Personal Life
Fleisher was born in Israel to Jewish Refuseniks from the Soviet Union, and was raised in the United States. At the age of 17, Fleisher returned to Israel and served as a Paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces. After being injured in Lebanon during his military service, Fleisher returned to the US. He completed an undergraduate degree in Political Science at Yeshiva University and a Juris Doctorate from the Cardozo School of Law. While living in the United States, Yishai taught in the children's Jewish education program at the reform Temple Emanu-El in New York, and worked on the media response team at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). He conducted research at the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and led four Birthright trips to Israel. In 1999, Fleisher founded the not-for-profit Kumah and embarked on a campaign to promote North American Aliyah - immigration of Jews to Israel. He married a Texan and fellow Cardozo law school student, Malkah Bernath. Their wedding was held in Hebron in 2002. Together they emigrated to Israel following graduation in 2003. The Fleishers moved to the Jewish settlement of Beit El where they lived for seven years. Yishai and Malkah moved to eastern Jerusalem in 2011 and currently live on the Mount of Olives with their two children.
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