UJA-Federation of New York

History

UJA-Federation, as it is known today, was created from the 1986 merger of the United Jewish Appeal, established in 1939, and the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, a predecessor organization established in 1917.

Both the Center for Jewish History and the American Jewish Historical Society, an affiliate of the Smithsonian, houses UJA-Federation's archives. Beginning in 1981, the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York conducted an oral history project. It continued through the merger between Federation and the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York until 2004. A collection of oral histories was published in 1995. During the late 1980s, UJA-Federation participated in the Soviet Jewry Movement with its Passage to Freedom campaign to help Jewish Émigrés from the Soviet Union.

To honor its centennial in 2017, the American Jewish Historical Society produced an exhibition exploring a timeline of UJA-Federation from 1917–2017, PBS produced a documentary for its Treasures of New York series, and a book, UJA-Federation of New York: The First Century, was published.

Funding

In 2016, UJA-Federation's annual campaign raised $153.4 million. Including bequests, endowments, and capital and special gifts, the total amount raised in the year was $207.6 million. In 2021, UJA-Federation's annual campaign raised $63.2 million. Including bequests, endowments, and capital and special gifts, the total amount raised in 2021 was $249.6 million. UJA-Federation's endowment was $1.2 billion as of 2021.

Leadership

Eric S. Goldstein assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer on July 1, 2014, replacing John S. Ruskay, Executive Vice President Emeritus. In July 2018, Rabbi Menachem Creditor assumed the position of Pearl and Ira Meyer Scholar-in-Residence of UJA-Federation. In 2021, UJA-Federation appointed former Israeli Minister of Labor, Welfare, and Social Services, Itzik Shmuli, as the Director-General of its Israel office in Jerusalem. In 2023, New York State Assembly member Daniel Rosenthal joined UJA-Federation as vice president of Government Relations. Linda Mirels was appointed president of UJA-Federation on July 1, 2023; Marc Rowan was appointed chair of the board.

Notable past leadership

As Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York (1917–1986)

• Felix M. Warburg (President, 1917–1921)
• I. Edwin Goldwasser (Executive Director, 1917–1920)
• Solomon Lowenstein (Executive Director, 1920–1935)
• Joseph L. Buttenwieser (President, 1924–1926)
• Sol M. Stroock (President, 1926–1929)
• Joseph M. Proskauer (President, 1931–1935)
• Samuel D. Leidesdorf (President, 1935–1937)
• Benjamin Buttenwieser (President, 1939–1941)
• George Z. Medalie (President, 1941–1945)
• Salim L. Lewis (President, 1954–1957)
• Gus Levy (President, 1957–1960)
• Lawrence Wien (President, 1960–1963)
• Irving Mitchell Felt (President, 1963–1966)
• Frederick P. Rose (President, 1974–1977)
• Wilma Tisch (President, 1980–1983)

As United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York (1942–1986)

• Sylvan Gotshal (President, 1942–1947)
• Edward Warburg (President, 1967)
• Herbert Tenzer (President, 1972)
• Laurence Tisch (President, 1973–1974)

As UJA-Federation of New York (1986–Present)

• Joseph Gurwin (Chair of the Board, 1988–1991)
• Larry Silverstein (Chair of the Board, 1994–1997)
• James S. Tisch (President, 1998–2001)
• John S. Ruskay (Chief Executive Officer, 1999–2014)
• Larry Zicklin (Chair of the Board, 2000–2001; President, 2001–2004)
• Morris W. Offit (Chair of the Board, 2001–2004; President, 2004–2007)
• Susan Stern (Chair of the Board, 2004–2007)
• Jerry W. Levin (Chair of the Board, 2007–2010; President, 2010–2013)
• Robert S. Kapito (Chair of the Board, 2016–2019)

COVID-19 response

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UJA-Federation allocated nearly $70 million in emergency grants. In 2020–21, UJA-Federation conducted an in-depth examination of the social, economic, and emotional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the New York Jewish community, surveying 4,400 Jews in the New York City area. The study found that nearly one in six adult Jewish New Yorkers experienced financial setbacks during the pandemic, and three-quarters of Jewish New Yorkers who said they have a substance abuse problem said it worsened during that period.

Response to the war in Ukraine

As of July 2023, UJA-Federation has allocated more than $25 million to respond to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With an established presence supporting Jews of post-Soviet states, including the approximately 200,000 Jews living in Ukraine at the start of the war, UJA-Federation began crisis response efforts on February 24, 2022, the same day the war began.

Funding allocation

UJA-Federation has allocated grants to 78 unique organizations operating in Ukraine, Europe, Israel, and New York. Grant allocations focus on humanitarian aid ($7.7 Million), rescue efforts ($1.1 Million), refugee support ($13 Million), and other critical response areas. Among the organizations founded at the initiative of the UJA-Federation is the Israel Trauma Coalition, founded in 2001, which provides an umbrella framework for the treatment of trauma and emergency preparedness in Israel and around the world.

Response to the 2023 Israel-Hamas War

Following the October 7 attacks on Israel, the UJA-Federation created an "Israel Emergency Fund." As of December 2023, the UJA-Federation has allocated $156 million, with $75 million from Wall Street donors alone, for its "Israel emergency campaign".

References

References

1. "Israel News - The Jerusalem post".
2. "Home » UJA-Federation of New York".
3. "Who We Are".
4. Pace, Eric. (8 September 2003). "Sanford Solender, a Leader of Jewish Charities, Is Dead at 89".
5. "CJH Catalog - Full View of Record".
6. "Collection: Oral histories collection {{!}} The Center for Jewish History ArchivesSpace".
7. "Guide to the Judith A. Manelis Papers, 1986-1990, *P-970".
8. "UJA Federation of New York: The First Century".
9. "Treasures of New York {{!}} UJA-Federation {{!}} Season 2017".
10. Feldberg, Michael. (2017). "UJA-Federation of New York: the first century".
11. "UJA's Campaign Reaches Pre-Recession Levels".
12. "Annual Report 2021". UJA-Federation of New York.
13. (22 November 2014). "Eric S. Goldstein Leads Jewish Nonprofit, Becomes International Voice for New York's Jews". Wall Street Journal.
14. Sandee Brawarsky. "New Scholar At UJA-Fed.: 'Reunifying Our People'".
15. Chernikoff, Helen. (2021-08-04). "Itzik Shmuli, UJA-Fed NY's new director-general in Israel, will also handle lobbying".
16. Kornbluh, Jacob. (2023-06-13). "Queens lawmaker resigning to take top job at Jewish philanthropy".
17. Wecker, Menachem. (2023-07-10). "UJA-Federation of NY names new president, board chair".
18. (2021-12-07). "At UJA-Federation's Wall Street Dinner, held under the shadow of COVID, attendees pledge to fight antisemitism".
19. [https://jewishdatany.ujafedny.org/ UJA Covid-19 Impact Study], conducted by [https://ssrs.com/about/ SSRS] on behalf of UJA-Federation of NY, Retrieved 2022-04-21
20. Gergely, Julia. "Study: Jewish New Yorkers suffered financial, mental health strain during COVID".
21. "Crisis in Ukraine".
22. "Timelines of the American Soviet Jewry Movement".
23. (26 February 2022). "NY Jewish federation approves $3 million in Ukraine emergency funding".
24. (2005-05-11). "The Need for a Continuum of Trauma Services". Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma.
25. (2023-12-09). "Grapevine December 8, 2023: It ain't over till it's over".