The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville is pleased to welcome Judy Alperin as the new CEO. She recently completed a role as chief development officer of Hadassah where she led philanthropy efforts including principal and major gifts, annual giving and emergency fundraising to support the work of the Hadassah Medical Organization and Hadassah’s youth aliyah villages. No stranger to Federation, she previously was CEO of the Jewish Federation and Foundation and JCC of Greater New Haven where she completed the integration of the Federation and New Haven’s JCC into a single $10 million operation. She held multiple leadership roles with the Jewish Federation of Lehigh Valley in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Aron Karabel, president of the Jewish Federation says it is Alperin’s experience that makes her the right fit for Nashville. “She has a proven track record of engaging donors and volunteers, and driving organizational success.”
Alperin says her family has a legacy of involvement in Jewish life. “We sort of say that Jewish communal service is the family business.” She credits her father with creating that legacy and inspiring her to also become involved in the family business. She says he started out in the JCC field where his career took him to the JCC in South Jersey where he became the executive, and eventually the Federation director. “Growing up, Jewish community was just what we did,” she says, “He would come home for dinner every night. He would take off his jacket, hang it in the closet, roll up his sleeves, he’d sit down at the table, and we’d have dinner together. Then he’d go fix his tie, put his jacket back on and off he’d go.”…