Agudath Israel Of America

New York, NY · Founded 1939

National Orthodox Jewish organization promoting religious observance, education, and community advocacy across the United States

Primary audience
Orthodox Jews
Work area
Religious Services
Topic
Jewish Observance
Contact
Yitzchok Ehrman

About Organization

Agudath Israel of America serves Orthodox Jewish communities nationwide through religious services, educational programs, summer camps, and policy advocacy. Based in New York, NY, the organization was founded in 1939 and operates under the guidance of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah rabbinical board. With 404 employees and $24.6 million in annual revenue (2023), it maintains synagogues, schools, libraries, and community centers while advocating for Orthodox Jewish interests.

What They Focus On

Religious Practice

Promotes Orthodox Judaism through synagogues, prayer services, and religious education in accordance with Jewish law

Jewish Education

Develops interest in Judaism's religion, culture, and traditions through schools, classes, camps, and libraries

Community Advocacy

Represents Orthodox Jewish community interests through government affairs, policy work, and religious rights protection

Financial Information

Form 990 data showing organizational financial health and growth.

Revenue (2023)

$24.6M

-22.8% vs 2022

Expenses (2023)

$28.7M

-9.6% vs 2022

Assets (2023)

$26.2M

-6.6% vs 2022

Employees (2023)

404

-13.9% vs 2022

Year Revenue Expenses Assets Employees
2023 $24,595,439 $28,668,018 $26,171,872 404
2022 $31,861,585 $31,717,655 $28,015,460 469
2021 $46,064,903 $43,241,268 $28,856,197 459
2020 $18,320,035 $15,104,005 $26,166,707 281
2019 $23,615,380 $24,742,778 $22,701,228 419
2018 $19,243,582 $19,083,214 $24,926,971 367
2017 $15,056,396 $14,599,724 $20,918,341 359

Source: IRS Form 990 filings. All figures in USD.

How They Work

Learn more
  • 01

    Rabbinical Guidance

    All decisions and programs operate under governance of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah rabbinical board

  • 02

    Community Infrastructure

    Establish and maintain synagogues, schools, camps, and community centers serving Orthodox populations

  • 03

    Educational Outreach

    Deliver religious classes, cultural programs, and Torah study to strengthen Jewish observance

  • 04

    Policy Advocacy

    Represent Orthodox Jewish interests through government affairs and federal educational policy work

Programs and Initiatives

Services and programs offered by Agudath Israel Of America

Religious Services

Operates synagogues and minyanim (prayer services) in accordance with Jewish religious law and Orthodox traditions

Educational Programs

Maintains schools, educational classes, and libraries to develop interest in Judaism's religion, culture, and traditions

Summer Camps

Runs vacation camps for Orthodox Jewish youth to strengthen religious identity and community connections

Government Affairs

Advocates for Orthodox Jewish community interests through federal and state policy engagement and religious rights protection

Team & Leadership

Meet the people behind Agudath Israel Of America.

YE

Yitzchok Ehrman

COO
Full-time
Compensation: $298,117
DZ

David Zwiebel

Executive Vice President
Full-time
Compensation: $259,831
MD

Moshe Danzger

CFO
Full-time
Compensation: $199,479
AM

Ad Motzen

National Director Of Govt Affairs
Full-time
Compensation: $190,672
SN

Shimon Newmark

Director Camp Division
Full-time
Compensation: $171,769
NM

Naftali Miller

Chief Development Officer
Full-time
Compensation: $151,285
AS

Avi Schnall

Director Of Federal Educational Affairs
Full-time
Compensation: $149,880
LB

Labish Becker

Executive Director
Full-time
Compensation: $131,151
AC

Abba Cohen

VP For Government Affairs
Full-time
Compensation: $145,159
SS

Sholom Schochet

Educator
10 hrs/week

Milestones

1939

Organization Founded

1939

Agudath Israel of America established to serve Orthodox Jewish communities nationwide

