20th Anniversary

 

 

As the Foundation marks our 20th anniversary in 2025, we are pleased to elevate some of the individuals, organizations, and research that have left an indelible mark on the field over the last two decades.

 

In this feature, we highlight the professional journeys and impact of Liz Fisher and Rabbi David Kasher. Their careers reflect profound dedication to the Jewish community, and the Foundation is fortunate that much of their work included impactful roles at numerous grantee-partners. We’re grateful they took the time to share a few memories and insights with us here. Currently Chief Talent Officer at Jewish Federations of North America, Liz worked previously at Amplifier, Repair the World, Next: A Division of Birthright Israel Foundation, The Jewish Education Project, UJA-Federation of NY, and Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Currently Director of Hadar West Coast at the Hadar Institute, David worked previously at IKAR, Kevah, Berkeley Hillel, and Oakland Hebrew Day School, and was a student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah.

 

At every stop in their professional journeys, they’ve gained wisdom and made an impact. We’re grateful they took the time to share a few memories and insights with us here.

Q & A with Liz and David

Memories and Wisdom

  1. Did you have an “ah-ha” moment in life that made you realize this is the career you wanted?

    Liz Fisher Liz Fisher: I grew up in a very small Jewish community and like many, if not most, young Jews, I didn’t realize there were jobs in the Jewish world other than Rabbi. I fell into this work somewhat accidentally after beginning my career in grassroots community development in the secular non-profit sector. I’m not sure if I ever had an “ah-ha” moment that this is the career that I wanted, but I am among the many people who feel, post 10/7, that this is the career I need. I’ve never felt as blessed to be able to be in service to the Jewish people.

    David Kasher David Kasher: When I returned from a couple of years of studying at a yeshiva in Israel, I was in my early twenties, and I wasn't at all sure what I was going to do with this stuff (or with my life in general, really). Would I keep studying, or just file the experience of learning away and move on to something else? I got a low-level job at a newspaper in the meantime and was mostly bored with it. On a friend's recommendation, I took a side gig teaching in an after-school program for Jewish high school students. This was the first time I was actually serving as a teacher, and I immediately felt that teaching was my calling. But not just any teaching. It was especially the experience of teaching Torah, and the ability to teach in a pluralistic context, without any dogmatic expectations for "correct" ideas. This combo was the perfect set of factors that led me to think, for the first time in my life, "this is what I want to do for a living."

  2. What’s one key learning or piece of insight that has helped you in your career?

    Liz Fisher Liz Fisher: Embrace Shabbat. Whether you are Jewish, or not, traditionally observant, or not, for many of us who work in the Jewish communal space, we have a day when we won’t be interrupted for work. Don’t take that for granted, especially in this ever- connected work. Our friends and family in corporate America and in secular non-profits often get work calls, texts, and emails 24/7. For those of us not in the congregational world, or other spaces that operate on Shabbat, we have a unique opportunity to embrace the 24/6, to pause and reset for the important work to come.

    David Kasher David Kasher: I have always found Torah study, when well-facilitated, to be a far more accessible experience for the average Jew than synagogue services. All someone needs is a good translation and enough encouragement to do their own interpreting, and they can come into contact with the most sophisticated ideas in our tradition, and even contribute their own voice to that ongoing tradition. We have centered so much of Jewish life in the diaspora around the synagogue, but I think that the Beit Midrash is actually a much more dynamic and engaging Jewish communal space.

  3. What’s a memorable moment in your career or one that you’re most proud of?

    Liz Fisher Liz Fisher: In November of 2024, despite several voices suggesting we pivot, we made a decision to move forward and host our Federation professionals conference, FedPro. When I watched hundreds of people stream into the opening plenary hugging each other with tears in their eyes, I knew we had done the right thing. It’s guided all our work since – when possible, we bring people together. We need each other right now.

    David Kasher David Kasher: When I first sat down to try to put together a pedagogical model for the Kevah Teaching Fellowship, I was surprised to find that the vision flowed right out of me. I had enough experience teaching in the field of Jewish Education that I was able to articulate all the steps I went through to prepare a lesson. There were few resources in the pedagogy of Adult Jewish Education - specifically the art of teaching Torah texts in a group setting - and so I really felt that I was contributing to the field.

  4. What’s changed in the field since your career started?

    Liz Fisher Liz Fisher: This is a hard question to answer in a post-10/7 world, when so much has changed. But I’ll go back a bit and say that the thing that has made the most difference has been the rapid growth in communications technology. It is true that constant access has put the burden on all of us to be clear about our own boundaries, however we choose to set them. However, it also has been a game-changer in our ability to reach constituents, employees, and each other. At Jewish Federations of North America, we have a truly global team; the Mandel Center for Leadership Excellence professional talent team that I lead is based throughout the United States. We now have an ability to connect with others across organizations easier than ever before, and it makes the work more interesting and diverse. And, as a working parent, the new technology services – things like online grocery ordering, telemedicine, etc. – have made it easier to juggle work and life.

    David Kasher David Kasher: When I started, the denominations still seemed very much the central organizing structure of the Jewish community. Increasingly, they feel less relevant to Jewish professional life and training - sometimes even perceived as a counter-productive force in Jewish life. People who are looking to become rabbis are not seeking to align themselves with a particular denomination, and the communities they serve care less and less about their particular ideological training.

  5. What gives you hope for the future of the field?

    Liz Fisher Liz Fisher: The skill, passion and compassion that the extraordinary professionals across Jewish communal organizations demonstrate in their roles. Jewish Federations of North America has just launched the second cohort of our mid-career Executive Accelerator, one of several initiatives funded by the generosity of the Jack, Joseph, and Mort Mandel Foundation. Getting to know these “accelerators” and seeing them in action as they work in their communities is not just hopeful, it’s confidence inspiring. Our communities will continue to be in good hands for generations to come.

    David Kasher David Kasher: With so many texts in translation and so many types of media through which these texts can be encountered, in print and online, the tradition has never been more accessible to eager learners. It is a good era for Torah study!