LEADERSHIP

Meet members of the JDC Ambassadors Steering Committee

Zachary “Zach” D. Fasman, Co-Chair
JDC Board Member since 2012; New York, New York

Zach Fasman is a partner in Paul Hastings LLP and national co-chair of the firm’s employment discrimination practice.  He has practiced labor and employment law in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and New York for 40 years.  He is a member of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and has been listed for many years in Best Lawyers in America and Who’s Who in American Law.  A member of the Advisory Board of New York University’s Center for Labor and Employment Law, he frequently teaches labor and employment law to members of the federal judiciary on behalf of the Federal Judicial Center and New York University Law School.  He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and Northwestern University.  

Zach is a Board member of the Myers-Brookdale Institute in Israel and a member of the Lawyers’ Committee of the ADL.  He has three grown children and two grandsons.  Zach and his wife Andrea Udoff live in New York City.

Jayne Lipman, Co-Chair
JDC Board Member since 2011; Mamaroneck, NY

As a resident of Westchester, New York for the past 16 years, Jayne has been an active volunteer with leadership roles in numerous community organizations, including Board positions at Larchmont Temple, the Mamaroneck Schools Foundation, the Emelin Theater,  and the Student Aid Fund.

Currently, she is Co-President of the PTSA at Mamaroneck High School and a member of Cornell University’s Advisory Council for the College of Arts & Sciences.

As a board member of the JDC and co-chair of its Ambassadors’ Circle, Jayne has travelled on a number of JDC missions including Lithuania, Ukraine, the Russian Far East, and Uzbekistan.

Jayne holds a BA from Cornell University and an MBA from Columbia University, and continues to study intensive Hebrew.  She and her husband, Bob Goodman have three children, ages 21, 17 and 11.

____

Cheryl Fishbein
New York, NY

Cheryl Fishbein has a long history of voluntary leadership involvements.  She is on the Board of UJA-Federation of NY where she is  the 2008 recipient of the Generosity of Spirit Award. She is past chair of the Caring Commission, of the Hurricane Katrina Relief Committee, of the Missions Committee and of the Trauma Task Force at UJA-Federation. She is a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency (JAFI), The United Israel Appeal  (UIA), and she is on the FSU and Property Reclamation Committees of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).  Cheryl serves on the Board of Governors of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and is co-chair of the New York Region Diplomatic Outreach Committee.  She is past chair of the Commission on Jewish Contemporary Life at AJC. Cheryl is on the Board to the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) where she carries the Israel Strategy Portfolio. She is on the Executive Committee of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) where she co-chairs the Commission on Intergroup Relations; the Jewish Home and Hospital Board; the Board of the JCC Association of North America; the Board of the Jewish Funders Network; the Board of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) where she chairs the Emergency Committee and where she is past chair of the Domestic Council; in addition to several other boards of non-profit agencies. Cheryl serves on the International Board of Governors of  Beit Hatfustot, Museum of the Jewish People, and is the Immediate Past President of the American Friends.  She serves on the Board of the Israel Trauma Coalition and as Secretary of the Board of Israel 21c.  Cheryl is the past president and chair of the Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst in Brooklyn..


Cheryl is in private practice as a clinical psychologist and an attorney.  She has worked as an attorney at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and also continues to do consulting for individuals in the area of their donations to charity organizations. She holds a doctorate in psychology from SUNY at Stony Brook, a law degree from New York University and a bachelor’s in psychology from Barnard College.  She is married to Philip Schatten and they have four children and 3 grandchildren.


Morton “Mort” L. Friedkin
JDC Board Member since 2003; San Francisco, CA

Morton Friedkin is Founder and Chairman of Friedkin Realty Group, a real estate development firm based in San Francisco. Mr. Friedkin also serves on the Boards of the Jewish Community Foundation, the Pacific Northwest Region of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Friends of Israel Political Action Committee, the Lark Creek Restaurant Group, Hood River Distillery, and the Anti-Defamation League.

