News & Impact

J Weekly By Karen Galatz The generation of Holocaust survivors may be passing, but thanks to a just-launched initiative in San Francisco, their testimonies will live on through their children and grandchildren. Called the Next Generation Speakers Bureau, the initiative is the brainchild of Morgan Blum Schneider, director of Jewish Family and Children Services’ Holocaust Center. The bureau is designed to address the challenge of Holocaust education when the last of the survivors are gone. “We want to ensure that the Holocaust remains a story of faces, not just a history of numbers,” said Alexis Herr, the Holocaust Center’s new… Read More

The wildfires that swept through the North Bay last October are out, but the scar on the community is one that will last a generation. Since Day One JFCS has collaborated with many integral organizations in the North Bay to make sure disaster victims are able to access all the help available to them. Last month JFCS honored first responders and survivors at the JFCS Fammy Gala after the deadliest wildfire disaster in California history. First Responders and Victims of the North Bay Wildfires JFCS Fammy Video During the initial days and weeks after the fires JFCS helped people with… Read More

In 1941 Eda Pell arrived in California from Germany with her sister, Henni Kuflik, and faced an uncertain future as a young immigrant. Both girls had miraculously received visas to the United States as “wartime orphans” after being smuggled out of Germany to France. When the sisters learned they were going to a place called San Francisco, Eda says, “Quite frankly, it sounded like Timbuktu and the end of the earth to us.” But they quickly learned to appreciate their new home. The sisters settled into life at Homewood Terrace, a new type of child-care campus, which mirrored a family… Read More

John Levin is a long-time JFCS partner and supporter. His mother, a polio survivor, showed him firsthand how persons with disabilities can overcome obstacles to reach their highest potential. John’s instrumental and inspiring leadership paved the way for the creation and growth of JFCS’ highly regarded Disabilities Services Program, which has served thousands of children and adults with disabilities and their families. John is the Chairman and Co-Founder of the law firm Folger Levin LLP. His incredible vision has created a lasting national impact. His far-reaching honors in public service include the National Public Service Award from Stanford Law… Read More

While the road to equality for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) has been a long one, for over 30 years JFCS has been breaking ground by supporting families of all kinds to grow their families by adoption. JFCS continues to work and advocate for LGBTQ+ adoptive families’ legal rights—both in the United States and in Israel. JFCS’ Adoption Connection Receives Prestigious Award from Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Back in the 80s, while the public and elected officials were busy debating the merits of adoptions by queer families, JFCS’ Executive Director Dr. Anita Friedman began… Read More

San Francisco native, entrepreneur, and family man, Steven Feinberg joined the JFCS Board in 2017. Having recently sold his thriving company of 25 years, SF Global Sourcing, he now runs Finstar Capital, LLC, a private equity advising and investing firm. Steven is no stranger to JFCS. Before taking on his new role as Board member, he and his wife, Jenna Feinberg, had been ardent members of the Fammy Gala Committee and spirited supporters for years. The dedicated father of three young adults, Steven says, “JFCS’ services are all about family from start to finish, and its programs help kids reach… Read More