News & Impact

Danny Gabriner knows that growing a business is a lot like baking the perfect loaf of bread. You need to be willing to roll up your sleeves, get dirty, and keep a watchful eye as your product takes shape. When Danny, a former computer geek, decided several years ago that he wanted to shift gears and start Sour Flour, a bread business, he rolled up his sleeves and then turned to JFCS’ Small Business Loan Program for assistance. “I was always interested in food and San Francisco’s culture,” says Danny “and I wanted to create the best naturally fermented,… Read More

San Francisco, Calif. – San Francisco’s observance of Yom HaShoah—Holocaust Day of Remembrance—will take place on Sunday, April 27, 1:30 – 6:00 pm, at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. The afternoon program, entitled Remember and Retell: Our Sacred Responsibility, is free and open to the public. Highlights of the program include: • Workshops with Holocaust survivors, who will share personal experiences before and during World War II (1:30 pm) • The panel discussion “The Place of Holocaust in Jewish Memory, Identity, and Education: New Perspectives from Israel, North America, and the Next Generation” (3:00 pm)… Read More

J Weekly by Dan Pine Lawrence Goldberg fought hard for the politics and principles he believed in. One of those principles was civility, which explains why he had friends of all persuasions. An attorney, politcal operative and tireless Jewish community activist, Goldberg died of cancer on Jan. 29 in his Tiburon home. He was 80. Read More from J Weekly… Read More

J Weekly by Patricia Corrigan Yolanda Anyon, determined to be an agent for change, wanted to be a social worker. Ben Botts hoped to become a public service lawyer, so he could help people in practical ways. Both had educational dreams that carried steep tuition prices, and both turned to a loan and grant program offered through the S.F.-based Jewish Family and Children’s Services. Read More from J Weekly… Read More

Jewish Telegraphic Agency by Penny Schwartz In August, in the heat of the summer, a Boston-area mother of three began to worry about how she would pay for Chanukah gifts. Across the country in San Francisco, a 33-year-old Russian-born mother of six said that thinking about this Chanukah made her cry. Both women—Lauren of Boston and Lilya of San Francisco (they asked that their last names not be used)—are struggling in a down economy to provide for their families. Still, they are hopeful that with support of Jewish organizations, they will find meaningful ways to celebrate the eight-day Festival of… Read More

Parisa Sayani, a young Jewish-Iranian woman, came to this country almost three years ago with hope and determination … and little else. Denied access to adequate education in her homeland, she set her sights on the Academy of Art University’s School of Architecture in San Francisco. Having few resources, she juggled several jobs while carrying a full class load. Still, no matter how hard she worked, she couldn’t cover tuition, school supplies, and living expenses. Never losing hope, Parisa sought assistance through JFCS’ Educational Loans and Grants Program. It was a life-turning chapter in her educational journey. The agency… Read More