IMPACT REPORT
2023
MESSAGE FROM LEADERSHIP
During 2022-2023, the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and the Jacobson Jewish Community Foundation carried out our mission with renewed focus and urgency. Locally, in Israel and around the world, our neighbors, family and friends relied upon us for steadfast support and guidance, as we navigated challenges presented by our fellow man and Mother Nature.
Working together, we answered the many calls for assistance with the intent to “Respond, Restore and Respect.”
Around the world, we responded: When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and escalated a conflict that had been waging since 2014, Federations responded with a flood of aid for our partner agencies that helped civilians survive and escape. Our leadership also traveled to the Ukraine-Poland border in a demonstration of solidarity for the Jewish and non-Jewish refugees, who were displaced by the thousands.
With immediacy, we restored: In September 2022, the storm surge from Hurricane Ian bore down on Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach and Pine Island, leveling nearly all standing structures and collapsing the Sanibel Causeway and the Matlacha Bridge. Federation and our local partner agencies sprang into action with food drives, caravans to devastated areas, and coordination of volunteers, who delivered supplies for Shabbat dinners to those without power.
Leading by example, we respected: In the face of rising anti-Semitic rhetoric and hate-inspired activity, Federation respected the tenets of civility and self-preservation by not responding in kind, but instead, organizing for our safety, education and security. We funded efforts to train those who serve in our local Jewish agencies, schools and synagogues and educated international students on Jewish history and the Holocaust.
These are three stories out of hundreds that could be shared. Together, the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and the Jacobson Jewish Community Foundation made so much more possible and for that, we are both proud and humbled – proud of our impact and humbled by the enormity of our pledge.
Our pledge is to continue to serve the Jewish diaspora, in every way possible, for its continued vibrancy, relevance and strength. With our incredible community of donors and partner agencies, we are able to carry out our mission with determination and constancy. And for that, we are grateful.
Warm regards,
Larry Feldman, Board Chair
Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County
Laurence I. Blair, Chair
Jacobson Jewish Community Foundation (JJCF)
Matthew C. Levin, President & Chief Executive Officer
Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County
Jewish Life & Learning
It is the goal of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County to build and sustain a strong, vibrant Jewish community. In 2022-23, we ensured that the children, teens, and adults continued to have meaningful Jewish experiences and remained connected to our Jewish heritage and each other.
In 2022-23
8400+
8,400+ counseling sessions were funded for 824 people through our partnership with Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services.
504
campers enjoyed Jewish summer camp at the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC.
676
local seniors, including 438 Holocaust survivors received care management services provided by Ruth & Norman Rales
Summer Camp Joy Abounds, Thanks to Grant program
More than 100 South Palm Beach County students are taking full advantage of Jewish overnight camps and Israel experiences with some help from the Jacobson Jewish Community Foundation (JJCF), through funds including the Linda Berey Hurst Chai Fund for Jewish Life and Dorothy Seaman Israel Program Fund.
The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County’s partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s One Happy Camper Grant program, which enables first-time campers to receive up to $1,000 each for an immersive overnight Jewish camping experience, has helped more than 50 local students have fun.
Special Needs
In 2022-23
Every Jewish person deserves to live a life of dignity and respect. Our inclusive environments that celebrate diversity and individuality continued to provide safe spaces, ensuring the vibrancy of those with an intellectual or physical disability, mental illness, or chronic disease, as well as those who kept them engaged and protected.
350
adults with special needs received vocational training and developed life skills through JARC and Friendship Bakery.
11
Israeli adults with disabilities became leaders and self-advocates in their communities through Israel Elwyn’s Self-Advocacy Program
500,000+
people around the world benefited from Beit Issie Shapiro’s renowned cutting-edge disability technology.
Your Support Enables an IDF Soldier on the Spectrum to Serve
Ron-el Cohen, 23, lives in Givatayim and is diagnosed with autism. In 2020, Ron-el began the AKIM Israel’s Equal in Uniform training in frontal encounters and intermittent zoom encounters. At the end of the training program, in 2022, he began volunteering at the Gali Tzahal base in the archives department in Tel Aviv. Ron-el formed positive relationships with the commanders and soldiers in the platoon. Throughout Ron-el’s uniformed process, he showed great motivation and a constant desire to improve and learn.
