by Jack’s compassion, philanthropy and leadership in life-affirming ways. For this I am both extremely thankful to my father and very proud, as is everyone associated with the Foundation. I consider the Buncher Family Foundation, renamed the Jack Buncher Family Foundation in my father’s honor, to be much more than his legacy – it is an example, that will hopefully be followed by others. Finally, what I want the world to remember most about Jack Buncher, my father, is his belief that \"we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give*. \" Bernita Buncher * attributed by some to Winston Churchill 10

Jewish Federation of GreaterPittsburghIn the Torah, we read that when Moses is having difficulty leading the Jewish people, hisfather-in-law, Jethro, gives him a piece of advice:The thing that you do is not good. You will certainly wear away, both you, and this peoplewho are with you; for this thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it yourselfalone. Exodus 18:17Jack Buncher understood that to make a difference in emerging and developing Jewishcommunities around the world, it would take a team of smart, educated, dedicatedleaders to feed the hungry, care for the elderly, educate the children, and build interfaithrelationships.Thanks to Jack's foresight and vision, and the continued commitment of the Buncher FamilyFoundation, this continues to be the raison d'être of the Buncher Leadership Program ofthe JDC. I am truly blessed to have witnessed the impact of the program during my manytrips to former Soviet Union countries, Europe and Israel. I have met BLP graduatesand heard from them what they are doing to support their communities and how the BLPprogram gave them the necessary tools to do so. And every time I hear from them, I feelproud to know this incredible family.To Jack Buncher and the Buncher Family Foundation, the thing you do IS good!Thank you.Jeff FinkelsteinPresident & CEOJewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh 11

Chapter 1 The Joint Distribution Committee In launching this book, JDC celebrates the extraordinary history and accomplishments of the Buncher Family Foundation and its flagship Buncher Leadership Program (BLP) over the past three decades. For Jewish communities across post-Communist Europe, the BLP has been an essential catalyst for reinvigorating Jewish life after decades of suppression and neglect, by training capable, highly motivated young Jewish leaders and encouraging social entrepreneurs. For Jewish professional and lay leaders, BLP is a precious educational resource that plans for the future; it provides on-target consulting and mentoring that is constantly being adjusted to the changing needs and evolving requirements of Jewish community life. For people of all religions and beliefs across Europe, BLP's interfaith activities are a force for building bridges and promoting understanding, while also empowering Jewish communities to reach out to those around them through humanitarian initiatives. For the Arab citizens of Israel, BLP's early childhood programs give many children a better start in life. At the same time, selected job training provides the adults with skills that are critical if they are to succeed in the Israeli workforce and rise above the poverty level. And for JDC? Since 1989, when Jack Buncher first envisioned a revolutionary training program for young Jewish leaders, the Buncher Family Foundation has been a vital and active partner in enabling JDC to fulfill its mandate of revitalizing Jewish communities, providing relief to those in distress, and helping Israel overcome the social challenges of its most vulnerable citizens. It has been an honor to work with the Buncher Family Foundation in transforming Jack Buncher's vision into reality. It is also a privilege to continue pioneering new initiatives with Bernita Buncher, who carries on her father's unswerving commitment to investing in individuals for the benefit of many. May the Buncher story be an inspiration and model for all those who dream of a strong future for the Jewish people and for all humanity. Alan Gill Diego Ornique Regional Director, JDC Europe Executive Vice President Emeritus, JDC 12

IntroductionIn 2014, the Buncher Community Leadership Program celebrated its 25th anniversary: aquarter century of nurturing and empowering Jewish leaders, investing in renascent Jewishcommunities, and forging interfaith connections through dialogue and social action.Momentous by any definition of Jewish philanthropic achievement, the 25-year milestonealso marks a generation – the average time for new concepts and ideas to take root insociety and is a key benchmark for community development. As we stand on the cusp of anew generation trained and inspired by the Buncher Leadership Foundation, it is fitting toreflect on the Program's creation, growth and impact.Telling the Buncher StorySince its inception, the Buncher Community Leadership Program has evolved alongsideemerging needs, driven by an unceasing desire to improve and innovate. The result is adynamic network of initiatives reaching people and communities across Europe, the formerSoviet Union, Israel, and beyond. To capture the full dimensions of the Program, its majorthemes, people and timelines are highlighted in this book.First, we learn about Jack Buncher and his long-cherished vision for helping Jewishcommunities. We discover that the seminal encounter between Jack and JDC – naturalpartners – took place at a pivotal point in Jewish and world history, setting the stage for theProgram's pervasive influence in Jewish communities around the world.Subsequent chapters explore the building blocks of the original program and the coreprinciples that guide the Buncher Leadership Program today. We then trace the BuncherLeadership Program's response to the progress made by graduates and communities,describe the specialized follow-up programs created in response to participants’ growingmaturity and needs, and the evolution of the current consultancy model. Quotes from“Buncherians” vividly illustrate the far-reaching impact that Buncher programs have had,and continue to have, on many people.We then outline the parallel investments that the Buncher family, now led by Jack'sdaughter Bernita Buncher, have made in individuals and organizations, and that are helpingto bolster a supportive environment for vibrant Jewish communities. These include the 13

