News & Impact

There has been a recent and dramatic rise in antisemitism; from the shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, to the stabbing on Hanukkah in New York. Attacks on Jews have increased globally, and locally as well. The JFCS Holocaust Center reports a 175% increase in antisemitic acts in schools and community spaces of the past year. As leaders of the Jewish community in the Bay Area, JFCS works diligently to combat hate and antisemitism. We find that education is one of the strongest tools in this ongoing fight. The Holocaust Center continues to play a role in preventing these… Read More

Jon Levinson is a pillar of our community. After attending U.C. Berkeley and serving in the Army, Jon met his future wife, Diane, while working for her cousin. The two were engaged a week after first meeting and have been happily married for 55 years. The couple settled in San Carlos and raised two sons and a daughter. Jon is a devoted member of his synagogue, Beth Jacob, where he has been a member for over 50 years. It is through his synagogue that Jon was initially introduced to JFCS. A friend suggested he get involved with our organization because… Read More

JFCS Board member Oded Hermoni has a very impressive background in the tech industry. However, in addition to his professional expertise as a start-up founder, board member, adviser, and venture capitalist, Oded is uniquely positioned to act as a bridge builder between the American Jewish community and the many thousands of Israelis who live and work in Silicon Valley, as he is now part of both groups. Jerusalem-born Oded began his career as a journalist covering the country’s flourishing technology sector. He soon took an active role in the technology sector himself by founding two start-up companies, one of which… Read More

A first taste of life in the working world hours and his pay statements. By Olivia Perlman Excerpts from the article originally printed in the August Issue of The New Fillmore. As my junior year at Marin Academy was coming to a close last spring, I decided to apply for a summer internship with Jewish Family and Children’s Services on Post Street. This paid internship program offers teens the opportunity to work with local businesses for six weeks under a supervisor’s guidance. The program also includes a weekly workshop in which the interns are taught workplace and life skills, with… Read More

For Claire Solot, Managing Director and Co-Founder of the Bigglesworth Family Foundation (BFF), serving on the JFCS Board of Directors seemed like a perfect fit in 2004. At the same time, her foundation was building and growing—and with JFCS’ broad range of services also expanding, Claire embraced the synergy that came from growing side-by-side. Remembering her grandparents’ involvement with JFCS (on the east coast) when she was a young girl, she felt a lasting connection to JFCS in the Bay Area. Claire served on the JFCS Board for ten years and chaired the JFCS Public Issues Committee. She enjoyed advocating… Read More

Carole Meyers and her family started volunteering with JFCS in 1993, when they “adopted” a Jewish family that had just emigrated from the Soviet Union. The Meyers guided the newcomers in many practical and emotional ways (not an easy task given the language barriers) and built a deep friendship with them. This experience, coupled with Carole’s love of teaching, inspired her to volunteer to teach a JFCS English Second Language class. Twelve years later, the small group of Russian-speaking Jewish emigre women continues to meet weekly, and Carole admits that learning English is only a small part of the class;… Read More