Mama Doi (a childhood nickname for Doris which is pronounced “dough-ee”) made Lisa. I have this deep curiosity about the parents of the co-founders of my organization. Who we come from can inform so much of who we are. I met Lisa and Hershel’s family at their wedding six years ago but didn’t have a reason then to inquire about how Lisa became the philanthropic spirit that she is. When she shared that her mom was coming to town, we agreed it was a perfect time for a chat and chew. Hershel offered charcuterie and took tender care of us as I connected with Mama Doi; I interviewed her with several questions about her life as an intercultural continuous learner who raised a global citizen (and an astronomer). She was remarkably humble and didn’t boast about her breadth of cultural experiences. 

She enthusiastically shared that she continues to be in multiple book clubs, one of which is an interfaith book club, as she started to share about some books they read together. I reflected that she keeps a busy schedule. Mama Doi doesn’t sit around. She lives the full life of each day and her soul is clearly fed by human connection, continued learning, and diverse experiences. I believe she passed on to Lisa and has fueled a philanthropic legacy for her whole family. When I asked about how she inspires the family’s philanthropic spirit, Lisa shared a story of how Mama Doi gave each of her two “granddaughters an extra $25 for their birthdays, along with information about what each of 3 charitable organizations would do with the money. They then decided which of the 3 would receive the modest contribution in their name.” 

Mama Doi shared stories of AFS exchange students coming to her house when Lisa was a child. Lisa affirmed her immense curiosity about their different cultures and also reflected that it was pretty cool to have teenagers around when she was young. I felt Mama Doi’s care as she observed Lisa fondly recalling for me how her mother held space for the students’ experiences, ensured their voices were heard, and intervened when needed. She was a safe space for these students and offered connection and support across differences with intentionality, compassion, and empathy.  

I see these values clearly in the foundations of Open Horizon. Lisa has many care-centered attributes she has creatively evolved from her mama. Those qualities aligned with Hershel’s have informed a clear impact area of experiential learning in collaborations with Cultural Vistas, AFS, and the National Education Equity Lab, among others. Open Horizon recognizes the disproportionately limited access that BIPOC students have in traveling abroad and will continue to partner with organizations and across organizations to address the gap. In honor of Lisa’s parents, we recently established our annual Richard S. and Doris M. Cohen scholarship that supports students from National Education Equity Lab to participate in AFS intercultural exchange programs. We look forward to increasing this and other unique collaborations. 

Hopefully, when our scholars find themselves on the road of new adventures, they will find a caring guide and friend, who loves culture like Mama Doi. May that friend greet them by gently naming a similarity, like sneakers, to aid in developing discussions of differences that make a difference. And, may that friend have their back and listen to their experiences to help the traveler on the road of connection.

By D’Lynn Jacobs