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Together, We Transform Lives

2024-12-16T15:15:37-05:00December 13th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , |

Every day Westchester residents of all backgrounds who face mental health, trauma, disability, parenting, aging, and other challenges are provided life-saving services and programs at Westchester Jewish Community Services. It is our privilege and passion to help nearly 20,000 people each year. But we can’t do it without you! Our Year End Appeal is happening now! Every new and increased gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $25,000 with a Matching Gift from the Mensch Family in memory of Reggi Mensch. Your generosity transforms the lives of those we serve. With your help, we offer dozens of ...

Community Counts: Coming Together to Celebrate Holidays

2024-12-11T14:00:13-05:00December 12th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Loneliness was declared a public health epidemic in 2023 by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. A 2024 American Psychiatric Association poll found that 30% of adults reported having experienced feelings of loneliness at least once a week during the past year. Ten percent said they feel lonely every day. The array of programs and services we offer at Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS), one of the largest non-profit agencies in Westchester, range from mental health, trauma, and disabilities to senior care, early childhood development, educational enrichment, LGBTQ+, caregiver support, Jewish educational, spiritual, and cultural enrichment, and much more. What ...

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

2024-10-10T13:14:37-04:00October 8th, 2024|Categories: Mental Health, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , |

October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Relationship violence affects millions of people, both children and adults, and can leave long-lasting physical, emotional, and psychological scars. WJCS is proud to partner with the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation in our Margaret's Place program, which provides safe spaces within Westchester public schools where middle school and high school students can share their experience with relationship violence, get counseling, and find hope and healing. Margaret Place educates youth and school communities about violence prevention and engages peer leaders in public awareness programs. While most people recognize how dangerous domestic violence is, both ...

Westchester Jewish Community Services and Family Service Society of Yonkers Announce Strategic Affiliation

2024-09-20T13:40:17-04:00September 26th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , |

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS), one of the largest non-sectarian, not-for-profit human services agencies in Westchester County, and Family Service Society of Yonkers (FSSY), a human services agency with a 140-year history of serving the Westchester community, are proud to announce they have entered into a strategic affiliation, to take effect October 1st. This partnership will enhance the reach and depth of services provided to the residents of Westchester County. Through this affiliation, WJCS and FSSY will deliver a comprehensive and coordinated range of human services that will better support youth, the elderly, and families in Yonkers and the ...

Volunteer Spotlight: Murray Forseter

2024-11-01T16:17:33-04:00August 23rd, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , |

1,600 home-delivered meals to seniors! That is the astounding number of meals WJCS Murray Forseter estimates he has delivered to senior residents in Yonkers, Scarsdale, Mount Vernon, White Plains, and Hartsdale since he began volunteering in the WJCS senior food program 15 years ago. Murray began volunteering at WJCS after retiring from a successful career in publishing in 2009. Now, 75, he made his last food delivery on June 26th and marked the milestone by publishing a post, entitled “Delivering Food to the Greatest Generation,” on his blog called No Socks Needed Anymore.  In his post, Murray shares stories ...

WJCS Awarded $35,000 Grant from Aging in America

2024-07-03T11:17:30-04:00July 11th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) is proud to announce it has been awarded a $35,000 grant from Aging in America to support Geriatric Care Management. The grant will support Geriatric Care Management services to low-income, frail elderly individuals throughout Westchester County to maintain and enhance their physical and emotional quality of life. “For many seniors, especially those who live alone, life can become progressively more challenging and isolating, compromising their ability to age well and safely in place,” said WJCS CEO Seth Diamond. “Stressors, such as chronic medical conditions, the loss of a spouse, lack of connection to family or ...

WJCS 2024 Gala: A Resounding Success!

2024-04-18T15:46:28-04:00April 17th, 2024|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , , , , , |

(From left) Seth Diamond, CEO; Meira Fleisch, Honoree; Stephanie Marquesano, Honoree; Lauren Candela-Katz, Chief Advancement Officer; Shannon Van Loon, Chief Program Officer Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) held a hugely successful Gala at Brae Burn Country Club on Tuesday April 16th with hundreds of Westchester community and business leaders, government officials, and Westchester residents, all passionate advocates for helping those in need in Westchester County. The event honorees were Meira Fleisch of Larchmont, a child and family advocate and longtime WJCS Board member who was an Early Learning Specialist in the WJCS ParentChild+ program for many years, and Stephanie ...

