Topic: Leading the Charge/Advocating for the Disabled

Topic: Leading the Charge/Advocating for the Disabled

 

Guests: Jay & Shira Ruderman

 

Jay Ruderman is the President of the Ruderman Family Foundation, which focuses on the inclusion of people with disabilities worldwide and educating Israeli leaders on the American Jewish community. He also has served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Funders Network and is a member of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Executive Committee.

 

Jay is a life-long Bostonian. Upon graduating law school, he began his career as an assistant district attorney in Salem, Massachusetts. In the fall of 2001, he became Deputy Director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in New England. In 2005, Mr. Ruderman enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and became the liaison between the IDF and Diaspora Jewry. After his service in the IDF, he returned to AIPAC as the Leadership Director for AIPAC in Israel.

 

Shira Ruderman is a professional philanthropist and social activist. She serves as the Executive Director of the Ruderman Family Foundation, a private family foundation that invests in three primary areas of focus:  advocating for and advancing the inclusion of people with disabilities throughout our society, strengthening the relationship between Israel and the American Jewish community, and modeling the practice of strategic philanthropy worldwide.

 

Shira holds a BA in Education and an MA in Public Policy from Hebrew University, and an Honorary Doctorate from Haifa University and from Brandeis University. In 2014 she was chosen as one of 100 most influential women in Israel, and in 2016 as one of 50 most influential Jews in the world.

Shira serves as a board member of various organizations and associations in Israel and the United States and was recently appointed as Chairwoman of the Fulbright Foundation.

 

In this wide ranging interview, we cover:

 

1. Early Influences

2. Living in Israel/Living in America

3. Educating the Entertainment Industry

4. Leadership & Research

5. Investing in the People that Lead

6. Open for new opportunities and ideas

7. Sexy Philanthropy

And much much more!