Jewish Family and Child Service

Join us at the Schwartz/Reisman Centre - JCC for the Jewish Rainbow Alliance, a monthly support group for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ2S+ individuals. Participants are welcomed into a safe, respectful, and affirming space. Our goal is to provide a venue to share information, learn from each other, and for everyone to feel included, whatever their child’s path may be. All are welcome. Pre-registration is required. For more info or to register, please contact Shirley Shedletsky at 416-638-7800, ext. 6260 or sshedletsky@jfandcs.com.

We email our newsletter directly to your inbox! Stay up-to-date on everything JF&CS by subscribing to Family Matters. Our January issue will be packed with information and news, so visit https://lnkd.in/gU6E6wcS to join our contact list.

We had the best time at our annual Resource Family Chanukah party on December 18! Families gathered at the Lipa Green Centre and participated in fun art activities with clay. Everyone snacked on yummy holiday treats while creating beautiful handmade chanukiahs. JF&CS is glad to be able to celebrate with everyone and commemorate this holiday alongside the rest of our community. Thank you to those who came out to celebrate with us!

We are deeply honoured to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Pinchas Gutter on his appointment to the Order of Canada. This recognition is richly deserved, as Pinchas exemplifies dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment to his community. A tireless advocate for Holocaust survivors, Pinchas has worked relentlessly to ensure that no Survivor is forgotten. As the long-time chair of JF&CS’s Committee for Needy Holocaust Survivors, he continues to champion the needs of those living in poverty in the GTA. Through his leadership, Survivors receive essential support, including emergency medical and dental care, as well as the resources necessary to live with comfort and dignity. Pinchas’s dedication is a true inspiration, and this honour is a testament to his remarkable contributions and legacy.

The Jerome D. Diamond Adolescent Centre (JDD) is an educational day program, offered in partnership with the TDSB, for youth ages 11 to 17 who face mental health barriers in attending a mainstream school. Students who attend classes at the JDD are supported by a team of special education teachers, social workers, a transition support worker, and more. Jewish families do not need to go through the GTA’s centralized intake, rather can contact the JDD directly. The manager of the JDD has done significant outreach to the Jewish day schools as well.   Counselling services are provided to students and their family members or guardians. Youth also meet monthly with Rabbi Mordechai Chemel in a workshop centred around understanding Jewish holidays and concepts. Students have access to a kosher kitchen on site and observe all Jewish holidays.   Feeling part of a community can positively affect our overall well-being and the JDD fosters a safe and encouraging learning environment for those who require additional support.

JF&CS is proud to have hosted a multi-stakeholder event last week on Human Rights Day. Our panel of experts discussed racism and ethnic discrimination impacting Indigenous, Black, and Jewish communities within a human rights framework through the lens of Jewish lived experiences. It was important for the community to come together to reaffirm our commitment to upholding fundamental human rights. This event was made possible by a generous grant from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.

For over 155 years, Jewish Family and Child Service has fostered a safe and welcoming space for the Jewish community in the GTA. With your support, we continue to respond to crises, reinforcing our commitment to being a united community that makes a lasting impact together. Our work has profoundly transformed our clients, staff, and the broader community by providing food, financial assistance, counselling, mental health support, and meaningful opportunities for face-to-face connection. Visit https://lnkd.in/g4ctVjEy to give today and help us reinforce the value of Tikun Olum by Repairing Our Community Together.

Youth like Jaden and Leni are the future leaders of our community. Whether it’s through b’nai mitzvah tzedakah projects, school volunteering, or connecting with their community face-to-face, our young philanthropists are showing their support for JF&CS clients in many ways. “For my bar mitzvah project, I collected toys and arts and crafts for Jewish and non-Jewish kids and families,” Jaden shares. “These gifts go to families in our community and newcomers from Israel so they can have a wonderful and fun Chanukah while being far from their home.” For her school’s community service at CHAT, Leni put together grief kits for JF&CS clients in the therapeutic bereavement group. “For the past five years, Leni has made baskets for the homeless and given them out to those living on the street,” says mother Stephanie. “She wanted to do something similar this year and knew she wanted to help the Jewish community. In the wake of the many losses suffered by our community since October 7, supporting those who are grieving is a very important and worthy cause.” There are a number of opportunities to support your community through JF&CS – on your own, with friends and family, or even with your entire school or synagogue. To learn more about how you can donate, please visit https://lnkd.in/g57M23AX

For Holocaust survivor clients like Maria, our services are crucial. Not only do they provide an increased sense of well-being, but they also offer invaluable comfort and personal dignity. Last year, we delivered over 800 Chanukah cards to Holocaust survivors living in poverty. Each card contained a warm holiday message and a $50 Chanukah gelt gift card. With these cards, Survivors were able to purchase essentials or personal care items of their choosing. Survivors have shared how grateful they were to receive these gift cards last year, so we are privileged to be able to offer them again this year. This initiative is 100% donor-funded, so help us provide this Chanukah gelt again next year by donating at https://lnkd.in/gH-8g2kp

Celebrating and observing the Jewish holidays can be financially challenging - especially for low-income members of our community. However, JF&CS helps our community carry on traditions and recognize the holidays in a meaningful way. Through our Jewish Holiday Assistance programming, we support Jewish people by helping them access High Holiday tickets to local synagogues, distributing hundreds of Kosher Passover food boxes, and being the light for some many families through our Drive for Dreidels Chanukah toy drive. We are proud to unite the community in our shared Jewish identity and foster a unique sense of belonging.