Judith Lefkowitz Shares Her Memories
Judith (Judy) Lefkowitz, now retired, is the former Vice President of Admissions and Marketing for Chapel Haven. She was with Chapel Haven Schleifer Center for 19 years.
One of her earliest memories was back in the mid-1970s, when all students and staff were in 1040 Whalley Avenue, and she was part of the vocational staff. “We were securing training and employment for students and community members in Greater New Haven via city buses. The willingness of employers to provide training and placement was generous and student self-esteem soared. It was inspiring to witness!”
“Chapel Haven Schleifer Center has always been so special because it has always been a ‘Community with Heart.’ From the time of its founding in 1972 as the first Independent Living School in the U.S., it has continued to develop programming and expand its services to meet the needs of its students and community members with the skill and compassion of a family unit.”
“In my 19 years of employment, I never had a ‘boring’ day! There were many funny and poignant memories. I fondly remember training a student for a bagging position at Stop & Shop. He was doing fine, packing bags and working at a productive place…until a bag of grapes came down the conveyor belt and he helped himself to a couple of grapes… I had forgotten to mention that baggers don’t sample any of the food.”
“I especially loved my work in Admissions, when meeting with a prospective student and his/her family. It was truly magical to see a family begin to see a potential ‘future’ for their child from the initial interview and tour with the Admissions Department and then observed and experienced during the Week Visit. It was a gift, for me, to be a part of that family’s joy.”
When asked, thinking about CHSC now, what her greatest wish is for the community, Judy replied: “To continue providing the high quality of services and compassionate family ambience and respect on their most beautiful campus setting.”
-Judith Lefkowitz