Post-October 7th: Supporting the Jewish Community

2024-04-08T17:24:40-04:00April 8th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

The October 7th massacre committed by Hamas terrorists in Israel has stung all those in the Jewish community as well as many people who are just plainly appalled at the barbaric savagery and kidnapping that took place. The Jewish Programs division at WJCS has been actively supporting youth, adults, and the elderly during this frightening and devastating period in numerous ways. Our focus has been on addressing mental health and building resilience, which includes offering education about trauma and building coping skills. WJCS partners with over 25 synagogues, Jewish nursery and day schools, JCCs, and assisted living facilities. We have ...

EARTH MONTH NEWS: WJCS Furthers its Commitment to Sustainability

2024-04-03T10:50:54-04:00April 2nd, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Solar Panels Installed at WJCS Headquarters in North White Plains  A new state-of-the-art solar system seamlessly positioned on the roof of WJCS.  April is Earth Month! WJCS is proud to announce the installation of solar panels atop its headquarters in North White Plains. The initiative underscores WJCS's commitment to sustainability and its dedication to fostering a healthier, more resilient community.  The solar panel is the latest step taken by WJCS, a member of the Green Business Partnership, to reduce its carbon footprint. The state of the solar panels will generate clean, sustainable electricity, significantly decreasing reliance on traditional energy ...

Supporting Families: Building Skills to Help Them Thrive

2024-04-03T10:47:46-04:00February 26th, 2024|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Ten percent of children in Westchester county live below the poverty line. Boosting the educational, social, and emotional skills of the next generation has invaluable long-term impact. By supporting children, youth, and families, we are ensuring positive outcomes for them now and in the future. WJCS recognizes that every child deserves to have the skills, tools, resources, and affirmations they need to be prepared for and thrive in school. WJCS is devoted to decreasing the effects of socioeconomic disparities and promoting parent-child engagement, early literacy, and social-emotional building for families from under-resourced and marginalized communities. After-school programs promote positive ...

Meet Our WJCS 2024 Gala Honorees!

2024-02-22T10:01:32-05:00February 22nd, 2024|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) is proud to be hosting its annual Gala on April 16, 2024, at 6pm at the Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, NY. The Gala will be honoring Meira Fleisch, a Board member and longtime Early Learning Specialist at WJCS, and Stephanie Marquesano, Founder and President of the harris project. "We are thrilled to honor Meira Fleisch and Stephanie Marquesano, two remarkable individuals who have consistently used their outstanding skills and deep compassion to improve the lives and future of children, youth, and families,” said WJCS CEO Seth Diamond. "Each of these people are ...

Helping People with Disabilities Enjoy a Full Life

2024-02-22T09:57:25-05:00February 20th, 2024|Categories: Disabilities, Mental Health, Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

People with disabilities tend to experience loneliness and social isolation at significantly higher rates than people without disabilities. They are also at a higher risk for experiencing trauma. Loneliness is a particularly significant driver of poor well-being among people with a disability. Interventions to reduce loneliness make a huge impact. The adults we serve are eager to lead rich, full lives—but they need support. They need help with life skills, like time management and helping with household chores to the best of their ability. They need vocational counseling and opportunities for recreation, socialization, and community involvement. And, some individuals need significant daily care. "All of us ...

Tips for Family Caregivers

2024-10-16T12:25:14-04:00February 16th, 2024|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , |

November is National Family Caregivers Month! Here are some tips for caregivers from WJCS: Create a network of support for you and your loved one, including medical professionals, family, friends, neighbors, and mental health and recreational services. Put your oxygen mask on first! If you aren’t caring for yourself you cannot care for a loved one. Exercise, eat right, see friends and family, ask yourself what brings you peace and comfort. Caregiving is a balance of attending to your loved one and finding activity and joy outside of the caregiving. Get respite from the caregiving when you can even if ...

Building Trust in Community

2024-02-22T09:54:26-05:00February 7th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

To quote Mr. Rogers, “All of us, at some time or other need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world.” WJCS helps people in our community of all ages and backgrounds who face difficult challenges in life and need additional support to build a strong foundation of well-being to strengthen their ability to weather life’s storms. Whether people are experiencing mental health, trauma, disability, aging, educational, or often systemic challenges, we all know that accessing support can be very difficult. Being a champion of WJCS means you ...

