News & Impact

When COVID-19 hit the Bay Area, Israeli-American Jessica Hare knew she wanted to do something to help keep older adults safe. She immediately started looking for ways to volunteer and reached out to her friends at the Israeli American Council for ideas. They pointed her to JFCS, and after her first conversation with the volunteer coordinator, she knew JFCS was the right fit. Born in Washington, D.C., Jessica grew up in Tel Aviv, Israel. The decision to move back to the US came when her husband received an opportunity to temporarily relocate to the Bay Area for work. With two… Read More

A first taste of life in the working world hours and his pay statements. By Olivia Perlman Excerpts from the article originally printed in the August Issue of The New Fillmore. As my junior year at Marin Academy was coming to a close last spring, I decided to apply for a summer internship with Jewish Family and Children’s Services on Post Street. This paid internship program offers teens the opportunity to work with local businesses for six weeks under a supervisor’s guidance. The program also includes a weekly workshop in which the interns are taught workplace and life skills, with… Read More

Four years ago Joan became one of the every six Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease each year. The 69 year-old’s symptoms progressed quickly and her husband of over three decades, Brian, retired early from his job in order to care for her while their adult daughter lives with them in their Foster City home for added support. But living on a fixed income while coping with the challenges of caring for their loved one with dementia proved more taxing than the family had imagined. As Joan’s dementia advanced, it became more difficult for her family to connect with her, taking… Read More

KQED’ Forum with Michael Krasny Death and saying goodbye—they are among life’s most mysterious and challenging phenomena. The theatrical production “End of Life” opens a dialogue about these experiences via staged readings of two Greek tragedies written by Sophocles. Artistic director Bryan Doerries joins Forum, along with award-winning actor David Strathairn and a palliative care expert, to discuss the show and making peace with mortality. Guests: David Strathairn, actor Bryan Doerries, artistic director, Theater of War Redwing Keyssar, palliative care director, Jewish Family and Children’s Services; author, “Last Acts of Kindness: Lessons for the Living from the Bedsides of the… Read More

J Weekly By Laura Paull As Sophocles surely knew, people often are able to absorb tragedy much more easily on a stage than in their own lives. That’s the principle behind an upcoming performance at the Castro Theatre, where a New York-based theater collective will guide audiences to reflect on the ultimate drama we tend to avoid. After staged readings of scenes from two plays by the ancient Greek playwright, the ensemble will ask: Is death necessarily a tragedy? “I see it, rather, as a transition,” says Judith Redwing Keyssar, palliative care director at Jewish Family and Children’s Services, sponsor… 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