Meet Our FYO Staff:
Susan Silverman, Director, Northeast Region
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Susan is currently the Northeast Region Director for Friends of Yemin Orde. She is the first person to hold this position in the organization and is responsible for making Yemin Orde connections in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and New England communities.
Susan visited Yemin Orde Youth Village in July 2011. “It was amazing to see, first-hand, the closeness and respect the children and staff has for each other,” said Susan.
“These relationships make it a very special place.” Susan also toured the other youth villages that have implemented the Yemin Orde methodology through partnership with Yemin Orde Educational Initiatives, such as Kedma and Tom.
“Spreading the special message of Yemin Orde and its impact on thousands of children throughout Israel is an exciting part of my job,” Susan said.
“I want to encourage more people to visit the Village and meet the children and staff. It will be the highlight of any trip to Israel.”
Susan has enjoyed success in spreading FYO’s new Meaning Through Mitzvot program to area synagogues, federations and other organizations. The Meaning Through Mitzvot program provides a pathway for teens in the U.S. to directly impact the life of a child at the Village.
“It can also give these children lifelong connections to each other and to the positive notion of charitable giving,” said Susan.
Recently, Susan accompanied Bat-el Shmuli, an Ethiopian-Israeli who helps coordinate volunteer efforts at the Village, around the New York area. Bat-el visited the U.S. to share her family’s journey from Ethiopia to Israel with children and families at schools and synagogues in New York and also in Florida.
Susan’s volunteer experience with the New York City foster care system gave her exclusive insight into at-risk children and their challenges. She served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the New York City Family Courts, where she acted as liaison between presiding judges and agencies assigned to serve foster children. In addition to her work for FYO, Susan volunteers for many community and school organizations including the Park Avenue Synagogue, the Jewish Journey Project, Mount Sinai Medical Center, the Allen-Stevenson School and The Fieldston School.
Susan is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia School of Social Work and is a Wexner Heritage Fellow. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and three sons.