How did you land in Baltimore? 

I met my husband, Michael, in Israel shortly after the Yom Kippur War. After we were married, we lived in Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore and St. Louis during Michael’s medical training. We really liked Baltimore very much, and when Johns Hopkins offered Michael a position right out of training, we decided to move back, even though we had no family here at the time. 

How did you get involved with The Associated? 

Soon after we came back to Baltimore, I was invited to participate in The Associated’s Young Leadership Program. That was the beginning of a long, meaningful and incredibly rewarding relationship with The Associated.  

Talk to me about your current role with the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership. Why is this volunteer position so close to your heart? 

My husband, Michael, was part of the original mission that selected Ashkelon as Baltimore’s partner city, and he later served as one of the Partnership’s first chairs. My own connection to Ashkelon and the partnership really grew from that.  

Over the years, I’ve visited Ashkelon many times on Associated missions, and I’ve had some deeply moving experiences with the people and programs there.  

Serving as Co-chair has been a longtime dream of mine. What makes it so meaningful is seeing firsthand how our collective efforts truly change lives on the ground. The Partnership makes Israel personal, facilitating many friendships between the people of Baltimore and the people of Ashkelon. It’s a real partnership in every sense of the word. 

When our children were young, we bought a house in Jerusalem so they, and now our grandchildren, would always feel that Israel was home. Over the years, we’ve traveled the length and breadth of the country with them, helping bring to life the places and stories they learned about in school. 

It has been our privilege to host many Associated dinners in our Jerusalem home, and I look forward to continuing that tradition. I’m deeply grateful that The Associated recognizes how central Israel is to Jewish life. Every dollar we give helps build the Jewish future, not only here in Baltimore, but in our homeland Israel as well. 

What do you love most about Jerusalem?  

Even after 25 years of living in the Old City of Jerusalem, I’m still in awe every single time I walk down the steps to the Kotel on Friday night, as Shabbat begins. In that moment, you see the entire tapestry of the Jewish people gathered together. The phrase from Psalms leaps to life.

“Yerushalayim Ir sh’chubra lah yachdav. Jerusalem, the city that brings the Jewish people together”. 

As you rotate off as a Chair, what are you most proud of about where Partners is today? 

More than 600 people from across the spectrum of Jewish Baltimore have participated in Partners programs. Many have returned again and again. People whose paths might never have crossed are making genuine connections and building meaningful relationships. Partners is bringing Jews from different backgrounds together, uniting a diverse group while strengthening their Jewish identity. 

What is your hope for continued connection between the diverse Jewish communities? 

Jews everywhere share both an illustrious history and a common destiny. When we are united, we become an unstoppable force for good. When we stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah after leaving Egypt thousands of years ago, we were described as ish echad b’lev echad, as one person with one heart. That doesn’t mean we all thought the same way, but it does mean we respected and valued one another. As we engage in work that brings our community together, that is my hope and my vision for our people. 

If I could choose someone from modern Jewish history, it would be Golda Meir. I would ask both of these remarkable women, each of whom changed Jewish history in her own way, what they believed was the secret to their success. 

Anything else you want to share? 

I really would like people to understand just how invaluable The Associated is, and how deeply our community depends on it. I don’t think the average Jewish person in Baltimore fully understands the extraordinary role The Associated plays in shaping the landscape of our lives. My personal mission to be an emissary for The Associated, to help people better understand its impact and why its work matters.