"Maimonides Fund, along with others, began engaging with the Haredi community about 10 years ago. Our focus was primarily economic: Israel would not be able to sustain a rapidly growing Haredi population if large numbers of men did not enter the workforce. In an economy like Israel’s, work requires proficiency in math, science and English — subjects that many Haredi boys stop studying after elementary school. Our efforts, therefore, centered on introducing those core subjects into the school day. We found that many, though not all, Haredi parents welcomed this approach. We worked with the Haredi community, not against it, strengthening the efforts of those who wanted change — who wanted a brighter future for their children while maintaining a commitment to Torah and a Haredi way of life. But after the war began, it became clear that education alone was not enough. Israel needs Haredi men to serve. And that realization is what brought us to the IDF base that morning."

Program Officer – Policy Initiatives

Location: New York City (in-person with travel)

Reports to: Director of Policy Initiatives

At a consequential moment in Jewish history, Maimonides Fund (MF) is expanding our grantmaking and programmatic work in service of our mission in North America and Israel. Through strategic investments and targeted initiatives, including publishing SAPIR: Ideas for a Thriving Jewish Future, we support serious ideas, strengthen institutions, and help to advance durable impact across North American Jewish communal life and for the State and People of Israel.

The Opportunity

In early 2026, MF created a new Department of Policy Initiatives, putting particular emphasis on expanding our portfolio of grants and programs that use policy, legal and other strategies to combat antisemitism, support Jewish life in America, educate about Israel, and strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. The Department of Policy Initiatives serves as a hub for:

• Policy analysis, advocacy, and strategic communications related to Jewish life, Israel, antisemitism, and viewpoint diversity.
• Grantmaking and program development for these areas.
• Strategic partnerships with think tanks, academic institutions, communications and media efforts, and advocacy organizations.

We now seek to hire a Program Officer to play a central role in developing this new portfolio, becoming an expert in grantmaking, nonprofit finance, and changemaking, while working with MF staff, philanthropic partners, field experts, practitioners, and thought leaders to identify innovative ideas and interventions to advance this work.

Our Program Officers are issue-area specialists who have substantial responsibility for growing and sustaining portfolios of grants in our various focus areas. Program Officers contribute to developing our philanthropic strategy and actively participate in grantmaking by seeking, developing, recommending, and administering grants in their program areas. Program Officers are expected to build networks and partnerships around issues central to our mission; develop expertise in their program areas; communicate and advocate for systemic change; and multiply the impact of our investments and influence. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of grants, including performing due diligence, site visits, progress assessment, and evaluating current and potential grantees and partners;
• Evaluate invited grant requests, including detailed financial statements and complex narratives;
• Prepare research memos, proposal analyses, and policy papers in areas of program interest;
• Work alongside colleagues in developing and executing new grantmaking strategies and in planning and executing Maimonides Fund-sponsored programs and events;
• Maintain and expand upon a breadth of knowledge to enhance MF’s strategies, including current trends, emerging issues, evaluations, academic literature, policy interventions, and innovations;
• Represent Maimonides Fund within the nonprofit and philanthropic communities, including local and national site visits, conferences, and events. Communicate with grantees, thinkers, field professionals, and funding colleagues on a regular basis, both seeking and providing information and recommendations necessary to support the efficacy and efficiency of MF’s philanthropy.

You have:

• 10+ years of experience in a professional office environment;
• Engagement with policy questions through work in government, nonprofit, journalism, or related means;
• An excellent working knowledge of the organized Jewish community and Israel;
• Demonstrated experience distilling complex information to form opinions, vocalize arguments, develop recommendations, and navigate implementation;
• Strong project management and operational experience;
• Exceptional quantitative and qualitative analytic and financial skills, including financial review and analysis and data-informed research;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; and
• Sound professional judgment, objectivity, tact, and humility.

Other Desirable Skillsets and Experience:

No candidate will have all of these, but please indicate relevant experience in any of these areas:

• Government, lobbying, consulting, or similar;
• Think tanks or higher education;
• Journalism, investigative reporting, or other media;
• Using emerging technologies, particularly AI;
• Understanding nonprofit governance; and/or
• Professional or volunteer experience in assessing organizational leadership, strategy, and financials.

You are:

• Passionate about the Jewish People and the State and People of Israel;
• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively with a small team, as necessary;
• Emotionally intelligent, with the ability to exercise discretion in difficult or confidential situations;
• Flexible, creative, and able to adapt to shifting priorities in a fast-paced, evolving organization;
• Willing to regularly travel nationally and internationally.