Chapter 1 establishment of the International Centre for Community Development – now Europe's premier research institute analyzing trends in contemporary Jewry. We also examine the diverse cases of Germany and the Baltic States, where Buncher's investment is on a countrywide scale. Finally, we describe how the Program's scope has expanded in recent years to embrace the Jewish principle of being a light unto the nations; and cite success stories in which Buncher graduates have been directly involved. Faithful to Jack Buncher's approach of thinking ahead, staying relevant, and investing in people, the book concludes some searching questions for each chapter. These are designed to stimulate discussion and engage readers in their own experience of the values and aims at the heart of the Buncher philosophy – a philosophy that has proven foundational in perpetuating Jewish leadership and community life. 14

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Chapter 1 Jack Buncher’s Vision: A Force for Sustainable Leadership The End of an Era: The Collapse of Communism The year was 1989. As this momentous year progressed, Communism was imploding throughout Eastern and Central Europe, and major advances toward democratization were being made in its ideological heartland – the Soviet Union. In February, the Hungarian Communist Party was forced to renounce its leading role in the government and a multi-party system was proposed. In April, the anti-Communist Solidarity movement in Poland was legalized, and in June, it achieved victory in the country’s first relatively free parliamentary elections. In July, USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev made the startling announcement that each country in the Communist Bloc could decide its own path to socialism. November saw the fall of the Berlin wall – now seen as the iconic event of that time – followed soon after by the resignation of Czechoslovakia’s Communist government. As a new era dawned in Eastern and Central Europe, the vast expanse of the Soviet Union would not be far behind. Amid the extreme political turmoil, a sense of euphoria gripped these countries and was felt around the world; the system that had imposed so much pain, suffering, oppression and inequality was crumbling. The voice of the people was finally being heard. Is it Good for the Jews? European Jewish Communities in 1989 This optimism and euphoria was shared rather cautiously by Jewish communities in these Eastern European countries. Assessing the situation honestly, for most Jews, things still looked bleak. The last 50 years had taken their toll. Most obviously, Nazi rule over these countries, and the atrocities committed during the Second World War, had decimated the majority of Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. 16

Even in the four decades since the War’s end, very little of the former glory of this region’sJewish communities had been salvaged. On the contrary, many Jews living in the lands ofthe Holocaust had chosen to bury their Jewish identity and trauma deeply, if not completely.Although the first postwar governments in these countries had looked hopeful, promisingequal rights to all, including the Jews, this expectation was short-lived. As the Communistsgrew stronger, they liquidated non-Communist parties, abolished civil rights and replacedthem with dictatorship and terror. For the Jews, that meant the almost total loss of centuriesof Jewish cultural and religious life. The economies of these countries were nationalized,and in the process, many Jews lost their jobs and businesses and became unemployed. Anti-Semitism emerged again. The Jews who could leave, did; those who stayed, suffered.For some of these countries, help came from the outside. The American Jewish JointDistribution Committee (JDC), active in the region since the 1920s, provided humanitarianaid to Jews to the extent that this was possible. The situation differed from country tocountry. For example, while Cold War realities had forced JDC out of most of the area by1953, its operations in Yugoslavia had continued undisturbed since World War II. Andwhile JDC was permitted to return to Poland in 1957, it was compelled to leave once againafter the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, only to find itself, in the same year, invited back intoRomania, where it operated until the fall of Communism in 1989.Initially, most of JDC's help targeted Jews who had been broken by the Holocaust. JDC'ssocial assistance programs were seen, even by local Communist governments, as anacceptable way of helping aging Holocaust survivors who had minimal or no pensions andno families of their own to provide support.In addition to social assistance, JDC has always tried to advise on and fund the developmentof cultural and community programs that contribute to the preservation of Jewish life.However, with many thousands of lives hanging by a thread during the Communist period,there was a limit to what could be done.Community Building after CommunismThus, as Communism's grip loosened, JDC saw that, in addition to humanitarian aid, thesecountries would need assistance that was much more complex and sensitive, assistance of akind that had always been on JDC's agenda, but was extremely difficult to implement underCommunist regimes: community building – or, in this case, community rebuilding. 17