Federation is proud to support the Equal in Uniform program at AKIM Israel, the Israeli national organization for people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
64
adults with developmental disabilities received financial assistance for JARC residential care
400
children participated in PJ Our Way programming for young families
320
seniors received meals delivered to them at home via JFS’ Senior Services
40
survivors of domestic abuse were provided training to attain financial independence, thanks to a Granting Wishes grant from The JWF.
Israel & Our Global Jewish Family
We stand with the Jewish people in Israel and around the globe, working to revitalize Jewish life and enhance and save lives in these locations, every day. Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach joined Jewish Federations of North America in coming to the aid of those suddenly displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Delegations of our local leadership traveled to the Poland border to personally witness the power of Federation in action.
In 2022-23:
18,000+
refugees from Ukraine and Russia made Aliyah with the support of The Jewish Agency (JAFI).
Our partner agencies helped Margaryta, 82, journey from Ukraine to America, where her younger brother lives.
1,000
Jewish families received humanitarian support through our partner, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).
From the Ukraine-Poland border, life looks very different. Residents of Ukrainian towns and cities have become refugees, seeking safety from a war that has destroyed lives and lifestyles. Mothers and children are living on what they can carry, while their husbands and sons stay behind to fight. Jill Rose, Campaign Chair, and Dana Vizner, Chief Planning Officer, from the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County are now a part of this scene, seeing firsthand the impact made from donations to the JFNA campaign for Ukraine relief efforts. They boarded flights on Sunday, laden with toiletries and personal items to hand out, and now, they are meeting with Ukrainian refugees – Jews and non-Jews – who are receiving the food, medicine, and comfort offered by Jewish Federations’ partner agencies.
Safety net services
10,000,000
people (estimated) have been displaced since Russia first invaded Ukraine, making this one of the largest humanitarian crises since WWII (JFNA.org)
$73,000,000
have been raised by Jewish Federations, including the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, of which $61 million has been allocated to non-governmental organizations in Ukraine and neighboring countries to support refugees and Jewish communities.
41
international schools offer curricula on Jewish history, tradition, culture and the Holocaust, thanks to partner agency World Organization of Rehabilitation Through Training (ORT)
1,000
Jewish families in Argentina received humanitarian support through our partner, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).
FINANCIALS
BENEFICIARY AGENCIES
Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County
Adolph & Rose Levis JCC
B’nai Torah Congregation
BBYO
Birthright Israel
Boca Beach Chabad
Boca Jewish Center
Boca Parliament
Boca Raton Synagogue
Chabad of Central Boca
Chabad of Delray
Chabad of East Delray
Chabad of West Boca
Chabad of West Boca Raton
Chabad Student Center
Congregation B’nai Israel
Congregation Beth Adam
Congregation Shaarei Kodesh
Congregation Torah Or
Donna Klein Jewish Academy
Family Promise of SPBC
Friendship Circle of N. Broward and SPBC
Friendship House
From March to Miriam – a Program of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County
Gift of Life
Hadar High School for Girls
Hebrew Free Loan Society
Hillel International
Hillel of Broward & Palm Beach
JAFCO
JARC Florida
Jewish Education Center
Jewish Education Loan Fund
Jewish Recovery Center
Jscreen
Katz Hillel Day School
Katz Yeshiva High School
Liumi
NCSY
PJ Library®
Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (JFS)
Sharsheret
Temple Beth El
Temple Beth Shalom
Torah Academy of Boca Raton
Yachad
Israel and Overseas 22-23
AKIM
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)
Beit Issie Shapiro
Bet Elazraki
Crossroads Jerusalem
Eitan
Ethiopian National Project (ENP)
Hand in Hand
Israel Elwyn
JCC Krakow
Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI)
Latet
Leket Israel
Meitarim
Nirim Foundation
