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Palo Alto Online News by Sue Dremann Like Robbie the robot in Isaac Asimov’s 1940 science fiction book, “I, Robot,” digital devices may be today’s nursemaids for children. And as a result, some kids are becoming more interested in playing with their computers and smartphones than with other children, according to researchers. Read More from Palo Alto Online News … Read More

Social media has become an integral part of young people’s lives, but behind the screens lie serious risks that could jeopardize their mental wellbeing. Through impactful advocacy, JFCS is helping lead the charge to create a safer digital environment for young minds. Social Media Risks According to the US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, social media presents a “profound risk of harm” to young users. Teens and adolescents who spend more than three hours on social media per day have double the risk of experiencing depression or anxiety—and the average teen user spends about 3.5 hours a day on… Read More

For Lydia Shorenstein, helping those in need is a way to honor the lessons of the past. Though she originally came to JFCS because of our Holocaust education programs, she is now helping lead the agency’s efforts to assist those in crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic. Lydia’s father, Simon Preisler, was an Auschwitz survivor who resettled with his wife Etelka in Germany after the war. Lydia, who was born and raised in Frankfurt, learned the importance of giving back from her father. Undeterred by the atrocities in his past, Simon became a well-known philanthropist and a leader of the… Read More

Laura Robbin is passionate about leveling the playing field for all members of society. Inspired by her mother’s involvement with a variety of community organizations, Laura cares deeply about improving education for underserved children and solving homelessness and hunger. Putting her beliefs into action, Laura tutors students at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto in algebra and reading comprehension. She was introduced to JFCS after the birth of her younger of two children when she sought out support at Parents Place (now part of JFCS’ Center for Children and Youth) on the Peninsula. Her good friend Alison… Read More

“I’m excited to be an ambassador to younger professionals,” says Robert (Robby) Kaufman, one of the newly elected and youngest members of the JFCS Board of Directors. “There are so many opportunities to participate as volunteers and so many ways to access help.” Robby, the vice president of investor relations at FTV Capital in San Francisco, became involved with JFCS when researching his family’s history. Inspired by a summer 2017 trip to Poland, Robby began to piece together the experiences of his maternal grandparents, both Holocaust survivors, who had passed away. His research led him to the JFCS Holocaust Center… Read More

Kerri Lehmann was a young working mother when she first walked into JFCS’ Parents Place. What she found was great parenting advice and connections with other parents while she was juggling the demands of career and family life. Fast forward two decades—Kerri is now an ardent and instrumental JFCS leader who is serving in her fourth year on the JFCS Board of Directors and she co-chaired this year’s Fammy Awards Gala along with her husband Mark. Her warmth and magnetic personality made this year’s event a wildly successful one. But it was Kerri’s drive and enthusiasm to do even… Read More