Chicago Yachad’s annual Evening with the Stars was held on June 22, 2017, at Kehilat Chovevei Tzion in Skokie, IL. Ken Saibel from National Yachad spoke at the dinner to an audience of nearly 150 people. This year’s dinner recognized the pioneering employers and employees of the vocational services program.
“Yachad members are no different than anyone else,” Elliot Cohen, director of Chicago Yachad said. “They want to belong, and part of that is having a job.”
Yachad members take pride in their Employee Recognition Awards: Left to right: Stan Gertz, Chicago Yachad’s Advisory Board Co-chair; Jack Bartky, Arie Crown and Imbibe; Michael Gilbert, Rosseto; Elliot Cohen, Yachad’s Director of the Chicago Region; Mayer Zucker, Robinson Financial Group; Chana Polisky, Hillel Torah
The June 22 dinner honored the 4 Yachad members currently working in the vocational program and the 7 businesses that work with Yachad. The 4 Yachad members are:
- Jack Bartky
- Michael Gilbert
- Chana Polisky
- Mayer Zucker
The 7 businesses honored are:
- Arie Crown Hebrew Day School
- Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School
- Imbibe
- Integra Healthcare Equipment
- Robinson Financial Group
- Rosseto Serving Solutions
- Skokie Yeshiva/HTC
Left to right: Part of the Robinson Financial Group team: Elliott Robinson, Gina Landini, Frank Jozefczak, Mayer Zucker, Ami Robinson
Chicago Yachad started 13 years ago with a focus on social and recreational programming. Three years ago, co-director Shira Wiesenberg saw the need and opportunity to further serve Yachad members in the community and started a grassroots vocational program. She hand-picked the businesses that made up the program, placed Yachad members in jobs after a thorough intake process, and ensured that both the employees and employers were fully supported. After Shira left Yachad, the program continued to expand.
Currently, Chicago Yachad’s director oversees the program and it employs one job coach, Zach Messer. As Yachad continues to expand its offering for adults with varying abilities in Chicago, including the addition of an adult day services program in the Fall of 2017, Yachad will be working with new employers and members, allowing for even more individuals to be matched to appropriate jobs. Click here for a video explaining more about the program and featuring each of the Yachad members and their workplaces.
Employers and employees of Chicago Yachad’s Vocational Services Program
Chicago Yachad’s vocational program truly reflects its mission of inclusion, ensuring members’ participation in the full spectrum of Jewish life. For more information about Chicago Yachad, contact its director, Elliot Cohen, at cohene@ou.org or at 844-4-YACHAD.