Jackie & Stephen Moster: Pursuing Yachad’s Mission Together

In the summer of 2007, Yachad brought Jackie Green and Stevie Moster together, and today they continue their work as a married couple, extending Yachad’s mission in the Jewish community.

Both Jackie and Stevie, from Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, became counselors on Yad B’Yad, Yachad’s summer program that brings typically developing teens together with young adults with disabilities on a tour of Israel. During Yad B’Yad, high school students and Yachad members experience the Jewish homeland to the fullest as they ride camels, hike up Masada, participate in special Shabbat programs, and volunteer for community service work. Jackie and Stevie first became a team when they were assigned to similar responsibilities on Yad B’Yad. Their working relationship quickly developed into a friendship, and that friendship eventually evolved into marriage.

Jackie first began her involvement with Yachad through weekend Shabbatonim when she was in high school, soon realizing she was “surrounded by people who brought out the best” in her. She came to view Yachad as a place that “despite everyone’s differences, [we] were getting together, had a common need, interest, and love for Yachad.”

What’s Jackie’s advice for someone’s first time at a Yachad event? “Experience the array of emotions, ask questions, and assume a leadership position when there is a need. Create a welcoming and accepting place for everyone.”

Jackie and Stevie continue to live by Yachad’s mission of “addressing the needs of all individuals with disabilities, ensuring their inclusion in everyday life.” Stevie spreads Yachad’s message about education and advocating for greater understanding, acceptance, and outreach by creating a disabilities study major at University of Maryland. Jackie is a behavior specialist, working in a mainstream school supporting students with challenges in multiple areas, such as social skills. She believes that inclusion is reality. “People should not be included only in certain situations; it should be a way of life.”

The couple brings Yachad’s mission to everything that they do at home as well, teaching their ten-month-old son, Sammy, self-acceptance, sensitivity, and respect for others – all others.

Doria Miller is a Yachad Social Work intern

This is an article from Belong Magazine 2014. For more information, or to receive your own copy contact belong@ou.org

Yaffa & Ari Ash: Pursuing Yachad’s Mission Together

Yachad has changed many lives for the better in immeasurable ways. Two of those people are Yaffa and Ari Ash, who met each other through their work with Yachad. Yaffa was first exposed to Yachad via a Shabbaton she attended with a friend during high school. She soon found her niche, and from 2004 to 2009 she worked as a coordinator, advisor, and counselor in various Yachad programs, including Yad b’ Yad. Meanwhile, her future husband Ari, with whom she shared mutual childhood friends but had never actually met in person, also began to contribute his time and talents to Yachad. Eventually, Yaffa and Ari met at a Yachad Shabbaton in 2007 and became friends. Later that year, at the same site of the Shabbaton where they first met and worked together, Ari proposed. The importance of disability inclusion was instilled in Yaffa from a very early age by her mother, who worked in special education and exposed Yaffa to the diversity of humankind. Yaffa feels that this helped her achieve a greater understanding of how people with disabilities can and should fit as equal and useful members. She and Ari live by this belief in their daily lives, and they work tirelessly to impart the idea of true inclusion and equality to others. To further that goal, they advise teens to “forget all your expectations” about Yachad inclusion events “and think of it as just hanging out with new people.” This seemingly obvious piece of advice hides a powerful message. Many people in the wider world have unfortunate preconceived – and often downright incorrect – notions of what people with disabilities are like, and also about what it might be like to form social relationships with them. It’s important to remember that people with disabilities are simply people – people with hearts and minds and feelings. They can share so much with you, and you with them. “So get involved,” they encourage young people, “as we did.” And who knows? You might just meet that special someone who shares your values and commitment.

