March 2013

GrowingUp
March
2013
NEWS
FROM
JEWISH CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION•EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO GROW UP HOPEFUL
Centuries of Caring in the Jewish Community
A teacher at JCCA’s Forest Hills Child
Care Center shows a young girl how to
light the Shabbat candles.
fleeing the terrible conditions Jews faced
In 1822, the Hebrew Benevolent Society
in Europe. All were poor—desperate
was founded to provide a haven for
to keep their families together against
Jewish orphans and widows. Over the
tremendous odds and build a better life in
years, we have evolved into Jewish Child
a new land.
Care Association, a comprehensive child
In those days, there were no
and family services agency that annually
government programs to help needy
helps more than 16,000 vulnerable
children, adults,
children and families
or families. The
of all faiths and
The principle of tikkun olam—
Jewish community
backgrounds.
the responsibility of every person
to make the world a better place
of New York did
Here is the story
—is evident through the services
what its religious
of our services to
and programs JCCA provides to
and ethical traditions
children and families
children and families in need.
commanded—it
in the Jewish
Vice President Joseph Biden reached out to
community:
care for its own. It
In the early 1820s,
would be many years before its privately
New York’s Jewish community, alarmed
supported efforts would be supplemented
by the poverty in its midst, took action.
by government-funded programs. During
The Hebrew Benevolent Society was
this time—through the 19th and the first
created to be a safety net for struggling
Jewish families. Many were new
half of the 20th century—a strong network
immigrants, part of a growing wave
of Jewish services grew and flourished,
“
”
caring for each new generation.
In 1912, Pleasantville Cottage School
in Westchester, the first cottage-style
residential treatment center in the
United States, was founded as a haven
for Jewish orphans. It was an immediate
success and child care workers from
across the globe came to study its
innovative approaches. This pioneering
program was hailed by President Taft as
“the best in the country.” In 1925, another
residential program, Edenwald Center,
was established for developmentally
disabled girls. It also became a national
model. Following World War II, when
the true horror of what happened to the
Jewish community of Europe became
known, JCCA helped hundreds of
orphaned children restart lives that had
been brutally torn apart.
In the 1960s, the agency’s programs
expanded to include children of all races,
religions, and creeds, who suffered from
abuse or neglect. Using new modalities,
Jewish Child Care Association began
to care for children in foster and group
homes. These programs, inspired by
(continued on page 2)
In 2012, JCCA programs for the Jewish community:
• Served more than 5,500 children
and families
• Helped more than 665 adoptive
parents create new families
• Were the largest in-home day
care provider in the UJA-Federation
network, providing services for 1,600
preschoolers
• Provided tutoring to 150 students,
many from immigrant families, 85%
of whom improved their grades
• Helped more than 1,000 special needs
students and their families, many on the
autism spectrum, reach their potential
• Provided counseling to 560 Bukharian
families struggling to acclimate to their
new country
need and the opportunity for
many to build small businesses in their homes. Serving
1,200 children a year, this
network, providing quality
child care with Jewish enrichment, is among the largest in
the city. For many Bukharian
Jews, JCCA’s programs have
been a crucial element in their
Caring (continued from page 1)
acclimation to this country.
Vulnerable populations are not only dethe Jewish values of tzedakah (giving),
fined by economics. Education has always
enabled people to become self-sufficient,
been a high priority for Jewish families.
while treating them with dignity.
