A Tribute to Dori Kirshner

by Jason Lieberman

As I write this article, I do so with a heavy heart, but also with optimism for the future. Dori Frumin Kirshner began as the Associate Executive Director of Matan seventeen years ago when I started as treasurer of the organization. At that time, Matan was a young organization, providing direct services to children with learning differences in synagogues and JCC’s in the New York Metro area only.

Dori moved into the position of Executive Director within two years. I don’t think Dori realized that the organization was in serious financial straits when she took on this position. During her first week of work, she came down to my office in lower Manhattan, where we “rolled up our sleeves” and developed a plan to move forward. That was 2009.

It all started with Dori’s fundraising prowess, but the best was still to come. The organization was going to change its focus from being a local, direct service organization to an organization that trains educators and Directors of Educational programs across North America via the Matan Institutes, thereby reaching more students and communities. Thanks to Dori’s vision, hustle and ability to assess what was needed in the field, the organization continued to evolve over the years on how to support and include students, neuro-typical and neuro-diverse, in Jewish educational experiences. Curricular resource development, community inclusion audits, and coaching and mentorship all became part of Matan’s offerings, which expanded Matan’s focus to community inclusion - not just within Jewish educational settings.

Years later, Dori and others realized that “children grow up,” so the Lieberman Fellowship was developed to train professionals to support as many young adults in Jewish life as possible- neurotypical and neurodivergent. The first cohort of the Fellowship launched in D.C. in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. The hope is that many more communities will utilize Matan experts for this transformative training so that opportunities - social, leadership-oriented, work-place culture and more - are more supportive of people with disabilities and allow for true belonging.

Through numerous Board changes, staff changes, and growth, from a struggling New York-based non-profit, Matan has grown to an organization that crosses borders and reaches out to include children and young adults with disabilities thanks to the leadership of Dori and the team she was able to foster. I was honored to be at her first and last Board meetings. On a personal note, Dori has continued to be a friend, mentor, and advisor with whom I hope to stay in touch. She will be missed.

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Diagnosed with CP, Jason Lieberman is a lifetime disability advocate. He’s part of the Jewish Disability Inclusion News Advisory Board. Jason is a sought-after speaker in the US & abroad, mostly on Judaism & disability. He and his wife and son live in NYC.