Your Daily Phil: Eric Goldstein to step down after 12 years at helm of UJA-Fed. N.Y.
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on UJA-Federation of New York CEO Eric Goldstein’s plans to step down next year, and on the $2 million raised by the Foundation for Jewish Camps to offset costs incurred by the Israel-Iran war. We look at a revived school-choice provision of the tax bill that will subsidize Jewish day school tuition, and the recent death of S. Daniel Abraham, a major donor to Democratic and Middle East peace causes. We feature an opinion piece by Eliana Mandell Bader about supporting families bereaved by the Oct. 7 attacks and the wars in Gaza and Iran, even as the nation looks forward to better days ahead; and one by Shira Goodman about “cracking the growth code” for Jewish day schools. Also in this issue: Gal Pauker, Yigal Nisell and Meg Rodarte.
What We’re Watching
The American Conference of Cantors is hosting a gala concert in Washington tonight to mark 50 years of women in the cantorate and the ordination of Cantor Barbara Ostfeld.
What You Should Know
Eric Goldstein, who steered the nation’s largest federation, UJA-Federation of New York, through the ongoing rise in antisemitism, the COVID-19 pandemic, and has played a key role in the rebuilding of Israel after multiple wars, will step down as CEO at the end of the next fiscal year, after 12 years in the role, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
In his announcement to the organization’s board yesterday, Goldstein, who is in his mid-60s, did not specify why he was stepping down on June 30, 2026, but indicated that his departure will be a move toward retirement. He began as CEO of UJA-Federation of New York on July 1, 2014, at 54, having served as the vice chair of the organization’s board and after an extended career at the Paul, Weiss law firm.
“After 30-plus years at Paul, Weiss and what will be 12 at UJA, I look forward to taking on new projects of consequence to our community and, please God, to spending more time with my wife, kids, and grandkids,” he said, noting that over the past 11 years, the organization has raised $2.8 billion and grown its grant portfolio.
Goldstein was considered an unexpected choice for the role of top executive of the New York federation: He was Orthodox, when his predecessors had generally come from more progressive denominations of Judaism; and he had not risen from within the Jewish nonprofit ranks but had instead come from the for-profit world, his lay leadership roles notwithstanding.
Linda Mirels and Marc Rowan, the president and board chair of UJA-Federation of New York, lauded Goldstein for his service with the organization, calling him a “once-in-a-generation leader.”
“Since assuming the role in 2014, Eric’s tenure has been transformational. From the outset, he demonstrated visionary leadership marked by compassion, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the Jewish people and the greater New York community,” they wrote in a statement. “Eric’s deep understanding of Jewish tradition — his Yiddishkeit — and sensitivity to the diversity of Jewish life enabled him to lead with authenticity and clarity. He has uniquely connected with the full spectrum of our community, forging bonds of unity and shared purpose.”
During his tenure, Goldstein led the organization as it dealt with rising domestic antisemitism, following the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., as well as the deadly shooting attack in Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue. “In 2014, UJA did not have a single line item in its budget for confronting domestic antisemitism or Jewish communal security,” he noted. “Today, UJA is leading the charge in responding to this growing threat in New York — including through the creation in 2019 of the Community Security Initiative, now a vital 20+ person team responsible for helping secure over 3,400 Jewish institutions in New York and beyond.”
Goldstein also steered the federation through the COVID-19 pandemic, a particularly trying time for the group that saw dozens of layoffs in the early months of the outbreak, including rare large withdrawals from its endowment fund, as well as the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. UJA-Federation of New York, as the largest Jewish federation in the U.S., also played a key role in the overall American Jewish community’s response to the Oct. 7 terror attacks and resulting wars in Gaza, Lebanon and, most recently, Iran.
“This past year alone, UJA distributed $336 million for grants and programs, including approximately $134 million for Israel,” Mirels and Rowan noted.
A search committee for Goldstein’s successor has been launched, with Mirels as its head.
