Balfoura Friend Levine - The Jewish Georgian

Page 32 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN November-December 2006
Temple Kehillat Chaim supports North Fulton’s Drake House
Like most synagogues in metro Atlanta,
Temple Kehillat Chaim in Roswell has an
active commitment to community service.
Congregants have organized a Roswell community
Mitzvah Day, staffed bingo games at
the Jewish Home, provided Chanukah gifts
for nursing home residents, participated in the
Hunger Walk, and made and served meals at
the Zaban couples homeless shelter in
Atlanta.
This year, however, the congregation has
taken on a major commitment to support a
new non-profit organization in Roswell, the
Drake House. A private residential center for
homeless women and their children, the
Drake House provides emergency short-term
housing, assessment, counseling, support,
and training to help families become self-sufficient.
Rabbi Harvey Winokur learned about the
Drake House through Rev. Joe Clifford of
Alpharetta Presbyterian Church. Rev.
Clifford was invited to speak at the synagogue’s
annual Sisterhood Interfaith Shabbat,
where area religious leaders come to educate
temple members about their religious faith.
The pastor, in turn, invited the rabbi to share
his pulpit.
They also shared an interest in supporting
the Drake House, and the rabbi brought the
opportunity to the congregation, which voted
its full support. The Drake House is unique in
its broad base of community support, coming
from individuals, families, organizations, corporations,
and religious congregations.
Temple Kehillat Chaim signed on for the
Neighbor-to-Neighbor program, which
involved adopting one of the facility’s 16
apartments. Initially, this required painting,
cleaning, and furnishing the apartment. On an
ongoing basis, however, it requires paying a
monthly maintenance fee for the one-bedroom
apartment, as well as providing trained
advocates to support the mother and children
who occupy it. Every member of the synagogue
was given an opportunity to sign up for
a monthly donation to support the adopted
apartment. Many chose to do much more.
“The response from the synagogue has
been heartwarming,” says Richard Schulman,
Social Action Committee chairman. Working
with Kathy Starr and Annette Gorelick, he
organized the temple’s participation in the
first annual Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’,
a fundraiser for the Drake House coordinated
by Rev. Clifford. The temple’s Drake House
committee had a booth again at the second
annual event, which was held on August 27.
Schulman invited the Atlanta Concert Band to
perform, and Brendan Starr recruited his Boy
Scout Troop 1717 to help set up, break down,
hand out wristbands to participants, and run
the moon bounce.
When the apartment was ready for painting,
temple members primed and painted the
walls and trim and installed shades, towel
Serving up “Oy Vey Peach Sorbet” at
the Drake House’s second annual
Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ are
Temple Kehillat Chaim members
Debbie Oberst, Sally Kadrich, Dixie
Schantz, and Linda Silberman. Not
pictured are 7th-grade volunteers
Sophie Patterson and Elizabeth
Kadrich; Vernon and Kathy Starr;
Susan and Paul Patterson; and
Richard Schulman.
bars, and other home essentials. The crew
included John and Judy Stanton, Vernon and
Brendan Starr, Richard and Jeff Schulman,
Jaime Schantz, Paul Patterson, Alissa Glatter,
and Rabbi Winokur.
Synagogue members also donated couches,
tables, chairs, clocks, towels, linens,
plates, paintings, rugs, and more to furnish
the apartment. At their installation dinner, the
Sisterhood collected personal-care items for
Drake House mothers. Sally Kadrich, Dixie
Schantz, and Linda Silberman secured furnishings,
with a major donation from the
brotherhood for large purchases, such as the
bunk/trundle bed.
As a sponsor, the temple is also committed
to providing mother and child advocates.
Advocates commit two to five volunteer
hours weekly, establishing a supportive relationship
with the family, offering assistance
and information, and promoting communications.
Several members attended advocate
training; Lisa Cheyette is currently the mother’s
advocate, and Sally Kadrich and her
daughter, Elizabeth, work with the children.
“When we were notified that we had our
first resident selected, it was very exciting,”
said Sally Kadrich. She pulled together a
team—including daughter Elizabeth,
Richard Schulman, Peggy and Larry
Calendar, Joel Kahn, Susan and Paul
Patterson, Roger and Sheila Boyd, and Carey
and Sarah Gruzca—to help the apartment’s
first resident move her belongings into storage
and keep the children busy during the
move.
Elizabeth’s involvement was her mitzvah
project, which she undertook towards her bat
mitzvah on October 7. Other youngsters
have been supporting the Drake House with
their b’nai mitzvah projects as well. Brendan
Starr not only helped with painting and
cleaning, but also collected canned foods for
the Drake House pantry. Addie Brown,
whose bat mitzvah was September 16, spent
four months talking to friends and neighbors
about the Drake House and raised $600 for
the Temple Kehillat Chaim Drake House
Judy and John Stanton and Paul
Patterson pause during the apartment
painting.
The painting crew from the synagogue
included (from left) Richard
Schulman and son Jeff, Jaime
Schantz, Rabbi Harvey Winokur, and
Vernon Starr.
fund. In her message to her daughter at her
bat mitzvah, Carey Gruzca spoke of how
proud she was of Sarah for choosing to spend
her time helping others.
Temple board member Jim Alford was so
impressed with the Drake House that he
brought his interest to work, at Nortel, where
he is on the Employee Activities Committee.
During the renovation process in June, a
group of 35 volunteers from Nortel gave 280
hours of community service working at the
Drake House. They purchased and installed a
basketball goal, cleared the brush around the
parking lot and entrance, and installed a 200foot
split rail fence with a wire backing.
Others painted outside trim work around
doors and windows and made landscape
improvements.
Rabbi Winokur, who has been involved in
many interfaith alliances across Atlanta over
the years, is on the Drake House Advisory
Council. Temple Kehillat Chaim is the only
Jewish organization currently involved.
“I am so thrilled that the Drake House
vision has come to fruition and so proud of
our congregation for everyone’s wholehearted
support,” he added.
A leadership class of the North Fulton
Chamber of Commerce founded the Drake
House in March 2004. It is named in honor of
the late Mary Drake, a Roswell community
social services leader. Construction was completed
April 2006; the first resident was welcomed
in June. The Drake House serves the
North Fulton community, including Roswell,
Alpharetta, and Sandy Springs.