Michael Balaban has no problem putting out fires. As a volunteer firefighter in his spare time, the new head of Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia is addressing a few fires that are challenging Jewish residents across the Philadelphia area and the United States since he relocated to Philadelphia from Broward County (Florida) earlier this month.
Balaban’s arrival also signifies a time of transition and change for Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the organization which serves as a central agency of the Jewish people of Philadelphia.
He is concerned that the world today is far more complex than it was a decade ago and his team’s work of securing the Jewish future isn’t getting easier.
“Some of the challenges Jewish Federation is facing are new, and depending on how we address them, they have the potential to be positive influences,” said Balaban. “These include the influx of technology and changes in how generations connect to religion, community and each other.”
Balaban also warns that some of these challenges “threaten our future,” including:
- A rise in global anti-Semitism
- A decline in available services to vulnerable populations
- A distancing between the next generation in understanding the critical importance of a safe, secure, and supported Israel.
As the organization’s new leader, Balaban says organizations like Jewish Federation need someone who can skillfully balance the notion of complexity and fragility to propel the organization forward. And, Balaban says he is up for the challenge.
Balaban says Jewish Federation’s responsibility is to make sure the community has the finest institutions, programs, and professionals capable of inspiring those who seek contact with Jewish life. He says there is a lot of work ahead, but by working together, he is confident Jewish Federation will move forward from one threshold moment to the next, towards a more vibrant future.
Balaban joins Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia after serving almost six years as President of Jewish Federation of Broward County (Florida). Before his time in Broward, he was Chief Development Officer for the Atlanta Jewish Federation, and proudly served the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island, the Columbus Jewish Federation, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles in senior financial resource development and community planning roles.
What defines Jewish Federation’s work, according to Balaban, are the teachings of Torah – Tikkun olam, Tzedakah, Chesed and K’lal Yisrael; Repairing the world, Justice, Kindness and the Unity of the Jewish People.
While some see the Jewish Federation as a fundraising organization, a social outlet, a monitor of funds and the organization that steps in during times of crisis, Balaban agrees that the organization’s mission is to focus on the welfare of the surrounding community, and upwards, towards something nobler and greater than ourselves.
“Our mission is to help individuals live their lives with dignity, meaning and purpose, while being connected to Jewish tradition and to each other as a Jewish people,” said Balaban. “The Jewish Federation is the keeper of the ecosystem. We do this not out of ego but out of a quest to care for the vulnerable, to enrich lives and to create vibrancy.”
“Our bigger mission is to dream of a better community and take the risks to make that dream a reality,” added Balaban.
“The Jewish Federation must provide the strategic thought leadership, community planning and economic support that will grow and enrich our Jewish community – today and into our future,” said Balaban.
As Balaban begins to reframe Jewish Federation, he says legacy institutions like his have often found comfort in the preservation of what was rather than the innovation of what can be. He wants to create a connected sense of community for the institution to grow and ultimately raise both awareness and funding.
“Federation’s job is to guarantee that when a person wishes to access the richness and diversity of the Jewish experience, the mechanisms and responses are in a place to both enchant and captivate,” he says. “In every case, our job – as Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia – is to make sure that our community has the finest institutions, programs and professionals capable of inspiring those who seek contact with Judaism and Jewish life.”
And, for Federation to hit that guarantee, Balaban says his organization has its work cut out for themselves.
In addition to his experience leading different Jewish Federations, Balaban once held the role of Director of Development for Penn Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He has extensive experience as a development consultant and professional for clients and organizations including the National Park Service, Treatment Research Institute, Girl Scouts of America, Charles E. Smith Day School, Gratz College, Touro Synagogue, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Balaban knows the task he and his team have ahead, and he is ready to make sure that guiding light shines a little brighter for the Jewish community in Philadelphia. And, he is not afraid to suit up, grab a hose, mount a ladder and get dirty putting out a few fires along the way.
