News & Impact

Isaac Davis-Silverstein admits that growing up in wealthy Marin County was, at times, a struggle—he often felt like he had so much less than others did. During his high school years, he was acutely aware of the extravagance around him. Soon, however, he began to realize that his experience was not a shortcoming, but rather a strength. “Not having everything given to me as a child helped me learn to appreciate the things I do have,” Isaac explains. Isaac felt that he could empathize with people in a way that some of his peers could not, and he began to… Read More

Anna P, Recipient of JFCS Educational Loans and Grants, Found Herself on the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Outbreak When Anna P received the JFCS educational loans and grants that allowed her to attend the University of Massachusetts, she never would have believed that she would enter the nursing field just as COVID-19 had begun its spread, in the epicenter of the pandemic, in a public hospital in New York City. Anna, whose family emigrated to the Bay Area from Ukraine when she was a child, moved to New York after college. After some career exploration, she discovered her true… Read More

Upon receiving the news that he was one of the recipients of the Vivienne S. Camp Scholarship, Ziven Posner was in disbelief. He read the email from JFCS’ Financial Aid Center two more times before he convinced himself that it was real. He then shouted and started to cry. Maya Ben Tov, the other recipient awarded a scholarship, had a similar response to the news. “I was so shocked and happy! I know there were many qualified applicants for the scholarship. This relieves me of needing a student loan for now. I’m so grateful!” The Vivienne S. Camp Scholarship is… Read More

Upon receiving the news that he had been chosen to receive a scholarship by JFCS’ Financial Aid Center, Avery Cruz was at a total loss for words. But his mother, Deborah, was able to find some, saying, “You have no idea what this means! I was so worried about how we were going to afford college next year.” Avery and Viviane Lorvan, the two recipients of this year’s Vivienne S. Camp Scholarship, awarded annually, embody the most admirable aspects of the next generation of the Jewish community. Their resilience against adversity, coupled with their commitment to academic growth, made them… Read More

Artisanal food products—everything from the tastiest mandelbrot cookie imaginable to the most delicious small-batch jams—are more popular than ever in the Bay Area, but did you know that since day one—that’s almost 170 years ago—JFCS has been supporting just these types of small businesses? It started with revolving loans funds. After the Gold Rush generous donors wanted to help entrepreneurial Jewish individuals specifically for one purpose: to make it possible to grow a small business, especially for those who typically would not otherwise qualify for bank loans. Barriers for Women in Business We’ve come a long way since the early… Read More

Moving from Emergency Response to Long-Term Recovery Two months have passed since fires swept through the North Bay, leaving in their wake incredible destruction and thousands homeless, jobless, and emotionally scarred. JFCS hit the ground running, working to support the community. Thanks to generous donations from supporters like you, our Sonoma County office has become a community hub where individuals and families are receiving the services they need to re-build their lives and heal. Thank you for your help! Emergency Response and Ramping Up In the initial weeks after the fires JFCS staff witnessed survivors in shock. Over 250 families… Read More