Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Watch recordings of the 2023 Summit today. Sessions | Keynotes

Meryl Kirshner Ainsman

Meryl Kirshner Ainsman

Secretary, Eradicate Hate Global Summit; Executive Director and Trustee, Philip Chosky Foundation

Eradicate Hate:
2021, 2022, Current

Meryl Kirshner Ainsman is the business manager of the law firm of Ainsman Levine, LLC, and the Executive Director and Trustee of the Philip Chosky Foundation. As a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, she has dedicated much of her adult life volunteering in the Jewish community both in Pittsburgh and in Israel.

Meryl sat on the board of directors of the Pittsburgh JCC for many years. While at the JCC, she chaired numerous committees, culminating in 2011 with a three-year term as their Board Chair. She also served on the national board of the Jewish Community Centers Association.

Meryl’s involvement with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh is extensive, going back over 30 years, serving in several leadership roles. Meryl is currently beginning her third and final year as the Board Chair of the Pittsburgh Federation. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Jewish Federations of North America and their Israel and Overseas and Endowment Committees.

Despite this extensive communal experience, the massacre of October 27, 2018 at the Tree of Life Synagogue presented a challenge unlike any other. The Federation was “on the ground” from the earliest moments after the shooting, and Meryl along with the Federation’s CEO Jeff Finkelstein helped to steer the community during its darkest days.

eradicate hate logo

It is a tragic reality that hateful ideology has found fertile ground online and offline, with consequences affecting not only Americans but people around the world. We cannot stand idle in the face of bias, bigotry, and extremism. Together, at the Eradicate Hate Summit and beyond, the collective will of individuals and organizations is needed to galvanize all people of good will to protect and defend our communities.

George Selim
George Selim Senior Vice President for National Affairs, Anti-Defamation League (ADL)