Jason Cohen Lesser

When I was asked what drives me to show up each day with a sense of resilience, a degree of urgency and a goal of leaving a lasting impact, I immediately envisioned my Zayde (Yiddish for grandfather). As a Holocaust survivor, he evaded death and evil incarnate many times and managed to continuously overcome incalculable odds to arrive in the United States in 1947. There, he enrolled in school, made a wide range of friends, held many jobs and eventually opened his own business, which operated for 63 years. Throughout his life, he continued to combat adversity, racism, ignorance and many closed doors while still waking up each day with unwavering appreciation and determination. My Zayde continued to live his entire life as a righteous man, holding respect for everyone he met. I grew up admiring his strength and refusal to quit. Those virtues are what drives me to push through the challenges I face and have formed how I approach each day. The "Lesser" comes into play because it was my Zayde's last name. Not only was my Zayde my hero, he formed an extremely close relationship with my wife - so much so that we decided to legally change our last name to Lesser in order to honor him. The characteristics that made up Bob Lesser, are the characteristics that help me grow as man, a father, a husband, a son, a brother, a friend and a professional - everyday. So without a doubt, I know that Lesser is MORE.