Empowering Every Connection
Kesher was founded in 2021 to address rising mental-health challenges among Orthodox Jewish girls in Detroit through personalized mentorship. Each “Little Sister” is paired with a carefully selected “Big Sister” mentor based on personality, interests, and compatibility.
These weekly meetups create a safe, nonjudgmental space where Little Sisters feel seen, heard, and valued. The relationship becomes a microcosm of healthy connection, helping girls build self-esteem, emotional resilience, and the ability to form meaningful relationships in the future.
Kesher’s success is fully attributable to the extraordinary Big Sisters who devote their time, energy, and heart to their Little Sisters each week.
How Does Kesher Oversee the Mentorships?
Kesher's staff psychologist, Dr. Henny Shoshana, provides psychoeducation and training that equips Big Sisters with essential skills: active listening strategies, problem-solving techniques, empathy development, and effective communication styles tailored to individual mentees’ needs and circumstances.
Training also emphasizes building trust through unconditional positive regard, fostering self-esteem, and maintaining healthy boundaries — while helping mentors recognize when a situation may exceed the scope of peer mentorship.
Throughout the year, Dr. Shoshana checks in with Big Sisters to ensure that they feel confident, well-equipped, and empowered to support their Little Sisters. These check-ins also help mentors know when and how to seek additional professional intervention if needed.
Kesher invests heavily in educating and supporting volunteers so they can create the most optimal, healthy, and effective mentor-mentee relationships.
What Is Kesher’s Organizational Infrastructure?
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Ida Eis & Gittle Kanner — Co-Founders and Executive Directors
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Dr. Henny Shoshana — Psychologist overseeing mentorships and addressing any issues that arise
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Shani Prager — Administrative Assistant
Our Growing Community Impact
Mentorship Connections
75+ Sisters
Kesher currently supports 75+ pairs of Big and Little Sisters — more than 150 individuals benefiting from the program every week.
Program Growth
225 + lives changed
Kesher changed over 225 lives of school ages girls helped since our founding