JCCA serves more than 1,000 high school
As New York’s Jewish community
and college students with learning disgrew and prospered, the network we
abilities, autism, and other special needs
created to help Jews in need also grew.
throughout the metropolitan area. The
In the 1990s, we provided a safety net
Compass Project provides counseling,
for a new generation of Jewish families
vocational assessment, internships, and
escaping religious persecution—more
job placements. The POINT Program (the
than 40,000 members of the Bukharian
first program of its
community who fled
The genius of this organization
kind in New York),
oppression in the
is that you have evolved to help the
working in partnerCentral Asian porsuffering of all children who need
ship
with Westchester
tion of the former
your assistance…Through your care
Jewish Community
Soviet Union to build every day, you give them hope.
new lives in AmerJonathan M. Tisch Services, offers inPresident and Chief Executive Officer,
dependent living for
ica. Utilizing the
The Loews Corporation
young adults on the
experience gained
autism spectrum. JCCA’s award-winning
from decades of working with new Jewtutoring and mentoring program, Two
ish immigrants from around the world,
Together, provides academically at-risk
Jewish Child Care Association reached
students, many from immigrant commuout to the growing Bukharian communities, with the one-on-one support they
nity. Our Bukharian Teen Lounge offers
need to achieve academic success.
a safe haven for immigrant high school
JCCA also responded to a request
students. It supports them with college
for our expertise to support young
preparation, leadership development,
Orthodox men who are marginalized
internships, an interactive theater group,
by their community. Jewish Child Care
community service, and meaningful visits
Association offers them counseling,
to Israel. Through our Partners in Caring
substance abuse education, tutoring,
program, funded by the UJA-Federation
recreation, and internships. Building
of New York, we provide individual and
on the trust and understanding created
family counseling, workshops and semifrom decades of work in every segment
nars offered in schools, synagogues, and
of the Jewish community, JCCA meets
community centers in Queens where the
the special needs of these young men and
Bukharians settled. These services reach
offers a positive alternative and a safe
hundreds of people of all ages every year.
place to gather every night of the week at
Jewish Child Care Association’s network
the Kew Gardens Hills Youth Center.
of in-home day care providers and our
In addition to assisting existing
full-day child care center give working
families cope and grow stronger, Jewish
families—many of them from the BukharChild Care Association also helps create
ian community—the quality day care they
new families. Ametz Adoption Program
builds new families by facilitating
domestic and international adoptions and
providing ongoing counseling and support
throughout the adoption process and
beyond.
JCCA’s predecessor agencies were
founded to provide a safety net for the
Jewish poor. While many in the Jewish
community have done well, some have
not. Despite prosperity for many, one in
five Jews in New York lives at or below
the poverty line. Those who cope with
poverty often also struggle with a host
of other problems, including substance
abuse, domestic violence, and family
dysfunction. JCCA’s wide range of
services in the Jewish community address
these interrelated issues.
“
”
Today, Jewish Child Care Association
is one of the oldest and most respected
multicultural child and family
service agencies in the country. Our
comprehensive range of programs—
spanning early childhood initiatives,
mental health and preventive services,
foster care, residential treatment,
adoption, and educational support—
serves New Yorkers of all faiths and
backgrounds.
Looking to the Future
The faces of the people we help may
change and the problems they face may
be different, but JCCA’s commitment to
New York’s children and families remains
unwavering. We will continue to provide
innovative clinical and social service
models, a commitment to excellence, and
compassion to everyone we serve.
GU jccany.org/sjc
Letter from
the President
Dear Friends,
I am very pleased to begin
my service as President of the
Board of Trustees of Jewish
Child Care Association.
JCCA is one of the most
respected child and family
services agencies in the
country. Originally founded in
1822 to care for poor Jewish
orphans, JCCA’s scope has
expanded over the years to
encompass children from all
backgrounds. JCCA helps more
than 16,000 children and
family members each year.
We work with the most
vulnerable children who have
been neglected or abused,
immigrant families, and those
in crisis wishing to build new
lives. JCCA offers a highly
supervised and structured
environment where children
and families can find safety
and support while they work
through their challenges. In
everything we do, we are
motivated by our belief that
every child deserves to grow
up hopeful.
We are focusing this issue
of Growing Up specifically
on how Jewish Child Care
Association has evolved
over the centuries to meet
the demands of a changing
Jewish community, how we
have helped new waves of
immigrants, and how we are
meeting the challenges of
a tough economy. We will
continue to help all who need
our services with compassion
and a commitment to
innovation and excellence.