Chapter 1 JDC’s leaders understood, perhaps better than at any time since its founding in 1914, the absolute necessity of community building. And with far-reaching political changes happening almost daily, it was abundantly clear that the time to act was now. Yet, even amid the optimism, everything relating to the Eastern Bloc – the Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe – was in turmoil. The future was very unclear. And if anything, the main focus on “Jewish attention” in 1989 was not on community building, but on the massive exodus of Soviet Jews to Israel. JDC was helping to facilitate this Aliyah. In that year alone, JDC assisted 68,000 transmigrants, the overwhelming majority of whom were Soviet émigrés. This number, the largest in JDC's history of dealing with Jews \"in transit”, was just a preview of the huge numbers that would eventually leave, mostly between 1990 and 1995. The combination of optimism and uncertainty regarding the future was expressed succinctly by then-JDC president Sylvia Hassenfeld, when she wrote: Thus, at the same time that JDC's work has been facilitated by recent events, it has also become more unpredictable. Sensing the opportunity behind the events unfolding in this seminal year, JDC officials quickly formulated plans to increase community-building efforts to bolster the Jewish life that had been all but eradicated under Nazism and Communism. JDC soon made progress in Romania, Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. In addition to working to meet the enormous humanitarian needs of the Jews in these countries – often exacerbated by local currency devaluation brought on by the abrupt political changes – JDC invested funds and expertise into many types of Jewish cultural and religious programs, to enable these communities to reclaim their almost-lost Jewish heritage. Similarly, in the Soviet Union, within a year of resuming operations in 1988, JDC had sent in several hundred thousand religious and cultural items and material, had made contact with many communities, launched a training program for cantors and other synagogue professionals, and begun a major effort to establish Judaic libraries, including a librarian to manage each facility. The Missing Link: Young, Dynamic, Trained Jewish Leaders As impressive as this progress was, one egregious, daunting problem endangered the sustainable development of Jewish life in this newly liberated region. 18

Often ignored in the rush to provide humanitarian aid and cultural support, this problemplaced not only JDC’s efforts in jeopardy, but all the work of the communities they werehelping to rebuild. A problem that if left unsolved, could mean the failure of Jewishcommunity rebuilding in these countries, but if addressed, would be central to ensuring itssuccess.It was the problem of leadership: There was very little, and it was limited.Vestiges of Jewish communal leadership remained. There were titles for Jewish communalleaders. There were some institutions – synagogues and welfare centers, mostly – to whichthese leaders were attached. Other than a few rabbis scattered around the region, there wasvirtually no professional leadership to speak of. Where lay leadership existed, it generallyconsisted of older people, who lacked the skills and confidence to deal with the newrealities.Trained leadership, dynamic leadership, true professional leadership, leaders with thecapacity to contend with the massive changes and upheaval brought about by the fallingCommunist system, to confront the new realities and generate new opportunities fromthem, to create a renaissance of Jewish life, simply did not exist. How could the spiritualand cultural revival of a major portion of the Jewish people take place without sufficientwell-trained leaders to carry the torch forward?The quandary was evident. If the Jewish communities of the former Soviet Union (FSU) andthe countries of Central and Eastern Europe were to have a chance of regaining anythinglike their former grandeur, new leadership had to arise in each of these communities. Yet,in most of them, no critical mass existed upon which to build a new leadership. Theoppressive Communist system had discouraged – even outlawed – the development of anykind of leadership outside that of the Communist party in each country – to say nothing ofJewish leadership.Almost no one had the skills to promote new Jewish leaders. Where to start? Whowas going to identify potential leaders? Who would develop a \"curriculum\" for youngleadership training? What traits would leaders need to have in this new political reality?Who would invest in the \"human capital\" when it had no leadership background orexperience?When beset by a seemingly intractable situation, one never knows from which direction thesolution will come. In this case, the road to a solution began long before, in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. 19

Chapter 1 Jack Buncher: A Brief Biography Jack Buncher was six when his father, Harry, an immigrant from Russia, opened a scrap yard in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, in 1911. Harry used a horse-drawn wagon to haul metal, rags, and other refuse to the yard. Even as a young boy, Jack wanted no part of this struggling business. He worked dusting boxes in a relative's store and selling vegetables in the market. He attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, but was unable to find other work during the Depression and returned to the family business in 1931. Jack took over the business in 1935, and it began to grow. He became an expert on scrap metal, and during World War II he toured South America, at the behest of the United States government, to scavenge raw material for the war effort. It was during his travels that Jack felt the stirrings that would lead to his pioneering efforts in Jewish leadership training. As he traveled through South America and sought out scrap metal dealers with whom to do business, Jack found that a considerable number of them were Jewish. Since Jack did not speak Spanish, Yiddish became their lingua franca. Friendships developed through these business contacts, and the dealers would often invite Jack home for coffee, or a Shabbat dinner. Jack was touched by the often-lonely existence of these Jews, many of them refugees from Europe, in communities that were largely alien to them. And he was profoundly affected by their willingness to aid the American war effort. After the war, as the Buncher Company grew, one of its main sources of scrap metal came from the dismantling of warships. Jack Buncher was not only a patriotic American, having helped the U.S. obtain the metal it needed during the war, he was also a Zionist, committed to supporting those working to establish the fledgling State of Israel. Through the strong relationships he had consolidated with the shipping industry and the U.S. government during the war, Jack became involved in shipping materials and equipment to those laboring to create the State and defend it from its enemies. Jack, however, never forgot his friendships with those isolated South American Jews, and he often spoke of doing something for them one day. Something that would help to develop their Jewish communities and give them a sense of belonging; that would enhance Jewish life in these remote places, and yet somehow be connected with the new and inspiring State of Israel. More than anything, Jack sensed, from his new friends in South America, that their communities lacked dynamic leadership, especially the smaller ones with fewer Jews. Jack Buncher understood the value of effective leadership to any venture – he knew how 20