This is a full-time position, currently 4 days in-person in our Manhattan office and 1 day remote, with a salary range of $130,000 – $150,000 (based on experience), an excellent benefits package, and the possibility to participate in a bonus program. Reasonable relocation expenses may be available to exceptional applicants.

To apply, please send a resume and a writing sample to jobs@maimonidesfund.org with “Policy PO Applicant” as the subject line. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis.

Maimonides Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an inclusive work environment and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates for this search.

"Education exists to impart information, shape attitudes and inspire behaviors. It presupposes that there is somewhere worth going, and that the educator has a responsibility — not just a preference — to help get learners there. That’s the work, and it is directional by definition. Of course, educators must be sensitive to who the learner is, but they should not have to choose between fidelity to tradition and responsiveness to students. They have to hold that tension with honesty and integrity."

Program Officer – Jewish Life & Learning
Location: New York City (in-person with travel)
Reports to: Director of North American Grantmaking

At a consequential moment in Jewish history, Maimonides Fund (MF) is expanding our grantmaking and programmatic work in service of our mission in North America and Israel. Through strategic investments and targeted initiatives, including SAPIR: Ideas for a Thriving Jewish Future, we support serious ideas, strengthen institutions, and help advance durable impact across North American Jewish communal life and for the State and People of Israel.

The Opportunity
MF seeks to hire a Program Officer to help to build the future of Jewish life and learning in North America, becoming an expert in grantmaking, nonprofit finance, and changemaking, while working with MF staff, philanthropic partners, field experts, practitioners, and thought leaders to identify innovative ideas and interventions to advance this work.

Our Program Officers are issue-area specialists who have substantial responsibility for growing and sustaining portfolios of grants in our various focus areas. Program Officers contribute to developing our philanthropic strategy and actively participate in grantmaking by seeking, developing, recommending, and administering grants in their program areas. Program Officers are expected to build networks and partnerships around issues central to our mission; develop expertise in their program areas; communicate and advocate for systemic change; and multiply the impact of our investments and influence.

Grant portfolios and mandates may vary depending on the Program Officer’s expertise and background and team bandwidth, but this position will work primarily to strengthen Jewish learning and education, and the educators, clergy, and professionals dedicating their lives to transformative, joyous, and content-rich Jewish education. As a Program Officer, you will take over an existing portfolio of grants, working to deepen our existing work, while also carrying a mandate to think big about the Jewish future and how best to advise MF in its decision-making regarding future grants, programs, gatherings, and other tools in the philanthropic toolbox.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of grants, including performing due diligence, site visits, progress assessment, and evaluating current and potential grantees and partners;
• Evaluate invited grant requests, including detailed financial statements and complex narratives;
• Prepare research memos, proposal analyses, and policy papers in areas of program interest;
• Work alongside colleagues in developing and executing new grantmaking strategies and in planning and executing Maimonides Fund-sponsored programs and events;
• Maintain and expand upon a breadth of knowledge to enhance MF’s strategies, including current trends, emerging issues, evaluations, academic literature, policy interventions, and innovations;
• Represent Maimonides Fund within the nonprofit and philanthropic communities, including local and national site visits, conferences, and events. Communicate with grantees, thinkers, field professionals, and funding colleagues on a regular basis, both seeking and providing information and recommendations necessary to support the efficacy and efficiency of MF’s philanthropy.

You have:

• 10+ years of experience in a professional office environment;
• An excellent working knowledge of the organized Jewish community and Israel;
• Demonstrated experience distilling complex information to form opinions, vocalize arguments, develop recommendations, and navigate implementation;
• Strong project management and operational experience;
• Exceptional quantitative and qualitative analytic and financial skills, including financial review and analysis and data-informed research;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; and
• Sound professional judgment, objectivity, tact, and humility.

Other Desirable Skillsets and Experience:

No candidate will have all of these, but please indicate relevant experience in any of these areas:

• Jewish education, formal or informal/experiential;
• Leading teen, college student, and/or young adult programming;
• Leading adult Jewish education programs;
• Significant studies in, and knowledge of, Jewish text, tradition, literature, history, and/or culture;
• Talent development and/or creating or leading professional development programs;
• Particular industry area expertise (Jewish or otherwise);
• Using emerging technologies, particularly AI;
• Understanding nonprofit governance; and/or
• Professional or volunteer experience in assessing organizational leadership, strategy, and financials.

