“JFCS has helped my family and countless others in times of need,” says Howard S. Hahn, when reflecting on his recent decision to leave a legacy to help others facing hard times. “My parents raised me with Jewish values. Tikkun olam was especially important.” A native of New York City, Howard arrived in San Francisco for a visit not long after he graduated from college. He found a city and community he wanted to get to know better. “I never used the roundtrip part of the paper plane ticket,” Howard says. “I quit my job over the phone and stayed.”… Read More

None of us know what life is going to throw in our path. For young people who have experienced loss, trauma, a bad medical diagnosis, or other difficult life events, hope comes in the form of the Sandra L. Schnitzer Resilience Fund—a Named Endowment Fund of Jewish Family and Children’s Services. The fund, thoughtfully founded by Sandra L. Schnitzer of San Francisco in 2021, pioneers a specialized model of compassionate assistance to help children, teens, and young adults up to age 25. Individual grants magnify and enhance the expert services already available through JFCS’ Center for Children and Youth by… Read More

For Linda Himelstein and Michael Rolnick, community service is an essential family value. As they were raising their children, Jillian and Ben, in Hillsborough, Linda and Michael made it a priority to model the importance of giving back. “We wanted to nurture in our children a lifelong habit of giving back—not just money, but also time,” says Linda, an award-winning author and journalist. “This should be a vital part of life.” They began volunteering as a family at the JFCS Peninsula Food Bank. When Jillian and Ben were in high school, they participated in the YouthFirst service-learning and leadership… Read More

May her memory be for a blessing. Brooklyn-born and Vassar-educated, Judy Moss believed that, in many ways, she was always “a woman ahead of her time.” Over the course of her career, she was a pioneer in the male-dominated computer information systems realm. Each time she left one place of employment, which included stints at the Port of New York Authority, Revlon, and General Electric, she was offered a more advanced position at the next. She came to California because Lockheed encouraged her to leave New York. To fill in some spare time, Judy decided to enter the political arena,… Read More

Norman Schlossberg z”l attributed his success in the insurance industry to his empathetic ear for people in crisis. He was no stranger to the devastating effects of illness on a family. “I have seen a lot of life people shouldn’t see,” said Norm of his Brooklyn childhood. His older sister developed diabetes at 12 and died prematurely—at 47. Norm’s mother died of a stroke at 38, just six months after his bar mitzvah. One of the bright spots for Norm during these challenging times was summer camp. When Norm and his wife, Adrienne, decided to create a Named Endowment Fund… Read More

“JFCS is an organization that I have been fortunate to participate in with my children and grandchildren. Through our Morris Family Endowment Fund for children and seniors, our family is confident that JFCS is providing important services for our community—one individual or family at a time.” —Natalie-Ann Morris, Marin County   If you would like to establish a Named Endowment Fund, please contact [email protected] or 415‑449‑3858.… Read More