Americans for Ben-Gurion University has tapped Melissa B. Greenberg as its next CEO, eJewishPhilanthropy has learned. 

A veteran fundraiser, Greenberg grew philanthropic giving at Hebrew Union College, the Reform movement’s rabbinical seminary, by some 300% over four years as its chief philanthropy officer, according to Americans for Ben-Gurion University. She previously served as the executive vice president and chief development officer at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. 

American Friends organizations, once seen as a technical gateway to philanthropists to unlock philanthropic funds abroad, are now hallmark institutions in their own right, competing for the Jewish world’s top fundraisers and the nine-figure gifts — sometimes 10-figure gifts — that come with them.

Greenberg hailed BGU as an institution “strategically positioned to help Israel make a difference on the global stage through the very values on which the state was founded.” 

“The University embodies humanitarian ideals and the belief that a Jewish state can be a light unto the nations through its contributions to humanity, and by being home to a diverse and pluralistic campus community. This is the Israel that Americans, and the world, needs to see,” she said.

BGU President Daniel Chamovitz praised Greenberg in a statement, saying, “Melissa will not only lead our team in the U.S. but will build partnerships and bridges with our associates and supporters around the world as we work together to strengthen and advance the incredible work coming out of our university.”

The post-Oct. 7 philanthropic ecosystem has seen many mega-philanthropists doubling down on what they consider to be core Israeli institutions — universities and hospitals.

Last year, Blackstone’s Jonathan Gray and his wife, Mindy, gave $125 million to Tel Aviv University’s medical school. Earlier this year, Jan Koum gave $200 million to Shaare Zedek Medical Center. In many of these cases, the “American Friends of” organizations played a critical role in connecting Israel’s academic and healthcare institutions to Diaspora donors.

From 2023 to 2024, A4BGU reported a 252% jump in donations, from $21 million to $74 million, according to its tax filings from those years. (Last year’s forms have not yet been published). 

The trend is not isolated just to A4BGU. American Friends of Tel Aviv University also saw a 62% jump in revenue from 2023 to 2024, from $36 million to $52 million. American Friends of Hebrew University received $84 million in 2023, $167 million in 2024 and $100 million in 2025, according to its Form 990.

In recent years, American Friends organizations have attempted to attract top talent and fundraisers in order to secure donations from the Jewish world’s wealthiest philanthropists. In the past few years, former Birthright Israel Foundation chief development officer Jessica Feldan and former Momentum CEO Ben Pery both found jobs as CEOs of American Friends of Bar-Ilan University and Tel Aviv University, respectively.

CEO salaries at “American Friends of” organizations for universities hover around $500,000a year, with some CEO roles fetching upwards of $700,000.