This month we are excited to introduce you to the Fischer family. Ken, Ana and their four children are a family whose story has crossed countries, careers, schools, congregations and countless community commitments.
When Ken and Ana Fischer moved to the Marple Newtown area in April 2014, they were looking for something many young parents hope to find: a place where their children could grow up, put down roots and become part of a community. At the time, the Fischers had three children, the oldest only three years old. They were living in Drexel Hill and beginning to think seriously about the years ahead. “We realized that soon they would be starting school,” Ken recalled. “We wanted to find a place that was in a good school district, a place that would be good for the kids to grow up in.”
More than a decade later, the decision has become much more than a choice about schools or geography. The Fischers have built a life in which family, faith, friendship and service are deeply intertwined. “Community can extend far beyond relatives,” they said. “And raising children is something best done together.”
Neither Ken nor Ana has extended family nearby. Ken’s brother Josh lives in North Carolina, while Ana’s two brothers and her parents remain in Canada. Yet the Fischers say they are surrounded by people who have become family in every way that matters. “We have a lot of close friends that I have had for the last 20-plus years that have become like family,” Ken said.
Ken grew up in Delaware and attended Caesar Rodney High School in Dover, where he played football, pursued photography and became an Eagle Scout. He went on to the University of Delaware, earning a degree in chemical engineering in 2003.
Ana’s journey to the Philadelphia area began much farther away. Born in Brazil, she moved to Canada at age 15. She attended Meadowvale Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, before earning an associate degree in Early Childhood Education from Conestoga College.
The couple’s paths actually crossed twice before they began dating. First, they met in 2004 at an annual international Messianic Jewish conference held at what is now Messiah University in Grantham, Pennsylvania. Ana was visiting with a group from Toronto. Ken was with friends from the Phila-
delphia area. When Ana was looking for advice about a personal situation, one of Ken’s friends encouraged him to answer her question. His advice was simple: move closer to her congregation and friends.
She eventually did. Two years later, Ana and Ken met again, this time without either realizing they had already encountered one another. A group from Toronto came to Philadelphia for a visit, and several of the young men were staying at Ken’s apartment. “The connection was instant for both of us,” Ana said. Ken agreed, although he didn’t recognize her at first. In Ken’s defense, there was one important reason he hadn’t recognized her. “She had short red hair back in 2004,” he joked, “And had changed it significantly in 2006.”
Two months later, they began a long-distance relationship. Eventually, while sharing stories about their lives, Ana mentioned the advice she had received years earlier from Ken (move closer!). They married on August 12, 2007, in Toronto, surrounded by family and friends who had traveled from the United States, Brazil and Israel. It was a traditional Jewish wedding, complete with a chuppah, with Ken participating in the Torah reading on the Shabbat preceding the wedding, the breaking of the glass and a joyful reception followed.
Their honeymoon was less international than it could have been. Because Ana was in the middle of the immigration process, travel restrictions limited their options. Instead, they went to a resort in Canada called The Couples Resort. “There was horseback riding, which was a first for me,” said Ana. Ken, an experienced rider thanks in part to his years in Scouting, was given a horse with considerably more personality. Although Ana’s horse, Sky, behaved nicely, Ken’s horse, Cherry, seemed more interested in wandering off to eat apples than following the planned route. “This was an early sign about our family’s ability to find humor and adventure in whatever circumstances come our way,” said Ken.
The early years of their marriage brought some interesting challenges. Ken had purchased a condo in Haverford Hills shortly before the 2008 housing crash, and shortly after their wedding his work sent him to a job site in Montana. “We had spent so much time maintaining a long-distance relationship, suddenly being married did not necessarily mean suddenly being together,” they explained. “I often joke how I spent the first two months of our marriage, the ‘honeymoon period,’ if you will, with a guy named Greg,” Ken said. “Ana, for her part, was doing different volunteer
work with our congregation’s school.”
Eventually, however, things settled down and Ken began working for the Navy, which reduced the amount of travel his job required, and Ana settled into life in the United States. The Fischers welcomed their first child, Liviya, in 2010. Three more children followed: Isaac in 2012, Dalya in 2013 and Zachary in 2018.
During that time, Ken was pursuing an ambitious academic goal. After the birth of his first child, he began graduate studies at Villanova University, eventually earning both a master’s degree and a PhD in computer engineering in 2017. For seven years, he balanced school, full-time work and raising a growing family. “It was kind of a challenge,” he says. “But I did it with a lot of support from my wife.”
Today, Ken works as an engineer for the Navy and serves as Chief of Cybersecurity for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division. He describes the work as both challenging and deeply meaningful. He is particularly drawn to problems that don’t have easy answers, especially situations requiring people with different backgrounds and expertise to work together. “I especially enjoy bringing together people with different backgrounds and expertise, helping them understand one another’s perspectives, and finding practical solutions that move the mission forward,”
he said.
After years of making his own career a major focus, Ken said his priorities are shifting. “At this point I think it is more about my wife’s goals,” he says. “My career has been the big focus for a lot of our marriage, and now I kind of feel like it is time for me to support her goals.”
Ana is excited about her goals and her newest professional chapter. After 26 years working in early childhood education in settings ranging from childcare centers and private preschools to religiously affiliated schools and nursery schools, she is opening her own school, called the Tree of Life Nursery School in Holmes this month.
