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.
JDC Board Member since 2011; Mamaroneck, NY
Currently, she is Co-President of the PTSA at
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
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Cheryl Fishbein
New York, NY
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
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
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.
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.
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
JDC Board Member since 1989; Philadelphia, PA
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
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.
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.
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THE JDC AMBASSADORS STEERING COMMITTEE
May 2012