Deborah Berman is the Director of Social Work at Yachad

This is an article from Belong Magazine 2014. For more information, or to receive your own copy contact belong@ou.org

Member Remember- Nechama Drebin

Dedication, passion, and positivity are three words that describe Nechama Drebin’s extensive commitment to Yachad. Her welcoming and friendly personality could be one of the reasons why she stands out in the Yachad community. Nechama’s involvement with Yachad spans twenty years and exemplifies how an individual can grow alongside an organization. At the age of ten, Nechama began her journey when she attended her first Shabbaton as a Junior Yachad member. While she enjoyed traveling throughout the metropolitan area with Yachad, Nechama especially took pride in attending Shabbatonim in her home town of Brooklyn.

Growing with Yachad through the years, Nechama graduated to Senior Yachad and eventually to where she finds herself currently in the Rayim Yachad division. To Nechama, Yachad has always been much more than Shabbatonim. During the years she has attended many of the various Yachad summer programs, including Yachad Mesorah, Yachad Getaway, and Yad B’Yad. Looking back on her years of experience, Nechama says Yad B’Yad remains her favorite program because it was a great place to “meet new friends!” Nechama has had the great fortunate to have traveled to Israel with Yad B’Yad (and Birthright Yachad ) many times and recalls each trip fondly.

After so many years with Yachad, stepping into leadership roles came naturally for Nechama. She’s worked at the Yachad Mesorah day camp and currently works for Yachad’s Day Hab program in Brooklyn. When asked why she’s continued to make Yachad a central fixture in her life, Nechama explains that “at Yachad we sing together, dance, give dvar Torahs, and the friends are nice to us.” The Yachad community is as close as family for her; in fact, her siblings Avi and Ruchi have followed their sister’s lead and participate in Yachad events as well!

When she’s not dedicating her time to helping other Yachad members, you can find Nechama at home in Brooklyn working on puzzle books and word finds. She’s a proud aunt to her niece and three nephews and enjoys spending time with her family.

Dr. Jeff’s Corner Spring 2014

I hope this finds you well – here at Yachad we are thrilled over the near-explosive and constantly expanding growth that we are experiencing.

Yachad, the single largest provider of Inclusive summer programs with new programs opening on the west coast, Canada, and Israel.

Yachad, providing clinical services for the entire family, from individual counseling to Sibshops to mothers and fathers support groups to groups for dating and marriage.

Yachad, responding to perhaps the single greatest need of adult Yachad members – jobs, vocational services. We have expanded these services to NJ and Chicago with more families and chapters requesting the same all over the country.

Yachad, in an increasingly segregated and isolating Jewish community has pioneered Hinienu, a historic initiative to have all religious denominations work to promote Inclusion within their stream and synagogues.

Yachad, continuing to provide more and more of our signature Inclusion social/recreational programs from shabbatons to Sunday and after school programs; still focusing and caring about the growth, self-esteem, and happiness of EACH and EVERY Yachad member and family.

So why are we sweating even though the windows are open? Because notwithstanding continuing to have the very best staff bar none and our sky rocketing growth, so much more still needs to be done!

So we need your help. We need our best former staff to join with our current amazing staff to help us respond to the many needs of our Yachad members, their families, and our entire community.

So please join us again, help us again. Do you have a job, full or part-time to offer a capable young adult? An internship or volunteer position?

Can you be the ambassador for us in your community? Can you help us with housing for a shabbaton or to organize a program at your child’s school? Can you speak at the Yachad Shabbaton the importance and meaning of inclusion for, a Yachad member, a peer, and for yourself?

Limited time? Then can you help us with financial support. Scholarship for Yachad members to go to camp or Yad B’Yad, scholarship for IVDU schools or clinical services. Whatever you can do – big or small, a lot or a little; to us it means a lot and to our Yachad members and their families it really means so much – as you no doubt remember.

So please do contact Naftali or me or anybody at Yachad and tell us how you can help. Join us, reconnect, help us help so many! Summer is just around the corner and I hope to see you very soon.

