Simon Fleischmann is a Chicago area attorney and JCFS Chicago board member. Growing up in Buffalo, New York, Simon’s parents inspired him to take on leadership endeavors at an early age. Involvement in the Jewish community was important to his family — his father headed a Jewish philanthropic foundation, while his mother held various leadership positions in Jewish-related activities. When Simon moved to Chicago, he became involved with the Jewish United Fund (JUF) through the Lawyers Division. He later took a personal interest in the Health and Human Services Commission, participated in the Jewish Leadership Institute, and joined the Resource Development Policy Committee. In 2019, Simon’s friend and colleague Linda Kellough encouraged him to join JCFS’s board where he could continue to engage with the human services community.

This year, Simon was co-chair of JCFS Chicago’s annual fundraiser A Striking Event, along with fellow board member Abby Strauss. It was Simon’s first time chairing a major fundraising event, and it turned out to be a tremendous success. The evening celebrated three deserving honorees, put a spotlight on refugee resettlement efforts, and raised over $350,000 in support of the agency’s services. Simon credits the event’s success to the strong partnership between agency leaders and staff.

Simon is currently the new Chair of the Resource Development Committee. After learning more about JCFS operations, he appreciates how valuable resource development is to the sustainability of the agency. Simon hopes to continue the momentum established by the previous Chair, Cheri Grossman, and will work to achieve ambitious, yet viable goals. In these challenging times, Simon knows JCFS’s services have more demand than ever and looks forward to engaging with donors about the importance of charitable giving. Simon genuinely enjoys working with others to help give back to the community.

“My feelings are strong because JCFS shows up in so many different ways to help people in our community reach their potential.” – Simon Fleischmann