Jewish Family and Children's Services

08/13/2026

Strong friendships make strong communities—meet Arnie and Tibor.

Arnie is a volunteer with JFCS, and Tibor is a 96-year-old Hungarian Holocaust survivor. Matched through our Friendly Visitors program, the two have spent countless hours together sharing meals, stories, and adventures. Their friendship is a fantastic reminder of how meaningful connection can bring light, dignity, and joy to everyday life.

08/05/2026

Join us for the Peninsula Jewish Community Golf Classic supporting the JFCS Food Bank!

Gather your friends, family, or colleagues and enjoy a day of golf, camaraderie, and community while helping families and seniors facing food insecurity.

This year, the donated proceeds will help provide an entire year of fresh produce for the JFCS Peninsula Food Bank in San Mateo.

📅 Sunday, October 18, 2026 | 8:00am
📍 Crystal Springs Golf Course

Men, women, and teens are all welcome! Early bird registration is available through September 18. Reserve your spot today: https://ow.ly/Jzbt50ZwJ5R

For registration information, email [email protected].

This event is in partnership with Peninsula Temple Beth El, Peninsula Temple Sholom, Peninsula Sinai Congregation, Congregation Beth Jacob, and the PJCC - Peninsula Jewish Community Center.

Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 8:00am Crystal Springs Golf Course - 6650 Golf Course Dr, Burlingame, CA 94010 Contact us: [email protected] Thank you for joining us! Please use this form to register. If you are signing up individually, but wish to be grouped with specific individuals, please lis...

08/03/2026

Develop your leadership skills among likeminded Jewish young adults. Visit our website to learn more.

https://ow.ly/O7Vx50ZvYWa

07/29/2026

The Shmunis Internship Program is a paid, six-week opportunity for teens to explore careers and gain real work experience. Eva, an intern in the JFCS Marketing Department is taking over our social media this week!

07/27/2026

The Shmunis Internship Program is a paid, six-week opportunity for teens to explore careers and gain real work experience. Eva, an intern in the JFCS Marketing Department is taking over our social media this week!

07/24/2026

The JFCS Holocaust Center is joining forces with ANU - Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv to help more people explore the richness of Jewish history, culture, and resilience.

An example of our partnership is the story of the Manovill family: one portrait preserved at ANU and two held in the JFCS Holocaust Center's Tauber Library and Archives. Together, they offer a moving window into Jewish life, loss, and resilience across generations.

As we move forward with plans for our new, state-of-the-art Holocaust Center in San Francisco, this collaboration will advance a bold vision: a Center for Jewish peoplehood that connects local communities to the intricate story of the Jewish people.

"If we want future generations to understand the Jewish experience, we have to teach them who the Jewish people are. That's how we strengthen Jewish pride, build understanding, and create a more inclusive society."
—Dr. Anita Friedman, JFCS Executive Director

07/17/2026

How do we raise a proud, civic-minded next generation? By helping every child understand the remarkable story of the Jewish people—one of resilience, creativity, moral courage, and an enduring commitment to justice.

At a time when antisemitism is rising and misinformation spreads fast, education has never mattered more. The JFCS Holocaust Center is building Northern California's permanent home for Holocaust remembrance and Jewish education—anchored by the Center for Jewish Peoplehood, the only educational resource of its kind in the region. Through immersive exhibitions, personal stories, and interactive experiences, visitors will encounter the extraordinary 4,000-year journey of the Jewish people.

In a historic partnership with the California Department of Education, we're also helping transform Holocaust and Jewish education across the state's public schools—reaching hundreds of thousands of teachers and students.

With your support, we can create a landmark institution that strengthens Jewish pride, deepens understanding, and prepares future generations to stand against hatred in all its forms.

We're building it now. Help shape history:

Help Build the Only Holocaust Center in Northern California

07/03/2026

Among Neighbors is the most-awarded Jewish film of the year—and the streak continues.

Directed by filmmaker Yoav Potash and co-produced by JFCS Executive Director Dr. Anita Friedman, the film has just received the 2026 Jewish Film Award for Best Holocaust Film from the Jewish Film Festival Network.

Witness history like never before. Now streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

07/02/2026

"Antisocial." "Career criminal." "Jew." These are the labels stamped on the documents of Fredy Lewin—a young gay Jewish man arrested in N**i Germany in June 1938 and sent to Buchenwald concentration camp, one of an estimated 2,500 men swept up that summer under the regime's "Operation Work-shy."

Fredy's mother eventually bribed a guard to secure his release. He fled to Shanghai, where he took up tailoring—a trade he carried with him to San Francisco in 1948. He spent decades running his own dressmaking shop in the city until his death in 1995.

His passport, issued after his release, is preserved in the JFCS Holocaust Center's Tauber Holocaust Library and Archives, which is home to more than 13,000 volumes, over 2,000 recorded oral histories, and countless rare artifacts documenting the Holocaust.

Read the full story on the JFCS Holocaust Center blog.

In spring 1938, the N**i government inaugurated “Aktion Arbeitscheu Reich” (Operation Work-shy): calling for mass arrests of people deemed by the regime to be “asocial,” a broad category that included vagrants, mendicants, alcoholics, Sinti and Roma, and, often, g**s. The campaign began in A...