Leading the Way
For the incoming president of JNF Orlando’s board of directors, all roads have led to this moment
Leah Silver has consistently exhibited the traits of a leader throughout her life, even as a young girl.
“I remember that I could handle tough situations and liked to problem solve,” says Leah. “I knew I wanted to work with people [when I grew up].”
In October, Leah will become the new board president of Jewish National Fund-USA’s Orlando chapter.
“I’ve always been involved in the community, both in Orlando and elsewhere, and I’ve always enjoyed leadership,” she says. “I feel I’m ending up in the right place at the right time.”
Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, Leah was raised in a traditional Jewish family and attended a Conservative shul, along with her two brothers and sister. When she was eight years old, her family moved to Tampa, Florida. Leah’s hardworking parents instilled in her a deep sense of responsibility, Jewish pride, and strength.
At the University of Florida, Leah was a member of the Jewish sorority Alpha Epsilon Phi. She graduated from UF with a bachelor’s degree in human resource development and earned a master’s degree in business, leadership, and organizational development from the University of South Florida.
“The degrees gave me the knowledge, but the real learning about business came from the 13 years I spent in various regional and corporate leadership roles at Target,” says Leah. “I was very lucky.”
Leah and husband Eric, who live in Sanford, are the parents of two children, Livia and Tobey. Leah is now the chief human resources officer – an executive leadership position – at AnewHealth, a national medication management and pharmacy care provider.
Leah’s connection to Israel and JNF-USA has been growing exponentially for more than a decade.
“Eric and I had been to Israel with Momentum [a global Jewish women’s organization] in 2015 and 2017, and it was an experience that changed our lives and our connection to Israel.”
Their children have also played an important role in strengthening Leah’s connection to Israel and JNF-USA.
In 2022, Tobey created his bar mitzvah project in partnership with JNF. He raised funds to strengthen one of the organization’s signature projects – the Sderot Indoor Recreation Center for residents of Sderot, a town located less than a mile from Gaza. And in 2023, Livia attended JNF’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel, a pluralistic, college-prep, fully accredited program where high-school students from the United States and across the globe study abroad together.
Leah joined JNF Orlando’s board in 2023 and served as co-chair (along with Debbie Meitin) of the organization’s Women for Israel (WFI) initiative. WFI is a philanthropic group that harnesses the power of women to support JNF-USA’s mission of ensuring the future of the land and people of Israel.
“JNF is unlike any other Jewish organization,” says Leah. “Every organization has its specific goal, but JNF’s unique focus is on delivering tangible results on the ground in Israel. You can literally see the long-term results. This includes the thousands of homes built in the underserved North and South regions of Israel along with the fire and rescue services and medical centers.”
As the Orlando chapter’s new board president, Leah will make education her top priority.
“When people understand how powerful JNF is – how it is making Israel stronger from the inside out – they will want to be more involved,” she says. “Our time is now to support Israel, and JNF is a great way for our community to do so.”