his own distinctive leadership style had contributed to his business success. But how couldgood leadership be promoted in these communities? Jack began thinking. Ironically, theanswer was to take shape years later, in Jack Buncher's home town of Pittsburgh.The Vision Crystallizes: Jack Buncher and JDC Join ForcesHoward Rieger, President of the United Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for 23years, from 1981 to 2004, and leader of many commendable initiatives – including a SovietJewry resettlement effort that raised one of the highest per-capita amounts of donationsnationwide – shared Jack's interest in the far-flung Jewish communities of the world. In aninterview in 2008, he summed up his views:We've got to be for more than our own community – we've got to be for the broader needsthat extend beyond our borders.In this spirit, in 1987, Howard and a small group of people took an exploratory trip toSouth America to determine what potential there might be for programs to enhance Jewishcommunity life there – programs that Jewish Pittsburghers might wish to support. Thegroup visited the Hebraica Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires and met with itsdirector, Alberto Senderey. As Alberto passionately articulated his commitment to thecommunity, and described what he had established there, he impressed the group with hisdynamism and creativity.Two years later, when Howard and Jack met in Pittsburgh and Jack mused about his tripsto South America, and how he had always wanted to invest in the leadership of those Jewishcommunities, Howard recalled his meeting with Alberto. He thought the two should meet.In his attempts to track down Alberto, Howard discovered that he was now working for JDCin Israel. On his next trip to Israel, he sought out Alberto and told him of Jack’s ferventdesire to help. Together they worked on a plan to rebuild and train young leadershipin South American Jewish communities, a brand new idea at the time, guided by theircombined Jewish professional expertise.Knowing that Jack appreciated the role of good management in business, their proposedplan emphasized these same principles for community leaders, who needed to be able to\"manage\" the community. They added the salient point that a Jewish communal leadershould have a good Jewish background. After all, they were to be leaders and managers ofJewish communities. Thus, sessions on Jewish history and Jewish philosophy were included. 21

Chapter 1 After a great deal of work, and with some trepidation, Howard and Alberto presented the program outline to Jack. Business associates said of Jack Buncher in business that he had the uncanny ability to see value where others did not. He was not afraid to enter new fields and enterprises, which he then mastered quickly and incorporated into his core business to include them. This was how he had moved from scrap metal to an enormously successful real estate business. He was also willing to invest in human capital. For Jack, this was a key to business; he often hired individuals with whom he was impressed and created jobs for them, even if there were no immediate vacancies. Repeatedly, these hires turned out to be people who furthered the company's success and stayed on until retirement. These qualities shaped Jack Buncher’s perspective on the various drafts presented to him by Howard Rieger and Alberto Senderey. Their concept sparked his interest, but he insisted that they design their training programs in a way that would create, empower and sculpt a young leadership that could make effective, lasting changes in South American Jewish communities. He did not want vague generalizations; he wanted a well-planned program with a good chance of succeeding. Finally, after several successive drafts, Jack felt it was ready. A Program is Born And it happened! Alberto traveled to South America and began the recruiting process for the first group of \"Buncherians,\" the term by which graduates of the Buncher Communal Leadership Program became affectionately known. Thereafter, each successive group of keen Jewish leaders-to-be carried the name of their benefactor. The first Buncher Leadership group consisted of four people – two from Argentina, one from Chile and one from Brazil – and was considered by both by participants and staff to be a resounding success. Jack always employed a slow and thoughtful approach toward moving from one stage to the next in a relationship or business deal. He described it in a comical but visual way when he said, \"Let's be like the camel. He starts by putting his nose in the tent; eventually, all of him comes inside.\" With this step-by-step idea so central to his notion of building on success, it was only natural that Jack would want to expand upon the Buncher Community Leadership Program's initial achievements. The first group met in January and February of 1989 – just as the revolutionary rejection 22

