Fall 2023 Newsletter

Fall 2023

JFS TODAY

Looking back to move forward: Spotlight speaker brings healing and hope

what’s INSIDE

F

ather Patrick Desbois kept an audience of almost 400 community members riveted to his every word at our annual Spotlight Event held on May 24 at Temple Israel.

The Roman Catholic priest has devoted his life to educating the world about the Holocaust and he shared in haunting detail his experience discovering the location of more than 2,900 killing sites and documenting more than 7,000 witness testimonies to the war crimes of the Nazi death squads. Although it was difficult to hear some of the specific accounts, those in attendance were impressed by the Father’s presentation and his work with Yahad-In Unum, his organization dedicated to providing documented proof of crimes against humanity.

“It was truly an overall humbling presentation,” said one woman who attended the event with her adult daughter. “It left both of us talking and thinking.”

Thanks to support from event chairs Helen and Martin Katz, and our many donors and event sponsors, we were able to raise over $375,000, which will allow us to continue supporting the quality of life of the over 600 Holocaust survivors we serve and providing much needed services to the more than 15,000 people who come through our door, ensuring that those in our community don’t face life’s challenges alone.

If you missed this year's Spotlight Event, visit vimeo.com/jfsdetroit/ spotlight2023 to see the recording.

2. Annual Meeting

6. Getting By With a Little Help From Our Peers

4. Welcome Brian Ginsberg, New Chief Culture and People Officer

THE HEART OF A STRONGER COMMUNITY

8. JFS Training Institute

Annual Meeting

Close to 200 community members and staff gathered at The J of Metro Detroit on June 27 for our Annual Meeting and Community Recognition Event. It was a feel-good evening as we celebrated our accomplishments of the past year and honored many of the people who help further our mission every day.

Board Chair Marc Bakst began the evening thanking our incredible community partners. Greetings were offered from Matt Lester, President of Jewish Federation of

Metropolitan Detroit, followed by a D’var Torah from Rabbi Daniel

Special guest speaker Senator Debbie Stabenow, a strong advocate of mental health, shared her dedication to JFS’s suicide prevention efforts and JFS CEO Perry Ohren provided the “State of JFS” by way of sharing several new programs, including support groups for those dealing with postpartum depression, grief and issues related to fatherhood, as well as the agency’s crisis response team. Those recognized for their contributions included Leonid Balabanov, Director of Transportation and Translation, who received the Patti Nemer Employee of the Year Award; Diana Mukh and Elaine Polevoy, Transportation Supervisors, who

each received the Norman R. Keane Lifetime Achievement Award; and Mark Jacobs, chair of JFS’s Legal Referral Service program, who received the Barbara & Irving Nusbaum Volunteer of the Year Award.

Past Board Chair Julie Teicher, on behalf of the Nominating Committee, welcomed Todd Schafer to the Board of Directors and thanked those who rolled off.

Sandy Schwartz (z”l), who served on the JFS Board for five years until her passing in March, was also thanked and memorialized for her service to JFS, for founding and championing Cancer Thrivers Network for Jewish Women and for her decades of selfless community involvement.

Syme.

Volunteer of the Year Mark Jacobs (second from the right) with his family

Board Chair Marc Bakst

Senator Debbie Stabenow

L2R: Lifetime Achievement Award winners Elaine Polevoy and Diana Mukh, Employee of the Year Leonid Balabanov and JFS CEO Perry Ohren

Oak Park Expansion

It’s no surprise, considering the turmoil over the past few years, that our behavioral health department has seen a significant increase in the number of community members seeking counseling services.

“With the pandemic and the transition back to in-school learning, we have seen an increase in stress, anxiety and behavioral issues in children and adolescents,” says Kerri Lanoue, LCSW, Director of Behavioral Health. “This has led to an influx of young clients in need of supportive therapy services.”

This influx made it clear that JFS needed more than just a renewed lease at the Crown Pointe Plaza in Oak Park.

