Career
Schimmel began his professional career in Jewish advocacy work, working for Jewish Federation in Cumberland County NJ from 2010-2016 before becoming the Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Central MA in 2016. [8] [9] At the time of his appointment as Director of Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties, he was the youngest executive director among the 148 Jewish Federations in North America. [10]
As director, Schimmel has overseen fundraising campaigns, security initiatives [11] , Holocaust education [12] , Israel advocacy [13] , and interfaith programming [14] [15] . He led efforts to expand Holocaust education in local schools and created partnerships between the Jewish Federation and civic organizations across Central Massachusetts. [16] [17] [18]
In 2011 he was named to Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Young Jewish Diplomatic Seminar. [19] . He served as co-chair to the United States 40th Anniversary Commemoration of Operation Entebbe in 2016. [20] In 2020, Schimmel was named to Worcester Business Journal’s *40 Under Forty* list, which recognized his leadership and community engagement. [21] He was selected to the prestigious Leadership Worcester class of 2022. [22]
Schimmel has been a frequent spokesperson on issues related to Israel, antisemitism [23] and Jewish identity [24] . [25] In 2023, he publicly criticized an anti-Israel rally in Worcester as "alarming" and described the rhetoric at the event as hostile to the Jewish community. [26]
Following an increase in reported anti-Semitic incidents in Massachusetts, Schimmel was featured in Spectrum News. [27] He stated that antisemitism had become more overt in recent years and called for greater awareness and unity against hatred.
In 2025, Schimmel joined a delegation of Jewish leaders from New England on a visit to Israel amid the release of hostages from Gaza. In interviews, he described the emotional impact of the trip and emphasized the importance of solidarity with Israeli families. [28]
He has also spoken publicly about threats to Israeli diplomats, such as in the aftermath of a 2025 embassy shooting in Washington, D.C., where he urged public figures to avoid rhetoric that could inflame tensions. [29]
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