Department Updates
Strategy and Impact
• Director of Israel and Global Operations Tali Lidar, along with Chief Development Officer Sarah Solomon and Senior Director of Affinities & Volunteer Engagement Marni Davis, coordinated the March of the Living mission to Poland and Israel with 29 participants from throughout the Greater Philadelphia community. The group spent three very moving days in Poland and participated in the March from Auschwitz to Birkenau alongside 8,000 delegates, including 80 Holocaust Survivors, from all over the world. After Poland, the group spent four days in Israel where they had the opportunity to travel to the south, visit Oct. 7 sites and learn and meet recipients of Jewish Federation funds. They visited injured soldiers at the Sheba hospital, sat with hostage families, met Tamir Idan (Mayor of Sedot Negev), Yechiel Zohar (Mayor of Netivot), and planted trees near the Animal Therapy Center in Netivot.
• Last month, the Jewish Federation welcomed professionals from our Partnership2Gether region for their delegation mission trip to Philadelphia, led by Program Officer Beth Razin. Over a jam-packed 10 days, 11 Israel professionals from Netivot and Sdot Negev met with leaders from schools, synagogues, and community institutions to learn about the breadth and depth of the Greater Philadelphia Jewish community.
• In accordance with the Strategic Plan, the Strategy & Impact department, along with the Jewish Federation’s FRD colleagues staffing the Women of Vision (WOV), Weinberg, and JFRE committees, grant process timelines were successfully aligned across all grant processes. JFRE, JCF, and Weinberg grant recommendations were finalized in May, with WOV grants being finalized in early June. Agencies will be receiving official notification of their funding by the end of June.
• The S&I team hosted representatives of The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin. A recipient of both JCF and ERC funding, the representatives presented to both JCF and ERC leadership, as well as Federation staff, on the impact of their work over the past year.
Community Leadership Development / Engagement
• The Jewish Federation’s Kehillot are currently inviting applications for microgrants to support events that are collaborations of two or more local Jewish non profit organizations (including synagogues) as a way of expanding our reach and elevating the work of our partners.
• The Community Development department has restructured its staff roles to separate engagement from events coordination in the interest of impact, efficiency and consistency.
• The Leadership Development Advisory Board focused on highlights from the year’s orientation programs for Board, Committee Chairs, Committee Members, Congregational Presidents and Board members, Agency Lay leaders and Kehillah leadership as they work to develop a calendar of offerings for FY26. These will include orientation sessions and skill-based workshops for the leaders in Greater Philadelphia serving Federation, agencies and congregations.
• The Spring Annual Meeting was held on May 28 at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park. The evening consisted of Jewish Federation achievements and key speaker Rabbi Mike Uram about hope and resilience during difficult times. There was also a vote on the FY26 Board of Directors slate.
Finance/IT/Operations/Real Estate/Donor Services and Data Services
• Sage Intacct went live as of June 1, replacing Abila MIP.
• Internal network systems at 2 Commerce are being upgraded to replace aging wireless access points.
• Cybersecurity interactive training has been expanded for all staff.
• Artificial intelligence training has been developed and implemented at the department level.
• The organization is partnering with JFNA to secure continued Tepper grant funding for security services at camps and schools serving children age 5 and younger.
• A three-year strategic plan and funding request is in development to support ongoing community security services and at least one community-wide strategic initiative.
• Tax returns for the Jewish Federation and the Foundation for Jewish Day Schools for FY24 have been completed and submitted to the IRS by May 31, well -ahead of the July 15 deadline.
• Information is being gathered to determine functional requirements for a customer relationship management system, with evaluation underway on whether to retain the current CRM or adopt a more effective and efficient alternative.
• Contract negotiations are ongoing for casual rental of the Gratz College building on the Mandel Campus. The building is scheduled to be taken over effective July 16.
• Logistical planning continues for the development of the senior housing project on the Schwartz Campus. Plans include paying down a portion of the tax-exempt bond dbt associated with the parcel designated for the new development. The final steps in that process have been completed.
Human Resources
• The Leading Edge Employee Engagement Survey has been completed with 96% staff participation. Results will be received by mid-June.
• The Jewish Federation hosted an Employee Appreciation event at the Franklin Institute, where staff had a behind the scenes VIP tour of the restricted Collections area. Afterwards, staff gathered at City Tap House and enjoyed great food, drinks and conversation.
• The Jewish Federation has welcomed the following new staff members:
• Shira Grundland
JCRC Administrative Assistant
• Rebecca Saunders Program Associate, Strategy & Impact
• Sara Viniar
Donor Services Coordinator
• The Jewish Federation will host two interns from the JEVS Franklin C. Ash summer intern program for a seven week period. They will start on Tuesday, June 17.
• Lucas Glozman, Marketing
• Nina Berkowitz, Strategy & Impact
Diversity and Inclusion
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia is committed to creating welcoming Jewish spaces where all are accepted. As a member of the J.Proud Consortium and a funder of organizations, programs, and initiatives that support the LGBTQ+ community and diverse Jewish life, the Jewish Federation remains steadfast in its mission to promote an inclusive world for all.
