Yisroel Drizin
Keren Yisroel is named after Yisroel Drizin, 1939 – 2004. He was born in a small town near Moscow in Russia and his father was the legendary Chosid and Mashpia, Avrohom Mayor.
His home growing up was a house of mesiras nefesh and chassidus. When he was 7 the family ran away from Russia where they stayed at a DP camp during the war. He then went to Lod, in Eretz Yisroel, for Yeshiva, where he distinguished himself as a student and madrich (youth leader).
At the encouragement of the Rebbe he moved to Crown Heights, married and raised his familly. Reb Drizin was a well-known businessman and philanthropist in the Crown Heights Jewish community. He was known as a Baal Tzeduka and a mainstay of the principal Mosdos in Crown Heights. His philosophy of giving tzedukah with total sensitivity to the recipient, and unparalleled respect has been the impetus for the style and hallmark of the Keren Yisroel's operations. It is this training that his children received and it is this approach which the Keren strives to perpetuate.
Nechama Berenstein
Keren Yisroel has been in operation since 2006 and was founded by Nechama Bernstein, Yisroel Drizin's daughter, to perpetuate her father's name and to emulate his unique approach to giving tzedukah. The tzedukah activities begun by her father and inculcated in her as she was growing up naturally developed into a major part of her adult activities.
Nechama is the embodiment of our Sages approach: