News & Impact

David Dossetter of San Francisco joined the board of Jewish Family and Children’s Services one year ago. We recently spoke with him about why he has chosen to devote his time and energy to the organization. What initially attracted you to JFCS? I like how the organization delivers first class services to people in need, without concern for their ability to pay for the services. This is a business model that I can get behind. I also like the idea that the organization isn’t just about redistributing money, which is the mission of many nonprofits. JFCS is an economically logical… Read More

Join fellow JFCS volunteers (as well as volunteers from our friends at San Francisco’s Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, Temple Emanu-El and Sherith Israel) for our 20th annual workday at Golden Gate Park’s National AIDS Memorial Grove: Sunday, August 9, 2015, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm To remember the thousands in our community whom we lost to HIV and AIDS, as well as to honor those living with it, we gather together yearly in this beautiful, serene setting to weed, plant, and renovate the grove. This is a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to our friends and loved ones, to work as… Read More

Everyone needs downtime. Children and teens today have such busy, stressful lives that summer becomes not just a welcome break in their routine, but a vital one for recharging. The warmer days and increased daylight are more conducive to relaxing. Consider letting your children sleep according to their body’s rhythms and wake up naturally, not when an alarm clock tells them to. Or if you’re signing them up for a structured activity, try to select one that starts a little later and ends a little earlier than their school day. Children of all ages generally need 10 to 12 hours… Read More

CBS SF Bay Area From community and service professions to business management and education, a degree in sociology can be quite practical for a number of careers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most sociology jobs for San Francisco students require a minimum of a master’s degree. Nevertheless, the overall job outlook for sociologists is projected to grow much faster than the national average. In considering a career in sociology, there’s nothing much better than receiving expert advice from someone highly respected in the field, such as Lynne Fingerman, M.S.W., Co-Founder and Director of Adoption Connection, headquartered in… Read More

Massive earthquakes have devastated Nepal — a magnitude 7.8 on April 25, a magnitude 7.3 on May 12, and their many aftershocks. The death toll has gone beyond 8,000 and is expected to grow. The number of wounded and missing is more than 18.000, and the people of Nepal desperately need our help to begin to rebuild. Please donate to the organization of your choice to help finance the relief effort for those people made most vulnerable by this tragedy.  Jewish Family and Children’s Services We are working with partners providing direct relief in Nepal and ensure that your gift… Read More

Marina Tikhman and her family were helped by JFCS when they immigrated as Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union more than three decades ago. And for years, Marina has been helping JFCS and our community as a volunteer. We recently discussed the pivotal role JFCS has played in her life. First, tell us about your Jewish upbringing. I grew up in Moscow. We had a very traditional household, where Jewish holidays were cherished. My parents instilled a strong Jewish identity in me – in spite of the fact that observing or teaching Judaism was essentially illegal at that time. Did… Read More