Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding

Tanenbaum offers “religious awareness and inclusion trainings.” As of 2025, Tanenbaum claims to have worked with over 4 million employees, 110,000 students, and 10,500 medical professionals and students.  ³

Background

The Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding is a religious advocacy nonprofit that was founded in 1992 by Georgette Bennett, the widow of Conservative Judaism rabbi Marc Tanenbaum who passed away that same year. According to a post on the website for Harvard University‘s “Pluralism Project,” the Center was created to “build upon the legacy of her late husband” and to prevent “religious prejudice, hatred and violence in specific settings such as schools, the workplace, and health care.” ^{1 2} The group also manages a Peacemakers in Action program, to support individuals who oppose extremist religious violence. ²

Activities

According to its “2024 Year in Review” report, the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding was running “religious awareness and inclusion trainings.” ⁴ According to the “Our Impact” page on its website, Tanenbaum claims to have worked with over 4 million employees, 110,000 students, and 10,500 medical professionals and students as of 2025.  ³

The group’s CEO Rev. Mark Fowler has previously overseen corporate training sessions with major corporations including “GSK, Merck, Turner Broadcasting, PwC, The Walt Disney Company, CVS Health, Aetna, Bloomberg, Sodexo, Google, Moody’s, Bank of America, Walmart, and Target.”  ⁵

In 2024, Tanenbaum published materials entitled “LGBTQ+ Youth Health: The Role of Religion.”  ⁴

Tanenbaum also manages a “Peacemakers in Action Network” that nominates individuals working in areas of conflict and support them through retreats and information sharing.  ⁶

Funding

In 2024, the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding reported $2,899,882 in revenue, $2,626,659 in expenses, and $5,055,456 in assets.  ⁷

In 2024, the Wayfarer Foundation gave $170,000 to Tanenbaum. It also gave $489,800 in 2023, $130,000 in 2022, and $66,700 in 2021.  ⁸

In 2021, The Walt Disney Company was listed in the $50,000+ tier of Tanenbaum’s donors. That same year, the Nissan Foundation, Target, the Pine Tree Foundation of New York, the Sy Syms Foundation, and the Russell Berrie Foundation were listed in the $20,000 to $49,999 donor tier.  ⁹

In 2019, the GHR Foundation donated $25,000 to Tanenbaum in support of the group’s annual Peacemakers’ working retreat.  ¹⁰

Leadership

Rev. Mark Fowler is the CEO of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, serving in the role since 2020 while working for the organization since 2007. Fowler is listed as the representative of Tanenbaum for the “United Nations Multifaith Advisory Council for the UN Interagency Task Force on Religion and Development.” He is also listed as the CEO of Action for Diversity and Inclusion, the Inclusion Allies Coalition, and Interfaith United NYC. Fowler works part-time for the One Spirit Learning Alliance as an interfaith seminary instructor. Prior to this, Fowler worked as a trainer for the Anti-Defamation League from 2004 to 2009.  ^{11 5}

Joyce Dubensky is the CEO emerita and senior strategic advisor for Tanenbaum. Previously, Dubensky was the general counsel for the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, a national consultant for the Council of Jewish Federations, and the national director of communications for the National Conference for Community and Justice.  ^{12 5}