Many of us look back on our teen and college years fondly; we remember our friends and our activities with pride and Yachad has been a big part of so many of those fond, youthful memories. Since its inception in 1983, Yachad has brought together thousands of people in hundreds of communities throughout the United States, Canada, and Israel, whether through elementary and high school Shabbatonim and community events, or summer trips and programming like Yad B’Yad or Yachad Birthright.
Paint Night in Riverdale, NY – February 2015
“After thirty years of champ-ioning disability inclusion and impacting countless individuals, families, and communities, we recognized that so many ‘friends of Yachad’ wanted to reconnect — find the friends of their youth and see where they are now,” said Naftali Herrmann, Yachad’s director of community outreach and engagement. “It was time for adults that were first introduced to life-long friends and maybe even the special needs community for the first time through Yachad programming to reconnect with one another. We realized we now have fully-grown alumni who want to be a part of Yachad again.”
What began as an effort to reach out to former Yachad volunteers, staff members, and campers quickly morphed into something much bigger. The initial vision was to reestablish the connection of the organization with its past. Thousands of high school and college students have volunteered for Yachad in some capacity. Many stayed six to ten years and grew with the org-anization. Eventually those volunteers graduated from school and started their families and careers. Herrmann points out, “we didn’t have programs for these adult volunteers, so though they continued to spread the message of inclusion to those around them, we needed a bridge and forum by which alumni can stay connected and involved with Yachad.”
In 2013, thirty years after Yachad began, Friends of Yachad was created to fill this void. There are thousands of individuals that have had life changing experiences through their involve-ment on Shabbatonim or any of Yachad’s 27 summer programs. Friends of Yachad enables them to keep the spark alive and continue to be part of the organization that means so much to them. A committee of past volunteers has been developed and to date, thousands of former alumni have rediscovered the fun and friends that they enjoyed years ago.
“When we held the first meeting to discuss the possibility of forming Friends of Yachad, there were men and women from multiple generations of Yachad staff and the excitement was palpable,” recalls Yvette Braunstein, a co-chair of the Friends of Yachad executive board. “Participating in Yachad events had been an integral part of the life of every one of those gathered there. Being involved with Yachad had helped to make these people who they are today. They couldn’t wait to reconnect with each other and with Yachad.”
Alumni reconnecting at FOY Inaugural Event: Yachad Rocks – May 2014
Multiple events have taken place in New York and New Jersey, and more are planned for the near future. Friends of Yachad has evolved from an alumni association into a means for anyone to connect with Yachad, whether they are an old or new friend. “The beauty of Friends of Yachad is that anyone and everyone can be a ‘Friend’,” Yvette says. “At our events we have found that there were a number of individuals who didn’t know much about Yachad. They came for the Dueling Pianos, Paint Night, the 5K runs or because the event sounded like fun. Now that they have learned more about Yachad a number of them want to support our organization.”
Meryl Feldblum attended both Dueling Piano performances. “The Yachad events were the most fun I’ve ever had at a fundraiser; great music; great company; great cause!,” she shared.
Someone who was a Yachad advisor five or 25 years ago isn’t likely to volunteer to come on a Shabbaton in 2015, but there are many other ways that they could become involved — bringing Yachad to their community, helping a Yachad member find a job, or by supporting the organization.
With a strong following already, Herrmann isn’t done. “We are just getting started. There are still thousands of alumni out there whom we haven’t yet reached and we’re not limiting our efforts to alumni. Our ultimate goal is full inclusion and that means the entire Jewish community becoming Friends of Yachad.”
This article is from the 2015 issue of Belong Magazine. If you would like to receive a hard copy please email belong@ou.org.