News & Impact

High school junior Marley Freyman has always been passionate about leadership, an interest she nurtured through her involvement in JFCS’ YouthFirst programming. Her first experience was as a YouthFirst Impact Year Leader. As her service project for that program, she collaborated with Shupin Social Club, JFCS’ meet-up group for adults with developmental disabilities. She organized the Shupin volunteers in an effort to clean up walking paths in San Francisco’s Presidio district. “We took a lot of time walking in pairs through nature, picking up trash and forming bonds between groups that might never have connected otherwise,” she reflects.

She then went on to get a job as a paid intern in the JFCS YouthFirst Summer Internship Program. Marley worked as a tutor at Celsius and Beyond, a summer camp for children to explore science and critical thinking. She loved working with the young students, and the experience showed her that putting Jewish values of service, compassion, and social justice into action gave her a meaningful way to make an impact on others.

JFCS also plays an important role in emotional support for Marley. After the horrific October 7 attack on Israel in 2023, Marley started to witness antisemitism and hate proliferating online. She felt depressed and isolated, and she turned to her JFCS community for strength. Inbal, her YouthFirst coordinator, encouraged her to be brave and live an unapologetically Jewish life. “Having Inbal as a support system truly is one of the best things that has ever happened to me,” she confides.

Drawing on skills learned from her YouthFirst mentors about navigating difficult conversations, Marley found herself putting these lessons into practice. When a classmate posted objectionable Israel-Gaza content online, Marley approached her and discussed the issue respectfully. “We sat down and had a civil conversation,” she recalls. From then on, the two agreed to be more mindful of the content they share on social media.

Her time at JFCS has also helped encourage Marley’s aspirations for the future. The lessons in justice and advocacy she’s developed through her experience have inspired her to pursue a degree in law. She hopes to create systemic change in her community, focusing on issues like housing, education, and food insecurity.

Marley plans to continue her journey at JFCS through volunteer opportunities and engaging her peers. She believes strongly in her generation. “These kids aren’t getting involved just to look good or collect service hours,” she emphasizes, “They’re doing it because they really care.”