whether it’s the right fit or not. Yachad will make sure you’re the best person for the job, and vice versa.” Speaking of one young man with autism and ADHD, Gourdji says, “He can’t sit still. Yachad got him a job as a delivery person for one of the kosher restaurants in midtown Manhattan. It was a perfect fit. Just because an individual has developmental disabilities doesn’t mean he lacks talents. Yachad evaluates each individual and tries to best utilize his talents.”
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Winter 5774/2013 JEWISH ACTION 69
Inside the OU
In an effort to spread the employment net wider, Yachad held two job fairs in Manhattan this past year for individuals with special needs. Almost five hundred job seekers and sixteen employers—including the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Lowe’s Home Improvement and the New York City Coalition Against Hunger—attended the first fair, held in March. Thirtyeight people got jobs as a result of the fair. The second job fair, in August, drew approximately four hundred job seekers and twenty employers. Putting It All into Practice Eli, a twenty-one-year-old job Yachad’s job candidates learn the soseeker at the fairs, attends Yachad’s cial and professional mores that job-readiness training and interns at many of us take for granted, such as Bravo Kosher Pizza in downtown Yachad prepares developmentally disabled how to appropriately interact with Manhattan. He’s now interested in adults to join the workforce. one’s boss and colleagues, dress for finding a job-for-pay in maintenance. work, come on time and be accountHis mother, Ruth, attributes his able. “[People with developmental disabilities] struggle with progress to Yachad. “They really do their homework,” she the idea that what they do really matters,” says Shula Einsays. “Eli has high-functioning autism and global delays. horn, Yachad’s vocational services coordinator. “We stress Yachad put a lot of time and effort into learning what motithat someone is relying on them and if they didn’t do it, it vates him, what makes him happy and ways they could help wouldn’t get done.” him with his struggles in the social arena.” To her delight Clients also receive “travel training,” which includes and relief, none of the behavioral issues she anticipated learning how to buy a metro card and successfully navigate came to fruition when he started interning. “He felt great, public transportation. Yachad also works with clients on inlike he was the man on campus,” she says. “He loves to work; terviewing skills and on improving posture and eye contact. he feels useful and capable.” Once “job-ready,” clients are assisted with creating a resume and finding an appropriate job. A job coach accompaYachad Goes Entrepreneurial nies the new employee during the initial weeks at the Dr. Lichtman saw the need for more opportunities—so he’s worksite, guiding him or her throughout the day. “For some, creating them. Yachad recently launched a for-profit online the idea of working seems daunting and out of reach,” says business selling gift baskets with Yachad members manning Einhorn. “The coaches guide them toward specific goals the phones. (To place an order, please visit yachadgifts.com until they come to see they can accomplish the required or call the toll-free number: 855.505.7500.) Currently, the tasks on their own.” Yachad’s vocational staff maintains con- business operates out of the OU headquarters in downtown tact with the employees and the worksites’ managers. “If an Manhattan, but Yachad would like to open up distribution individual starts to show up late to work, we are informed sites at Yachad chapters across the States. and work with him on it,” she says. Apparently, Yachad’s Vocational Services Department is Often, members start out as volunteers or interns, applyappreciated by employers as well. “My Yachad employees ing the skills they learned in an actual work setting. “The are so dedicated,” says David Abrams, the owner of Bravo goal is to build on their experience,” says Yael Schochat, job Kosher Pizza. “They’re happy to work and they put their developer for the Jewish Union Foundation. “They’ll have heart into everything. They come on time and rarely call in something to add to their resumes, helping companies look sick. It brings them such happiness. We gave one of the past their disabilities and hopefully hire them based on their workers a hat and a shirt that says ‘Bravo.’ He came into my office with tears in his eyes.” qualifications and abilities.” Eddie Akilov, a CVS store manager in Brooklyn, finds Schochat frequently hits the pavement pursuing employhelping the community is also good for business. “A lot of ment possibilities. “I’ll randomly walk into an establishcustomers make it a point to thank me; they tell me, ‘nice ment,” says Schochat. “I ask if they need any help sweeping, organizing shelves, stocking. Then I explain Yachad’s vocajob!’” He recently hired one of his Yachad interns. tional program and how our members can be an asset to “If you get one person a job, you’ve opened up a world for him,” says Dr. Lichtman. g their company.”