Department Updates
Strategy and Impact
• CEO and President Michael Balaban is now overseeing the Strategy & Impact Department in partnership with Director of Strategy & Impact Daria Barkai. Balaban and Barkai are working closely with the S&I team and committee leadership to ensure a seamless transition throughout the allocations process.
• In late February, the Annual Day School Partners meeting was held, at which Balaban proposed a “moonshot” community collaboration summit to inspire innovation in Greater Jewish Philadelphia. In addition, Barkai and Chief Development Officer Sarah Solomon provided updates on fundraising and grants.
• Under the guidance of Community Impact Committee (CIC) Chair Julie Savitch and Co-Chair Liz Shaid, the Strategy & Impact Department held three “office hours” sessions to answer RFP questions for each funding pillar in preparation for the committee’s first allocations meeting on March 10.
• The Jewish Federation’s Israel office is closely monitoring the situation in Israel to identify new or unmet needs in our partnership area due to the war with Iran. Director of Israel and Global Operations Tali Lidar maintains regular communication with Jewish Federation-funded agencies, local municipalities, and partner funders in Israel, relaying updates to Philadelphia-based Jewish Federation staff and lay leaders.
Finance/IT/Operations/Real Estate/Donor Services and Data Services
• The budget and forecast process continued with the Finance Committee’s first review at the March 17 meeting.
• CRM implementation continued as Finance moved toward UAT1. Subject matter experts have been introduced to the process.
• The 2025 financial statement audit has been reviewed, approved, and posted to the JFGP website.
• The 2025 tax return process continues, with a target of presenting to the Audit Committee for review and approval in mid-May 2026.
• Information Technology will make the first cybersecurity training presentation to the Jewish Community through the Points of Contact (PoC) group.
• Community Security established a pilot PoC group or twenty-five senior staff from agencies across the five-county Jewish Community.
• Funding for the senior housing development closed on Jan. 30, initiating demolition of the existing building on the site where the new facility will be constructed.
• Demolition work on the senior housing development continues. Huebner Hall has been demolished, and debris is being removed.
JCRC and Government Affairs
• JCRC is hosting an ongoing two-part Antisemitism Policy Summit from late March through April, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition, bringing together three former U.S. Special Envoys to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism and Pennsylvania government leaders to examine the current landscape of antisemitism and the role of the IHRA Working Definition in shaping public policy, government action, and institutional accountability.
• JCRC recently met with the Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia to discuss ongoing incidents of antisemitism in district schools and to review the steps the district is taking to address the problem and ensure Jewish families and faculty feel safe and supported.
• JCRC visited Mount Zion Baptist Church to hear Pastor Cedric Jones and Pastor Wakaki Thompson reflect on their experience participating in JCRC’s Interfaith Mission to Israel. They shared how impactful the trip was, noting how meaningful it was to visit places where Jesus preached, how the experience deepened their understanding of the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the profound trauma the Jewish community has been carrying since Oct. 7.
• In March, JCRC hosted a three-part clergy text study and dialogue series for local faith leaders exploring Jewish and Christian perspectives on peace, war, and justice. Facilitated by Professors Philip Cunningham and Adam Gregerman of Saint Joseph’s University’s Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations, the program examines how these teachings have evolved from the premodern to the modern period in response to changing political realities, moral norms, and global challenges.
• JCRC’s Education Manager, Gulienne Rollins, was recently invited to Juniata Park Academy to lead a workshop on Jewish identity for students. The session introduced students to key aspects of Jewish history, culture, and traditions and created space for questions and dialogue. The program aimed to build understanding of Jewish identity and experiences, helping students learn about the Jewish community’s diversity and fostering greater respect and awareness in the classroom.
Community Leadership Development / Engagement
• Over 60 individuals registered for the next Leadership workshop, “Making Meetings Meaningful,” which was held on March 19. Individuals represent over 20 congregations, 10 agencies, and six departments of the Jewish Federation. In April, we will host two additional workshops, “An Introduction to Board Service” and “What’s Jewish about Fundraising?” For more information and to register, click here.