You are:

• Passionate about the Jewish People and the State and People of Israel;
• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively with a small team, as necessary;
• Emotionally intelligent, with the ability to exercise discretion in difficult or confidential situations;
• Flexible, creative, and able to adapt to shifting priorities in a fast-paced, evolving organization;
• Willing to regularly travel nationally and internationally.

This is a full-time position, currently 4 days in-person in our Manhattan office and 1 day remote, with a salary range of $130,000 – $150,000 (based on experience), with an excellent benefits package and the possibility to participate in a bonus program. Reasonable relocation expenses may be available to exceptional applicants.

To apply, please send a resume and a writing sample to jobs@maimonidesfund.org, with “JL&L PO Applicant” as the subject line. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis.

Maimonides Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an inclusive work environment and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates for this search.

Location: New York City (in-person with travel)

Reports to: Program Officer (TBD)

At a consequential moment in Jewish history, Maimonides Fund (MF) is expanding our grantmaking and programmatic work in service of our mission in North America and Israel. Through strategic investments and targeted initiatives, including SAPIR: Ideas for a Thriving Jewish Future, we support serious ideas, strengthen institutions, and help advance durable impact across North American Jewish communal life and for the State and People of Israel.

The Opportunity

MF seeks to hire a Program Associate to support Program Officers and senior leadership in one or more grant portfolios: Jewish Life and Learning, Israel Education and Engagement, and Policy Initiatives.

Our Program Associates support the operational and analytical execution of our grant and programmatic portfolios, with responsibility for grant management support, research, coordination, and follow-through. The role requires discretion, precision, and sound judgment, and offers meaningful exposure to our strategic priorities within many of the core issue areas facing the Jewish community today.

Program Associates are early-career professionals who have a deep passion for supporting the Jewish community and Israel. They bring strong analytical skills, a growth mentality, and their own unique background and experience to the role. Program Associates receive top-notch training and insight into key matters on the Jewish communal agenda and in Jewish philanthropy. They develop expertise in particular issue areas as they support a portfolio of grants and programs and help to bring about positive change in our areas of interest.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support grant management, including performing due diligence, site visits, progress assessment, and evaluation of current and potential grantees and partners;
• Review budgets and financial statements and prepare research memos, proposal analyses, and policy papers in areas of program interest;
• Work alongside colleagues in developing and executing new grantmaking strategies and in planning and executing Maimonides Fund-sponsored programs and events;
• Stay informed of, and develop expertise in, a combination of: current trends and issues in Jewish education and Israel education and engagement; policy, legal and related strategies regarding combating antisemitism and maintaining support for Israel, among other issue areas;
• Represent Maimonides Fund within the nonprofit and philanthropic communities, including local and national site visits, conferences, and events.

You have:

• 2-5 years of experience in a related field (e.g., Jewish/pro-Israel nonprofit work, policy, philanthropy, or related fields);
• A growing working knowledge of the organized Jewish community and Israel;
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills;
• Excellent quantitative and qualitative analytic and financial skills, including competency in reviewing and preparing Excel spreadsheets, familiarity with theoretical and data-informed research and analysis, and comfort with emerging technologies (including AI tools and AI-powered resources); and
• Sound professional judgment, objectivity, tact, and humility.

You are:

• Passionate about the Jewish People and the State and People of Israel;
• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively with a small team, as necessary;
• Willing to take guidance from others and work with multiple colleagues in furtherance of the Fund’s objectives;
• Flexible, creative, and able to adapt to shifting priorities in a fast-paced, evolving organization;
• Excited to take on new challenges, learn, and grow;
• Emotionally intelligent, with the ability to exercise discretion in difficult or confidential situations; and
• Willing to travel nationally and internationally.

This is a full-time position, currently 4 days in-person in our Manhattan office and 1 day remote, with a salary range of $75,000-$90,000 (based on experience), an excellent benefits package, and the possibility to participate in a bonus program.

To apply, please send a resume and a writing sample to jobs@maimonidesfund.org, with “Program Associate Applicant” as the subject line. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis.

Maimonides Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an inclusive work environment and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates for this search.

