Born in Kansas City and raised in Oklahoma City, Lynn Schusterman first learned about philanthropy from her father. His words and deeds impressed upon her the importance of helping others help themselves. Today, Lynn speaks and lives those same values as Chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.
Lynn has been active in Jewish communal affairs for over 40 years and currently holds a variety of distinguished leadership positions in organizations such as the JDC Executive Committee, Hillel, the B’nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO) and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). A leading philanthropist in the Taglit-Birthright Israel program, she is a founding member of the Birthright Israel Foundation and continues to serve on its board of directors.
Her local activities in Oklahoma are equally numerous. She is a past president of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa and currently serves on the advisory boards of the Parent-Child Center, the Foundation for Tulsa Schools, and Family and Children’s Services, Inc.
Advocacy efforts for Lynn include writing articles and opinion pieces for a variety of publications, including JTA, the Jewish Week and the Forward. She serves as a prime example of commitment to philanthropy in the Jewish community and Oklahoma as a whole.
Over the years, Lynn has received many prestigious honors and awards. In 2008, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars honored her with its Award for Public Service. The Forward recognized her philanthropic activities by naming her one of the "Forward 50" in 2005, 2006 and 2007. In 2006, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and, in 2003, into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame. Lynn was the 2004 recipient of the Kipkis-Wilson/Friedland Lion of Judah Award from the UJC National Women’s Philanthropy. In 2001, she was named one of Oklahoma's Most Influential Women by Oklahoma Family Magazine and, along with Charles, was inducted by the Tulsa Historical Society into the Tulsa Hall of Fame.
In her home office is a pillow decorated with needlepoint that reads, "Life is not a dress rehearsal."
Born in Kansas City and raised in Oklahoma City, Lynn Schusterman first learned about philanthropy from her father. His words and deeds impressed upon her the importance of helping others help themselves. Today, Lynn speaks and lives those same values as Chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.
© 2008 Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation