News & Impact

J Weekly by Dan Pine She was only 14. A sensitive Jewish girl with a flair for writing, trapped in the maelstrom of the Holocaust. The only repository for her deepest feelings: a diary, found abandoned soon after the war. Her name was not Anne. Her name was Rywka. Read More from J Weekly… Read More

The JFCS Holocaust Center in partnership with Lehrhaus Judaica today announced the publication of The Diary of Rywka Lipszyc. After more than 70 years in obscurity, the diary of a teenage girl that was found at Auschwitz in 1945 will be revealed for the first time to the public on March 10, 2014. Accompanied by rich background materials and edited by National Jewish Book Award recipient Alexandra Zapruder, the diary is destined to become an important source of inspiration for students of the Holocaust around the world. In 1940, the Nazis forced young Rywka Lipszyc (pronounced Rif-ka Lip-shitz) and her… Read More

When JFCS friend, Board and Committee member, and Fammy Awards Gala co-chair Tammy Crown became involved with the agency 10 years ago, she did so after determining through extensive research that JFCS was exactly the type of organization she and her husband, Bill, wanted to support: JFCS takes a holistic approach, focuses on human services, fulfills its mission to a tee, and spends most of its fundraising dollars on essential services. “JFCS hires and trains great people, and it is constantly looking at itself to see how it can be even more effective,” says Tammy, a former business strategist with… Read More

Finding a place to live is one of the Bay Area’s greatest challenges. For Molly, a 29-year-old with significant learning differences, the perfect home has been JFCS’ Gary Shupin Independent Living Community, which offers residential and comprehensive services to young adults with developmental and other disabilities. “Shupin is ideal for Molly,” says her mother, Margaret, a former psychiatric nurse who helped her daughter with her housing search. “Molly wants to be independent, and Shupin provides the support so that she can remain so,” continues Margaret. “When Molly went to San Francisco City College to enroll in the CNA program,… Read More

Shana was 14 when her parents divorced. Angered by their break-up, and deeply hurt when her dad left California, she felt her life spiraling out of control. “I started acting out—small things at first, like smoking,” Shana recounts. Fortunately, her mother encouraged her to get involved with JFCS’ YouthFirst program, which grounded her through service learning and leadership activities. “When I started going out into the community and helping others in need, like senior citizens and people with developmental disabilities, I began feeling better about myself,” says Shana. “It seemed like I had a purpose, and it was great being… Read More

Cleanerific, JFCS’ social enterprise, is not only receiving rave reviews from the many customers who use the green-friendly cleaning service to keep their homes and offices sparkling clean. Cleanerific’s employees, including Maria Linares, appreciate its mission: providing training, employment, medical benefits, and support so that they can become independent and advance in their lives. Maria is singlehandedly raising three children, including a 7-year-old with medical problems. It can be challenging, but Cleanerific helps ease the burden. It pays her a living wage, provides full benefits, and treats her with kindness and care. “They are very understanding,” Maria says of… Read More