News & Impact

“I’m excited to be an ambassador to younger professionals,” says Robert (Robby) Kaufman, one of the newly elected and youngest members of the JFCS Board of Directors. “There are so many opportunities to participate as volunteers and so many ways to access help.” Robby, the vice president of investor relations at FTV Capital in San Francisco, became involved with JFCS when researching his family’s history. Inspired by a summer 2017 trip to Poland, Robby began to piece together the experiences of his maternal grandparents, both Holocaust survivors, who had passed away. His research led him to the JFCS Holocaust Center… Read More

Eight years ago, Betsy Zeger’s mother, Maxene, had just gotten out of the hospital when Betsy’s father died unexpectedly. Betsy found herself completely stretched thin, trying to care for Maxene while grieving the loss of her father. Fortunately, a dear friend noticed Betsy’s struggle and connected her with JFCS’ Seniors At Home division. Betsy says calling JFCS was a turning point. “My mother’s quality of life greatly improved, as did mine, knowing that she was in such safe and capable hands,” Betsy recalls. “Her needs have varied over the years, but the one thing that’s consistent is the way Seniors… Read More

By Susan Carroll, Director of Family Support Services at JFCS  COVID-19 significantly impacted us all—whether we experienced a reduction in our capacity to earn a living, were separated or isolated from loved ones, or, whether we agreed or not, we experienced our activities of daily living as dictated by powers beyond ourselves. Sadly, these are common occurrences for persons experiencing domestic violence (DV)—feeling powerless over what you can do, who you can see, where you can go, or how long you can spend there. Imagine if you can, the impact that COVID-19 restrictions have had on your stress levels, mental… Read More

We often receive questions about two types of investment vehicles that sound similar and operate very differently: charitable gift annuities (CGAs) and charitable remainder trusts (CRTs). In this article, Ken Dike, Esq., of Clifford Swan Investment Counselors, helps to break down the differences and answer common questions. By Ken Dike, Esq., CPA, CLPF, Executive Director of Planned Giving Services at Clifford Swan Investment Counselors What is a charitable gift annuity (CGA)? What are the benefits? A charitable gift annuity (CGA) is an arrangement whereby assets are given to a charity in return for the charity’s promise to make lifetime payments… Read More

“JFCS has helped my family and countless others in times of need,” says Howard S. Hahn, when reflecting on his recent decision to leave a legacy to help others facing hard times. “My parents raised me with Jewish values. Tikkun olam was especially important.” A native of New York City, Howard arrived in San Francisco for a visit not long after he graduated from college. He found a city and community he wanted to get to know better. “I never used the roundtrip part of the paper plane ticket,” Howard says. “I quit my job over the phone and stayed.”… Read More

Zhenya Friedman believes that the line between giving and receiving is very thin. For over a decade, Zhenya has dedicated her time to volunteering and helping others, and in that time she has touched countless lives with her warm presence and kind spirit. Yet Zhenya believes that she definitely gets back more than she gives. Originally from the Soviet Union, Zhenya volunteers mainly with JFCS’ Emigre Services, supporting members of the Bay Area’s Russian-speaking Jewish community. As a ‘Master Volunteer,’ she leads fifteen other volunteers with JFCS’ Food Bank in Marin County. Somehow, in between coordinating deliveries, managing client… Read More