- Meet Our Leaders
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.
Marina Tikhman
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 you ever experience anti-Semitism in the former Soviet Union?
Anti-Semitism was a part of daily life in the Soviet Union, starting with neighborhood kids calling you names because you were Jewish. You felt it all the way through high school. Like many other young Jewish kids of my generation I couldn’t get into the university of my choice.
When did you come to the United States?
We arrived in America in April of 1980. We were four generations – my husband and I, our baby, my parents, and my grandmother.
Did JFCS help you upon arrival?
Yes! Gayle Zahler, now the Associate Executive Director at JFCS, was a social worker at the time. She spoke Russian and helped us with everything – from orientation to American life and good advice, to housing and English language classes, to programs for children, to obtaining our citizenship.
Was it difficult to ask for help?
Yes, and it was especially hard for my parents. They had been successful career professionals and now found themselves needing help. But JFCS is there for those in need, and the organization always does this in a way that preserves the dignity of each person and ultimately makes each one stronger.
When did you begin volunteering with the agency? In the early 1980s Anita Friedman asked me to come with her to a private fundraising gathering of donors. The Soviet Jewry movement was still relatively new and the Jewish Community was trying to figure out how to resettle so many thousands of people who were emigrating to start new lives. It touched me on such a deep level that American Jews wanted to help us so much.
It was a very powerful message about how we are all responsible for each other. The Bay Area Emigre Community was young. I was there at the beginning. I hoped maybe someday the Emigre Community would become involved in American Jewish life and would give back—and now we are! The Russian-speaking Jewish community is now proudly a strong part of the larger American Jewish community.
What do you do for JFCS? For over 16 years I’ve served on many committees including Loans and Grants, Development, Program and Planning, and the Executive Committee. I am the Emigre Devlopment co-chair, and currently serve as a Vice President of the Board.
Why are you so devoted to JFCS?
JFCS has always stayed close to my heart because I started out as a recipient of the services and I know first-hand how just a little help can have a tremendous impact on people’s lives.
Tell us a little about your personal life.
Like my parents, I am a dentist. I live on the Peninsula, in Hillsborough. My husband, Anatoly, is a high-tech executive, and I have two sons, Simon and Alex, and a daughter-in-law, Masha. I now also have beautiful twin baby grandsons – Micah and Levi. We are blessed to be a growing family and to be part of this great community.