Cleveland Jewish federation appoints its first female president
The Cleveland Federation joins some 40 percent of Jewish Federations in the U.S. and Canada with women in the top professional position.
The Jewish Federation of Cleveland appointed Erika Rudin-Luria as top executive, making her its first female president.
On Aug. 14, the federation announced that Rudin-Luria, its current senior vice president and chief strategy officer, would succeed Stephen Hoffman, who is retiring.
With Rudin-Luria as its first woman president, the Cleveland federation will join some 40 percent of Jewish federations in the United States and Canada with women in the top professional position, according to the Jewish Federations of North America.
But among so-called major federations with large budgets, as defined by JFNA, only 9 percent have women in the top position as of 2015.
According to the Cleveland federation, its 2018 campaign raised $32.7 million.
Rudin-Luria, 44, has been working for the federation, which coordinates community fundraising for Israel and local needs, in various capacities since 2001 and will start her new position on Jan. 1.
Houston’s Jewish federation appointed Avital Ingber as CEO last year and Philadelphia’s federation tapped Naomi Adler as its top exec in 2014. Jennifer Gorovitz, the first woman to lead a major American Jewish federation, stepped down as the CEO of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco in 2014.
According to EJewishPhilanthropy.com, some 70 to 80 percent of total federation employees in North America are women.
Rudin-Luria is married to Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria, who serves at B’nai Jeshurun, a Conservative synagogue in Pepper Pike, Ohio. PJC
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