We needed more space.

“In addition to behavioral health, the Oak Park office is home to several JFS departments, including older adult services, family support services, the Resource Center and Lev Detroit,” says Aldrine Brooks, Office Manager. “Due to the limited availability of offices, many staffers have had to share a space, which made it challenging for therapists and case managers to coordinate schedules with each other, as well as with clients.”

The office is still undergoing construction as of the writing of this newsletter, but when the work is complete, there will be six new offices to accommodate staff, including three new therapists who specialize in working with children. A new group room will provide a comfortable space for our support groups. The lobby and kitchen areas have also been remodeled.

“The new offices will allow our therapists and caseworkers to have more privacy, more personal space and fewer distractions,” says Kerri. “Our goal is for staff to have the consistency of working from one space in order to provide the best possible experience for those we serve.”

Welcome Brian Ginsberg, New Chief Culture and People Officer

According to Brian Ginsberg, JFS’s new Chief Culture and People Officer, joining the agency was bashert (destined, meant to be).

“I’ve worked in both the nonprofit and the for-profit world,” he says. “But when the opportunity to return to the nonprofit world arose, I jumped at it. And I couldn’t be more pleased to play even a small part in supporting our community, as well as JFS’s legacy of tikkun olam (repair the world).”

The Toronto native comes to JFS with 15 years of HR experience (eight of which were spent at Hillel Day School) and a passion for creating the best possible work culture.

“What does it feel like to work for JFS?” he says. “That is what I’m focusing on. What motivates everyone to get up in the morning and come to work every day? I want to make that connection with our people so I can help craft a workplace culture that meets their needs.”

Brian is also excited about the recent

Byron and Dorothy Gerson Innovation Fund Grant from Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit that will bolster the agency’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts.

“JFS supports the community,” he says. “So it should represent the community at large. Just because Jewish is in front of our name doesn’t mean you need to be Jewish to work here. Hiring people with different backgrounds and perspectives helps to make our organization whole.”

One of Brian’s goals is to ensure that HR has a visible and approachable presence at JFS. And his philosophy is simple.

“Everything I do is founded on the basis of dignity and respect. HR is not a faceless scary thing you get called into when you’re in trouble,” he says. “Whether someone has a question about benefits or needs help having a difficult conversation, we are here to serve the staff, not unlike how our social workers serve our clients.”

Donor Profile: Ilya Kuznetsov

It was the Coca-Cola in the fridge that blew Ilya Kuznetsov’s mind.

“I only had it once or twice at that point,” he says. “It was super special to have. The fact that it was readily available in our fridge…I couldn’t believe people live like this.”

Ilya was just nine years old when his family immigrated to the U.S. from Tajikistan.

“Tajikistan is one of the poorest countries in the world,” he says. “My father worked as an engineer, so we had some money, but it was not a great place to raise a family. And due to the former Soviet Union’s policies on religion, I didn’t know a lot about my Jewish side.”

Ilya’s uncle was the first to petition for asylum in the U.S. and was granted it in 1992. Ilya, his sister and parents arrived in 1996. And Jewish Family Service of Metro Detroit was there to help them resettle into their new lives.

“We lived in the Northgate apartments in Oak Park,” Ilya says. “It was fully furnished, and I remember being surprised that it had a stereo system.”

The family didn’t speak English, so school for Ilya was challenging at first.

“Thankfully there were a lot of refugee kids, all from the Soviet Union, so it helped that I was one of many. We had a special class where they would teach us English and reading, but also about life in America. One thing they told us was that here in America people shower every day. Back home it was hard to get hot water, so we only took a bath once a week.”

Today, Ilya works for Tesla on the purchasing side of the business. He lives in San Francisco with wife Aimi, two dogs and three cats. His parents live in Commerce Township and his younger sister in Portland. “We are all doing very well,” he says. “We are lucky to have good health

and no financial strain.”

