The Jewish Community Fed-eration of the Greater East Bay has a new president: Terry Friedkin.
A longtime Jewish community activist, she begins her two-year term Wednesday, July 1. Previously, she had served on the board of the federation’s Women’s Philanthropy division and its strategic planning committee, as well as the federation board and executive committee.
Raising money for myriad Jewish community needs remains job one for Friedkin and the federation, a task made more difficult in a sour economy.
“Each federation has to approach it in their own way,” she says, “but it behooves us to make changes where necessary. You have to flip the problems and see how to make things work better.”
Along those lines, she says the East Bay federation, like nonprofits across the country, has seen a dip in donations, but not as bad as some insiders had feared.
“We’re pretty proud of our campaign in the sense that we’ve spoken to probably 10 percent more donors than we did last year,” Friedkin says.
A native of New York, Friedkin is the daughter of European refugees from the Holocaust. When she was young, the family moved to the East Bay, where her parents became active volunteers with the Jewish community.
Friedkin followed suit, and has been a Jewish community volunteer with federation, as well as AIPAC, United Jewish Comm-unities and her synagogue, Temple Isaiah in Lafayette. She and her husband, Stephen, have two daughters and two grandchildren.
As federation president, she is pleased to be working with the newly appointed federation CEO, Rabbi James Brandt.
“It feels very special to be working with someone who’s not only a great leader but a rabbi,” she adds. “He brings that extra midrash to every meeting. I find him to be very fair, very open and very process oriented.”
As for recent talk of a possible future merger between the East Bay and S.F.-based federations, Friedkin says, “I’m open to all the possibilities that are out there. A lot of conversations need to ensue. My first pillar is about listening to our community and see where everyone wants to go.”
Meanwhile she touts the cross-bay partnerships already under way — among them cooperative projects in Jewish education, camping, LGBT events and young leadership.
“One of my mantras is ‘nothing is carved in stone,’ ” she says, “so I can be on board for whatever the communities want to do.”