10/07/2026
🎗️A message of reflection from our CEO Justin Kohlhagen:
Today marks three years since October 7, 2023, a day of trauma for people in Israel, and one of the darkest days for the Jewish people in generations. We remember the lives that were taken, the hostages and their families, and all the lives forever changed.
As a Jewish agency, this day carries particular meaning for us. Our Jewish identity and values form the foundation for who we are and what we do. Those values call upon us to care for the vulnerable, respond to suffering, strengthen community, and bring compassion and humanity into the world.
JAFCO also values a trauma-informed approach to all that we do.
Our work teaches us that trauma does not end when an event is over. It remains with individuals, families, and communities, and anniversaries can bring difficult emotions back to the surface. I hope we will approach one another today with particular sensitivity and love.
In moments like this, it is easy to feel helpless. And this is not the first time we ask what we can possibly do in the face of so much hatred, violence, and suffering in the world? But I really think we are among the fortunate, because for us the answer is right in front of us.
Every day at JAFCO, we have the opportunity to put more kindness, compassion, safety, and healing into the world. Every child we bring to safety, every family we strengthen, every person we support through trauma, and every act of care answers that question.
Our JAFCO family includes people of many faiths, cultures, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. That is our strength.
Today, we remember those who were lost and those who continue to carry grief and trauma. And then we continue doing what JAFCO does best, bringing more good into the world.
May the memories of those who were lost be a blessing.
