News & Events

The annual Phyllis Ringel Memorial Lecture took place on September 10 with guest speaker Barbara Yudis, LSW discussing Adolescents & Social Media: The Parenting Dilemma. Yudis began by noting some of the benefits social media offered during the pandemic such as allowing people to maintain longterm relationships, connecting them with other like-minded individuals, helping shy […]

Social media can be used for good, but it will take education and perseverance to help our children navigate the online world. Educating our children about the risks can lead to better adjusted and well-rounded children who feel confident in their ability to use social media for good. Watch our Phyllis Ringel Memorial Lecture below

Laura Garber, LSW, joins Jewish Family Service as an outpatient counselor to address expanding counseling needs in the Lehigh Valley. Garber received a Bachelor of Arts in political science at Penn State University and earned a Master of Social Science at Bryn Mawr College. What brought you to JFS? While I have lived in the

I am celebrating 18 years of being a Jewish Family Service Executive Director – the first eight at JFS of Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the past 10 as your JFSLV Executive Director. Wendy Rapoport, MSW, LCSW, and Marcia Schechter, MS, RN, are the only current staff members who were at the agency before I

JFS hosted volunteers, staff, and board members at Jay’s Local on April 24, 2023 in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month with food, drinks, and laughs. “Volunteers are the backbone of the agency, giving from their hearts and with smiles on their faces,” said Jennifer Oxfeld, Volunteer Coordinator.

Jean Munn, a Bachelor of Social Work student from Cedar Crest College, spent the 2022-23 academic year as an intern at Jewish Family Service. She entered this position with more than six years of experience working with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities at Via of the Lehigh Valley. Under the supervision of Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper,

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, a month to recognize the impact volunteers make on our businesses and in our community. More than 80 active volunteers from all over the Lehigh Valley help Jewish Family Service realize our vision that no one in our community should suffer hunger, isolation, abandonment, emotional or physical distress, or lack

Schmooze & Schmear is a monthly discussion group for retired gentlemen. Facilitated by JFS volunteers Sam Bub and Leon Zoller, this interest-based program draws an average of 20 participants from across the Lehigh Valley who meet monthly at Temple Beth El to socialize with their peers, enjoy a bagel with a schmear, and participate in

February is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), a unified effort among Jewish organizations to raise awareness and foster acceptance and inclusion of people with disabilities and mental health conditions. This year, Jewish Family Service will host two events celebrating inclusion. PJ Library Learns about Inclusion This Zoom program offered in partnership with

Jewish Family Service operated a “choice model” pantry since 2013. On March 19, 2020, it was forced to halt all food distribution due to the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order. This restriction affected 120 households who relied on the Community Food Pantry to feed their families. Six weeks later JFS was able to resume food distribution, using