It was about five years ago when Ilya first learned of Jewish Family Service and the agency’s role in helping his family resettle when they arrived in the U.S. He immediately began making monthly donations to the agency’s greatest needs fund to show his appreciation.

“I only wish I had done this earlier,” he says. “But I never put two and two together. It wasn’t until I got older that I wanted to find out more about the organization that helped us.”

Ilya began researching JFS. He wanted to volunteer his time, and he began by donating to our Adopt a Family program. Last year, he and his wife went above and beyond by purchasing every item on the wish lists of multiple clients. He has a special place in his heart for kids who love video games, because that’s what he wanted as a child and his

parents couldn’t afford it.

“I’m not a religious person, but maybe there’s a reason I have the things I do,” he says. “What if God blessed me with this money? I wouldn’t just be spending it on myself.”

Ilya wanted to volunteer more of his time, but his work schedule made it difficult. It wasn’t until he heard a rabbi talk about tzedakah (righteous giving) and how monetary donations can be just as meaningful as volunteer work, that something clicked and Ilya made a substantial increase in his monthly gift.

“I realized that I had not shown my appreciation for what I was given as a child and I want to give back,” he says. “I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.”

If you’re interested in making a difference like Ilya, contact Amy Newman at 248.592.2327 or anewman@jfsdetroit.org

Ilya Kuznetsov with his sister, Yuliya, and their parents, Andrey and Larisa

Getting By With a Little Help From Our Peers

One-on-one counseling is a critical core service at JFS and people turn to our therapists for a myriad of challenges. And when our therapists saw there was a need for extra support in the community, they turned—or rather, returned—to support groups.

“JFS used to offer support groups in the past, but hadn’t for many years,” says Dini Peterson, Chief Program Officer, Mental Health and Safety Net Services. “They came back into play during the COVID-19 pandemic when we needed a way to provide accessible support to those in need, while also bringing people together during such a frightening and uncertain time.”

The pandemic support groups ran for almost three years. And while we may be done with the pandemic, JFS is far from done with offering support groups.

“Our Resource Center was getting many calls from people specifically seeking grief and loss counseling or support groups within the Jewish Community,” says Dini. “We recognized a need and focused on training our staff so we could provide such a group.” As a result, JFS now offers three grief and loss support groups supported by The Jewish Fund Teen Board: one that’s open to all community members, one for women over 60 and one for young adults.

JFS therapists took note that it wasn’t just those experiencing grief who could benefit from a support group; they also saw a need among mothers who had just given birth and

another for Orthodox fathers.

“Parenthood is a joyous occasion, but it can also be extremely difficult,” says Julia Cohen, LMSW, co-facilitator of the postpartum support group. “We wanted to provide care for moms and have a positive impact on the wellbeing of the entire family.”

To that end, the eight-week group covers a range of topics, including relationships, social support, intimacy, self-care and more. Four cohorts of women have already benefitted from the guidance of JFS therapists and the camaraderie of other new moms.

“The group was a wonderful constant in the midst of the postpartum whirlwind,” says one new mom. “The leaders (JFS therapists Julia Cohen and Rina Hennes Sabes) created a safe community where we could be vulnerable with our emotions. So, I feel like we really got to know each other.”

The support group for Orthodox fathers came about when Avi Kohn, LLMSW, asked himself how he might have a bigger impact on the students he was serving as a school social worker at Yeshivas Darchei Torah.

“I enjoy working with the students,” he says. “But I thought if I could also work with the parents, then that would go a long way in improving family dynamics.”

Avi recruited his JFS colleague, Levi Hiller, LMSW, school social worker at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, and together they put together a four-month long group for fathers ages 30-50 from different parts of the Orthodox

Support groups are always forming on a variety of topics. For more information on current groups, or if you would like to suggest a topic for a future group, please contact the Resource Center at 248.592.2313 or resourcecenter@jfsdetroit.org.

