We would like to take the opportunity to welcome Helen Goldlist as JF&CS’ new Board President. Helen graduated from the University of Toronto in Physical and Occupational Therapy and worked as an O.T. for many years and then in architectural design. She has sat on several boards including the Leo Baeck Day School and Temple Emanu-El and is a past Chair of JVS Toronto.

Helen began volunteering with JF&CS in 2010 and joined the Board in 2013. She has served on the Executive and chaired both the Nominating and Governance Committees. She loves needlework and some of her favorite activities in this area are sewing for her synagogue and teaching kids to design and sew their own creations. Helen and her husband Barry have three children and are thrilled to have four wonderful grandchildren.

Helen is excited to be part of the leadership of our vibrant agency. We are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside her and to learn from her incredible wisdom. We look forward to this new chapter for both Helen and JF&CS. 

Each year, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services conducts an audit of our files and services for children who are in our Extended Care. The purpose of this review is to determine if the placement, services, educational, social, emotional, medical and permanency needs of these children are being identified and appropriately addressed. In any area where we have not achieved full compliance, the Ministry issues a directive. 

This year, we are proud to share that we received only two directives, and that we reached 100% compliance in 94.7% of the categories reviewed. This is an unbelievable result and most importantly, demonstrates the stellar service we provide to our children and youth who are in our Extended Care.

We would like to extend our gratitude, respect and appreciation to the entire JF&CS Resource Team for this achievement. This incredible work is a reflection of the level of dedication, commitment and care that our staff have for their children and youth, as well as the exceptional service that we provide to our clients and community.

The New Year is an opportunity for new beginnings and good health. As we reflect on the past year and a half, adapting to constant changes and continuing to transition our way of life, we are reminded that through every hardship, we have come out stronger together.

The High Holidays, while a time of joy for many, can also be a time of heightened loneliness, isolation and scarcity for others. With your help, JF&CS has sought to mitigate these challenges by continuously offering essential, life-sustaining support to those in need. This year we raised over $30,000 by way of our Rosh Hashanah Tribute Card campaign. This money ensured that 229 vulnerable community members received adequate food and supplies needed for a holiday filled with dignity and celebration. 

Thank you to all who contributed. In doing so, you have given so many the opportunity to experience the holidays with food, holiday essentials and the knowledge that they are cared for.

For more information on holiday tribute cards and e-cards, please click here.

Thank you to all board members, donors, staff and community members who joined us at our Annual General Meeting on Thursday September 23. It was an informative evening highlighting the extraordinary work of the agency during this past pandemic year. In addition, we had the honour of hearing from our keynote speaker, Dr. Sandy Buchman, and recognizing the tremendous efforts of our outgoing President, Sharon List. 

As a palliative care physician, Dr. Buchman shared the struggles that patients often face with end of life care as well as the benefits of palliative care. People have been facing heightened challenges in these realms during the pandemic where some of the challenges facing palliative care have been the need to manage hostile environments, extreme pressure on services, and constant disruptions to the family unit. The unique approach to palliative care that Dr. Buchman spoke about includes the family unit as an integral part of patient care, which has proven to be highly impactful. His personal mandate to ensure that the person is seen as more than the sum of their situation is a value echoed by JF&CS. Programs such as JF&CS’ Jewish Hospice Program and bereavement workshops work in tandem with this innovative approach to palliative care.

Dr. Buchman spoke about an exciting initiative currently under development to build a Residential Hospice, Neshama, that will be grounded in Jewish values. JF&CS is extremely excited to be a partner in this initiative and we look forward to a long and fortuitous partnership together. 

We thank Dr. Buchman for sharing his invaluable knowledge, wisdom and insights with us.

At the end of the evening, we welcomed Helen Goldlist as the incoming President of the Board of Directors for Jewish Family and Child Service.  As a long time volunteer and board member, Helen’s dedication to the agency has been steadfast and we are honoured to have her in this new role.

Click here to view our Annual Report.

This summer, the Family Resource Centre (FRC) offered the workshop series ‘Rhythm of Reading’ which explores the question: why do we read to children? Most adults assume that reading to children is causally related to pre-literacy skills. However, studies reveal that very little attention is being paid to the printed word, with attention to illustrations predominating by at least a 10:1 ratio. 

Sharyn Feldman, Supervisor of the Family Resource Centre, sees first hand the importance of reading as a shared experience between adults and children. ‘Rhythm of Reading’ focusses on children’s interactions during those reading experiences. A large component of that is being aware of the sensory elements involved with children and books. One of the group participants shared how ‘Rhythm of Reading’ gave them insights they hadn’t considered before, “This workshop taught me to think about things like sound and even the texture of the paper. I never thought about texture being part of the reading experience.”

'Rhythm of Reading’ enlightened adults with practical information for positive reading experiences. One participant reflected: “I can’t believe I never thought to sit where I could look at their faces while I read to them. It was eye opening.” Seemingly simple, but these differences make a huge impact in the reading experience for children. Being more aware of children’s surroundings “and being more attuned to the little kids that are being read to”, make huge positive impacts on literacy experiences.

The program was a tremendous success and would not have been possible without the generosity of Bradley and Hilary Hennick who graciously funded this workshop.

For more information on the amazing programs offered at the FRC, please follow us on Facebook or visit our website for registration opportunities. 

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