Chairman’s Message

The Foundation is delighted to announce that Ms. Mem Bernstein is assuming the role of Chairman of AVI CHAI. In the video above, Ms. Bernstein discusses her role in the seven years remaining before AVI CHAI sunsets, her vision for a strong Jewish future and her hopes for AVI CHAI’s legacy.

“I’ve been working and will continue to work on building collaborative relationships with other funders who share the same values and goals that we do,” Ms. Bernstein stated in the video interview. She also made note of the seamlessness which she hopes will mark the transition, “I don’t think of myself as leading the Foundation but rather as shepherding the Foundation toward its sunset. Many of the things that we are doing have been put in place for that sunset. My role, as Chairman of AVI CHAI, will be more as a guide towards the sunset days.”

Ms. Bernstein has been a member of the AVI CHAI Board of Trustees and a member of the Foundation’s Executive Committee for the past 13 years.

From 1999 through 2012, after the passing of Zalman Bernstein z”l, Arthur W. Fried served as AVI CHAI’s Chairman. Mr. Fried had been one of AVI CHAI’s founding Trustees and led AVI CHAI through a substantial growth in its funding, the development of a philanthropic portfolio in the former Soviet Union, the construction and opening of Beit AVI CHAI in Jerusalem, and the beginning of AVI CHAI’s spend-down planning. Mr. Fried will continue as an active Trustee and member of the Executive Committee.

For more information and/or to arrange for an interview with Mem Bernstein, please contact Deborah Fishman at 212-396-8850 or dfishman@avichaina.org.