Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, will become the 13th President of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in early April 2019. He has been the top professional leader of Federation since 2012.
“In serving as President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis for six-plus years, Andrew has been a visionary and transformational leader,” said Gerry Greiman, Board Chair of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
“Under his leadership, Federation has grown to be a strong, collaborative community foundation and direct services provider, effectively serving not only the Jewish community but the larger St. Louis region as well. We will miss Andrew and recognize that becoming President of HUC-JIR affords him an exceptional opportunity to have a national and, indeed, international impact on the Jewish world. We wish Andrew all the best as he takes the helm of one of the Jewish people’s preeminent institutions of higher learning,” Greiman added. Federation promptly will undertake a national search for Dr. Rehfeld’s successor. Further announcements will be made in the coming weeks regarding the search and interim arrangements for Federation’s professional leadership.
Joy G. Greenberg, Chair of the HUC-JIR Presidential Search Committee, stated, “We are honored and delighted to welcome Andrew Rehfeld as our new President. A distinguished academic and creative thought leader, Andrew is uniquely qualified intellectually, spiritually, and professionally to lead the HUC-JIR in our mission to transform the Jewish community and the broader world.”
Dr. Rehfeld said, “Given the important work of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, it was not an easy decision to accept the presidency of HUC-JIR. But when I was invited to apply, I recognized the enormous potential of this institution to shape the future leaders of the Jewish world, and through them, to shape the future of the Jewish people globally.”
“I may be leaving, but the work of Federation will continue, and I am confident Federation will remain strong and vibrant,” said Dr. Rehfeld. “I have been inspired by the commitment of our staff, board, and philanthropic investors, who together have transformed Federation into an organization that engages people and the community to seek collaborative partnerships to improve our entire region.”
During Dr. Rehfeld’s tenure, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis has raised over $120 million to fund a variety of programs and services in the St. Louis region and beyond. Under his leadership, Federation has fostered engagement in the Jewish community and larger community as part of a life well lived, created a new center for adult Jewish education, and mobilized support for an extensive renovation of the community’s 25-year-old Holocaust Museum & Learning Center.
Federation has also significantly expanded the region’s connections with Israel, opening up economic partnerships and developed enhanced relationships with State of Missouri governmental leaders. In addition, Federation has improved delivery of direct services that include PJ Library, a community library and archive, and St. Louis NORC, an award-winning volunteer program to serve hundreds of seniors in the community. Dr. Rehfeld, together with lay leadership, also led the crafting and implementation of a new Strategic Plan, creating greater clarity around Federation’s role in the community to work collaboratively to achieve impact.
Prior to joining Federation, Dr. Rehfeld achieved distinction as a scholar. He was a tenured professor in political science at Washington University in St. Louis.