# American Friends of the Hebrew University

American Friends of the Hebrew University is an Endowment / Foundation based in New York, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 199 Water Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10038, United States
- **Founded:** 1925
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** afhu.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/afhu

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Founded in 1925 by Felix M. Warburg, American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU) channels U.S. philanthropic capital to The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The organization operates a Pooled Endowment Fund (PEF) that unites roughly 1,700 individual donor-restricted endowments under a single investment umbrella, alongside a Charitable Common Fund and a segregated Gift Annuity Fund. The PEF pursues an equity-heavy, multi-asset strategy with direct exposure to venture capital, private equity, real estate, and liquid markets. Confirmed positions span geography and stage: an alternative investment portfolio with a global mandate, direct U.S. real estate including the firm's 199 Water Street headquarters and a commercial property in Troy, New York, and State of Israel Bonds. The endowment also executes fund commitments, with a strategy covering seed, early-stage, expansion, and late-stage venture allocations. AFHU's board-level investment oversight is chaired by Marc O. Mayer, with Chairman and Honorary President Clive Kabatznik serving as a major donor. The organization maintains regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, partners with the university's technology-transfer arm Yissum, and engages next-generation donors through its Leadership Empowerment and Development (LEAD) program. In a notable operational shift, AFHU has established a position for cryptocurrency donations. Unlike a traditional single-family office, AFHU's architecture represents a pooled endowment model: no single family controls the corpus, and investment policy must serve a federal non-profit charter and the multi-generational needs of the Hebrew University. The investment committee balances the demands of 1,700 distinct donor agreements with a centralized allocation process, creating a governance layer absent in privately held family capital.

## Sectors

- Venture Capital
- Fund of Funds
- Real Estate
- Education

## Offices

- Washington, DC, United States
- Los Angeles, CA, United States

## People

- Joshua Rednik — Chief Executive Officer
- Clive Kabatznik — Chairman of the Board and Honorary President
- Marc O. Mayer — Investment Committee Chair
- Pamela Nadler Emmerich — National President and Chair of the Executive Committee

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at American Friends of the Hebrew University?

The Investment Committee, chaired by Marc O. Mayer, governs the Pooled Endowment Fund's allocation. Day-to-day management is overseen by CEO Joshua Rednik, with broader board-level stewardship from Chairman Clive Kabatznik and President Pamela Nadler Emmerich.

### Does AFHU commit to external funds or only invest directly?

AFHU employs a hybrid approach that includes both direct investments and fund commitments. The Pooled Endowment Fund runs a strategy encompassing venture capital, private equity, and real estate, operating as a fund of funds while also holding direct stakes in properties and Israel Bonds.

### What is AFHU's known posture on co-investments?

AFHU partners with affiliated entities such as Yissum, the Hebrew University's technology transfer company, through initiatives like the Rimon Initiative. It also accepts direct philanthropic co-investment from major donors, including John Paulson, who funded the Paulson Bar-El Building.

### How is AFHU related to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem?

AFHU is the primary U.S.-based fundraising and endowment-management organization for The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It was founded in 1925 to marshal American philanthropic capital for the university's endowed programs and research projects.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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