of Communism was about to shake Europe – and serendipity presented Jack with theopportunity to expand within the very same year.As he contemplated the Program's success at the same time as Communism's demise, Jackapproached Howard and Alberto with an idea: \"Let's go into the Soviet Union and do thesame thing we did in South America.\" Howard and Alberto were reticent. JDC was alreadyworking on so many different fronts in the dramatically changing Soviet Union. \"We can'tgo in there yet, Jack,\" they told him. \"They are not ready. We're not ready.\"But Jack was.He had begun to realize that the need was even greater in what were quickly becomingformer Communist countries. Jack Buncher knew – and JDC knew – that there was virtuallyno one in any of these countries with experience in Jewish community leadership.In fact, there was not even a viable concept of \"leadership\" under the Communist regimes.A leadership function was relegated to positions in the Communist Party; \"independentleadership\" was considered dangerous, threatening, and unnecessary. Once again, Jack’sforesight in human capital investment paid off. Whereas virtually everyone else saw \"noleadership experience,\" Jack saw \"the opportunity to find the right people to invest in, andteach them.\"When Alberto and Howard began to see Jack’s wisdom – that what worked in Latin Americacould work in Europe and with even greater potential for transformation – they suggesteda different approach. They proposed introducing the Community Leadership Program toEastern Europe, where post-Communism changes had progressed more quickly. AlthoughJack’s initial focus had been on the Soviet Union, this seemed to be a good alternative.And so, the first Seminar for Eastern Europe began with four participants in September:Marina Deleon and Lea Kronaver from Yugoslavia; Judith Gabor from Budapest, Hungary;and Peter Kadlinck from Warsaw, Poland. The first European seminar was so successfulthat soon after, three of the four participants became community leaders, and the fourth anextremely active member of his community.As 1989, one of the most dramatic years in modern history, drew to a close, JDC's work inthe region began to take on an entirely new perspective. Now, the massive community-building in which JDC was engaged not only had a present – it had a future.If this unparalleled initiative of leadership training could continue and expand, then the 23

Chapter 1 efforts to preserve Jewish life where it had once flourished could succeed. This could come about thanks to the creation of a new, dynamic, motivated, Jewishly knowledgeable, professionally trained local leadership, which had been lacking until now. What a remarkable achievement! It began in a small way with a successful businessman who applied his commercial acumen and insights to his philanthropic work, in order to fulfill a deep-rooted desire to ensure the well-being and future of his fellow Jews. Ultimately, Jack Buncher – and his generosity – was the driving force that rekindled the hope of a sustainable resurgence of Jewish life throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the FSU. This dynamic has continued far beyond his passing in December 2001, both due to his foresight and to the abiding commitment to his vision of his daughter Bernita. 24

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Chapter 2 Develop Leaders, Develop Community The fulfillment of Jack Buncher's vision is reflected in the sheer numbers of Buncherians holding leadership positions in Jewish communities across Europe and in the countries of the FSU. From presidents of the Jewish communities of Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania, to leading education, social service and youth workers, to museum curators, JCC directors and musicians, more than one thousand people across the region have been motivated and inspired by the Buncher Communal Leadership Program since its inception. Yet these statistics only touch the surface of Buncher's success. The quality of the leadership that these graduates provide, their impressive accomplishments in tens of Jewish communities, and the changed face of Jewish communal life in these vicinities speak as loudly as the numbers. How was this success achieved? How did the Program take Jews living in nearly extinct communities and transform them into capable, inspired leaders? What effect did the radical political transformation happening across the region at that time – and the lingering heavy shadow of Communism – have on the design of their training? Not an insignificant one, it transpires. Most remarkably, it seems that it was precisely the need to unpack the definition of Jewish leadership and delve into what training entails, as the historically unique context demanded, that led to Buncher's robust formula for cultivating Jewish leadership. And it is the formula’s innate adaptability that keeps it relevant and applicable today. As already mentioned, Jack Buncher's belief in investing in people had much to do with this success. In business, Jack understood that while financial investment in a company is essential, investment in people is the decisive factor. Thus, he naturally favored a program that develops Jewish communities by investing in people. 32

Program ConceptualizationThe Buncher Communal Leadership Program grew out of a combination of Jack's visionof supporting Jewish leaders in their endeavors and the expertise of JDC professionals.But this did not play out in a vacuum. It was also a product of a unique juncture in modernhistory, and an astute interpretation of what was needed.Hence, when the first two years of the Program coincided with a period of radical change,including the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of Communist rule, programinitiators recognized both the opportunity – and the urgency.The time was now. Either train and nurture new, effective Jewish leadership in EuropeanJewish communities, and through their skills and motivation rebuild these communitiesand their Jews, or hold back, whereupon these communities would flounder and eventuallycrumble, without reinvigoration by an emerging new leadership.For JDC and Jack Buncher, the former was the only option, and the design of the Programto fill the void of Jewish leadership was heavily influenced by the awareness of the dearthof skills and knowledge that are needed for Western-defined community leadership. Theknowledge gap among Jews emerging from the yoke of Communism turned out to be farbeyond the anticipated lack of Jewish knowledge and Jewish life experience.Communism had not only stifled the Jewish part of Jewish community, but the very conceptof community itself. The idea of a collective where members give and help one another hadbeen negated and devalued. As a result, cornerstones of Jewish life shared across the globe,such as volunteering and charity, were alien ideas.Not surprisingly, a culture where the concept of community was absent, also did not developthe concept of a leader, especially of one motivated by altruism and care for others. It heldno cachet whatsoever. This was important to remember when recruiting for the Program,because – at least in the beginning – participation in a leadership-training program was notconsidered an attractive proposition, let alone a rewarding or fulfilling one.On a practical level, management and leadership techniques were completely unfamiliar.Modern ideas of project management that had begun to take root in industrial settings inthe United States in the 1950s were very different from the way in which Soviet commandeconomies managed industrial projects. Thus, when it came to running communal projectsin the Jewish communities of the former Soviet bloc, management techniques were seldomdiscussed or employed. 33