Sincerely,
Peter Hauspurg
President, Board
of
trustees
Growing Up
3
Another Successful Fundraiser for The Cottage Schools
Tasha, a resident at Pleasa
ntville
Cottage School
JCCA Trustee Lawrence Stern and his wife Donna with
Trustee Stephen Gilberg and his wife Lory
M
nie Spiegel
JCCA Trustee Stepha
husband Lee
and her
JCCA Trustee Joan Levin and husband
Chuck Lohrfink
Campus resident Jaquan
tzky
Eliot Kaplan and Jean Cha
Co-chairs Wendi Winshall, Phyllis Neider, Rachel Rader
and Kathy Goldberg with JCCA CEO Richard Altman and
Board President Peter Hauspurg
ore than 250 Campus
supporters made
this year’s A Tree Grows
in Pleasantville cocktail
party a resounding
success. The annual
benefit, now in its eighth
year, raised $350,000 for
The Cottage Schools.
The crowd was moved
by the touching words of
Cottage School residents.
Special thanks for an
outstanding evening to
this year’s Benefit Cochairs, Kathy Goldberg of
Armonk, Phyllis Neider
of Briarcliff Manor, and
Rachel Rader and Wendi
Winshall of Chappaqua.
Growing Up
4
“
IN MY OWN
Words
Jewish Child Care Association provides a wide array of services—
from adoption and child care to mentoring and support programs
for teens. Here are the stories of some of the people we have helped
in their own words.
B U K H A R IA N T EE N L OUNGE
A Quick Glance at JCCA's
Services in the Jewish Community
Daniela Z.
At 17, Daniela, a senior at
Bayside High School, is determined to make
the most out of her life in America. She has
seen her parents sacrifice a great deal—
uprooting the family from Uzbekistan and
then from Israel—to give their four children
the best possible opportunities. At the same
time, Daniela is proud of her Bukharian
heritage and equally determined that it will
continue to be a central part of her life. For her, the balancing act has been
made a lot easier by the Bukharian Teen Lounge, where she has found peers
and a caring staff to help her negotiate life in America.
“
My older brother’s friend told me
about the Bukhkarian Teen Lounge
when I was a sophomore. I was shy, but
I went, and right away I felt welcome.
The next year, I decided to be really
brave, and when I was offered a chance
to be on the Leadership Board, I took
it. It was a pretty amazing experience
because I went to a leadership training
conference, first in Cleveland, then in
Boston. There were teens from all over
the country, not just Bukharians. We
were able to incorporate a lot of what
we learned into our own programs at the
Lounge, but we also just got to hang out
with Jewish kids from different cities. My
parents are pretty traditional, and there’s
no way I would have been allowed to
travel out of New York without them. But
they trust the Lounge and they let me go.
I consider myself an American,
but my parents’ roots are Bukharian.
I don’t want to lose that part of my
heritage. That’s why the Teen Lounge
is so important to me. I know a lot of
Bukharian kids who assimilate totally
and reject the Bukharian culture. I
won’t do that. My mother had to re-train
three times as a nurse in the countries
she’s lived in, and she did it. She and my
father are very smart and always have a
Plan B—that strength comes from their
traditions, and they are mine, too.
The Teen Lounge has also helped
direct me for the future. Thanks to the
Kavod internship program, I got to
work in the office of the Queens District
Attorney. Incredible experience, but it
taught me I didn’t want to be a lawyer.
I want something where I interact
with people more. I love science, and
we have dentists in our family in Israel.
Last summer, I got a Teen Lounge
internship in a large dental clinic and it
was great. I have applied for the six-year
dental program at Adelphi. If that doesn’t
work, I know there’s always a Plan B,
and I know I have the confidence to
find it.” GU jccany.org/btl
Ametz Adoption Program works with adoptive
parents before, during, and after the adoption
process.
