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Spector Continued from Page 1
across all sectors, including
with private, public and philan-
thropic organizations.

Spector is stepping down
on Feb. 7. He will be replaced
by Cynthia Figueroa, who
comes to JEVS after several
years of working for the City of
Philadelphia. “I really had an opportunity
to turn JEVS into a signifi-
cant human service nonprofit
allowing individuals to live
independent lives,” Spector
said. “It’s been incredibly
rewarding.” As he thought back on his
career, the outgoing president
did some math. Forty-plus
years of helping thousands of
people each year.

“That’s a large number,” he
said. When he examined his time
with JEVS more deeply, Spector
identified one key area where he
made a big impact: expanding
opportunities for young people.

In 1979, the year Spector
joined the organization,
JEVS already ran the Orleans
Vocational Center. But in
2007, under his leadership, the
nonprofit expanded the center
into Orleans Technical College.

The school, based in
Philadelphia, offers trade and
technology courses that can
help launch careers.

“We built a new school that
was more state-of-the-art,”
Spector said.

“That has been a significant
piece of my accomplishments,”
he added. “Being able to keep
it flowing with students and
financial resources.”
Spector also pointed to
another youth program,
Project WOW, as a strong part
of his legacy.

Project WOW focuses on
helping kids that JEVS describes
as “disconnected youth.” Those
are young people who are out of
school without having earned
high school diplomas.

The project is a 22-week
course in trades and technol-
ogies that is combined with
a GED program. That way,
students graduate from WOW
with the core credential, a
high school diploma and the
skills that will enable them to
compete in the economy.

“That can lead to life-sus-
taining jobs and careers,”
Spector said.

Spector said that in helping
young people, the nonprofit
is staying true to its original
mission, too. The organization
started in 1941 to help Jewish
refugees. Jay Spector speaks at a JEVS event. 
JEVS was aiding a specific
group of people with a specific
set of problems. It is still
doing that to this day, even
if it doesn’t just assist Jewish
refugees anymore. Spector’s
organization serves both Jews
and non-Jews, too.

“It’s really about tikkun
olam. How to repair the world,”
Spector said. “As a Jew, I look at
it like we have a responsibility
to ensure that everybody has
an opportunity.”
The outgoing CEO is leaving
Figueroa with a wide-ranging
and multifaceted organiza-
tion. JEVS had about 200 staff
members when Spector took
over in the 1990s. Now it has
almost 1,000.

Lisa Washington, the chair
of JEVS’ board of directors
who has served on the board
for more than a decade, said
those staffers will miss their
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longtime leader.

“He is the ultimate mensch,”
Washington added. “He has
the biggest heart and is the
most caring person.”
The board chair believes that
Spector’s success is the result of
his attitude. Over many years
and decades, he has never
changed in that regard. He has
always stayed positive.

“After being in this business
for as long as he’s been in, to
not be cynical, to have hope,
to still be able to feel like he
can make a difference, is just
amazing to me,” she said. “I
work at it every day, but it’s not
that easy.”
In retirement, Spector
hopes to stay active with JEVS’
foundation and as a public
policy advocate, focusing on
issues around poverty.

He also wants to spend
more time with his wife, Genie
Cohen, his two sons, Michael
and Adam Spector, and his
four grandsons, all under 10.

“It’s the passage of time,” he
said of his retirement. “I loved
the work I did. It was a hard
decision to make.” l
jsaffren@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM