During this Women’s History Month, JFS honors the woman who inspired us through the challenges of the last year: Zipporah Cohen, the President of JFS from 1904 to 1938. A Gifted Leader Zipporah Cohen was the daughter of Rabbi Michelbacher, Congregation Beth Ahabah’s first Rabbi and the inspiration for the all-female founders of the Ladies […]
Honoring the JFS Care Aides
As we arrive at the anniversary of the pandemic, JFS is humbled by the exceptional compassion, dedication, and care our In-Home Care Aides have given their clients over the last year, many of whom are elders living in poverty and have nowhere else to turn for help. The challenges the Aides face are significant: caring for their own children and aging parents; families wanting more care for […]
Mental Health Tools for a New Year
In the last few months of 2020, JFS Counseling was invited to host mental health “check-ins” for students involved with Hillel at Virginia Tech, staff at the Weinstein JCC, and community members through JCFR. Across the spectrum of age and experience, many concerns were the same: anxiety about the pandemic, difficulty adjusting to new routines, […]
Twice as Many Lights of Love!
JFS’ second annual Lights of Love was a great success, thanks to you: our friends, partners, volunteers, and staff! Lights of Love is a program designed to help bring warmth and light to neighbors who might otherwise feel forgotten. Last year, generous donors and friends brightened the holiday season for 40+ adults, seniors, families, and […]
Hands Held, Hearts Found
JFS Connecting Hearts had a busy fall! Between the Virtual Bowling Ball awareness- and fundraiser and November’s “A Hand to Hold” media campaign, we have been busy sharing the stories of children in foster care and recruiting potential foster and adoptive families! JFS Connecting Hearts is humbled by the work of our sponsors, volunteers, donors, […]
Dr. Sydney Fleischer on Her Life & Legacy
Dr. Sydney Fleischer has been a fixture at JFS for more than thirty years. “Everybody likes to call me the historian,” she said with a wry smile, but she is much more. Lately she’s been trying to pare down her files. Years of accreditation documents, grant applications, and JFS Annual Reports from the early 1900s […]
Breast Cancer and the Heroes Behind Pink Power
Since last month was Breast Cancer Awareness month, it is timely to focus on the amazing achievements in detecting and treating breast cancer. We have made remarkable breakthroughs in diagnostics, treatment options, and research initiatives for what was once considered an incurable disease. Until the 20th century, breast cancer remained a hidden disease among women […]
Why Should I Consider Joining a Support Group?
There are quite of few of us that just don’t feel the drive to join anything, including support groups. Usually, these groups are scheduled at specific times and days of the month. People who are long time members become close knit, while new members can feel a bit out of the loop. So, some people […]
Tech Savvy in the Golden Years
Today we are relying on technology more than ever before. Embracing technology is effortless for some people who maneuver software and cloud-based platforms seamlessly; however, older adults often find technology confusing and frustrating. It wasn’t until middle of the 90s that computers were introduced into schools and the internet exploded. Younger people that grew up […]
JFS Life & Legacy Committee Chair Scott Belleman on Life, Legacy, and JFS’ Future
Before Scott Belleman was the Life & Legacy Committee Chair, he was a financial planner in an office across the parking lot from JFS. “I didn’t even know what JFS did,” he joked. Now retired, Scott keeps busy with the classic hobbies – golf, tennis, bridge – and a more unusual one: “I love deferred […]