News & Impact

Since 2013 the Parasol Foundation Trust has partnered with JFCS, making substantial investments in our YouthFirst and Seniors At Home programs to help teens realize their potential and low-income elderly to receive the comprehensive services they need to live as safely and independently as possible. The trust was founded by online gaming entrepreneur Ruth Parasol, originally of Mill Valley and the eldest daughter of Richard Parasol, a Holocaust survivor and real estate developer. Ruth grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and she and her family are committed to adding their philanthropic support to JFCS and our mutual interest… Read More

Many of us get to know Jewish Family and Children’s Services when a crisis strikes. Whether it’s a child struggling with a disability, job loss, divorce, or a sick parent, one bad thing can really knock you down. JFCS gets us back up. It happened to me when my sister’s dementia rapidly progressed. JFCS brought in trained professionals who knew how to manage her condition; her situation improved, and I was beyond relieved. When I heard about another JFCS client who is suffering from dementia and is all on her own, I was moved to share her story with you:… Read More

Robert Blum credits his father, a Holocaust survivor, for his focus on the Jewish value of tikkun olam in his business and personal endeavors. A biopharmaceutical business leader, Robert is President and Chief Executive Officer of Cytokinetics, and he is a highly respected community member and passionate advocate for JFCS. As a member of the JFCS Board of Directors, Robert serves on the Major Gifts and Special Events Subcommittees, and sits on the JFCS Holocaust Center Advisory Council. He and his wife, Dana, also co-chaired this year’s wildly successful Fammy Awards Gala. He says, “JFCS is authentic in its Jewish… Read More

J Weekly By Rob Gloster As a child, Iris Bendahan was confused when her grandmother would speak of relatives who were “not here because of Hitler.” It wasn’t until her sixth-grade class in Israel saw an exhibition on the Holocaust that she finally understood. As an adult, the former religious school principal at Congregation Beth David in Saratoga has made it her mission to ensure Bay Area kids have no such confusion. Bendahan, 57, personally created a Holocaust museum that has been on display each spring at Beth David since 2009. This year, it will be available for viewing until… Read More

J Weekly By Rob Gloster Berta Kohut endured more than 1,000 days at Auschwitz. She suffered through transfers to Ravensbruck concentration camp and the Birkenau death camp. Having somehow survived and started a family back in her native Czechoslovakia, the last thing she wanted to do was tell her two sons about those horrors. But when her seven grandchildren were old enough to understand, she shared her Holocaust nightmares. “When I was growing up, it was a taboo subject in our family. My father protected her from talking about it,” said her son, Tom Areton. “It’s easier for her to… Read More

Prominent Holocaust Scholar from USC Shoah Foundation, Stephen D. Smith, Ph.D., will discuss a major new initiative that takes Bay Area survivors’ testimonies to a global audience. For Immediate Release: Mon., Apr. 17, 2017 (San Francisco, CA) – Community members are invited to observe Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, on Sunday, April 23 at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. This community memorial service bears witness to those who have perished in the Holocaust and educates young people about the meaning of their legacy. This year’s observance, titled The Future of Our Past, A Conversation about Memory and Testimony,… Read More