Susie Gelman

Gelman was born Susan Goldman the daughter of Rhoda (née Haas) and Richard Goldman.[1] She has three brothers: John D. Goldman, Douglas E. Goldman, and Richard W. Goldman (deceased).[2] Her grandfather was Walter A. Haas, president and owner of Levi Strauss & Co. She is a graduate of Harvard University and the Georgetown University Law Center.[1] She served for three terms as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and is a lifetime member of its board of directors.[1] Gelman co-chaired the Israel Religious Expressions Platform of the Jewish Federations of North America which promotes freedom of choice of marriage in Israel.[1] She has also served as the inaugural chair and ongoing board member of the Birthright Israel Foundation; on the Taglit-Birthright Israel Planning Committee; co-chair of United Jewish Communities (now Jewish Federations of North America) Israel; and co-chaired the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in Jerusalem in 2003 and 2013.[1][3] In 2016, she was named chairman of the board for the Israel Policy Forum,[1] a New York, NY based American Jewish organization that works for a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict though advocacy, education and policy research.[4][5] Gelman is a member of the Board of Governors of The Hebrew University; was awarded an honorary fellowship at Brandeis University; served for 12 years on the Georgetown Day School Board of Trustees, including two years as president of the board; serves as president of the board of the Goldman Environmental Foundation;[1] and served on the Board of Managers of Adas Israel Congregation.[3] In 2012, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund closed down and distributed its $280 million in assets to the three siblings.[6] Susie and her husband channel their charitable activities through the Morningstar Foundation.[7]

She believes that Israeli annexation of the West Bank is possible and would have terrible consequences for Israel threatening its legitimacy as a Jewish and democratic state.[8][9]

She is married to Michael Gelman. Together they have three children,[1] a son and two daughters.[3] Her husband was founding partner of the accounting firm Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman.[10] She met her husband while they were in UJA's (now JFNA) Young Leadership program and were engaged at Kibbutz Ayelet Hashachar during a Federation mission to Israel.[3]