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Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and United Jewish Foundation
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and its investment arm, the United Jewish Foundation, trace their origins to 1899, making this one of the oldest...
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and United Jewish Foundation
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and its investment arm, the United Jewish Foundation, trace their origins to 1899, making this one of the oldest continuously operating communal endowments in the American Midwest. The Foundation owns, manages, and invests Jewish communal assets on behalf of the Federation and a network of agency endowments, supporting foundations, and donor-advised vehicles. The underlying wealth is not a single family's fortune but the pooled philanthropic capital of Detroit's Jewish community, stewarded through successive generations of lay leadership that has included prominent figures such as Gary Torgow, Chairman of Huntington Bank, and Matt Lester, CEO of Princeton Enterprises. The Foundation's portfolio is anchored by direct ownership of signature real assets across Oakland County, including the Max M. Fisher Federation Building in Bloomfield Hills and the Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus in West Bloomfield. Beyond real estate, the balanced investment portfolio allocates across government bonds and secondary market strategies, reflecting a conservative, income-oriented posture typical of perpetual endowments. The Foundation also maintains a dedicated cryptocurrency donation portfolio and a formal Israel Bonds program, signaling a willingness to accommodate modern donor preferences and maintain ties to Israel's sovereign debt market. Recent governance transitions have moved longtime board leaders into new roles. Matthew B. Lester serves as Federation President, with Steven Ingber as CEO managing day-to-day operations. On the Foundation side, Michael Berger holds the presidency and Dorothy Benyas serves as CFO, overseeing the investment and asset management function. Board members include real estate operators such as Joey Agree of Agree Realty and David W. Schostak of Schostak Brothers & Co., a composition that reflects the community's real estate heritage and informs the Foundation's comfort with direct property ownership. The Foundation is a member of the Jewish Federations of North America network but operates its investment function independently, without an external OCIO layer. The structural differentiator is the Foundation's unusual mix of balance-sheet real estate ownership and securities-portfolio management under a single staff and board. Most federations outsource investment management or hold real estate only indirectly. The United Jewish Foundation owns the physical campuses, apartment buildings, and commercial buildings that house its agencies, making it both a landlord and a grantmaker. This dual role — managing a $716M investment pool while controlling meaningful Michigan commercial and residential properties — gives it a capital-structure flexibility that few comparable communal endowments possess.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1899
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Bloomfield Hills
Corporate office
6735 Telegraph Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, United States
Principals
Matthew B. Lester
President, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
Steven Ingber
Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
Michael Berger
President, United Jewish Foundation
Dorothy Benyas
Chief Financial Officer, United Jewish Foundation
Gary Torgow
Board President, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
Alan Jay Kaufman
Immediate Past President, United Jewish Foundation
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the United Jewish Foundation?
Michael Berger serves as President of the United Jewish Foundation while Steven Ingber acts as CEO of the parent Federation. Dorothy Benyas holds the CFO role. Day-to-day portfolio oversight is delegated to external advisors including Telemus Capital and Schechter Investment Advisors.
Does the Foundation commit to external funds or hold direct investments?
The Foundation maintains a multi-manager balanced portfolio and participates in private equity and hedge fund vehicles through limited-partner commitments. It also owns real estate and Israel Bonds directly.
What asset classes appear in the United Jewish Foundation Balanced Investment Portfolio?
Public equities, international equity funds, government bonds, alternatives, and a small cryptocurrency donation sleeve are all present. Real-estate holdings sit outside the financial portfolio.
Where does the underlying wealth originate?
Assets derive from Jewish Federation campaigns, agency endowments, supporting foundations, and property contributions accumulated since 1899.
How are supporting foundations governed relative to the United Jewish Foundation?
Supporting foundations such as The Jewish Fund and the Jewish Women's Foundation sit under the United Jewish Foundation umbrella yet retain separate grant-making focus areas and donor intent restrictions.
Does the organization maintain a direct-deal or co-investment program?
No formal direct-deal program is disclosed. Capital is deployed primarily through external managers and direct ownership of community real estate.
Which professional networks does the Federation belong to?
The entity is a member of Jewish Federations of North America and the Council of Michigan Foundations. Several board members also participate in Young Presidents' Organization.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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