I first connected with Chai Lifeline in Antwerp where a coordinator called me up and told me he thought I’d be a great volunteer. As I volunteered, I started building these really deep connections with Chai Lifeline kids (some of whom I still keep in touch with until this day). After I got married, I moved to America where someone introduced me to Hershey Katz, the director of Achim B’Yachad, which supports Chai Lifeline’s Chassidic clients… and the rest is history.
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I found out about Chai Lifeline back in 1995. I was in Hackensack Hospital in New Jersey as part of a sales job when I saw a Jewish couple. I asked if I could assist in any way but they replied that they were already being helped by Chai Lifeline. That was when I called Chai Lifeline and signed up to be a volunteer.
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I was drawn to Chai Lifeline because, unlike many organizations that help children with illnesses, Chai Lifeline provides support and services for the entire family. When one person in a family is sick, everyone is affected in different ways. I was the child who was sick. I know how my illness affected me, but, more than that, I know how much of a toll it took on my parents and siblings. Chai Lifeline works with the whole family to make sure every need is met, and every person is cared for. My health issues began when I was 12 and since then I knew I wanted to help children who were affected by illness. I’m trained as a Child Life Specialist and worked at children’s hospitals supporting children and families. My chronic health issues made continuing that role nearly impossible, but I still wanted to do something meaningful for families facing illness. When Chai Lifeline West Coast was hiring a program coordinator for i-Shine, I knew it was the perfect place for me to utilize my experience and channel my passion into helping children.
read full storyI joined Chai Lifeline as a case manager, where I spend my time connecting to families, visiting clients in the hospital, counseling, and bringing smiles to dark places. In between all the running around, I’m on my phone, calling families, running our mom’s support group, and juggling meetings with staff. Some of my most meaningful moments happen during times of crisis. G-d gave us each different strengths and staying calm and helping people through the delicate and painful time that a crisis creates, is something that I have been blessed to do well. I am grateful for all the times that I have been able to help families through very challenging times.
read full storyClose to 20 years ago, Chai Lifeline CEO Rabbi Simcha Scholar and I developed Project Chai as way to broaden the services of Chai Lifeline to the greater community by providing intervention for crisis and trauma, which went beyond medical conditions. We aimed to provide formal training in the community for committed individuals to serve as first responders in a range of emergency circumstances. Nearly eight years ago, Rabbi Scholar asked me to serve as director of Project Chai.
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I first got involved in Chai Lifeline in 2001 as a camper at Camp Simcha when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. From that first experience, I knew that once I was well, I wanted to give back and help others as I had been helped by Chai Lifeline. A few years later, I became a Camp Simcha counselor and then a division head, and I knew I wanted to incorporate this passion into my career. After graduating with a PhD in psychology, I interned for the Chai Lifeline crisis and bereavement team, and then went on to become the director of clinical & family services for the Chai Lifeline’s Greater New York region.
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