1947

IRS Recognition

1947

Received federal tax-exempt status from Internal Revenue Service

2021

Peak Revenue Year

2021

Achieved record revenue of $46.1 million supporting expanded programs and services

Associated People

Board members, advisors, and key contributors

Board of Directors

AB
Abraham Biderman Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
AS
Avi Schron Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
BL
Barry Lebovitz Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
BB
Binyomin Berger Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
CK
Chaim Kuperwasser Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
CL
Chaim Leshkowitz Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
CB
Chaskel Bennett Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
DG
David Gross Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
DL
David L Diamond Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
DS
David Singer Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
DF
Dov Fishoff Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
DS
Dovid Scharf Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
DS
Dovid Schnell Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
ER
Eli Rubin Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
EB
Elliot Brecher Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
EK
Elly Kleinman Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
GT
Gary Torgow Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
GW
Gedaliah Weinberger Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
HH
Hashi Herzka Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
HT
Howard Tzvi Friedman Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
IL
Irving Lebovics Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
IR
Itche Rosenbaum Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
JI
Jacob I Friedman Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
JR
Jonathan Rubin Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
JB
Joseph Brachfeld Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
LG
Leon Goldenberg Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
LM
Leon Melohn Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
MM
Meir Meinicke Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
ML
Menachem Lubinsky Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
MS
Menachem Shayovich Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
MF
Mordechai Friedman Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
MK
Mordechai Kutoff Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
MM
Mordechai Mandelbaum Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
MH
Mordy Herzog Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
MG
Moshe Gold Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
MN
Moshe Netzer Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
MZ
Moshe Zafir Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
NS
Nachum Stein Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
NH
Nechemia Hoch Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
PW
Phillip Werdiger Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
RH
Ralph Herzka Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
RZ
Raphael Zucker Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
RD
Reuven Dessler Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
RH
Reuven Hellman Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
RW
Reuven Wolf Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
RS
Rivie Schwebel Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
RW
Ronald Wilheim Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
SL
Shimon Lefkowitz Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
SC
Shlomo Chaimovits Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
SG
Shlomo Gottesman Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
SW
Shlomo Werdiger Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
SY
Shmuel Yosef Rieder Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
SO
Sruly Orzel Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
SG
Steven Goldschmidt Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
YW
Yaty Weinreb Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
YF
Yitzchok Fuchs Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
YE
Yoily Edelstein Trustee 3.00 hrs/week
YR
Yussi Rieder Trustee 3.00 hrs/week

Information compiled from IRS Form 990 and organizational materials.

Executive Compensation

Top compensated officers & key employees from IRS Form 990

Total Reported (2023)

$2.6M

Highest Paid

$408K

Yitzchok Ehrman

Compensated Officers

10

Name Title Base Other Total Hrs/Wk
Yitzchok Ehrman COO $298,117 $109,782 $407,899 40
Moshe Danzger CFO $199,479 $135,385 $334,864 40
David Zwiebel Executive Vice President $259,831 $63,395 $323,226 50
Naftali Miller Chief Development Officer $151,285 $159,977 $311,262 40
Ad Motzen National Director Of GOVT Affairs $190,672 $87,918 $278,590 40
Shimon Newmark Director Camp Division $171,769 $81,926 $253,695 40
Avi Schnall Director Of Federal Educational Affairs $149,880 $90,360 $240,240 40
Abba Cohen VP For Government Affairs $145,159 $88,390 $233,549 40
Labish Becker Executive Director $131,151 $42,790 $173,941 45
Sholom Schochet Educator $0 $12,840 $12,840 10

Source: IRS Form 990 filings. Compensation includes base and other reported compensation.

