Presidents of Brandeis University and Jewish Funders Network Join Genesis Advisory Board

Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) has

announced a number of governance and personnel changes involving its International

Advisory Board and the Audit Committee. President of Brandeis University Dr.

Jehuda Reinharz and President of the Jewish Funders Network (JFN) Mark

Charendoff have joined the GPG Board. They succeed Misha Galperin, Executive

Vice President and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and Olga

Alexeeva, head of the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) Global Trustees.

Other members of the Genesis Advisory Board include Major General (Retired)

Elazar Stern, who chairs the board; Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive of

the Jewish Agency for Israel; Polina Filippova, Director of Programs and Donor

Relations at the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF Russia); Rabbi Irving (Yitz)

Greenberg, former president of the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life; John

Healy, former president of the Atlantic Philanthropies; Alan Hoffmann, director

general of the Education Department at Sokhnut; Avraham Infeld, president of the

NADAV Fund and former president of the Stanley Chais Foundation; and Aliza

Shenhar, Israeli ambassador to Russia (1994-1997) and president of Max Stern

Academic College of EmekYezreel.

"We wholeheartedly welcome Jehuda and Mark to our Advisory Board," said Stan

Polovets, CEO and one of the five founders of Genesis. "We have worked closely

with both of them since the inception of Genesis two years ago, and have benefited

greatly from their wisdom, experience, and advice. We are honored to have such

distinguished leaders as our partners in strengthening Jewish life in the various

communities where GPG operates."

Polovets added: "We are also very grateful to Misha Galperin and Olga Alexeeva,

who were instrumental in the start-up phase of Genesis and who have made a

significant contribution to the development of our mission, strategy and grant-making

philosophy. Many of our best projects bear their signatures."

"We are at a pivotal time in the Jewish community, with great opportunities for

growth and engagement of the Jewish people throughout the world," said Dr. Jehuda

Reinharz. "Jews in the FSU and Russian Jews living in US and other countries will be

a crucial part of our increasingly global Jewish community. Russian-speaking Jews

have a great deal to share about their unique history and ties to our heritage. Learning

from them and with them about our common bonds will enrich all of us."

Genesis also announced that Ken Krug, the Chief Operating Officer of the Jewish

Federation of Greater Los Angeles who previously served as the CFO of The RAND

Corporation, has joined its Audit Committee and will work closely with GPG's

external auditors, BDO, to ensure that Genesis and its grantees continue to operate to

the highest standards of corporate governance and transparency.

About Genesis Philanthropy Group

Genesis Philanthropy Group was established in the summer of 2007 by Mikhail

Fridman, German Khan, Pyotr Aven, Alex Knaster, and Stan Polovets. The mission of

the Genesis Philanthropy Group is to develop and enhance Jewish identity among

Russian speaking Jews worldwide, with a particular emphasis on the Former Soviet

Union, North America, and Israel. GPG is committed to supporting and launching

projects and programming in institutions that are focused on ensuring that Jewish

culture, heritage, and values are preserved in Russian speaking Jewish communities

across the globe.

In the past 24 months, GPG has made over 40 grants, to organizations such as Taglit-

Birthright Israel, Moscow State University, the Israel Defense Force's Education

Department, Limmud, Maccabi, and the New York Jewish Museum. Its most

significant multi-year grants include $10.8 million to Brandeis University, $6 million

to the Jewish Agency for Israel, $4.4 million to the Foundation for Jewish Camp, and

$4.4 million to the Yad Vashem Museum. For more information, visit www.gpg.org.

Contact

Julia Belova

GPG Director Communications

Tel/Fax +7 985 967 0117 (18)

Mobile +7 985 237 2004

e-mail: Julia@gpg.org