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EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

SUPPORT GROUPS

These support groups are free and open to all experiencing infertility in Cleveland.

  • You will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement.
  • Registration is requested at least 24 hours in advance.
Register for a JFF-Cleveland Support Group

FERTILITY BUDDIES

Our fertility buddies practice “relationship-based support.” Individuals currently experiencing infertility and/or trying to build their family are matched with trained fertility buddy veterans, who understand the pressure, pain, and emotional upheaval caused by infertility and various paths to parenthood, and can offer the much-needed support to their buddies.

Need a buddy?Want to become a buddy?

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

JFF-CLE FERTILITY GRANTS

As a Cleveland resident, you may be eligible to apply for our grants:

  • Invitro Fertilization (IVF)
  • Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

Other financial benefits through JFF include:

  • 20% off discounts from our partner clinics
  • Interest-free loans
  • Pharmacy discounts for medications and genetic testing (of embryos) discounts from our partners
Learn More

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

JOIN US!

JFF offers community programming to spread awareness of infertility, family-building pathways, and to bring our amazing community together.

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CLEVELAND COUNSELORS (for one-on-one counseling)

CLEVELAND CLINICS

JFF partner fertility clinics offer grantees a 20% discounted rate off of IVF treatments.

CLEVELAND TEAM

Meet the JFF-Cleveland Manager

Tamar Headshot

Tamar
JFF-CLE Manager

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Tamar Poupko Smith grew up in Montreal, Canada and after living in Israel, New York, Baltimore and Cincinnati, is proud to call Cleveland her home. She has a B.A. from Yeshiva University and has spent over twenty years in the Jewish non-profit world, in both professional and lay positions. Her most recent work has been with Jewish day schools, and in whatever capacity, Tamar is always engaged in working toward their success.

Tamar joins JFF after serving on the JFF-CLE advisory board and is thrilled that JFF is expanding to include Cleveland; a strong, vibrant and welcoming Jewish community. She looks forward to connecting with, and supporting individuals on their family-building journeys with compassion and sensitivity. Tamar’s parents and four siblings have all dedicated themselves,  professionally, to the Jewish community and they continue to inspire her to serve and better our communities and the Jewish people.

Tamar is active in a number of local non-profits including Fuchs Mizrachi School, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the Community Beit Midrash, and Bnei Akiva. Tamar enjoys spending time with her husband Elliot, their four children and one incredible goldendoodle named Leo.

Meet the JFF-CLE Volunteers

headshot of Tristin

Tristin Goldberg

Advisory Council Chair

Tristin Goldberg, a Cleveland native, earned her MSW from Loyola University of Chicago and brings over twenty years of experience in the nonprofit sector as a lay leader and social worker. She dedicated 14 years to Jewish Family Community Service in Chicago and has spent the past nine years volunteering to support single women on their path to parenthood. Having previously chaired the JFF-CLE exploratory committee, Tristin is now enthusiastic about leading the Advisory Council.
headshot of Abbie Pappas

Abbie Pappas

Abbie Pappas has a thriving trusts and estates legal practice at UB Greensfelder, is an
avid speaker and writer, and is an engaged contributor to her community.
Elected to Partner in 2023, Abbie is an experienced estate planning, estate
administration, and taxation attorney who considers her own perspective as a parent
when working with clients to develop and analyze estate plans appropriate to their
needs and objectives. In addition to domestic and international tax and estate planning,
Abbie is uniquely experienced with Halachic estate planning and skillfully develops
comprehensive estate plans that conform to Jewish religious laws. In connection with
this expertise, she has given lectures on “religious considerations in estate planning” to
local professional groups. She also counsels on the use of wills and trusts, gift planning,
lifetime and post-mortem tax planning, living wills, powers of attorney, and estate
administration.
Abbie is actively engaged in professional organizations and within the community. She
is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar
Association, and Ohio State Bar Association. She is also a leader in the Cleveland
Jewish community, where she serves on the Fuchs Mizrachi School Board of Trustees
and participates in many capacities with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, including
as Chair of the Young Leadership Division and on the Board of Trustees and Allocations
Committee and Professional Advisory Council. Abbie has also been involved with
Menorah Park serving on the Associate Board, University Hospitals Diamond Advisory
Group, and The Rekindle Fellowship.
A highly respected attorney, Abbie has been named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list of
Rising Stars and in The Best Lawyers in America © “Ones to Watch” list. She was also
the 2021 recipient of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Amb. Milton A. and Roslyn Z.
Wolf Young Campaigner of the Year Award.
Advisory Council Member headshot

Elianna Breetz

Elianna Breetz, MS, CGC, is honored to serve as an Advisory Council member for the Jewish Fertility Foundation. She brings a wealth of experience as a genetic counselor, and a deep commitment to supporting fertility journeys within the Jewish community.

Elianna grew up in the Chicago suburbs before moving to earn her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from THE Ohio State University, where her genetic counseling graduate thesis explored gaps in both care and education around genetic information within the fertility industry. Now a prenatal and preconception genetic counselor, she empathetically educates patients on their genetic risks. She strives to empower individuals and families through informed decision-making regarding genetic testing and healthcare choices, and is excited to work on community-driven healthcare initiatives with the JFF team.

