E. David Fischman’s legacy supports outstanding Israeli students

In 1949, Polish-born Edward David Fischman arrived in St. Paul to begin life all over again—alone. Some 40 years old and a Holocaust survivor, he had lost most of his family—including his wife and only child—in the war. A hardware manufacturing business owner and musician in Warsaw, Fischman settled in St. Paul’s Selby-Dale area. He lived a modest life there, belying the substantial fortune he would acquire during the next few decades through real-estate investments. When Fischman died in 1995, he left an extraordinary legacy with a resounding impact on the future of Israel.

In his will, he created the E. David Fischman Scholarship Fund, which provides full tuition for Israeli graduate students to attend America’s best universities to obtain doctorates in political science, law, or economics. Candidates must have served in the Israeli army and must return to Israel for at least five years and become active in civic or political life.

“He wanted to offer the best and the brightest in Israel an opportunity for a quality education, on the condition they return and help transform Israeli society,” explains Rabbi Morris Allen of Beth Jacob Congregation in Mendota Heights, which Fischman joined late in his life. “He had a great love of Israel, and understood its importance for Judaism the world over.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul administers the scholarship fund, which has granted more than 60 scholarships since its inception. With the high cost of tuition, sometimes as much as $40,000 a year, this prestigious prize is sought by growing numbers of applicants.

For more information about the scholarships, contact Dan Mogelson, E. David Fischman Scholarship Administrator, at 651-695-3189 or dmogelson@stpaulfed.org