Name John Ruskay | Role Author | |
Education Columbia University, University of Pittsburgh | ||
John S. Ruskay, PhD (born August 3, 1946), served from 1999 to June 30, 2014 as the executive vice president & CEO of the United Jewish Appeal - Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, Inc. (UJA-Federation of New York), a philanthropy that cares for New Yorkers of all backgrounds and the Jewish people worldwide. Dr. Ruskay is a well-known author and lecturer on issues affecting the Jewish people.
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Biography
Dr. Ruskay first came to UJA-Federation in 1993 and served in several positions before being appointed executive vice president and CEO in October 1999.
Prior to coming to UJA-Federation, he served as a senior consultant to the Wexner Foundation and the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Foundation. He chaired the Publication Committee of the Journal of Jewish Communal Service and the Professional Advisory Committee of the Brandeis University Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program (2001–2007). He served as educational director of the 92nd Street Y from 1980 to 1985, and vice chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America from 1985 to 1993. Ruskay was a founding member of the controversial organization Breira (1972–1977), which took a left-wing position on Israeli-Palestinian political issues.
Dr. Ruskay is a recipient of the Bernard Reisman Award for Professional Excellence from Brandeis University's Hornstein Program (1996) and the Mandelkorn Distinguished Service Award from the Jewish Communal Service Association of North America. He received an honorary degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
On December 8, 2009, John Ruskay’s tenth anniversary as executive vice president & CEO of UJA-Federation was commemorated with a panel discussion about the organization’s work of the last decade. Updating his 1999 inaugural address, Dr. Ruskay delivered a speech titled “Living Lives of Sacred Responsibility” in which he articulated four issues that require UJA-Federation’s attention moving forward: 1) the affordability of Jewish life; 2) connecting the work of human service agencies to Jewish day schools, Hillels, and community centers; 3) reviewing the organization’s future role in Israel; and 4) differentiating Israel advocacy and Israel education.
Education
After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 1968, Dr. Ruskay earned his doctorate in political science at Columbia University.