I'm so pleased to announce a new service to our community,  Partners in Caring , brought to PCS through the untiring dedication of our Caring Committee chair Susan Freidman (and her very caring Caring Committee members), as well as kind donations from some PCS members and the generous funding of UJA Federation of New York. Some 40 synagogues and schools in Westchester use the Partners in Caring program, and we are the newest addition.

Here's how it works:

Ellen Weisberg, a social worker from Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) has been assigned as our Partners in Caring contact. Through Ellen, PCS members will have the opportunity to address issues and concerns in a safe, comfortable, and familiar environment.  Our social worker can facilitate group sessions right here at PCS on topics including caregiving and bereavement, the "sandwich" generation, preparing for the college environment, bullying and cyber etiquette, concerns of young families, separation and divorce, and programs for seniors. She can also serve as a resource to our Hebrew School parents, teachers, and students.

Our Caring Committee will be coming up with some subjects of interest to our members for Ellen to address, so if you have any topics that you want us to highlight, please get in touch with me or Susan Friedman, [email protected].

Individual PCS members can schedule up to three private sessions with Ellen free of charge. She can meet with you in a variety of locations. If further service is required, a referral will be offered. Ellen Weisberg, can be contacted at WJCS at 914-761-0600, ext. 146 or [email protected] . All meetings are kept strictly confidential.

In addition to all that, Ellen is already serving as a resource for me as rabbi, by helping me better support congregants and community members who might be dealing with serious personal issues or need referrals to support groups or social services. Finally, Ellen has already begun to let us know about many kinds of support groups already offered by WJCS for those dealing with issues like caregiving, dementia, or bereavement.

About Ellen:

 

Ellen Weisberg, M.Ed, LMSW, received her master's in social work from Simmons College School of Social Work in Boston, MA. She has spent over 25 years in the field. Ellen is the coordinator of Project SEED, a collaborative program between WJCS and The Jewish Education Project. Project SEED helps synagogue-based early childhood centers address children's challenging classroom behaviors and provides support, education, and counseling to parents. She also coordinates Partners in Schools, a program of UJA Federation of New York that provides mental health support and counseling to Jewish day schools.