Lipkin honored for years of service at plaque unveiling
Youngstown Area Jewish Federation staff and board members were joined by Andrew Lipkin’s friends and family in April to unveil a plaque honoring the former Federation CEO. Lipkin retired at the end of 2024.
“Serving as CEO of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Lipkin said at the event. “This community helped shape me as a 27-year-old young Jewish professional back in 1985. Over the next 39 plus years the Federation challenged me, inspired me, and trusted me, and that trust is something I have never taken lightly. The work we all do together, whether as volunteers or professionals, is not about any one person. It’s about strengthening Jewish life, caring for those who need us, and building a future rooted in resilience, compassion, and hope.”
He also noted that he had the good fortune to work alongside extraordinary colleagues, dedicated lay leaders, and a community that shows up for one another in ways that are “nothing short of remarkable.”
Though he retired to Columbus to be closer to his children and grandchildren, he continues to call Youngstown “the best small Jewish community in North America, not just the United States.”
Lisa Long, current CEO, said, “Andy didn’t just bring people into this community. He built a community that people could find their way into. A place where people like me could walk in and feel like they belonged.”
She continued, “It’s not just about the big things, the capital campaigns, the crises, the wars, the agencies built and strengthened… It’s about consistency. Showing up. Day after day. Year after year. Making thousands of decisions no one ever sees… so that a community can continue to exist, grow and thrive. That’s what this plaque represents. Yes, it has your face on it… and yes, it lists your years of service… But what it represents is a career where you chose this community, the Jewish people, and wake up every morning with that weight on your shoulders saying ‘This matters…and I will carry it.’”
The plaque hangs in the entryway of the Jewish Community Center, 505 Gypsy Lane.