Mr. Friedkin has degrees in Economics and Political Science from California State University, Hayward. He and his wife, Amy, have three children, Benjamin, David, and Jennifer, and three grandchildren, Brian, Sarah Anne, and Nicole.

Barry Kahan
Philadelphia, PA

Mr. Barry Kahan is President and Owner of Kay & Sons, LLC, a sales organization specializing in energy efficient solar shading systems and lighting control technology. His organization became one of the pioneers of Total Light Management - combining the intelligent control of both natural and artificial light to reduce energy costs in buildings.

A graduate of Dickinson College, Mr. Kahan's real passion is in helping others. Towards that end, in 2009 he sold the majority share of Kay & Sons to a group of investors. Mr. Kahan is the founder of Adath Israel “Mitzvah Makers” and a Board Member of Chasdei Eliahu (financial assistance and food to the Jewish needy). He serves as a Member of Advisory Board for Congregation Beth Hamedrosh and is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation. Mr. Kahan has created fund raising events for and participated on the event planning committee for Fox’s Fight to Beat Melanoma, The Cook for a Friend program and The Mitzvah Food Pantry. He is the Recipient of the Ateret Kavod Award, given by the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism for Social Action and Community Service and the National Solomon Schechter Award for Social Action.

In his spare time, Mr. Kahan has been a Member of the USA Triathlon Team at the 2009 World Maccabiah Games and the USA Aquathlon Team at the 2006 Age Group World Championships. He has travelled extensively throughout the world, and especially to Israel, on both family and adventure vacations.

Judah S. Kraushaar
Chappaqua, NY

Judah S. Kraushaar is the Managing Partner of Roaring Brook Capital, a long/short equity hedge fund focused on US Mid-cap companies. The fund was launched in January of 2007. Mr. Kraushaar began his career at Chase Econometrics and subsequently worked at Morgan Stanley and at Merrill Lynch in numerous capacities, including First Vice President. Mr. Kraushaar has been recognized by Institutional Investor Magazine, Greenwich Research Associates, The Wall Street Journal, and by Fortune and Bloomberg Magazines. Mr. Kraushaar has also been a repeat guest on CNBC and Louis Rukeyser’s Wall Street and has appeared in other media.

In 2003, Mr. Kraushaar took a sabbatical to write a book with Sandy Weill, which tells Mr. Weill’s life story in the world of business and financial services. “The Real Deal: My Life in Business And Philanthropy” was published in October 2006 and quickly became a best seller.

Mr. Kraushaar serves on the Board of Trustees for Commentary Magazine and the American Jewish Committee and is a member of The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s National Council. Moreover, he advises the Jewish community of Turkey on financial and strategic matters in conjunction with JDC.

Mr. Kraushaar received his both his BA and MBA from Cornell University. He and his wife, Michele, have three children.

Sandy Lenger
New York, NY

Sandy Lenger is a Vice Chair with Jewish Federation of North America National Women’s Philanthropy. Her portfolio includes co-chairing the T.E.C.H. Team, a corps of trained consultants who speak at Federations throughout the country.

Ms. Lenger has participated in numerous missions throughout the world with JDC and JFNA, and co-chaired the 2011 Heart to Heart Women’s Mission. She also served as Campaign Co-Chair for the Federation of Middlesex Country, Chair and President of the Women’s Division campaign, and was granted the Young Leadership Award. She is a Young Leadership Cabinet alumnus.

Ms. Lenger and her husband, Dr. Steven Lenger, have underwritten the Cuban children’s milk program. Ms. Lenger is a graduate of Skidmore College and a Registered Nurse.

Dr. and Ms. Lenger have three children; Marisa, Paul, and Carly.

Shari B. Levy
Westport, CT

Shari Levy is involved in various local and national organizations and has served on the board of directors and executive committees of The Conservative Synagogue of Westport and Weston and UJA/Federation of Westport, Weston, Wilton and Norwalk.