Chapter 2 This deficiency was true of many other basic concepts that we take for granted as being common knowledge. For virtually all early Buncher participants, the Program represented their very first exposure to \"Western concepts and ideas.\" It is hard to imagine how isolated from Western thinking the citizens of the Soviet Union and its satellite countries had been. Lacking any effective communication with the West, residents of these countries had not only been forcibly immersed in Communist ideology but warned against adopting – or even being in contact with – any \"poisonous Western ideas.\" As a result, modes of discourse customary in the West, even something as simple as a discussion group, were completely unknown. With all these parameters in mind, Buncher's first European program was launched in the fall of 1989. While the initial structure – three seminars, two months in Israel and a project – would see modifications over the years, its core concepts have remained. Program Structure and Components Recruiting to Invest Recruitment for the first and subsequent Buncher Programs began with a request for communities to identify promising prospective leaders to attend the seminar. The intention was to convey the desire to back these emerging professionals. Buncher staff communicated passionately to these people: \"We want to invest in you.\" As JDC staff delivered this message, it created an entirely fresh perspective on leadership. A new sense of optimism began to arise within the communities. This was perhaps the Program's first outcome: a rising sense of self-esteem among these Jews – one of the basic building blocks for effective leadership. Begin with a Dream While this initial optimism was very encouraging, the question remained: Where to begin? Staff sensed that they shouldn’t make the training too theoretical, as it would be less relevant and engaging for the participants. Perhaps more importantly, it was vital to draw on the thinking – and dreaming – of these people themselves. After all, they knew their communities best, and they could imagine most creatively how their communities might develop and flourish. 34

Thus, in their first interaction with the Program, either in their application and/or firstseminar, each participant was encouraged to \"dream.\" Participants had to come up witha project that they would like to implement in their community and to write a detailedproposal for it.Knowing that dreaming was not something of which these young people had muchexperience – life under Communism was more about following rules and producing to aschedule, than about creative thinking and imagining – Program professionals made specialefforts to guide participants in expressing their particular dream or vision.The Value of ScreeningThe selection process – whom to choose as participants – was very difficult, especially inthe first few years when candidates had had little exposure to core concepts or a chance tocultivate many of the sought-after leadership skills.Buncher staff tried hard to identify the people most suited to leadership training, and whowould be able to apply what they learned in their communities. They looked for flexibilityand an open mind – traits that were not encouraged in young people under Communism.Understanding that Jewish communities often function in atmospheres of insecurity anduncertainty, they looked for people who would be confident about whatever direction theychose for their community, and the rightness of their path.To this end, Buncher ran \"screening seminars\"– Visualizingsessions in which everyone who was interested Communitywas invited to participate. Facilitators observedparticipants throughout the seminar, looking to The Buncher Communitypinpoint characteristics that would make them a Leadership Program madegood choice for the full program. the most crucial change in my life. I now have a clearThis now relatively common practice in vision of how to approach myleadership or management programs – group community work.interviews and screening of candidates – wasinnovative at the time. As well as making the final Simon Gurevitchiuschoices more effective, it also meant that even CEO of the National Jewishthose not ultimately chosen for the full Program Federation of Lithuaniastill benefited from an experience that connectedthem to their Jewish community and peers, thus 35

Chapter 2 broadening the program's influence. Moreover, given the timing and the desire to provide all Jews in the region with every possible exposure to Jewish life, in almost all cases the screening seminars contained elements never before experienced by participants, such as a joyous Shabbat observance with traditional songs, sessions featuring group dynamics, and frank discussion about what they wanted to see happen in their communities. Even for those who were not chosen for full leadership training, participation often provided the motivation to take part in community activities and actively help to build up their communities. Building Blocks of Jewish Leadership JDC staff identified three themes essential to Jewish leadership training: Community, Leadership, and Jewish Identity. These are considered foundational for a Jewish community worker. This was important, because Buncher was setting out to create new Jewish community workers, and would ultimately support their ongoing development. As staff trained new leaders from the Eastern bloc’s revived Jewish communities, they sought to present Jewish community work as a profession that requires a certain skill set and knowledge base. From the start, the Buncher training aimed to communicate a clear understanding and appreciation of community in general. There could be no assumptions when working with people who had grown up without this concept. The Program thus introduced participants to Community Studies. So different was the political and social milieu of their upbringing that even before beginning to discuss the notion of a Jewish community, participants needed to be prompted to consider – even in a general way – the patterns of social interaction within geographically confined locations, such as villages and urban neighborhoods. Participants explored the questions of how social processes operate within a community, and how the outcome of those processes would influence patterns of social interaction. Only when they were able to grasp a basic sociological understanding of communities in general, could they begin to apply this to Jewish communities, and then to their own Jewish community. Next, the Program explored the nature of leadership itself. With participants' experience mostly limited to a totalitarian model, it was necessary to examine more deeply the essential 36

