Friedman taps Maidenbaum for Fulbright board
Shalom Maidenbaum says he was inspired to get involved in Jewish causes and support Israel by his parents when he was young.
That immersion in Jewish life propelled Maidenbaum, who now lives in Lawrence and is a principal in the Cedarhurst law firm Maidenbaum & Sternberg, to an appointment to the board of the United States-Israel Educational Foundation, which helps administer the Fulbright Program in Israel.
Maidenbaum, 61, recalled the honor he felt when he received a letter of appointment from the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, a Woodsburgh resident, whom he has known for 35 years. “This is something that I’m really proud of and grateful for,” Maidenbaum said. “I’m eager to begin, as it is important to live up to the expectations and high standards of the Fulbright Program.”
The Fulbright Program, established in 1946 by US Sen. J. William Fulbright, has awarded scholarships or grants to roughly 390,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists, giving them the opportunity to study and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
USIEF was created in 1956 by the US and Israel to administer the Fulbright Program in the Jewish state. The foundation is funded by the two countries’ governments, and is overseen by a 10-member board of directors, five from each country. It also aims to promote mutual understanding between the two nations through student and faculty exchanges.
“I know that you have many demands on your time, yet I am sure that you will make important contributions to the USIEF’s management of the Fulbright program,” Friedman wrote in the letter to Maidenbaum.
In 2017, the Zionist Organization of America honored Maidenbaum and his wife, Iris, for their charitable donations with the Justice Louis D. Brandeis Award.
“My mother was born in Israel and my father was born in Poland,” Maidenbaum said. “I grew up in a post-World War II era, understanding the importance of having a Western civilized Jewish state.”
“I believe in giving back, as life has been good to me financially,” he said.
Some of the charitable causes in Israel that the Maidenbaums have been involved in include helping fund Beit Elazraki, a foster home for children in Netanya, providing scholarships for Ethiopian students, and donating video teleconferencing equipment to the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.
“I’ve studied in Israel, as I spent a semester studying at Tel Aviv University Business School,” he said. “I also spent a semester at Hebrew University Law School.”
Maidenbaum’s sister lives in Israel with her nine children and 30 grandchildren.
He described his new role on the USIEF board as a natural fit.
“I grew up with a deep appreciation and knowledge of Israel, and I think the ambassador realized that,” he said. “This position is something that furthers and strengthens Israeli academia in a nonpartisan way, which is a great thing.”
