News & Impact

This Sunday evening we begin the ten day period known as “The Ten Days of Repentance,” which span the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. A lot of meaning gets lost when translating the word “repentance,” however. The word in Hebrew is “teshuva,” which literally means “returning.” Thus this period of time is set aside in the Jewish year for “returning”—returning to our authentic selves, to our relationships with family, community, and God, and to the values and ideals that we strive to uphold.  They provide us an opportunity to stop, look inward, and consider that which is most… Read More

Apples dipped in honey, round loaves of challah, honey cake: just some of the special foods we eat on Rosh Hashanah that signify our hope for a “sweet new year.” But for many JFCS clients, the holiday isn’t often very sweet. Together—with your help—we can make sure everyone in our community feels the joy of the High Holiday season! Here’s how you can help: Assemble and Delivery Rosh Hashanah Food Packages We are currently looking for volunteers to assemble and deliver Rosh Hashanah foods for seniors, immigrant families, people with disabilities, and other families in need.” This special food delivery… Read More

Have you read Rywka’s Diary: The Writings of a Jewish Girl from the Lodz Ghetto? Edited by Dr. Anita Friedman, it’s the astonishing, must-read diary of a 14-year-old Polish teenager who recounts life—and death—in one of the largest ghettos during World War II before she is deported to Auschwitz. The diary itself is remarkable—and so is the story of how it came to be published. Plucked from The Ashes During the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz, a doctor from the Red Army plucked Rywka’s notebook from the ashes. But it took over 70 years of languishing in obscurity before the diary… Read More

When Joyce Newstat first saw the concert pianist and acclaimed storyteller Mona Golabek perform The Children of Willesden Lane, she says, “I saw what a huge talent Mona was, and that her story would be an incredible and dynamic educational tool.” Two years after that night at the theater, the JFCS Holocaust Center is producing its largest undertaking yet—The Children of Willesden Lane Bay Area BIG READ, a powerful education program which culminates in an award-winning theatrical production at San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre. 7,000 students and teachers—grades six to twelve—will be participating from throughout Northern California. Toward the… Read More

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Sept. 9, 2016 – Overwhelmed with how to figure out the preschool and kindergarten admissions process in San Francisco? You’re in luck: JFCS’ Parents Place has an upcoming event just for you! The 24th annual Preschool Preview Night is on Wed. is on Sept. 28, 2016, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, at the San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park. San Francisco parents will be able to meet and speak with representatives from over 100 local schools and children’s services providers. Parents can get answers about school philosophies, costs, pre-admission visits, hours, and more. This… Read More

For James, 7, making friends didn’t come easily. He had a hard time sitting still. He was impulsive and would often blurt things out in class. He had trouble starting conversations with his classmates and he struggled with sharing and taking turns on the playground equipment. Fortunately, James’s first-grade class is one of the happy participants of social skills groups facilitated by JFCS’ Parents Place. James’ teacher started him in the group and within a  few months he was coming out of his shell, engaging more with his peers and, to his surprise, he even made a friend. Soon… Read More