meaning and purpose of leadership; what being a leader involves; and different styles ofleadership. This process included differentiating between management and leadership, andlearning about personal leadership – leadership that guides and nurtures individuals ratherthan dictating to them what to do.Finally, no Jewish leadership program could be complete without an exploration ofJewish Identity. While most participants might have known that they were Jewish, fewhad a concept of what that meant, or had had a chance to process it in the new politicalenvironment. Any sense of Jewish identity that they felt would have been nominal, often amishmash of blurred memories or secret family customs.The idea of going beneath the surface to understand what being Jewish meant wassomething rarely, if ever, done during the Communist era. You were Jewish – period. Itwas a nationality stamped on your passport. Furthermore, being Jewish was not seen evenby the Jews themselves as good or advantageous during those decades, especially whenwaves of anti-Semitism swept across most of these countries.The Buncher Communal Leadership Program afforded participants their very firstopportunity to think about their Jewish identity. Just as important as the content of thediscussions about identity, such as considering the meaning of \"Jewishness\" – is it areligion, an ethnicity, a nationality, a culture? – was the process itself. Examining theirfeelings together with others, bringing being Jewish out of the shadows and adding contentand dimension to their Jewishness, all provided a strong foundation on which to reflectabout the \"why\" of Jewish leadership.It is important to note that, within a decade or so of the Program's start, new participantswere coming with more developed Jewish identities and comfort levels with theirJewishness. The Buncher staff therefore modified this aspect of the Program, in effectraising the level of Jewish exploration. Playing on the central place of literature both inJewish life and in Russian and Eastern European culture, the Program began to focus onJewish texts, seeking to enhance participants' ownership of traditional Jewish sources, andtheir ability to interpret and modify them.Rather than dedicating one session to the central themes of Community, Leadership andJewish Identity, staff interwove all three within the full range of seminars and activities.These themes have remained, even as the Program has evolved into its current consultancymodel (see Chapter 3). 37

Chapter 2 In the first twelve years of the Program, participants were required to develop a personal project within their communities. This served two purposes: first, to enrich emerging Jewish community life with new initiatives, and second, to offer participants the opportunity to synthesize and apply the knowledge they had acquired through the training. To this end, the Program also sought to impart practical project management skills, the discipline of initiating, planning, executing, and evaluating the work of a team to achieve specific goals. In the immediate situation, participants applied this to managing and implementing their chosen project. However, in the long term this prepared them for the management of numerous community projects as future Jewish community leaders. None of these themes and concepts have lost their luster and power throughout all the years of the Buncher Program, as graduates attest. Ewa Spaczynska from Poland, another graduate from 2001, explains how the Program transformed her work as a manager: My approach to team work changed. I now discuss every new project with all our team: other team members also give new ideas. After discussion and modifications, they are able to implement them as their own. I no longer feel alone with problems. I am in the group and feel support from our team. Moscow-based Katja Bashta, who completed her Buncher training in 2001, developed a personal project about volunteerism in the Moscow Jewish community. She reflects on how Buncher affected her professional development at that time: It was a great push. The Buncher Program made me more confident in my work … there were many things that did not exist or weren't developed in Russia at that time, but Buncher made me sure that we could create them and make them work in the community. I just needed to believe and be confident that it would work. Israel: A Tool for Leadership Jack Buncher loved Israel and was intensely proud of the Jewish State. Ever since his work in helping the pre-State entity, he knew that Israel would play a central role in the future and in the well-being of Jews around the world. In this spirit, it was very important to him that Israel would constitute a major part of the training of these new young leaders. JDC/ Buncher professionals concurred strongly with Jack's view, and from the start, the Program has included a seminar in Israel. The importance of Israel as a venue was multifold. 38

Firstly, the potential leaders who were the early Buncherians lacked previous exposureto dynamic, trained Jewish leadership. Even more, they had rarely seen or experiencedany kind of vibrant Jewish life. Most lacked involvement in Jewish activities, and forthe minority who had been involved in some way, their experience was mostly of olderparticipants, among whom freedom of Jewish expression was severely limited and pessimismabout a Jewish future reigned. With this background, one could hardly expect participantsto be able to visualize what vibrant Jewish life would look like.Israel provided this picture. While there are many differences between the Israeli Jewishcommunity and perhaps all diaspora communities, there are also similarities. For instance,participants could visit educational institutions in Israel or examine its youth groupprogramming, and consider how to use or adapt what they saw in their own communities.Israel is also a unique center for conveying basic concepts of the traditional Western Jewishworld. This includes a common terminology, songs and dances, mores and customs, whichhave been organic parts of Western Jewish life for many decades. In effect, Israel acts as abridge, reaching out to Jews all over the world.In addition, as participants started thinking about their own communities and dilemmas,Israel could serve as a \"laboratory\" to examine ways in which, as a Jewish State, it hasconfronted and overcome many of its own challenges. The richness and diversity of Israelisociety ensures that it never becomes stale as a resource, as is evidenced by the plethora oftopics appearing in the itineraries of Buncher Israel seminars.Beyond all the learning opportunities that Israel offered, Buncher in Israel tapped intoanother level, every bit as important – the emotional impact of a first-time visit to Israel.Seeing ancient Jewish sites; feeling vibrancy of the Jewish state and the dawning realizationof what being Jewish might mean in a European community also meant that Israel servedas a catalyst for all the pieces of the participants' Jewish identity to come together. Theserich and diverse experiences contributed deeply and meaningfully to their preparation forimportant leadership roles.Sofia Filkova of Minsk, Belarus, reflects on her experience:Back in 1997 [the year she took part in the Program], our knowledge about the Jewishcommunity wasn't exactly concrete and extensive. So, meeting different professionals,interesting people, and learning a lot of Jewish history were the highlights I remember themost. To me, a person \"made in the USSR,\" the first time abroad, the first time in Israel – 39