HIDDEN FEES
Foundation for Jewish Camp raises $2M to offset additional costs to American camps from Israel-Iran war
The Foundation for Jewish Camp, in an emergency campaign, has raised more than $2 million to offset the additional costs incurred by Jewish camps this summer following the cancellation of many Israel travel programs and the delayed arrival of Israeli staff because of last month’s Israel-Iran war, the organization said. The lead gift for the emergency funding campaign came from the Jim Joseph Foundation, whose president and CEO, Barry Finestone, also helped recruit the other seven donors, FJC told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
Additional costs: In light of the recent fighting between Israel and Iran, many camp-led trips to Israel for this summer were canceled, requiring a quick pivot to provide alternative programs, such as trips to Europe. These last-minute cancellations and bookings came at an additional cost to the organizers. The conflict also forced the closure of Israeli airspace for nearly two weeks, which delayed the arrival of nearly 1,000 Israeli staff members to American camps, requiring those camps to recruit replacements, often at a higher rate. “The fact that we were able to raise $2 million in less than a week is a testament to the resilience and generosity of our community,” Jamie Simon, acting CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp, said in a statement.
BACK FROM THE DEAD
Senate restores, revises school choice scholarship program in budget bill
As the Senate closed out its marathon session of amendment votes on Republicans’ budget bill, the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, it added back a provision fought for by Orthodox Jewish groups, creating a major new national school-choice program, which had been stripped from the bill days earlier, reports Marc Rod for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
School subsidy: The Educational Choice for Children Act would create a tax credit for individuals who donate to scholarship programs for children that can be used for a variety of different purposes, including religious schooling. The latest version of the program included in the Senate bill allows individual states to opt into the program and approve the specific scholarship programs eligible to receive the money in that state, rather than automatically instituting the program nationwide. “This really is historic,” Nathan Diament, the executive director of public policy for the Orthodox Union, told JI. “This is unquestionably the single largest federal school choice program ever passed. It’s been a long time coming. … It’s going to be helpful to countless numbers of families.”
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
BARUCH DAYAN EMET
S. Daniel Abraham, major Democrat donor and funder of Middle East peace initiatives, dies at 101
S. Daniel Abraham, the American entrepreneur and philanthropist who made his fortune through Slim-Fast Foods, a line of dietary supplements popular in the late 1980s, and who championed the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, died on Sunday at 101, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
A peaceful man: Abraham, a prolific donor to the Democratic Party, was particularly drawn to the cause of establishing lasting peace in the Middle East, believing strongly that Israel’s security was dependent on good relations with neighboring Arab countries. In 1989, Abraham and Rep. Wayne Owens, a Democrat from Utah, established the Washington-based S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, a nonprofit advocacy group. “A brilliant, humble businessman who experienced the destruction of war as a combat soldier in World War II, Mr. Abraham exhibited a tireless and selfless dedication to achieving peace, security and prosperity for all peoples of the Middle East,” Robert Wexler, the president of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, wrote in a statement after Abraham’s death. “When peace comes to the Middle East — and it will — we will have Dan Abraham to thank. Dan, though, never sought any thanks or recognition. Mr. Abraham was righteous and just — a tzadik.”
IN THE AFTERMATH
Supporting the bereaved families left behind
“For so many newly bereaved families — too many bereaved families — there is no return to routine. For them, the routine they once knew is gone. While the nation of Israel gradually finds our way back to ‘normal’, their lives have been forever changed,” writes Eliana Mandell Braner, executive director of the Koby Mandell Foundation, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “They are only at the beginning of a long and agonizing journey of grief, a journey impossible to imagine for those who have not lived it themselves.”
A community of caring: “In the wake of this most recent war, we are reminded that our natural desire and strength as a country to move forward must not cause us to forget the price that the people of Israel have paid — and that so many families continue to pay, every single day. We are grateful the overall toll of this latest war was less than we feared, and we know that it could have been worse; but for these bereaved families, this is the worst… In order for these families — and indeed our nation — to rebuild, grow from the devastation and find strength through their pain in true post-traumatic growth, we need to build a community of caring based on empathy and ultimately understanding that our lives will never be the same. And that no one can walk this path alone. Painfully, yet blessedly, Israel is a nation that recognizes this truth. We are a society that does not forget and does not look away.”
SHAKE THINGS UP
Breaking the enrollment paradox: A new approach to Jewish day schools
“Over the past two decades, Jewish day schools have made enormous strides in educational quality, personalized learning and holistic child support, creating night-and-day differences from previous generations. Nevertheless, despite temporary enrollment boosts driven by events like the pandemic or the Oct. 7 attacks, sustained growth remains elusive nationally,” writes Shira Goodman, formerly CEO of Staples and now vice chair of the Jim Joseph Foundation, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “Schechter Boston exemplifies this paradox. Under Head of School Rebecca Lurie’s exceptional leadership, enrollment has risen by 20% over seven years — yet it remains 37% below its historical peak. The school is stronger than ever, so why is cracking the growth code still so tough?”
