Faces of JFCS

Get to know the lay leaders, donors, volunteers, and staff members who make our life-affirming work possible!

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 [...]

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 [...]

Volunteer Spotlight: Andrea Garber

Andrea joined JFCS as a volunteer in February of 2019. She is a registered nurse who has dedicated more than 15 years to supporting patients and their families at the [...]

Staff Spotlight: Hilary Platt

Meet Hilary Platt, Project SARAH Coordinator! How long have you been working at JFCS? I am starting my 14th year! Tell us about your role.I am the coordinator of the [...]

Board Member Spotlight: Jerry Rothkoff

Meet Jerry Rothkoff! Tell us about yourself. I have been married for 27 years to Erica Rothkoff, and we have five children: Liza, Julia, Evan, Gregory, and Aitan. We live [...]

Staff Spotlight: Sherri Jonas

Meet Sherri Jonas, Director of Volunteers! How long have you been working at JFCS? It will be seven years in August. Tell us about your role. I recruit, place, and [...]

Donor Spotlight: Judy Nadell

Meet Judy Nadell! What inspired you to contribute to JFCS? Over the years, I've been involved in several Jewish Federation outreach initiatives. One that always speaks to my heart is JFCS’s [...]

Board Member Spotlight: Stephanie Fendrick

Meet Stephanie Fendrick! Tell us about yourself. This community has been my home for most of my life. While I moved away for about 15 years, I was raised here, [...]

Staff Spotlight: Oriel Weinberg

Meet Oriel Weinberg, Director of Disability Services! How long have you been working at JFCS? It will be two years this May. Tell us about your role. I assist our [...]