News & Impact

Gerson Bakar z’l, a Beloved Visionary, Remembered You might not know of Gerson Bakar z’l by name but you have almost certainly seen his work in San Francisco. Levi’s Plaza, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the UCSF Mission Bay campus—these are just a few of the iconic San Francisco institutions that Gerson helped bring to life. Gerson, who passed away last June, supported many charitable projects yet it was giving back to his Jewish Community that brought him the most satisfaction, saying, “Asking me why the ‘Jewish Community’ is important to me is like asking me why the… Read More

Michael Janis has been active in Bay Area civic life for many years. He has also brought his business expertise and dedication to humanitarian service to his volunteer work on various JFCS committees for the past eight years. Most recently Michael has overseen JFCS’ Public Issues Committee of more than 100 volunteers, working with elected officials throughout the Bay Area, in Sacramento, and in Washington DC. Professionally Michael manages San Francisco’s historic SF Market, the critical wholesale produce marketplace connecting growers worldwide with Bay Area food businesses. The sun will soon be setting on his tenure on the Board,… Read More

KQED’ Forum with Michael Krasny Death and saying goodbye—they are among life’s most mysterious and challenging phenomena. The theatrical production “End of Life” opens a dialogue about these experiences via staged readings of two Greek tragedies written by Sophocles. Artistic director Bryan Doerries joins Forum, along with award-winning actor David Strathairn and a palliative care expert, to discuss the show and making peace with mortality. Guests: David Strathairn, actor Bryan Doerries, artistic director, Theater of War Redwing Keyssar, palliative care director, Jewish Family and Children’s Services; author, “Last Acts of Kindness: Lessons for the Living from the Bedsides of the… Read More

J Weekly By Laura Paull As Sophocles surely knew, people often are able to absorb tragedy much more easily on a stage than in their own lives. That’s the principle behind an upcoming performance at the Castro Theatre, where a New York-based theater collective will guide audiences to reflect on the ultimate drama we tend to avoid. After staged readings of scenes from two plays by the ancient Greek playwright, the ensemble will ask: Is death necessarily a tragedy? “I see it, rather, as a transition,” says Judith Redwing Keyssar, palliative care director at Jewish Family and Children’s Services, sponsor… Read More

J Weekly By Karen Galatz The generation of Holocaust survivors may be passing, but thanks to a just-launched initiative in San Francisco, their testimonies will live on through their children and grandchildren. Called the Next Generation Speakers Bureau, the initiative is the brainchild of Morgan Blum Schneider, director of Jewish Family and Children Services’ Holocaust Center. The bureau is designed to address the challenge of Holocaust education when the last of the survivors are gone. “We want to ensure that the Holocaust remains a story of faces, not just a history of numbers,” said Alexis Herr, the Holocaust Center’s new… Read More

The wildfires that swept through the North Bay last October are out, but the scar on the community is one that will last a generation. Since Day One JFCS has collaborated with many integral organizations in the North Bay to make sure disaster victims are able to access all the help available to them. Last month JFCS honored first responders and survivors at the JFCS Fammy Gala after the deadliest wildfire disaster in California history. First Responders and Victims of the North Bay Wildfires JFCS Fammy Video During the initial days and weeks after the fires JFCS helped people with… Read More