Jewish Family and Children's Services

09/29/2026

Encouraging Jewish pride in young people has never been more important than it is today. JFCS YouthFirst is a community where teens can explore Jewish identity while making a local impact with their peers. Go to jfcs.org/youthfirst to learn more.

09/25/2026

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach from all of us at JFCS. May you have a joyous Sukkot and wonderful weekend ahead!

09/23/2026

Are you a Jewish teen or the parent of one? Join JFCS YouthFirst to meet like-minded peers and explore Jewish identity while making an impact in your community through volunteer events.

Visit our website to learn about attending a service project near you!

https://ow.ly/yUVA50ZQO7e

09/22/2026

🌿🍋 Join JFCS Jewish Chaplaincy Services in the Sukkah at Stanford Medicine!

🗓️ Weekdays, September 28 – October 2 | 12:00 – 2:00pm
📍 The Fountain, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford Medicine, Palo Alto

Stop by to enjoy the shade, discover the connection between Sukkot and healing, and add your wishes for healing to our prayer chains. Enjoy a light snack and the chance to wave the lulav and etrog.

09/17/2026

Late at night, while her daughters slept, Lara sat alone at her kitchen table and cried.

She'd lost her job. Rent was due. Every rejection letter chipped away at her hope—and her daughters felt it too. Her oldest, once curious and cheerful, grew withdrawn. Her kindergartner's tantrums got so bad she had to leave school early.

For 175 years, JFCS has stood beside families like Lara's with groceries, rental assistance, and counseling for children in crisis. Calls to our helpline are rising, and it takes an average of $2,458 to move a family from crisis back to stability.

Your gift today can be the turning point for a family like hers.
👉 Donate now: jfcs.org/donate

Help strengthen our community! Your donations ensure thousands of individuals and families in our community receive essential help. https://donate.jfcs.org

09/16/2026

This summer, JFCS clients and volunteers have found new ways to connect—through art, conversation, and time enjoyed together outdoors!

1. Friendly Visitor volunteers Lisa and Ruby spent an afternoon playing Rummikub with JFCS client Pola, keeping up their regular visits together.
2. Shupin Social Club—JFCS' program for neurodivergent adults—got creative at an art-making evening led by volunteer Maggie.
3. Shupin Social Club also enjoyed an afternoon outside at Meander & Munch, a picnic outing around the city.
4. Residents of Rhoda Goldman Plaza—JFCS' vibrant assisted living community—joined JFCS Young Adult Community Connection, Young Adult Emanu-El, Repair the World, and Yahel Israel to make postcards together at an Intergenerational Postcard Making event.

Want to hear more stories like these and learn about ways to get involved? Visit jfcs.org/subscribe.

09/11/2026

Shabbat Shalom and Shanah Tova! Hundreds of holiday care bags are going out to isolated seniors, people with disabilities, and families in need this week. Inside each is delicious food, holiday essentials, and the message that their community cares about them.

This New Year is made all the sweeter thanks to the volunteers who attended our Mitzvah Makers Rosh Hashanah Gift Bag Packing events around the Bay Area.

From all of us at JFCS, l'shanah tovah u'metukah—may the new year be sweet, and may you always have somewhere to turn.

📸: Thank you to volunteer photographer Jonathan Gaines for taking photos at our event in Marin.

09/10/2026

⛳ There's still time to join us for the Peninsula Jewish Community Golf Classic supporting the JFCS Food Bank!

Gather your friends, family, or colleagues for a day of golf, camaraderie, and community while helping local families and seniors facing food insecurity. This year, proceeds will provide an entire year of fresh produce for the JFCS Peninsula Food Bank in San Mateo.

📅 Sunday, October 18, 2026
📍Crystal Springs Golf Course

Early bird registration ends September 18—reserve your spot today:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwm3w7CTmMtvQh3zKyREohAIrU2wSZHMjpAYbfxsbpb7FtRQ/viewform?pli=1&fbzx=-4166997059173396647

09/08/2026

As we welcome the Jewish New Year, join JFCS in kicking off 5787 with compassion and generosity.

The JFCS High Holiday Community Food Drive ensures that essential food and household necessities reach the hands of those who need them most. By giving, you’re helping to fulfill the mitzvah of caring for others at this sacred time of renewal.

You can find drop-off barrels at JFCS offices and various sites in San Francisco, Marin, and the Peninsula now through October 5. For a full list of locations, visit the link in our bio or head to www.jfcs.org/fooddrive.

09/04/2026

For 20 years, Congregation Ner Shalom in Cotati has been building community with adults with disabilities and their families through Celebrations, a program marking Jewish holidays with accessibility and belonging at the center of everything.

Ryan Berman, JFCS Director of Disability Services, spoke with J Weekly about what inclusion looks like in a synagogue setting.

“Make it acceptable for people to move, stim, or step out and return without judgment, offering things like fidget tools and noise-canceling headphones.”

We’re proud to see Ryan’s expertise highlighted and to be part of the conversation around disability inclusion and belonging.

Read the full story: https://jweekly.com/2026/08/06/cotati-synagoge-has-supported-families-with-disabled-kids-now-adults-for-20-years/