• The Jewish Federation supported Purim programs across the region, reaching nearly 1,500 people at carnivals, festivals, and social events. It was a joy to bring together community members across institutions to showcase Jewish pride, especially during challenging times.
• Our Jewish Federation Community Council met on March 26 to hear about our impact in the community. Abby Gilbert, executive director of Tikvah AJMI, and Chani Baram, chief relationship officer at Philly Friendship Circle, presented on the work they do to support our community. This session featured agencies that help vulnerable populations.
• Planning is underway for our Spring Annual Meeting, to be held on June 3 at Temple Beth Hillel Beth El in Wynnewood, where we will honor the Federation’s past 125 years and focus on the future of Jewish life in our community. This is a special opportunity to vote on the Board of Directors slate to inspire them to work together to create a thriving Jewish future for Greater Philadelphia.
Caring for Holocaust Survivors
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia believes that Holocaust Survivors should live out their lives in dignity. Right now, the world’s remaining Holocaust Survivors face disproportionate rates of poverty and food insecurity, many being forced to choose between heating their homes and buying food, or between medication and home repairs.
The Jewish Federation provides funding for organizations to address the holistic needs of Holocaust Survivors, including medical, socialization and basic needs. In addition, the Jewish Federation leads initiatives to educate, commemorate and advocate on and about the Holocaust to ensure that the Greater Philadelphia community never forgets about the atrocities of the past and so that history doesn’t repeat itself.
Not In This Alone
Not only did you help me, you saved me in the full sense of this word. I am sure that your big hearts are open not only to me. Your desire to provide all possible assistance to those in need of it is beyond praise.”
– Al, Holocaust Survivor & KAVOD SHEF Recipient
40,000+ Holocaust Survivors served locally and globally
62 years of hosting the annual Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony
7%+ of the Jewish Federation’s Mitzvah Food Program clients at the Northeast pantry are Survivors
The Jewish Federation partners with a number of organizations to work together in supporting Holocaust Survivors and educating the community on the horrors of the past.
Just some of our local partners include:
Abramson Senior Care of JFCS
ADL Philadelphia
AJC Philadelphia/Southern NJ
Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors of Philadelphia
Gratz College
Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center
Jewish Family and Children’s Service
Jewish Relief Agency (JRA)
KAVOD SHEF
KleinLife
Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation
Seed the Dream Foundation
Sons and Daughters of Holocaust Survivors of Greater Philadelphia
3GPhilly
About the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
Since 1901, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has been the cornerstone of Jewish life in our region. Whether it’s delivering meals to Holocaust Survivors, supporting students facing antisemitism, helping families afford Jewish summer camp or standing with the people of Israel in times of crisis – we are Here as One. For all generations. For 125 years.
jewishphilly.org/125
FRD/Affinity/Endowment
• The Sharon and Joseph Kestenbaum Legacy Philanthropy Program launched its fifth cohort in March. The 13 participants, along with program alumni and Sharon and Joseph Kestenbaum, will travel to Montreal later this month for the cohort retreat.
Women’s Philanthropy:
• In March, more than 60 women traveled to Panama for an incredible mission, in which they learned about the region’s amazing Jewish community. Emily Berman and Sherrie Spiegel co-chaired the trip.
• The affinity group kicked off its Lion’s Leap Campaign, leading up to the Annual Lion of Judah Event on May 7, featuring Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin. Sherrei Savett, Angelica Roiz Shenkar and Jackie Kaiser co-chair the event. The Lion’s Leap campaign encourages current Lions to “leap” to the next level, and it inspires women who are not Lions to work towards becoming a Lion over three years.
• A Mitzvah Day is scheduled for April 24 at KleinLife, where participants will have the opportunity to enjoy lunch and interact with the center’s seniors.
• Women of Vision’s Grant Review committee met and voted to move seven local and national organizations to the finalist stage. Strategic Planning is progressing. The Strategic Planning Committee and Executive Committee also met for a spring retreat in March.
