Jespy Opens the Doors of Judi's House

Dan Janiger, a client at Jespy House, an independent-living program for adults with learning and developmental disabilities, looked around at the crowd mingling under a grand sky dome. The late afternoon light washed over the bricks of the new building, Judi House, dedicated on Sunday in honor of Judith Ruback Schechner.

He had just one word to describe it, an exuberant, "Wow."

Close to 200 friends and family of the Schechner's joined the Jepsy staff and trustees, the clients and their parents, in the dedication of the building on Irvington Avenue, South Orange. Many echoed Dan's wow as they toured the recreation fitness and weight rooms, the wellness center, and kitchen.

"It's beautiful," said David Speer, a Jespy client. "This will be a great centerpiece."

Jespy has more than 150 clients like Speer and Janiger who are learning the skills to live and work independently. The clients receive counseling and job training, nutrition and health services, and life skills. They live in apartments and condos in South Orange and in supervised housing.

The program includes trips, sports, art and music. Jespy athletes win numerous medals at Special Olympic competitions, including Dan who plays bocce. A weekly art therapy group is led by professionals from Arts Unbound, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of adults with developmental, physical or emotional disabilities.

Judith Schechner, a former Jespy president, was an advocate of these services and believer that disabled adults need a community in which to belong and a safe place to go. "Jespy was her own personal mission," recalled her daughter Marjorie Schechner Gart.

The new building is just  a few blocks from the South Orange neighborhood Judith grew up in on Grove Road, and down the street from Seton Hall University, where she was a professor in the communications department.

She died in 2006, but has left a legacy of acceptance, tolerance and caring at Jespy – and with her family.

"My mother devoted herself to helping others, especially those whose voices were quieter than hers," Gart said.

Her 12-year-old granddaughter Ruby Schechner looked up the new signage naming the building, The Judith Ruback Schechner Recreation and Wellness Center. "It reflects on all the things she cared about," Ruby said.

Her brother Eli focused his camera on the mezuzah affixed to the door frame next to the list of contributors. "She would have loved to have seen this dream come true," said Eli, 14. "It was not only her dream, but the dream of the clients."

The dream began four years ago, recalled Jonathan Myers, a Jespy board member and former president. "We went from the idea of renovating a garage to the building we're standing in." In between were other ideas, like buying a house or renovating one of the buildings Jespy already owns. When Valley National Bank went on the market – around the corner from other Jespy-owned properties in South Orange – the social service non-profit jumped at the opportunity. Just shy of $2 million was contributed – there were nearly 280 individual gifts – to finance the purchase and renovation of the bank building.

 On Sunday, many of those donors crowded throughout Judi House for the formal dedication. Her name is on the door, but not her photo.

"If you seek Judi's picture, just look about you," said her husband Arthur Schechner. "Look at the faces of the clients. Look at the faces of my proud children and grandchildren. Look to the light shining from the skylight. Look about you, and you'll see Judi.