APRIL 25 • 2024 | 11

together as they get to know the people 
JARC serves.
Hillel Program Leader and seventh-
grade teacher Leslie Baron has been 
involved with the JARC partnership 
for 21 years, first as a facilitator and for 
the past 10 years as the program leader. 
Baron shared that the program has 
evolved significantly since its inception 
and now is further integrated into the 
overall seventh-grade curriculum. 
In the last five years, the program has 
increasingly involved more teachers to 
be able to conduct a research project 
on developmental disabilities in their 
science class, complete a fundraising 
activity including linear equations 
and graphing data in math class, 

read a novel about a child who has 
developmental disabilities in English 
class, and understand what the Torah 
says about how we are to treat people 
with developmental disabilities in Jewish 
studies class. 
Over the years, Hillel seventh-
graders and adults served by JARC have 
participated in full group activities like 
bowling and Bingo, and smaller groups 
visited JARC homes and did more one-
on-one activities like baking, making 
ice cream sundaes, creating jewelry and 
other arts and crafts, performing in 
talent shows, playing trivia and more. 
With 40 years of making memories for 
students and persons served alike, many 
of the students have been profoundly 

impacted by their involvement that 
has stuck with them throughout their 
schooling and beyond.

THE VALUE OF VOLUNTEERING
Joshua Gadharf, a 1993-94 alumnus 
of the seventh-grade program 
recalls having great memories of his 
experiences with JARC including baking 
and doing art projects, and that the 
program made him see the value of 
volunteering. 
“I felt like, as a preteen and teenager, it 
was important for me to understand how 
other people live, and learn more about 
developmental disabilities,” Gadharf 
said. “It was also fulfilling to feel like I 
was making a difference in someone’s 

TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT: Hillel 
students visit JARC’s Pitt 
Home to pot plants, 2000. 
Hillel students join a JARC 
Bingo game, 2002. Hillel 
students at another Bingo 
event in 1996. 
BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT:
Jacob, a person served by 
JARC, Hillel student Ari 
Rubin and a JARC staff 
member bake together 
at a JARC home, 1995. 
Current Hillel students 
play Bingo at a recent 
JARC event. Merrick Jacob, 
Barbara Mitteldorf, a per-
son served by JARC, and 
Brittany Gonte make jewelry 
together.

continued on page 12

JESSICA TIERNEY

COURTESY OF THE LEONARD N. SIMONS JEWISH COMMUNITY ARCHIVES