Jewish Agency’s Chief Fundraiser Steps Down

The Jewish Agency’s chief fundraiser Misha Galperin will be stepping down in June at the conclusion of his five-year contract.

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Based in New York, Galperin serves as the president and chief executive officer of Jewish Agency International Development and is the highest paid executive at the quasi-governmental organization.

According to figures revealed two years ago by Haaretz correspondent Anshel Pfeffer, Galperin’s annual pay package, including expenses and benefits, is nearly $750,000.

Born in the former Soviet Union, Galperin is a trained psychologist who, before assuming his position at the Jewish Agency, served as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and before that as chief operating officer for the UJA-Federation of New York.

He wrote in his blog that it was family considerations that prompted the decision to end his stint at the Jewish Agency. “If the Jewish Agency has taught me only one thing it is this: take care of your family,” he wrote. “And when my son Ezra asked me by phone if I would come home to visit one day soon, I understood that I need to return to a simpler schedule, with less globe-trotting and more nightly dinners at the kitchen table.”

Jewish Agency insiders said, however, that the organization had not asked to extend his five-year contract.

In an official statement Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky described Galperin’s tenure as a success. “He was a true comrade-in-arms in our quest to connect and inspire Jews worldwide with their people, their heritage and their land,” he said.

Sharansky noted that during his tenure, Galperin oversaw the growth of philanthropic revenues from donors beyond the Jewish Agency’s traditional funding sources.

Galperin was quoted in the statement saying he looked forward to resuming his work as an adviser to major philanthropies and foundations, as well as to writing and teaching.