Jeremiah Society

Connecting Adults with Developmental Disabilities Through Friendship, Community and Jewish Life

Through the Jeremiah Society, Jewish Federation serves adults with disabilities, age 18+, by fostering connection, friendship, and belonging through enriching opportunities to celebrate Jewish life and culture together.

Programs include Jewish holiday celebrations at Mandel House and Horwitz Family House, Jewish residential homes established by the Jewish Federation of Orange County in 2013 and 2017, as well as monthly Jeremiah Society gatherings that bring together Mandel-Horwitz residents and adults from across Orange County. These joyful programs celebrate Jewish culture through learning, art, music, movement, meaningful connections, and lively discussion, fostering a strong sense of belonging and community.

We are deeply grateful to
our donors, whose support ensures vibrant programming,
our volunteers, whose devoted service lights up every occasion, and
our community partners, who graciously host Jeremiah Society or Mandel-Horwitz activities:

Temple Bat Yahm
Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot
Heritage Pointe
Hebrew Academy Community Day School and Rabbi Moshe Engel
Irvine Hebrew Day School
Merage Jewish Community Center JCC Cares Program
University Synagogue Chai Society Havurah
Beth Jacob Congregation of Irvine
Temple Beth Tikvah

Give Generously

Jeremiah Society monthly gatherings are a space for social connection, learning, sharing, music, and recreation. Created in 1985 by Rabbi Moshe Engel, Rabbi Robert “Jeremiah” Bergman (z”l), and Rose Lacher, a distinguished community leader and mother of Amy (z”l) who had developmental disabilities, Jeremiah Society became part of Jewish Federation in 2017.

Donate

Our Jeremiah Society Events

Sunday, August 16 | Elul Summer Luau | Merage JCC, Irvine | 1:00 - 3:00 pm |RSVP

Friday, September 18 | A Shanah Tova Celebration: Jeremiah Society Shabbat Dinner & Services | Irvine | 5:00 - 7:00 pm dinner | RSVP coming soon!

Contact Us

With deep appreciation to Hilary and Sheldon Lacher, our founding family and lead volunteer team, whose vision, generosity, and dedication have helped the Jeremiah Society create meaningful opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities to connect, grow, and build community. Their leadership and commitment have made a lasting impact, and we are so grateful that they will continue to be an important part of our events and community.

If you'd like to learn more about the Jeremiah Society and our programs, let's connect!

Jenna Gerstner
Senior Manager of Family & Community Engagement
Jewish Federation of Orange County

☎️ 949.435.3484 ext. 357

📧[email protected]

Residence Inquiry

If you have a loved one who is interested in residence at Mandel House or Horwitz Family House, please contact the Regional Center of Orange County or Momentum Innovative Disability Services, the licensed operator of the homes.