We are thrilled to announce we have hired a new CEO. Rebekah Shrestha will be joining JFS, beginning on October 1st.
A proud Seattle native, Rebekah grew up in the local Jewish community and now lives in Northeast Seattle with her husband and two young children. Rebekah currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at the 92nd Street Y, (92NY), a 150-year-old Jewish community and cultural center that reaches more than 700,000 people annually in person and over 55 million virtually. She leads 92NY’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact, where she manages the Center’s groundbreaking programming to address today’s “Crisis of Community.” In addition to her work at the Belfer Center, Rebekah founded and leads 92NY’s Office of Strategic Planning, where she guides institution-wide growth and long-term planning.
Rebekah brings more than 20 years of experience in strategy, movement-building, and communications, with leadership roles at McKinsey & Company, Purpose, and Obama for America.
With a deep commitment to our JFS values and Jewish values of making the world a better place every day, Rebekah is an ideal leader for this next phase of Jewish Family Service’s lifecycle.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rebekah to Jewish Family Service,” said Eric LeVine, President of the Board of Directors. “What stood out to us throughout the interview process was her passion for our mission, her strategic vision, and a deep respect for our staff and clients. With a deep commitment to our JFS values and Jewish values of making the world a better place every day, Rebekah is an ideal leader for this next chapter.”
While Rebekah is already a valued member of the Jewish community, with long-standing roots in Seattle, and has a history of being connected to JFS here in Seattle, she is eager to get to know even more about us, our work, and our incredible community of supporters when she officially assumes the role of the Schocken Family CEO in October.
“I’m honored to join JFS at such a pivotal moment,” said Shrestha. “Growing up in Seattle’s Jewish community, JFS helped instill in me a lifelong commitment to justice, dignity, and care for others. To now lead this organization—alongside such a passionate and mission-driven team—is a true privilege. I’m excited to build on the strong foundation already in place and help guide JFS into its next chapter.”
Schocken Family CEO Will Berkovitz is going to remain with JFS through September 12. We are deeply grateful for his exceptional 12 years of leadership. Will is a visionary leader—courageous, compassionate, and deeply committed to improving the lives of people in our community. His guidance, rooted in Jewish values, has shaped not only JFS, but also the broader community. Simply put, JFS would not be the impactful, effective, and deeply valued organization it is today without him.
Until Rebekah assumes the role of CEO in October, two of our highly respected members of the JFS executive team, Lisa Golden and Kristin Winkel, will share leadership duties.
For 133 years, JFS has been a beacon of compassion and support for Jewish individuals and families, refugees and immigrants, and our broader community in the Puget Sound region, offering culturally sensitive services provided by professional staff, enhanced by dedicated volunteers and supported by our base of generous community donors.
As we look toward the future, with a strong Strategic Plan in place, we could not be more excited and confident that Rebekah has agreed to lead us into this next chapter. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our next CEO, Rebekah Shrestha.
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.