From breaking news to breaking barriers, Juju Chang has devoted her career to amplifying voices, illuminating issues like civil rights, LGBTQ+ struggles, gender-based violence, and more. On Feb. 4, the award-winning co-anchor of ABC News' Nightline will headline JUF Women's Philanthropy's 2026 Grand Event at Bryn Mawr Country Club in Lincolnwood-an evening celebrating community, identity, and the power of giving.
Chang has spent decades reporting major world events at ABC News, including extensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, high profile celebrities, global climate issues, the opioid epidemic, and more. In 2024, she covered the campus protests at Columbia University over the Gaza War.
"Watching all of these events unfold, I am continually reminded that journalists' objective is to remain neutral," Chang said. "I thought that was my professional stance as a journalist, but I have also realized that is who I am at my core. I like to hear multiple opinions and multiple perspectives."
A former news anchor for
Good Morning America
, Chang joined ABC News as an entry-level desk assistant following her graduation from Stanford University in 1987, and rose to become a producer for World News Tonight. After reporting for KGO-TV in San Francisco and the ABC News affiliate service NewsOne in Washington, D.C., she co-anchored the overnight show
World News Now
. Chang's work has been recognized with numerous awards, including multiple Emmys, Gracies, a DuPont, a Murrow, and Peabody Awards.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Northern California, Chang converted to Judaism after she married her Jewish husband, but not immediately.
"I actually told my fiancé, now husband of 30 years, that I would never convert and for the first 10 years of our marriage, I didn't," Chang reflected. "But over time and over many Seders and Shabbats and even Yom Kippur celebrations, I felt drawn to the faith as a person and not just as a spouse or as a mother. So, I told my husband I wanted to convert, and it shocked him. I chose Judaism for myself."
The mother of three boys, who Chang proudly calls "nice Jewish young men," has been involved in Jewish philanthropy and Jewish life for many years, serving on committees as a lay leader at her synagogue. Recently, she was asked to join the board of the 92nd Street Y, a premier cultural institution in New York City, where she serves on the Jewish life committee.
Chang's Asian roots are also important to her identity as a Jew. "The future of Judaism is multicultural, multiracial identities," she said. "I'm arguably as active in the Korean and Asian communities. I have also found myself as a bridgebuilder between the two communities. We experienced a lot of scapegoating during COVID and there was a big rise in anti-Asian hate. I sort of equate that to the scapegoating that happens to Jews."
A frequent speaker, Chang looks forward to gathering with Grand Event attendees and sharing her own commitment to Jewish philanthropy.
"There is a lot of turbulence in the world, so to be at gatherings where people feel a sense of community and a sense of pride is the best antidote for a lot of the negativity that we face," she said. "Jewish philanthropy is more important now than ever because it gives so many people an in point to a Jewish life."
Women who contribute an individual gift of $1,000 or more to the 2026 JUF Annual Campaign are invited to attend. Register at
juf.org/GrandEvent
. A virtual option is also available. If you have any questions, please contact Ari Beard at
AriBeard@juf.org
or 312-357-4844.