Bukharian Teen Lounge helps teenagers
integrate into the larger Jewish and American
community while maintaining their rich
Bukharian heritage. It provides counseling,
academic, and social support.
Compass Project serves the special needs
of high school and college students on the
autism spectrum or with learning disabilities
as they transition to adulthood.
Family Day Care provides high quality, inhome child care for working families. The
program serves 1,000 children and families
per year.
Forest Hills Child Care Center is a licensed
full-day program for children ages 2 to
5, offering high quality care for working
parents, within a framework of Jewish values,
traditions, and culture. It also offers a
Universal Pre-K program.
Kalontar encourages Bukharian young adults
to take leadership positions in the broader
Jewish Community.
Kew Gardens Hills Youth Center is an afterschool program for Orthodox youth that offers
counseling, substance abuse education,
tutoring, and job coaching.
Partners in Caring is a counseling service for
children and families who are new immigrants
experiencing difficulties in their new culture.
POINT offers independent living for young
adults on the autism spectrum.
Two Together is a tutoring and mentoring
program for students who need extra
academic support and guidance.
5
FA M ILY D AY CARE
Annette Grun
Annette Grun didn’t know where to turn when her son, Dovi, three months
old, was diagnosed with a heart defect. Her husband worked full time,
so she needed day care for her other son, two-year-old Shalom. Through
a serendipitous circumstance, she found JCCA’s unique, intimate,
home-based Family Day Care program, where children receive culturally
enriching, quality care by licensed, caring, neighborhood-based providers.
Shalom thrived here for the next two and a half years, while Annette cared
for Dovi through numerous hospital stays. Happily, Dovi pulled through and
is doing well. Now her daughter, Avigayil is also in our program!
“
Dovi was in and out of the hospital
for the first three years of his life. I
didn’t know what I would do about day
care for my other son, Shalom, because
my husband was working full time as a
store manager and I had to be with Dovi.
During one of his early hospitalizations, I
met my wonderful friend Sterna, whose
son was on the same floor, also with a
heart defect. When she told me she was
a family day care provider with JCCA, I
decided to try it.
My life was crazy—for the next three
years my job consisted of dropping
Shalom off at day care, rushing to the
hospital to be with Dovi, driving back to
pick up Shalom, and then going home.
The lifesaver was that Shalom absolutely
adored Sterna and day care. It was such
a homey, caring, friendly environment
and so reassuring to know he was in good
hands. It had all the right things, including
a warm lunch. He would come home happy
with all he learned and then was really
excited to go back the next day.
Now that I’m working full time as a
K E W G A R D E NS HI L L S YOUTH CE NTE R
Moshe A.
Moshe, 16, a first-generation
American son of Israeli
parents, has been going
to JCCA’s Kew Gardens
Hills Youth Center for two
years. It is a safe gathering
place for Orthodox young
men, who feel marginalized
by the community, to regain self-esteem and
direction through counseling, tutoring, recreation,
and internships. The Center has given Moshe
the confidence and motivation to work toward a
productive, independent future. After high school, he
plans to go to a yeshiva in Israel for a year and then
on to college in the United States.
“
paraprofessional in a special education
class, my daughter Avigayil is in day care
with Sterna and she loves it, too! Every
day she’s ready before me, can’t wait to
get there, and runs inside the minute we
arrive. Kids don’t hide their feelings—I
just know she’s happy when she’s there.
Shalom is in second grade now, and still
loves Sterna like a second mother. I feel
so lucky to have had this incredible place
for our children. We couldn’t have gotten
through the tough times without it.”
GU jccany.org/fdc
I found out about the Youth Center from friends who were
going there and liked it. It’s a really good place to hang out,
where I get help with my studies, participate in a lot of activities,
meet new people, and work out in a great gym. It’s like a second
home for me and a really safe place. Most of my friends are from
here now. Going to the Center keeps you off the streets, which is
good because I didn’t want to end up like that, like some guys in
this neighborhood do.
