Life & Work with Chaya Goldberg of Dunwoody

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chaya Goldberg.

Hi Chaya, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Mitzvah House started very grassroots, planning holiday events and children’s programs so families could celebrate Jewish life with pride and joy. As we listened to people’s needs, it naturally expanded into more practical support, especially our volunteer-powered kitchen preparing and delivering home-cooked meals to families going through difficult moments like illness, job loss, or new babies.

We also began showing up in schools, creating spaces where Jewish children feel seen and confident in who they are. Over time, that same community energy helped us grow initiatives like the Mitzvah Bus. Today, Mitzvah House remains rooted in that spirit: neighbors showing up for one another with pride, care, and connection.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t always been smooth. As a fully grassroots organization, built independently and without a larger network behind us, we’ve had to create everything from the ground up while learning in real time. That comes with long hours, limited resources, and constantly balancing growing needs with what’s sustainable.

What’s kept us steady is clarity of purpose. We consistently see the impact in families who feel supported, children who feel proud and included, and volunteers who find meaning in showing up for others. That feedback and visible change in the community is incredibly energizing and reminds us we’re exactly where we’re meant to be.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Outside of Mitzvah House, Rabbi Zalmy works in commercial sales and property management, which supports our family and allows the nonprofit to remain fully community-driven. He specializes in relationship-based business, networking, and connecting people who can genuinely benefit from one another. He’s known for listening closely, understanding people’s needs, and building trust-centered partnerships that last.

What we’re most proud of, across both his professional work and Mitzvah House, is a consistent commitment to show up when people need support most, even when it’s difficult or inconvenient. That reliability, combined with genuine warmth and joy, is what fuels everything we do. It’s also what sets us apart: people know that when we connect, host, or support, it comes from real care.

What are your plans for the future?
We are on the hunt to find the very best commercial property to host Mitzvah House and Mitzvah Kitchen. We’re bursting at the seams and want to be able to better host service days for corporate team-building, Bar and Bat Mitzvah projects, and other simcha programs. That said, we also look forward to every single interaction, knowing that even helping one more person do a mitzvah makes it all worthwhile.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mitzvahhouse.com
• Instagram: @mitzvahouse
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HouseMitzvah

Image Credits
@DavidCraigPhotography