Fresh perspectives needed: A 2023 study commissioned by Combined Jewish Philanthropies on behalf of Boston’s day schools revealed several deep-seated misperceptions among prospective families. These included overestimating the cost of attendance due to limited awareness of financial aid; concerns about a perceived lack of socioeconomic diversity; and assumptions about rigid religious expectations, likely rooted in outdated impressions of day schools. These perceptions remain powerful barriers to growth and are difficult to shift, even as schools have evolved significantly. As a former CEO of Staples, I’ve learned that real, lasting growth doesn’t come from sticking to the old playbook — it demands shaking things up, thinking differently and sometimes even inviting entirely new players into the game.”
Worthy Reads
How Does That Make You Feel?: In Jewish Insider, Gabby Deutch reports on a new lawsuit in Texas by two Jewish therapists who are alleging that they were fired from their practice because of antisemitism. “When a non-Jewish therapist asked for help better understanding a Jewish client who was ‘experiencing trauma with everything going on,’ [Jackie] Junger and [Jacqueline] Katz — both Jewish — were eager to offer insight about the surge in antisemitism in the United States, in the hopes of helping their colleague better serve her client. But before Junger, 29, and Katz, 61, could speak, their supervisor, Dr. Dina Hijazi, shut down the conversation. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, because you’ll get a one-sided response,’ Hijazi told the therapists, according to legal filings. The next day, Hijazi emailed the team and asked them to avoid discussing the ‘Palestine Israel topic’ because she has ‘great pain’ around the issue. But no one had mentioned the events in the Middle East at that meeting. Junger and Katz each responded to Hijazi’s note: Why, they wondered, would it be considered ‘one-sided’ for Jewish therapists to speak about their understanding of antisemitism and Jewish trauma? Over the next five days, Junger and Katz would see their lives upended after they chose to raise concerns about antisemitism and double standards against Jewish practitioners and clients.” [JewishInsider]
Do Better Than ‘Good Enough’: In the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Sarah Holloway and T. Alexander Puutio propose that the nonprofit sector develop a stronger culture of accountability. “For years, the development community has learned to congratulate itself on heroic outputs — vaccines delivered, wells dug, and schools opened — while ignoring the sluggish machinery behind the scenes. Layers of headquarters, regional hubs, and country offices multiplied until decision-making could often feel more like the function of postal forwarding officers than problem solvers… But well-intentioned programs could live on because they pleased donors, preserved jobs, or fit legacy missions (even as local partners signaled that needs changed or perhaps were never adequately met to begin with). Bloat thrives in the absence of hard feedback loops. When a project underperformed, the default fix has long been an extension, a rebrand, or a bigger grant… But all the post-hoc rationalization masks a harsher truth: When accountability is diluted across dozens of actors and hidden under a veneer of poorly tested results, real responsibility evaporates.” [SSIR]
If You Can Dream It: In Blue Avocado, Lindsay Myers encourages nonprofit leadership to consider what their organization would do if money were no object. “I promise you — despite the parameters at the beginning of discussion, your board is going to want to talk fundraising and cost… Your development staff will want to run out the back door… You will have to strategize in advance about how to curtail potential reactive discussions about money and how to get it. And unless you are in the middle of a seven-figure capital campaign, I would bet that, even with a skilled facilitator, the question won’t get definitively answered at the first meeting… So why push this concept at all? Because if you aren’t deliberate about encouraging stakeholders to dream, the victim will be your organizational case for support. You will raise less money and continue to lose relevance with your donors. Instead of being far-reaching and showing how you can really change the world, your everyday case will argue that you simply need more money instead of showing potential donors what you could do with their transformational support.” [BlueAvocado]
Word on the Street
The British United Jewish Israel Appeal announced that its Israel trips for some 800 British teens will go ahead as planned this summer after the U.K. lowered its travel advisory from red to amber…
Jewish Insider interviewed Rev. Johnnie Moore, the executive chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and close ally of President Donald Trump, about his group’s operations delivering aid in the Palestinian enclave…
Authorities in Germany arrested a Danish national from Afghanistan accused of surveilling potential Jewish targets in the country on behalf of Iran in what is suspected to be part of a broader effort by the Islamic Republic to identify Jewish locations for terror attacks in Europe…