JFS’s current offerings for support groups include: Grief and Loss Support separate groups for all community members, women over 60 and young adults

Postpartum Support —open to moms with babies up to 12 months old

Orthodox Fathers Support open to fathers of young children

community. The one-hour weekly group includes guided introspection using thought-provoking prompts and an interactional process that helps fathers gain a heightened selfawareness in their role as a father. Three cohorts of men have been through the program and many report that it has been life changing.

“You don’t realize just how far you are from being the best parent you can be,” shared one father. “This group has opened my eyes and illuminated the path.”

“The energy with support groups is much different than with one-on-one therapy,” says Kerri Lanoue, LCSW, Director of Behavioral Health. “Things move quickly with group discussions. Facilitators get the benefit of seeing someone have that lightbulb moment that they don’t always see right away working individually. It’s fulfilling to see real change so quickly.”

Trai ning Institute

For almost 100 years, people have relied on JFS for its unwavering ability to meet the needs of the community. We’ve been able to help loved ones safely age in place, counsel those struggling with life’s transitions and support families facing tough times, thanks to the experience and expertise of our staff.

Now community members can rely on JFS to help them develop their own areas of expertise.

The JFS Training Institute, launched in 2022 as part of our strategic plan, was created so JFS staff and community professionals could receive the latest in evidence-based practices and interventions in a range of service areas.

“We have incredible subject matter experts and trainers among our staff,” says Evie Lynn Breuer, Senior Director of Community Outreach and Wellness. “The Training Institute is a way to formalize that and share our expertise with the community.”

The primary focus of the Training Institute

last year was responding to the needs of the community. “We brought in an outside speaker to talk about antisemitism in response to an incident in the community,” says Evie. “We’ve trained 38 staffers in crisis support, who are now part of our Crisis Response Team and are able to put these skills to use and provide support in the most tragic of circumstances. Several of our team members went to East Lansing last February to provide support after the shooting at Michigan State University.”

With competition for hiring social workers at an all-time high, the Training Institute also gives JFS a recruiting advantage. Having a wide range of trainings readily available to JFS means staff doesn’t have to worry about fitting in CEUs for their licensing requirement.

“We have core training programs that we regularly offer,” says Evie.

“Every other year we’ll include mandatory trainings for licensure, including Implicit Bias,

Human Trafficking, Ethics, and Pain Management. But as the needs of the community change, we’ll continue to grow our offerings. Our focus for the coming year includes maintaining our efforts to build a suicide safer community by focusing on providing suicide prevention training for professionals and community members, as well as crisis response

training. These programs help us not only build professional development, but also community resilience.”

For more information about any of the JFS Training Institute offerings, contact Evie Lynn Breuer at 248.592.2333 or lbreuer@jfsdetroit.org.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker Make Me a Match

Her ability to find perfect pairs is thanks to her understanding of each partner’s needs and interests. And, as a result, her successes run in the millions… of dollars.

Brooke Chambers is JFS’s Grants Manager and it’s her job to seek funding for us to provide critical services to the community. This is, of course, in addition to the gifts we receive each year from generous individuals, foundations, trusts, family funds, endowments and testamentary gifts.

“Sometimes meeting the needs of the community falls outside of our scope,” says Brooke. “In those instances, we have to find the dollars to make it happen.”

One example of Brooke’s efforts is our postpartum support group. Staff saw a need among new mothers that was not being met, and the idea of a support group was proposed. But starting a new program would require dollars.

“We learned that the Jewish Women’s Foundation had a funding opportunity,” says Dini Peterson, Chief Program Officer, Mental Health and Safety Net Services. “We knew this was an area that aligned with the JWF’s interests, so we applied for a grant and received it. As a result, we’ve

run four successful cohorts, providing much needed support to 30 women in the community.”