The Jewish Federation provides funding to organizations like Jewish Learning Venture, and its Whole Community Initiative to support marginalized communities provide safe spaces for programming within Greater Philadelphia.
Here’s how Jewish Federation-supported organizations work toward building a more inclusive Jewish community:
73% of Abramson Center for Jewish Life clientele are Russian-speaking
25% of Tribe12’s community members identify as LGBTQ+
170+
Ethiopian Israeli teens and university students participated in Olim Beyahad’s program to promote excellence and leadership
jkidpride would not be possible without the Jewish Federation. With the grant money we received to support marginalized communities, we have been able to secure programming locations in safe and accessible neighborhoods, hire vendors from within the LGBTQ+ community, cast a wider net to the community through events, such as PHL Pride, and o er professional development opportunities to education directors, teachers, and clergy in our area.”
– Robin Matthews, jkidpride Director
About the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
Since 1901, the Jewish Federation has mobilized resources to support the community’s most pressing needs. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Jewish Federation invested $80.7 million into the community through its three pillars: Caring for Those in Need Locally, Supporting Israel and Global Jewry, and Securing a Vibrant Jewish Future. You can support the work of the Jewish Federation: jewishphilly.org/donate
jewishphilly.org/donate
FRD/Affinity/Endowment
• Over 175 people attended WOV’s annual signature Spring Event on May 14. The evening featured Lily Kanter, trailblazer in the home design industry and celebrated Andi Barsky on an incredible two-year term as WOV Chair.
• WOV will go on its first official Mission to Israel Nov. 5-12. Participants will experience the work that WOV does in Israel to transform the lives of self-identifying women and girls.
• Women’s Philanthropy Journeys program wrapped up with a beautiful dinner at the home of Tracy Gordon. Participants reflected on their experience, which included meaningful sessions at KleinLife and Penn Hillel. They also had the chance to hear from Tracy and other JFGP leaders, Andi Barsky, Gail Norry and Robin Robbins, who shared their personal journeys and impact within the organization. Thank you to Suzi Gross and Sarah Vogel for leading this program. This group of women has been amazing, and we can’t wait to see how they continue to grow, lead, and inspire within our community.
• Women’s Philanthropy, in partnership with Momentum, is taking 20 women to Israel from June 30 - July 6. It’s a chance to connect, experience the spirit and resiliency of Israel, and come home inspired and ready to bring that spark back to our Greater Philadelphia Jewish community.
• Co-Chairs Gail Norry and Tracey Specter welcomed nearly 200 women to the Switch House at the Battery, on Tuesday, May 20 for an incredible Lion of Judah event. We honored Margie Honickman with the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award. The theme for the evening, “When There is Laughter, There is Life” featured a hilarious stand-up act by Jewish comedian and Emmy Award winner Judy Gold.
• NextGen leaves on their Israel mission next week with 18 young philanthropists to see the impact of their dollars together. We are thrilled to welcome four new local members into the National Young Leadership Cabinet, and state Julie Perilstein Mozes as Philadelphia’s Local Cabinet Chair.
• Legacy Philanthropy - On Nov. 6 and 7, the Legacy Philanthropy program will be hosting our Family Planning Institute.
• JFRE had its annual Young JFRE networking event in May at Braid Mill where they were able to meet with industry leaders in an intimate setting and gain access that they might not have elsewhere. Additionally, JFRE will host an exclusive members only event on June 25 at Chubb Center thanks to Rob Zuritsky and Parkway Corporation. The event will include an exclusive inside look at the property.
• On May 7, 30 professional advisors attended a panel discussion on antisemitism on campus with Chief of Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Jason Holtzman, Executive Director of Greater Philly Hillel Network Rabbi Jeremy Winaker and Jewish student at Haverford College Anna Braun. The event was hosted by the Professional Advisors Network and was held at Dechert, LLP.
• Life & Legacy Training will take place on June 12 with our consultant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Tammy Dollin, on “Being Donor Centric”.
JCRC and Government Affairs
• JCRC’s Study Group on the Diaspora–Israel relationship continues to explore the evolving dynamics of Jewish life after Oct. 7. The group recently hosted Barak Sella and will soon welcome Eugene Kontorovich, Mijal Bitton, Elana Stein Hain and Tal Becker for upcoming sessions.
• On June 4, in partnership with the Strong Cities Network, Peace Islands Institute, and The Welcoming Center, JCRC hosted a Mid-Atlantic Regional Convening titled “Preventing Hate and Maintaining Social Cohesion in Times of Crisis: A Roundtable for Mayors and Cities.” JCRC professionals moderated and participated in key sessions, including “The State of Hate and Other Threats to Social Connectedness in the Mid-Atlantic Region” and “Partnerships for Peace: Successful Prevention and Response Networks Against Hate and Extremism in Philadelphia.”
• In partnership with the Weitzman Institute, JCRC professionals will speak in several panel discussions about combating antisemitism in K-12 schools at a national summit sponsored by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) taking place in Washington, D.C., on June 10-11, 2025.
