BlueStar- New York, NY – BlueStar, a New York-based provider of Israel-focused indexes, today announced the appointment of Joseph J. Levin to the position of Partner and Chief Investment Strategist. Mr. Levin will spearhead BlueStar’s growth with institutional and philanthropic investors as a key voice emphasizing the importance of Israel in mission-aligned portfolios.

“With his deep ties to the Jewish philanthropic ecosystem, Joe was a logical choice to help accelerate BlueStar’s business development efforts,” said Steven Schoenfeld, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of BlueStar Indexes. “Now more than ever we believe the case for investment in Israel is grounded in both strong economic fundamentals and is also an untapped resource in the battle against the anti-Israel divestment movement.”

Mr. Levin brings nearly two decades of experience in Jewish philanthropy and investment leadership to the BlueStar team. Over the last six years Joe held the role as Chief Development Officer for the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, which oversees approximately $2 billion in philanthropic assets (including a $600 million donor advised fund program) and raises $25 million in philanthropic resources annually.

“It has become increasingly clear that we need to articulate the importance of Israel within our personal and communal investment portfolios” said Mr. Levin. “The BlueStar family of indexes are the most innovative and comprehensive Israel-centric benchmarks in the world. Adopting strategies that track our indexes just makes sense, especially if you have a philanthropic mission to support Israel—it’s the next phase of truly integrating your values across your portfolio.”

Prior to his role at the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, Mr. Levin served as Vice President at Bernstein Global Wealth Management, where he advised wealthy individuals and organizations on aspects of portfolio construction and financial planning. He received his B.A. in History from UCLA, and a Master of Management from the Heller School at Brandeis University, where he also holds a Masters from the Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service.