Susie Gelman is an American activist and philanthropist who is the chairwoman of the

Israel Policy Forum The Israel Policy Forum is an American Jewish organization that works for a negotiated two-state outcome to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict through advocacy, education and policy research. The organization appeals to American policymakers in ...

Biography

Gelman was born Susan Goldman the daughter of Rhoda (née Haas) and

Richard Goldman Richard N. Goldman (April 16, 1920 – November 29, 2010) was an American billionaire philanthropist who was the co-founder of the Goldman Environmental Prize in 1990 with his wife, Rhoda Haas Goldman, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune. He fo ...

. She has three brothers:

John D. Goldman John D. Goldman (born August 18, 1949) is an American businessman and philanthropist in San Francisco, California. He is a member of the Haas family through his mother. Biography Goldman was born to a Jewish family on August 18, 1949, in San Fra ...

Douglas E. Goldman Douglas E. Goldman (born 1952) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and member of the Haas family. Biography Goldman was born to a Jewish family, the son of Richard and Rhoda (née Haas) Goldman. He has a sister and two brothers: Susie ...

, and Richard W. Goldman (deceased). Her grandfather was Walter A. Haas, president and owner of Levi Strauss & Co. She is a graduate of

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and the

Georgetown University Law Center Georgetown University Law Center is the Law school in the United States, law school of Georgetown University, a Private university, private research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law ...

. She served for three terms as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and is a lifetime member of its board of directors. Gelman co-chaired the Israel Religious Expressions Platform of the

Jewish Federations of North America The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), formerly the United Jewish Communities (UJC), is an American Jewish umbrella organization for the Jewish Federations system, representing over 350 independent Jewish communities across North Ameri ...

which promotes freedom of choice of marriage in Israel. She has also served as the inaugural chair and ongoing board member of the

Birthright Israel Taglit-Birthright Israel (), also known as Birthright Israel or simply Birthright, is a free ten-day heritage trip to Israel, Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights for young adults of Jewish heritage between the ages of 18 and 26. The program is spon ...

Foundation; on the

Taglit-Birthright Israel Taglit-Birthright Israel (), also known as Birthright Israel or simply Birthright, is a free ten-day heritage trip to Israel, Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights for young adults of Jewish heritage between the ages of 18 and 26. The program is spo ...

Planning Committee; co-chair of United Jewish Communities (now

) Israel; and co-chaired the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in Jerusalem in 2003 and 2013. In 2016, she was named chairman of the board for the

, a

New York, NY New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

based

American Jewish American Jews (; ) or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by culture, ethnicity, or religion. According to a 2020 poll conducted by Pew Research, approximately two thirds of American Jews identify as Ashkenazi, 3% ide ...

organization that works for a negotiated

two-state solution The two-state solution is a proposed approach to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, by creating two states on the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. It is often contrasted with the one-state solution, which is the esta ...

to the

Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about Territory, land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation ...

though advocacy, education and policy research.About Israel Policy Forum
at Israel Policy Forum website. Gelman is a member of the Board of Governors of

The Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. It is the second-ol ...

; was awarded an honorary fellowship at

Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...

; served for 12 years on the

Georgetown Day School Georgetown Day School (GDS) is an independent coeducational PK-12 school located in Washington, D.C. The school educates 1,075 elementary, middle, and high school students in northwestern Washington, D.C. Russell Shaw is the current Head of Sch ...

Board of Trustees, including two years as president of the board; serves as president of the board of the Goldman Environmental Foundation; and served on the Board of Managers of Adas Israel Congregation. In 2012, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund closed down and distributed its $280 million in assets to the three siblings. Susie and her husband channel their charitable activities through the Morningstar Foundation. She believes that Israeli annexation of the

West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

is possible and would have terrible consequences for Israel threatening its legitimacy as a Jewish and democratic state.

Personal life

She is married to Michael Gelman. Together they have three children, a son and two daughters. In May, 2024 it was revealed that her daughter Rachel Gelman, through her Bafrayung Fund, is a major sponsor of pro-Palestinian activist groups involved in campus demonstrations and adjacent actions. Michael Gelman was founding partner of the accounting firm ''Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman''. 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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gelman, Susie Living people Jewish American activists Harvard University alumni Haas family Georgetown University Law Center alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Koshland family