News & Impact

From June 23 – 26, 2024, dedicated teachers from across California gathered in Los Angeles for the second annual Summer Institute of the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education. This groundbreaking event, organized by the JFCS Holocaust Center in partnership with The USC Shoah Foundation, brought together educators from 51 California school districts. Through expert-led workshops, moving testimonies, and rich primary sources, the institute equipped teachers with effective tools to build critical thinking skills and address antisemitism and hate in their own classrooms and communities. In a post-institute survey, 98% of teachers reported the curriculum and instructional strategies… Read More

As he does each year, state Senator Scott Wiener joined public officials and hundreds of volunteers on Saturday, June 8 for the 2024 Pink Triangle Ceremony, celebrating the annual installation of San Francisco’s singular Pink Triangle. The Pink Triangle was founded 29 years ago by Patrick Carney as a guerilla arts project. Covering an acre on Twin Peaks, viewable for miles around, it has become synonymous with Pride Month in San Francisco. The symbol, once used by the Nazis to identify and shame homosexuals in concentration camps, is now embraced by the LGBTQ community as a symbol of pride.… Read More

By Dr. Anita Friedman, JFCS Executive Director and co-chair of the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education As we all can see, hate is surging at unprecedented levels throughout our society. Antisemitism is at an all-time high in California, and every week the JFCS Holocaust Center receives calls from local schools seeking guidance on how to handle hateful incidents. Now more than ever, education is critically and urgently needed to combat this frightening trend. The Case for Fighting Antisemitism and Hate Through Education Holocaust education was legally required in the California state education code as of 1985. Only now,… Read More

Tad Taube and his wife, Dianne, have been longtime supporters of JFCS and models of philanthropy for the entire community. Because of their generous contributions over the years, thousands of individuals and families have found help in times of personal crises or challenges. Now, with the establishment of JFCS’ Taube Family Emergency Assistance Fund, the Taubes are ensuring that our community will have a safety net for years to come. The fund, which the Taubes wish to inspire others to give to as well, will provide essential help through food, financial aid, mental health counseling, and personalized case management services.… Read More

September 14, 2023—Governor Newsom has signed and passed California’s 2023-24 budget, which includes $1.5 million in renewed funding for the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education. The Collaborative is developing a robust series of new, standards-aligned lessons and teacher training initiatives to educate 6 – 12th graders about what happens when bias goes unchecked. The funding included in the State budget will support the continued work of the Collaborative to train over 8,500 teachers and educate over one million California students by 2027. The California Teachers Collaborative is the first of its kind in the nation. Established by… Read More

June 6, 2023, San Francisco—The Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) Holocaust Center has announced the public phase of a $45 million capital campaign to build a new, state-of-the-art Holocaust Center, library, and archive. The JFCS Holocaust Center is widely recognized statewide, nationally, and internationally as a leader in Holocaust and genocide education. The organization is currently guiding a major statewide response to combatting antisemitism, including co-chairing the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education and leading the California Teachers Collaborative, a critical initiative that will reach California’s students, teachers, and community members over the next five years. Antisemitic incidents… Read More