When asked about the secret to her long life, Hilda Richards once said, “I am definitely an optimist, and I think that has helped me very much.” Hilda, a true gem of our community, passed away this April at the age of 104. A resident of San Francisco for more than 84 years, Hilda was a survivor of the Holocaust. She arrived in San Francisco from Germany in 1938 with just $10, joining her sister, who had emigrated two years prior. The sisters remained close throughout their lives. Known for her joie de vivre, Hilda was part of the fabric… Read More

“JFCS has helped my family and countless others in times of need,” says Howard S. Hahn, when reflecting on his recent decision to leave a legacy to help others facing hard times. “My parents raised me with Jewish values. Tikkun olam was especially important.” A native of New York City, Howard arrived in San Francisco for a visit not long after he graduated from college. He found a city and community he wanted to get to know better. “I never used the roundtrip part of the paper plane ticket,” Howard says. “I quit my job over the phone and stayed.”… Read More

Vera and Harold z’l Stein sat for this interview in 2019. May his memory be for a blessing. Vera Stein’s desire to give back was born from her personal experience fleeing Nazi Germany as a young child in 1939. When Vera was just five years old, her father, Eric Livingston, was taken to Dachau following Kristallnacht. The family had already obtained visas to leave the country, so they were fortunate enough to get Eric out of Dachau and flee to the United States. They traveled by boat to New York, an experience Vera recalls being a miserable, seasick-filled journey, where… Read More

Bill z’l and Marilyn sat for this interview in 2012. May his memory be for a blessing. Marilyn and Bill Sugar have never forgotten the hardscrabble lives of their families, European Jews who escaped the anti-Semitism of the Old World and struggled to learn English and make ends meet in the United States.  From their parents’ and grandparents’ hardships emerged an important lesson for Marilyn and Bill: that coming together to help those in need makes for a stronger community. Following the path of their forebears—who supported their communities through Jewish benevolent societies in Seattle and Akron, Ohio, their respective… Read More

“She only wanted to get out of the house.”  That simple declarative has become a mantra to JFCS donor and volunteer Nancy Epstein—and it clearly and succinctly explains why she has committed her time, energy, and resources to JFCS’ Palliative Care Program. Some years back Nancy regularly shuttled between the Bay Area and Los Angeles to care for her mother, Elaine Epstein, an advanced Alzheimer’s patient.  As Nancy was leaving her mother’s house one day to run an errand, her mother begged to go along for the ride. “I told her, ‘No, no, there’s no need for you to come.  … Read More

Lonny Darwin z’l – October 29, 1912 – January 11, 2013 Just as Lonny Darwin shaped the Bay Area Jewish community, many people, places, and passions shaped Lonny.  Our entire community has benefited from her work—whether it be youth who can learn about the Holocaust or the elderly who can enjoy a cultural performance. Lonny was a community leader, a true philanthropist, and a dear friend.  Living for more than 100 years gave her ample opportunity to learn important life lessons from people, passions, travels, and experiences.  Lonny was who she was because of these multiple influences, and none more… Read More