Lisa Jericho, MAZON Supporter, interviewed by
Naama Haviv, MAZON’s Vice President of Community Engagement
Ronald Jericho (z”l) was a longtime supporter of MAZON, particularly invested in their work advancing food security and food sovereignty among Tribal communities. His children, Lisa and Rob Jericho, have generously continued their father’s investment. Lisa joined us to remember her father, his philosophy, and his legacy of philanthropy.
Naama Haviv: Could you share about your father, who he was, and where his passion for MAZON’s work came from?
Lisa Jericho: My father was quiet and unassuming. My mother was more outgoing and extroverted. Together they made a beautiful family. Dad was madly in love with mom till the day he died.
He was very loyal, dedicated, and thoughtful about family. He led with gratitude. There wasn’t an arrogant bone in his body; he didn’t take for granted what he’d accomplished.
That led to the foundation of how we thought about philanthropy. He was aware of our fortunes, and sensitive to others who didn’t have what we had. His philosophy on philanthropy was helping people pull themselves up by their bootstraps. He gave to many Jewish causes, but his most thoughtful giving was ensuring individuals had basic dignity in their lives, and wherever possible, opportunities to better themselves.
Naama Haviv: Your father shared that part of his inspiration in supporting anti-hunger work, particularly our work in Indian Country, was based on his parents fleeing Germany during the Holocaust. When we started talking, he wrote me immediately saying, “I’m very worried about hunger among Native communities. Can we please talk about that?”
Lisa Jericho: That sounds like dad. He didn’t have a fully formed philanthropic strategy, but instinctually understood there were members of society historically treated horribly just for existing.
He was thoughtful about what he did and why. In his later years, I tried to get him to think strategically about his philanthropy. I think he spent more time talking with me than Rob because I gravitated into nonprofit work as a board member and professionally. Now I have the honor of doing that for the whole Jericho family.
Naama Haviv: Our work with native communities doesn’t get much philanthropic attention, especially in Jewish spaces. We’re careful about how we solicit attention because we’re in an allyship position. Your father was interested in every detail. A few weeks after our conversation, he called to donate to support this work.
I got to tell our staff we had this incredible new support. Everyone was moved that this man who understood hunger from his own family’s history was willing to apply those lessons to this population we care deeply about.
Lisa Jericho: He was so smart, aware, and thoughtful in everything he did. We once had an in-depth conversation: is it better to write a check to a food bank or donate food? I asked if he was going shopping alone or taking my nieces. He said “I was gonna go by myself” and I said “Then just write a check. But if you’re trying to teach Layla and Bryn that not everybody has a beautiful home and all the snacks they could dream of, take them shopping.” And he took the girls grocery shopping for a holiday food drive.
Naama Haviv: It sounds like it was important for you to think this stuff through with your dad.
Lisa Jericho: Yes. It was something he and I did often. With each generation, we learn from what our parents did and try to do better. Dad laid a beautiful foundation to think through philanthropy, impact, and our obligation in the world. I get to think about it in a more strategic way because I had such a beautiful foundation. It started with a tin tzedakah box in the living room – every Friday he’d pull singles from his wallet for my brother and me to put in the tzedakah can. It starts small but deliberate.
It’s a priority for me to make sure Mom and Dad’s legacy is passed down through Rob and me and then the girls.
Naama Haviv: Are there particular lessons from your dad that you’ll carry through with your daughter and nieces?
Lisa Jericho: It all starts with gratitude and understanding. He treated everything we have as luck. He believed there was nothing about us that’s better than the person next to us. Anyone, anytime could be in need. He thought about the underpinnings of that safety net mentality and understood that philanthropy could shore up gaps in the political landscape.
We think about our philanthropy in taking care of others and helping them become self-sufficient. Historically, the donations have been hundreds or thousands, not multiples of that, but he took away barriers that could prevent somebody from succeeding. That’s the essence of how we thought about it – how do we remove barriers to help somebody focus on what they need?
Naama Haviv: What a remarkable man your father was.
Lisa Jericho: Yeah, he was.
Naama Haviv: It’s MAZON’s 40th anniversary. What treat would you bring to MAZON’s birthday party?
Lisa Jericho: Every family picnic we had this fruit salad, though I use the word “fruit” gently because it was canned fruit with marshmallows. It’s a family tradition. I can’t remember a family event without it. It was the only thing of mom’s that dad figured out how to make perfectly. A fruit salad with marshmallows would absolutely be the Jericho family contribution.