Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS) held two successful Hope & Healing programs this month. Former Soviet Union Holocaust Survivors enjoyed an informative and entertaining Russian-language presentation on Zoom by Ilya Khinkskiy, titled “History & Politics of Ice Cream & Jews from Abraham to Ben & Jerry’s.” Ilya conducted a trivia quiz with multiple-choice questions about ice cream in the Former Soviet Union. He explained that ice cream likely originated in Mesopotamia during the time of Abraham, then traced its journey to Europe, brought by the Moors through Spain, and ultimately arriving in America through European settlers. He discussed the intertwining histories of Jews and ice cream in the United States, including Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen-Dazs – both with Jewish origins. Ilya concluded his presentation by sharing some of the most peculiar ice cream flavors from around the world: Raw Horse Flesh in Japan; Sheep Intestines in the United Kingdom; and Viagra in Italy. The clients really enjoyed this interactive and interesting program!
Meanwhile, Vineland Holocaust Survivors enjoyed a luncheon in the new offices of the Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties. The room was cozy, and the clients liked seeing everyone around the table, which was a welcome change. Sherri Jonas and Wendy Hernberg from the JFCS Volunteer Department also attended the luncheon. They each introduced themselves, explained their roles at JFCS, and discussed how their work impacts the clients. Everyone was excited to put a face to the names they have read about and the voices they have heard on the phone. After lunch, several clients stayed on to catch up with one another. For some of these clients, this program is their only form of socialization all month. The clients brought home goodie bags, along with challahs and some wonderful, donated books. If anyone has books to donate, please let Ronda Manders know and she will gladly pick them up! Ronda can be reached at rmanders@jfedsnj.org.
To learn more about JFCS supports for Holocaust Survivors, click HERE.