Leadership & Gatherings Associate
Location: New York City (in-person with travel)
Reports to: Assistant Director, Leadership & Gatherings

At a consequential moment in Jewish history, Maimonides Fund (MF) is expanding our grantmaking and programmatic work in service of our mission in North America and Israel. Through strategic investments and targeted initiatives, including SAPIR: Ideas for a Thriving Jewish Future, we support serious ideas, strengthen institutions, and help advance durable impact across North American Jewish communal life and for the State and People of Israel.

The Opportunity
MF’s Leadership & Gatherings Department is responsible for designing and executing high-quality gatherings, convenings, events, retreats, and leadership experiences that advance our mission and strategic priorities. The department ensures consistent, high standards for content, tone, logistics, style, and participant experience across our growing portfolio of programs and events. These gatherings bring together layleaders, funders, communal professionals, and thinkers to advance serious ideas, deepen relationships, and support innovative initiatives across North American Jewish communal life and Israel.

MF seeks to hire a Leadership & Gatherings Associate to support the operational design and execution of our growing suite of programs, with responsibility for logistics, coordination, and execution. The role requires discretion, precision, and sound judgment, and offers meaningful exposure to our strategic priorities and to significant players working in our many focus areas. The Leadership & Gatherings Associate will serve as a core executional partner within this department, with responsibility for logistics, coordination, and on-the-ground delivery of complex, high-touch gatherings, including retreats, leadership programs, events, and multi-day convenings.

This is an excellent opportunity for a highly organized, detail-oriented professional who wants to deepen their experience in program operations, the design and execution of strategic gatherings and leadership development, and who thrives in a mission-driven, fast-moving environment.

Key Responsibilities

Event & Gathering Execution

• Support the planning and execution of MF’s portfolio of gatherings, including:

  • Retreats and convenings; trips (often to Israel); smaller workshops, strategy meetings, salons, and evening events.

• Own logistical workstreams for assigned events, including:

  • Venue research and coordination;
  • Organizing and tracking travel, lodging, and ground transportation;
  • Vendor management and item tracking;
  • Run-of-show materials and on-site execution.

• Serve as on-site staff for events, responding calmly and professionally to participant needs and last-minute challenges.

Fellowship & Program Support

• Provide administrative and logistical support to MF’s fellowships and leadership programs;
• Support retreats, events, and immersive trip experiences, including preparation of materials, schedules, participant communications, and follow-up;
• Coordinate with local facilitators and internal staff to ensure consistent participant experience across locations.

Communications & Coordination

• Manage invitations, registrations, attendee communications, and tracking for gatherings;
• Draft and send clear, professional communications to participants, speakers, and partners;
• Support post-event follow-up, including feedback collection; expense tracking, payment, and reimbursement; and internal debrief materials.

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Work closely with program, operations, and administrative colleagues to ensure smooth execution of events in alignment with MF standards and policies;
• Assist in maintaining shared systems, templates, timelines, and playbooks for gatherings.

You have:

• 3–5 years of professional experience in events, programs, operations, or a related field;
• Experience managing logistics for in-person gatherings, convenings, trips, or multi-day events;
• Superb organizational skills and attention to detail – you reliably track multiple moving pieces, meeting deadlines and staying on top of details;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Strong facility and comfort with technology, including event-registration and projectmanagement tools, and AI;
• Professional judgment, discretion, and the ability to interact collegially and confidently with senior leaders, speakers, and partners.

You are:

• Motivated by and enthusiastic about mission-driven work, Jewish life and learning, leadership development, and strengthening connections to Israel;
• Calm under pressure and adaptable in live, high-stakes environments;
• A strong executor who takes pride in operational excellence;
• Proactive, collaborative, and eager to take ownership of defined workstreams;
• Comfortable with both independent task management and close teamwork;
• Able to travel domestically and internationally and to staff occasional evening events in NYC.

This is a full-time position, currently 4 days in-person in our Manhattan office and 1 day remote, with a salary range of $70,000-$90,000 (based on experience), with an excellent benefits package and the possibility to participate in a bonus program.

To apply, please send a resume and a relevant writing sample (a run-of-show, project plan,
communications piece) to jobs@maimonidesfund.org, with “L&G Associate Application” in the subject line. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis.

Maimonides Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an inclusive work environment and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates for this search.

NEW YORK, NY, August 27, 2026 — Maimonides Fund (MF) today announced a significant expansion of its North American work, including the formal launch and first dedicated hires of the Maimonides Jewish Leadership Institute (MJLI); the creation of a new Director of Emerging Technologies position; a new Leadership & Gatherings Department; and the addition of two program officers to MF’s grantmaking team. 

