Russell F. Robinson

Russell F. Robinson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish National Fund.

"Robinson accepted the position of Youth Director at the local Jewish Community Center, where he spearheaded community efforts to teach Holocaust education in the public school system. Robinson’s passion and ingenuity was immediately apparent, and he soon became the Director of the JCC and the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) campaigns for El Paso. El Paso was too small for Robinson, and soon he was traveling across the Midwest for UJA, reaching out to the more remote Jewish communities.

"The Chicago / Midwest job became a springboard, and Robinson quickly moved up through the UJA system. As Assistant Regional Director in Dallas, he began working on national programs, including singles’ trips to Israel. It was on one of these singles’ missions that Robinson met his wife, Marci Morgan. From there, it was on to Project Renewal, Director of Western Operations, Vice President of the UJA Network and during the early 90s, the Robinson family moved east for him to take on the position of Director of the National UJA campaign. Also in the early 90s, the UJA was beginning to re-evaluate its role in the Jewish community, and to undergo the restructuring that eventually led to the United Jewish Communities (UJC), and the Federation system in place today.

"Just when Robinson was beginning to re-evaluate his own UJA role in the Jewish community, he received a surprising phone call from cosmetics heir, Ronald S. Lauder, well-known philanthropist and the new President of Jewish National Fund. Robinson felt that Ronald Lauder was somebody who cared very deeply about the future direction of the Jewish community. When Lauder asked Robinson to become Chief Executive Officer of JNF, Robinson realized that this was the chance to redirect his passion for the Jewish people into new arenas...

"Today he resides in New Jersey with his wife Marci and two children, Sam and Alyssa."