“My job involves applying for new funding, writing grant reports, monitoring grant spending and working with program staff to check on progress and compliance,” says Brooke. “That’s in addition to administrative duties, such as updating our grant tracking spreadsheet. There was no dedicated grants staff member before I joined JFS. So I created a filing system in order for the project staff, the finance department and our leadership team to keep track of awards, reports and applications.”

“Before Brooke, applying for grants was time-consuming and stressful,” says Dini. “Creating this new position, and bringing in Brooke, allows us to broaden our focus on other components of our work.”

Thanks to Brooke’s efforts, as well as a significant amount of pandemic-related funding, JFS’s grant revenue has shown a dramatic increase from $1,010,000 in 2020 to $3,020,000 in 2022, which allows the agency to have a positive impact on the lives of even more community members in need.

Meet the staff… Brooke Chambers

I’ve been at JFS…since October 2021

What I like most about my job is…collaborating with my coworkers to design new programs that meet new community needs, as well as finding grant opportunities to help fund them.

In the future, I’d like to… learn more about budgeting and how to plan strategically for long-term revenue streams.

When I’m not working… I’m walking on the nature trails near my house with my puppy, Ladybird.

The heart (and hands) of a stronger community

Needing to fix a leaky faucet or flip your mattress might seem like minor tasks. But when you’re not able to manage such things on your own, and you’re on a limited budget, they can feel quite major.

“Our geriatric care managers were finding that many of the older adults we served had a need for someone to do small home repairs,” says Missy Lewin, LMSW, Director of Supportive Services. “But they didn’t know who to call.”

Now we do, thanks to HandyMensch. The JFS program began in 2021 and provides older adults with help around the house with tasks ranging from hanging pictures to changing lightbulbs to assembling furniture. It is being generously funded by the Andi and Larry Wolfe Challenge Fund, which was part of the Jewish Federation’s 2021 Annual Campaign and by a matching fund from the Jewish Federations of North America.

“Older adults tend to be hesitant in allowing strangers into their home,” says Sarit Flascher, Home Care Supervisor. “But knowing they are getting help from JFS, that’s different. There’s a built-in

trust.”

The mensch behind HandyMensch is Natan Sologub, who has been fixing garbage disposals, providing tech support, hanging shelves—and so much more—for over two years.

“Clients love Natan,” says Sarit. “He’s bilingual, so that helps put our Russianspeaking clients at ease. And he goes above and beyond. He’ll arrive at a home to fix one thing and discover something else in need of repair.”

HandyMensch, which started out as a pilot program to serve JFS’s older adult clients, has already assisted 72 people with 132 tasks.

“Natan is so kind and easy to talk to,” says one community member. “Just knowing that there is someone who can help me has put my mind at ease.”

For more information about HandyMensch, or to see if you or your loved one qualify, contact the Resource Center at 248.592.2313 or resourcecenter@jfsdetroit.org.

Meet the staff… Natan Sologub

I’ve been at JFS…since June 2021

What I like most about my job is…helping older adults who don’t have anyone else to turn to. I like the challenge of finding the best way to fix things and to find affordable materials.

In the future, I’d like to… grow the program and hire more staff.

When I’m not working… I enjoy spending time with my family, including my granddaughter, as well as kayaking, biking and traveling.

May Their Memories Be for a Blessing

JFS lost two members of the family in the past year. Both were fierce supporters of our mission. Both had a significant impact on our community. Both will be deeply missed. We extend our deepest condolences to Susan's husband, Coby and Sandy's husband, Alan and to both of their families.

Susan Goutkovich

Susan Goutkovich, known to many as Mrs. G, worked as a school-based social worker for over 20 years. The recipient of our 2022 Norman R. Keane Lifetime Achievement award, Susan played a key role in helping to grow our school-based social work department into what it is today, a respected and integral part of our community’s day schools.

The quintessential social worker, she provided counseling to children and families, facilitated support groups for Orthodox women and supervised more than 20 interns. But she did much more than that. She worked every day to erase the stigma of mental health needs and to build relationships with the Jewish day schools to provide resources for families. She will be remembered for her kind spirit, her sense of compassion and the warmth and intelligence she brought to everything she touched.

