News & Impact

JFCS’ Gary Shupin Independent Living Community is growing! With the addition of Ady’s Place and Gerson’s Place, our vibrant “urban kibbutz” in San Francisco’s Laurel Heights will now include multiple beautiful residences for neurodivergent adults. We are grateful to The Barbara and Gerson Bakar Foundation for their vision and longtime generosity! Founded in 2009, the Shupin Community includes a robust social program, independent living and job skills, and wraparound services so that adults with disabilities can live full, happy lives and age with dignity. Here are some examples of life in the Shupin Community: “Living in the Shupin Community is… Read More

See our Ukraine response resources > Heartfelt Gratitude from a Ukrainian Family The San Jose Mercury News featured the story of a Ukrainian couple, Mariia and Anatolii, that JFCS has been privileged to help—thanks to your generosity. Their daughter, Oksana, shared these words of gratitude for the support our community provided to her parents, who arrived in the Bay Area with serious health issues after a treacherous journey: “When Laura [one of JFCS’ care managers] met with my parents, listened to their story, and learned about their needs, she made every effort to help. She took care of every problem,… Read More

“Make your ear like a funnel and acquire for yourself a perceptive heart … “ —Babylonian Talmud, Exodus This wisdom accompanied graduates of JFCS’ New Leaders Fellowship—a year-long Jewish community leadership program—on a uniquely curated trip to Israel this summer led by JFCS Executive Director Dr. Anita Friedman. While in Israel, Fellows learned about the country’s deep-rooted history, the complexities of its history and politics today, and the beauty of its culture, food, and lifestyle. As emerging leaders, it was a one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear many perspectives and then take these ideas back to the Bay Area, where Fellows can… Read More

On May 12, two Holocaust survivors—Sonia Apfelbaum, 81, and David Diamond, 92—stood on the bimah at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo in front of family and friends. Their dreams of becoming a Bat and Bar Mitzvah had been lifelong in the making, and three years in the making for JFCS and a small army of local Israeli volunteers. “Today is the happiest day in my life,” David said from the bimah. David and Sonia met through JFCS’ Café By the Bay program on the Peninsula, which brings survivors together weekly on Zoom to socialize, connect, and support one… Read More

See our Ukraine response resources > For 19 weeks, we all have followed the news of the war in Ukraine. Throughout this time of great pain, our community has come together by contributing humanitarian aid, advocating for refugees, and volunteering time, talent, and resources. Thank you for being part of this vital effort! Read on for updates on how JFCS is helping. Longtime JFCS Volunteer Helps to Welcome Ukrainian Refugees to Our Community When Marina Kantorova matches a JFCS volunteer with a Ukrainian refugee, she helps ensure they have the warm welcome and essential assistance that made all the difference… Read More

See our Ukraine response resources > Ukrainian Refugees in the Bay Area Receive Housing and Life-Saving Medical Care through JFCS Olesia and her family were living in Kyiv when the war started. That very day, she and her husband, Volodymyr, packed their two children, ages 15 and 22 months, and a few belongings in the car and left. The roads were nearly impassable due to traffic from people fleeing the war, and the family had to stop frequently to shelter from incoming bombs, which was especially difficult as their oldest daughter, Yaroslava, relies on a wheelchair. Olesia and her family… Read More