Author Archives: Rachael Ovitz

Empowering Futures Through Culinary Training: Soups & Sweets Receives Transformative Grant from the Truist Foundation

Have you ever considered the challenges individuals with disabilities face when seeking meaningful employment? It’s not just about securing a job—it’s about having access to the right skills, training, and support to succeed. That’s where Soups & Sweets, our specialized culinary training program, makes a difference. Designed to empower individuals with diverse learning needs, Soups [...]

Souper Bowl of Kindness: Fighting Hunger One Soup at a Time

While millions of Eagles Fans are getting ready for Super Bowl LIX this weekend, Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS) is holding  a “Souper Bowl of Kindness” to help combat hunger in Southern New Jersey! Our goal is to collect hundreds of Kosher soups to ensure that struggling community members have a hot and hearty [...]

Seeking Volunteer Delivery Helpers!

JFCS relies upon the support of hundreds of volunteers to carry out our life-affirming mission. At this time, we are urgently seeking new volunteer drivers to deliver groceries to clients of our Rhona Fischer Family Assistance Program throughout Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties. Volunteers must be available Monday through Thursday, and must be able to commit [...]

Board Member Spotlight: Melissa Firstenberg (she/her)

Meet Melissa Firstenberg (she/her)! Tell us about yourself. I grew up in central Jersey (which does exist) and came to Philadelphia to study Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, and Mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania, moving to Marlton, NJ in the late 1990s after school. As a trusted industrial cybersecurity professional, I participate actively in industry [...]

Unlocking the Power of Service through Volunteerism

As we are beginning 2025, and it’s just days after commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy of service, we are reminded of a profound partnership that exemplified the universal power of working toward justice and healing. Dr. King and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the most influential Jewish theologians of the 20th century, [...]

Join us in spreading kindness…Support our annual MLK Day food drive!

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let's honor Dr. King's legacy of service by coming together to support those in need. We are thrilled to announce our annual food drive benefiting the Betsy & Peter Fischer Food Pantry on Monday, January 20 from 10am to 1pm, and we need your help to keep the shelves [...]

Winter session of our Grief Support Group begins on January 21

The death of a spouse or life partner is one of the most painful things most people will ever endure. While each one of us experiences grief, mourning, and adjustment in our own unique way, no one should have to go through the process on their own. As part of our commitment to support community [...]

Volunteer Spotlight: Mort Mekler

Meet Mort Mekler! Born in Israel, Mort moved to New York after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. He was the Senior Director of Service Delivery at Broadridge Financial Services, Inc. and retired after devoting 38 years to the company. He currently lives in Cherry Hill and has been happily married to Judy Griffin for five years. [...]

A Joyous Chanukah Celebration Honoring Holocaust Survivors and a Special Birthday Milestone

On Thursday, December 19, 2024, JFCS had the pleasure of hosting our annual Love Café Europa Program's Chanukah celebration. The Katz JCC social hall was packed with Holocaust Survivors, family members, staff, volunteers, and students and teachers from Politz Day School of Cherry Hill. Everyone enjoyed a delicious dairy lunch, replete with latkes and jelly [...]