For the first time ever, Jewish Welfare services from the US, Europe, Canada and Israel sharing expertise on their response to COVID-19
The ECJC JDC Social Welfare Committee and the NJHSA are happy to invite you to the First Transatlantic Zoom Session
to be held on Wednesday, July 15th at 17.00 CET / 11.00 EDT with the goal of sharing expertise and best practises from both sides of the ocean.
COVID-19 has hit the whole world and our communities have not been exempt from damage. Now, even if services are in different stages of dealing with the pandemic, we invite you to join a discussion with colleagues from Europe, Israel, US and Canada to understand what we have learnt from responding to this crisis
You will have the choice of joining one of the parallel sessions, before joining the group discussion on the effect of COVID-19 in our organisations and to share successful practises for the future
Parallel Sessions - scroll down for bios
Responses to Growing Unemployment in the Jewish Community
Paul Blatt,
CEO, JVS Human Services, Detroit
MI, USA
Service Responses for Persons with Disabilities
David Marcu
CEO, Israel Elwyn
Israel
Serving Young Adults with learning disabilities during COVID-19
Alan Weinstock
Director of Bs Development
Langdon, UK
Transitioning Services to Virtual Platforms
Danielle Hartman
CEO, Rales JFS, Boca Raton, FL
USA
Supporting Already At-Risk Populations During COVID-19
Brian Prousky,
CEO, Jewish Family & Child, Toronto, Canada
Shoah Survivors Care
Memory & Legacy during COVID-19
Moshe Teller
HSC - Jewish Care
UK
Supporting Older Adults in the Community During COVID-19
Yossi Heymann,
CEO, JDC Eshel
Israel
The Montessori Method helping people living with dementia during COVID-19
Romy Pikoos,
Therapist
Jewish Care, UK
How a Small Jewish Community joined forces
The case of Athens, Greece
Board Members
Jewish Community of Athens, Greece
Please click on the link below to register for the webinar and to choose which 30-minute breakout session you would like to attend. After the breakout, the group will reconvene as a whole for open discussion.
A joint venture by
Presenters' bios
Paul Blatt,
CEO, JVS Human Services, Detroit, MI, USA
Paul holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Michigan State University and obtained his Master of Public Administration from Oakland University. Paul came to JVS Human Services in 2005 ago as a job seeker, and over the years had assumed numerous titles at the agency prior to his role as CEO.
Paul is a strong advocate for equity for the people JVS serves, addressing stereotypes of vulnerable populations in the areas of workforce development, services to people with disabilities, and the elderly. Paul leads from the guiding principle that doing the right thing, should also be done for the right reasons.
Danielle Hartman
CEO, Rales JFS, Boca Raton, FL
USA
Danielle N. Hartman joined Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (JFS) as President and CEO in March 2010. Under her leadership, the operating budget at JFS has more than quadrupled from $3.4M to $18M and their Endowment Funds have increased from $6M to $14M. She has significantly diversified the way the agency is funded, focusing on growing those programs which generate fees, and strengthening community partnerships to expand services.
Danielle received her M.S. in Nonprofit Management from FAU in 2010 and her B.S. in Marketing with a specialization in International Business from Drexel University in 1993. Danielle was recognized by FAU in 2017 as their Distinguished Alumna for the College of and Design and Social Inquiry. She is a graduate of the Florida State University Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship (2017) and has been a Charity Navigator Nonprofit Advisor since June 2020.
Before her work in the nonprofit sector, Danielle spent seven years in the private sector as a Manager of Operations for GE Supply, a division of General Electric. In addition to her work at JFS, she also sits on the Board of Advisors for the FAU Sandler School of Social Work and the Palm Beach County Hungry Relief Advisory Committee, organized through the United Way. She is a past Board Member of the National Association of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA) and has presented at several conferences on a variety of topics including women in the workforce, diversifying revenue streams for your nonprofit, and governance.
Brian Prousky CEO, Jewish Family & Child, Toronto, Canada
Brian returned to Jewish Family & Child Service after having worked there for five years, early in his career, as a social worker. Since that time, he has continued his work with children and families taking on progressively senior positions at the York Region Children’s Aid Society and Durham Children’s Aid Society where he was Director of Services. A passionate advocate of children and families, Brian brings a client centred approach to his work that is collaborative, strategic and anti-oppressive. Brian completed his Master of Social Work degree at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. Throughout his career he has served on many inter-agency, cross-sectoral and provincial committees representing the needs of vulnerable populations. He has also played a lead role in the development of a number of successful programs, including a regional adoption program, a centre for victims of domestic and intimate-partner violence and a multi-agency collaboration, known as Door2Door, serving the needs of seniors and Holocaust survivors living in poverty in Toronto and York Region.