• Super Sunday, a decades-long phone-a-thon tradition, was held on March 15. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort with staff and lay leaders participating in making calls. A direct mail piece was also sent to thousands of households to launch Super Sunday, honoring our 125-year history, highlighting our organization’s most significant milestone moments, and serving as both a tribute to how far we’ve come and a vision for where we are headed.
• NextGen continues to focus on its three pillars: growing leaders, the Annual Campaign, and robust outreach.
• Members of the National Young Leadership met with Board Co-Chair Mark Fishman and President and CEO Michael Balaban over breakfast. We continue to recruit rising stars for this leadership program.
• In April, 20 participants will conclude the Pathway Fellowship program; subsequently, they will work with Jewish Federation leadership to determine their next steps.
• NextGen is still planning its Israel Mission this summer, from June 18-26, for young philanthropists.
JFRE:
JFRE hosted its 3rd Annual Young JFRE Speed Networking event on March 11. This event brought together 30 young real estate professionals for exclusive conversations with members of the JFRE Executive Committee and other real estate leaders in the Greater Philadelphia area. There were welcome remarks from both Young JFRE Chair Samantha Kupersmith and JFRE Director Alan Lepore, followed by a call to action for young professionals to find additional ways to get involved with the Jewish Federation and to become the leaders of tomorrow, today.
• JFRE’s 2nd Annual Women in Real Estate Lunch was rescheduled for April 14 due to the inclement weather in late February. The February lunch was sold out, and we anticipate the same for April. All registrants who indicated they wanted to learn more about JFRE and become a JFRE member have a coffee meeting scheduled with Lepore.
• The JFRE Allocations Committee held its final meeting in late March to review security infrastructure RFPs from the Greater Philadelphia region and Israel. The full JFRE Executive Committee will vote on the Allocations Committee’s recommendations at our April meeting.
• JFRE announced Ron Caplan, of PMC Property Group, will be the next real estate legend to be inducted into the JFRE Hall of Fame at Legends and Leaders.
Jewish Community Foundation:
• Entering Year 3 of the Life & Legacy Initiative, we’ve created a new structure and incentives tailored to each organization’s needs based on their progress. This structure also allows us to involve additional organizations in the program. The Harold Grinspoon Foundation is using our plan as a pilot for use in other communities.
• The property at 50 Belmont Avenue, Sutton Terrace, Bala Cynwyd, which we inherited from a donor, was sold on March 6. The proceeds amounted to over $244,000.
• The Bernard and Etta Weinberg Endowment Fund committee will meet on March 24 to make grant awards in the areas of older adult services, geriatric counseling and care management, and Jewish education. In total, the fund will award over $1.1 million this year.
Marketing/Events/PR
• To date in 2026, the Jewish Federation has held 18 unique community events with over 1,200 people in attendance.
• Super Sunday: The marketing team deployed a holistic campaign to promote Super Sunday on March 15, the organization’s largest day of giving back from digital and print ads, emails, organic and paid social media, web pop-ups, staff signatures, text messages, and phone calls made by staff and lay leaders
• Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony: The community gathered for the 62nd Annual Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony on April 12, featuring candle-lighting, music, and prayers. This year’s theme was Memory and Responsibility: Building a Future Together.
• 125th Anniversary: In honor of the Jewish Federation’s 125th anniversary, each month, the marketing team is publishing a timeline piece in the Exponent that focuses on an area of our work:
• 125th anniversary - Jan. 1, 2026
• Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Feb. 5, 2026
• Women’s Empowerment - March 5, 2026
• PR: In total for January and February, we secured 35 pieces of coverage, highlighting the New Golden Age’s work during MLK Jr. Day, the response to the antisemitic graffiti at Roxborough High School, the Jewish Federation’s response to the strikes against Iran, the joint statement condemning the Pro-Hamas rally in Rittenhouse Square, and more. These stories appeared in CBS3, NBC10, The Times of Israel, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Patch, and Jewish Insider.
