Planned Giving

Meet the Staff

William Samers
Vice President of Planned Giving and Endowments
212.836.1755
samersw@ujafedny.org

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William D. Samers is vice president of planned giving and endowments at UJA-Federation of New York, the largest local nonprofit in the country, where he leads an 18-person gift-planning department. Before UJA-Federation he worked for the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science (ACWIS), most recently as the vice president of gift planning and compliance. He is a past president of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York and served on the executive committee of the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning as secretary and chair of the investment committee. Bill has presented at the AFP International Conference; the National Conference on Planned Giving; the Planned Giving Councils of New York, New England, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Palm Beach, Houston, and San Francisco as well as to the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has been published in The Journal of Gift Planning and the Conference Proceedings for the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning National Conference. Bill has been quoted in many publications including The New York Times, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and The NonProfit Times. Bill graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received his J.D. from Boston University Law School.


Jaya Nahmiyas
Director of Planned Giving and Endowments 
212.836.1215 
nahmiyasj@ujafedny.org

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Jaya was previously part of UJA's Wall Street & Financial Services Division and Philanthropic Leadership Group and Capital Gifts and Special Initiatives teams. Prior to UJA, Jaya worked at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse. Jaya received a B.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University. Originally from Colombia, Jaya grew up in Houston, Texas, and currently lives in Manhattan. She and her husband have three children.


Orly Harel
Assistant Director of Planned Giving and Endowments 
212.836.1694 
harelo@ujafedny.org

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Orly has a diverse background in community engagement, grantmaking, and fundraising. After completing her service in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Orly relocated to New York to pursue a master’s in public administration (MPA) and began her career in the field of Jewish nonprofits. Prior to joining UJA-Federation in 2006, Orly worked at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY), where she had a role in building bridges and fostering connections between communities. During her initial years at UJA-Federation, Orly managed multiple grantmaking portfolios. Presently, Orly takes great pride in assisting UJA-Federation's most committed supporters in establishing a purposeful and enduring legacy.


Samantha Levine
Gift Planning Officer
212.836.1305
levines@ujafedny.org

Tracy Doka
Manager of Trust and Estates
212.836.1150
dokat@ujafedny.org

Davida Halev
Development Executive
212.836.1795
halevd@ujafedny.org

Maya Allen
Project Coordinator
212.836.1380
allenm@ujafedny.org

Hannah Dworsky
Development Assistant
212.836.1385
dworskyh@ujafedny.org

Inna Galperin
Development Assistant
212.836.1204
galperini@ujafedny.org

Yakir Kanefsky
Development Assistant
212.836.1481
kanefskyy@ujafedny.org

Irina Tuchina
Community Trust Officer
212.836.1150
tuchinai@ujafedny.org

Alana Weisman
Senior Staff Accountant
212-836-1584
weismana@ujafedny.org

Suzanne Menna
Accounting Manager
212.836.1417
mennas@ujafedny.org

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