“Birthright Israel is What Keeps That Connection Alive”: A Conversation with Steven and Jodie Fishman

Steven and Jodie Fishman are dedicated philanthropists and community leaders whose commitment to Jewish life spans decades. As Chair of the Los Angeles Birthright Israel Foundation Leadership Council, Steven greatly expanded the organization's impact. He holds leadership roles with Stephen Wise Temple, AIPAC, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, ELNET, the national board of Birthright Israel, Hebrew Union College, the Impact Forum, and the Washington Institute, among others. Steven and Jodie have made a legacy gift to Birthright Israel Foundation as part of its Fund for the Jewish Future. They are the proud parents of three children and grandparents of seven.

You’ve been involved with Birthright Israel for nearly two decades. How did you first get introduced to the organization, and what made you decide to make it such a central part of your philanthropy?

Jodie Fishman: I first learned about Birthright Israel from a close friend who was hosting an event at her house to teach parents about the trips. I didn’t know anything about it at the time, but just listening to her, I thought, "What a great program. I want to be a part of it.” I recognized right away how important it was to keep our kids involved and to introduce them to Israel.

Steven Fishman: Jodie got us started on this path early on. Eventually, I became the Leadership Council Chair and spent eight or ten years in that role. What really crystallized our passion was attending a leadership conference in Las Vegas years ago and hearing the Brandeis University research data presented by Dr. Len Saxe. The data was just so powerful. Seeing the irrefutable proof of how one 10-day trip changes lives is what locked us in.

Beyond that, I love Judaism, being a proud Zionsist and the Jewish people. I’ve been on a number of Jewish boards, and Birthright Israel is by far my favorite. The senior leadership team and the board are warm, friendly, and collaborative. There’s no drama—I just get joy out of all of it.

How did your personal journey shape your commitment to Birthright Israel?

Steven: I grew up in a suburb in the San Fernando Valley that wasn’t highly Jewish. My dad was raised Orthodox, and we had kosher food and celebrated the holidays, but there was no discussion in my home about the importance of Judaism. My dad’s values were steeped in Torah—he cared about people, wanted to be kind and generous—but I never connected those dots to my faith. It wasn’t until I went to UCLA and joined a Jewish fraternity, ZBT, that I had my first experience of feeling like I was with my people.

Jodie and I got married at 22, and she immediately got us involved in Jewish preschools and the Federation. But the biggest impact on my path as a Zionist has been traveling. We’ve visited more than 80 countries. Seeing the Jewish footprint all over the world and learning about how history hasn't been kind to us, really shaped my perspective and my journey. Now, as I see anti-Semitism screaming back at home and all over the world, I want to double down. I want to fight back and leave a legacy.

What was it like to bring your own family to Israel, and how does that compare to the experiences you help provide for Birthright Israel participants today?

Steven: The first time we took our kids to Israel was for our daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. We asked our rabbi how to plan it, and he immediately listed all the fun things—swimming with dolphins, water parks, river rafting down the Jordan, water skiing on the Kineret, and floating in the Dead Sea. We ended up taking our kids to a kibbutz in the North. Our youngest was about seven or eight, and she walked in and said, "This isn't a Four Seasons!" But we absolutely loved it. We loved the community, the dining hall, and learning about it.

When you look at Israel today—especially compared to other countries that were founded around the same time—it is a miracle. Israelis live in a difficult neighborhood, but they are doers. They are happy. Providing a safe haven and a place for Jews to go and feel safe, strong and proud is everything.

What is it like to meet Birthright Israel participants whose lives have been changed by these trips?

Jodie: Going to Israel and being with those kids is the most amazing experience. Listening to them talk about how they maybe weren’t so involved in Judaism and then having this "aha" moment on the trip—it’s remarkable. It just feels so good to know that they’re going to go home and keep that experience alive, and maybe even raise their own children with those values. We have to do this, because seeing is believing. They won’t form such a deep connection with Israel just from reading about it.

