Melissa Friedman

As Director of the Office of Alumni Affairs, Melissa Friedman partners closely with JTS’s senior leadership to drive and enhance the institution’s alumni relations efforts.

Melissa joined JTS in the fall of 2004 as the Director of Career Development for List College. In this role, Melissa provided professional, academic, and social support to students, while also strengthening ties with young List alumni. Through her efforts, Melissa fostered new connections between recent graduates and current students, while developing career workshops that brought alumni back to campus. These events gave students a chance to connect with alumni in their fields of interest.

In 2009, Melissa’s work expanded to include all degreed alumni, and in 2015, JTS broadened its alumni base to include graduates of various certificate programs offered by JTS.

As Director of Alumni Affairs, Melissa has strengthened JTS’s relationship with alumni spanning more than seven decades. She fosters engagement through nationwide social and professional networking opportunities and encourages alumni to reconnect and return to 3080 for reunions and relevant programs. Melissa works to enhance alumni-student bonds by collaborating with student leaders and deans to foster meaningful interactions. She is dedicated to building lasting connections between JTS alumni—both degree and non-degree—and the institution.

Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree in Near Eastern Judaic Studies and a master’s degree in Modern Jewish History from Brandeis University. She also earned a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in 2003, with a focus on social administration and the workplace.