She is currently a member of the executive committee of Camp Ramah New England in Palmer, MA, a trustee of The Washington Institute, and a member of the Northeast Council of AIPAC. Ms. Levy has been recognized for her service to the community by UJA/Federation WWWN, United Synagogue, and the Anti-Defamation League.

Ms. Levy grew up in New York and earned a BA in Humanities from SUNY College at Purchase and then went on to earn an MA in Museum Studies from Case Western Reserve University. She has taught various subjects to all ages, preschool to adults, in diverse settings.

Ms. Levy and her husband, Harold (co-president of Iridian Asset Management), live in Westport, CT. They have three children.

Betsy R. Sheerr
JDC Board Member since 1989; Philadelphia, PA

Betsy R. Sheerr has traveled the world for JDC and speaks extensively as an advocate for overseas Jewry. She has chaired the JDC International Development (non-sectarian) Program and Marketing & Communications Committee, was Vice-Chair of the Israel Committee, and led the Israel work group of the Strategic Visioning process.

Ms. Sheerr’s leadership positions include JACPAC, AIPAC, JCRC and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. She is a former National Chairman of the UJA Young Women's Leadership Cabinet. In her local Federation, she was a past Trustee, past chair of the campaign's Major Gifts and the Committee for the Jewish Poor, and she currently serves on its Policy, Strategy & Funding Committee. She is an Executive Committee member of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Ms. Sheerr is a public speaking coach with an international practice in presentation skills for a range of clients, from individuals in the public eye to companies in M&A or public offerings. She teaches in the MBA program at Wharton. She holds a B.A. and M.Phil. from Yale University. She and her husband, Richard, live in Philadelphia and are members of both Congregation Rodeph Shalom and the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center. They have four children and four grandchildren.

Mark B. Sisisky
JDC Board Member since 2009; Richmond, VA

Mark B. Sisisky Chairs JDC’s Annual Board Fund, is a Vice-Chair of the Resource Development Committee and the combined Ukraine/Belarus & Moldova/Central Asia Committee, serves on the JDC Audit and Investment committees, and is a member of the Executive Committee. He is managing partner of Caprin Asset Management, a municipal bond investment firm located in Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Sisisky also serves as President and Chief Investment Officer of New Dominion of Virginia LC, and as a director of Xenith Bank headquartered in Richmond, VA. Mr. Sisisky has held various volunteer portfolios over his career including President of The American Red Cross of Southside Virginia, President of the United Way of Central Virginia, President of the United Way Foundation, and President of the Endowment Fund of the United Way of Greater Richmond. He is a member of the Foundation Board of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Mr. Sisisky also served the Jewish community as President of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond and The Richmond Jewish Foundation. In 2000, he was awarded the Distinguished Community Service Award.

In August 2002, Governor Mark Warner appointed Mr. Sisisky to the Steering Committee of the Economic Development Strategic Planning Task Force – One Virginia / One Future. He was also appointed by four previous Governors to the State’s Virginia-Israel Partnership. Currently, he serves as a Governor of The Community Foundation serving Greater Richmond. He also is a trustee and member of the National Campaign Committee for the Council for America’s First Freedom, and is on the Board of Directors of Virginia Life Sciences Investment, LLC. In October 2008, Mr. Sisisky received the Humanitarian Award of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities.

Mr. Sisisky received a B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1972. He and his wife, Susan, live in Richmond and have two married children and two granddaughters - Alexandra Lily Salky and Eva Mei Sisisky.

Etta Gross Zimmerman
JDC Board Member Since 2002; Boca Raton, FL

Etta Gross Zimmerman is the Chair of the Africa & Asia Committee and a past Chair of the JDC Ukraine Area Committee. She has traveled extensively throughout the world visiting various JDC programs and speaks of her overseas travels using personal photojournalism to engage communities in supporting overseas needs.

Ms. Zimmerman is a past Chair of the Board of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and an Honorary Board member of the Jewish Agency for Residential Care.

Ms. Zimmerman and her husband, Raymond, have one daughter, Leya Edelstein.





THE JDC AMBASSADORS STEERING COMMITTEE

May 2012