Onward
Susan’s House
United Hatzalah
World ORT
Yad Lakashish
Yashar LaChayal
2023 Federation Officers
Larry Feldman, Chair
Jill Rose, Vice Chair, Campaign/Chair Designate
Richard D. Steinberg, Vice Chair, Financial Resource Development
Laurence I. Blair, Vice Chair, Jacobson Jewish Community Foundation
Elyssa Kupferberg, Vice Chair, Women’s Philanthropy
Kathy Green, Vice Chair, Program Funding Council
Joe Sontz, Vice Chair, Israel & Overseas
Barry N. Winograd Treasurer
Robin Rubin, Assistant Treasurer
Albert W. Gortz, Secretary
Wes Finch, Assistant Secretary
Anne Jacobson, Vice Chair
Debra Halperin, Vice Chair
David Pratt, Vice Chair
Judi Schuman, Vice Chair
Rich Steinberg, Vice Chair
Arthur Goldberg, Immediate Past Chair
Federation Senior Staff
Matthew C. Levin
President & CEO
Marla Weiss Egers
Executive Vice President
Jeffrey Iserson
Chief Financial Officer
Aimee Kaye
Chief Human Resources Officer
Jennifer Koenig
Chief Development Officer
Todd Polikoff
Chief Operating Officer
Dana Vizner
Chief Planning Officer
Jeff Ardielli
Vice President, Information Technology
Tom Forlenza
Vice President, Facilities
Janet Izaak
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Karen Milloy-Gobrecht
Vice President, Federation Finance
Lottie Nilsen
Vice President, Jacobson Jewish Community Foundation
Ida Novack
Vice President, Campaign
2023 Federation Board Members
Robin Baritz
Rabbi David Baum
Michael Beckerman
Don Brodie
Joshua Calisti
Robert Cook
Toby Cooperman
Bruce Dan
Rabbi Moishe Denburg
Karen Dern
Mark Dern
Jill Deutch
Bryan Drowos
Howard DuBosar
Dale Filhaber
Meryl Gallatin
David Galpern
Rani H. Garfinkle
Benjamin Gene
Gail Greenspoon
Yudi Gross
Austine Heldman
Michelle Hollister
Eydie Holz
Franklin Homer
Betty Kane
Tracy Kawa
Matthew Kutcher
April Leavy
Ken Lebersfeld
Gary Lesser
Bob Lewis
Chuck Lichtman
Marty Lifton
Wendi Lipsich
Michael Lipton
Roxane Frechie Lipton
Joseph S. Mishkin
Jeffrey Newman
Cindy Orbach Nimhauser
Helene Paul
Kenneth A. Pritzker
Susan Rahn
Dr. Gail Rubin-Kwal
Janet Sahr
Mark Schaum
Carol Smokler
Shelly Snyder
Alicia Spero
Naomi Steinberg
Richard Stolls
Rabbi Greg Weisman
Barbara Werner
Dorothy M. Wizer
Ilene Wohlgemuth
Directors Emeritus
Edward I. Burns
Kinnie Gorelick
Dorothy Lipson
Shirley Solomon
Beneficiary Agency Leadership
Adolph and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center, President, Emily Grabelsky
Donna Klein Jewish Academy, President, Shari Hier
Jewish Association for Residential Care, President, Ellen Gechter
Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services, Chair, Stephen A. Mendelsohn
Federation Past Chairs
James B. Baer*
1979 – 1983
Marianne Bobick
1983 – 1986
James H. Nobil*
1986 – 1988, 1999 – 2001
Marvin Zale*
1988 – 1991
Allan B. Solomon
1991 – 1992
Richard Okonow*
1992 – 1995
Herbert Gimelstob
1995 – 1998
Ralph Solomon*
1998 – 1999
Andrew S. Robins
2001 – 2003
Lawrence D. Altschul
2003 – 2005
Etta Gross Zimmerman
2005 – 2007
Stewart G. Harris*
2007 – 2010
Cindy Orbach Nimhauser
2010 – 2011
Ellen R. Sarnoff*
2011 – 2014
Albert W. Gortz
2014 – 2016
Anne Jacobson
2016 – 2018
Arthur Goldberg
2018-2020
*Of Blessed Memory
Federation Senior Staff
Matthew C. Levin
President & CEO
Marla Weiss Egers
Executive Vice President
Jeffrey Iserson
Chief Financial Officer
Aimee Kaye
Chief Human Resources Officer
Jennifer Koenig
Chief Development Officer
Todd Polikoff
Chief Operating Officer
Dana Vizner
Chief Planning Officer
Jeff Ardielli
Vice President, Information Technology
Tom Forlenza
Vice President, Facilities
Janet Izaak
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Karen Milloy-Gobrecht
Vice President, Federation Finance
Lottie Nilsen
Vice President, Jacobson Jewish Community Foundation
Ida Novack
Vice President, Campaign
2022 Foundation Executive Committee
Laurence I. Blair, Esq., Chair
Jerome L. Wolf, Esq., Chair, By-Laws Committee
Janet S. Elinoff, Chair, Grants & Scholarships Committee
Kenneth A. Pritzker, Chair, Insurance Committee
Robert W. Marton, CFP ®, CIMA®, Chair, Investment Committee
Randee Rubenstein, Chair, Jewish Women’s Foundation
Dale Filhaber, Chair, Marketing
Richard D. Steinberg, CFA, Chair, Nominating Committee
Amy Dweck, Chair, Women’s Philanthropy Planned Giving and Endowments
Yudi Gross, CFP®, Chair, Professional Advisory Committee
2022 Foundation Board of Trustees (Includes Executive Committee)
Stanley Barry
Jeffrey A. Baskies, Esq.
