JFNA Leadership

Our board members are consummate leaders committed to addressing pressing issues in the Jewish world today, and dedicated to cultivating and sustaining a strong global Jewish community—now and for generations to come.

View a full list of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America.

Mark Wilf Chair, Board of Trustees

Mark Wilf

Mark Wilf is the chair of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America. He has previously served as UJC National Campaign Chair, UJA National Young Leadership Cabinet Chair, and as President of the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey. Most recently Mr. Wilf has chaired JFNA's national initiative that addresses the needs of impoverished Holocaust survivors living in the United States.

Mr. Wilf, an attorney and partner in Garden Homes, a real estate development firm is also owner/president of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. He graduated from Princeton University and then received his law degree from NYU School of Law.

Mr. Wilf has long been involved in efforts locally, nationally, and globally, to ensure the welfare and vitality of the Jewish community. As the son of Holocaust survivors, Elizabeth Wilf and Joseph Wilf, z"l, he has drawn upon his parents' experiences to become an unwavering advocate for needs of the Jewish people, wherever they may be. The Wilf family, a major and longtime supporter of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, is the largest contributor to its world-renowned Holocaust History Museum. The Wilfs are also key sustained benefactors of Yeshiva University in New York. In 2002, the family made a substantial donation to enhance the main campus, renamed as the Wilf Campus of Yeshiva University.

He serves on a variety of educational and philanthropic boards, including the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, NJ.

Jodi J. Schwartz Vice Chair, Board of Trustees

Jodi J. Schwartz

Jodi Schwartz is the vice chair of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America. She is the immediate past Treasurer and a past chair of JFNA's Retirement Fund Committee and its Governance & By-laws Committee. She serves on the board of the UJA-Federation where she chairs the Caring Department, is Chair of the Board of The Gateway School of New York, and serves on the Board of Overseers of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Ms. Schwartz, recognized as one of the world's leading lawyers in the field of taxation, is a Partner at Watchell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. She is a member of the Executive Committee and past chair of the Tax Section of the New York State Bar Association and also is a member of the American College of Tax Counsel.

She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Pennsylvania; an M.B.A from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and an LL.M. from the New York University School of Law.

Julie Platt National Campaign Chair

Julie Platt

Julie Platt is the National Campaign Chair and immediate past Board Secretary of The Jewish Federations of North America. She is also the immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and serves as Chair of the Foundation for Jewish Camp.

Prior to serving as Board Chair at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Ms. Platt served as the General Campaign Chair for the Los Angeles Federation, Chair of their Ensuring the Jewish Future Strategic Initiative, and Chair of the Federation’s Sylvia Weisz Women’s Philanthropy.

She was honored with the Ruby Award for her commitment to leadership and community service, presented by Women’s Philanthropy.

Ms. Platt’s lifelong connection with the Jewish community began at Camp Ramah in Ojai, and today she is a driving force behind shining a bright light on the transformative impact of a Jewish camp experience and raising funds for the field.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Platt serves on the Board of Trustees as well as Penn Hillel's National Board of Governors.

Carolyn Gitlin Chair, National Women's Philanthropy

Carolyn Gitlin

Carolyn Gitlin joined the Jewish Federations of North America’s National Women’s Philanthropy Board in 2016, and she began her tenure as Chair in June 2021. Her term will conclude in June 2023.

Gitlin is a longtime leader in her local Federation – the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut – and she has chaired its Board of Directors since 2019. Previously, she served as Vice Chair (2018–2019), Women's Philanthropy Chair 2015–2017, and Board member at large (2015–2017); she also served as Vice Chair of Outreach and Engagement for Women's Philanthropy (2014–2015).

Beyond the Federation network, Carolyn has served on the board of the Max Cares Foundation since 2015 and is a past board member of Aurora Women and Girls Foundation and Tumble Brook Country Club. She also is a past board member and Parent Association president of Kingswood Oxford School.

Harold Gernsbacher Treasurer

Harold Gernsbacher

Harold Gernsbacher is the Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America. He is a past National Campaign Chair and Chair of the Board of SCN, the Secure Community Network.