For Ana, early childhood education is about far more than supervision. “It is giving foundational lifelong skills and cultivating a love of learning to set up each child for success in school and life,” she said. Her larger goal is equally personal: helping build strong families and, through them, strong communities. “Professionally, my goals are grow the nursery school and go back to school for Organization Leadership,” she added.
At home, the Fischer children each bring their own distinct personalities. Liviya, 16, is a student at Marple Newtown High School and has a particular interest in neurodivergence in children. She hopes to become a child psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist. She loves reading, cooking and baking and participates in dance club and stage crew. “Our family affectionately calls her the “princess” of the household,” said Ana.
Isaac, 14, attends Delaware County Christian School. “Isaac is a natural conversationalist with a charismatic personality and quick sense of humor,” his parents said. He enjoys video games, ants, ultimate frisbee and learning drums. Activities like Scouts, robotics, theater, cross country and track keep him very busy.
Dalya, 12, also attends Delaware County Christian School. Sweet, organized and funny, she enjoys riding her scooter or bike, playing video games and spending time with friends. She participates in basketball, cross country and track, and theater, and has recently developed an interest in guitar.
Then there is Zachary, 8, a third grader at Russell Elementary. Energetic and creative, he loves Pokémon, video games, building things out of cardboard boxes and riding his scooter. He also has a reputation for caring deeply about other people’s needs.
There are no dogs or cats in the Fischer household. “Liviya has a significant dog allergy, while Ken is allergic to cats,” said Ana. But that hasn’t stopped the children from experimenting with less conventional pets. Isaac and Dalya each brought home three millipedes in fourth grade. Their pets lived for several months before receiving proper ceremonial burials in the family yard.
Faith is another central thread running through the Fischer family. The Fischers are deeply involved with Congregation Beth Yeshua, a congregation of Jewish and non-Jewish people who believe Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah. Ken leads the congregation’s men’s ministry, while Ana oversees its bookstore, Sefer Chaim, consults on the children’s program, helps plan and decorate congregational events and organizes physical spaces and supplies. “Personally, I love hosting events at our house for friends and family, from baby showers to Shivas,” said Ana. “Ken says that we host so much that our house is practically a venue. I also love organizing spaces, so from time to time I will help friends get their spaces decluttered and organized.”
The Fischers teach their children a Jewish concept known as tikkun ha’olam, often translated as “repairing the world.” To them, it means leaving the community better than they found it. Whether it’s through service, volunteering or investing in young people, it recognizes that individual acts of kindness can have consequences far beyond the moment.
Their commitment to service extends into the broader community as well. For the past eight years, Ken has served as Cub Master for Pack 122 in Broomall, first becoming involved when Isaac joined Scouts and continuing now with Zachary. Ana contributes to the pack as well, helping with events and fundraisers and even designing its new website.
For Ken, Scouting is an opportunity to give back to the community. “It has been great to help raise the next generation of leaders and community servants. I am fortunate to be able to work alongside so many great members of our community, including Rob Schaub, Marek Rybka, Keith Bocian, Matt Barrabee, Jon Thompson, Calvin Shih, and Mike Kerins and Brian Talecki. Each of these men gives so much in so many ways, and it would
be criminal of me not to mention them.”
Every summer, the Fischers return to the same Messianic Jewish conference where their story began. For the children, it is a chance to make friends and reconnect with people from around the world. “It’s a chance for Ana and I to recharge spiritually,” said Ken. “Even if sometimes we return home physically exhausted.”
They also travel to Canada each summer to visit Ana’s parents, brothers, nieces and nephews. At home in Marple, family time often means something wonder- fully ordinary: walks around the neighborhood, bike rides, games, conversations with friends, coffee or tea, or a night on the couch together. Ana and Ken also love playing Dungeons & Dragons. “I am not just a nerd… I am an uber one. I run a D&D campaign that has been going on for the last few years,” said Ken. He has been having a lot of fun using AI to create the entire world, characters, even ways the players can interact with it. “I love to play D&D with Ken as the Dungeon Master,” Ana added.
When time permits, Ken’s favorite thing to do is take Ana out on date nights,” he says. “Kind of hard with the kids, but spending time with her is the highlight of my life.” Ana feels much the same way. Her happiest place can be a fancy restaurant, or simply sitting on the couch while Ken plays a video game.
Since settling here in Marple over 10 years ago, they’ve created the very thing they were looking for, a community where children are surrounded by caring adults, neighbors become friends, friends become family, and service to others becomes part of growing up.
“Building a family has never been a solo project,” said Ken. “It is a community effort.” The Fischer’s message to other families is especially relevant in a time when many people are carrying burdens that are invisible to those around them. “Choose kindness, extend grace, and don’t be afraid to lean on one another,” they said. “None of us were meant to walk through life alone.” Their family has learned that meaningful change often begins with something very small: a conversation, an invitation, a helping hand or a meal brought to a friend or simply showing up. “One way to develop
relationships is to “see a need, fill a need.” they said. “This is how you enable change to take place over time, to build strong families and strong communities.”
The Fischers also believe that everyone needs grace. “Grace is meant to be freely received and freely given,” Ken explained. “The strength to forgive, encourage, and give people, including ourselves, the opportunity to grow.”
Know a Marple family, individual or group who should be better known by everyone in our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Holly Stupak at HStupak@BestVersionMedia.com.