40 Under 40: Chava Neiditch
Chava is an Occupational Therapist
Chava Neiditch is married to Rabbi Chaim Neiditch; they have four children: Yaakov, 14; Miriam Bayla, 12; Moshe, 9; Sarah, 6.
Neiditch earned her bachelor’s in Humanities and Religious Studies, and her BS/MS in Occupational Therapy.
“Professionally, I’m an occupational therapist. I work in a clinic and school, helping kids strengthen their skills for success. I see adult clients privately, helping people overcome their organizing challenges by establishing systems that work for their styles. I work as an educator for Jewish Women’s Connection (JWC) of Atlanta, to create and build a spiritual community that connects women through friendship, learning, and Jewish values.
“I’ve volunteered for my husband’s organization, the (JSU), for 16 years, helping them connect 4,000 Atlanta teens annually with free Jewish education and experiences in public high schools. We reach unaffiliated teens and opens a doorway into the community, inclusive of interfaith, disabilities, Jews of all backgrounds, etc.
“I was actively involved in creating the JSU GO pilot program, taking Atlanta teens to Israel in the summer of 2018. The JSU GO trip has grown exponentially since that pilot trip. I’ve served as a trip leader and social media manager for JSU GO every year since and look forward to summer 2023. We help teens connect to Israel and their Jewish heritage. We teach and reinforce Jewish pride so teens will be strong in their identities and better prepared for the antisemitism and anti-Zionism they will face on college campuses.
“I’m particularly proud of the work I did on the Atlanta Kosher Food Box program. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and many people couldn’t go to work or lost their jobs, the USDA offered funding for free food distribution programs to ensure food security to families with children under 18. Many food distributions were local, but none contained kosher offerings. Together, with two other volunteers, we created the only kosher food distribution in Georgia. With the logistical support of Congregation Beth Jacob and our vendor, Kosher Gourmet, we distributed more than 250,000 kosher meals to families across the greater Atlanta area, providing our community with a combined economic boost of approximately $750,000 when it was very badly needed.
“I currently serve as VP of the executive board of Congregation Beth Jacob, after serving as youth trustee for many years. I’m also a member of the OU’s Women’s Initiative, working with Jewish female lay leaders around the world to impact our communities.
“Everything I do is made possible by endless support of my husband, Rabbi Chaim Neiditch, who always believes in me and encourages me in every way. It is his devotion to me and to our kids that allows me to do what I do. And, of course, all of my accomplishments belong first and foremost to G-d, for putting these opportunities in my path and helping me navigate each one.
“The achievement of which I am most proud is when I hear that my children acted with kindness toward someone else. In changing the world for the better, we must begin at home. I can’t control what my kids do, I control only my own behaviors and choices. But when I hear that my children are making choices to heal the world one action at a time, it brings me a tremendous amount of joy.
“It is an honor to be recognized among such a distinguished group of devoted people in my community.”
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