During her short life Lori Ann Fishel overcame many challenges, yet she never lost her love for living life to the fullest and doing it with joy. She was fortunate to have access to opportunities that provided her access and acceptance to the community. And now, thanks to the Lori Ann Fishel Special Needs Fund, and the vision of Lori Ann’s family, others can have the same opportunities. The Fund was created to serve the needs of Jewish individuals with disabilities with an emphasis on activities that Lori Ann enjoyed. Lori Ann’s father James says, “Our initial plan was to take applications from individuals in the community that had similar needs as Lori, our daughter, did, and the idea was to put a smile on her face even though she isn’t here.”
The fund has expanded to include gifts to organizations and individuals both inside and outside the Jewish community. One of those organizations is Our Place Nashville, a nonprofit that provides affordable housing for people with developmental disabilities. It is the type of place the Fishels looked for but never found locally for their daughter. “A place like this for Lori would have been an opportunity for her not to have to leave Nashville. These people are doing just a wonderful job for a part of the community that doesn’t have that much opportunity.”
Our Place currently has 110 residents, or “friends,” living with able residents in interdependent communities. Between 2020 and 2022, Lori Ann Fishel fund gifts totaled $20 thousand. Carolyn Naifeh is the co-Founder and Executive Director of Our Place. In fact, she co-founded the nonprofit with the late Avi Poster, a beloved fixture in the Jewish community and a former board chairman. She says, “We were the first non-Jewish nonprofit that the Fishels gave money to, and that was a real compliment because it wasn’t their norm. And every time you step out of your comfort zone, that’s a badge of honor.”
Naifeh says the Fishels’ gift was tailored to the mission of the Lori Ann Fishel fund. “They asked that the money support programming, and that’s when I got a feeling for who Lori Ann was, and the things that made her happy was what they wanted us to focus on.”
Our Place friends include members of the Jewish community. Kathy Urbach and her husband Bruce Holzman have waited over two years for a spot for their son AJ, who has autism. “As you can imagine, we searched the entire country for the best fit for AJ. We wish for him, what I think most parents wish, a full, happy, purposeful life with the opportunity to be exactly who he is, which includes having a strong Jewish identity. Our Place has been nothing but accepting, respectful, and compassionate towards AJ as an individual with a disability and a Jewish person.”
Of course, the Lori Ann Fishel Fund’s main goal is providing support for Jewish people to participate in the activities and programs that help them live full lives. Through the years grants helped children be able to attend Camp Davis with the addition of an inclusion counselor, assisted congregants at Sherith Israel to hear during services using special hearing loops, and funded a student support specialist at Akiva School. And that remains the priority. According to Jason Sparks, Chief Development Officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville, funds like these also help to grow and sustain the Jewish community. “Because of the generosity of our donors like the Fishels, our Jewish Foundation can grant amazing opportunities to individuals and enrich organizations all over our community. For decades, the Jewish Foundation has grown as our collective philanthropy becomes stronger; ensuring that previous generations will continue to support and direct our community for generations to come.”
Urbach’s son is about to begin a new chapter of his life at Our Place, thanks to the Lori Ann Fishel Fund. She says she and her husband are planning to move to Nashville along with AJ and hope to become active in the Jewish community. “Our Place's former Board Chairman, Avi Poster, of blessed memory, was a dedicated and wonderful advocate for all people with disabilities but had a special heart for Jewish people. And generous donors, like the Fishels allow for Our Place to operate, grow, and serve more families. We are excited for AJ's future, and we all look forward to becoming part of Nashville's thriving Jewish community.”
To learn more about the Lori Ann Fishel Special Needs Fund, visit https://www.jewishnashville.org/fishelgrant or contact Becky Gunn at becky@jewishnashville.org.
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