by George J Elbaum

Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) is a San Francisco Bay Area social services organization whose mission statement is “Serving individuals and families of all faiths and backgrounds, guided by the Jewish value of caring for those in our community most in need.”  As such, JFCS carries a special responsibility within the Jewish community for reaching out to children, the aged, those with special needs, the alienated and the dependent, and for the resettlement and acculturation of refugees and immigrants.  Through its YouthFirst program, JFCS also offers internships for high school and college students as well as placing them in Bay Area firms, thus allowing them to learn important on-the-job skills.  Supporting these internships are YouthFirst workshops focusing on topics such as office etiquette, responsible work behavior, researching job opportunities, résumé writing, and interviewing skills.

My talk was attended by two dozen students in the JFCS Summer Internship program, and was arranged by Katie Cook, the Administrative Coordinator of the JFCS Holocaust Center, and Taylor Epstein, Director of the YouthFirst Programs.  Also attending were Rabbi Daniel Isaacson, Director of Spiritual Care Services, Jaron Kanegson, the new incoming Director of the YouthFirst Programs and Masha Perelman, Coordinator of YouthFirst Programs.

with Taylor Epstein, Director of YouthFirst Programs