After seven years as the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Eric Robbins has announced his departure “to take time to carefully consider how best to contribute to the future of the community’s health and healing.”
Robbins has been at the helm for many world crises, including the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue shooting, COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and the massacre of Oct. 7 and the ongoing war in Israel. He will stay on as CEO until the end of June.
Robbins grew up in Pittsburgh, PA., and attended summer camp at Camp Barney Medintz in the North Georgia mountains. He called his summer camp experience “the beginning of a lifelong connection to Atlanta’s Jewish community that shaped me as a person, a proud Jew, and a nonprofit leader.”
Prior to the Federation, Robbins was the CEO of Camp Twin Lakes for more than a decade.
In a heartfelt letter, Robbins said he accepted the position to lead the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta “to feed a part of my soul that yearned to support and elevate the Jewish community, my community.”
According to his letter, the Federation is on track this year to raise the most total philanthropy in the history of the organization.
“We have navigated through the tragic Tree of Life shooting, we supported the community through COVID-19, and we have met the needs of Ukrainian Jews since the war broke out. We have played an integral role in this community’s response to October 7, including standing resolutely with Israel and helping our community respond, cope, and heal. We have united all of our institutions in response to growing antisemitism. We have prioritized security by helping to raise money and provide expertise throughout Jewish Atlanta. We have strengthened our day schools and camps and have stood by our core partners, continuing to grow their allocations while fostering innovation and encouraging new ideas,” the letter reads.
Robbins said he’s confident about the future of the Atlanta Jewish community.
“In Judaism, we know that we never finish the work, but we move it forward as much as we can. I am humbled to have had the opportunity to serve this tremendous community, and I am proud of what we have accomplished together,” he wrote.
RELATED: Eric Robbins, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, wrote about his January 2024 trip to Israel in this piece on Rough Draft.
“We are grateful for Eric’s leadership through these unprecedented challenges,” said Board Chair Beth Arogeti in a press release.
A committee led by Debbie Kuniansky, Matt Bronfman, and regional leaders will begin a national search. A plan of succession has not been announced.