We're nimble. We care. We go the extra mile to help Jewish families get back on their feet. Smart Chesed is at the heart of it all.
It all started with a simple WhatsApp status.
In the spring of 2023, Shalom Goodman heard about a Jewish family who didn't have meat and potatoes for their Passover Seder. Two days before yom tov. He posted a quiet WhatsApp status asking if anyone could help.
<p>Within hours, the response was overwhelming. He raised enough for the family, sent food packages, and made sure they sat at a full table.</p>
<p>And he never stopped. Soon there was another family, and another, and another. People started reaching out for friends, neighbors, relatives carrying things no one was supposed to know about. Late mortgage payments. Medical debt that wouldn’t move. Job losses no one had announced. The struggles you don’t see from the outside, but that quietly take families apart on the inside.</p>
<p>Shalom called his friend Leivi Bartfield in New Haven. The two of them realized this couldn’t stay a side project. There was a gap in the Jewish community, the families who earn too much to qualify for traditional aid but not enough to stay financially stable, and no one was filling it. So they built something that could.</p>
<p>Collective Kindness was officially founded as a 501(c)(3) in 2023. Today, we operate five programs across seven cities, with a part-time team of 50+ professionals and 175 families served in our first year. It started with one Passover Seder. It became a mission.</p>
How can a man sit and eat calmly when he knows that his brother is expiring for want of a piece of bread? In truth, charity should be given with sensitivity, while feeling the other's need.
The highest level is a person who supports a Jew who has fallen into poverty by giving him a grant or a loan, entering into partnership with him, or finding him work so that his hand will be fortified, so that he will not have to ask others.
Shalom Goodman's grandmother
<p>The holistic, human approach of Collective Kindness is the living legacy of Joann Raskas, a woman of valor who personified kindness.</p>
<p>Grandma Joann was a woman of chessed who would give the shirt off her back. When she heard someone wanted to learn music, she’d sponsor piano lessons, buy them a guitar, and check in on their progress. She didn’t hand things out. She walked alongside.</p>
<p>Everything we do here, we do in her memory.</p>
Grandma, we miss you, we love you, and we know you'd be infinitely proud.
A team of nearly sixty professionals embedded in the lives of the families we serve. Some full-time, most part-time. All committed.
Started Collective Kindness almost by accident after learning about a family without meat and potatoes two days before Passover. Using his network, he solves problems with efficiency, sensitivity, and confidentiality. Lives in Chicago with his wife and two young children.
Saw what Shalom was doing and joined to help scale it. Works six days a week in Hartford while staying deeply involved in the New Haven community. Lives in New Haven, CT, with his wife and children.
A seasoned financial expert across public accounting, healthcare tax advisory, real estate, and entrepreneurship. Designs tailored financial plans for families that align with their long-term goals.
A sensitive and caring senior case manager who has guided clients toward stability and empowerment for years. Also serves as Mashpia at Yeshivas Beis Dovid Shlomo in New Haven for over 15 years.
Leverages her background in therapy and education to provide empathetic support to Jewish families at intake. Her clinical-counseling foundation helps her identify each family's unique needs and design tailored paths forward.
Directs our Shluchim Thrive initiative as a Shliach himself. Serves as Principal of EAST Academy in Brooklyn. His dual perspective as educator and community leader shapes how he supports fellow Shluchim.
His expertise in personal finance enables clients to pay down debt 10x faster. Combines an empathetic approach with creative solutions. Lives in NYC with his family.
An executive-function and budgeting coach known for common-sense solutions and genuine empathy. A mother of eight who brings firsthand understanding of balancing family, finances, and organization.
Leaders from business, philanthropy, and the Jewish community who set the vision and hold us accountable to it.
A seasoned businessman and former CEO with extensive nonprofit board experience, including the Economic Development Council for Orange, CT, and the Greater New Haven Jewish Federation. Combines holistic financial planning with career coaching. Lives in Denver.
CEO of Make It Real, a global toy company. A founding member of Living Smarter Jewish and serves on the board of the Orthodox Union. His knack for providing clarity during challenging times makes him a valued voice.
Entrepreneur and host of the famed Kosher Money podcast. Brings business acumen, good vibes, community connections, and a wealth of experience as a true pillar of the organization.
The visionary behind Tikvah Lake Luxury Rehabs. Combines professional expertise with deep compassion, championing numerous nonprofit causes in the West Boca community.
An entrepreneur and business consultant bringing expertise in finance and real estate investment. Her journey as a resilient single mom fuels her commitment to financial stability and empowerment.
Rabbis, attorneys, therapists, and longtime leaders in Jewish chesed whose wisdom shapes how we operate.
The visionary behind the "Smart Chesed" approach and director of Lema'an Achai, a pioneering organization championing proactive, dignified poverty solutions. His mentorship has profoundly shaped our mission. Resides in Ramat Bet Shemesh.
Managing editor at Chabad.org, the world's premier Jewish informational website. Since 2006, he has dedicated himself to writing, researching, and answering complex inquiries. Lives in Chicago.
Founder of the IM Law Group, bringing legal acumen across bankruptcy, foreclosure, and family law. Recently completed a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, enriching our support with a therapist's sensitivity.
A certified professional life coach dedicated to community engagement and personal development. Co-founder of The Gathering, an organization offering retreats for healing without sacrificing religion.
Over 25 years of mortgage and real estate experience in the tri-state area. Mortgage Banker at Approved Funding. His empathetic approach and dedication to high standards have earned him widespread respect.
Whether you need help, want to give, or are looking to partner with us, we'd love to hear from you.