[Cz-L] Act as a group or individually

Dear Czernowitzers,

I wrote this letter before receiving the latest letter from Marianne Hirsch
dated July 23 and therefore it is not in answer to Marianne's letter.

Marianne suggests that we become a proper organization with elected
subcommittees authorized to conduct polls and act for all of us. This is a
possibility, but I think it needs to be weighed carefully and suggest that
while most of us are preoccupied with Israel's fight against Hitzbollah, we
delay such considerations.

My letter:

  In answer to the recent correspondence about whether we should respond to
the request of Mr. Kilinich as a group or as individuals and the problem of
how to handle any joint activities:

As Jerome pointed out, we are not really a group and therefore speaking in a
united voice requires a lot of debate and is made almost impossible because
we do not have the required structure. Many, or most Jewish Czernowitz and
Bukowina natives and their descendants, do not belong to the Cz.-List, the
Cz.-List does not represent them and does not have the right to speak in
their name or to make decisions which may adversely affect the fate of
former Jewish community properties such as the "Tempel" and the cemetery.

When we discuss a joint activity which does not represent us to the outside
world as a group and does not affect general interests, we can form smaller
groups or lists, within which we can achieve sufficient consensus to satisfy
those who are participating in this special group or list. This is what
happened in the case of the "Czernowitz Reunion 2006". This is also what
will likely happen in the case of the proposed meeting in Israel this
December.

I think that in the case of the cemetery, the "Tempel" and memorials to the
Jewish presence in Czernowitz, we have to distinguish between two types of
activities:

A) those that do not reflect upon all of us as a group and do not
   materially affect the attitude of the Chernivtsi authorities towards
   these structures and
B) projects and activities which do reflect upon all of us and possibly
affect the attitudes of the Chernivtsi authorities.

If some of us raise enough money to clean-up the cemetery and proceed to do
so, there is no harm caused. Similarly, if individuals suggest to Mr.
Kilinich that in preparation for the 600 year celebration, the city put up
memorial plaques. But if some of us as a group purporting to represent all
of us, make demands upon the city administration, this may dispose them to
turn a deaf ear to all our requests.

Regards to all and special good wishes to our Israeli members,

                                                              Mimi
Received on 2006-07-23 20:54:17