Steven: We’ve been at this for 18 years, so we’ve heard literally hundreds of alumni speak. One story that always sticks out to me is an alumna whose father was a minister, but his family was Jewish. She went on one of the first Birthright trips, thinking it was just a free vacation. Her last name was Cohen. When she got on the plane, she realized everyone else had names like Cohen, too. She got to Israel and finally realized, these are my people. She became a passionate spokesperson for Birthright Israel and a national board member.

Another time, we were on a donor mission dining at a restaurant overlooking the Kotel, and there happened to be a group of Birthright participants having their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs right there. Listening to their joy was just overwhelming.

Brandeis University recently confirmed that Birthright Israel is the most effective way to reverse the decline in Jewish connection among young adults. How does it feel to know your support fuels that transformation?

Jodie: That says it all, right? We need it. If we don’t have it, we’re going to lose it. It is scary to think that one day young people might not recognize the importance of being Jewish or knowing where our history lies.

Steven: You can’t refute the data. We’ve sent more than 900,000 kids, with the hope of sending another 200,000 by 2029. There are only about 16 million of us in the world—you do the math. If you care about ensuring the Jewish future, what better way is there?

I am also incredibly moved by the Birthright Israel Excel Fellows. After October 7, it was the Excel Fellows who hatched the idea for the Volunteer program. I was so impressed by the maturity and brilliance of these young adults that I actually increased our annual gift by $100,000 just to direct it toward Excel. I truly believe the future of Jewish leadership in our country, and maybe even in Israel, will be these alumni.

The data shows Birthright Israel alumni overwhelmingly raise their children Jewish. How does that finding resonate with you, especially for young adults who might end up marrying outside the faith?

Jodie: Friends sometimes tell me they’re worried because their child is dating someone who isn't Jewish. I always tell them, "Maybe we'll get another Jew out of it!" The important thing is raising their children Jewish. A Birthright Israel trip can inspire a young adult—or even their non-Jewish partner—to become passionate about raising a Jewish family. That is the goal.

You’ve been highly involved in Jewish philanthropy across the board. How do you decide where to direct your largest impact, and how do you encourage others to step up?

Steven: My dad always used to say, "When you give, you get more than you give," and I really believe that. A rabbi who raised over a billion dollars for Jewish LA once told me he doesn't care if somebody doesn't give to his specific project, as long as they give somewhere. Everyone has their favorite cause. But to move someone from a standard gift to a truly meaningful, needle-moving gift, you have to move them emotionally. You have to educate them. When you look at the undeniable data from the Brandeis studies, Birthright Israel easily pushes into our top tier of giving.

You have now chosen to make a legacy gift as part of the Fund for the Jewish Future. How did you arrive at that decision?

Steven: It was the realization that we are nearing 70, and we have accumulated the resources to make a meaningful gift that will continue to support a program deeply important to us long after we’re not here. It essentially endows our annual gift in perpetuity.

What feels incredibly good to me is that this is something Jodie and I are entirely unified on. We share the exact same passion for this. We want our kids and grandkids to know the importance of giving back. I craft our own family holiday services, keeping the kids and grandkids principally involved because I know they will create lasting memories. My daughter volunteers eight hours a week at Beit T'Shuvah, a Jewish recovery center in LA. We hope our involvement in Birthright Israel has a heavy impact on them, and that they follow in our footsteps to keep it going.

When you look ahead, what is your vision for the Jewish future—the future that Birthright Israel is working to create?

Steven: My hope is that Jewish people can live in peace, prosperity, and safety, and continue to live a Jewish life without feeling threatened. Years ago, I asked former Prime Minister Ehud Barak what the biggest existential threat to the Jewish people was. I thought he would say Iran. You know what he said? Us. If Jews don't care about Jews, and they don't care about Israel, what happens? We disappear. There aren't many of us to begin with. If we stick together, we survive. Birthright Israel is what keeps that connection alive.