NEW HAVEN, Conn.—Judy Alperin, who served as head of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven for the past seven years, has stepped down as CEO to join the Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of American, as the organization’s Chief Development Officer. 

In her new post, Alperin is overseeing 90 philanthropy professionals and volunteer leaders around the country. She reports to Chief Executive Officer Naomi Adler and is a member of Hadassah’s executive leadership team. Her position became effective November 3.

In addition to leading Hadassah’s Philanthropy Division, Alperin will partner with Adler to solicit and steward major gifts. She will work closely with senior volunteer leaders Viviane Kovacs and Ruth Ann Freedman, the Division’s national coordinator and Vvce coordinator,, and with Deputy Chief Development Officer Max Winer. 

Alperin will also collaborate with Hadassah’s operations abroad, working with the Hadassah offices in Israel and Hadassah International, Hadassah’s global philanthropy arm, to raise funds to support the work of the Hadassah Medical Organization, Hadassah’s medical center in Jerusalem. She will also focus on Increasing donations to Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah villages. 

Alperin comes to Hadassah after almost seven years as CEO of the Jewish Federation, Foundation and JCC of Greater New Haven. According to a press release issued by Hadassah, during her tenure at the New Haven Federation, she completed the integration of the Federation and New Haven’s JCC into a single $10 million operation with a staff of 250. In 2021, the Federation adopted a strategic plan based on the results of a community review, visioning and planning process led by Alperin.

“We are extremely lucky to have Judy as our new Chief Development Officer,“ said Rhoda Smolow, Hadassah national president. “She is a dynamic leader and prodigious fundraiser who understands what it takes to sustain the work Hadassah does to support Israel, fight antisemitism, advocate for women’s health care and help raise the money our hospitals in Israel need to do their exemplary work.”

Added Hadassah CEO Adler, “Judy is fortunate to have a strong and experienced senior leadership team led by National Coordinator Viviane Kovacs, Vice Coordinator Ruth Ann Freedman and Deputy Chief Development Officer Max Winer, who has done an outstanding job as Interim Chief Development Officer for the last nine months.”

Alperin said she was “delighted to be joining Hadassah. “As Chief Development Officer, I will be able to use everything I have learned in previous roles in the service of a mission to which I am personally, as well as professionally, committed. And in Naomi Adler, I will have a fundraising partner whose vision and passion inspire everyone she meets.”

Alperin earned a BS in political science from Rutgers University and is an Executive Leadership Fellow with the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. She was selected for the first cohort of the Jewish Federation of North America’s Fundraising University (2012-2014).

PHOTO: Judy Alperin