President Emeritus / Founder
Moshe Binik A'H
Provides male teens with a safe environment and provides them with the resources to succeed
Provides female teens with a safe environment and provides them with the resources to succeed
Offers a supportive community for those on the substance abuse recovery journey
Embraces recovering addicts and actionably helps them reenter mainstream society
40 Wall Street | Floor 60
New York, NY 10005
WHO WE ARE
Program Directors
Menachem Poznanski, LCSW, a New York State licensed clinical social worker and author, has worked in the field of substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and recovery support for the past fifteen years. Since 2004, Menachem has served as Director of The Living Room (TLR).
Menachem is the co-author of Stepping Out of the Abyss: A Jewish Guide to the Twelve Steps, and Consciously; Six Steps to Vibrantly Living with Our Creator, Mosaica Press publications. He runs a successful podcast, “Conscious(ly),” where he discusses an array of topics including addiction. Menachem also previously served as the Clinical Director of Madraigos in the Five Towns.
Menachem received his Master’s degree in Social Work from the Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work and has now returned to Wurzweiler, where he serves as an adjunct professor teaching about addiction. Menachem is often called upon to give lectures across the country sharing his insights on a variety of recovery-focused topics. Menachem lives in Cedarhurst, New York, with his wife Naomi and their two children, Zoe and Tani.
Shifra Glancz is both the Founder and Director of Girls Our Place which opened in 2000. Since its inception, Shifra has worked with her team to help over one thousand young women in their quest to rebuild and stabilize their lives.
A true visionary with unparalleled passion and empathy for girls who are struggling, Shifra leads a team of dedicated social workers, mentors and volunteers. She regularly facilitates continued professional development, ensuring that her staff have up-to-date knowledge in the areas of substance abuse, eating disorders and trauma.
Shifra’s primary focus today is facilitating family-based interventions and finding appropriate treatment, educational options and vocational opportunities for the young women who attend Girls Our Place.
Sony Perlman LMSW, has been working in the field of addiction for over two decades. For the past sixteen years he has been the Clinical Director of Boys Our Place, a full-service drop-in center for young men struggling with addiction, mental health issues and many other difficult life situations.
Sony has a wide range of professional experience across the mental health and addiction spectrum; he has worked in the fields of teen mentoring, foster care, and inpatient drug rehabilitation. Recently, Sony served as the Clinical Director of Arena Sober Living, a high-end sober living facility in Rockland County that boasted a long-term success rate that was second to none. In 2019, Sony opened Our Place’s first sober living home, Our Village Sober Living, a 12-bed facility, where he continues to serve as the Clinical Director. It is Sony’s dream to expand the Our Village concept to include additional homes for those underserved in our community.
Sony was educated in The New School of Social Research and has his graduate degree from Wurzweiler School of Social Work. In having worked with thousands of young people, Sony has not met a single individual that was not capable of healing themselves.
Executive Board
Patricia R. Attia, PhD., LCSW is the Co-President of the Our Place Board along with Benjy Berger. She has set up addiction and psychiatric programs across the country. She has published and lectured around the US on topics of trauma, addiction and dual diagnosis. She received her master’s degree at Yeshiva University and her doctorate at NYU. She was one of the early trainers at Our Place and later became the clinical consultant. Currently she maintains a private practice in Manhattan and continues to be available to the Our Place staff.
Benjy Berger, President of Berger & Berger Real Estate Group in New York, became seriously involved at Our Place NY in 2009. Since then, he has joined the Our Place Board, eventually coming to serve as Co-President. For six consecutive years, Mr. Berger has served as Chairman of the Our Place “Evening of Luxury & Entertainment Real Estate Event.”
His passion and dedication to our cause have allowed Our Place to expand and to continue down the path to save our youth in the Jewish Community.
Rafi Hassan began working in Boys Our Place when its doors opened in 1998. Mr. Hassan’s multi-faceted role included creating relationships with the members, referring them to schools and therapists, and helping them navigate their day-to-day problems. He also coordinated various recreational trips, as well as,the nightly dinner program. Rafi ran the nightly program for 14 years until 2011. Today, Rafi serves as an Executive Board Member, overseeing the organization’s finances and volunteers several nights weekly at Boys Our Place.
Rafi is also an active member of Flatbush Hatzolah since 2001 and his specialty is helping people with mental illness.When not busy helping those in need, Rafi works as the Sales Manager at Tri-State Surgical. He lives in Flatbush with his family.
