At Jewish Family Service, our commitment to Holocaust Survivors includes ensuring that they age with dignity and maintain their health, independence, and connection to the community.
Supporting Our Holocaust Survivors
We celebrate and honor their resilience, strength, and courage.
Today, our Supporting Our Survivors (SOS) program provides support services to more than 500 Survivors in San Diego and Orange County.
Read op-eds from our CEO, Dana Toppel, and meet some of the Survivors we care for:
Meet Gerald in the Times of San Diego >>
Challah Bake with Survivors and Teens:
Sharing wisdom with the next generation
Supporting Our Survivors in San Diego and Orange County
Meet Helen, Age 104
“Through Café Europa, I’ve made friends with other survivors. We keep in touch — by phone mostly now, but we’re still connected. That’s very important to me.”
Meet Ben, Age 89
“Because of what I went through, I had no teeth in my mouth. I never smiled with an open mouth. But the Jewish Family Service recognized that and helped me. A dentist said, ‘We’ll work on it for you.’ It took a year. I had seven implants. They reengineered my whole mouth. And finally, I can open my mouth and give a smile.”
Meet Laura, Age 85
“Being social, especially when SOS organizes events for Survivors, means the world to me. These activities keep me strong in body and spirit and remind me there is still so much to enjoy.”
Meet Gerald, Age 88
“My mother had a lot of hope, and she knew we needed to survive. Hope is a belief in something better than you have right now.”
Meet Luba, Age 89
“Jewish Family Service makes me feel strong. They make me feel that I still can live. And I still can have joy in life. I don’t know even if there is an aspect of my life that wasn’t touched by Jewish Family Service.”