Romy Pikoos
Jewish Care
London, UK
Romy Pikoos Is A Dementia Specialist Occupational Therapist From Australia, Working Now For Jewish Care. She Has Worked With People Living With Dementia For 10 Years; 7 Of Those In London - Supporting Them And Their Carers To Manage The Changes To Ensure That They Still Live A Purposeful And Meaningful Life. In 2017 She Was Fortunate To Train In France Under Dr Cameron Camp; The Pioneer Behind Montessori Methods For Dementia. Since Then She Has Trained Over 150 Colleagues And Is Constantly Developing New Material As They Implement This Approach Into Jewish Care Homes.
Romy Is Passionate About Improving The Quality Of Care And Lives Of Older People Including Those With Dementia, And Believes That Montessori Is The Way Forward For Aged Care
Alan Weinstock
Director of Business Development
Langdon, UK
Currently Director of Business Development, Alan leads on social enterprise, employment, youth services and volunteering at Langdon.
An experienced leader in social care with over 20 years’ experience of working in learning disability, mental health and older people organisations. Successfully held roles in both operational and strategic leadership positions within the third sector.
A value based leader, who is able to develop as well as operationalize strategic objectives of organisations.
Moshe Teller
HSC- Jewish Care
London, UK
Moshe has been an extremely appreciated speaker from all our seminars on dealing with care of Shoah Survivors.
Orginary from Chile, studied in Israel and UK and now works in the Holocaust Survivors Centre, Jewish Care UK Is An Art Therapist And Specialist From Jewish Care, A Centre For Holocaust Survivors In London.
He Studied Art In Israel And England. Since 1988 He Has Been Working In The Area Of Care Focusing On Mental Health And The Holocaust.
David Marcu
CEO, Israel Elwyn
Israel
David B. Marcu has been a member of the professional team at Israel Elwyn, an organization that provides support services for about 4,000 children and adults with disabilities throughout Israel, since he moved to Israel in 1984 and has been its CEO since 1993. The organization has grown more than 10-fold under his leadership and is the largest non-profit organization serving individuals with disabilities in Israel.
He is currently the Treasurer of the NJHSA and is a past president of the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services. He serves on the board of Civic Leadership, which is the umbrella organization of civil society and non-profit organizations (NPO) in IsraeI and is a member of the board of the “CEO Forum” of NPO’s in Israel. He has long been a member of the Board of Directors of the Israel Council on Social Welfare and is active in many other organizations in Israel and overseas.
David has been married to Rona (Solomon) Marcu of Vancouver, BC, Canada, for 32 years. They have two adult children and two grandchildren. David received his BA from Brandeis University, an MA in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and an MBA from Temple University.
Yossi Heymann
CEO, JDC Eshel
Israel
Yossi Heymann was appointed Director-General of JDC-ESHEL in May 2014. A partnership between JDC and the government of Israel, JDC-ESHEL is tasked with formulating comprehensive responses to the complex challenges facing Israeli society as its population ages. With a projected population growth promising to be one of the most dramatic demographic transformations in the country’s history, JDC-ESHEL, with Yossi at its helm, will continue to develop innovative services to aid Israel's elderly age in dignity. Yossi comes to JDC-ESHEL from the municipality of Jerusalem – Israel’s largest and most complex city by virtue of its demographic, religious and socioeconomic diversity.
As the city’s Director-General, he managed an 8,000-strong workforce and oversaw a total budget of some 5.6 billion NIS. During his tenure, Yossi lead a reform in the way that the city formulates its annual work plan and conducts ongoing outcome evaluations and assessments. Prior to his work in the Jerusalem municipality, Yossi had an impressive army career, reaching the rank of brigadier general. From 2007 to 2010, Yossi served as head of the Strategic Planning Division in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In this position, he managed three areas within the IDF’s general command: strategic planning, international defense cooperation, and military liaison. He was previously an instructor at the National Defense College, the Chief Officer of the Infantry and Paratroopers, and commander of the IDF Officer’s School. Yossi started his army service in the infantry, where he rose from platoon to division commander. Yossi earned a B.Sc. in economics and management from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and an M.A. in political science from the University of Haifa.
He lives with his wife and three children in Mevaseret Zion, near Jerusalem. A devoted marathon runner, Yossi is also a volunteer escort for visually disabled long-distance runners.
