Board Member Spotlight: Melissa Firstenberg (she/her)

Meet Melissa Firstenberg (she/her)!

Tell us about yourself. I grew up in central Jersey (which does exist) and came to Philadelphia to study Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, and Mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania, moving to Marlton, NJ in the late 1990s after school. As a trusted industrial cybersecurity professional, I participate actively in industry associations, serve on committees that have created Industrial Cybersecurity standards, and speak at conferences and symposia around the world.

I am proud to be the first openly transgender board member at JFCS. I’ve also served on multiple Boards, including executive roles with my synagogue as VP of Education, Ritual, and Membership – most notably as the first openly transgender board member at both Temple Emanuel and Congregation Kol Ami. As the founder and co-chair of Kulanu (an LGBTQ+ inclusive Jewish affinity group), I continue to campaign for inclusion, particularly in faith-based spaces. I exhibit my strongly held beliefs in fairness and human rights for all through my involvement with organizations such as Jersey Pride and New Hope Celebrates. 

A former coach (soccer, field hockey, baseball and softball) and league coordinator with Marlton Rec Council, I believe in the value of youth recreational sports for all. When not at work or volunteering, I enjoy alpine skiing, football (a.k.a. soccer), theater, and spending time with my three children.

When was your first interaction with JFCS? My introduction to JFCS was fairly recent. I was certainly aware of the agency, having friends who worked there as well as being a member of our south Jersey Jewish community. However, I was not involved until after my time in the Federation Leadership Institute (FLI), which opened the door for me to get to know the work that JFCS does. After that experience, I knew I wanted to become part of this amazing organization.

Why are the mission and work of JFCS so vital for our community? As the child of a single parent school teacher, we did not have much, and it was not an easy life. There were choices between food and medicine, between climate control for our home and gas to get to work. I was working in the neighborhood by the time I was nine to help out as best I could. Like many children, I would often complain that “It isn’t fair!” The response was swift and standard: “Life isn’t fair.” It is for this reason that I will always do whatever I can to ensure that anything within my control will be fair. This extends to anywhere that I can help to level the playing field so that all can receive opportunities. This is why my personal beliefs align so strongly with the JFCS mission for our community, and why I will continue to do all that I can in the name of Tikkun Olam.

What have you learned from being involved with JFCS? There is a massive need for assistance in the world, and our local south Jersey community is no exception. It remains difficult to reach out and ask for help. I have learned from the professionals and other lay leaders at JFCS how we can make such an effort less stigmatic for our friends and neighbors. I have learned that we will continue to do what is right, and we will continue to do our best to help make it fair. As we all know from Pirkei Avot, “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”