Wishing you and your family a chag kasher v’semeach!
Fondly,

Dr. Jeff

Alumni Spotlight Spring 2014

Ask Abby (Feldman) Basalay about Yachad and she’ll have a lifetime of memories, experiences, and wisdom to share with you. For Abby, participation in Yachad was a family affair. From a young age her parents hosted a number of Yachad members and advisors in their Queens home. She recalls sitting at the dinner table and listening to the zmirot, surrounded by a sense of warmth and happiness. She notes that these events were always inclusive, with no off-hand whispers or cliques; she remembers only the warmth and joy of shared song and dance. After attending a particularly inspirational Simchaton when she was eleven, Abby knew she wanted to get involved with Yachad for the long term.

As the years progressed, Abby transitioned from a high school participant, to an advisor, and finally served as a counselor for Yad B’Yad and Birthright Yachad. Her outstanding dedication to Yachad’s mission, to promote inclusion among Jews with diverse abilities, shines through in her caring nature, easy smile, and passion for infusing fun into any situation.

Abby shared that some of her favorite memories come from her time with Yad B’Yad, particularly while staying at the Kibbutz Ein Tzurim in Israel. She laughs as she recalls that “no teenager in their right mind would wake up early to gather eggs and clean a coop or the cow barn.” Yet, much to her surprise, the Yachad participants were so eager and excited to help out that in the end they all “jumped in and cleaned, sprayed, raked leaves, and had fun with something that I would have never imagined could be great.” Spending time in Israel on Yad B’Yad was a transformational experience for Abby, who can spend hours retelling stories filled with laughter and joy.

Today Abby resides in Kew Garden Hills, Queens with her husband, Daniel, and two children, Menashe and Ellie. She’s currently a pediatric intern at Cohen’s Children’s Medical at LIJ Hospital. Although her counseling and advising days are over, Abby looks back on her experience with Yachad with fondness and warmth. Undoubtedly this all-star alumna will share her memories with her family and perhaps, inspire her children to continue the tradition.

Alumni Spotlight

Meet up with Rabbi Maurice Appelbaum and you’ll likely be looking up. Not only because he’s tall, but more importantly because of the type of person that he is, and if you ask him, he’ll tell you that he largely attributes his life trajectory due to his Yachad experience.

Yachad members and advisors that participated on Shabbatonim during the mid 2000’s will remember Maurice mostly for his stand up job as the Ruach Coordinator for Senior Yachad. Maurice was legendary within the ‘Yachad circle’ and many songs/shtick still performed today are rooted and credited to him

Maurice grew up in Flatbush and attended the Yeshiva of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School. He went on from there to study at yeshiva in Israel before returning to the States where he split his collegial years between Rutgers University and Brooklyn College. Upon graduation Maurice attended Yeshiva Chovevei Torah from which he received his rabbinical ordination. He is currently the spiritual leader in Greenpoint, Brooklyn at Congregation Ahavas Israel (AKA Greenpoint Shul) as well as a supervisory candidate for HealthCare Chaplaincy working at NY Hospital Queens.

Maurice’s Yachad journey began in Israel in 2000. While studying for the year abroad, Maurice became involved with KEDMA, a student organization in Israel that promotes social action through innovative programming. Through KEDMA, Maurice attended a Yachad training Shabbaton in Jerusalem led by former Yachad staffer Elana Goldscheider. Inspired by this Shabbaton and other Yachad events in Israel, Maurice officially joined Yachad while in college. In fact, he became so involved that he got into “trouble” with the Hillel Rabbi at Rutgers University that he wasn’t on campus enough for Shabbat to fulfill prior obligations to Hillel.

During his Yachad journey, Maurice served as the Brooklyn Coordinator for Senior Yachad, staffed several Yad B’Yad summer programs (North, South and Israel), including one that he co-directed together with his wife Rebeccah. He additionally, led several Birthright trips to Israel geared specifically for individuals with disabilities.

