14 Things to Know About the Baltimore Ravens Number One Fan


Lisa Abrams

Lisa Abrams’s claim to fame goes beyond her work with The Associated’s Insight Israel Forum.

Let’s get straight to it…there’s so much to cover. Here are 14 things to know about Lisa Abrams.

1.  Lisa was “born and raised” in Baltimore. She returned to Charm City to go to medical school at Johns Hopkins after graduating from Harvard.

We know, we know. She’s a bit of a slacker.

2.  Around four years ago, Lisa left private practice after 20 plus years and joined the faculty at LifeBridge Health Krieger Eye Institute at Sinai, working mostly in the clinic helping the residents.

She is a pediatric ophthalmologist.

3.  Growing up, Lisa was told knew she wanted to be a doctor.

“In my family, you were allowed to choose between being a doctor and a lawyer. And, I didn’t like talking in front of people or arguing, so doctor sort of fit my personality better. My stepfather was a doctor. My father was a doctor. So, I had those influences. I’m very right-brain, science, math-oriented. I did some volunteering in the hospital when I was in high school and that’s really when I knew that this was what I was meant to do.”

4. While she loved her math and science classes at The Park School, Lisa says her all-time favorite teacher was her English teacher from high school.

“Kenny Grief, my English teacher, was the best teacher I ever had from school including undergrad and medical school. I have always loved literature, English and especially Shakespeare because of him. I was the nerdy kid who liked everything about school. I even like Hebrew School.

5. We are not so sure about the whole nerd thing…Lisa played three sports in high school – field hockey, basketball and lacrosse. And was a member of her school’s student government.

6.  Lisa says her love of sports comes from her grandfather.

“My grandfather was a larger-than-life character. He had four granddaughters and he was a sports bookie. He would take us to baseball and football games and the Pimlico racetrack all the time.”

Lisa Abrams

7.  Lisa and her husband, Mickey, live in Pikesville. They have three sons, Jake (27), Matt (25), and Bennett (23).

8.  She remembers her mother being very involved in Hadassah and committed to The Associated. In 1991 they went on The Associated’s Family Mission to Israel.

“That was the first time that I met Marc Terrill who was one of the junior leaders on the mission. I’ve been to Israel three times and I can’t wait to go back.”

9. As one of three co-chairs of The Associated’s Insight Israel Forum, now completing its third year, Lisa is proud of the broad array of opportunities that the Forum provides to members of our community.

“There really was no model for it in the country or anywhere. We took a deep dive into all the possible ways to generate a platform for people to have open discourse and share, sometimes conflicting beliefs, about their feelings towards Israel.”

10.  What keeps Lisa up at night? These days it’s definitely the Ukraine crisis and the rise of fascism and antisemitism in general, especially in America.

Lisa Abrams

11.  Although she readily admits that she is still bitter about the Baltimore Colts leaving town in the middle of the night 38 years ago, Lisa confides that the Ravens coming to Baltimore helped ease that pain a little bit.

“And then of course our first Super Bowl really helps mend that wound.”

12. Staying sane during a global pandemic? Lisa said cooking for a full house again – seven people, four dogs and a cat – kept her busy and focused.

“For seven months during the pandemic we had my three sons and two of their girlfriends and our three dogs and cat plus my older son brought his own dog. I did a lot of experimental cooking given everybody’s dietary preferences. And bread baking. And I taught myself how to crochet.”

That sounds a bit crazy to us.

13.  Favorite gift? A cameo video from Ray Lewis of course…Lisa’s all-time favorite player.

Lisa Abrams

14.  Lisa was named the Baltimore Ravens 2020 Fan of the Year!

“Each fan of the year got to announce a draft pick in Cleveland. You had to get up in front of a crowd and on national tv…it was a little intimidating, especially because the Ravens are not well-loved in Cleveland. I was getting heckled quite a bit walking up to the podium.”


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The Associated is a home for everyone in the Baltimore Jewish community. We offer several email lists to help people find a community, engage with their peers and support Jewish journeys around the world.

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