Mr. Gernsbacher has variously served as President of the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth, Chairman of Partnership Together, Vice Chair of the United Israel Appeal, and on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency. He has also served in multiple Federation roles on both a local and national basis. He currently sits as a board member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas.

A University of Texas at Austin graduate, Mr. Gernsbacher has served as President of FEDA (Food Equipment Distributors Association). He is the past CEO of Chain Link Services.

Currently Mr. Gernsbacher is an advisor for the executive committee of Juvenile Diabetes Association of Greater Dallas and is an investor and philanthropist.

Neil A. Wallack Secretary

Neil A. Wallack

Neil Wallack is the Secretary of the Jewish Federations of North America’s Board. He also chairs JFNA’s Impact and Growth Council and is a Vice-Chair of JFNA’s national Financial Resource Development Cabinet. He is a product of JFNA’s National Young Leadership Cabinet.

Mr. Wallack is a past Board Chair of Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Jewish federation in Boston, MA. And, he is member of the Board and the Executive Committee of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), as well as a member of the organization’s Israel Executive Committee.

He and his wife Lisa are also proud to be involved in a large number of other Jewish organizations in Boston, nationally and in Israel. They are members of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, MA, the parents of three children who are each Jewish Day School graduates, and they enjoy spending time in their second home in Herzliya, Israel. Professionally, Neil has been a private equity investor since 1992, with his most recent project involving the export of Israeli technology and know-how into large scale commercial applications in the U.S. and global markets.

Jeffrey A. Schoenfeld Chair, Israel and Overseas

Jeffrey A. Schoenfeld

Jeff Schoenfeld serves as Chair of the Israel and Overseas Committee of the Jewish Federations of North America. He is the Immediate Past President of UJA-Federation of New York. Preceding his role as President, Jeff was the Co-Chair of UJA's Annual Campaign and the Chair of UJA’s Caring Commission. Today, he chairs UJA’s Allocation Steering Committee, is a member of its Executive Committee, Finance Committee and Board of Directors, and is a member of the Board of Governors of The Jewish Agency for Israel.

Jeff is involved in a leadership capacity in several other philanthropic organizations. He is a member of the Board of Directors of The Jewish Funders Network. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of amfAR, a leading cure-focused global HIV/AIDS research organization, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the NPR Foundation.

As Partner and Head of Global Institutional Business Development and Relationship Management at Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH), Jeff leads the firm’s Institutional Investment Management client activities on a global basis for a range of products/services. He has served numerous investment leadership roles during his 37-year BBH career, including Chief Investment Officer, Head of Asset Allocation, and Head of Fixed Income Management.

Currently, Jeff participates in several firm-wide oversight committees for Asset/Liability Management and BBH’s volunteerism activities, BBH Cares. He also helps lead BBH’s Diversity & Inclusion efforts and is the founding sponsor for the firm’s LGBTQ Affinity Group, BBH Pride.

Jeff received his B.A. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley, and his MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Andrew S. Hochberg Chair, Domestic Policy and Government Affairs

Andrew S. Hochberg

Andy Hochberg chairs JFNA’s Domestic Policy & Government Affairs Council. He is also a key leader in the Chicago Jewish community. He most recently served as Chairman of the Jewish United Fund / Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. Prior to this, he served as Chairman of the JUF’s Overall Planning and Allocations Committee, which decides where funds should be allocated. In 2008, he was the JUF General Campaign Chairman, where he successfully led a record-breaking annual campaign of $83.6 million. He has served in a number of other roles at JUF and has led fundraising for the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund. He also served, by presidential appointment, on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

In 1998 Mr. Hochberg formed Next Realty, a commercial real estate investment firm. The firm’s investments total more than 1 million square feet of space, with a combined value in excess of $250 million.

Andy earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and his Juris Doctor from Northwestern University. e education at the University of Chicago.

Lindsey Glantz Co-Chair, National Young Leadership

Lindsey Glantz

Lindsey Glantz is Co-Chair of National Young Leadership Cabinet.