COVID-19 PPP Loans

Paycheck Protection Program (2020-2021)

Fully Forgiven

Total Approved

$2.1M

Total Forgiven

$2.2M

102% forgiven

Jobs Retained

108

Loan Details 2 loans

$1,216,602
Forgiven
Forgiven: $1,233,168 100%
Approved Apr 13, 2020
Lender Cross River Bank
Jobs Reported 56
Forgiven On Aug 30, 2021
$928,580
Forgiven
Forgiven: $946,185 100%
Approved Mar 13, 2021
Lender Cross River Bank
Jobs Reported 52
Forgiven On Feb 7, 2023

Source: Small Business Administration • Paycheck Protection Program (2020-2021)

Partners & Funders

Grant funding relationships from IRS Form 990 filings

$713K Grants Received
$15.3M Grants Given
32 Organizations

Top Funders

8 total
FI
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
$530K
JN
Jewish National Fund
$50K
MS
Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc. 2 grants
$41K
CC
Cambridge Charitable Foundation
$40K
CF
Community Foundation For Southeast
$25K
JC
Jewish Community Foundation Of Los Angeles
$13K
TR
T Rowe Price Program For Charitable
$7K
AC
American Committee For The Education
$7K

Top Grantees

24 total
TC
Tikva Corp - DBA Tikva Childrens' Home WEST CALDWELL, NJ · 2 grants
$7.4M
AC
American Committee for the Education & Welfare of Jews New York, NY
$2.7M
YY
Yad Yisroel Brooklyn, NY · 2 grants
$2.5M
TS
The Sephardic Heritage Museum NEW YORK, NY · 2 grants
$1.1M
AF
American Friends Jewish Campus Berlin Inc. BROOKLYN, NY · 2 grants
$619K
AF
American Friends Of The Kiev Jewish Community AIRMONT, NY
$295K
FO
Federation Of Jewish Communities Of Cis NEW YORK, NY · 2 grants
$276K
CR
Compliance Resources Inc. SARASOTA, FL · 2 grants
$63K
KG
Keren Gemilas Chasodim Lakewood, NJ
$50K
CL
Chabad Lubavitch BROOKLYN, NY
$50K
+14 more grantees
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund Jewish National Fund Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc. Cambridge Charitable Foundation Community Foundation For Southeast Jewish Community Foundation Of Los Angeles T Rowe Price Program For Charitable American Committee For The Education Tikva Corp - DBA Tikva Childrens' Home American Committee for the Education & Welfare of Jews Yad Yisroel The Sephardic Heritage Museum American Friends Jewish Campus Berlin Inc. American Friends Of The Kiev Jewish Community Federation Of Jewish Communities Of Cis Compliance Resources Inc. Keren Gemilas Chasodim Chabad Lubavitch Geder Avos Jewish Heritage Group Inc. American Friends of Keren Ami American Friends of Kesher Yehudi American Friends Jewish Community Chernigov Israel Magen Fund Friends Of Kishinev Jewry Cong Friends Of Refugees Ahavas Oylom Inc. Kolel Torah Syata Dishmaya Consulting LLC Gemach Of Jackson Amud Hatzdokoh Trust World Of Giving Friends of Yad Yitzchok
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund Jewish National Fund Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc. Cambridge Charitable Foundation Community Foundation For Southeast Jewish Community Foundation Of Los Angeles T Rowe Price Program For Charitable American Committee For The Education Tikva Corp - DBA Tikva Childrens' Home American Committee for the Education & Welfare of Jews Yad Yisroel The Sephardic Heritage Museum American Friends Jewish Campus Berlin Inc. American Friends Of The Kiev Jewish Community Federation Of Jewish Communities Of Cis Compliance Resources Inc. Keren Gemilas Chasodim Chabad Lubavitch Geder Avos Jewish Heritage Group Inc. American Friends of Keren Ami American Friends of Kesher Yehudi American Friends Jewish Community Chernigov Israel Magen Fund Friends Of Kishinev Jewry Cong Friends Of Refugees Ahavas Oylom Inc. Kolel Torah Syata Dishmaya Consulting LLC Gemach Of Jackson Amud Hatzdokoh Trust World Of Giving Friends of Yad Yitzchok

Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule I filings. Amounts may span multiple tax years.

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Get in touch with Agudath Israel Of America

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42 Broadway 14 Fl New York, NY 10004