“These are natural and exciting next steps for our organization, and a direct response to the enormous challenges and opportunities of the current moment,” said Mark S. Charendoff, President of Maimonides Fund. “Over the past several years, we’ve expanded our grantmaking while developing new ways to bring people together, deepen the Jewish knowledge of influential leaders across many sectors of American life, and strengthen the networks and institutions on which Jewish life depends. At the same time, the rapid development of AI demands that we think seriously about how emerging technologies will reshape Jewish life. These new efforts reflect our conviction that philanthropy today requires us not only to support outstanding organizations, but also to invest directly in people, ideas, and the future.” 

A cornerstone of this growth is the Maimonides Jewish Leadership Institute (MJLI), now in the midst of its pilot year and poised to grow significantly in the coming years. MJLI educates and cultivates a new generation of Jewish leaders across a wide range of professional sectors, combining rigorous Jewish learning with leadership development and community-building in a yearlong fellowship, followed by sustained alumni engagement. 

Developed from the educational vision of Rabbi David Wolpe and Dr. Mijal Bitton during their tenure as Scholars in Residence at Maimonides Fund, MJLI is currently operating in New York and Los Angeles, with plans to add new cohorts and reach additional communities over the next several years. Beginning August 31, Dr. Bitton will assume the role of Dean of MJLI, with responsibility for the Institute’s educational vision and curriculum. Maimonides is also launching a search for a Director of MJLI, a new senior position responsible for overseeing the program’s growth and development. 

“Nobody hands you a leadership credential at the end,” said MJLI Fellow Jarrod Bernstein, Policy Director and Counsel at Morrison Cohen LLP. “You leave with a room full of people who’ve pushed back on you all year and a community you actually feel obligated to. At a moment when everyone wants to tell Jews what being Jewish means, MJLI does the opposite — it makes you figure it out for yourself, alongside people who take the question as seriously as you do.” 

The expansion also includes several new and redefined roles across MF. 

Chanan Weissman, previously Director of SAPIR Institute, has assumed a new role as Director of Emerging Technologies, where he will lead MF’s work on the implications of AI and other emerging technologies for Jewish education, communal life, content creation, and philanthropy. Building on SAPIR Institute's efforts to explore the intersections of AI and Jewish life, and drawing on his previous work at the State Department on technology and national security, Weissman will help shape both MF’s philanthropic strategy in this area and its engagement with the broader Jewish community. 

Yael Warach, previously Assistant Director of SAPIR Institute, has become Assistant Director of MF’s new Leadership & Gatherings Department, which will design and execute convenings, retreats, and other high-touch experiences across MF’s portfolio. These gatherings bring together Jewish communal professionals, philanthropists, volunteers, and thought leaders to build relationships, exchange ideas, and advance shared work on behalf of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. 

MF is also adding two Program Officers to its grantmaking team. 

Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Hack will become Program Officer, Policy Initiatives on August 18. Hack comes to MF from the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard, an interdisciplinary center focused on ethics, technology, and democratic institutions. He holds a PhD in political science from George Washington University and will work on MF’s growing portfolio of policy initiatives, which use policy, legal, and other strategies to combat antisemitism, support Jewish life in America, educate about Israel, and strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. 

Alina Bitel will join the team as Program Officer, Jewish Life & Learning, on September 14. Bitel was previously Senior Manager, Strategic Planning & Grants at UJA-Federation of New York, focused on its Jewish Life portfolio. Prior to UJA, she held positions at COJECO, Foundation for Jewish Camp, and the JCC of Bensonhurst. Bitel will oversee one of MF’s longest-standing grantmaking portfolios, supporting transformative, joyous, and content-rich Jewish education as well as the educators, clergy, and professionals who make that work possible. 

Together, these developments reflect MF’s continued evolution as a philanthropic organization, complementing its grantmaking with new investments in the leaders, ideas, relationships, and technologies that will help shape Jewish life for decades to come. 

About Maimonides Fund 

Maimonides Fund is a private philanthropic organization that supports programs and institutions in North America and Israel. Through grantmaking, publication of SAPIR: Ideas for a Thriving Jewish Future, and an expanding portfolio of leadership initiatives and convenings, MF seeks to connect Jews to their heritage, advance serious ideas, and strengthen the vitality of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.