News & Impact

Maysie, 6, and Kendra, 14, are sisters living on the Peninsula. Last year was a very hard year for Kendra. Right when she started high school, a friend in her circle committed suicide and Kendra suddenly wasn’t doing well socially or academically. Alarmed, her parents, Elisa and Daniel, contacted JFCS’ Parents Place for help. Elisa wasn’t new to Parents Place; she had visited many times when Maysie, who has Down Syndrome, was a toddler. “Dan and I thought we had been through the worst after Maysie was born and I went through post partum depression, but it was horrible seeing… Read More

Luba Troyanovsky is a proud San Franciscan and an active, highly respected community leader. She has served JFCS for more than 17 years and is currently a Vice President of the JFCS Board of Directors. Luba has been instrumental in developing the local Russian-speaking Jewish community and has contributed greatly to creation of the amazing Annual Emigre Community Gala that raises major funds for people in need in the Bay Area and in Israel. She says, “I always tell people that your community is only as strong as your weakest link. By helping the weakest and neediest in our community,… Read More

Increasingly we rely on technology, email, voicemail, Facebook, Snapchat, and texting to communicate with others. It is not uncommon for groups of children and teens to gather for a social outing only to be found looking at their phones and not at one another. Our level of engagement and the way we spend time with one another is changing rapidly and with great consequences. One of the main reasons young children held my attention for decades is because of their keen ability to engage us with creative, entertaining, and very humorous, conversation. The way that children weave their colorful stories… Read More

Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties will be putting its love of community into action as it hosts the 15th Annual Emigre Community Gala on Sat., Jan. 23, at San Francisco’s Westin St. Francis Hotel on Union Square. The Emigre Gala is a festive celebration, an important fundraiser, and one of the largest annual events for the Jewish community in Northern California. JFCS Executive Director, Dr. Anita Friedman states, “The Emigre Gala gives our community an opportunity to come together to celebrate our accomplishments, while making sure no one who needs… Read More

When Zoe Schwartz first learned about JFCS she knew she had found the right place to devote her time and energy. Zoe has served as a JFCS Board Member for five years; she is part of JFCS’ Sonoma County Leadership Team, the Palliative Care Taskforce, and the Public Issues Committee. Her passion and enthusiasm for JFCS never waivers and she says, “JFCS is the preeminent human services organization in the Bay Area. I talk about the programs and the people it serves A LOT!” Have you always been involved in the Jewish Community? I’m not affiliated with a synagogue nor… Read More

There’s nothing like nuzzling with a friendly, four-legged creature that has plenty of unconditional love to share. Scientific and empirical evidence indicates that animals offer comfort and joy to isolated seniors battling with depression. While numerous pet therapy programs exist, JFCS’ Canine Corps program is unique because it fosters ongoing and meaningful three-way relationships between clients, volunteers, and their dogs. Barking up the Right Tree For eight years JFCS has been matching trained canine companions and their owners with clients in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma County, and the Peninsula. Like many JFCS initiatives, the program is designed to help the… Read More