Ms. Glantz serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Jewish Federation of Broward County (JFBC) and Co-Chair of the Israel and Overseas Impact Team. She served as JFBC’s Young Leadership Division’s Co-Chair for three years and is the proud recipient of three leadership awards from the JFBC.

A South Florida attorney with a passion for community involvement, Lindsey joined Glantz law’s Personal Injury division in 2011 and is a Partner in the practice. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis and was President of her business fraternity. She received a graduation award chosen by her peers for leadership and scholastic achievement. She attended the Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University on a full academic scholarship.

Aron Karabel Co-Chair, National Young Leadership

Aron Karabel

Aron Karabel is Co-Chair of the National Young Leadership Cabinet.

Mr. Karabel is a Board Member and current Campaign Chair of The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, a Board Member of the Anti-Defamation League Southeast Region where he also sits on the National Civil Rights Committee, and a Board member of Pencil Nashville and has been a Board member at West End Synagogue.

Mr. Karabel is a partner at Waller Law firm in Nashville, specializing in employment litigation, and was recognized in 2019 with a Clients Choice Award. Among his professional affiliations, he is a Fellow on the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and President of the Tennessee Employment Relations Research Association.

Cynthia D. Shapira Chair, United Israel Appeal

Cynthia D. Shapira

Cynthia D. Shapira is Chair of United Israel Appeal and the Immediate Past Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America. Ms. Shapira has chaired JFNA’s Strategic Review Task Force.

She is the immediate past Board Chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

Ms. Shapira is President of the Shapira Foundation. With her husband David, she leads the development and implementation of the foundation’s initiatives, such as Onward Israel (which transforms young adults through professional summer internships with Israeli businesses) and the Comprehensive Excellence project with Hillel International (creating a data-informed culture to define and achieve a new standard for non-profit operational excellence.) She is a trustee of Brandeis University and member of the board of the Jewish Funders Network and Leading Edge.

Ms. Shapira is Chair of the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. She served as Vice-Chair of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's transition team, and also serves on the Governor's Advisory Board on Education and Workforce Development. She was appointed by Governor Corbett to the Pennsylvania Commission on Women and was a member of the 2012 Pennsylvania Electoral College.

Her civic activity in Pittsburgh includes serving as a Board Member for the Allegheny County Airport Authority. Past service includes chair of the Pennsylvania Center for Women In Politics at Chatham University, the boards of Point Park University, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, The Pittsburgh Promise, United Way of Allegheny County, and WQED Pittsburgh.

Ms. Shapira was Honorary Co-Chair of Allegheny 365, an initiative to ensure access to individuals of varying abilities in Allegheny County, and founded the 21 & Able policy project to address the needs of youth with disabilities aging out. She was a management consultant for twenty years in the non-profit and education sectors, including ten years as executive vice president of Pappas Consulting Group, Inc.

Ms. Shapira has a Master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude from Wellesley College.

Eric D. Fingerhut President and Chief Executive Officer

Eric D. Fingerhut

Eric D. Fingerhut is the President and CEO of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Prior to his appointment at JFNA, Mr. Fingerhut served as the President and CEO of Hillel International from 2013-19. At Hillel, he led the organization’s Drive to Excellence, which resulted in doubling the number of students engaged by Hillel each year to over 130,000 and the total funds raised each year to nearly $200M. His emphasis on recruiting, training and retaining top talent for the system, and on building a data and performance driven organization, have become models for the non-profit sector.

Mr. Fingerhut has also had a varied and distinguished career in public service and higher education. He served as Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents from early 2007 to 2011, leading Ohio’s system of public universities and colleges; as Ohio state senator from 1997 to 2006; and represented Ohio’s 19th congressional district in the U.S. Congress from 1993 to 1994. In 2004, he was the Democratic Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate.

Mr. Fingerhut received a juris doctorate from Stanford University Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. He and his wife Amy have two sons, Sam and Charlie, and beagles Pedro and Lulu.

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