Federation CEO, Robert French

Until early 2023, Robert French led Jewish El Paso and The Jewish Community Foundation of El Paso since 2018, enriching and engaging the Jewish communities of El Paso and Las Cruces with his deep commitment to Jewish living, education, bridge-building, Israel and peoplehood. His impact has been felt through his continuous outreach to community members and community partners, and his focus on building endowments for long-term sustainability. He also oversaw the successful rebranding of Jewish El Paso. Robert worked as Executive Director of Temple Israel of the City of New York for 10 years where he was instrumental in reinvigorating this prominent Upper East Side congregation, creating a solid foundation for spiritual, financial and membership growth. He also developed programming that engaged thousands of unaffiliated young professionals and connected them with Jewish life in the City.

During Robert’s 19 years at Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles, Robert worked in education, administration, communications, directed and created innovative programming, and helped form synergies between the 20+ departments and multicampuses to create a unified, cohesive staff aligned with the Temple’s mission. 

Born and raised in London, England, Robert graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University, California State University Northridge and California Coast University in Business Administration. He values family, loves travel and learning about different cultures, and enjoys the outdoors with Fidel and Gatsby as an avid dog lover. Robert loves to read, enjoys the cinema, swimming and is a talented musician. An ardent supporter of the State of Israel, Robert was Co-Chair of New York’s StandWithUs Board for 9 years and currently serves on the Board of Nirim, USA, helping disadvantaged youth in Israel. 

Robert is inspired in his work by his belief in the importance of relationships, his passion for Jewish life and imagining the Jewish future.