Federation 2.0 and the New Power of the Collective: A Response to Yehuda Kurtzer and Andrés Spokoiny

By Gil Preuss

Recently, two articles addressed changes in the American Jewish landscape.

In “’The Establishment’ Has No Clothes: The New Jewish ‘Influence Economy’,” Yehuda Kurtzer argues that power within the Jewish community has shifted. Rather than remain concentrated within the confines of the “Jewish establishment,” power or, rather, influence now rests with new organizations, private family foundations, and various social forces.

Andrés Spokoiny countered in “Power, Influence, and the Limits of Maps: A Response to Yehuda Kurtzer,” that these days power resides almost entirely among individuals and that charting a singular map would deny the fluidity with which influence flows in the community.

Differences aside, both Kurtzer and Spokoiny are exploring the redistribution of power and influence in the American Jewish landscape. The question I have is not where does power lie, but rather, how can we leverage a broader set of influencers to create more effective change in our community?

Read the full article in eJP.