Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey

Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey 💪Strengthening Individuals
🏠Helping Families
🌎Serving the Community
🤲Counseling & Support Services
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Jewish Family Service of Central NJ was honored to welcome supporters, volunteers, staff, and community leaders to our A...
06/17/2026

Jewish Family Service of Central NJ was honored to welcome supporters, volunteers, staff, and community leaders to our Annual Meeting Tuesday evening, June 16th at the JFSCNJ Halpern Building.

During the meeting, chaired by outgoing JFSCNJ President, Jennifer Sofield, we proudly welcomed our new Board President, Gerri Rothfleisch, and introduced our newest Board members: Alexander Gottlieb, Lauren Hammer, Gary Liebowitz, and Elisabeth Mlawski.
JFSCNJ Executive Director Russ Shulkes delivered the ED’s Annual Report and Ruth B. Margolin installed officers, and new board members.

We also celebrated the outstanding contributions of our 2026 Volunteers of the Year- Marissa Duarte, Sheryl and Mark Traum – whose dedication, compassion, and commitment have made a meaningful impact on the individuals and families served by JFSCNJ.

Thank you to everyone who joined us as we reflected on our accomplishments, recognized, exceptional service and looked ahead to another year of strengthening our community together.

06/17/2026

On Tuesday, June 16 the JFSCNJ Halpern Building in Elizabeth was filled with music and meaningful connection as Holocaust Survivors, community members, caregivers, JFSCNJ volunteers, and staff gathered for a Cafe Europa event.☕️❤️

The highlight of the day was a special musical performance by musician and violinist Efrat Shapira, who played a wide array of music including, Hebrew, Yiddish, and classical songs. 🎻 🎶

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers Sydney Feminello and Glenn Wohl for their assistance at Cafe Europa.

Café Europa continues to be a cherished opportunity for our Survivors to socialize, reconnect with old friends, and welcome new ones into their community.🙌

Thank you to Stephanie Bash-Soudry, Director of Institutional Advancement at Golda Och Academy, for her generous donatio...
06/15/2026

Thank you to Stephanie Bash-Soudry, Director of Institutional Advancement at Golda Och Academy, for her generous donation of fresh herbs for our Tomchei Shabbos program. These thoughtful additions will help enhance the Shabbat meals distributed to local families in need. Golda Och Academy

Thank you to JFSCNJ social worker Elaine Dill, LCSW, for an engaging and insightful presentation at The Lavy House this ...
06/12/2026

Thank you to JFSCNJ social worker Elaine Dill, LCSW, for an engaging and insightful presentation at The Lavy House this week.
“Goodnight, Mind! – Turn Off Your Noisy Thoughts and Get a Good Night’s Sleep” provided our group of 16 participants with practical tools and techniques to improve sleep and promote relaxation.
As one attendee shared on her way out, “Who knew I could learn so much about sleep and meditation at age 70?”
If you’re interested in future Lavy House programs, please contact Jill Dispenza at [email protected] or 908-666-7033. Temple Emanu-El

A special thank you to the County of Union Open Space Trust Fund/Department of Parks and Recreation for donating an appl...
06/11/2026

A special thank you to the County of Union Open Space Trust Fund/Department of Parks and Recreation for donating an apple tree to the JFSCNJ Zimmerman Fruit & Vegetable Garden! With help from Groundworks Elizabeth (GWE) staff, this beautiful addition was planted and will help provide fresh, healthy produce for our community for years to come. 🏡🪏🪴🧑‍🌾

Pictured from L to R: John Evangelista (GWE, Executive Director), Ryan Walstak (GWE, Director of Operations) Vicki Bilenker (JFSCNJ Board Member), Marissa Duarte (JFSCNJ Garden Intern), Danielle McLeer (Director of Outreach & Volunteers) Eliza (GWE) and Angelica Cedeno (Deputy Administrator, County of Union Space Trust Fund/Dept. of Parks & Recreation).

