Jay 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.

Jay graduated from Brandeis University with honors and received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law. He lives in Boston with his wife, Shira, and their four children.

Latest op-eds:

Activism Has Gone Astray: How Can Stakeholders Get It Back on Track?  (Rolling Stone Magazine)

Tech can shorten the ‘last mile’ to health care (NY Daily News)

Report Examines the Motivations That Shape American Jewish Giving (Inside Philanthropy)

Israel Honors All Victims of Antisemitism (Jewish News Syndicate)

Indonesia: With ‘Soft Power’ Comes Great Responsibility (The National Interest)

Why Every Philanthropist Should be Active on Twitter (Nonprofit Quarterly)

Unfinished Business with the Americans with Disabilities Act (Providence Journal)

Narrow and Deep (National Center for Family Philanthropy)

Why no Outrage for Other Victims of Police Brutality? (The Hill)

A Critical Moment in Israel-American Jewish Relations (Jerusalem Post)

What I’ve Learned about Autism and Us (Huffington Post)

End the Stigma of Mental Illness (CNN.com)

When Will Disability Slurs Become Taboo? (Huffington Post)

The Faces of Tomorrow (eJewish Philanthropy)

Congress Ready, Willing and ABLE  (The Hill- joint op-ed with Congressman Gregg Harper)

Oceans That Divide (Huffington Post)

Is It Really A New Year? (Huffington Post)

Israel Can’t do Without U.S. Jewry (Ynet)

My Father and Our Legacy (eJewish Philanthropy)

The Value Added of Engagement (Grant Craft- Foundation Center)

Reuven Feuerstein: A Man Ahead of his Time (Jerusalem Post)

Disabled Individuals Bring Innovation to the Workforce (Huffington Post)

Disability as Lifelong Marathon (Times of Israel)

Memories for Everyone (eJewish Philanthropy)

Doing Justice to Charity (Jerusalem Post)

A Fair and Flourishing Community (eJewish Philanthropy)