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Who We Are

We are a community united by purpose and driven by a commitment to make a difference. Rooted in Jewish values, we work together to support and uplift communities locally and worldwide.

Mission

Strengthen Jewish identity, energize the relationship with Israel and meet human needs that are uniquely the obligation of the Jewish community.

Vision

Develop the human and financial resources necessary to ensure a vibrant Jewish future.

Core Values

Federation’s values define our vision and shape our organizational culture. They clarify and express the core of who we are — the principles, beliefs and philosophy that guide our work.

We are a Kehillah – Hebrew for “community”

We believe in a caring, kind and compassionate
community

We live the Jewish value of K’lal Yisrael – a shared commitment to Jewish people around the world

We are welcoming

We champion the importance of Jewish learning

Core Values

Federation’s values define our vision and shape our organizational culture. They clarify and express the core of who we are—the principles, beliefs, and philosophy that guide our work.

We are a Kehillah – Hebrew for “community”

We believe in a caring, kind and compassionate
community

We live the Jewish value of K’lal Yisrael – a shared commitment to Jewish people around the world

We are welcoming

We champion the importance of Jewish learning

Donor Bill of Rights

Our Federation is a Center for Jewish Philanthropy, where donors are:

Proud: Donors take pride in contributing through Federation to create a bigger impact and embody the Jewish value of giving (Tzedakah).

Connected: Donors actively engage with other like-minded supporters and feel a sense of belonging to the larger community.

Empowered: Donors can access resources and information to make informed giving decisions, contributing to positive change in areas aligned with their values.

Confident: Donors are provided with clear and accurate information about the Federation’s mission, values, leadership and finances to ensure that each contribution serves its intended purpose.

Appreciated: Donors are honored and respected for their contributions, with recognition that each donor has unique motivations, interests and financial capacity.

Donor Bill of Rights

The Donor Bill of Rights outlines the principles that guide our commitment to ethical fundraising and responsible stewardship, ensuring you feel confident and valued every step of the way.

Our Federation is a Center for Jewish Philanthropy, where donors are:

Hover on each item to learn more.

Proud

Donors take pride in contributing through Federation to create a bigger impact and embody the Jewish value of giving (Tzedakah).

Connected

Donors actively engage with other like-minded supporters and feel a sense of belonging to the larger community.

Empowered

Donors can access resources and information to make informed giving decisions, contributing to positive change in areas aligned with their values.

Confident

Donors are provided with clear and accurate information about the Federation’s mission, values, leadership and finances to ensure that each contribution serves its intended purpose.

Appreciated

Donors are honored and respected for their contributions, with recognition that each donor has unique motivations, interests and financial capacity.

Accommodations Statement

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County is committed to providing universal access to our events whenever possible. Please contact our Disability Navigator at 561.242.6664 or jdn@jewishpalmbeach.org to discuss reasonable accommodations. Some accommodations such as scheduling an interpreter may require prior notice of one week before the event date.

Welcoming Statement

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County embraces a welcoming culture in accordance with our Jewish values. We celebrate the uniqueness of our community members, lay partners and staff as varied perspectives enrich our learning and reinforce our commitment to making the world a better place. We aim to create an accessible environment that accommodates individual needs and welcomes the full participation of our community.

Accommodations Statement

Leadership

2025-2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board Chair
Barry S. Berg

