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Soviet Jewish children in Atlanta get acquainted with “Six Flags” on outing hosted by Jewish War
Veterans. Resettlement of the Russian emigrants is eased by the Jewish Family and Children’s Bureau.
What Is Federation?
Family and Children’s Bureau
by Jan and Jerry Weiner
Jews are no different than other
people—they, too, often have
personal, financial, or family
problems with which they have a
hard time coping. Because of this,
the Atlanta Jewish Family and
Children’s Bureau began in the
I890*s, as a relief agency, to help
those with various needs.
Although the Jewish Family and
Children’s Bureau receives most of
its operating funds from the
United Way, the Atlanta Jewish
Welfare Federation provides
approximately $90,000 to this
important agency.
But who uses this bureau, and
why?
According to Director Leonard
Cohen, the Bureau's thrust is
predominantly counseling and
therapy. He particularly noted
marital problems and divorce as
reasons for people turning to the
Bureau for some help
However, he was also quick to
note that Jews from all socio
economic levels have felt
comfortable turning to the Bureau
for help when they most need it.
“It’s easier now (for people to
ask for help)," he said, “because
everyone hears more about
therapy and counseling.” It is no
longer looked upon as much as a
weakness which only other people,
who are much worse off, would
need.
The Bureau, which has a staff of
eight full time professionals and
one part time, all having a
minimum of a master’s degree in
clinical social work, is obviously
considered a place to turn to.
“We haven’t had a waiting list,”
says Cohen about the growing
number of people who are calling
the Bureau for help. But he noted
that the Bureau has had greater
growth in the past year than ever
before. Rona Schpeiser, case
supervisor, says that the number of
people the Bureau serves has
doubled in the past few years. “Our
commitment," she said, “is to serve
the total Jewish community.”
“Although there is no typical
case," Cohen says, “the Bureau is
increasingly asked to help severely
disturbed ‘families and individ
uals.” He explained that the reason
for this is partly due to de
emphasizing institutionalization.
Mrs. Schpeiser said that the
state laws say that a person should
not be in an institution if he can
remain in the community.
However, “there’s no place for
them to go.” She said that the
Bureau is trying to develop
“halfway houses" for these people
in transition.
To make it easier for some
people who are concerned about
privacy to visit the Bureau for help,
it is located immediately to the
right as soon as one enters the front
door of the Jewish Federation
building at 1753 Peachtree Road.
There is particular concern for
privacy and confidentiality.
“Other kinds of problems which
people bring to the Bureau," Mrs.
Schpeiser said, “include:
individual adjustment for people
who have recently moved to
Atlanta and have no friends and
are somewhat rootless, and child
evaluation for those with
problems."
Offering therapy to those with
problems is not the only purpose of
the Bureau, however. It also
provides the service known as
“Kosher Meals on Wheels,” which
distributes kosher meals to those
aged who cannot get out of the
house or cannot make meals for
themselves. Mrs, Schpeiser added
that the Bureau is now developing
“homemakers” who will visit the
elderly in their homes. One of the
most interesting things the Bureau
has done, she said, was to match up
an elderly Russian woman to serve
as a companion to an elderly
American woman.
The adoption program has been
drastically limited for several
years, due to unavailability of
healthy babies. The Bureau is the
only Jewish legally licensed bureau
for adoption and foster homes in
the city, and also serves unwed
mothers when they request service.
“Sometimes,” Cohen said, “the
Bureau has offered limited
financial assistance to those
families who are in ‘crises
situations.’ ” Another significant
area of service is the absorption
and resettlement of Russian
Jews—over one hundred of whom
have to be dealt with as far as jobs,
schooling, training and basic
adjustment problems—all without
becoming a burden to the general
community.
This program of adjusting such
newcomers to the community is a
continuation of earlier programs
of absorption of refugees during
the post Hitler period, as well as
refugees from the Cuban and
Hungarian revolutions.
The Bureau also oversees the
Ben Massell Dental Clinic. ^
Designed for those families with
marginal incomes, the clinic
provides dental care through the
services of five paid staff and a
large number of dentists who
volunteer their time and service for
this purpose, as well as a newly
developed program in conjunction
with Emory University Dental
School.
Considering that all people have
problems at one time or another,
the services offered by the Jewish
Family and Children’s Bureau are
very important. Even for those
who do not take advantage of their
services, they know that it is there
when needed. And that is a service
in itself.
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Page 17 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 23, 1977
