One career-one organization. Susan Rifas has dedicated her entire professional career to serving her community through JUF. She began her working life at JUF after graduation, and she worked here straight through-for 42 years-until her retirement in October.

It’s a record of dedication rarely seen, a legacy of commitment seldom equaled.

Rifas retires with the title of JUF Vice President, Board Operations. Previously, she served as Assistant Director of Budget & Planning and as Vice President of Planning & Allocations and Board Operations.

“For 42 years, I have been personally blessed to have Sue Rifas as my dear friend and valued colleague,” said JUF President Dr. Steven B. Nasatir. “Incredible institutional knowledge, wisdom, commitment, and loyalty are just some of Sue’s attributes. Over the course of her remarkable career as a senior executive at JUF, she has seen it all and has had a huge role in our success. Though she is stepping out of her day-to-day responsibilities, I take comfort in knowing we will be with her often and she will never be far away.”

Earlier in her career at JUF, as director of the then-called Leadership Development programs, Rifas helped cultivate the type of lay leaders she would later work alongside. Couples in the program met monthly in a participant’s home, and each month covered one of a wide variety of topics, from modern Jewish history to the “alphabet soup” of local, national, and international agencies serving and meeting the needs of Jews.

Rifas says that one of the lessons she has learned over the years is to “always keep open to learning. There is always something new to learn-you are never done.” She adds that she has learned something from every lay leader she has worked with, and has high praise for them. “Not only do they demonstrate their commitment by their annual giving to JUF-they volunteer a lot of their time,” she said. “They care passionately. They want what is best for the community.”

Rifas has an MSW from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She began working at JUF as Assistant Budget Director during The Yom Kippur War of 1973. While still working full time, she subsequently earned her MBA at Northwestern University.

Rifas said holding both an MSW and an MBA helped her as a professional at JUF/Federation, both in terms of the work she did and in relating to volunteers on a wide variety of issues.

She noted that communal service agencies now more closely resemble businesses. “However, no one- not the volunteers nor the professionals-ever loses sight of the fact that we are in the business of serving people,” she said. “It’s our purpose and mission. It’s one of the reasons I have loved working
at JUF.”

One of the most gratifying moments of her career, she said, was seeing Soviet Jews gain their freedom. “I am fortunate to have witnessed, and participated in, the liberation of Soviet Jews,” she said, and she is still awed by the Soviet Jewry demonstration in Chicago-one of leading communities in rescuing and resettling more than 1 million Jews who had been trapped behind the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Empire.

Along with its increasing professionalism, Rifas has noted cultural changes at JUF and its fellow federations. “Over the years, they have become more intensely Jewish. There are no longer issues about being a Zionist or whether kosher food should be served. In addition, people are more Jewishly knowledgeable,” she said.

Chicago’s Federation is special for many reasons, according to Rifas. “We have a national, and international, perspective,” she said. “Many of our local leaders go on to national and international posts.” Further, “Our professional-lay relationship is one of partnership in a way that is virtually un-replicated elsewhere.”

Rifas has visited Israel some 10 times. “There is a comfort level there-it is also my home,” she said. “It’s living history, and you are embraced by the fact that everyone is mishpacha (family).”

Aside from Israel, Rifas has visited Jewish communities from Vienna to Cuba. She has spent time in Eastern European countries that were still in the Soviet grasp.

JUF boasts the Jewish Women’s Foundation, the largest women’s foundation in the US, in the number of trustees and the amount of its endowments. A founding trustee of the Foundation, Rifas served as its grants chair for four years. “I love being a trustee. I love the process. I admire the intelligence, commitment, and capability of my fellow trustees. It is exciting to see how we have engaged so many Jewish women in the Metropolitan Chicago area.” Rifas is proud of the Foundation’s success: “We have funded $2.6 million in projects in the United States, Israel and around the world.”

Chicago is also noted for the stability of its leadership. “Much of our senior leadership has been here for 30 years or more,” Rifas added. “We need to be mindful of continuity, of history. Our staff provides a linkage to the past.”

But, at the same time, history keeps happening. “Our challenge is to be constantly evolving,” she said, noting that change- especially for an organization so large- cannot happen “radically.” There is a need to continually adapt to the next generation of donors and see what resonates with them.

Her advice to those seeking to enter Jewish communal service-or the workplace in general-is to take the initiative. “You have to create your own opportunities, and hang in there,” she said. “You have to earn your credibility. Demonstrate your interest and abilities-show you want responsibility, that you are capable of having it.”

Next, Rifas hopes to travel, spend time with friends, and become a volunteer herself. She will still be involved with some JUF projects and attend events. “I’m not disappearing,” she promised. “I appreciate and feel privileged to have worked with so many wonderful and committed people-professionals and volunteers, and I’m very proud of what we, together, have been able to accomplish for the Jewish community that we all love so much.”