Honors & Awards

• Dr. Anita Friedman, JFCS’ Executive Director, Honored with 2018 Silver SPUR Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Rywka’s Diary, first published by the JFCS Holocaust Center, received the prestigious Historical Award by Polityka, Poland’s top newsmagazine.
• The San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission awarded Brett Snider, JFCS’ Director of Legal Services, the Immigrant Leadership Award for his coordination of the workshop series, Lawyers in the Library, a collaborative between San Francisco’s nonprofit, public, and private leaders.
• JFCS’ YouthFirst Program Director, Linda Karlin, received a Generation Now Fellowship, by eJewish Philanthropy, to provide professional growth and leadership development for senior educators in the field of Jewish teen engagement.
• JFCS’ Adoption Connection earned a recertification of the prestigious Human Rights Campaign’s All Children All Families seal of recognition for cultural competency in helping LGBTQ households grow their families through adoption.
• Santa Clara County Psychological Association honored JFCS with its Community Agency Award for outstanding contributions to the community in the past year.
• Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies honored JFCS for its BOOST Program which provides Older Adult Mental Health Services.
• LIMMUD International honored JFCS with The Community Leadership Award for its exemplary and inspiring involvement of Russian speaking Jews in American Jewish life.
• The Marin Senior Information Fair honored JFCS and Seniors At Home with the prestigious Nancy Martin Outstanding Nonprofit of the Year Award.
• JFCS Executive Director Dr. Anita Friedman was recognized by the San Francisco Business Times as part of its Forever Influential Honor Roll because of her continued outstanding service in the Bay Area community.
• Yedida Kanfer, JFCS Holocaust Center’s Coordinator of Education Services, received the 2016 Natalia Twersky Educator Award from Jewish Women’s Archive for her creative and outstanding teachings in Holocaust education.
• j., the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, selected JFCS for first-place in its Readers’ Choice Awards as favorite Jewish charitable organization in San Francisco, South Bay/Peninsula, and North Bay/Marin.
• j., the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, selected Seniors At Home for first-place in its Readers’ Choice Awards as favorite in-home care in San Francisco, South Bay/Peninsula, and North Bay/Marin.
• j., the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, selected Rhoda Goldman Plaza, JFCS’ affiliated assisted living community, as a favorite Jewish residence in San Francisco.
• JFCS was awarded a Google Ad Grant allowing the Agency to receive $10,000 per month in in-kind AdWords to reach and engage supporters though online advertising.
• Judith Redwing Keyssar, RN, JFCS’ Director of Palliative Care and Nursing Services, received the prestigious 2015 Compassionate Care Leadership Award from the Coalition for Compassionate Care, which is the leading organization championing the needs of the millions of Californians with serious illnesses.
• JFCS Executive Director Dr. Anita Friedman was honored by A Wider Bridge for JFCS’ strong commitment to the full equality and inclusion of LGBT people in our community.
• JFCS was selected to participate in the new San Francisco Pathways to Citizenship Initiative, a partnership which helped more than 2,000 immigrants apply to become U.S. citizens, and strengthen civic participation.
• Seniors At Home’s Palliative Care program was honored by UCSF with the Ernest H. Rosenbaum, MD, Commitment to Patient Care Award for our innovative model of collaboration that integrates medical and social services between UCSF and JFCS.
• In 2014, JFCS Executive Director Dr. Anita Friedman was recognized by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the most influential women in the Bay Area business community.
• In 2013, Parents Place won a Totally Awesome Award from Red Tricycle in the category of Parent Education Programs.
• In 2013, JFCS’ Adoption Connection received the prestigious Human Rights Campaign’s seal of recognition for its successful efforts in helping LGBT households grow their families through adoption.
• The California State Senate honored the JFCS Holocaust Center for its work to increase awareness about the causes and consequences of racism, anti-Semitism, intolerance, and indifference and for paying tribute to Bay Area Holocaust survivors.
• In 2011, Hill & Co. Real Estate, voted Cleanerific, JFCS’ social enterprise, the Best Cleaning Company.
• In 2011, the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation gave JFCS an Immigrant Heritage Award for its outstanding emigre services program.
• In 2011, Marin Hadassah honored the Marin County JFCS for “unparalleled service.”
• Bay Area Parent magazine, in its 2011 – 2012 “Best of the Best” issue, recognized the JFCS family resource center, Parents Place, in the area of special-needs services.
• j., the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, gave JFCS two first-place Readers’ Choice Awards: overall local Jewish agency award and best place to volunteer in San Francisco.
• In 2010, JFCS received two Communicator Awards from the International Academy of the Visual Arts: a gold award of excellence for our 2008 – 2009 Annual Report and Permanent Endowment Fund and a silver award of distinction for our Website.
• JFCS was honored with a Community Partner Award from Change a Life Foundation in recognition of our success in helping people overcome hardship and become self-sufficient.
• In 2009, the Santa Clara Human Rights Commission bestowed upon JFCS an award in recognition for our work in human rights, civic rights, and human services.
• JFCS’ Seniors At Home, twice honored with the prestigious “National Award for Excellence and Innovation in Geriatric Care” from the American Society on Aging, was also voted “Favorite Home Care Service” in the J Weekly’s “Best of the Jewish Bay Area 2008.”
• The San Francisco Interfaith Council honored JFCS’ Dream House with its “2006 Model of Hope Award” for outstanding work to end family violence.
• The City and County of San Francisco honored JFCS’ Emigre Services with its “Award for Outstanding Service to Immigrants.”
• The County of Marin selected JFCS’ Early Childhood Mental Health program to receive the “2006 Public Health Hero Award” for our work on behalf of the children in Marin.
• The San Mateo Child Care Coordinating Council recognized JFCS with their “Community Partner Leadership Award” for improving childcare services to young children throughout San Mateo County.
• The Marin County Mental Health Board presented JFCS with the 2006 – 07 “Celebrating the Uncelebrated Award” for the work of Alex Markels, JFCS senior clinician specializing in the treatment of substance abuse and serious mental illness.
• The National Kovod Award went to JFCS for the Best Gala event Public Relations from the Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies at its national conference. Additionally, JFCS’ marketing communications has been honored by the AJFCA for “top Jewish Family Service email newsletter in the country” and “top Jewish Family Service website in the country.”
• JFCS’ L’Chaim Health Center was recognized as the “Favorite Senior Day Care” in the J Weekly’s “Best of the Jewish Bay Area.”
• JFCS’ Family Ambassador Program was honored by the Sunnyvale City Council for its locally based program; a collaboration between First Five of Santa Clara County, the City of Sunnyvale, Family Resources of Palo Alto, and JFCS’ Parents Place.