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Feb 13, 2025, 11:23 PM

The Leadership Myth: We Don’t Need All the Answers—We Need Each Other

Cohort 2: JFNA Executive Accelerator, Baltimore, MD, February, 2025.

The stories we tell ourselves are rarely accurate. We craft narratives about our own readiness, our worth, our ability to lead—stories that often undermine rather than empower. In the early days of executive leadership, these narratives loom especially large....

Nov 14, 2024, 5:34 AM

Magen David Adom: Israel’s Lifesaving Shield

This past week, the Jewish Federations of North America hosted their annual General Assembly. The event featured a networking lounge where remarkable organizations showcased their essential work. One standout was Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical, disaster...

Aug 5, 2024, 3:44 PM

American Jews and Israeli Druze: Minorities pact

Last Week I accompanied the president of the Jewish Federation in Chicago Lonnie Nasatir, their CEO in Israel Ofer Bavly, and Rebecca Caspi director general of JFNA’s Israel office to the Village of Jules. We visited Shaykh Mowafaq Ṭarīf,...

Apr 18, 2024, 10:26 PM

One Woman Two Wars – A Journey of a Ukrainian, Israeli, Jew

My first humanitarian aid mission to Izium, Ukraine in September 2022. The city was liberated 24 hours before our arrival. This 11-year-old boy was living under Russian occupation for 7 months.

On the morning of October 7, I woke up to messages from my friends asking “Are you okay? How is your family? Is everyone safe?” As a Ukrainian, waking up to lots of messages has meant fear -- fear...

Sep 13, 2023, 6:55 AM

Show Solidarity with Jailed Reporter Evan Gershkovich

Co-authored with Jennifer Dubrow Weiss, CEO of Jewish Federation of Southern NJ Jewish families are preparing to gather for Rosh Hashana next Friday, but in an otherwise flourishing community on the East Coast, one heartsick family of Jewish emigres from...

Sep 24, 2022, 10:50 AM

Ethiopian Aliyah: The Hope and the Promise

Credit: Sivan Farag, Jewish Agency for Israel

I'm proud to be playing a role in the redemption of our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia and in the ingathering of exiles – but our work is not yet done

Dec 9, 2021, 1:14 PM

Helping Students Turn Hope Into Future Reality

When I think of the children my team works to support, a persistent question lingers in my mind. How can you dream if you cannot even conceptualize possibilities, if you cannot conceive of promise and potential? What happens when you...

Michael J. Lawrence

May 21, 2020, 8:09 AM

Light Philanthropy: Bamidbar

I think we have all been moved by the medical teams around the world who have worked (sometimes at their own risk) to treat corona-ill folks over the last few months. We have shed a tear upon witnessing the...

Feb 23, 2019, 8:21 PM

Cracking the Millennial Code

In May 2013, Time Magazine published an article entitled “The Me Me Me Generation”. It was a scathing attempt at making sense of the Millennial generation, the largest and most diverse generation to date. It included statements such as “What...

Dec 7, 2018, 8:30 AM

The 8,000 Remaining Jews of Ethiopia: A Photo Frozen in Time

Credit: Avital Lisker

I glanced at the photo and broke out in an immediate smile. The memories of the summer camp in the remaining Jewish community of Ethiopia, still etched in my mind one year later. Avital recently returned from Ethiopia and...

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