News & Impact

“Everyone I met was traumatized. When children were given art supplies, they drew tanks, machine guns, rockets. And homes, right alongside,” says Anna Lushtak, a longtime friend of Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) and member of our Emigre Committee, who recently spent two weeks volunteering in Poland with Ukrainian refugees. For Anna, who emigrated to the US from the former Soviet Union decades ago and received resettlement assistance from JFCS, the plight of the refugees felt deeply personal. Describing what motivated her to share her time and skills, Anna says, “I was watching what was going on in desperation.… Read More

Thanks to generous donations and dedicated volunteers, JFCS Food Banks are able to serve thousands in our community every year. We are thrilled to welcome Jill Kulick, Marian Sosnick, and Sara Green as our new Peninsula Food Bank chairs! These three dedicated women devote their time to volunteering at the JFCS Food Bank and supporting our community in many ways. For Jill Kulick, the thought of hunger in her backyard was gut-wrenching. She knew she wanted to help however she could. During the pandemic, Jill had been donating to her synagogue’s food drive when her friend introduced her to JFCS’… Read More

  “I love Passover because for me it is a cry against indifference, a cry for compassion.” ⁠—Elie Wiesel With this extraordinary humanitarian effort continuing into a second month, you are taking action to provide lifesaving help for Ukraine. Thank you. We are overwhelmed by and grateful for the generosity of our JFCS community. Update on JFCS’ Ukraine Relief Efforts Locally, JFCS’ Emigre Services professionals are providing essential legal aid, information, referrals, and counseling to the large number of families in our community with close relatives in Ukraine and overseas. JFCS is deeply engaged in refugee resettlement and efforts to… 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

  “Anxiety in the heart of a person causes dejection, but a good word will turn it into joy.” – King Solomon Anxiety has been on the rise for people of all ages in recent years. Difficult events, like the war in Ukraine, are intensifying these feelings. Parents, grandparents, families, and educators are reaching out to Jewish Family and Children’s Services for guidance on how to help children and youth.   US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has observed: “The future wellbeing of our country depends on how we support and invest in the next generation.”  “It’s natural to want to… Read More

See our Ukraine response resources > “Morally speaking, there is no limit to the concern one must feel for the suffering of human beings…In a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.” —Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel z”l Since the start of the invasion, more than 10.5 million Ukrainians have had to flee their homes, with more than 4 million—primarily women, children, and elderly—seeking refuge outside the country. Experts estimate more than half of Ukrainian children have been uprooted. In the wake of this pain, our community has come together to send help and hope. Thank you! Updates on… Read More