COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

The Center for Jewish History Inc

NEW YORK, NY · EIN 133863344 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A23 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · cjh.org
revenue
$7.5M
expenses
$10.1M
net assets
$50.6M
employees
61
volunteers
61
program ratio
80%
mission · from form 990

PRESERVE & PROMOTE JEWISH HISTORY & CULTURE THROUGH ARCHIVE, LIBRARY, EXHIBITS, AND PROGRAMS.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Center for Jewish History in New York City preserves and promotes Jewish history and culture through its archive, library, exhibitions, and public programs. It serves as a collaborative hub for five partner institutions, housing over 500,000 volumes and 100 million documents. The Center makes its collections accessible to scholars, students, and the public through digitization, exhibitions, and educational initiatives.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $2.75M
    ARCHIVE AND LIBRARY SERVICES: THE SHARED PUBLIC READING ROOM AND ONLINE CATALOG SYSTEMS ARE THE GATEWAYS TO DISCOVERING THE REMARKABLE COLLECTIONS HOUSED AT THE CENTER. LIBRARIANS ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST WITH ALL INQUIRIES. DIGITAL COLLECTIONS NUMBER OVER 14 MILLION AND SEE 1 MILLION VIEWS ANNUALLY. ARCHIVISTS OPEN NEW COLLECTIONS EVERY DAY, PHOTOGRAPHERS DIGITIZE MATERIALS FOR GLOBAL ONLINE ACCESS, AND CONSERVATORS CAREFULLY PRESERVE FRAGILE ITEMS.
  2. #2 $1.79M
    ACADEMIC AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS: THE CENTER IS A PRIMARY DESTINATION FOR JEWISH HISTORY RESEARCHERS FROM YOUNG STUDENTS TO THE MOST SENIOR SCHOLARS. IT HOSTS A ROBUST ANNUAL COHORT OF SCHOLARS WHO CONDUCT INTENSIVE RESEARCH IN THE ARCHIVES, PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH, AND BENEFIT FROM AN ACTIVE INTELLECTUAL COMMUNITY. THE CENTER HAS HOSTED OVER 150 FELLOWS FROM UNIVERSITIES WORLDWIDE WHOSE PUBLICATIONS HAVE GONE ON TO WIN AWARDS. PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITIONS, SUCH AS THE ANNE FRANK EXHIBITION, ILLUMINATE JEWISH HISTORY AND CULTURE FOR DIVERSE AUDIENCES. THROUGH PRIVATE EVENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS, PRIMARILY WITH NONPROFIT JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS, THE CENTER BROADENS ITS REACH AND IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Genealogy Institute
Provides resources and support for individuals researching Jewish family history
Planned Giving Program
Facilitates charitable bequests, trusts, and endowment gifts to support the Center’s long-term mission
Reading Room
Offers access to archival collections for researchers and scholars
Visitor Engagement and Ruth’s Bookstore
Welcomes visitors, supports membership sales, and manages retail operations including inventory and sales at Ruth’s Bookstore
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Jewish and Cultural Heritage Archives 2 activities
    • Archival Preservation and Collection Management
      Preserves and manages extensive archival collections totaling over 100 million documents (7+ linear miles), 500,000+ books, and thousands of rare artifacts, artworks, textiles, ritual objects, recordings, films, and photographs related to nearly a thousand years of Jewish history.
    • Collaborative Institutional Support
      Provides a shared institutional home and operational infrastructure for five partner organizations focused on Jewish history and culture, enabling collaborative stewardship of collections and programming.
  • Digital Donation Processing Platforms 1 activity
    • Donor and Membership Services
      Processes approximately 2,500 donor gifts annually, maintains donor records in a CRM system, and offers membership benefits including exclusive discounts at partner businesses.
  • Museum Volunteer Engagement & Operations Support 1 activity
    • Facility and Visitor Operations
      Manages day-to-day operations of a 112,000–135,000-square-foot facility housing archival storage, offices, public exhibit spaces, a museum, library, meeting rooms, and Ruth's Bookstore; provides visitor services including greeting, guided tours (1–2 per month), ushering at events, and support for access to exhibitions and research spaces.
  • Jewish Textual and Educational Publishing 1 activity
    • Publication and Dissemination of Educational Materials
      Produces and distributes books, expanded literary editions, and educational resources that explore Jewish identity, history, and culture—including topics such as Jewish experiences during the Spanish Inquisition, Holocaust resistance for young readers, Hasidic communities in Brooklyn, and Jewish women’s matrilineal heritage—through narrative fiction, poetry, visual art, and nonfiction.
  • Cemetery Records and Genealogical Research 1 activity
    • Research Access and Scholarly Support
      Provides access to researchers and the public through the Lillian Goldman Reading Room and the Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute, offering regular weekday hours and appointment-based access for genealogical and academic research using physical and digitized collections.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Public Programming and Cultural Events
      Hosts hundreds of annual public programs including art exhibitions, lectures, book talks, film screenings, musical and theatrical performances, holiday celebrations, and educational symposia for diverse age groups, both in-person at its New York City facility and online for a global audience.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$7.46M
Contributions & grants$4.17M56%
Program service revenue$1.68M23%
Investment income$1.24M17%
Other revenue$361K
expenses
Total expenses$10.08M
Program expenses80%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$4.95M
Grants paid out$261K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$52.19M
Cash$4.07M
Investments$18.27M
Liabilities$1.60M
Net assets$50.60M
Liquid reserves26.6 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -45.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 8
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
RIO DANIEL CEO 40 $298K
GAVRIEL ROSENFELD PRESIDENT 40 $258K
DOROTHY KAUFFMAN CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER 40 $256K
MIMI WU DIRECTOR OF FINANCE 40 $192K
IAN GRAY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS 40 $139K
LOUIS PINZON DIRECTOR OF IT 40 $136K
HANNAH MALYN INSTITUTIONAL GIVING MANAGER 40 $126K
RACHEL MILLER VICE PRESIDENT (THRU 8/2024) 40 $116K
board members · 17
  • ABRAHAM SOFAER — DIRECTOR
  • ALEXANDER BLAVATNIK — DIRECTOR
  • ALEXANDER SOROS — DIRECTOR
  • ANDREW FRACKMAN — DIRECTOR
  • CHARLES KNAPP — DIRECTOR
  • DAVID DANGOOR — DIRECTOR
  • DAVID FRIEDMAN — VICE CHAIR
  • DAVID MARWELL — DIRECTOR
  • DEBBIE FREEMAN — DIRECTOR
  • ELISHEVA CARLEBACH — SECRETARY
  • IRENE PLETKA — DIRECTOR
  • JOEL MARCUS — DIRECTOR
  • JONATHAN LEWIS — DIRECTOR (THRU 12/2024)
  • LEONARD BLAVATNIK — DIRECTOR
  • MARC POLONSKY — DIRECTOR
  • MICHAEL JESSELSON — DIRECTOR
  • MICHELE TOCCI — DIRECTOR
relationships · 45