Antisemitic Graffiti in Westchester: A Message from our CEO

2024-02-01T11:53:27-05:00January 31st, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , |

By now I am sure many of you have heard of the terrible act of antisemitism early Thursday morning January 25th at the Golden Horeshoe, a shopping center on the border of New Rochelle and Scarsdale. The perpetrators of this abhorrent act wrote antisemitic graffiti, on stores at the shopping center but not just on any stores. They deliberately chose those shops which had proudly announced that they stand with Israel. I know you join me in condemning this act of vandalism in the strongest possible terms.   This latest antisemitic act comes, as we have discussed, amidst the ...

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

2024-02-01T11:53:55-05:00January 30th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , |

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is always an emotional observance of the devastating genocide committed during World War II. This year's commemoration, taking place from the evening of January 26th through January 27th, is especially difficult, given the horrifying increase of antisemitism—in our own backyard in Westchester and New York City, in the U.S. in general, and worldwide. We feel very privileged at WJCS to be able to support Holocaust survivors in Westchester. Their strength and resilience and love of life continually inspire us. We are proud to provide support groups and holiday celebrations for our aging population of Holocaust survivors. ...

Response to the Hamas Terrorist Attacks: A Message from WJCS CEO Seth Diamond

2023-12-20T13:05:03-05:00December 19th, 2023|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I know we all have been devastated by the reports of the horrific terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel. As President Biden said, “there are moments in this life when pure, unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world.” That is what we witnessed over the weekend, pure evil. Words cannot adequately express our anger at the murderous acts and torture , our sorrow for the victims, and our worry about the fate of those taken hostage. Coming after the close of a joyous Jewish holiday, the scenes are particularly painful. Many who only a few days earlier ...

WJCS Named a Community Champion

2023-11-28T14:31:04-05:00November 28th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

WJCS helps seniors throughout Westchester County to help them stay engaged in their communities and age in place safely with dignity. We are thrilled that WJCS has been recognized as a Community Champion by the Westchester Public/Private Partnership Membership Fund for Aging Services. Among the many programs and services offered by our Senior Care program, supervised by Judy Fink, LCSW, are: Care and Case Management which involves our staff assisting clients, families, and caregivers by providing them with the information and assistance they need, whether it is via phone calls, emails, or home visits. “We ensure that seniors obtain ...

You Can Help Us Comfort the Westchester Community

2023-11-20T10:53:16-05:00November 16th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

The attacks in Israel on October 7th and the ensuing war have sparked shock, horror, and fear. Our community continues to experience stress and we are continuing to provide services for those who are suffering. Together we can ease the pain and create a healing space for our community. WJCS clinicians have led dozens of support groups for individuals struggling with emotional difficulties due to these horrible events and the rise in antisemitism worldwide. We've provided individual and group counseling to terrified teens, adults, and the elderly, including Holocaust survivors who are seeing their worst fears of "Never Again" ...

Now What? 6 Steps After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

2023-11-15T13:09:18-05:00November 5th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Has your loved one been recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Dementia? If so, all of a sudden, you probably have a lot on your plate…. Maybe you have been putting off making financial and legal plans for the future. Perhaps you are rethinking your living situation. Here are first steps you may want to take after a diagnosis: Contact an elder care attorney to discuss your financial planning and need for a power of attorney, will, and advanced directives. Connect your loved one to proper medical care, including a gerontologist and a neurological team. Evaluate your home environment to ensure ...

Celebrating LGBTQIA+ History Month

2023-12-20T12:24:40-05:00November 5th, 2023|Categories: Center Lane for LGBTQ+ Youth, Feature, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

On October 14, 2023, a rainy cold Westchester Saturday, in a series of rainy Saturdays, youth from all over Westchester attended WJCS’s Center Lane Youth Pride event, celebrating LGTQIA+ History Month, hosted at Westchester Jewish Community Service (WJCS) headquarters in North White Plains. WJCS Center Lane is the first and still is the only center in Westchester County for LGBTQIA+ youth. The event was originally scheduled to take place outdoors, but the weather brought everyone inside, where two levels of the building were utilized and full of the bright good cheer of the day’s participants. Upstairs, Center Lane staff ...

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