• Articles featuring the Jewish Federation reached an estimated audience of over 66 million people. They received an estimated 4.33 million views, underscoring the Jewish Federation’s role in supporting the Jewish community locally and globally in times of calm and crisis.
• See the Marketing Department’s earned media coverage from January by clicking here and from February by clicking here.
Social Media:
• In January, social performance normalized following December’s viral Wissahickon post, with Instagram and Facebook seeing declines in impressions and engagement compared to the spike in December. LinkedIn continued to grow steadily, driven by career- and event-related content, and Facebook gained 36 new contacts despite declines in impressions, engagement, and clicks compared to December. To see the report, click here.
• In February, social performance saw a notable increase in engagement across most platforms, largely driven by the Feb. 1–2 collaborative statement responding to the antisemitic rally, which resonated strongly with the community and generated significant interaction. Instagram led growth with a 206.6% increase in engagement, while Facebook and LinkedIn also saw strong gains of 121.5% and 41.7%, respectively. This pattern mirrors previous months in which timely community responses to major issues generated significantly higher engagement than standard program or event content. Instagram additionally expanded its reach to new audiences, with nonfollower views increasing 47% and non-follower reach up 117% compared to January. X was the only platform to see a decline in engagement (-20.1%), indicating an opportunity to refine content strategy and increase participation in platform-specific features to improve visibility and interaction. To see the February social media report, click here.
• Community Campaign: To see a full report of FY25 Community Campaign communications, click here. The Community Campaign is unassigned donors who give under $5,000.
Human Resources
• The Jewish Federation welcomed Stephanie Bilinsky to the Marketing team as the new Marketing Specialist. Bilinsky officially joined us on March 2.
• All Jewish Federation staff engaged in two professional development trainings, “From Theory to Practice: Navigating Difficult Conversations” and “Owning Your Power: Tap Into Your Own Superpowers and Unlock Greater Impact,” on March 17 and March 18.
• Kim Cianciotti Hiller was promoted to Senior HR Manager.
• Marni Davis was promoted to Senior Director of Affinities and Leadership Advancement
• Alix Caplan was promoted to Senior Director of Philanthropy
• Lori Rubin, Director of Leadership Development & Governance has submitted her resignation effective April 17. She has accepted the position of Executive Director for Golden Slipper Club & Charities.
• After 21 years with the Jewish Federation, Beth Razin, Program Officer for Strategy & Impact will be retiring on May 21.
• The Jewish Federation celebrated three notable staff anniversaries:
• Doreen Bason, FRD Executive Assistant & Missions Coordinator, achieved 10 years of service.
• Kim Cianciotti Hiller, Human Resources Manager, achieved 37 years of service.
• Belinda Brown, Campaign Processing Specialist, achieved 52 years of service.
Help Us Promote the Vital Mission of the Jewish Federation.
Check out the Board of Directors’ Marketing Toolkit for resources, messaging points and more.
Click Here u t
Finance Snapshot
Operating Results FYTD ............................................................................... January 2026
Compared to Operating Forecast
Operating Surplus ............................................................................................ $177,570
Staffing Levels ................................................................................................... 87
Surplus (Deficit) from staffing levels $293,290
Surplus (Deficit) from Bond Interest Expense ....................................... $345,815
Surplus (Deficit) from All Other Areas ...................................................... $(115,720)
JCF Pledge Accounts Receivable as of February 23, 2026
FY 2024 Campaign $315,247 FY 2025 Campaign ........................................................................................... $1,367,261
Total ...................................................................................................... $1,682,508
Operating Cash Balance ................................................................................. $11,000,000
Summary by Calendar Year Campaign (BBEC Gift Year Specified by Donor)
BBEC Pace By Designation 2/24/2026 As of 2/24/26
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Pacing Report
Pacing Current Year to Prior Year Same Period
BBEC Pace By Designation 2/24/2026