Caring for a loved one can be rewarding – but it can also feel overwhelming, isolating, exhausting and emotionally drain...
06/11/2026

Caring for a loved one can be rewarding – but it can also feel overwhelming, isolating, exhausting and emotionally draining.

Join us for an educational presentation by Dr. Michael Baglieri, that will provide you with strategies to promote well-being.

Tuesday, June 23rd 2026

6:30 PM – Pizza* 🍕

7:00 PM – Start time 🕰️

*For those in person, all food is according to Kosher Dietary Laws. Program takes place at the JFSCNJ Halpern Building, 655 Westfield Avenue, Elizabeth, and Via Zoom

THIS IS A HYBRID EVENT 📲👥

06/10/2026

Thank you to Marcy Fink, Director, Business & Professionals Network (BPN) and Corporate Partnerships, and Jamie Carus, Senior Program Manager, Center for Volunteerism, at Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ for bringing a wonderful group of volunteers from Deloitte to volunteer at the JFSCNJ Charlotte Shak Food Pantry and the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden last week. 🪏🥕☀️

Thank you as well to Erica Block of Deloitte for spearheading a coat drive to support our holiday Boutique in December.✨🧥

The team spent the day serving clients in the food pantry, assisting with food distribution, and helping ensure our neighbors received the support they needed. They also worked hard mulching the newly designed garden beds, helping to create a beautiful and productive space that will provide fresh produce for our community throughout the growing season.🌻🥬🧑‍🌾

We are grateful for their time, energy, and dedication to service. Thank you for supporting JFSCNJ and helping strengthen our community through your volunteer efforts.🙌

On Holocaust Survivor Day, we join to honor and celebrate the Holocaust Survivors across the United States. This worldwi...
06/03/2026

On Holocaust Survivor Day, we join to honor and celebrate the Holocaust Survivors across the United States. This worldwide initiative is rooted in gratitude for the gift of our Survivors’ legacies and in recognition of their lives, families, and contributions to our communities.

Locally, in South Orange, New Jersey on June 2, 2026, Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Metro West and Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey (JFSCNJ) collaborated for the fifth consecutive year to celebrate and to honor our Survivors. – Over 80 Holocaust Survivors, community members, caregivers, volunteers, and staff from JFSCNJ and JFS MetroWest gathered for Holocaust Survivor Day at Oheb Shalom Congregation in South Orange.

The highlight of the day was a beautiful musical performance by Tizmoret, a nationally acclaimed professional Jewish collegiate Acapella group.

Debbie Rosenwein, Director of Holocaust services at JFSCNJ, and Greg Yucht, Russian Speaking Social Worker at JFSCNJ co-hosted the event with Liz Levy, Masha Penson, and Tova Reich of JFS MetroWest

Holocaust Survivor Day was made possible through the generous support of Jewish Federation of Greater Metro West, Seed the Dream Foundation, Kavod Shef , Conference on Jewish Material Cliams Against Germany, and Wilf Family Foundation.

06/03/2026

On Sunday afternoon, May 31st, JFSCNJ was pleased to host a Dor L’Dor Spring Brunch in partnership with Temple Emanu-El. Holocaust Survivors and young families from the Temple gathered at JFSCNJ for an afternoon of connection, conversation, and musical entertainment.💐🎶

Guests were welcomed by Holocaust Services Director Debbie Rosenwein and Volunteer Coordinator Jill Dispenza. A special thank you to Cara Nathanson from Temple Emanu-El for her efforts in organizing this wonderful event. We also extend our gratitude to Stanley Schwartz for providing beautiful background music throughout the afternoon, and to Bella Jarecki of Westfield for sharing several songs that delighted the group.🙏💗

The brunch celebrated the spirit of Dor L’Dor “from generation to generation,” bringing people together to strengthen relationships, share experiences, and enjoy a warm afternoon of friendship and community.🤝
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We are grateful to The Grotta Fund for Older Adults and The Wilf Family Foundation for their generous support of this intergenerational brunch, helping to create meaningful opportunities for older adults and younger generations to connect, learn from one another, and build a stronger community together.

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Elizabeth, NJ

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+19083528375

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