Lee Lester entertains at a Kesher Project function.

David Lester was 43 when he died in 1988. An adult with special needs, he had lived his entire life with his mother, Lena, who raised him by herself.
Lena Lester, known as “Lee” to friends, was in the first graduating class of nurses’ aides at Park City Hospital in Bridgeport, and went on to earn a degree in education from the University of Bridgeport in 1973, taking classes at night while holding a fulltime job. The single working mom never allowed her challenging life to preclude her generosity, says Rhea Farbman, executive director of The Kesher Project for Developmentally Challenged Adults.
“Lee is determined to live a life of Tikkun Olam, making the world a better place for all,” she says.
The Kesher Project is a privately funded, not-for-profit program that celebrates Jewish holidays and culture for adults with special needs. Regular meetings are held at Congregation B’nai Israel in Bridgeport.
A lifetime member of Hadassah and a member of ORT, Lester volunteers at The Jewish Home for the Elderly in Fairfield. “She is involved in her community in many ways,” says Farbman, “from knitting winter hats for disadvantaged schoolchildren to helping in the campaign to end bulk-trash pickup on Bridgeport streets.
“But I believe her greatest accomplishment happened when she joined Congregation B’nai Israel 40 years ago,” Farbman says. At the time, Lester was a single mother, working as a nurse and raising her only child, David, who had special needs.
When David died 23 years ago, Lester decided to create a memorial to her son and to other Jewish adults with special needs in the community. When she brought the idea to B’nai Israel’s Rabbi James Prosnit, he introduced her to The Kesher Project and to Farbman.
Lester began donating money and time to the program, but she wanted to do something specific for her late son, Farbman says. Earlier this year, she created The Lee and David Lester Kesher Fund for Adults with Special Needs.
“Lee is still very active in supporting our activities and knows all the Kesher Project members by name,” Farbman says. “We are so grateful for her lively presence and her generosity.”