Ruth W. Messinger

Ruth W. Messinger is a social justice consultant in the Jewish and interfaith communities.  She was the President and CEO of American Jewish World Service (AJWS) from 1998 to 2016, and is currently the organization’s Global Ambassador.  She is also an adjunct faculty member at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America; a social justice advisor at the Meyerson JCC in Manhattan; and the teacher/ facilitator for Elluminate’s cohorts of Jewish women social justice entrepreneurs. She works to promote human rights and expand justice for marginalized populations, and teaches leadership and moral courage.  Previously, Ruth had a 20-year career in public service in New York City as a City Council member and Manhattan Borough President and as the Democratic Party candidate for Mayor. 

Ruth is an active member of the Society for the Advancement of Judaism—Judaism that Stands for All, and serves on the boards of Aegis Trust and Surprise Lake Camp. She holds a B.A. from Radcliffe College and an M.S.W. from the University of Oklahoma. She was an early leader of service programs for young people in the American Jewish community and supports Tivnu because it offers a critical gap year opportunity for service, advocacy and Jewish learning in the United States.