Who they work with

  • American Jewish Historical Society Partner — One of five partner organizations housed at the Center for Jewish History
  • American Jewish Historical Society Partner — One of five partner organizations housed at the Center for Jewish History.
  • American Jewish Historical Society Partner — One of five partner organizations whose collections and work are integrated at the Center for Jewish History.
  • American Jewish Historical Society Partner — One of five partner organizations whose collections are housed at the Center for Jewish History
  • American Jewish Historical Society Partner — One of the five in-house partner organizations whose exhibitions are included in public tours at the Center for Jewish History.
  • American Jewish Historical Society Partner — One of the founding partner organizations of The Center for Jewish History Inc, contributing archival collections and collaborative programming
  • American Sephardi Federation Partner — One of five partner organizations housed at the Center for Jewish History
  • American Sephardi Federation Partner — One of five partner organizations housed at the Center for Jewish History.
  • American Sephardi Federation Partner — One of five partner organizations whose collections and work are integrated at the Center for Jewish History.
  • American Sephardi Federation Partner — One of five partner organizations whose collections are housed at the Center for Jewish History
  • American Sephardi Federation Partner — One of the five in-house partner organizations whose exhibitions are included in public tours at the Center for Jewish History.
  • American Sephardi Federation Partner — One of the founding partner organizations of The Center for Jewish History Inc, contributing cultural programming and archival resources
  • B&H Dairy Partner — Offers 10% discount to CJH members at the Cultural Steward level and above.
  • Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany Government — Provides support to The Center for Jewish History with assistance from the German Federal Ministry of Finance and the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future
  • David Petluck Partner — Book Inventory Specialist supporting Ruth's Bookstore operations
  • Google Cultural Institute Partner — Partner organization collaborating on cultural initiatives.
  • Institute for Museum and Library Services Government — Federal agency providing support to The Center for Jewish History through grantmaking, research, and policy development
  • Jackie Churgin Partner — Fiction Specialist contributing expertise to Ruth's Bookstore
  • Jewish Public History Forum Partner — Sponsors special educational symposia as part of CJH programming.
  • Leo Baeck Institute Partner — One of five partner organizations housed at the Center for Jewish History
  • Leo Baeck Institute Partner — One of five partner organizations housed at the Center for Jewish History.
  • Leo Baeck Institute Partner — One of five partner organizations whose collections and work are integrated at the Center for Jewish History.
  • Leo Baeck Institute Partner — One of five partner organizations whose collections are housed at the Center for Jewish History
  • Leo Baeck Institute Partner — One of the five in-house partner organizations whose exhibitions are included in public tours at the Center for Jewish History.
  • Leo Baeck Institute Partner — One of the founding partner organizations of The Center for Jewish History Inc, contributing archival collections and research resources on German-speaking Jewish life
  • Metropolis Parking Partner — Offers CJH members a special parking rate of $25 for up to 8 hours at designated locations.
  • National Endowment for the Humanities Government — Provides support to The Center for Jewish History
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provides partial public funding to support The Center for Jewish History in partnership with the City Council
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — Supports programs at The Center for Jewish History with funding from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature
  • New York State Department of Education Government — Supports The Center for Jewish History
+ 15 more
strategies · 3

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.

  • Amplification of Marginalized Jewish Narratives
    methodology: counter-narrative_amplification
    By centering resurgent and underrepresented Jewish histories and political identities—especially those gaining traction among younger generations—the Center challenges dominant historical narratives and fosters inclusive engagement because visibility of marginalized perspectives strengthens communal identity and critical discourse.
  • Collaborative Archival Integration
    methodology: collaborative_archival_hub
    By uniting five specialized Jewish historical organizations under one institutional umbrella, the Center creates a centralized hub that enhances preservation, access, and programming impact because shared infrastructure and coordinated missions increase scholarly and public reach.
  • Multidisciplinary Cultural Engagement
    methodology: cultural_and_educational_engagement
    By delivering education, arts, and culture through integrated programming, the Center engages diverse age groups and audiences because interdisciplinary formats increase accessibility and relevance of Jewish history beyond traditional academic settings.