OUR HISTORY
Founded in 1919, Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston (then the “Jewish Big Brother Association”), is New England’s oldest youth mentoring organization and one of the 12 founding members of the national Big Brothers Big Sisters movement. Today, JBBBS is among over 400 independent Big Brothers Big Sisters programs in operation throughout the United States.
What began as a War-era initiative to serve Jewish immigrant boys and their families at a time when Jews lacked access to or were actively excluded from receipt of social services, has expanded its reach from an inaugural program serving a few children to one that, today, and with financial support from CJP, The United Way, the Rodman Ride for Kids and various foundation grants, matches over 250 Jewish and non-Jewish children, boys and girls, from a variety of life circumstances and over 90 towns in eastern Massachusetts.
In 1992, the agency expanded further to include a first-of-its-kind friendship program for adults who have mild to moderate disabilities called Friend 2 Friend. The Friend 2 Friend program annually serves roughly 175 adults who benefit from the social interaction that the the program affords. JBBBS also serves as a co-sponsor of Yom Sport, a preeminent athletic event for adults of all abilities in Greater Boston’s Jewish community.
While much has changed for us in our over nine-decade history, the same values of family and community that inspired our beginnings sustain us to the present. For more information, contact us.
OUR 2020 IMPACT
OUR STAFF
JBBBS staff are here to support our participants and their families through every step of their participation with us. Our staff are deeply involved in selecting the best matches for our participants and volunteers so that everyone will have a meaningful and impactful experience. JBBBS caseworkers are there throughout the process through monthly phone and e-mail check-ins and are always available to address any questions or concerns that may pop up. Our caseworkers remain available to help volunteers brainstorm activities and to field questions and concerns as they arise.
JBBBS clinical match specialists are all Master’s level clinicians who are experienced in supporting not only our participants, but also their families - making sure their collective needs are met.
Whether you are a volunteer or a participant, you are in good hands with the JBBBS staff.
Join our team: View career opportunities
Jeffrey Savit
BA, JD, MSW - President and CEO
Jeffrey is so proud and honored to return to JBBBS as the CEO and President of our beloved agency. Jeffrey attended Phillips Academy, Andover, in 1978. He holds a BA in American History from Harvard College, a JD from Boston College School of Law, and an MSW from Boston College School of Social Work. While working as a trust and estates attorney for almost two decades, Jeffrey immersed himself as a volunteer in the Boston Jewish Community, first having served as both Board and Endowment Chair of JBBBS, and as Board Chair of the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston. During the last decade, Jeffrey has served as the CEO and President of the Jewish Alliance (Federation and JCC) of Greater Rhode Island, and the Chief Development Officer of Prizmah, Center for Jewish Day Schools. Jeffrey is a champion of children and the vulnerable members of our community. In his spare time, Jeffrey loves theater, movies, reading, walking, eating and our Boston professional sports teams. The three apples of Jeffrey’s eyes are Lori, his wife of 28 years, his daughter Mollie, a hair stylist in NYC, and his daughter Chloe, a Junior at the Steinhardt School at New York University studying vocal performance, et al.
Program Staff
Laura Shulman Brochstein, MA, LCSW – Clinical Program Director
Laura is a social worker and Jewish communal professional with over 15 years’ experience working with children and families. She has worked both in program development at CJP on the Families with Young Children initiatives as well as in clinical roles at Aspire Early Intervention, Children’s Friend and Family Services and Jewish Family and Children’s Service in the Center for Early Relationship Support and CHAI Services with adults with disabilities. Laura has a BA from Bates College, an MA from the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University and MSW from Salem State University.
Laura is a Newton native whose past times include early morning walks around Marblehead Neck, boxing classes, compulsively cleaning up after her kids and reading the latest Brene Brown books.
Avi Cohen, LCSW – Clinical Match Specialist
Avi has a Bachelor’s in psychology and sociology from Brandeis University and an MSW from Boston College School of Social Work. Prior to joining JBBBS, Avi worked as a clinician at Walden Behavioral Care, providing therapy to individuals recovering from eating disorders. While pursuing his MSW, Avi worked in the Wentworth Institute of Technology counseling center and at a therapeutic public high school in Brookline. Avi is a former big brother through JBBBS and has been hanging out with his little for the last 8 years. In his free time, Avi can be found spending time with his wife, watching Boston sports, playing board games, and relaxing in Maine.