Eli Verschleiser has served as the President of Our Place for over a decade. Currently he serves as the President Emeritus.
Mr. Verschleiser has been an integral part of the OurPlace since inception. His life is dedicated to assisting troubled youth in their return to mainstream society.
Mr. Verschleiser is involved in numerous international and community organizations and serves on the board of trustees at the American Jewish Congress (AJC) , and as a co-founder of Magenu.org.
Mr. Verschleiser is an author and frequent commentator on political and social services matters.
Follow Eli on Twitter @E_Verschleiser
Administrative Staff
Rabbi Aryeh M. Young has served as the Director of Development at Our Place for the past eight years. Known throughout the Jewish philanthropic community for his creative fundraising events and innovative vision, Rabbi Young has developed a robust event calendar that engages a diverse group of philanthropic partners and communities in support of Our Place’s vital mission.
Some of his most popular initiatives include, The Ultimate Evening of Luxury, The Cross River Open Tennis Tournament, The Yeshiva League Legends Basketball Tournament, The Dominican Republic Golf Trip, the largest gap year team in the Jerusalem Marathon, The Our Place Learn-a-Thon, as well as, exclusive dinner events in the Flatbush, Lawrence, Monsey, Englewood, North Woodmere and Westhampton Beach communities.
Rabbi Young joined the Our Place family after an extensive career in both formal and informal Jewish education, specializing in work with older teenagers. Rabbi Young has held positions at the Young Israel of West Hempstead, Yeshivat Mevaseret Zion, Beth Israel Congregation in Miami Beach, Hebrew Academy of Miami Beach and most recently, at Rambam Mesivta in Lawrence, NY where he was a beloved 11th and 12th grade Rebbe for five years and continues to maintain a connection with his former students. Rabbi Young also concurrently serves as the Director of Alumni Affairs for his alma mater, Lander College for Men, a position he has held for the past 14 years.
Rabbi Young’s life mission is to ensure that every young man or woman who enters Our Place’s doors receives the necessary support that he or she needs. Rabbi Young was recently a featured guest on the Jewish Philanthropy podcast. To learn more about his personal story, click here.
Clinical & Senior Staff
Shim Perlman, LMSW, is a licensed social worker who joined the Boys Our Place clinical team during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing on providing one-on-one counseling during this difficult time.
In addition to his work at Our Place, Shim maintains a private practice, specializing in working with the elderly population. A native of Far Rockaway, NY, Shim received his degree from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work in 2010. He is the youngest of eight siblings, in a family full of social workers and licensed therapists!
Shim’s primary therapeutic technique is derived from Primal Therapy, as he seeks to assist each client with identifying the core issue that is holding them back from realizing their own potential and greatness. Shim is particularly passionate about his work at Our Place, as he helps young people begin to unlock their potential and build brighter futures.
Benjamin Marmorstein, LMCH, began working as a therapist at Boys Our Place in 2019. He graduated from Wurzweiler with a Masters degree in Social Work and received an LMSW in New York State. Benjamin specializes in working with youth and adolescents with a focus on healing past traumas.
In addition to his work at Our Place, he works as a therapist at the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services, two Brooklyn Yeshivas, and at a clinic. In his free time, Benjamin enjoys camping out in the woods enjoying the clean air.
Micah Landau, LMSW, began working in Our Place as a social work intern in 2017. In 2018, he graduated with a Masters degree in Social Work and in 2019 he received his license from New York state. In 2019 Micah was promoted to join Our Place’s clinical team, where he now works as a beloved social worker at the Boys Our Place drop-in center.
In addition to his LMSW degree from Silberman School of Social Work, Micah is trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy used to help people struggling with trauma. Micah grew up in Kensington, Brooklyn and enjoys giving back to his community of origin. In addition to his work at Our Place, Micah serves as a therapist for 1225, a drop-in program in Boro Park that helps at-risk Chassidish youth. In Micah’s free time he enjoys practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, classical violin, piano, and rock climbing.
Yehuda Klinkowitz, LMSW, has been working with struggling teens for over two decades. A graduate of Touro College’s School of Social Work with an LMSW degree, Yehuda served for over a decade as the program director for the acclaimed TOVA mentoring Program in Long Island, NY before joining the Our Place family. In his 14-year tenure at TOVA, Yehuda’s leadership and vision helped grow all aspects of the organization. Concurrent to his work at TOVA, Yehuda has also worked as a social worker for both the Lawrence School District and the New York City Department of Education.