During our interview with Maurice, he shared with us just how strongly Yachad has impacted his life. “Yachad brings people together, and I [as a person] was brought together by Yachad. Yachad is the big tent that unifies Jews – of all types – together”. Maurice expounded upon his decision to go into the pulpit as inspired by Yachad. “It’s possible to go through life avoiding people who are different including people who have disabilities, but Yachad demonstrated to me the uniqueness of each individual and how I am a stronger and more connected person when my orientation is geared toward inclusivity. Yachad changed how I saw myself and others and challenged me to do more with my life”.

Although already a few years removed from his Yachad days, Maurice remains close with several of the Yachad members and staff that he built close relationships with during his time with Yachad. We are excited to share that Maurice has now formally reconnected with Yachad roots by joining the newly founded Young Leadership Council of Friends of Yachad. We look forward to continued shared Yachad experiences with Maurice, Rebeccah and their three beautiful children, B’Yachad!

Dr. Jeff’s Corner

Dear Friends of Yachad,

Wow- where we’ve been, where we are today. Totally amazing!

And where we have yet to go!

Dare I say – to boldly go, where no one has gone before.

We take for granted, where the Jewish community was 30 years ago, what Yachad has created these past 30 years.

Thirty years ago there were:

NO Yachad shabbatons for children or adults who had disabilities

NO Yachad Family Shabbaton

NO Summer Programs

NO Yad B’Yad

NO IVDU schools

NO Vocational services

They simply did not exist anywhere. Today we serve thousands and are the model for so many other local agencies.

Imagine, that you were part of this movement to change the Jewish community. No, don’t imagine – remember. Remember because YOU were part of this movement, an integral part of this near miraculous change. Now building on the amazing growth of the past and responding to the ever changing and growing needs of the future we boldly go forward to keep building a more positive and inclusive community.

And again – you will be part of it! To have an alumni association – wow! So exciting! And please G-d, it will help us to keep growing – one more Yachad member, one more community inspired by the power of Inclusion, one more Yad B’Yad program seeding hundreds more high school students to promote inclusion and on and on.

I am so excited to partner with so many of you again to build a stronger, more vibrant, more Inclusive, community – B’Yachad.

Thank you for all that you have done.

Thank you for all that you will do.

Thank you for helping to teach and remind us all that B’Yachad – together is better, because everyone belongs.

Fondly,
Dr. Jeff

Dr. Jeff Lichtman is the International Director of Yachad, The National Jewish Council for Disabilities

Member Spotlight

Have you ever wondered or been curious what happened to the Yachad members that you were so close with? Each issue we will catch you up by featuring a different Yachad Star member in the Member Spotlight column. This issue we caught up with Bezalel Kosofsky.

Bezalel began his Yachad journey as a member of Junior Yachad in 1996 during the annual Monsey Shabbaton. He traveled through the ranks, graduating to Senior Yachad and eventually Rayim Yachad, which he currently is still a member. Bezalel stays connected to his roots. He often volunteers as a member of the kitchen staff for both Junior and Senior Yachad Shabbatonim.

Bezalel is currently employed at two different jobs. Since 2003 he has served as a Book Shelving Monitor at The Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Also, in 2006 he began working at the real estate office of Chestnut Holdings.

Asked how Yachad has affected his life, Bezalel said “Yachad has helped me grow up and learn more. It’s helped me see the world (visiting different communities) and allowed me many social opportunities to meet new people and make new friends”. Bezalel also shared with us that Yachad assisted him in finding his current job at Chestnut Holdings. During his years at Yachad, Bezalel developed a relationship with his longtime advisor and friend, Binyamin Reider, who eventually hired him to work at his company.

Bezalel, 31, currently lives in Hillcrest, New York. He spends his free time connecting with friends through social media and brushing up his vast knowledge of anything and everything to do with cars. He still remains close with friends he met through Yachad, including members and former staff, Shlomo Gittler, Heschel Tennenbaum, Seth Braunstein and Srulee Hercman.

As Yachad celebrates its 30^th birthday, Bezlael approaches his 18 year anniversary with the organization he loves dearly and looks forward to celebrating the next 18 together with all of his Yachad friends, b’Yachad!