The story of how Jon and Naomi Cohen of Riverdale, N.Y., met is as unique as it is meaningful. United by a shared passion for making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities, they connected through Yachad.
Founded in 1983, Yachad is an international organization of the Orthodox Union dedicated to enriching the lives of Jewish individuals with disabilities and their families, via social, recreational, educational and vocational programs in 10 regions across North America and Israel.
“My brother had Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” says Jon. “Although he was socially very capable, he faced significant physical challenges. Yet to me, he was just my brother. We talked, we disagreed, we fought and made up, like all siblings. Ultimately, I believe he unintentionally inspired me to get involved with Yachad. Treating everyone with dignity, respect, and simply as regular human beings was ingrained in me as a child, and I gravitated toward Yachad because that is what they are all about.”
Active in Yachad for about a decade, Jon and Naomi met in 2008 while working at Rayim Yachad, which runs inclusive social and recreational programs for adults and mainstream peers from universities and synagogue communities in New York and New Jersey. Jon served as the assistant program director, and Naomi was the program coordinator. They married in 2013 and are the proud parents of Natey, 6, Mia, 4, and Gabby, 16 months.
“I like to think that we incorporate Yachad’s values in our parenting,” says Naomi. “Natey’s teachers recently shared that he goes out of his way to be inclusive of everyone. For part of the day, a student joins his class, and he always involves him in their games and activities. While this speaks to Natey’s beautiful, sweet neshama [‘soul’] and nature, Yachad helped educate and reinforce those values within us as parents.”
The Cohens and 23 fellow “Yachad couples” from the tristate area recently gathered at the OU’s headquarters in Manhattan for “Met at Yachad,” a dinner marking the first of many shared initiatives run by Yachad’s new Alumni Network.
“This is a very exciting launch for us,” says Yachad’s director of talent development and volunteer engagement, Rebecca Mayer. “We were inspired to create the network and host this event after discovering how many spouses have met through Yachad. We know of over 70 throughout North America, and believe there are more in the United States, Canada and Israel.”
The couples span a big age range—some have been married for decades, others, for a few months—what they have in common is that they met at diverse Yachad programs and places of employment, where they were either volunteers, employees or program participants.
“These are our ambassadors and members of our inner circle,” says Mayer. “While life may look a little different than it did all those years ago when they were active in Yachad, their connection to the organization remains the same.”
Arley and Yoni Fine of New Haven, Conn., also attended the event. Married in 2022, they met in 2016 as participants in Yad B’Yad, a five-week, inclusive touring program to Israel for post-10th and 11th-grade high-schoolers and teens with disabilities.
“We went on YBY and never left Yachad,” says Yoni. “From 10th grade through college, we worked at Morasha Yachad and other Yachad summer programs.”
Their favorite aspect of the Met at Yachad Dinner was connecting with fellow Yachad couples and hearing the stories behind how they met.
For Arley, being part of the larger Yachad family is both a joy and a profound responsibility.
“It’s about embracing inclusion, celebrating diversity, and ensuring that every voice is heard and valued,” she says.
Mayer notes that many alumni attribute their leadership and advocacy skills to their time at Yachad.
“They came to Yachad as teens, and teens are generally focused inward,” she says. “Focusing on and including the people around you is a wonderful growth experience.”
Beyond a reunion, the event was an opportunity for Yachad couples to reconnect with one another and the organization to learn how far Yachad has come in the past 20 years and where it’s heading now.
‘Incredible and diverse people‘
In his opening remarks, Yachad’s international director Avromie Adler shared some of Yachad’s recent achievements: This year, Yachad will impact more than 25,000 people thanks to the dedication of more than 750 part-time, full-time and seasonal staff, and hundreds of volunteers; Yachad Summer’s myriad programs support more Jewish individuals with disabilities than any other North American summer program provider; IVDU schools for students with mild-to-moderate learning, social and developmental differences comprise the largest stand-alone Jewish special-education system in the United States; and Jewish Union Foundation (JUF), the employment arm of Yachad that provides individuals with disabilities with skills and opportunities to contribute to their communities, recently opened a chapter in Baltimore, adding to three existing ones in New York and New Jersey.
“We have so many successes to be proud of at Yachad; these are just a few,” says Adler. “We are excited about where we are and where we are heading, and are hopeful that our Yachad couples will be part of our journey.”
Lani and Betzalel Rosenwasser of West Hempstead, N.Y., were also active in numerous Yachad programs from high school through college. In 2011, post-10th grade, the two met on Yad B’Yad and married five years later. Today, they are the parents of Yakira, 6; Kobi, 4; and Ezra, 10 months.
“It was heartwarming to see the room filled with so many different types of people from all over the tri-state area who all share a special bond,” says Betzalel. “Yachad has been a wonderful shadchan to so many incredible and diverse people.”
Reflecting on the greatest lesson she learned from Yachad, Lani says, “In every social scenario, even as an adult, there are always opportunities for inclusion and engaging others in a way that makes them feel welcomed. Being a member of the Yachad family means that we are part of an incredibly important and powerful mission to facilitate inclusion in our homes, schools and communities, and to spread love while focusing on the special qualities each person contributes to the world.”
At the event, couples were inspired to support Yachad in various ways, including hosting alumni gatherings, inviting Yachad members to Shabbat and Yom Tov meals, encouraging their children and their kids’ schools to get involved with Yachad, referring friends to Yachad’s resources, programs and schools, and forming a Yachad team for OU’s annual Giving Day. They were also urged to consider individuals with disabilities for job opportunities.
“Yachad is forever a part of our alumni’s family story and they’re forever a part of Yachad’s story,” says Mayer.
Adler adds that “Yachad’s impact transcends time, uniting couples who met through their shared passion for enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. Whether newly married or together for over 20 years, they all share a deep bond formed through Yachad’s transformative work. It was a true nachas to participate in this moving reunion, and we look forward to many more to come.”
Contact: Rebecca Mayer, director of talent development and volunteer engagement at Yachad, 212-613-8223, schragr@ou.org.