Yachad means together in Hebrew, and that's how we pursue our mission -- together with synagogues, churches and other nonprofit organizations working to rebuild and revitalize urban neighborhoods.

We mobilize the resources of the Jewish community to support commercial and housing redevelopment, creating new opportunities for both skilled Jewish professionals and Jewish volunteers of all ages to put into action two central Jewish values: tikkun olam – repairing the world -- and tzedakah – righteousness.

We bring in skilled Jewish professionals -- architects, builders, attorneys, and engineers--who donate their time to assist with all phases of development. We bring in Jewish volunteers to paint, haul, and repair deteriorating homes and community buildings. And we provide targeted financial support as a catalyst to seed new development.

Building strong and vital communities is only one of our goals. Our mission is to build bridges, too. We approach each new endeavor with both goals in mind: to revitalize communities and to build meaningful relationships between Jews and the diverse neighborhoods of our extended community. In this way, Yachad provides the Jewish community with three important tools:

• The expertise to revitalize urban neighborhoods, providing affordable housing as well as the commercial and community redevelopment necessary to promote strong, vibrant communities;
• Opportunities to participate in hands-on, meaningful tikkun olam experiences in the greater community; and
• Opportunities to develop understanding of and relationships with members of the other communities that reside in and enrich the neighborhoods of greater Washington, D.C.

We invite you to join Yachad as we Build Bridges by Building Communities!

Contact Yachad for more information.



Financial Partners
Yachad's has been generously supported by grants from foundations such as:

• Amcha for Tzedakah
• Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
• Samuel R. Dweck Foundation
• Lois & Richard England Foundation
• Fannie Mae Foundation
• Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
• Jewish Fund for Justice
• Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation
• Moriah Fund
• Morningstar Foundation
• Samberg Family Foundation
• Shefa Fund
• Weissberg Family Foundation
• Wolfensohn Family Foundation
• Zale Foundation.

The commitment and expertise of our Board of Directors
is the engine behind Yachad's success. We are fortunate to count professionals with expertise in fields such as real estate development, law, multi-familiy housing, architecture, home-building, and journalism among our invaluable board members.

Audrey Lyon, Yachad Executive Director, is an attorney with extensive experience in housing and community development. Before coming to Yachad, Audrey was the Executive Director and senior attorney with Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing, a housing advocacy organization in Chicago, Illinois. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and Chicago-Kent School of Law.

Michael Allen is a senior staff attorney and director of housing programs at the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law in Washington, D.C. In that position, he provides public policy advocacy in Congress and at U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on behalf of the housing needs of people with mental disabilities, and supports a nationwide network of disability and legal services lawyers conducting litigation under the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Prior to coming to the Bazelon Center, he worked as managing attorney for Legal Services of Northern Virginia (1985-95). He is a 1979 graduate of Georgetown University, and received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1985. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar and the D.C. Bar.

Martin J. Blank served as Yachad's founding president from 1990-1995. He is Director of Community Collaboration at the Institute for Educational Leadership. Marty earned his law degree from Georgetown University and his undergraduate degree from Columbia University. Marty is past chair of the Social Action Committee of Adas Israel Congregation and a former board member of the Jewish Community Council.

Alex R. Boyar is a builder-developer with AB Urban Development, LLC. Alex was a Certified Public Accountant, with a degree from James Madison University. He is a member of the American Jewish Committee.

Daniel Ehrenberg is a real estate counsel in the general counsel's office of Volunteers of America, a national nonprofit, spiritually-based organization providing local human services programs, focusing on affordable housing development and management issues.

Jayme Rizzolo Epstein is an attorney. She earned her law degree from Georgetown University and her undergraduate degree from Scripps College. Her professional experience includes eight years as an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Jayme is a volunteer tutor with the Literacy Council of Montgomery County, and a member of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, where she serves on the Social Action Committee.

Andrew Felber is a Senior Vice President with Transwestern/Carey Winston, a national commercial real estate brokerage and development firm. He has a Bachelor’s degree from The University of Wisconsin and a Master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University. He serves on the board of The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), is a member of the American Jewish Committee and is active with B ‘Nai Tzedek congregation in Potomac, Maryland.

