News & Impact

Seventy local teens are getting the chance to explore their career interests and learn on-the-job skills through YouthFirst’s Summer Internship program. These paid, six-week internships pair teens with a business or organization in the community to learn valuable, on-the-job skills and gain real work experience. In weekly workshops at JFCS, each teen gets personalized professional development and a chance to connect with their peers. The program gives teens an opportunity to explore vocational interests and they come away with increased confidence and a better sense of what academic and career goals they want to set for themselves. “This experience has… Read More

June 6, 2023, San Francisco—The Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) Holocaust Center has announced the public phase of a $45 million capital campaign to build a new, state-of-the-art Holocaust Center, library, and archive. The JFCS Holocaust Center is widely recognized statewide, nationally, and internationally as a leader in Holocaust and genocide education. The organization is currently guiding a major statewide response to combatting antisemitism, including co-chairing the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education and leading the California Teachers Collaborative, a critical initiative that will reach California’s students, teachers, and community members over the next five years. Antisemitic incidents… Read More

June is Pride Month, and we would like to highlight a recent opinion piece in the Bay Area Reporter by community leader Joyce Newstat and state Senator , both of whom are members of the LGBTQ+ community and close friends of JFCS and the JFCS Holocaust Center. They serve on the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education alongside JFCS Executive Director, Dr. Anita Friedman. In their article, Newstat and Wiener shed light on the historical significance of the pink triangle, a symbol of Pride and a stark reminder of LGBTQ+ persecution during the Holocaust. This symbolism aligns strongly… Read More

Fighting for justice is a core value behind the work we do at JFCS. Guided by our Jewish values, JFCS’ Center for Children and Youth advocates with government and communities to create a better world for children and families here in California and beyond. Some of the successful initiatives JFCS has supported include establishing suicide prevention offices across the state, strengthening parity in insurance coverage for mental health services, and establishing 9-8-8 as the National Suicide Hotline for anyone in a mental health crisis. Currently, JFCS is supporting SB 287, Senator Nancy Skinner’s crucial bill to hold social media… Read More

Every Tuesday at 1pm, you’ll find Tzippi poised at her computer, ready to help Holocaust survivors participate in Café by the Bay. The Café meets regularly in San Francisco and Marin and on the Peninsula to enjoy art, music, speakers, discussions, and celebrations. Tzippi is one of 30 volunteers who help with everything from planning gatherings to providing technical support for survivors who join virtually. Each volunteer is paired with a “friend”—a survivor with whom they form a close relationship. Tzippi’s commitment to the group shines in the relationship she’s built with Rebecca, the 96-year-old “friend” she’s been working with… Read More

The mental health effects of the war in Ukraine are acute for children and adults—anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more. In response, JFCS partnered with IsraAID, the Office of Ukraine’s First Lady, and Ukraine’s Ministry of Health to launch a national mental health and psychosocial support initiative. Through this collaborative effort—made possible in part by the generous donations to JFCS’ Ukrainian Emergency Relief Initiative—JFCS and IsraAID will provide mental health first aid training to enable Ukrainian staff to better care for people living in frontline cities, like Odesa and Kherson. JFCS has long specialized in trauma training and in… Read More