Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) has empowered people of all ages, faiths, and backgrounds to overcome challenges, set goals, and build more stable, secure, and connected lives. Hear from JFS CEO, Michael Hopkins, on JFS’s work, the successes and challenges JFS is facing, and how you can make an impact.

Jewish Family Service (JFS) volunteers are a diverse group of San Diegans, united by their passion for serving the community in meaningful ways — delivering meals, keeping older adults company, supporting youth and families, or helping refugees feel more at home. Learn more about how you can change lives at www.jfssd.org/volunteer.

“We are deeply committed to the long-term sustainability of Jewish Family Service because of the critical role it plays in the lives of tens of thousands of people of all faiths and backgrounds across San Diego County,” said Ernest Rady. “Together, we can make sure JFS never has to tell someone in need, ‘We can’t drive you to your doctor’s appointment, or provide you with a hot meal, or offer counseling to get you through this rough patch because the agency doesn’t have the necessary resources.’”

Rabbi Susan Freeman from the Center for Jewish Care tells the importance of showing gratitude and the connection to greater happiness and health in this segment with Lucinda Kay.

On Sunday, November 5, 59 Holocaust survivors participated in a belated rite of passage known as a B’nai Mitzvah. The ceremony, held at the Merage Jewish Community Center in Irvine and was generously funded by the Honig Family Foundation, represented by Ken Honig. The survivors, ranging in age from 78 to 102, reside in San Diego and Orange County, and are participants of Serving Our Survivors, a program of the Center for Jewish Care at Jewish Family Service of San Diego.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) welcomes Little Amal, the internationally celebrated 12-foot-tall puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl, who will be arriving in San Diego on Nov. 3-5 as part of her final stop during her epic 6,000-mile journey across the United States this fall.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) welcomes Little Amal to the San Diego borderlands Nov. 3-5. A 12-foot-tall puppet of a 10-year-old refugee girl named Little Amal, this cross-border interactive art experience is spreading the critical story of hope throughout the U.S. and Mexico.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) is hosting its annual signature luncheon at 12:00pm, Thursday, November 2 with nationally renowned Rabbi and author, Sharon Brous, for a discussion on human connection. Learn more at www.jfssd.org/luncheon.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) is hosting its annual signature luncheon with nationally renowned Rabbi and author, Sharon Brous. During the intimate and thought-provoking conversation led by JFS CEO Michael Hopkins, Rabbi Sharon Brous will explore the topic of human connection and its power to transform the way we think, feel, and live. Learn more at www.jfssd.org/luncheon.

San Diegans can now order a week’s worth of healthy meals with a side of enriching conversation, both crucial for San Diego’s rapidly growing older adult population. Healthy at Home, a new local meal delivery service powered by Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS), offers fully prepared frozen meals and wellness checks for adults living in 40 zip codes throughout San Diego County. Learn more at healthyhomesd.com.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego‘s annual signature luncheon returns, this year at the Hilton La Jolla at Torrey Pines, on Thursday, November 2 with nationally renowned Rabbi and author, Sharon Brous, for a discussion on human connection. Learn more at www.jfssd.org/luncheon.

Healthy at Home, a new local meal delivery service powered by Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS), offers fully prepared frozen meals and wellness checks for adults living in 40 zip codes throughout San Diego County. Trained Healthy at Home drivers from Jewish Family Service will verify the individual is home and do a general assessment for any health or safety concerns that should be shared with an emergency contact. Learn more at healthyhomesd.com.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) is hosting its annual signature luncheon at 12 p.m., Thursday, November 2, with nationally renowned rabbi and author, Sharon Brous, for a discussion on human connection. Tickets for the event can be purchased for $90, which will fund impactful Jewish Family Service programs and resources made available to the greater San Diego community. Learn more at www.jfssd.org/Luncheon2023.

A nonprofit called Miles4Migrants is turning donated points into free flights for asylum seekers who’ve arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in south San Diego County. “Our sense is that 98% of individuals actually have a point of contact or loved one outside of San Diego that they’re looking to connect with,” said Kate Clark, Senior Director of Immigration Services at Jewish Family Service of San Diego. Donate miles today by clicking here.

With growing numbers of migrants arriving in San Diego County in recent weeks, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to declare a humanitarian crisis for asylum seekers at the border and request more federal support. More than 8,100 migrants have been dropped off in the region in the last two weeks, according to the county — an influx county officials say shows no sign of slowing. The increase in the number of migrant arrivals in recent weeks is the first significant influx reported since new asylum restrictions were introduced in May when hundreds of migrants waited between the border walls for the end of a pandemic-era immigration policy that blocked asylum seekers and other migrants from entering the U.S. Kate Clark, senior director of immigration services at JFS, spoke to why we were at this moment at this time. View the page in the print edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Sol Kempinski, JFS Director of Philanthropy, and his wife Debbi, Associate Development Director at the San Diego Jewish Academy, hosted an Israeli high school graduate in their home as part of a program organized by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and the Jewish Federation of San Diego County. Peleg Menachem, who stayed with the Kempinski family, was one of ten Israeli students who visited San Diego while taking a gap year before entering the Israeli Army (IDF).

JFS’s Foodmobile program has been awarded a $40,000 community grant from the Grossmont Healthcare District to help support residents in Eastern San Diego County.

On-site medical services, including dental checkups, are now available at JFS’s Safe Parking lot in Encinitas, where JFS staff also works to provide a pathway back to stable housing for people living in their vehicles. The Encinitas City Council was updated about the new medical program while reviewing the Encinitas Homeless Action Plan.

California’s Governor Newsom is awarding a grant to Jewish Family Service of San Diego to fund anti-hate programs. In response to a plea from dozens of Jewish leaders, he also issued a letter to state educators about ethnic studies and cautioned school administrators against using courses that promote bias and bigotry.

JFS and the Center for Jewish Care will be conducting our annual High Holy Days Community Food Drive from September 10 to October 10. Non-perishable food will be collected at local synagogues and Jewish community organizations, as well as JFS’s Joan & Irwin Jacobs Campus on Balboa Avenue.

JFS is one of the wellness-focused nonprofit organizations working in the East County awarded a grant from the Grossmont Healthcare District. The goal of the grant program is to help meet the non-medical needs of the community to improve long-term health results.

JFS is opening a new Safe Parking lot at Vista’s Civic Center that will include supportive services to help individuals and families find a pathway back to stable housing.

Kate Clark, JFS Senior Director of Immigration Services, says that what’s often missing in political conversations about immigration is empathy for migrants as human beings. “If there was more of a focus on the humanity behind this issue, maybe others would better understand the challenges that are faced,” she says, “and be more comfortable moving forward with welcoming policies.”

Dana Toppel, JFS’s Chief Operating Officer and founder of “Make Work Work for Moms,” is advocating for better support systems for working moms. She encourages people to urge elected officials and companies to invest in high quality childcare solutions. And she is urging leaders of organizations to review flexible work arrangements—including flexible hours and job-sharing—along with dependent health care and paid family leave.

JFS is hosting a free DACA Day on Saturday, September 9, to help individuals with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status renew their applications. ”Since the inception of DACA in 2012, JFS has assisted over 1,000 individuals with their DACA applications and renewals,” said CEO Michael Hopkins. “We have seen firsthand how Dreamers build a stronger, healthier, more resilient San Diego.”