Elianna currently serves on the board of directors for the Ohio Association of Genetic Counselors, generally supporting the operations of the organization and its committees. This role has continued to cultivate a passion for education and advocacy surrounding public awareness of the genetic counseling field. She also is the Vice Chair of Community Outreach and Engagement of the Cleveland Jewish Federation’s Young Leadership Division, fostering community-building and philanthropic efforts among emerging leaders.

Outside of her professional and volunteer interests, Elianna enjoys exploring Cleveland, while spending time with her husband, pets, family, and friends. She is excited to find new ways to empower the Jewish community and family planners.

Ilana Mandel

Ilana Mandel is a graduate of Barnard College and the Mandel School of Social Work. She has worked in non-profit management in the Jewish community for the past 25 years and is currently employed at Jewish Family Service Association as the Executive Director of Caring at Home, Older Adult Services. In addition to being a full-time working mother, she is passionate about cooking, nature, and finding ways to express her creative spirit. She lives in Beachwood with her three, young, children.
Photo of Dr. Jennifer Rosenberg

Dr. Jennifer Rosenberg

Dr. Jennifer Rosenberg received a B.A. in African Studies from Wesleyan University and attended Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine where she obtained a medical degree. Dr. Rosenberg then completed a 4 year residency in Adult Psychiatry at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic followed by a year fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Rosenberg has been in private practice since 1993 and as special training in mood disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period and fertility issues including surrogacy and egg and sperm donation. She has worked as a consulting psychiatrist with Cleveland Ob Gyn and Cleveland Clinic Fertility group for 10 years where she worked extensively in third party reproduction evaluating recipients of egg and sperm donation, egg donors, gestational carriers and biological parents using gestational carriers. Dr Rosenberg's experience with children and adolescents provides me with a special understanding of the issues children may experience being conceived through third party reproduction. She continues to work closely with the Cleveland Clinic Fertility group as an expert in this area. Dr Rosenberg also founded and ran an egg donor agency, Cleveland Conception Connection for 5 years and helped couples realize their dreams of building their family through egg donation.

She has worked at Bellefaire for four years, providing pharmacology management to children and teens and working with them and their families on various issues such as ADHD, family issues, trauma, depression and anxiety.

Rabbi Scott Roland

Rabbi Scott Roland

Rabbi Scott B. Roland received his rabbinical ordination in 2013 and has served as the Rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Tikvah in Beachwood, Ohio, since 2016. He holds a Masters in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts, and a B.A. from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. A proud Zionist, he studied in Jerusalem and returns to the State of Israel at every opportunity.

Rabbi Roland strives to be an enthusiastic teacher, fellow learner, and an imperfect exemplar. Passionate and caring, he hopes to help each individual feel seen, appreciated, and respected, fostering a sense of deep connection and responsibility. Rabbi Roland is committed to sustaining a community where every soul is valued, yet challenged to evolve and embrace new wisdom. Within sacred community, he desires to create a haven of support, growth, and boundless love for our traditions and for each other.

Rabbi Roland is married to Aviva, and together they have three daughters, many former Israeli shliḥot they consider as daughters, and two dogs. He enjoys time in the outdoors, reading, and especially loves reading outdoors.

photo of Jill Helfman

Jill Helfman

A well-respected attorney and family advocate, Jill Helfman serves as co-partner-in-charge of the Cleveland office. Her practice focuses on family and divorce law, particularly in high net worth cases. Jill is certified by The Ohio State Bar Association Family Law Specialty Board as a specialist in the field of Family Law in Ohio and as an arbitrator through the AAML Matrimonial Arbitration Training Institute. Jill served as chair of Taft’s Domestic Relations practice from 2017 – 2022.

With extensive experience and a confident, patient approach, Jill consistently earns the respect of her clients and peers. A trusted advisor to high-profile clients, Jill provides regular legal counsel to business owners, professional athletes, physicians, lawyers, and other prominent professionals. Jill is a fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is a former president of the Ohio Chapter. She further serves the greater Cleveland community in a number of volunteer positions, including acting as chair of the leadership board for the University Hospitals Partnership for Families and as a board member of Park Synagogue. Jill graduated from the University of Michigan and received her law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Photo of Brad Helfman

Brad Helfman

Brad Helfman is a business professional with a strong educational background and experience in the manufacturing and consumer goods industries. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Miami University and an MBA in Finance from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.<br><br>

Brad began his professional career with BDO and then Deloitte. After completing his MBA, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio to work at Avery Dennison, a global materials science and manufacturing company specializing in the design and production of labeling and functional materials. At Avery Dennison, Brad served in various financial and business development roles.
Subsequently, Brad joined GOJO Industries, the inventor of PURELL® Hand Sanitizer and a leading global producer and marketer of skin health and hygiene solutions. At GOJO, he led product management, operations, innovation, and business development efforts in various roles
during global health challenges (e.g., SARs, H1N1, COVID-19).<br><br>

Brad received his Black Belt in Innovation Engineering and is an inventor on two patents. Currently, Brad is the founder of Insight Innovations, LLC, supporting innovation, business development, and commercialization efforts for startups.<br><br>

In addition to his professional career, Brad is a Board Member of Bounce Innovation Hub and Hillel at Kent State University, including Board President. He is also a Founding Board Member of University Hospitals – Partnership for Families.

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