News & Impact

There are about 14 million Jews in the world today—and so, as the saying goes, there are 14 million different ways of being Jewish. Making its way across this wide expanse of Jewish identity and affiliation is the Passover seder, which finds its way into millions of homes, more than any other Jewish ritual. In spite of the Jewish People’s great diversity, the seder continues to enjoy widespread appeal. Why? The Passover seder was established a little under 2,000 years ago, in response to the urgent existential question that arose in the wake of Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple:… Read More

When Manny Kagan and his family stepped off the plane to start their new life in the United States, he knew from his first day in San Francisco that he was in a town like no other. In the years that have followed Manny has become a successful businessman, a well-loved philanthropist, and a talented photographer. A long-time member of JFCS’ Emigre Committee, Manny has been an instrumental supporter and voice for the thousands of immigrants from the former Soviet Union who were helped by JFCS to start new lives in California over the past forty years. A Life Purpose… Read More

J Weekly By Carly Nairn While most high school students wouldn’t choose to spend their weekends inside a classroom, Piedmont High School senior Danny DeBare did. The Jewish teen, along with hundreds of his peers, gathered last Sunday at a San Francisco high school to bring Jewish history into focus. “Participation is everything to get the full effect of learning the history,” said DeBare. Now in its 15th year, the Day of Learning, organized by the JFCS Holocaust Center, brought together Holocaust survivors in the Bay Area and 750 students and educators from schools in the region — from… Read More

SAN FRANCISCO—March 6, 2017—Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) will present Tad Taube with the Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award for Lifetime Achievement for the remarkable and lasting success of his philanthropic endeavors. The award will be presented at the annual Fammy Awards Gala on April 1 at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco. The Fammy Awards honor individuals who contribute significantly to the community through service and leadership. JFCS’ highest honor, the Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award for Lifetime Achievement, is reserved for those whose lifelong commitments and achievements have helped improve societal challenges. “Tad’s dedication to strengthening social, educational, and cultural… Read More

Michael Rolnick is putting his business expertise to work for JFCS along with his enthusiasm to spread the word about the impact the agency has in our community. As a well-respected and successful venture capital investor and entrepreneur, his career in media and technology has spanned nearly two decades. He and his family have been energetic JFCS community members for years and Michael recently joined the Board of Directors. He also sits on JFCS’ Program and Planning and Peninsula Major Gifts Committees, and he and his wife, Linda Himelstein, are this year’s North Peninsula Fammy Gala Co-Chairs. Michael says, “JFCS… Read More

For generations Deborah Hoffman’s family has contributed to the growth of JFCS, and now she is taking her turn. Always energetic and extremely generous with her time, Debbie is making an impact on the JFCS Board of Directors and is also a committed member of the Loans and Grants, Program and Planning, North Peninsula Development, Fammy Gala, and Endowment Committees. With such a strong family legacy of giving coupled with a willingness to dive in to any new project, Debbie says, “I think of philanthropy like breathing; you just do it naturally.” Tell us a bit about the community where… Read More