Museum of Jewish Heritage Announces New Chief Development Officer

New York, NY — The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust today announced the appointment of Jilian Cahan Gersten as the institution’s Chief Development Officer, effective today. In this position, Ms. Gersten will oversee all of the Museum’s fundraising initiatives to ensure the institution’s financial sustainability and growth.

A life-long New Yorker and dedicated culture worker, Ms. Gersten previously served at the Museum in both the Education and Development departments. She was most recently Vice President of Philanthropic Initiatives at Brooklyn Org (formerly the Brooklyn Community Foundation).

Prior to that, she served as Development & External Affairs Director and Interim Executive Director at Brooklyn Arts Council. Her previous experience includes various programming and fundraising roles at LUMBERYARD Contemporary Performing Arts, BRIC, the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, The After-School Corporation (now ExpandED Schools), Theatre for a New Audience, The New Victory Theater, and Ballet Tech.

She is the current board chair of Ballet Tech; was a founding board member of Headlong Dance Theater in Philadelphia, PA; served for 12 years on the board of Danspace Project; and has served as a panelist for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New Jersey After 3.

As Chief Development Officer, Ms. Gersten will oversee all fundraising efforts for the Museum, including major gifts, institutional giving, planned giving, capital and endowment campaigns, membership programs, and special events. She will work closely with the President and CEO, Board of Trustees, and senior leadership to ensure the Museum’s long-term financial health and stability, and to support its mission of educating diverse audiences about Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust. In this role, she will lead a dynamic team of development professionals, cultivate relationships with donors and philanthropic partners, and help shape strategic initiatives that advance the Museum’s visibility and impact locally, nationally, and internationally.

“Jilian’s deep passion for Jewish culture, her impressive track record in both development and the arts, and her long-standing connection to our institution make her an ideal choice to lead our fundraising efforts,” said Jack Kliger, President and CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. “We are thrilled to welcome her back at such a critical time for the Museum as we expand our programs, build new partnerships, and deepen our impact. Her leadership will be vital in ensuring we continue to serve as a beacon of memory, education, and resilience.”

“It is both an honor and a homecoming to take on this role at the Museum of Jewish Heritage,” said Jilian Gersten. “This institution’s mission—rooted in remembrance, education, and action—has never been more essential. I look forward to working alongside the incredible staff and Board to grow the Museum’s philanthropic foundation and ensure we can continue to tell these urgent stories for generations to come.”

The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is New York’s contribution to the global responsibility to never forget. Opened in 1997, the Museum is committed to the crucial mission of educating diverse visitors about Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust.

The Museum plays a leading role in Holocaust education in New York City and the tri-state area, serving many thousands of school children each year, with initiatives such as its Holocaust Educator School Partnership Program, professional development opportunities, its Speakers Bureau which enables conversations with survivors, and the creation of tools and resources such as the newly released Antisemitism FAQ Educator Resource to support educators in teaching about both historical and contemporary antisemitism.

The Museum’s current offerings include Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark, an exhibition about the extraordinary rescue of Denmark’s Jewish population in 1943, a story of mutual aid and communal upstanding in difficult times for visitors aged 9 and up; The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do, a major exhibition offering a timely and expansive presentation of Holocaust history, on view in the main galleries; and Speaking Up! Confronting Hate Speech, which illustrates the prevalence of identity-based violence today, detailing the historical lessons of genocide and current examples of today’s pressing dangers to teach visitors about the connection between words and mass atrocities.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage maintains the Peter & Mary Kalikow Jewish Genealogy Resource Center, a collection of almost 40,000 artifacts, photographs, documentary films, and survivor testimonies, and contains classrooms, a 375-seat theater (Edmond J. Safra Hall), special exhibition galleries, and a memorial art installation, Garden of Stones, designed by internationally acclaimed sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. The Museum also hosts LOX at Café Bergson an OU-certified café serving eastern European specialties.

Each year, the Museum presents over 100 public programs, connecting our community in person and virtually through lectures, book talks, concerts, and more. For more info visit: http://mjhnyc.org/events. The Museum receives general operating support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts. For more information, visit mjhnyc.org.