News & Impact

JFCS board member, Lisa Bardin has been instrumental in supporting our community through giving to JFCS, serving as a wonderful ambassador, and being a co-chair of JFCS’ popular Fammy Awards Gala. Lisa sets the example for her family and our community by being a true JFCS mensch—a person of integrity and honor who does the right thing by helping others. After a long and successful career on Wall Street as a Portfolio Manager, Lisa made aliyah and she and her husband, Noam, moved to Tel Aviv in 2003. Her daughter, Shai, was born there two months later and Mika was… Read More

Bob joined JFCS’ Board in 2014 with great enthusiasm. Since 1999 he has been an active volunteer in the Jewish community—putting his values into practice, and sharing his passion for helping those in need. He says, his favorite sentence is, ‘How can I help?’” Tell us a bit about the community where you grew up. My Father and his parents fled Vienna in 1940. Arriving at Ellis Island they were given the choice of moving to St. Louis or San Francisco. They chose St. Louis because it was closer to the East Coast. I moved to San Francisco in 1977… Read More

Ian’s work with JFCS spans nearly three decades, including being one of JFCS’ longest serving board members. Since first joining the Finance Committee, his relationship with JFCS has blossomed immeasurably; his compassion and big heart have inspired so many in our community. Ian says, “I’ve had broad involvement with the Jewish community with many other agencies and synagogues, but I found my home at JFCS.” Tell us a little bit about where you grew up and your background. I grew up in Albany, New York. My parents were active in the Jewish community and we are all still very close.… Read More

Jim Shapiro is currently a Vice President of the JFCS Board of Directors. He has been a passionate supporter and advocate of JFCS ever since he and his wife, Sally, walked into JFCS’ Parents Place in 1992 to request some help with their baby. Jim has contributed to JFCS in a multitude of capacities from chairing the Fammy Awards Gala to serving on the Finance Committee. As Jim states, “Whatever JFCS asks of me, I say YES!” Tell us a bit about the community you grew up in and your background. I’ve always been quite connected and enriched by Jewish… Read More

David Dossetter of San Francisco joined the board of Jewish Family and Children’s Services one year ago. We recently spoke with him about why he has chosen to devote his time and energy to the organization. What initially attracted you to JFCS? I like how the organization delivers first class services to people in need, without concern for their ability to pay for the services. This is a business model that I can get behind. I also like the idea that the organization isn’t just about redistributing money, which is the mission of many nonprofits. JFCS is an economically logical… Read More

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. 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… Read More