News & Impact

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

A few years ago Beverly* knew she was in trouble but didn’t know where to turn. Surgery left her with excruciating stomach and joint pain, making it difficult to walk. Beverly had to leave her part-time job due to her disability and was behind on her rent. One day she returned home to find a notice in her mail: her rent for her Peninsula apartment was going up $200 a month—an astronomical amount on her small fixed income. Feeling despondent, she talked to a friend who said, “Have you ever thought about calling JFCS?” “I never considered myself the type… Read More

Miriam Sparrow brings the natural charm of a southerner to her many roles at JFCS, along with her commitment and drive. A JFCS Board member for two years, she is also the Sonoma County Co-Chair of JFCS’ Public Issues Committee and a member of the Sonoma County Leadership Team.  She also serves on the JFCS-wide Program and Planning Committee, the Public Issues Committee, and the By-Laws Review Committee. In her relatively short time on the JFCS Board Miriam is already known for her expertise, dedication, and role as an effective and respected ambassador on behalf of JFCS and those who… Read More

The Mercury News By Jacqueline Lee It was her mother’s intuition that spared Denise Elbert from the gas chambers during the Jewish Holocaust in World War II. Elbert was 9 months old in 1942 when she boarded a train headed for Sobibor with her mom and dad. Young Jewish Slovakian families, like the Elberts, had been told they were needed to help build a major German city, and locals lined the platform to see them off. When Elbert’s mother spotted a good childhood friend, she decided to ask the friend to care for her daughter until the couple got settled… Read More

The Press Democrat By Christi Warren Several generations have come and gone since May 1945 when the last prisoners were liberated from the Nazi concentration camps of World War II. The Holocaust today feels far away, especially for youth increasingly separated from not only the harsh realities of a world at war, but the scope of Germany’s campaign of genocide. For years, Jewish groups have worked to bring Holocaust survivors into classrooms to discuss their time in the camps, to tell their stories. But that population is quickly dwindling — fewer than 100,000 survivors remain — which is what sparked… Read More