Michelle Biesman is what is often referred to in Nashville as a unicorn, that rare native born and raised in the local Jewish community. Her legacy includes her parents and grandparents, as well as her education at Akiva and involvement in BBYO and NCSY chapters. “What my family did was show us what it all meant. I remember at Akiva I started to realize that feeling of being part of something larger than yourself,” she says, “I yearned for that when I went to Harpeth Hall which is a secular environment.” And by the time she joined BBYO she was “all in,” with stints on the board, the regional board, and the summer programs.
Michelle left Nashville to attend the University of Chicago where she became active in the Hillel chapter. She held many roles and is currently a member of the Executive Board. Following college, she moved to Minnesota and a Jewish community that was not as welcoming as she would have liked. “It was not very transplant friendly and that really shifted my mentality. Even though I am a Nashville native, how can I make this a welcoming place for everyone.”
Inspiration comes from her grandmother, Irma Kaplan, the first woman president of the Gordon Jewish Community Center. “The first call I made was to my grandmother.” In later years, Irma Kaplan was honored by the National Council of Jewish Women, with Michelle doing the introductions.
Michelle also credits her mother, Didi Biesman, with showing her the value of volunteering and giving back. “I remember at Akiva my mom was the chair of the Torah dinner and we got to help promote it with her during school drop off. And we got to help her when she and Karen Weil chaired the Main Event. I have very fond memories and thought it was so cool.”
Since her return to Nashville, Michelle has been the chair of NowGen, the young adult group of The Jewish Federation as well as serving as a Newcomer Ambassador. Aron Karabel, incoming president of The Federation, says, “Michelle did a wonderful job as co-chair of NowGen by greatly increasing engagement and outreach in that group during her tenure. We are lucky to have her in our community. Her contributions have and will have a lasting impact. Looking forward to partnering with her to build on her successes.”
In addition to her work with The Federation, Michelle serves as a leader for Jewish Family Services’ Rosh Hodesh program for girls from the 6th grade upward from Middle Tennessee. The monthly sessions address issues relevant to that age group including body image, stress, competition, and family dynamics, all through a Jewish lens. Pam Kelner, Executive Director of JFS, manages the program and selects and trains the leaders. Kelner says most of the leaders are teachers since the program is curriculum based, but Michelle was a rare exception. “When she moved back, I knew she had to be a group leader,” says Kelner, “What we look for in our Rosh Hodesh leaders is somebody who will be a role model for these young teen and tween girls and Michelle provides that in every way.”
Michelle says, “I love the Rosh Hodesh program. I so yearned to have that kind of group when I was in middle school and to have girls that I could be Jewish with outside of school and peers all going through the same thing. Being Jewish but in a secular environment.”
Professionally, Michelle is passionate about healthcare and has focused her education and career on the intersection of the public and private healthcare arenas. She began her career with UnitedHealth Group’s Corporate Development team, learning about the business of the industry. She spent time working with Evergreen Nephrology on its operations and strategy teams. And she recently joined Rubicon Founders’ investment team to continue learning about innovative methods that enhance healthcare delivery and outcomes.
Despite her demanding career, Michelle continues to prioritize her involvement in the Jewish community. “I was pleasantly surprised when I got the call about this award. I wasn’t expecting it. But the “why” of doing it wasn’t that. I hope it’s more so a reminder to the next generation of leaders in the community to keep doing the work and to have others step up to the plate.”
Michelle will receive her award at the Jewish Federation’s 89th annual meeting on January 28th at 7pm at the Gordon Jewish Community Center. For more information, or to rsvp, visit www.jewishnashville.org/annualmeeting.
The Jewish Observer is published by The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville and made possible by funds raised in the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign. Become a supporter today.