Jeremy Cohen
Janet S. Elinoff
Cara Freedman, Esq.
David M. Friedman, CFA
Meryl Gallatin
Lauren A. Galvani, Esq.
Clifford S. Gelber, CPA
Albert W. Gortz, Esq.
Alana Faintuch Hoch
Marjorie Horwin, CPA
Anne Jacobson
Norman Jacobson
Thomas R. Kaplan
David A. Katzman, CPA, CFP
Daniel J. Kraus
Elyssa Kupferberg, MBA
Matthew J. Kutcher, CFP
Richard M. Kwal, CPA
Daniel J. Levine, Esq.
Robert B. Lewis
Martin Lifton
Seth A. Marmor, Esq.
Stephen A. Mendelsohn, Esq.
Linda A. Melcer
Cindy Orbach Nimhauser
David Pratt, Esq.
Janet Sahr
Mark A. Schaum, Esq., CPA
Michael J. Shapiro, Esq.
Ronald L. Siegel, Esq.
Cindy White
Ex-Officio, JFSPBC
Lawrence Feldman
Debra Halperin
Matthew C. Levin
Jill Rose
Judi Schuman
Jacobson Jewish Community Foundation Past Chairs
1984 – 1986
Gary Bernstein*
1986 – 1988
Albert W. Gortz, Esq.
1988 – 1990
Marvin A. Kirsner, Esq.
1990 – 1991
Jerome L. Wolf, Esq.
1991 – 1994
Eric W. Deckinger
1994 – 1996
Ralph M. Solomon*
1996 – 1997
Eugene Pargh*
1997 – 2001
Jeffrey S. Kahn, Esq.*
2001 – 2004
Caryn J. Clayman, Esq.
2004 – 2005
Charles B. Ganz
2005 – 2008
Thomas R. Kaplan
2008 – 2013
David Pratt, Esq.
2013 – 2017
Richard Steinberg, CFA
*Of Blessed Memory
2023 Foundation Executive Committee
Laurence I. Blair, Esq., Chair
Mark A. Schaum, Esq., CPA, Chair, Elect
Jerome L. Wolf, Esq., Chair, By-Laws Committee
Janet S. Elinoff, Chair, Grants & Scholarships Committee
Kenneth A. Pritzker, Chair, Insurance Committee
Mark R. Dern, Esq., Chair, Investment Committee
Amy Rosenberg, Chair, Jewish Women’s Foundation
Dale Filhaber, Chair, Marketing
Jerome L. Wolf, Esq., Chair, Nominating Committee
Randee Rubenstein, Chair, Planned Giving and Endowments
Bryan M. Drowos, CFP®, CPWA®, Chair, Professional Advisory Committee
2023 Foundation Board of Trustees (Includes Executive Committee)
Jeffrey A. Baskies, Esq.
Jeremy Cohen
Cara Freedman, Esq.
David M. Friedman, CFA
Meryl Gallatin
Clifford S. Gelber, CPA
Arthur Goldberg
Albert W. Gortz, Esq.
Alana Faintuch Hoch
Marjorie Horwin, CPA
Anne Jacobson
Norman Jacobson
Thomas R. Kaplan
David A. Katzman, CPA, CFP
Daniel J. Kraus
Elyssa Kupferberg, MBA
Matthew J. Kutcher, CFP
Richard M. Kwal, CPA
Daniel J. Levine, Esq.
Robert B. Lewis
Martin Lifton
Michael Lipton
Seth A. Marmor, Esq.
Robert W. Marton, CFP®, CIMA®
Cindy Orbach Nimhauser
David Pratt, Esq.
Janet Sahr
Michael J. Shapiro, Esq.
Ronald L. Siegel, Esq.
Ex-Officio, JFSPBC
Lawrence Feldman
Debra Halperin
Matthew C. Levin
Jill Rose
Judi Schuman
Richard D. Steinberg, CFA
CORPORATE SPONSORS
