Jewish Community Partners

When Scott Notowich first took office as the Chair of the Memphis Jewish Federation in 2023, he had no idea his tenure would be marked by a devastating terrorist attack in Israel, an ongoing multi-front war across multiple borders, or a dramatic spike in violent antisemitic attacks here in the U.S.

Luckily, for Federation, Scott was the right leader for the moment.

As Scott concludes his impactful term as Chair of the Memphis Jewish Federation, he leaves behind a legacy of dedicated leadership, particularly notable during a challenging period for the Jewish community. As it was said by many at the Annual Meeting earlier this month, as a leader, Scott was consistently available, always ready to lend an ear, and at times, he became almost an extension of the Federation’s professional team, taking on any tasks or challenges thrown his way.

In mid-November, 2023, shortly after the October 7 terrorist attacks, Federation organized a chartered flight for 180+ Memphians to join the historic March for Israel in Washington D.C. That opportunity would not have been possible without Scott, who managed to organize the chartered flight with little notice and few resources. Thanks to his leadership, Federation Board and Committee members also joined over 400 Jewish Federation activists from 65 communities in Washington, D.C. in 2024, and met with over 140 Congressional offices to advocate for legislation that would support Israel, combat antisemitism, and help secure Jewish communities.

Scott oversaw a historic emergency campaign to support Israel in its time of urgent need. While most communities the size of Memphis were fortunate to raise $1 million, Memphis raised an astonishing $4.1 million—and donations are still coming in, bringing the total closer to $5 million.

“You might assume that our Annual Campaign would suffer, given the extraordinary outpouring for Israel,” Scott said at the Annual Meeting. “But I’m proud to say that it actually increased by over 15%.”

Under Scott’s leadership, $4 million was contributed by 1,400 donors to the Annual Campaign – supporting vital services and programs that strengthen and sustain Jewish life in Memphis, Israel, and around the world.

Other highlights of his tenure as Chair include a remarkable Evening of Remembrance, Unity and Hope to commemorate the events of October 7, which brought together over 600 people from across our community to remember the victims and pray for a swift release of hostages; a ramped up community relations focus, including hiring a full-time Community Relations Manager; scholarships for 30 kids to attend 12 different Jewish overnight camps; and Holocaust survivor and second generation presentations that reached over 1700 students at 21 schools.

With over three decades of experience in the wealth management industry, including a senior vice president role at Highland Capital Management, Scott’s professional acumen has been a significant asset to his work with the Federation.

In addition to his work at Highland, Scott has a deep interest in Israel. He is the Managing Director of the Israel Opportunity Fund LLC, which works to identify and invest in emerging growth companies in the Clean & High-Tech industries, primarily in Israel. He also served on the board for over 10 years at Stark Aerospace, a subsidiary of Israeli Aircraft Industries, where was chairman of the finance and audit committees.  

Scott’s commitment to community leadership is extensive, reflected in his various board memberships. He has served on the Board of Governors of Spring Creek Ranch, as a board member of Youth Programs Inc. (the host organization for the local PGA Tour event supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), and chaired the highest grossing fundraiser ever held at the Church Health Center. His previous involvement in the Jewish community includes his role as the immediate past Chair of the Memphis-Shoham committee partnership, Executive Committee Member of the Jewish Community Center, Chair of Jewish Community Center- Jewish Family Service Gala, and Memphis Jewish Foundation board member. Scott is the past President of the Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab and the Wendy and Avron B. Fogelman Jewish Family Service.  He was also the Co-Chair of Rehabilitation Campaign at the Home, which raised almost $8 million dollars.

Scott’s strategic vision at the outset of his tenure included four clear goals: to have an engaged executive committee, to build a pipeline of next-generation leaders, to work on a professional succession plan, and to streamline the number of activities Federation runs. The Federation team agrees resoundingly: this vision was a success on all fronts.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the Memphis Jewish Federation these past two years,” Scott said. “I’m especially proud to have been of service at a time when strong Israel engagement was needed more than ever. I have no doubt that Memphis Jewish Federation will be a strong ally for Israel well into the future, and that locally, the Federation’s vital programming and services will continue to make Memphis a better place for years to come.”

In his personal life, Scott and his wife Jill have three children: Joey, Samantha, and Deena, plus daughter-in-law, Rachel, and son-in-law, Avi. When he’s not leading community initiatives or managing investments, Scott relaxes by playing golf, fly fishing, and traveling. As he steps down, Scott Notowich leaves the Memphis Jewish Federation in a strong position, a testament to his resilient and strategic leadership.

“This has been a few heavy years,” Scott says. “It could be easy for us to be down and not hopeful. Jill reminds me about the mother of hostage Hersh Goldberg Polin, of blessed memory. His mother Rachel, with all their family has been through, never leaves a conversation without saying what she is hopeful about. I am filled with hope, because we have a community that continually strives for a better tomorrow.”