Since beginning his role as Volunteer & Alumni Coordinator at Our Place in 2016 add email address yehuda@ourplaceny.org, Yehuda has created the vibrant Our Place Social Work Internship program, while providing mentorship, guidance and ongoing professional development for all Our Place interns, volunteers and mentors. Yehuda also plays a vital role in keeping Our Place alumni connected by coordinating seasonal alumni events.
Yehuda is an active community volunteer, coaching little league, providing swim instruction and regularly volunteering at his shul, Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY. He lives by the motto of the Piaseczno Rebbe, “The greatest thing in the whole wide world is to do someone else a favor.”
Shmaya Honickman is a certified recovery coach who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work. He joined the Our Place family in 2016, working under Sony Perlman as a Dorm Counselor at Arena Sober Living. After two years of working at the Sober Living Home, Shmaya’s role with Our Place shifted, as he was given new responsibilities within The Living Room division. At The Living Room, Shmaya’s unparalleled positivity and love of life play a pivotal role in creating the awesome energy and optimism that are pivotal components of the TLR experience.
Today, Shmaya serves as the Programming Coordinator at The Living Room, where he handles many of the day-to-day responsibilities including, scheduling programming, assisting with the intake process of new members and overseeing the daily operations. Shmaya and his wife reside in Teaneck, NJ. In his free time, Shmaya enjoys rock climbing and playing in a local band.
Miriam Gruen has been with Girls Our Place since its inception two decades ago. Initially beginning as a dedicated volunteer, Miriam now serves as the Clinical Coordinator of Girls Our Place. She plays a critical role in guiding other staff members, as well as, providing direct counseling to girls who attend.
Miriam graduated with a Master’s degree in Social Work from Touro College and is a licensed social worker. In addition to her work at Our Place, Miriam is a highly sought-after Kallah teacher and works as a social worker at My Extended Family, an organization that services children from single-family homes.
Dovid Glancz, LMHC, is a licensed therapist with a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Touro College. David joined Boys Our Place in 2009 as a volunteer, working towards becoming a licensed therapist. Upon obtaining his clinical licensing, his responsibilities expanded as he joined the Our Place Boys clinical team.
In addition to his work at Our Place, Dovid has extensive clinical experience working as a mental health counselor at local clinics, Yeshivos and community social service agencies. He has worked at the Interborough Developmental Clinic, The Consultation Center, Pesach Tikvah and Yeshivas Tiferes Shmuel where all of his clients receive his trademark warmth and dedication.
Gittel (Kagan) Follman, LMSW, is the Associate Director and Community Outreach Coordinator of The Living Room and also serves as the Director of Social Work Services for Brooklyn Defender Services. Gittel received her Masters from the University of Maryland and has spent almost two decades as a dedicated social worker, working in the trenches to help people of all backgrounds to have a second chance at life.
She is an unsung and often unrecognized superhero for those most in need in the Jewish community and beyond. She plays a vital role in helping young women in recovery, as well as, providing specific support for wives of addicts in the Jewish community. In addition to her two full-time professional commitments, Gittel is wife to Mo and mom to Nash and Leora.
Assosciate Director & Community Outreach Coordinator, The Living Room, LMSW
Gittel Follman
Bio and ContactRabbi Yosef Fogel has served as the Learning Coordinator and on-site Rabbi at Boys Our Place for almost two decades. He is a pillar of the Our Place community, offering Torah-based guidance and personal mentorship to hundreds of struggling young teens. Rabbi Fogel has a Master’s in Talmudic Law from Nesivos Hatorah and a certificate in Advanced Mentoring from Dr. Shimon Russel, LCSW. Having received Smicha from Congregation Lev Bunim, Rabbi Fogel has mastered the art of fusing social guidance with Torah insights. Concurrent to his work at Our Place, Rabbi Fogel works as a principal at Yeshiva Torah Temimah in Brooklyn, where he resides with his family.
Shula Einhorn, LMSW has been involved with Girls Our Place since 2010. She is a graduate of Hunter College School of Social Work and has experience in the fields of counseling and vocational services. Shula assists with planning and implementing activities and events, while simultaneously, using her clinical expertise to guide and mentor struggling teens.
Shula uses her background in vocational rehabilitation services to assist Our Place girls with career planning, resume writing and interview skills. Additionally, Shula uses her social work training to respond to mental health challenges and refer individuals to clinical services.