The staff is wonderful and has talked with me a lot about my
life and future, and given me great advice about my education.
Rabbi Ginian, the director, is helping me find a new high school
to go to now, where I can feel comfortable and prepare for
college later on. He also got me an internship at a realtor’s last
summer, which was really interesting and where I learned so
much. The summer before that I worked in the community
doing projects like cleaning up the park and helping out in the
neighborhood in other ways. I felt like I was doing something
important for other people.
The staff and other kids at the Center have given me a lot of
confidence in myself. They have really helped me in terms of life.
GU jccany.org/kghyc
Growing Up
6
“
IN MY OWN
Words
(continued)
AMETZ ADOPTION PROGRAM
Maryann and Nicholas Fiebach
a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But
we would do it over and over again to
have our daughters,” said the couple
enthusiastically. The children are happy
and well adjusted. While they are each
their own person, they both play the
violin, they both earned purple belts in
karate, they sing in the school chorus, and
they have many friends. They are doing
well at public school and Hebrew School
at Temple Beth Shalom in Westchester
and recently participated in a Purim
play. They are active, engaged, “typical”
American kids who know their history
and are proud of their heritage and of
their new country. “We are a happy
family. While we are surviving the turmoil
of pre-teens, we are still head over heels
in love with them,” said Maryann and
Nicholas. GU jccany.org/ametz
It was love at first
sight. “They are
our children!”
exclaimed Maryann
and Nicholas
Fiebach the
moment they saw
the beautiful threeyear-old identical
twins in Russia.
They had gone
to Russia as part
of a multi-year
adoption process
with the Ametz
Adoption Program
of JCCA.
JCCA on
“
We waited a long time to start a
family,” confessed Maryann, “but we
are very glad we found JCCA.” The
JCCA connection was nostalgic because
Nicholas’s parents had fostered a child,
David, from JCCA 40 years ago. One
of JCCA’s many programs includes
adopting foster care children. David, now
a psychiatrist in North Carolina, is “truly
my brother and our daughters’ uncle,”
stated Nicholas.
With the support and guidance of
JCCA’s staff, Maryann, who has a Masters
in Public Health, and Nicholas, who is
a Professor of Medicine at Columbia
University, had the home study, filled out
paper work, and met other requirements
in the complex process.
In 2005 they visited Russia when they
first saw the twins Darya and Ksenya.
“We used JCCA as our local agency and
we felt very supported in the process
which was very emotional,” recalls
Maryann. Then, in September of 2005
just as the paperwork was going through,
Russia suspended adoption to the United
States and they had an agonizing wait of
several months.
Finally, in March 2006, the children
came home to the United States and a
new family was created.
Six years later, the Fiebach family
is thriving. “The adoption process and
adjusting to young twin daughters took
On January 28, 2013,
Elise Hahn-Felix, Director
of JCCA’s Compass Project; Evan
Oppenheimer, Compass Project
Coordinator; and Preston Berger,
a Compass client, were featured
in a segment about a new report
on people who have autism. The
Compass Project serves high
school and college students by
providing counseling, education,
and social support to help them
make the transition to
an independent future.
GU
jccany.org/compass
Growing Up
7
Holiday Celebrations Around JCCA
C OM PA S S P R O JE CT
Preston Burger
JCCA Brooklyn Democracy Academy transfer school students
and participants in the Arches Program, a mentoring program
for teens in the juvenile justice system, celebrate the holidays with
youngsters from the Brownsville Recreation Center in Brooklyn.
L-R: Shakira S.,
Arches participant;
Ronald Starks,
Arches mentor;
Lisa John,
Arches Program
Coordinator;
Devon G., Arches
participant; Cherise
Littlejohn-Ross,
Brooklyn Democracy
Academy Director.