Sandy Schwartz

Sandy was a positive presence on the JFS Board for five years and a leader in the Jewish community for decades. She lived an amazing life as a wife, mother, grandmother and communal leader. She was first diagnosed with cancer at age 33 and it was a battle she fought valiantly for 46 years.

She was a visionary who helped found the Cancer Thrivers Network for Jewish Women, a program that lived at JFS for seven years. While JFS was graced with Sandy’s presence only briefly, the world had her for almost 80 years. Her incredible determination and wisdom were an inspiration to so many. We are all better for having had her in our corner.

2023-2024 Board of Directors

Officers and Executive Committee

Marc Bakst - Chair

Shelly Rubenfire - Vice-Chair

David Gach - Treasurer

Amy Singer - Secretary

Julie Teicher - Immediate Past Chair

Rhonda Brown - Member at Large

Danielle DePriest - Member at Large

Jerry Frohlich - Member at Large

Jason Page - Member at Large

Julie Rothstein - Member at Large

Andi Wolfe - Member at Large

Perry Ohren– CEO

Board

Brooke Bendix

Anita Blender

Emily Camiener

Rabbi Levi Dubov

Jeri Fishman

Michelle Freeman

Jenny Fritz

Allan Gale

Bill Goldstein

Sue Hersh

Rabbi Marla Hornsten

Melissa Orley Lax

Randy Orley

Todd Schafer

Elana Schwartz

Nachy Soloff

Marvin Sonne

Becca Steinman-DeGroot

Carolyn Tisdale

Renee Unger

Allison Weinmann

Jordon Wertheimer

David Witten

Past Presidents

Mina Bargman*

Jerry Bielfield*

Susan Citrin

Albert M. Colman*

Suzan F. Curhan

Marvin C. Daitch

Sandy Muskovitz Danto

Arnold Faudman*

Marcy Feldman

Janice B. Friedlander

Joseph Garson*

Edward D. Gold

Amy Hoffman Haimann

Merle Harris*

Edythe Jackier*

John E. Jacobs*

Benjamin E. Jaffe*

Sylvia Jaffe*

Mary Lakoff*

Terran Leemis

Samuel L. Levin*

Theodore R. Levin*

John D. Marx

Mark Milgrom

Milford R. Pregerson*

Donald Rochlen

Lawrence H. Seltzer*

Max M. Shaye*

Helen Dante Shevin*

Herbert P. Sillman*

Gilbert B. Silverman*

Abraham Srere*

Bernard Stollman

Sheldon Stone

George M. Stutz*

Brent S. Triest

Stewart Weiner

Belle Welt*

Melville S. Welt*

Kathleen Wilson-Fink

Betsy G. Winkelman

*Of Blessed Memory

6555 West Maple Road

West Bloomfield, MI 48322

Our Services

OLDER ADULTS

Assistive Technology

ElderCare Solutions of Michigan

Family Caregiver Support

Friendly Visitors

Geriatric Care Management

HandyMensch

Health Coaching Services

Holocaust Survivor Assistance

Home Care

Kosher Meals on Wheels

Mind University

Transportation

SAFETY NET

Domestic Abuse Intervention

Family Support Services

Health Care Navigation

Legal Referral Service

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS

A Single Soul Suicide Prevention

Counseling

Crisis Response Team

Jewish Addiction Resource Alliance

JFS Training Institute

We Need To Talk

Youth and School-Based Services

ORTHODOX COMMUNITY*

Lev Detroit Resource Line

Passover Assistance

Safety Kid

School-Based Services

Uniform Assistance

Welcome Baskets

RUSSIAN-SPEAKING COMMUNITY*

Translation and Interpretation

*Members of these communities have access to all JFS resources, as well as these specialized services.