News & Impact

When asked about the secret to her long life, Hilda Richards once said, “I am definitely an optimist, and I think that has helped me very much.” Hilda, a true gem of our community, passed away this April at the age of 104. A resident of San Francisco for more than 84 years, Hilda was a survivor of the Holocaust. She arrived in San Francisco from Germany in 1938 with just $10, joining her sister, who had emigrated two years prior. The sisters remained close throughout their lives. Known for her joie de vivre, Hilda was part of the fabric… Read More

The California Assembly and Senate have released their joint budget agreement, a critical step in the State’s annual budget approval process. It includes two of our Jewish community’s most important priorities—Holocaust and genocide education and caring for vulnerable survivors. Anita Friedman, JFCS’ Executive Director, says, “The voice of California’s Jewish Community has been heard. Now our survivors can continue to age with dignity and every child in our State will learn about antisemitism, about the Holocaust, and about how—and why—to stand up against hate.” These critical funds include: $3 million to renovate and expand the JFCS Holocaust Center. The JFCS… Read More

Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) Holocaust Center has established the California Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education, with support from a $1.9 Million grant from the Marin County Office of Education and the State of California. The California Collaborative, a first-of-its-kind statewide network, will connect educators, genocide survivors, and community leaders in order to support California teachers to effectively teach Holocaust and genocide education in their classrooms and address the surge of antisemitism and hate in California school communities. Members of the new statewide collaborative network include the University of Southern California’s Shoah Foundation; the Museum of Tolerance; the… Read More

Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education—an important step forward in the fight against antisemitism and hate. The council will include state legislators, civic leaders and representatives from minority communities. The JFCS Holocaust Center will play a critical leadership role as the state embarks on a historic expansion of educational programs that will confront the recent rise in antisemitism and other acts of hate in California and worldwide. Each year, the Holocaust Center educates over 25,000 students and teachers from over 350 schools about the causes and consequences of discrimination.… Read More

In an unprecedented public-private partnership, the JFCS Holocaust Center will partner with the State of California to respond to rising acts of antisemitism and hate. By combining private donations with public money, the JFCS Holocaust Center will lead an important initiative to expand Holocaust and genocide education across our state. Over recent months, JFCS has been working closely with key policymakers and community partners to advocate for critical action to combat hate in California. This month, a historic budget deal was signed—thanks to the leadership of the Jewish Legislative Caucus, led by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and State Senator Scott Wiener;… Read More

In the midst of the pandemic, Dr. Carl Grunfeld, member of the JFCS Board of Directors, reached out the JFCS Holocaust Center to donate an important piece of his family history. The passport belonged to Otto Schwarz, Carl’s uncle, who was born in Viersen, Germany in 1904. When Kristallnacht unfolded, Otto raced home and jumped over a wall to escape the Nazis. Days later, he returned to look at the wall and realized he could not jump high enough to even get his hands on the top. As Carl recalls, Otto “spent the rest of his life wondering how he… Read More