• Jason Holtzman and Pastor Carl Day are scheduled to attend the inaugural Black and Jewish Leadership Initiative, sponsored by the Shalom Hartman Institute and Harvard Divinity School from June 15-20, 2025. Jason and Pastor Carl will be facilitating part of the program, which will focus on their work together leading the New Golden Age coalition.
Community Leadership Development / Engagement
• The Jewish Federation’s Kehillot are currently inviting applications for microgrants to support events that are collaborations of two or more local Jewish non profit organizations (including synagogues) as a way of expanding our reach and elevating the work of our partners.
• The Community Development department has restructured its staff roles to separate engagement from events coordination in the interest of impact, efficiency and consistency.
• The Leadership Development Advisory Board focused on highlights from the year’s orientation programs for Board, Committee Chairs, Committee Members, Congregational Presidents and Board members, Agency Lay leaders and Kehillah leadership as they work to develop a calendar of offerings for FY26. These will include orientation sessions and skill-based workshops for the leaders in Greater Philadelphia serving Federation, agencies and congregations.
• The Spring Annual Meeting was held on May 28 at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park. The evening consisted of Jewish Federation achievements and key speaker Rabbi Mike Uram about hope and resilience during difficult times. There was also a vote on the FY26 Board of Directors slate.
Marketing/Events/PR
• In May, two targeted solicitation efforts were launched: the Center to Combat Antisemitism Match Campaign and a Security-focused appeal as part of the Community Campaign. Both campaigns utilized segmented audiences and a multichannel approach, including email, SMS, website, and social media outreach.
• The Marketing and Strategy & Impact teams partnered with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for a full day of filming to support the Building Resilience in Jewish Teens and Families project. This innovative initiative, developed in collaboration with CHOP’s Center for Parent and Teen Communication, aims to equip Jewish teens and their families with tools and strategies to navigate the growing challenges around adolescent mental health.
• May 2025 Jewish Exponent Highlights Featuring the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
º Honoring Memory, Ensuring “Never Again”
º Philadelphia’s 61st Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony: Coverage of the annual Yom HaShoah event, with firsthand testimony from survivors and remarks by community leaders. The ceremony, held at the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza, underscored the commitment to remembrance and education across generations.
º Connecting Past and Present: March of the Living Mission Recap
º A recap of the April 2025 delegation to Poland, where 30 Greater Philadelphia community members participated in the international March of the Living. The mission emphasized memory, intergenerational storytelling, and Jewish unity.
º Supporting Survivors Facing Poverty: The Jewish Federation Remains Committed to Supporting Remaining Holocaust Survivors Experiencing Hunger and Poverty
º A detailed look at Federation-funded initiatives addressing food insecurity, trauma recovery, and essential services through partnerships with organizations like JFCS, KleinLife, and the Seed the Dream Foundation.
º Finding Hope: Supporting Tikvah AJMI’s Mission of Mental Health Awareness and Inclusion
º The Federation’s support for Tikvah AJMI (Advocates for the Jewish Mentally Ill) highlights the importance of hope and inclusion for individuals living with mental illness, showcasing efforts to reduce stigma and increase access to support networks.
º Benefit From a Legacy of Jewish Resilience: Oped by Dr. Ken Ginsburg
º A thought-provoking essay on the inherited strengths of Jewish resilience, tied to the Federation’s new partnership with the Center for Parent and Teen Communication as part of its Building Resilience initiative.
• Linked here is the full coverage book compiled for earned media coverage for May 2025. You can also review the social media report here
• In total, we secured 68 pieces of coverage, focusing on the Jewish Federation’s response to the antisemitic incident at the Barstool Sports Philadelphia Bar, the security implications following the antisemitic murder at the Capital Jewish Museum, and the Jewish Federation’s role in addressing antisemitism at local colleges. These articles included features in the Philadelphia Inquirer, CBS3, KYW, and Yahoo News.
• Articles featuring the Jewish Federation were exposed to an estimated audience of 524 million people and received over 3 million estimated views, reinforcing the Jewish Federation’s work in protecting the local Jewish community and holding those in positions of power accountable.
• Also in May, the Jewish Federation hosted 23 events, drawing an estimated 1,512 attendees, further deepening engagement and visibility across the community.
Finance Snapshot
Operating Results FYTD ............................................................................... April 2025
Compared to Operating Forecast
Operating Surplus ............................................................................................ $(104,006)
Staffing Levels ................................................................................................... 83
Surplus (Deficit) from staffing levels
$42,903
Surplus (Deficit) from Bond Interest Expense ....................................... $1,878
Surplus (Deficit) from All Other Areas ...................................................... $(148,787)
JCF Pledge Accounts Receivable as of May 26, 2025
FY 2024 Campaign
$666,546
FY 2025 Campaign ........................................................................................... $2,628,230
Total ...................................................................................................... $3,294,776
Operating Cash Balance ................................................................................. $7,800,000
Provisional and subject to final audit adjustments
Summary by Fiscal Year Campaign (BBEC Gift Year Specified by Donor)
(1)
Allocable & Net Restricted