Bracha has served as the Events Coordinator at Girls Our Place for over 10 years. Over the years she has taught adolescents in diverse settings, including special needs schools, a medical hospital, and an inpatient psychiatric hospital. These experiences have allowed her to mentor the girls with a unique sensitivity to their various needs, as well as provide academic support when necessary.
Bracha received her Masters degree in Special Education from Daemen College and has a background running Birthright trips, Yad B’Yad programming, and directing a vocational program for Yachad in Camp Morasha. As the Events Coordinator, she plans and implements creative activities, parties, and special events to keep Girls Our Place fun and engaging.
Programmatic Staff
Shanidy Urman
Counselor, TLR
Mendel Carlebach
Counselor, Our Village
Binyomin Auerbach
Volunteer Mentor, Our Place Boys
Moshe Reichman
Counselor, Our Village
Daniel Friedman
Volunteer Mentor, Our Place Boys
Chananya Shiff
Volunteer Mentor, Our Place Boys
Bruce Greenberg
Activities Director, Our Place Boys
Eta Beinenstock
Couples Coordinator, TLR
Esti Gendel
Counsler, TLR
Eli Erenthal
Director of Operations, Our Village
Rayna Rabinowitz
Mentor, Our Place Girls
Yehuda (Jay) Tusk
Volunteer Mentor, Our Place Boys
Sruli Tennenbaum
Volunteer IT Coordinator, Our Place Boys
Emmy Rimler
LMHC Volunteer, Our Place Boys
Moti Matatov
Fitness Instructor, Our Place Boys
Gabi Koyenov
Social Work Volunteer, Our Place Boys
Azriel Kimmel
Social Work Intern, Our Place Boys
AJ Jacobowitz
Volunteer, Our Place Boys
Hadar Meir Hasis
Social Work Volunteer, Our Place Boys
Jonathan Greenstein
Volunteer Mentor, Our Place Boys
Aron Greenstein
Site Manager, Our Place Boys
Yaakov Cohen
Volunteer Mentor, Our Place Boys
Isaac Cohen
Music Director, Our Place Boys
Joshua Carbonera
Social Work Intern, Our Place Boys
In-Memorium
In a short span of six months (Dec 2020 – May 2021), the Our Place family was left heartbroken by the untimely passing of three devoted, long-time staff members – each of whom left their own indelible mark on the lives of hundreds of young men and women.
Rabbi Dovid Silberman
In addition to being a popular Yeshiva Rebbe in the Flatbush community, Rabbi Dovid Silberman spent two decades working with teens and their families to assist in school re-enrollment and placement. When a boy was ready to re-enter the Yeshiva program or there was simply no Yeshiva that seemed suitable, Rabbi Silberman was the address. His tireless efforts and patience ensured that countless students returned to Yeshiva.
Mark Schickler
While his official job title was “facility manager,” Mark was known for his larger-than-life smile and effusive warmth that he shared with each boy who walked through the door. He regularly opened his humble apartment to any Our Place boy in need of a Shabbos, where his Friday night onegs were legendary for going well into the wee hours of the night. His free hugs are irreplaceable.
Joe “Yossie” Yurowitz
For over two decades, Joe was a fixture at both Our Place Boys and The Living Room. Multiple times a week he could be found hanging out in Our Place Boys, shooting pool, or speaking with a young teen. He attended recovery retreats; he lived and breathed Our Place, serving as a confidant to kids, staff members, and board members alike. His selfless dedication and constant advocacy played a vital role in Our Place’s growth from the very beginning. In 2019, shortly before his untimely passing, Joe joined the Our Place Board of Directors.
President Emeritus / Founder
Moshe Binik A'H
As a successful businessman and philanthropist, Moshe Binik dedicated himself to the needs of the community throughout his lifetime. From opening his home to those without one, to establishing discount groceries for families in need, to volunteering as a Hatzolah member, Rabbi Binik was no stranger to acts of kindness.
Moshe Binik served as the first president of Our Place. He has helped thousands of young adults overcome abuse and trauma and find a place in the community.
Although Rabbi Binik was involved in many other charity projects, he always dedicated himself to providing for Our Place and supporting its meaningful, life-changing mission.
EVERY CHILD IS AN ENTIRE WORLD
Our Place guides hundreds of souls to move past abuse, trauma, and addiction toward a future of fulfillment, family, and community.
We can only do it with your support.