Chapter 2 visiting the Old City, climbing to the rooftops, listening to the stories about such and such – created such an emotional overload, I had a hard time holding back my tears. At some point, I had to sit down and cry. Even today, merely reminiscing about it makes me really emotional. Sofia, who went on to become the Director of the Institute for Communal and Welfare Workers in Minsk, aptly expresses the dual goals and effects of Buncher's Israel seminar, from the professional, organized meetings and sessions, to the emotional impact of absorbing Israel and the growing feeling, in a profound way, of being part of the Jewish people. Mentoring the Individual within the Group Buncher staff have always been sensitive to group dynamics and have encouraged positive group experiences. This dimension stands in contrast to the Communist era, where promoting efficient group work was not part of the prevailing culture. Staff were thus eager to school participants in this crucially important leadership skill. Yet they were also acutely aware of the danger of submerging the individual while emphasizing the group. As a countervailing influence, each seminar participant worked with an individual mentor for his or her project. Mentors were generally people who had specialized in the appropriate discipline, and strong mentor/participant relationships often developed during seminars and beyond. In this approach, Buncher prides itself on combining group development and individual growth – the two spheres in which every leader must operate. An extremely important focus of the Program was to empower these future leaders to pass on to others what was given to them. Improving overall community services has to be balanced with the development of individuals in the community. As challenging as the need to improve community services is – coming up with attractive programming, creating a public space for events, attracting professionals to run programs – it is probably easier than fostering the development of individuals within the community, which requires them to fully internalize the skills taught in the Buncher Program. The learning process had to be powerful enough to inspire and help these new leaders to reach a point of understanding and maturity where they could do the same for other individuals in their community. This ability to help others inspire and motivate cannot be underestimated. Without such an insight, and the professional expertise to go with it, it is doubtful that the Buncher Program 40

would have been as successful as it has been. Igor Shchupak from Zaporozhye, Ukraine, aBuncher graduate from 2002, sums this up:Buncher ultimately gave me deeper self-awareness, emotional intelligence and interpersonaleffectiveness when leading a group of people.Many Buncherian's home communities faced – and still face – a host of challenges. Theirleadership must deal with hard issues, such as rising anti-Semitism, trying to prevent thealienation of Jews from communal life, finding ways to strengthen Jewish education, andincluding young leaders in decision-making.It is heartening to realize how much the Buncher Communal Leadership Program succeededin preparing today’s leaders to tackle these potentially daunting tasks. They are nowprepared, not because each challenge and possible solution was mapped out, but moreimpressively because, as Igor put it, from the get-go they were encouraged, guided andempowered to lead their communities when confronted by challenges.  41

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Chapter 3 The Program Grows with New Leaders How do leaders maintain a strong and creative founding vision, while continuing to adapt to changing realities? In other words, how can a vision be preserved, yet improved? Drawing on his vast experience, Jack Buncher foresaw this challenge and built a response into his business strategy: \"We should never construct a building just for the first tenant; keep the second user in mind as well.\" Jewish communities in Europe have had and continue to have many \"tenants,\" beginning with the array of Jewish leaders who were developed through the Buncher Program. Jack knew that these future \"tenants\" would have different needs. They would possess different capabilities, be presented with different circumstances, and strive for goals that differed from those of the Program's first graduates. His vision has proved to be sufficiently powerful, resilient, and robust to span decades and generations – as this anniversary book testifies. Transforming Communities In its first twelve years, the Buncher Community Leadership Program trained more than 400 Jewish community leaders. The vast majority of them took up leadership positions in their home communities, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe, the FSU and the Baltic States, but also in Latin America, Cuba, and India. With this remarkable track record, the Buncher Program, wherever it was presented, was changing the face of Jewish leadership. In the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe and the FSU, profound changes were taking place during this period, besides the momentum engendered by high-quality leadership training. As the structures and taboos of the Communist era collapsed, there was a dawning of religious freedom, which in turn led to the beginning of social, cultural and religious 50