Blog

Michael Lieber is a longstanding friend of JCFS Chicago, and President of Laminet Cover Company, a plastic manufacturing company in Chicago. When the pandemic hit, Laminet quickly pivoted to produce and ship face shields. In addition to producing face shields for hospitals and medical workers, Laminet began donating shields to others in need, including 200 for teachers and administrative staff at JCFS Knapp School & Yeshiva.

To celebrate the holidays safely during the pandemic, we have been encouraged to gather virtually with family and friends. These ideas from our IPT therapists will help make your virtual holidays successful.

Challenged with a generational gap, technological gaps, and screen time overload, grandparents nonetheless want to spend time with their precious grandchildren.  Here are some tips and tools that I think can help you be together while we’re limited doing so in person.

Challenged with a generational gap, technological gaps, and screen time overload, grandparents nonetheless want to spend time with their precious grandchildren.  Here are some tips and tools that I think can help you be together while we’re limited doing so in person.

Jonah is a twelve-year old Orthodox Jewish boy living in Chicago. When his parents noticed that he was struggling at his private Jewish Day school both academically and socially, they turned to JCFS Chicago for help in March 2020.

Soon it will be Thanksgiving, a special time to reflect on the people we are grateful for. Carol Brumer, former chaplaincy coordinator and community educator, shares her appreciation for chaplains and the work that they do.

With the help of JVS Career & Employment, Louis has been working at MOD Pizza since October of last year. His job coach reports that Louis has become a pizza box folding master, and after working together Louis is able to independently clock in and out, bus tables, check in with customers and navigate the kitchen safely.

“Our students have been remarkably resilient in the face of all this change and I believe their resilience is in part due to the relationships they have with teachers, teaching aides, clinicians, and support staff in the building,” said Maureen Gilligan, the director of instruction & assessment at Knapp School & Yeshiva. 

“You have to give back because you’re not alone in this world. If somebody hadn’t been there to help me up, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” shared Rochelle Cueto, a donor and former Jewish Children’s bureau foster child. 

Whether you are teaching at home or in a virtual classroom, these tips from IPT speech-language pathologist Allison Liwanag will help you create a more enriching teaching and learning environment.