Although when on stage in front of a large audience, David Lisker would normally at least have his violin with him; but on June 2nd, David was invited to speak at a very special Jewish United Fund (JUF) Fundraiser event in Chicago.  Every year, JUF spends millions of dollars promoting and preserving the Jewish community and culture through its many outreach programs, scholarships, projects, etc.

As it turns out, JUF was one of essential organizations that helped David and his family emigrate from Russia in 1989.  For this reason, JUF invited David to tell his family’s story, demonstrating the inspiring result that can occur when the community comes together to help one another.

Since its establishment in 2001, Lisker Music Foundation, a passionate nonprofit organization that strives to support musicians through its acclaimed concert series, scholarship opportunities, and outreach programs, has had the same, outdated website.  Well no longer!

With the brand new, user friendly page, you can see all the upcoming events, read about the musicians, get involved with the many projects the organization has going on, enjoy the many videos that are posted, and much more!

www.liskermusicfoundation.org

Jewish United Fund’s Russian Jewish Division in Chicago established an initiative that helps develop and support projects created by Russian-speaking Jewish individuals age 22 to 40. The word Tikkun means “to repair” and comes from the phrase Tikkun olam – “repairing the world” (or “healing and restoring the world”). It suggests humanity’s shared responsibility “to heal, repair and transform the world.”  Many projects were submitted but only 8 were selected to receive grants, and David Lisker, was one of them.

David’s proposed project was to create an event celebrating the music of composers who were directly affected by the Holocaust and World War II.  This project would become Echoes of Hope, which took place on October 19th at 5:00 pm.  JUF not only provided a financial grant, but also be arranged for 100 Holocaust survivors to be in attendance, setting up the evening to be one of the most memorable concerts of the fall.