Our Mission
Yad Chessed provides emergency financial assistance to Jewish people in need while preserving the dignity of each client. The funds we distribute for food, medical expenses, shelter and other essentials, as well as our guidance, help alleviate economic distress and move each client toward a more hopeful future.
Our Financials
Please feel free to download our 2020 Annual Report and our most recent Form 990 and Independent Auditor’s Report.
Professional Staff
Nancy Kriegel, Executive Director
Nancy J. Kriegel joined Yad Chessed as Executive Director in December of 2019. Prior to her current role, Nancy worked at Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) in senior positions overseeing efforts to strengthen area Jewish Day Schools. Nancy’s work included community building and developing and implementing strategies for accessing additional revenue streams for the 14 Jewish day schools in Greater Boston. Previous to CJP, Nancy was a founder and co-president of Gateways: Access to Jewish Education. Before dedicating her career to Jewish communal service, Nancy was a practicing attorney with degrees from Boston College Law School and the University of Pennsylvania. Nancy lives in Sharon, MA, with her husband and has three young adult children.
Emily Cooper, Case Manager
Susan Barron, Case Manager
Susan Barron joined Yad Chessed as a case manager in January 2013. She previously worked at an adoption agency, at the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters, and for Project Connect, helping parents of children with behavioral and emotional disturbances. She graduated from Columbia University with a master’s in social work.
Deborah Freed, Case Manager
Deborah joined Yad Chessed as a case manager in 2009. She has experience as a hospice social worker and a sexual assault crisis counselor and has worked with ex-offenders. She worked at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the Center for Violence Prevention and Recovery. She also worked at BIDMC’s Center for Cognitive Neurology. She received her Bachelor’s at Wesleyan University and a Masters in Social Work from Simmons
Katya Udin, Case Manager
Sophie Gildesgame, Director of Operations
Sheryl Hirsch, Communications, Development & Outreach
2021 – 2022 Board of Directors
Neal Karasic, President
Lori Silver, Executive Vice President
Janet Goldenberg, Vice President
Barbara Ross, Treasurer
David Farbman, Clerk
Daniel Black
Kathy Cohen
Daniel Friedman
Rebecca Kotkin
Jacklyn Liberman
Ed Musmon
Sandy Remz
Cheryl Nissenbaum Sanders
Linda Skolnik
Shani Winton
Robert Housman, Founding Director Emeritus