User:LiatDo/Jay Ruderman draft

Jay Seth Ruderman (born March 16, 1966) is an American lawyer, disability rights activist and philanthropist. He is the president of the Ruderman Family Foundation.

Early life and education
Jay Ruderman was born in Boston to Marcia and Morton Ruderman He attended public schools in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, and received his undergraduate degree in 1988 from Brandeis University, where he served as president of the student body in 1986-1987. He earned his JD from Boston University School of Law in 1993.

Ruderman is married to Shira Ruderman. They live in the Greater Boston area and have four children.

Legal
Ruderman began his career as Assistant District Attorney in Salem, MA and also worked as deputy director of AIPAC in New England.

Israel-American Jewish relations
Ruderman served in the Israel Defense Forces as the liaison between the IDF and Diaspora Jewry. During his service, he discovered a gap between how Israelis and Americans think. He began working to bridge that gap and strengthen the relationship between American Jewry and Israeli opinion leaders.

Disability rights
Ruderman is the president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, which advocates for disability rights. The foundation's first major project was inclusion of people with disabilities within the Jewish community, in Jewish day schools, summer camps and synagogues.

In 2014, the foundation expanded to the Hollywood entertainment industry, working for the inclusion of disabled characters in TV shows and movies, and advocating for those roles to be acted by people with disabilities. At the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020, Ruderman called for greater accessibility and the inclusion of people with disabilities and diversity. In March 2020, he sponsored an event to present Peter and Bobby Farrelly with an award for hiring actors with disabilities. Ruderman has also proposed such changes to the Israeli film industry. In December 2021, he convinced four major Israeli broadcasting corporations to improve civil rights within the entertainment industry for people with disabilities.

"All About Change" Podcast
Ruderman hosts the podcast, "All About Change" (previously "All Inclusive"), which focuses on social justice and inclusion.

Philanthropy
Ruderman served on the board of directors of the National Organization on Disability. He sits on the board of governors of the University of Haifa, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, IMPACT-se, and is a member of the Brandeis University Board of Trustees, and a member of the committee of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Awards and recognition

 * Honorary doctorate from University of Haifa, Israel (2015)
 * One of the 50 most influential Jews of the year, Jerusalem Post (2016, 2022)
 * Honorary doctorate from Brandeis University (2018)
 * Jacob Rader Marcus Award from the American Jewish Archives (2019)
 * Media Access Awards SAG-AFTRA Disability Awareness Award (2019)
 * Top 100 Most Influential Bostonians, Boston Magazine (2021)
 * Boston Common Magazine, "Power List" (2022)
 * Lifetime Achievement Award, Jerusalem Post (2022)