Alyssa Wolpin Silberman, 44, considers herself a fighter. When she moved to Jackson from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in the early ’90s to be with her then-husband, she started volunteering as an escort at the woman’s clinic in south Jackson at a time when bomb threats and violence were a common occurrence at women’s clinics throughout the country.
“I was risking my safety, but it felt important to fight the good fight,” she says.
Silberman, an attorney for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, says Jackson has become a place that enables her to make change.
“When I first moved to Jackson, I was underwhelmed. I didn’t want to stay,” she says. “One of the first people I met told me: ‘You can be a big fish in a small pond.’ My drive is to make (Jackson) better. And I am still here. I decided Jackson is home.”
An avid cyclist, Silberman rides for fun and for charity. In October, she rode 150 miles in two days–only two weeks after she had broken her arm. She raised $900 to help fight multiple sclerosis and rode from Vicksburg to Clinton. She has also helped raise money for other causes including the Mississippi American Civil Liberties Union, Mississippi HeARTS Against AIDS, and she served as silent auction chair for the 2009 JFP Chick Ball.
When she isn’t helping out for a worthy cause, Silberman can be found on stage. “I am a non-professional actress,” she says, “I never did theater in high school or college.”
After auditioning for her first play about 10 years ago, she secured the lead role of Sara in Black Rose Theatre’s “Beau Gest” and has performed with several local theater groups since then. “(My) wildest role was Dr. Eve in ‘Sordid Lives,’ she says, laughing.” I ran around on stage with just a bra on. … It was so risque, pushing me out of my comfort zone.”
In a more pensive tone, Silberman describes her position as publicity chair with the annual Jewish Film Festival as an outlet to honor her Jewish heritage. In January she helped publicize a documentary about Hannah Senesh, a 23-year-old Jewish woman living in Palestine who parachuted into Hungary during World War II and helped save Jews from deportation to Auschwitz. The Nazis executed Senesh because of her willingness to stand up for others.
“Her biography really moved me. It was so inspirational,” Silberman says.
Silberman’s maternal grandparents arrived in the United States on Ellis Island in the early part of the 20th century. Having lost Jewish relatives in the Holocaust, she says: “The most important thing I like to tell people is never forget where you come from.”
Previous Comments
Yay! We love Alyssa, she was a real trooper at our Bike event last year. Still can’t believe she rode with a broken arm! She is a cool chick, so glad she decided to stay in Jackson!
#158218 | Author: andi | Date: Jun 16 2010
Jackson needs good citizens.
#158219 | Author: Meredith | Date: Jun 16 2010
Alyssa is always fun to ride bikes with. She’s fast and keeps me laughing.
#158221 | Author: bill_jackson | Date: Jun 16 2010
Congrats Alyssa on JFP Person of the Day!!!
#158222 | Author: Lori Kincses | Date: Jun 16 2010
Yay, Alyssa! I worked with her years ago, and she is one of the sweetest, most genuine people you will ever meet.
#158227 | Author: LatashaWillis | Date: Jun 17 2010
The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.