Board Chair-Elect
Brian M. Seymour

Vice Chair
Richard B. Comiter
Julie Fisher Cummings
Mark F. Levy*
Arthur Loring*

Treasurer
Beryl D. Simonson

Secretary
Ronnie P. Pertnoy

Immediate Past Board Chair
Susan Shulman Pertnoy*

Development & Campaign Chair
Ronda Starr

Women’s Philanthropy Chair
Marilyn T. Comiter

Women’s Philanthropy Campaign Chair
Patti Lehrhoff

Community Strategy & Planning Chair
Lynn L. Peseckis

Human Resources & Leadership Development Chair
Juliana Gendelman

Israel & Overseas Chair
Beth Wayne

Community Foundation Chair
Keith B. Braun
William A. Meyer Jewish

Member-at-Large
Stephanie Gitlin
Charles A. Gottesman

*Past Board Chair

Marc Abramowitz

Andrew Alminana

Richard B. Baer

Jim Baldinger

Donald Berg

Richard N. Bernstein

Sandra Bornstein

Jonathan C. Chane

Pamela K. Comiter

Jason DelGrosso

Steven Ellison

Diane Exter

Matt Feuer

Robert C. Gordon

Alan C. Haspel

Bob Herzog

Scott H. Holtz

Marshall Jones

Jeffrey Keswin

Paul Kozloff

Arthur Lehrhoff

Rosyln Leopold

Gary S. Lesser

Syndie T. Levien

Sam D. Liebovich

Michael Margolis

Zelda Mason

Caroline Rafferty

Brett Sandala

Rabbi Moshe Scheiner

Cindy Schlossberg

Debbie Shapiro

Kevin Shapiro

Betsy R. Sheerr

Shirley Silver

Warren J. Spector

Amy S. L. Terwilleger

Penni Weinberg

Helene M. Weingarten

David Windreich

Addie Zubatkin

Alpert Jewish Family Service
Gary Hoffman and Marc Hopin

Mandel Jewish Community Center
Vivian Lieberman and Samantha Klein, CEO

Meyer Jewish Preparatory School
Robin Kanel and Dr. Richard Cuenca

Sanford M. Baklor

Ira M. Gerstein

Raymond Golden

Susan Shulman Pertnoy

Hope Silverman

Professional Leadership Team

Michael Hoffman
President & CEO

Melissa Arden
Chief Planning Officer

Rachel Berg
Executive Director, William A. Meyer Jewish Community Foundation

Whitney Cherner
Vice President, Community Engagement

Leah Frankel
Chief of Staff

Josephine Gon
Executive Director, Palm Beach Center to Combat Antisemitism & Hatred

Lindsay Hirsch
Vice President, Mandel Center for Leadership Development

Leah Holczer
Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Melissa Hudson
Vice President, Women’s Philanthropy

Matthew Kernkraut
Executive Vice President

Elizabeth Klitzner
Vice President, Development

Kate Lester
Vice President, Major Gifts

Jeff Trynz
Chief Marketing Officer

Interested in joining our professional team?

Leadership

2025-2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Executive Committee

Barry S. Berg
Board Chair

Brian M. Seymour
Board Chair-Elect

Richard B. Comiter
Vice Chair

Julie Fisher Cummings
Vice Chair

Mark F. Levy*
Vice Chair

Arthur Loring*
Vice Chair

Beryl D. Simonson
Treasurer

Ronnie P. Pertnoy
Secretary

Susan Shulman Pertnoy*
Immediate Past Board Chair

Ronda Starr
Development & Campaign Chair

Marilyn T. Comiter
Women’s Philanthropy Chair

Patti Lehrhoff
Women’s Philanthropy Campaign Chair

Lynn L. Peseckis
Community Strategy & Planning Chair

Juliana Gendelman
Human Resources & Leadership Development Chair

Beth Wayne
Israel & Overseas Chair

Keith B. Braun
William A. Meyer Jewish Community Foundation Chair

Stephanie Gitlin
Member-at-Large

Charles A. Gottesman
Member-at-Large

*Past Board Chair

Board of Directors

Marc Abramowitz
Andrew Alminana
Richard B. Baer
Jim Baldinger
Donald Berg
Richard N. Bernstein
Sandra Bornstein
Jonathan C. Chane
Pamela K. Comiter
Jason DelGrosso
Steven Ellison
Diane Exter
Matt Feuer
Robert C. Gordon
Alan C. Haspel
Bob Herzog
Scott H. Holtz
Marshall Jones
Jeffrey Keswin
Paul Kozloff
Arthur Lehrhoff
Rosyln Leopold
Gary S. Lesser
Syndie T. Levien
Sam D. Liebovich
Michael Margolis
Zelda Mason
Caroline Rafferty
Brett Sandala
Rabbi Moshe Scheiner
Cindy Schlossberg
Debbie Shapiro
Kevin Shapiro
Betsy R. Sheerr
Shirley Silver
Warren J. Spector
Amy S. L. Terwilleger
Penni Weinberg
Helene M. Weingarten
David Windreich
Addie Zubatkin

Partner Organizations

Alpert Jewish Family Service
Gary Hoffman and Marc Hopin

Mandel Jewish Community Center
Vivian Lieberman and Samantha Klein, CEO

Meyer Jewish Preparatory School
Robin Kanel and Dr. Richard Cuenca

Past Board Chairs

Sanford M. Baklor
Ira M. Gerstein
Raymond Golden
Susan Shulman Pertnoy
Hope Silverman

Professional Leadership Team

Michael Hoffman
President & CEO

Melissa Arden
Chief Planning Officer

Rachel Berg
Executive Director, William A. Meyer Jewish Community Foundation

Whitney Cherner
Vice President, Community Engagement

Josephine Gon
Executive Director, Palm Beach Center to Combat Antisemitism & Hatred and Public Affairs

Lindsay Hirsch
Vice President, Mandel Center for Leadership Development

Leah Holczer
Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Melissa Hudson
Vice President, Women’s Philanthropy

Matthew Kernkraut
Executive Vice President

Elizabeth Klitzner
Vice President, Development

Dr. Jorge Mendieta
Vice President, IT Strategy & Data Operations

James Griffel
Vice President, Strategic Marketing

Jeff Trynz
Chief Marketing Officer

Interested in joining our professional team?

Jewish Palm Beach
Leadership Circle

Celebrating the visionary leaders of Jewish Palm Beach who provide the steadfast support needed today, members create transformative philanthropic impact through their ongoing commitment of $50,000 or more to Federation’s Annual Campaign.

Financials

The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County is entrusted with managing the philanthropic resources of our community. In keeping with our commitment to accountability and transparency, our audited financial statements and IRS 990 forms are available here.

Click here for more details about our financials and allocations process.

Click here to see our Privacy Policy