On May 4, Jewish leaders from around the world will come to Baltimore to commemorate the winner of this year’s Max M. Fisher Award, presented annually by the Jewish Agency for Israel to honor commitment to the agency and its mission.
For members of Baltimore’s Jewish community, the winner’s name might ring a bell: Richard “Richie” Pearlstone is the founder, chairman and CEO of The Pearlstone Group, which operates the Pearlstone Retreat Center in Reisterstown.
Pearlstone is also an honorary member of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s board of governors and the executive, having been given the honorary position in 2011 after being part of the board for many years and serving as its chair.
As chairman of the board, he led the agency’s reconstitution efforts in the early 2000s, which meant that JAFI’s various partners reaffirmed their partnership with the agency.
His commitment to Israel dates back to long before he was born. Pearlstone’s grandfather was Joseph Meyerhoff, another familiar name in Baltimore, as he’s the namesake of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Meyerhoff himself was a local philanthropist and president of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, but he also played a key role in Israel’s foundation.
“He was one of a handful of leaders from the United States who helped raise money for Israel before 1948, which helped pave the way for the creation of institutions,” Pearlstone said. “After 1948, he remained involved and instrumental in continuing to support — financially and personally — the growth and sustainability of the state of Israel.”
Because of his family history of philanthropy, Pearlstone felt that it was only natural for him to carry that torch. His lifetime dedication to charity first started in his twenties, as he helped fund and provide leadership to the Baltimore Museum of Art, Center Stage and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, following in Meyerhoff’s footsteps.
In 2024. Pearlstone and his wife, Amy Elias, were inducted into the Baltimore Sun Hall of Fame for their local support.
The accomplishment that Pearlstone is proudest of, though, is his assistance to Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union in the 1990s.
This was while he was serving as the national chairman of the United Jewish Appeal — now part of the Jewish Federations of North America.
“During the Exodus campaign years, I personally helped rescue Jews from the former Soviet Union,” Pearlstone recalled. “I flew on chartered and civilian planes to Israel and went into cities throughout the former Soviet Union to meet with and help facilitate the movement of Jews who wanted to leave and make aliyah to Israel. By the end of the campaign, we had helped one million Jews relocate to Israel.”
He added that the Pearlstone Retreat Center, which he founded in honor of his parents, is also something he is very proud of, as it has become a major influence on Jewish farming projects and Jewish learning outside of a classroom environment.
The Max M. Fisher Award is a relatively new development for the Jewish Agency for Israel, having first been awarded in 2023 to philanthropist Jane M. Sherman.
“The Jewish Agency’s lifeline is the leadership of individuals like Richie Pearlstone who have spent decades providing resources and vision to help the people of Israel and global Jewry,” a statement from JAFI said. “Richie exemplifies the meaning of the Max M. Fisher Award and we are proud to present it to him.”
While he’s received many awards and honors for his philanthropy, Pearlstone said that he really looks up to the award’s namesake, another prominent philanthropist and an advisor on Jewish issues for several presidential administrations.
“Max Fisher was an icon in the Jewish world, and I learned about the importance of giving my time and resources from him,” he added. “So I feel humbled and grateful for this meaningful honor.”
