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 without meat and potatoes for their Passover Seder. Two days before yom tov. He posted a quiet WhatsApp status asking if anyone could help.
The response came within hours, and it was overwhelming. He raised enough for the family, sent food packages, and made sure they sat down to a full table.
Leivi Bartfield, his friend in New Haven, called him after seeing what had happened. Leivi recognized what this could become and told him to keep going. They opened a WhatsApp chat and began running ad hoc raises whenever a family needed help. That chat now has 1,000 people.
And the families kept coming. One, then another, then another. People 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 can’t see from the outside, the ones that quietly take a family apart from within. They had found a gap in the Jewish community: families who earn too much to qualify for traditional aid but not enough to stay financially stable, and no one was reaching them.
What began as ad hoc raises has since grown into five branches, helping nearly 1,000 families across the US.
But with one mission:
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 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.
Heads the budgeting team. Brings clarity and structure to family finances, helping households see exactly where every dollar goes and translating that picture into practical, sustainable plans.
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
The holistic, human approach of Collective Kindness is the living legacy of Joann Raskas, a woman of valor who personified kindness.
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.
Everything we do here, we do in her memory.
Grandma, we miss you, we love you, and we know you'd be infinitely proud.
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.