News & Impact

USC Shoah Foundation Adds New Holocaust Testimony Collection from JFCS to its Visual History Archive More than 900 Holocaust testimonies recorded over four decades by the Jewish Family and Children Services Holocaust Center of San Francisco (JFCS) are now fully integrated into USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive as part of the Preserving the Legacy initiative – an ambitious plan to save recorded eyewitness testimony and bring voices of genocide survivors to a wider audience. In a two-year partnership, the JFCS Holocaust Center engaged USC Shoah Foundation’s state-of-the-art infrastructure to digitize, archive and catalog Holocaust testimonies taken by JFCS in… Read More

I wanted my son to have the same chances in life as other kids. JFCS made it possible. When a child isn’t off to a good start his future is at risk—and puts stress on the entire family. Sheryl found herself in serious trouble when her son got dropped from preschool for starting fights and disobeying teachers. “I couldn’t find another preschool for Ben and had to take a lot of unpaid time off work. I was behind on rent and started running out of money for food. The stress was overwhelming but I knew we could both do better,… Read More

This past year Jewish Family and Children’s Services said goodbye to one of our dearest friends, Jerry Rosenstein. A Holocaust survivor who bravely told his story after decades of silence, a businessman with keen financial acumen, a gay man who cared about human rights, and a generous person who fully gave of himself in service to others, he made an impact on JFCS equally immeasurable and enduring. As a holocaust survivor, Jerry was active in Holocaust education and a solid supporter of the JFCS Holocaust Center. Jerry’s relationship to JFCS dates back to the mid-1980s when he made his first… Read More

Bay Area teens will be ironing their shirts and putting on their dress pants in preparation for JFCS’ Summer Internship Program. This prized six-week paid internship offers a unique opportunity for students to gain work experience and professional skills that will last a lifetime. JFCS’ YouthFirst offers innovative programs for our future leaders and received a huge number of applications this spring from high school students who want to be part of the internship program. With the support of generous individuals and foundations, 100 teens were accepted as interns—nearly doubling the program’s size. The 2016 summer interns come from… Read More

We are pleased to announce that 7,000 students will participate in a powerful education program with JFCS Holocaust Center this fall. Thanks to generous donors, The Children of Willesden Lane Bay Area BIG READ will be offered to Northern California middle and high school teachers and their students. This unique program teaches youth about the Holocaust, the importance of standing up against bigotry and hatred, and the transformative nature of art. The curriculum culminates in an award winning theatrical production at Herbst Theatre by concert pianist and acclaimed storyteller Mona Golabek about how the power of music helped one young… Read More

Even in the best of times navigating today’s complicated healthcare system can be confusing.  But for older adults, like Leo, who are experiencing serious or life-threatening conditions, it can be especially daunting. After Leo underwent a bilateral knee replacement surgery the results were mixed. Though Leo had been convinced by his doctors that the surgery could enhance his quality of life at age 80, weeks after surgery his recovery was stagnant and he was experiencing a great deal of pain. Leo says, “My doctor said surgery would be ‘no problem’ and I thought, ‘no problem’, but it was not so… Read More