News & Impact

While many parents are relieved to have their kids back in school, Ellyn’s doing her best to keep her stress at bay. That’s because now is the time that she and her wife, Cindy, have to determine the best kindergarten for their son for next year: public or private, secular or religious, Montessori, or Waldorf. “It’s overwhelming to find a school that reflects our values,” says Ellyn. “That’s why we’ve been consulting with a Parents Place expert to better understand our options and how to make the right decision for Bradley.” “October and November are the busiest times of year… 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

When Anna and Dave, a Sonoma County couple who have been married for 11 years, decided to grow their family through adoption, they looked at the options and decided to work with JFCS’ adoption agency, Adoption Connection. They are so glad that they did, because three months ago, Max, their son, came into their lives. Their joy at becoming parents is matched by their gratitude—to both Adoption Connection and to the birthmother and her family, who selected Anna and Dave to raise her baby. “We think the people at Adoption Connection are great,” says Dave. “They have always been… Read More

The fall is busy for many of us—work, school, and preparations for the Jewish New Year. It’s also a hectic time for Amy Darling, a JFCS friend on the South Peninsula. But Amy always makes a commitment to JFCS at the High Holidays, rallying family and friends to assemble and deliver Rosh Hashanah foods to older JFCS clients in need. It’s a tradition she strongly believes in. “I grew up visiting nursing homes with my grandmother,” she says. “I now take my 7-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter with me, and I encourage as many people in my community to participate… 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

When Jessica Youngman had the chance to go Columbia University,  she needed a way to finance it. So she contacted JFCS’ Financial Aid Center, which has existed for many decades to help the people of our community get a start in life. The Center is supported by many JFCS friends, including JFCS Financial Aid Committee member Dr. Carl Grunfeld, along with his in-laws, Albert (z’’l) and Janet Schultz (z’’l). They created the Miriam Schultz Grunfeld Scholarship Fund for Youth in loving memory of Carl’s late wife as a way to pay homage to a beloved individual and former JFCS… Read More