Eliezer Project expanding

Fund raising planned for West Hempstead and Oceanside

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of March 6, 2009 / 10 Adar 5769

With the recession deepening and a seemingly ever-increasing number of jobs being lost, the Cedarhurst-based Eliezer Project –– a not-for profit that is helping families weather the economic crisis –– is expanding to meet requests for help from people in nearby communities who are also struggling to make ends meet.

Since its inception several months ago, The Eliezer Project has grown from an ambitious idea into a professional organization servicing close to 80 clients, unemployed heads of household throughout the Five Towns and Far Rockaway.

At a parlor meeting later this month, members of The Eliezer Project will visit West Hempstead to explain their mission and outline the different services that they provide. There are plans to host a similar meeting in Oceanside in the coming weeks.

“We’ve had numerous clients from West Hempstead come to us for help and we are already servicing them,” said Ellen Aronovitz, the project’s director of employment, “so we are reaching out to explain what kinds of things we do and to try to raise money from community members there.”

Volunteers from the Five Towns and Far Rockaway offer professional, financial and legal advice to clients of The Eliezer Project. Aronovitz hopes that people from West Hempstead and other communities will follow suit.

Over the weekend of March 6-7, shuls in the Five Towns and Far Rockaway plan to conduct appeals for The Eliezer Project.

“It looks like every rabbi has signed on in support of the project,” said Dovid Friedman, a board member. “The money will be used to help run the operation, for staff, expenses and rent. We need to expand our services and the money will be used for that.”

Friedman noted that this is the first major fund raiser; until now the organization “has been operating mostly from discretionary funds from a few individuals.”

“We’ve been helped so far by large local shuls who have made contributions and a number of generous community members,” said Sam Bergman, the executive director.

The organization also plans to augment its executive board with new members representing a broader spectrum of the community. Current board members include David Pollack, Jacob Weichholz, Joel Moskowitz, Jay Rabinowitz, Dovid Friedman and Mendy Weissman.

Though a number of clients have already been placed in new positions, the staff acknowledges that the job search is often a long and harrowing process.

“The job market is extremely difficult, and we celebrate each successful landing, as it’s called in the industry,” said Bergman. “We don’t just look for jobs for our clients, we point them in the direction they should be looking.”

Recently, The Eliezer Project held a series of seminars on different aspects of the employment process: resume writing, conducting job searches and sitting for an interview. Clients heard a presentation by a human resources professional, Avi Singer, who offered tips and answered questions.

A second series of seminars is being planned with a focus on computer skills.

“We will have someone who will be teaching Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel since many of our clients are not computer savvy,” Aronovitz said.

The Eliezer Project relies on community members who volunteer time and expertise to help clients work out various financial struggles, including mortgage negotiations, foreclosures and pending evictions, credit card debt and other obstacles.

“People in the community are so responsive,” said Aronovitz, noting that her periodic postings on the FiveTownsShuls Yahoo group are always answered. “The community has been so receptive and so helpful and we are so appreciative that they’re there for us in this partnership.”

To become a client or to volunteer your services, please call (516) 284-2942 or go to www.theeliezerproject.org.