Clara Simon, JFS senior resource specialist, left, is shown here with Alla Umanskaya, a recipient of the new Jewish Family Services Holocaust Survivors Support Services.
ALBANY — Originally established in 1854 to help Jewish immigrant families resettle in the Albany area, Jewish Family Services (JFS) has grown into a broad direct service agency that serves people of all ages and backgrounds in 16 counties throughout the region. This month, JFS celebrates 170 years of service and kicks off a new initiative to provide critical emergency funding for Holocaust survivors through a new affiliation with KAVOD SHEF, in partnership with Seed the Dream Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York.
Through this new partnership, funds JFS raises to aid local Holocaust survivors will be matched dollar for-dollar by KAVOD SHEF. Funds will help cover essential services such as dental, vision, medical care, food, emergency home care, transportation, utilities, rent support, and home repairs. Many survivors face choices between heat or food, medicine or rent, with more than 30%of survivors living near or below the poverty levels.
Supporting local Holocaust survivors with emergency funds, as well as social programs, information and resources, and expert care management, also funded in part by the New York State Holocaust Survivor Initiative, is just one of the many ways JFS is supporting the community. Staff provide an average of 2,000 client interactions monthly, helping individuals and families with food insecurity, medical advocacy, transportation, financial management, grocery shopping, and mental health services. JFS offers services for school-age children through older adults; the organization saw massive growth in community needs during the pandemic, when care management increased by 400% from 2020 to 2023.
JFS has gone from helping approximately 25 local families in its early days to nearly 25,000 client interactions in 2024. Funding for the agency and its programming is sourced primarily through private, local and state grants, as well as private donations.
“One of the aspects that makes Jewish Family Services such a uniquely effective organization is that our care staff makes home visits, unlike other human services agencies,” says Jane Ginsburg, JFS president and CEO. “When we say ‘we’re here for you’— we truly mean it. The community knows they can count on us.”
JFS’s full array of initiatives will be highlighted on Thursday, Dec. 5, as the organization notes its anniversary at its JFS Generations Celebration, to be held at Beth Emeth, 100 Academy Rd., Albany, at 6 p.m. Proceeds from the event help underwrite the cost of the many free services that JFS provides to the community.
Mark and Jane Levine will be honored with the Anschel Weiss Community Builders Award, presented by Julie Massry Knox, representing the presenting sponsor, the Massry family. “The Levines are widely recognized for their unwavering commitment to providing compassionate care to area families as the long-time owners of the Levine Memorial Chapel in Albany,” said Jane Ginsburg.
JFS will also toast its 2024 CommunityMensches—29 individuals who have displayed a commitment to volunteerism in the community.
WNYT news anchor Dan Levy will emcee the JFS Generations Celebration, with entertainment by Band of
Gold and Cantor Shira Ginsburg, creator of “Bubby’s Kitchen.” Neil Golub will address attendees as the
event’s premiere sponsor, speaking about the vital role JFS plays in the community.
Details about tickets or sponsorship opportunities may be obtained at jfsneny.org/170th or by calling 518-516-1102
