News & Impact

San Francisco’s Lisa Geduldig has earned a rightful place in the pantheon of Jewish comics whose gut-busting humor helps us forget our cares and sorrows. But Geduldig, whose Kung Pao Kosher Comedy has been delighting audiences during the holiday season for 20-plus years, also wins applause for being a mensch. As in years past, a part of the proceeds from her Kung Pao shows will go to help people in need. This year, JFCS’ Nutrition Programs are a beneficiary. “Food is among the most basic of human needs,” says Geduldig. “I like supporting JFCS’ programs because they address human needs… Read More

A rising star in the high-tech world, Greg had a dream job that allowed him to provide a comfortable life for his family: Jewish day schools, summer camp, trips to Israel and Europe, and leadership roles in his synagogue. But all of that changed late last year, right around Hanukkah, when he had a cerebral hemorrhage at work. It was the last time he’d see his office … and experience the world as he knew it. “Our world collapsed,” says Leora, Greg’s wife. “I remember thinking, ‘Who will help us now?’ Then I answered my own question: JFCS.” Leora knew… Read More

Seniors At Home, the senior care division of Jewish Family and Children’s Services, has today announced the expansion of its services with the opening of a new Center for Dementia Care. “The population of seniors in the Bay Area who suffer from dementia-related conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, is growing dramatically,” says Traci Dobronravova, MSW, Associate Director of Seniors At Home. “As one of the leaders in senior care in the Bay Area, we are pleased to be able to meet the requests of our clients by starting a new program that provides the specialized support needed for dementia care.”… Read More

Forty-four-year-old Ben has not had an easy year. Only three weeks after sitting shiva for his wife, Susan, who succumbed to aggressive metastatic breast cancer last December, he was told by his employer that his company was relocating to Texas—without him. “I was dealing with unspeakable grief, trying to take care of my son, and barely holding it together,” recounts Ben, who had worked as a mid-level sales manager for a high-tech firm. “On top of that, my 77-year-old dad, also a widower, had recently had heart surgery and needed help. If my rabbi hadn’t recommended JFCS, I don’t know… Read More

Bay Area parents seeking the best information about preschools for their children are invited to attend San Francisco’s largest annual exhibition of preschools—Preschool Preview Night—which will take place this year on Wed., Oct. 22, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, at the San Francisco County Fair Building (Hall of Flowers) in Golden Gate Park. The yearly preschool extravaganza, featuring scores of representatives from San Francisco preschools, along with other young child-centered exhibitors, is hosted and organized by Parents Place, the family resource center division of Jewish Family and Children’s Services. Tickets, $18 if purchased in advance, can be obtained at the Parents… Read More

Ayala Feder-Haugabook, an incoming senior at the Jewish Community High School of the Bay, has had a busy summer. While gearing up for an August trip to Israel, where her brother is in the army, she also participated in a first-in-a-lifetime experience: a paying summer internship. Ayala was one of approximately 60 teens throughout San Francisco, Marin County, and the Peninsula who were selected to be part of JFCS’ Summer Internship Program, which provides valuable work experience—both at JFCS and at various organizations and businesses in the Bay Area. In addition to working in various offices and acquiring on-the-job… Read More