The Latest From The Foundation

Lisa Shapiro Strauss is a Wexner Heritage Alumna, Houston ‘08.  She is a practicing Criminal Defense Attorney in Houston, Texas.  Lisa can be reached at lisstrauss@sbcglobal.net. The funny thing about a dream is that you really don’t realize it is coming true until the moment has come and gone and you have a chance to reflect back on it.  In the summer of 2007, our Houston Wexner Heritage Group was

Noam Pianko is an Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Washington. He is a faculty member of the Wexner Heritage program and a Wexner Graduate Fellowship alumnus. Noam just published Zionism and the Roads Not Taken: Rawidowicz, Kaplan, Kohn (Indiana University Press), blogs at www.noampianko.com, and lives in Seattle with his wife Rachel Nussbaum (also a Wexner Graduate Fellowship alum) and daughters, Yona and Mia. He can

Rick Kornfeld is a Wexner Heritage Denver 08 alumnus. He is a lawyer in private practice, and specializes in white collar criminal defense, government compliance and internal investigations. Rick’s non-profit work is centered on Jewish education and strengthening the relationship between American Jews and Israelis. Rick can be reached at rick@rechtkornfeld.com. One month before we sat down at the Seder table at our home in Denver, my 14-year-old daughter, Izzi,

Bill lIpsey is an alumnus of Wexner Heritage MetroWest (NJ). He is a past President of Congregation Agudath Israel a Masorti/Conservative shul in Caldwell, NJ; and is on the Board of the Masorti Foundation for Israel and Masorti Olami. Bill helps run an investment firm in New York and can be reached at Lipsey@pzena.com A couple of months ago I was helping my 11-year old son Josh prepare for a

Joel Alperson is a Wexner Heritage Chicago alumnus. Joel lives in Omaha, NE and is a past national campaign chair of the United Jewish Appeal campaign. Joel can be reached at joel.alperson@omahafixture.com. Imagine attending a pro-Israel event in a large venue filled with thousands of supporters. The evening includes emotion filled speeches, inspiring performances, and fundraising to serve Jews in need around the world. Picture dozens of these events being

Yoav Shoam is an alumnus of the Wexner Heritage Program.  He is a professor of Computer Science at Stanford University, a high tech entrepreneur, and active in Jewish and Israeli matters.  His most recent project, the Jewish Peoplehood Closeness Index, is co-led with Nimrod Goor, also a Wexner Heritage alumnus. The project's interim home is the Re'ut Institute, led by Gidi Grinstein, a Wexner Israel Fellowship alumnus.  Yoav can be reached

Jay Moses is an alumnus of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program.  Jay is the Director of the Wexner Heritage Program in the Foundation’s New York office.  He can be reached at jmoses@wexner.net Our armored bus rolled through the desert and turned in to the winding streets of Hevron. Wexner Heritage members and spouses were spending a day exploring the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Home to over

Joey Asch is an alumnus of the Wexner Israel Fellowship Program, Class XVIII. He can be reached at joey@justice.gov.il. In his book “The Lost: The Search for Six of Six Million,” author Daniel Mendelsohn describes an encounter he once had with an Australian Jew. When she told him that she was going to be light (meaning “late”), it dawned on him that there really are Jewish people in places other than

Angie Atkins is a current Wexner Heritage member from MetroWest, NJ and can be reached at angieolami@comcast.net. My slight worry that the Wexner Summer Institute in Israel would be either a very basic Tourism 101 or the Zionist Rally version of a Club Med Vacation was immediately put to rest by the first day’s border tour: the lines at checkpoint Atarot; the taller-than-Babel-security wall on the road to Bethlehem; and

Wexner Alumni are making their mark on the Jewish world, one issue at a time. Be it in North America or Israel, be social action, education, or advocacy, our constituents apply Jewish passion and knowledge while exercising leadership. In this new segment of our newsletter, we hope to periodically profile alumni of all 3 Wexner initiatives who are blazing new paths in the Jewish world, and in so doing, highlight