Alan Kanner is the co-owner of Added Dimensions Inc., a general contractor specializing in high quality, custom construction. Prior to forming Added Dimensions Inc., Alan was the director of the Skill Builders job training program at Manna, Inc., [a Washington-based non-profit committed to making home ownership a reality for low income families.] Before joining Manna, Alan was an associate with the firm of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart. Alan is a former member of the board of directors of Hannah House, a transitional shelter for homeless women and families.

Jonathan Kempner is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mortgage Bankers Association. He earned his law degree from Stanford and his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. Jonathan is a member of the American Society of Association Executives, the National Housing Conferences and the Urban Land Institute. He also serves on the boards of Greater D.C. Cares and the Ciesla Foundation, and on the editorial boards of 12 real estate publications.

Bert M. King has been financing and developing affordable apartments, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities throughout the U.S. for 26 years. Prior to establishing King Mortgage Corporation, Bert worked for 12 years at Love Funding Corporation and Milton Abrams Associates. He is a Trustee of Beth El Congregation of Montgomery County in Bethesda.

Edward J. Kopf is a management consultant to family and closely held firms. His entrepreneurial business experience includes positions as President of the American Political Network, Vice President for Corporate Planning at Circuit City Stores, Inc. and Executive Vice President of U.S. Digital Communications, Inc. Ed holds a Ph.D. from Brandeis University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the board of Adas Israel Congregation.

Deborah Linn is currently Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Horizon Properties, a private real estate investment company. Ms. Linn has over 20 years experience in commercial real estate investment and development, including asset management and financing of multifamily, hotel and office properties. She has worked at both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Ms. Linn has an M.B.A. from George Washington University, a J.D. from the University of Denver and a B.A. from Yale University

Roxanne Littner has been the Social Action Chair at Temple Sinai for the last six years, spearheading the congregation's participation in Yachad's Sukkot in April. For the past two years Roxanne has organized the synagogue's confirmation class to participate in the home repair program as their year-end tzedakah project.

Alan R. Meyers is an award-winning architect with four decades of experience designing the architecture, interiors, and landscapes for homes, apartments, schools, hotels, shopping centers, and public facilities. From 1963-1999, he was Vice President of Bucher Meyers Polniaszek Silkey and Associates, Inc. In 1999, he created a new firm. A.R. Meyers and Associates Architects, Inc. AIA. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Architectural Review Board, Department of General Services, State of Maryland.

Stephen Niles is a partner with the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm of Holland & Knight, LLP. Stephen represents developers, investors, nonprofit corporations, and federal and state agencies in various matters relating to multifamily housing finance and community development.

Sandra Perlstein

Lester Poretsky is owner and operator of Poretsky Management, Inc. a property management firm responsible for hundreds of housing units in the metropolitan area. For most of his professional career, Lester has worked as an architect, builder and developer of housing and commercial projects.

Amy Schwartzman is the senior rabbi at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, Virginia. Rabbi Schwartzman was ordained at Hebrew Union College, where she received her masters in Hebrew Literature. She has been involved in the leadership of the Reform Movement as a co-coordinator of the Women's Rabbinic Network and an executive member of the of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. She has also served on the boards of numerous other organizations, including the United Way, FEMA Distribution Board, Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry and Christmas in April.

Rochelle Stanfield is a journalist with more than 35 years experience writing about social policy including housing and community development. Now a free lance writer/consultant she was for 23 years a staff correspondent for National Journal. She earned bachelors and masters degrees from Northwestern University. She is a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Temple Micah and a former member of the Board of Micah House, a transitional house for homeless women in recovery from substance abuse.

Louis Tenenbaum is an Independent Living Strategist working with individuals and families, health and aging professionals and developers to choose home designs and equipment that facilitates independence. He heads the National Council for Aging in Place. He is a member of numerous associations and panels, including the Jewish Council for the Aging, National Council on Senior housing, National Association of the Remodeling Industry, National Home Modification Action Coalition, Grass Roots Organization for the Well-Being of Seniors, and Spinal Cord Injury Network.

Joshua Weinberg is Vice President of newsPRos, strategic communications and public relations firm in Washington D.C.  He graduated from Northwestern University and received a Masters in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics. Josh serves on the boards of the British American Business Association and the National Television Academy.

Nina Weissberg leads Weissberg Corporation, a commercial real estate and development company in the Washington, D.C. area. Over the last ten years, Nina has actively supported organizations that are working to provide affordable housing. She has also promoted dialogue between for-profit commercial organizations and culturally diverse community groups.

  Contact Yachad for more information about us.