Jewish BIGPals urgently needs volunteers to mentor children from single-parent families. More than 12 children are waiting to be matched with a Big Pal. Male volunteers are especially in demand. Interested volunteers are invited to attend a Jewish BIGPals Information Night on Thursday, August 28, 2008 from 6:00-8:00pm at the Turk Family Center. Make a difference in a child’s life and experience the rewards of helping a child develop increased self-esteem, confidence, and Jewish identity. Make a Difference...Make a Friend. Read More | Volunteer

It’s more than a ride—it’s independence, community connection, mobility, and dignity. Launching September 1, 2008, On the Go will provide individual transportation to necessary medical and personal appointments and group transportation to Jewish Family Service's older adult centers, the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, synagogues, grocery stores, and Jewish community events. Volunteer drivers and riders are currently being recruited—call today for information on rides to High Holy Day services! On the Go is a program of the Jewish Senior Services Council delivered by Jewish Family Service. Read More. Contact On the Go. Read about On the Go in the news by clicking here!

Join the Jewish Healing Center for A Time for Reflection and Renewal, an Interfaith Meditation Retreat featuring Sharon Salzberg, contributing editor of O, The Oprah Magazine. As a leading meditation teacher and author, Sharon Salzberg has been a student of Buddhism since 1971. She is cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. The weekend will consist of Beginning Again, a lecture and guided meditation on Friday, September 5 from 7:00-9:00pm, and Tools for Awakening Courage, Faith and Compassion, a weekend meditation retreat on Saturday, September 6 from 9:30am-3:30pm and Sunday, September 7 from 9:30am-3:30pm. Register Online. Read More. Click here for a listing of upcoming Fall programs at the Jewish Healing Center. TO ALL REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS: Please note the change of location. Due to the large amount of registrations, the event will now be held at the Holiday Inn Mission Valley rather than the University of San Diego.

One in four Jewish women experience domestic abuse. And they tend to stay in their abusive relationships 5-7 years longer than their non-Jewish counterparts. On Monday, October 27, 2008, Rabbi Mark Dratch, Founder and CEO of JSafe, will discuss the hurdles survivors and their families face and new steps our community can take to put an end to domestic abuse. Join Project SARAH for this Glatt Kosher Luncheon from 11:30am-1:30pm at Congregation Beth Israel, located at 9001 Towne Center Drive, San Diego, 92122. Tickets are $40 prior to October 8, 2008, and $45 thereafter. Read More. Register Online.

Craig Lambert, Director of Older Adult Services, has been appointed to the City of San Diego’s Senior Affairs Advisory Board, which consists of 11 members selected from senior service delivery professionals and providers and city-at-large seniors over the age of 60. Members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council and serve two-year terms. Read More.

On Sunday, August 23, 2008, Jewish Family Service honored its Friends of the Family at a beautiful reception held at the New Immigrants Museum in Point Loma. Sticking to the themes of immigration and freedom, two refugee families who were resettled by JFS shared their stories of immigration to the United States. JFS resettles more than 250 individuals each year, people who have been forced to leave their homes for fear of persecution. Read more about their stories and the elegant event in the news by clicking here.

Adoption Alliance of Southern California presents The Adoption Experience: A Conference in Honor of National Adoption Month. The conference will be held on Sunday, November 2, 2008 from 10:00am – 2:00pm at the Jewish Family Service Turk Family Center. This year’s conference features Dr. Gary Feldman, Medical Director of the Stramski International Adoption Program. New this year, Adoption Alliance is offering two tracks—one for adoption families and one for adoption professionals. Read More. Register Online.

Join Jewish Family Service on Wednesday, November 5, 2008, for a free evening panel discussion featuring several esteemed professionals in mental health treatment from 7:00-9:00pm. The panel will consist of Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, a well-known teacher and author who will speak about his own depression; Dr. Marc Sternberg, an expert in electroconvulsive therapy; Dr. David Feifel, with an expertise in attention deficit disorder; Dr. Daniel Sewell, a specialist in geriatric psychiatry. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Sid Zisook, a San Diego psychiatrist. This event is sponsored by the Mental Health Committee at Jewish Family Service in collaboration with Congregation Beth Israel. Read More. RSVP online.

Why should kids have all the fun? The University City Senior Center introduces Encore, a new program for active older adults. It's time to make your grandkids jealous for a change. At Encore, the adventures are just beginning. Have you always wanted to act? Learn with a professional coach and be a part of a theatrical production. Looking for people with similar interests to discover San Diego with? Join the group and visit exciting resaurants, attractions, and sights. Looking to travel the world? Learn about top world destinations with experts and plan a trip together with new friends. At Encore, your ideas and interests shape the programs that are offered. Bring your ideas - they're waiting for you! Read More.

Our Adoption Alliance program arranges international adoptions from countries all over the world. Celebrate the many flavors of adoption by learning to make traditional recipes from Ethiopia, Vietnam, China, Russia and Columbia. Hosted by GreatNews! Cooking School and taught by Katherine Emmenegger C.C.C, this class will donate all proceeds to our Adoption Alliance program. The class is on Sunday, October 5, 2008 at 2:00pm and costs $49.00. Recipes include: Ethiopian Spicy Lentil Stew (Yemiser We’t); Mu Shu Chicken; Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup (Pho); Mango Flan and more. Read More.

On Friday, June 20, 2008 the Escondido Firefighters Association presented $32,000 to representatives of five social service agencies: Lutheran Social Services, The Salvation Army, Red Cross, Interfaith Community Services, and Jewish Family Service of San Diego. The Escondido Firefighters Association raised funds through t-shirt sales and monetary donations to assist Escondido families who had lost their homes in the San Diego Wildfires of 2007. Funds were divided among 8 different qualifying families, with $4,000 going to each family to assist with the rebuilding process. Read More. Donate Now. 

When Devora Safran was just a little girl, Jewish Family Service placed her in a loving home. Now, to celebrate her 50th birthday, Devora is giving back to Adoption Alliance to honor the wonderful life she is blessed with. She has embarked on a mid-century journey, determined to walk 5 miles in each of the 50 States before August of 2009 and excited to experience the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges she will encounter along the way. Devora is committed to finding individuals who will help her pledge $1 to Adoption Alliance for each mile she walks. Read More. Support Devora's Walk for Adoption.