JSDD

Diana R is the Manager of the Millburn and Whippany homes.  She is caring, extremely focused and detail oriented. Her tenure at JSDD began in the Millburn home and she, subsequently, transferred to Whippany as Assistant Manager where, eventually her diligent work ethic was rewarded with a promotion to Manager.  This year Diana was promoted to Senior Manager with increased responsibility for two homes.  “I have grown and learned a great deal these past years. Working during the pandemic has brought great challenges and it has been extremely hard at times,” said Diana. She always makes it her top priority to see to it that her staff and all the residents are safe and well.   “The staff I work with […]

Coming together to welcome the Sabbath has become a wonderful, virtual community ritual.  On Friday, July 17th JSDD Homes celebrated their weekly Shabbat with Judaic Coordinator, Hagit Oren via Zoom.   The tables were set, and the delicious meals were prepared.  A special addition this week was the challah baked by the residents at home. Yael recited the blessing over lighting the candles and Hagit asked everyone to cover their eyes and make a wish.  Mark and Adam led the group in the prayer over the wine/grape juice and everyone proudly presented their home-made challah and said the blessing together.   Hagit lead the participants in reciting The Mi Shebeirach, a prayer for healing. Everyone shared stories about their week and the […]

Lovely Lubin, Senior Residential Manager has worked for JSDD 2 years.  Before joining our agency, she had been working in the field of developmental disabilities for 7 years, and she can say it has been the most rewarding years in her life. Her tenure at JSDD began as Manager for the Whippany home, where Lovely said her life was touched by four incredible souls who each day inspired her by their amazing strength and joy for life.  “My days were filled with laughter and love”, said Lovely.  She transferred to become the Manager of the Maplewood home, where she worked for a brief time before being promoted to Senior Manager overseeing three sites – Maplewood, Passaic Ave and the West […]

While COVID-19 has been an extraordinarily disruptive force in all of our lives, the optimism and sense of purpose in the MetroWest community has led to some wonderful collaborative opportunities. On Thursday, July 16th, our partners at The Friendship Circle hosted a virtual Challah Baking program.  Remote classrooms have resulted in the breaking down of physical boundaries and, The Friendship Circle has graciously included JSDD Homes, as well as, some WAE Center families to participate, once again.  Hagit Oren, JSDD’s Judaic Coordinator delivered a bag filled with dough and other essential items, provided by Friendship Circle, needed to bake the challahs. The instructor for the baking class shared how it is a mitzvah (a good deed) to bake challah in […]

The Millburn home has been fortunate to have neighbors who, not only treat them like family, but really are!  Lori Schor’s sister, Marcie, has been a resident of the Millburn home for more than 20 years and she and her husband, Josh, raised their beautiful family across the street.  They have all adopted each other and are truly an extension of the JSDD family. Marcie’s entire family, in fact – her mother, Rita, other sister, Beth and her husband, Freddie and their family and, of course, the Schor’s – have been involved and supportive of all the men and women of the Millburn home in so many meaningful ways. Marcie’s family has offered several gestures of their gratitude for the […]