In many ways, Preston is a typical
young adult. He is pursuing his Masters
of Science in Special Education while
teaching, dancing, and singing on the
side. He also finds time every day to
see his friends and family.
But his progress has come with
challenges. Preston was diagnosed
with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of
autism, at the age of four.
He recalls his college years: “Princeton
can be overwhelming for anyone, but my
Asperger’s certainly didn’t make things any
easier. I was never sure how to talk about
my disability, and it was sometimes really
hard to understand many of the subtle social
cues that were part of such a high-pressure
environment like college.”
After Princeton he pursued a career in
dance. He met with moderate success for
several years, including being featured in
a music video. But when it came to more
standard professional pursuits, such as being
a legal writer or a Special Education teacher,
the transition was difficult. After losing five
jobs in five years, he decided that enough
was enough. “I realized I was going to need
an extra source of support if I wanted to
make it in the professional world, that’s
(continued on page 8)
On Dec. 20, JCCA’s Mental Health and Preventive Services Programs
held their annual holiday celebration with the children and families.
Staff members
help children make
frames for the
family pictures
taken at the
holiday party.
Jessica P. with her daughter, Isyss, and son, Mario,
pose with JCCA Santa (played by Pete Nabozny,
Director, Quality Management).
Andrea V. with her son, Kevin, and
daughter, Kezia with Santa.
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
Paid
New York, NY
Permit No. 757
Jewish Child Care Association Inc.
Every Child Deserves to Grow Up Hopeful
120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005
www.jccany.org [email protected] 212-425-3333
Peter Hauspurg
President
Barbara Salmanson
Chair of the Board
Richard Altman
Chief exeCutive offiCer
Mark A. Edelman
senior viCe President, fund develoPment
Leslie Gottlieb
direCtor, CommuniCation and marketing
editorial Board
Kathy Brodsky, Robert Cizma, Phina Geiger,
Jackie Holladay, Bonnie Lichtman, Keturah Pierre,
Debby Perelmuter, Bella Zelkin, Cherise Littlejohn-Ross,
Rick Safran, Gelah Penn, Anna Gold
Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies
Child Welfare League of America
Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies
Council on Accreditation of Services
for Families and Children
The Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies
©2013 Jewish Child Care Association
In my Own Words (continued from page 7)
SAVETHEDATE!
WEDNESDAYMAY
ACOCKTAILRECEPTIONTOBENEFIT
CHILDREN&FAMILIES
HONORING
TERRI&JAYBIALSKY
LORY&STEPHENGILBERG
JCCANYORG/HOPE
Preston Burger
when I contacted Compass.”
JCCA’s Compass Project provides
counseling, career and educational direction, social skills support, internships, and
employment for young adults, while helping them become more independent.
Preston started working with Evan
Oppenheimer, Compass Project Coordinator. Preston says, “Evan helped me
get to the heart of what I really value
and how I can create this in a job situation. We have open-ended discussions
about my future goals and also talk about
specific skill-building, like practice interviews and resume revision.”
Their work has been transformative
for Preston. “I always knew I had a drive
to help others; Evan helped me understand why I wanted to do it.” Preston
was recently asked by the Compass
Project to join the Youth Leadership
Council. “It feels great to be a part of a
community of like-minded peers. We are
all supportive of each other,” he says. He
enjoys connecting to the larger community through outreach projects, such as the
delivery of 100 holiday packages to the
Huntington Head Start Program. “This
is helping me grow as a person—not as ‘a
person with Asperger’s.’ ”
With Evan’s help, Preston has decided
he wants to help at-risk young adults get
the services and support they need to
succeed. He says, “I want to help others
with a disability and help them see their
abilities.” GU jccany.org/compass
IN MEMORIAM
The JCCA family remembers with
fondness and gratitude 80-year-old
Sonia Rosenbaum. Sonia and her
husband, Jack, served as JCCA foster
parents for 32 years and cared for as
many as 35 foster care children, three
of whom they adopted. Our sincere
condolences to her family.