Germany summoned the Iranian ambassador in Berlin over the arrest; German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who is visiting Ukraine, where he visited a synagogue and the Babyn Yar memorial, said if the accusations were proven, “that would once again demonstrate that Iran is a threat to Jews all over the world”…
Australia canceled Kanye West’s visa for the country because of his recent song titled “Heil Hitler”…
The Times of Israel spotlights the effort by Gal Pauker, the grandson of Gideon Pauker, who was killed by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, to turn his grandfather’s personal winemaking operation into a professional winery…
Jonah Platt interviewed his mother, Julie Platt, about her tenure as board chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, on the latest episode of his “Being Jewish” podcast…
Text messages obtained by the House Committee on Education and Workforce published in a letter on Tuesday revealed that Claire Shipman, acting president of Columbia University suggested that a Jewish trustee be removed over her pro-Israel advocacy and called to add an “Arab on our board” during the antisemitic unrest that roiled the university’s campus last year, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…
Major Gifts
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation awarded a two-year, $150,000 grant to the Adam Theater, Boston’s nonprofit professional theater company, to allow the group to put on the play “Library Lion” for every second-grade student in the Boston Public Schools…
The Gates Foundation committed to providing $1.6 billion over five years to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, after the Trump administration pulled its support…
Transitions
Yigal Nisell has been named the next CEO of Mosaic United, the Israeli organization jointly funded by the Israeli government and private philanthropy; Nisell previously served as COO and global head of partnerships at the Combat Antisemitism Movement…
Rabbi David Golinkin is stepping down as president of Schechter Institutes after 35 years in the role; he will be succeeded by Rabbi Matt Berkowitz, who has served as vice president for the past two years…
Meg Rodarte has joined UpStart as its inaugural managing director of learning, community and belonging…
Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken was announced as the Ford Foundation’s next president, succeeding Darren Walker…
Pic of the Day
Rany Belaga of Team Israel drives to the basket yesterday in a game against the Dominican Republic in the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup currently underway in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Israel, which has won all three of its games so far — including one by forfeit after the Jordanian team refused to play — is due to compete against Cameroon later today in the “Round of 16.”
Birthdays
Co-founder, president and dean at Mechon Hadar in Manhattan, Rabbi Shai Held, Ph.D….
Director emerita of Hebrew studies at HUC-JIR, now on the board of trustees of Los Angeles Hebrew High School, Rivka Dori… Nobel laureate in medicine in 2004, he is a professor at Columbia University and a molecular biologist, Richard Axel… Co-creator of the “Seinfeld” television series and creator of HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” comedian and producer, Larry David… Inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of the E Street Band, Roy J. Bittan… Swedish author and screenwriter, she wrote a novel about Jewish children who escaped the Holocaust, Annika Thor… Former CEO of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, she also served as a State Department’s special envoy on antisemitism, Hannah Rosenthal… Montclair, N.J.-based philanthropic consultant, Aaron Issar Back, Ph.D…. Israeli Druze politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Kulanu and Kadima parties, Akram Hasson… Maryland state senator since 2015, Cheryl C. Kagan… Founder and head of business development of AQR Capital Management, David G. Kabiller… Member of the Knesset for the United Torah Judaism alliance, Ya’akov Asher… Chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, Peter E. Baker… Reading specialist at Wayne Thomas School in Highland Park, Ill., Stephanie Rubin… Global industry editor for health and pharma at Thomson Reuters, Michele Gershberg… Music video and film director, Alma Har’el… Motivational speaker, media personality and a senior director of capital markets at RXR Realty, Charlie Harary… Author of fiction and non-fiction on a variety of Jewish topics, Elisa Albert… Israeli media personality and popular lecturer, Sivan Rahav-Meir… Member of Congress (R-NY), she was the chair of the House Republican Conference until earlier this year, Elise Stefanik… Actress, singer and producer, she appeared in her first films as a 14-year-old, Ashley Tisdale… Actress and internet personality, Barbara Dunkelman… Actress, singer and songwriter, she played a lead role in the 2019 ABC series “Emergence,” Alexa Swinton…
