By Lauren Markoe October 15, 2021

A top official of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia is resigning three months after complaints that he bullied employees appeared in a Forward article about financial and other struggles at the federation.

In an email obtained by the Forward, Chief Operating Officer Steven Rosenberg wrote to federation staff last week that he will step down at the end of the calendar year.

The “time has come for me to move on to both work on another opportunity and equally, give room for the Jewish Federation to transition forward with a new management team,” he wrote.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

That new team is led by Chief Executive Officer Michael Balaban, who, when he took the helm of the federation in June, was heralded by its board as a figure who could transform the organization, a non-profit charged to serve the region’s more than 280,000 Jews and the larger community.

In the Forward’s July article, several people who worked with Rosenberg anonymously said he was known to scream at subordinates. One described a “frightening culture” where “people would be vaporized” at his behest.

He was also criticized for meddling in editorial decision-making at the Jewish Exponent, a news outlet funded by the federation. Former Exponent employees complained that Rosenberg had steered coverage to align with his and donors’ conservative politics.

Balaban told the Forward in July that he had heard no complaints about Rosenberg.

Rosenberg in the email does not provide specifics as to what he will do next. Balaban also sent an email to staff, thanking Rosenberg for his service. “His commitment to the community, where he has left many indelible marks, is deeply appreciated,” wrote Balaban.

CORRECTION: The original version of this article incorrectly identified the day on which Rosenberg and Balaban emailed staff about Rosenberg’s resignation.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount