Citing Economy, New York’s Federation Slashes Jobs
The UJA-Federation of New York, the world’s largest local philanthropy, has fired 52 people, 11% of its total staff.
Federation CEO John S. Ruskay confirmed the layoffs to the Forward on March 11, the same day employees were notified. He said laid-off workers would receive severance and other forms of support, and would leave their jobs within a few days.
“We are doing everything we can to maintain support of our agencies and programs,” Ruskay said. The layoffs were part of an overall 12% administrative cut, which Ruskay attributed to the downturn in the economy, including a 10% decline in donations and a drop in the value of the endowment. The organization’s budget was not directly touched by the Madoff scandal.
UJA-Federation is just the latest in a series of Jewish charitable organizations that have made cuts and layoffs due to the ongoing recession.
Last year, the federation withheld 1.5% of all grants in order to meet basic needs; it also cut $1 million from its administrative budget.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
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 the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.