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MEMORIAL FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH CULTURE
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 136209691 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE X123 · Religion-Related · Medium ($1M-$10M) · mfjc.org
revenue
$1.1M
expenses
$1.9M
net assets
$22.5M
employees
5
volunteers
50
program ratio
75%
mission · from form 990

MFJC'S PURPOSE IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIAL CAPITAL OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, ITS COMMUNAL, CULTURAL, AND PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP, AND THE FOSTERING OF JEWISH CONNECTEDNESS GLOBALLY, INCLUDING THE PROPAGATION OF THE HEBREW LANGUAGE.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture supports scholars, rabbis, and emerging Jewish leaders globally through fellowships and leadership programs. It aims to strengthen Jewish communities by fostering leadership, advancing Jewish studies, and promoting global Jewish connectedness. Founded in 1965, the foundation has supported over 16,000 individuals across 72 countries.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2019

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $293K
    Doctoral Scholarship Program: awarded with the assistance of scholarly bodies to help individuals train for careers in Jewish scholarship and research in the Jewish community. The organization has awarded approximately 15 grants for the year ending 9/30/20.Fellowship Program: Awarded to individuals with the assistance of scholarly bodies to enable them to pursue independent work in Jewish culture and scholarship broadly defined. The organization has awarded approximately 33 grants for the year ending 9/30/20.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Advanced Torah Fellowship
Supports intensive Torah study for individuals with potential to become scholar-leaders in Jewish communities or institutions.
Doctoral Seminar
Supports emerging academics in Jewish studies through funding, writing coaching, and a global peer network.
Ephraim E. Urbach Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Post-doctoral fellowship for recent PhDs in Jewish studies to publish their first book and advance their scholarly careers.
Fellowship Grants
Supports independent scholarly, literary, or artistic projects in Jewish specialization that contribute to Jewish culture.
Nahum Goldmann Fellowship
Intensive seminar for emerging Jewish leaders to engage in cross-denominational, cross-ideological Jewish learning and leadership development.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Jewish Leadership Development 2 activities
    • Capacity building for emerging Jewish professionals and leaders
      Identifies and trains emerging Jewish scholars, rabbis, educators, and communal professionals through programs such as the International Nahum Goldmann Fellowship and the Doctoral Seminar program, fostering global Jewish connectedness and rebuilding Jewish cultural life post-Holocaust.
    • Direct programming for Jewish learning and leadership development
      Organizes week-long intensive programs and regional fellowship gatherings in Eastern and Western Europe, South America, Australia, and Southeast Asia, as well as monthly online sessions with faculty, to foster Jewish learning, living, and global connectedness among emerging leaders aged 25–40.
  • Jewish Religious Institution Support 1 activity
    • Funding artistic projects in Jewish cultural expression
      Finances artistic initiatives such as the Ashlar Series, which explores Jewish identity, spirituality, and abstraction through printmaking, and other independent artistic projects in Jewish studies.
  • Financial Support for Rabbinical Students 1 activity
    • Funding fellowships and scholarships for emerging Jewish scholars and leaders
      Awards fellowships, doctoral scholarships, and grants to early-career individuals in Jewish scholarship, research, and communal leadership, supporting over 16,000 scholars, rabbis, artists, and educators globally over 52 years. This includes post-doctoral and doctoral-level support for independent scholarly, literary, and artistic projects in Jewish studies.
  • Jewish Life and Security Support 1 activity
    • Funding research and publication in Jewish cultural studies
      Provides grants and fellowships to support research, travel, and publication of scholarly and literary works on Jewish cultural themes, including funding for books, articles, and interdisciplinary projects combining visual art and essays. Has supported the publication of over 3,500 books, including in Eastern European languages.
  • Jewish and Cultural Heritage Archives 1 activity
    • Research and documentation of Jewish cultural programs
      Conducts and publishes research on supported programs, including a volume documenting Jewish cultural initiatives in Russia and Eastern Europe (1965–2011) and the 25th Anniversary Report of the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$1.07M
Contributions & grants$86K8%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$913K85%
Other revenue$72K
expenses
Total expenses$1.88M
Program expenses75%
Admin / overhead20%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$670K
Grants paid out$434K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$22.97M
Cash$1.10M
Investments$21.21M
Liabilities$435K
Net assets$22.53M
Liquid reserves142.4 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -24.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
JENNIFER FRIEDMAN EXECUTIVE DIR. 40 $265K
RHONDA COHEN CONTROLLER 40 $154K
board members · 23
  • AHARON MAMAN — DIRECTOR
  • AMIR SHAVIV — DIRECTOR
  • AMOS LINETZKY — DIRECTOR
  • ANDREW SRULEVICH — DIRECTOR
  • ARIEL ZWANG — DIRECTOR
  • BARBARA MANN — DIRECTOR (LEFT 2024)
  • CANA WERMAN — DIRECTOR
  • CLAUDIO LOTTENBERG — DIRECTOR
  • DAN MARIASCHIN — DIRECTOR
  • DANIEL AGHION — DIRECTOR
  • DANIEL FAINSTEIN — DIRECTOR
  • DANIEL POMERANTZ — DIRECTOR
  • DARIO CURIEL — DIRECTOR
  • DAVID FISHMAN — DIRECTOR
  • DVORAH SERRAO — DIRECTOR
  • ELI FEIT — DIRECTOR
  • ERVIN KOHN — DIRECTOR
  • FERNANDO LOTTENBERG — CHAIR EXEC COM
  • HARVEY BLITZ — VICE PRESIDENT
  • HAVIVA ISHAY — DIRECTOR
  • ISMAR SCHORSCH — DIRECTOR
  • ISRAEL BARTAL — DIRECTOR (LEFT 2024)
  • JEAN-CLAUDE KUPERMINC — DIRECTOR
relationships · 7

Who they work with

  • Board of Trustees Network — Board composed of member organizations representing Jewish communities on six continents and international cultural and communal agencies.
  • Dr. Nahum Goldmann Partner — Founded the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture in 1965.
  • International Nahum Goldmann Fellowship program Partner — Program created and led by the MFJC to identify and train young Jewish leaders globally.
  • MFJC Global Faculty Partner — Collaborates with MFJC Global Faculty to lead monthly sessions and provide mentorship in the Doctoral Seminar
  • World Union of Jewish Studies Partner — Cooperates with MFJC in funding and administering the International Ephraim E. Urbach Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Jewish Studies.
  • World Union of Jewish Studies Partner — Cooperates with the World Union of Jewish Studies to administer the International Ephraim E. Urbach Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Jewish Studies.
  • scholarly bodies Partner — Collaborates with scholarly bodies to award grants and fellowships in Jewish scholarship and culture.
strategies · 1

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Leadership Investment and Global Connectedness
    methodology: leadership-investment-and-connectedness
    By investing in emerging Jewish scholars and leaders and fostering interconnected networks across denominational and geographic lines, the foundation strengthens Jewish peoplehood, cultural continuity, and collective resilience because shared leadership and social capital amplify engagement and counteract fragmentation in the Diaspora.