Minneapolis Jewish Federation Announces Retirement of CFO Martin Lipshutz
Martin joined Minneapolis Jewish Federation (MJF) in 2017, with the dual responsibilities of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. From the start, his vision and dedication made a lasting impact; guiding the Federation’s office move to the Barry Family Campus, leading campus-wide improvements, and collaborating with both new and existing tenants to help create a vibrant, safe, and welcoming Jewish community space.
In the financial and accounting arena, Martin strengthened MJF’s culture of transparency and sound financial stewardship. He also took important steps to protect and strengthen the Minneapolis Jewish Community Foundation, leading its reorganization as a separate corporate entity, Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation, to protect these vital community funds from potential third-party claims. He also implemented an outsourced chief investment officer model to ensure a sustainable expert-driven approach to selecting and managing investments.
“No one does this work on their own,” said Martin. “I was able to accomplish so much in my time here with the expertise of our accounting team and the support of so many people both at MJF and within the community. Thank you!”
MJF CEO Jim Cohen highlights the significant impact Martin had during the COVID-19 pandemic’s challenges, “Martin’s work during COVID went above and beyond the call of duty. He not only helped the Federation but also numerous other organizations. The community owes him a debt that can never be fully repaid. We’ll miss him and wish him well in his next chapter.”
MJF is excited to announce that Senior Director of Accounting Rafina Larsen will be promoted to CFO, effective August 18. Rafina joined MJF in early 2024, bringing over 20 years of finance and accounting experience including almost 17 years in Finance and HR at Adath Jeshurun Congregation. In her time at MJF, she has demonstrated her expertise, dedication, and collaborative spirit. She looks forward to continuing to advance MJF’s commitment to transparent, ethical financial stewardship in service to our mission, and the community we serve.
