Ross Health and Wellness Fund at the FJMC Foundation for Jewish Life

Ross Health and Wellness Fund at the FJMC Foundation for Jewish Life
By Paul Davidson, PhD

Just as we have taken steps to enhance health and wellness in our committee, Drs. Mitch and Heather Ross have created the Ross Health and Wellness Fund at the FJMC Foundation for Jewish Life to provide money to spur programming focused on these areas. I had the chance to meet with Mitch to discuss this exciting new program.

I started by asking him to explain exactly what led to the creation of the fund. He said “As both a cancer survivor and a cardiologist, this is a cause that is close to my heart. Men face unique physical and mental health challenges. Societal expectations and stigma often prevent us from seeking the care we need. To address these disparities, this Fund will provide grants for programs focused on preventive care, early detection of disease, mental health support and education surrounding men’s health topics.” On a broader level, he spoke of FJMC and said “I feel very strongly about this organization, and our hope is that this gift is reflective of that passion and our commitment. We encourage others who feel the same way to make gifts at whatever level they’re comfortable at and help support the organizations that they care about.”

Next, I focused on the moment at which he decided to create the Fund. Mitch responded “The idea for this came after our last international convention. I was very inspired by a weekend of community, brotherhood, and spending time with other members of this organization. I really wanted to do something to give back. And I thought about different ways that we could make an impact. One of the things that was important to me was seeing a project in which we could see a measurable impact in a short term. Over the next few years, my hope is that we can see projects come to fruition to improve health that might otherwise not have been able to take place. Heather and I are both very excited to see this happen.

I questioned what he has observed in Jewish communal life and men’s clubs or brotherhoods specifically that convinced him that there’s both a need and an opportunity here? “Men don’t talk about health as a general rule, with rare exceptions, he replied. We come together, we talk about things that we enjoy, we talk about shared experiences, but there’s a stigma and men tend not to talk about their vulnerabilities, they tend not to talk about their health issues. This is something that I think represents an opportunity for us to bring health issues to the forefront which may create an environment where men are more comfortable addressing those issues together.”

When asked if there were elements of men’s health which are particularly overlooked, he
stated “I think that there’s a societal expectation that men don’t discuss their vulnerabilities. A good example is prostate cancer. They don’t talk about prostate health and the impact that it has on their lives because of societal stigma. FJMC provides an environment for men to address those issues in a safe space and in a way that they might not otherwise. Mental health issues are another area that are stigmatized and are frequently overlooked in community programming. For these reasons, we’ve intentionally designed the fund to be broad based to allow many of these lesser discussed areas to receive funding.

I finished by asking what his hopes were in the coming years and what advice would he give
club and regional leaders? “My hope is that this becomes a long-term program. The fund was set up with the resources to provide grants over the next four or five years. We are hopeful that we will be able to demonstrate a significant benefit by the use of these funds and encourage people to contribute to this fund and help it to grow into the future and become self-sustaining.” He concluded in describing the grant process by adding “Rarely do you have opportunities that are this easy to have funds delivered into your hands to help support your programming. The guidelines for this are intentionally broad, the application process is intentionally easy, and the distribution timeline is intentionally fast. I’d ask you to look carefully at your regions, your clubs, your members, identify an area that interests you, where you think you can provide a benefit to your members, and let us help you provide the resources to get these programs off the ground quickly.” Links for the guidelines and application are below and you’ll be pleased to know the deadline has been to July 1, 2026 for the first round.

Mitch Ross, MD is a member of the Executive Committee and a Vice President of FJMC
International, and a Fellow of the FJMC Foundation for Jewish Life.

Written by Paul Davidson, PhD

“Ross Health and Wellness Fund at the FJMC Foundation for Jewish Life” published in the June 2026 Edition of Health & Wellness, L’chaim.