A Worthy Legacy

A Worthy Legacy

By Rabbi Will Berkovitz, CEO Hear Will’s Message A reading of this message is available here. I am feeling nostalgic these days. It may be because I turned 55 this year or I am reflecting on my ten-year anniversary at JFS. I feel it in my bones. It has me thinking of the word “legacy.”…

JFS Food Sort: The Joy of Filling our Neighbors’ Plates

JFS Food Sort: The Joy of Filling our Neighbors’ Plates

By Rabbi Laura Rumpf, Director of Project Kavod There’s an old Yiddish parable that depicts heaven and the underworld as two great big banquets. Both feature people sitting around a table with a gorgeous spread of food, but elbows that won’t bend, and incredibly long forks. The difference is, in the underworld each person only…

Ten Spins Around the Sun

Ten Spins Around the Sun

By Rabbi Will Berkovitz, CEO Ten years ago, I started as CEO of Jewish Family Service. When I think back on the past decade I think primarily of people. What better way to measure time than through relationships? Their ebb and flow seemingly pulled by the gravity of some unseen celestial object orbiting our lives….

The New JFS B’nai Mitzvah Guide Helps Youth Turn Values to Action 

The New JFS B’nai Mitzvah Guide Helps Youth Turn Values to Action 

By Rebecca Mather, Volunteer Services Coordinator One of my favorite things about JFS Community Connections is our focus on multigenerational education, community building, and volunteering. It is in the spirit of this multigenerational connection that we launch our new B’nai Mitzvah Guide. A young person’s B’nai Mitzvah symbolizes autonomy and responsibility for their Jewish identity…

Each of Us Has a Name

Each of Us Has a Name

By Rabbi Will Berkovitz, CEO “Each of us has a name given by God and given by our parents. Each of us has a name given by our stature and our smile…Each of us has a name given by the sea and given by our death.” – Zelda Michael* died at the end of December…

Welcoming the Stranger this Refugee Shabbat: Alima’s Story

Welcoming the Stranger this Refugee Shabbat: Alima’s Story

Each year, JFS joins with communities across the US and the world to observe Refugee Shabbat. The global initiative, spearheaded by the international Jewish humanitarian organization HIAS, encourages synagogues, other community organizations, and individuals to dedicate a Shabbat experience to reaffirming support for refugees. “Shabbat is a day of rest, but Refugee Shabbat is a…

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