Jenny George, MSW, LICSW – Clinical Match Specialist
Jenny holds a BA from Brown University and an MSW from Simmons School of Social Work. Jenny has worked as a researcher in the field of behavioral medicine, specifically studying smoking cessation; as a clinician in Inpatient Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital Boston, providing family-centered services to children and families in crisis; and as a school social worker, supporting children in a Boston public elementary school. Jenny completed post-graduate training at the Family Institute of Cambridge in Narrative Family Therapy, and has been significantly influenced by a strengths-based approach to the field of social work. Jenny enjoys spending time with her family and her large household of pets, reading, hiking, playing tennis and singing.
Tania Gutman Gray, BS, JD – Director of Community Engagement & Outreach
Tania has a diverse background as a program manager, as a business consultant, as an attorney, and as an active volunteer in Jewish school based programs. For over twenty years, she organized, led, and promoted impactful programs and projects that have greatly enhanced the lives of Jewish young people and their families. She has a BS in Psychology from Union College and a JD from New England Law. She loves traveling (especially to Israel), hiking, practicing yoga, and reading. Her favorite pastime is spending time with her husband and four children.
Lorraine Helfand-Garcia, MSW, LICSW – Team Lead / Clinical Match Specialist
Lorraine has happily joined the JBBBS Team after a varied professional life. She has been a Big Sister with the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston since 1994 and won the Big Sister of the Year award in 1998. The experience with her Little Sister continues to be mutually rewarding to them both as they now grow older together as friends.
Lorraine graduated from Boston College School of Social Work in the 90’s and quickly found her passion delving into family, community and social justice concerns. Over those 20 years, Lorraine was a director of home-based family therapy programs which allowed her to empower youth and families all throughout Massachusetts. Additionally, she has been an Adjunct Professor at Simmons College, a consultant, and the director of a foster care program. As a group leader she led a 2 1/2yr group for LGBTQ+ teens and Latino clinicians and parents. When she is not working, she is restoring her soul and energies with loving friends and family. Yoga, meditation, indoor gardening, reading, kayaking, attending concerts, plus traveling far and wide, all inspire much adventure, self-discovery & awe. All these experiences while living in Chicago, New York, Ecuador and now MA have all steered her focus towards doing her part to foster diversity and inclusivity wherever she goes.
Jan Plager, LICSW – Clinical Match Specialist
Jan brings to JBBBS decades of experience in the Boston area, working with children and adults with disabilities and their families. Her experience includes many years working at Cambridge Family and Children’s Service in their Family Support Program, then employment at Newton Wellesley Weston Committee for Community Living, Inc., a small residential provider in Newton, and most recently in the Services for People with Disabilities Program at Jewish Family and Children’s Service in Waltham. Her career focus has long been to facilitate community integration and acceptance of people of differing abilities.
Jan’s other interests include gardening, baking, calligraphy and spending time with friends and visiting family in the Berkshires, as well as enjoying as much time out of doors as possible.
Stacey Schneiderman, MSEd – Team Lead / Clinical Match Specialist
Stacey has always had a passion to support people with different abilities. She focused her studies in the field of Special Education earning degrees from Lesley University and Simmons College. Her professional adventures brought her to teaching in a variety of settings ranging in grade levels from the urban public schools, behavioral health hospitals, and specialized programs for students with mild to moderate as well as more intensive special needs. Her experiences in the mentoring field began as a volunteer for the Friend 2 Friend program in 2007. She has also worked as a mentoring specialist at Partners for Youth with Disabilities, with a focus on youth involved in the juvenile justice system. She loves to go running with her dog and spend time outdoors with her husband and kids.
Giselle Silberman MSW, LCSW – Clinical Match Specialist
Giselle holds a B.A from Brandeis University and an MSW from the Boston College School of Social Work. Prior to starting at JBBBS, she worked for Riverside Community Care as a program coordinator for their online behavioral health screening program. While pursuing her MSW, she also worked at Brighton High School as a school social worker and at the Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern University as a social work intern, specializing in BASICS and Motivational Interviewing. In her free time, Giselle loves spending time with her husband, visiting her family in New York and Israel and spending too much time at the Brookline Booksmith.
