Eli Berne

State Director, Jewish Federations of North America

Eli Berne, originally from Portland, Oregon, is the State Director at the Jewish Federations of North America.    

He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2018 with a degree in Political Science and a certification in Public Policy. Prior to attending the University of Oregon, he spent his freshman year at Bar-Ilan University in Israel as part of a gap year program for American and international students. 

After graduation, Eli remained deeply involved—both personally and professionally—in the Jewish community and the Israel advocacy space. He served as an AIPAC Fellow in Los Angeles, where he spent two years fundraising and working to strengthen the enduring bond between the United States and Israel. 

Following his time at AIPAC, Eli moved to Washington, D.C., to join the Embassy of Israel as a Government Relations Officer. In this role, he engaged with local Jewish communities and government officials within the embassy’s consular region. He was later promoted to Congressional Affairs Officer, where he focused on legislative analysis, evaluated the potential impact of U.S. policy on Israeli society, and tracked congressional actions on behalf of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

In January 2024, Eli joined the Jewish Federations of North America, where he currently supports local Jewish Federations across the country in advancing their state-level advocacy efforts. Eli also oversees the partnership between Jewish Federations and the National Association of Jewish Legislators.