She was a driving force for change during her 41-year tenure at Toronto’s Reena Foundation, where she established a model for both Jewish and non-Jewish agencies by advocating for inclusiveness for those who are developmentally disabled.
Sandy Keshen died in Toronto on Jan. 28. She was 86.
In the early 1970s, she was frustrated that her daughter, who had learning disabilities, did not have access to the same educational opportunities as her son. This spurred her to action in the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities. At the same time, she became aware of the lack of services and support for those who were developmentally disabled within Toronto’s Jewish community.
Prior to the 1970s, the landscape for those with disabilities was bleak. Parents were encouraged to institutionalize their children and there were few resources available to help them. In the early 1970s, the Ontario government started a movement to get individuals with disabilities out of institutions and into the community. Rabbi Joseph Kelman at Toronto’s Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue had the idea of providing residences for those in the Jewish community who were developmentally challenged so they could thrive independently.
Reena was officially incorporated in 1973. In an interview marking its 50th birthday, Rabbi Kelman’s son, Rabbi Jay Kelman said “I remember my father telling us there wasn’t hope in the classical sense that people are going to become like everybody else, but they can have lots of joy and happiness. So, they named it Reena, which means joy.” While Reena was concerned with those returning from institutions, they also wanted to help foster independence for those who until then had no choice but to live at home with their families.
Rabbi Kelman approached Sandy Keshen to become involved, and in 1974 Reena faced a major hurdle, trying to obtain zoning for their first group home at 12 Luverne Ave.
Neighbours expressed considerable fear and uncertainty, but Keshen knocked on doors and her charm and tenacity convinced them. Keshen’s work ultimately influenced North York council to establish a ruling which gave permission to open one group home per neighbourhood in the city.
The community of the developmentally disabled moved forward with Keshen’s advocacy. She worked with provincial ministry staff and cultivated relationships with families and communities to advocate for inclusion. In 1976 Keshen became Reena’s executive director.
She fought for the Toby and Henry Battle Developmental Centre to be built in a visible location, according to a biography written in honour of her retirement.
“It was very important that it be in the centre of Thornhill, not in the warehouse area, or away from the hub of the activities that are part of who we are and what we should be doing,” she said.
🎉 Honouring 130+ employees w/18+ years of service at @ReenaFoundation for our 50th anniversary. Special tribute to Sandy Keshen, leading for 40+ years, by renaming Reena Community Residence after her. Grateful for their commitment to individuals & families supported by Reena! pic.twitter.com/ZeuzsICiIy
— Reena (@ReenaFoundation) June 22, 2023
By the time Keshen retired, Reena was recognized as the fourth-largest service provider in Ontario, housing more than 1,000 individuals in two community residences and 32 group homes, with more than 800 employees and an operating budget of more than $67 million.
Keshen’s son Bryan, who already had a track record of leadership in the Jewish community took over as Reena’s chief executive officer.
In 2014, @ReenaFoundation bid farewell to long-time CEO Sandy Keshen, marking the end of an era. It's bittersweet as her son, @keshreport, takes charge, shaping a new chapter for Reena. See how he follows in his mother's footsteps, driving Reena forward: https://t.co/mClmpyIf11 pic.twitter.com/LGqfgArSzh
— Reena (@ReenaFoundation) October 20, 2023
“Sandy Keshen was a force of nature who embraced a vision of the late Rabbi Joseph Kelman that no one should be forgotten or left behind,” Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner told The CJN. “The concept of Reena came to life because Sandy said things that others did not want to hear. She was relentless always believing that everyone had a place in our society, and that people with exceptionalities must have every opportunity to live normal lives and belong.
“She was a treasure to our community.”
Sandy Keshen was born in Poland in 1938, but she vowed to distance herself from her European background. “My mom was nicknamed Sabina,” son Bryan told The CJN. “She escaped the Nazis and fled to Russia where her father was conscripted into the Russian army. He was killed in 1942 in the Battle of Stalingrad. After the war she returned to Lodz with her mom seeking the remnants of their family. In Lodz her mom was nearly killed by an antisemitic mob, and she lived in an orphanage as her mom recuperated.
“Her mom remarried to a widower, Max Binstock who also had a young daughter Rose of the same age and they moved through Europe finally joining his family in Toronto in 1947. She grew up like others in the Kensington (market) area and attended Harbord Collegiate.”
Keshen soon found a close group of six friends including other newcomers to Canada.
“There were seven of us and we were together for 35 years,” said lifelong friend Becky Laufer. “Four of us were from Europe. Sandy and I came around 1948. Two in the group were Canadian but the others were all ‘greenies’ and we all were terrific friends. I think we first met at Camp Bnai Brith when I was 12. We all belonged to the ‘Y’ and saw each other every few days. We got together for ‘Sweet Sixteens’ and birthday parties. We went to every single wedding and every single bar mitzvah. Every time there was a bris we were all there. We even went to the dentist together.
“We never argued, we all had the same ideas, and we all got married at the same time. Sandy knew what she was doing. She was a very bright woman. She went to university and even after she started Reena she went back for more schooling.”
Keshen was recognized with numerous awards, but her son said that the accolades that meant the most came from her peers. She was the inaugural recipient of the Gordy Wolfe Award for Jewish Communal Professional Leadership. He quoted her saying, “It’s one thing to be the guru for the rest of the world but being recognized in your own community… that’s peer acceptance.”
Keshen is survived by her, son Bryan, daughter Rena, stepsister Rose, grandchildren and a great-grandchild. She is predeceased by her husband Murray.