Caitlin White, MSW, LCSW – Clinical Match Specialist
Caitlin worked in Corporate Finance for many years before making a career change into the field of Social Work. A lifelong volunteer, Caitlin discovered her passion for helping children and families through volunteering. In 2013, she left the financial sector and accepted a position at The Boston Ronald McDonald House as the Day Manager and Volunteer Coordinator while attending Simmons School of Social Work. At Simmons, Caitlin interned at an elementary school where she provided counseling to students, support for families, and facilitated groups. Caitlin has also interned, and was hired part-time, as a Clinician with Needham Youth & Family Services where she provided outpatient therapy services for youth and families, substance abuse counseling, school-based workshops and groups, and community-based work. In addition to an MSW from Simmons School of Social Work, Caitlin holds a BA in Voice from New Jersey City University.
In her free time, Caitlin, a New Jersey native, loves exploring all of what New England has to offer, as well as crafting, and spending time with friends and family. Caitlin was a Big Sister herself with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City and is excited to be a part of such a wonderful agency!
Jeremy Sutherland, BA - Program & Events Specialist
Jeremy is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, with a degree in Theatre and Legal Studies. In addition to his study as a director and actor, he has worked in non-profit arts administration throughout the Chicago area. He’s passionate about racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and equitable representation in the arts, and he’s been active as a volunteer in several advocacy and political organizations. In his free time, Jeremy loves to read, cook, craft, and seek out the best new theatre, film, and TV.
Development and Operations Staff
Zack Malenfant, BS – Director of Operations
Zack first joined JBBBS in early 2017 to manage the annual gala. He comes from a background in interpretive education, teaching children of all ages. He’s also truly passionate about conservation and spends much of his free time in the outdoors. Zack is currently matched in the Friend 2 Friend program.
Lauren Korn, BA, JD – Director of Philanthropy
Lauren holds a JD from Boston University School of Law. After working in litigation for several years, Lauren began volunteering at various non-profits in Boston which focused on the needs of parents and children. Lauren also taught Legal Writing and Research at Boston University School of Law for nine years to international students receiving their LLM. Lauren worked at Mayyim Hayyim Community Mikveh helping with the new National Mikveh Network. Most recently, Lauren worked at Temple Beth Avodah in Newton on a multi-million dollar capital campaign. In her free time, Lauren loves spending time with her husband and three sons. She also is a mahjong teacher and avid tennis player.
Joan Blackman, BA – Administrative & Scholarship Specialist
Joan’s career began in Retail Management, on both the Merchandising and Finance sides. In recent years, her involvement with causes joined to at-needs children led to her transition from the corporate to non-profit sector, and to an opportunity to serve the JBBBS team in their mission. Joan holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Brandeis University, where she also discovered a love for writing. That continues to this day, as does a passion for reading and political discourse. She cherishes her family, not only her husband and daughter, but her three siblings, one of whom provides an excuse for travel to Israel.
Heather Trites, BA – Marketing & Development Specialist
Heather holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from Emmanuel College in Boston. In her previous role, she worked as a development intern for Project Citizenship, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship. Heather is passionate about advocating for immigrant and LGBTQ+ rights. In her free time, Heather enjoys reading, crafting, roller skating, and hiking, and is also a Fenway Park security guard.
Jeffrey Maimon
Chair of the Board of Directors
Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Steven Sisselman
Treasurer of the Board of Directors
COO and Co-Founder, Itera International Energy, Chair of Finance Committee-Retired
Andy Friedman
Secretary of the Board of Directors
Attorney, Outside GC, LLC
Members at Large
David Franklin
(Immediate Past Chair)
Danielle Ain
Account Executive, New England at Rapid7
Peter Antoszyk
Partner, Proskauer Rose, LLP
Jake Bronstein
Robin Cohen
Director of Development and School Partnerships, Fenway High School
Arieh Coll
Adam Eisenberg
Research Analyst, Real Estate Group, Fidelity Investments
Jeff Ganz
Senior Partner, Riemer & Braunstein, LLP
Jeff Karp
Daniel Klein
Partner, Labor & Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw’s Boston Office
Elyse Marsh
Realtor, Pinnacle Residential Properties
Stephen Rosen
Portfolio Manager, Fidelity Investments
Marc Rubenstein
Partner, Ropes & Gray, LLP
Judy Shankman
Nurse, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Stephen Silk
Owner, A.G. Silk Inc.
Jonathan Soyt
Operations Project Manager, Automation Engineering, Inc.
Beth Tuck
Senior Project Manager, Coravin
Marissa Wainwright
JBBBS Endowment Board Members
Joe Morgart, Board Chair
David Bamel
Larry Green
Bob Haber
Betsy Jacobs
Jack Kadis
Carolynn Levy
Allen Sheldon
Karen Sisselman