named programs · 9 · from sources
What they call their work
Israel Independence Day celebrations
Hosts annual events to celebrate Israel's independence with cultural programming.
Jewish Film Festival
Hosts a recurring festival showcasing Jewish-themed films to educate and engage the community.
Jewish in Dutchess
Weekly email newsletter highlighting local Jewish events and activities.
Learn & Lunch Bunch
Twice-monthly educational program offering lectures and meals on Jewish and historical topics.
Mitzvah Day
Annual community service event bringing together Jewish volunteers for social action projects.
PJ Library of the Mid-Hudson Valley
Distributes free Jewish-themed books and music monthly to children ages 0–11 and hosts family events in Dutchess, Ulster, and Columbia Counties.
The Howard Lynne Scholarship Fund
Provides financial aid for Jewish education to families in Dutchess County.
The Voice
Monthly newspaper providing news, events, and community information for Jews in Dutchess County.
Yom HaShoah
Organizes annual Holocaust remembrance events in the community.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Jewish Religious Institution Support 3 activities
- Funds national and international Jewish organizationsAllocates contributions to support Israel and global Jewish communities through organizations such as the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
- Funds scholarships for Jewish educationProvides financial aid to families through the Howard Lynne Scholarship Fund to support participation in Jewish education programs.
- Supports local Jewish programs through annual community campaignFunds local initiatives including PJ Library, senior programs, cultural events, antisemitism response, Hebrew education scholarships, The Voice newspaper, and Jewish in Dutchess email communications via its annual community fundraising campaign.
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Community Festival & Event Production 2 activities
- Organizes annual community-wide eventsHosts recurring community programs including Mitzvah Day, Israel Independence Day celebrations, Yom HaShoah commemorations, and the Jewish Film Festival each year.
- Organizes community events in partnership with local organizationsHosts events such as the Arlington Farmer's Market in July and co-organizes Jewish Heritage Night with the Hudson Valley Renegades, scheduled for 2026.
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Facility-Based Service Delivery 1 activity
- Administers local operations in Poughkeepsie, NYManages administrative functions and provides contact points for community inquiries and engagement in Poughkeepsie, NY.
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Inclusive Social & Recreational Events 1 activity
- Co-hosts Learn & Lunch Bunch educational eventsCo-hosts twice-monthly educational and social events with Jewish Family Services at Temple Beth-El in Poughkeepsie, ensuring access regardless of ability to pay.
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Jewish Leadership Development 1 activity
- Convenes professional and lay leadership roundtablesHolds monthly roundtables for Jewish professionals and quarterly gatherings for Jewish lay leaders in Dutchess County to share resources, best practices, and address community concerns.
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Jewish Community Media Production 1 activity
- Publishes The Voice and Jewish in Dutchess communicationsProduces and distributes The Voice, a monthly newspaper covering Jewish life and community events in Dutchess County, and sends weekly Jewish in Dutchess email updates; generates revenue for The Voice through holiday greeting sales.
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Children's Book Distribution Programs 1 activity
- Runs PJ Library and PJ Our Way programs in the Mid-Hudson ValleyDistributes free Jewish-themed books and music monthly to children ages 0–8 and offers self-selected books for children ages 9–11 through the PJ Our Way program; hosts family meet-ups and activities as part of these initiatives.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$415K
Contributions & grants$254K61%
Program service revenue$140K34%
Investment income$21K5%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$326K
Program expenses58%
Admin / overhead21%
Fundraising21%
Salaries & benefits$203K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$758K
Cash$34K
Investments$687K
Liabilities$4K
Net assets$754K
Liquid reserves26.6 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +0.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAREN HOCHHAUSER | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $88K |
board members · 16
- ADAM BELOK — DIRECTOR
- ALYSSA KOGON — DIRECTOR
- AZZY RECKESS — DIRECTOR
- BETSY KOPSTEIN STUTS — PAST PRESIDE
- BRENDA BAKER — DIRECTOR
- IRA AUERBACH — VICE PRESIDE
- JONAH RITTER — SECOND VICE
- LAURA LIEBMAN — DIRECTOR
- MARK KLEIN — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL SMITH — TREASURER
- REBBECCA COHEN — DIRECTOR
- RUSSELL ROTHMAN — PRESIDENT
- STAN COOPER — SEC'Y
- STEVEN WASSER — PAST PRESIDE
- SUSAN G HECHT — IMMEDIATE PA
- ZACHARY LEWIS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 12
Who they work with
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Partner — Receives funding from the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County for international Jewish community support efforts.
- Hudson Valley Renegades Partner — Partner organization for hosting Jewish Heritage Night
- Jewish Agency for Israel Partner — Receives funding from the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County for national and international efforts on behalf of Israel and Jewish communities.
- Jewish Family Services Partner — Co-hosts the Learn & Lunch Bunch events
- Jewish Family Services Partner — Co-hosts the twice-monthly Learn & Lunch Bunch program.
- Jewish Federations of North America Network — Member organization of the national network, formerly known as United Jewish Communities and UJA.
- Karen Hochhauser Partner — Primary contact person for the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County.
- PJ Library Partner — Collaborates on the PJ Library program to engage families in Jewish life through books and activities.
- Temple Beth-El Partner — Hosts Learn & Lunch Bunch events in its Social Hall
- The Harding Club Partner — Generous partner supporting the PJ Library Mid-Hudson Valley program.
- The Jewish Federation of Ulster County Partner — Partner in supporting the PJ Library Mid-Hudson Valley program.
- The Voice Partner — Collaborates to support the publication of The Voice newspaper through holiday greeting sales.
strategies · 5
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.
- Community Strengthening Through Convening and Partnershipsmethodology: community-roundtablesBy convening community roundtables and partnering with organizations like Jewish Family Services, we strengthen local Jewish cohesion and collective action because structured collaboration among professionals and lay leaders builds shared ownership and capacity for problem-solving.
- Cultural and Event-Based Community Engagementmethodology: cultural-engagementBy hosting community events centered on cultural heritage—such as farmer’s markets and cultural gatherings—we strengthen Jewish identity and broaden access to community life because shared experiences in familiar, welcoming settings foster belonging and continuity.
- Family Engagement Through Literature and Musicmethodology: family-engagement-through-literatureBy delivering free, age-appropriate Jewish-themed books and music monthly, we engage children and families in Jewish life and learning because accessible, home-based resources foster ongoing connection and identity development in early life.
- Federated Fundraising for Communal Impactmethodology: federated fundraisingBy raising and strategically allocating funds, we support local and national Jewish organizations to advance shared communal goals because centralized resource distribution enables coordinated, scalable impact across the Jewish ecosystem.
- Integrated Engagement Through Education and Shared Mealsmethodology: education-and-mealsBy combining educational programming with meal service, we increase participation and deepen community ties because shared meals lower barriers to attendance and create natural settings for learning and connection.