Michael Hopkins and Nadja

With a huge smile and after an equally big hug, Nadja said, “we make the world a better place.” Nadja was one of 30 newly naturalized U.S. citizens who attended a party recently held at JFS. Originally from Peru, Nadja has been in San Diego for more than 25 years but only took the “test” on October 12, 2012. She said it was “very special to take the test on such a significant day.” I looked at her, having no idea of the importance of the date and asked, “The 12th?” She said, “Yes, Columbus Day!”

The party included foods from all over the world representing home countries of the clients and a game of bingo, complete with questions from the citizenship test. I would like to tell you that I knew the answers, but, like the date of Columbus Day, I failed miserably.

In November 2011, our Refugee & Immigration Services department expanded to include citizenship and naturalization services. In the past year, we have submitted 230 citizenship applications on behalf of clients from 23 different countries, the majority of people originating from Mexico and Burma. With the help of this program, 140 people are now United States citizens, including Nadja.

Our program matches volunteer tutors to help people study for their citizenship test, which requires applicants to speak, read, and write in English and learn 100 questions about U.S. history and civics. If you are interested in becoming a tutor or want to learn how you can support Refugee & Immigration Services, please contact Jane at (858) 637-3030. A truly rewarding way to get involved.

I am lucky to work in a wonderful place where heartwarming stories happen all of the time. It is important to stop, reflect, and enjoy these stories of that illustrate the human spirit. Thank you to Joel Craddock, our Divisional Director of Housing and Educational Services, for sharing this tale – may we all live happily ever after.

— Michael

Several months ago, one of our board members put me in contact with a very sweet lady named Eleanor who had knitted 100 caps and wanted to donate them to homeless individuals. Since JFS operates Roy’s Desert Resource Center, a large 120-bed homeless shelter in Palm Springs, the caps were distributed to our clients there. That was this past December—she has now knitted more than 200 caps for our clients at Roy’s. Over the years, Eleanor has knitted hundreds upon hundreds of caps for homeless clients in San Diego…but yarn is expensive and she had asked for donations of scrap yarn in the past to no avail.  When I heard about this, I sent an email to the nearly 300 employees of JFS asking if anyone might have some leftover yarn.  I didn’t know if there were many knitters out there, particularly any with leftover yarn, but thought it was worth the ask.  Below is the text of the email I sent on April 16:

“Once upon a time (NOW), there was a very sweet lady named Eleanor, who desperately wanted to do something to help our clients. She decided to help our homeless clients in the desert by knitting caps of various sizes to fit adults and children alike. She knitted and knitted until she had completed 100 of these beautiful caps. They were given to the clients of Roy’s as holiday gifts in December. Joy abounded throughout the land and word spread of this wonderful gesture.

Fortunately, many of the clients of Roy’s moved on to their own place as new clients came in. But the new clients had no caps to help keep them warm on chilly nights. So, sweet Eleanor began knitting again until, behold, there were 50 more which were again distributed to the clients of Roy’s. As before, there was joy throughout the land. Realizing that this pattern would continue with clients leaving and new ones coming in, Eleanor decided to keep knitting. Today, I will pick up 50 more of these beautiful tokens of caring.

Alas, the story does not end here. For Eleanor to continue her mission of caring, she needs yarn…any kind…any color. So…got yarn? Do you have leftover yarn from that scarf you knitted or do you know someone who used to knit but no longer does? If so, I would love to show our appreciation by donating yarn to Eleanor. She would appreciate it and so will our clients. If you bring it to Turk, I will gladly take it to her.

And we all lived happily ever after.”

And here is the result of that email…

Joel Craddock gets buried beneath the yarn pile!

I didn’t just get leftover yarn, but staff who were knitters also gave me their new yarn.  Others went out and bought yarn. I asked that the donated yarn be dropped off at my office. Within three days, you can see how much I had! On April 26, I had the privilege of delivering everything to Eleanor. Thinking so much would overwhelm her, I told her she didn’t have to take it all. I didn’t want her to feel obligated to be knitting caps for the next five years. But she intends to knit every inch of it into caps, scarves, baby blankets, etc. to give to the clients of JFS.

What an example of the generosity and caring exhibited by our employees every single day! Not only do we help others, we help others help others. So a HUGE THANK YOU to Eleanor and to all the staff who made this a possibility. I am so blessed to be a part of this incredible organization. How can the end of this story be anything other than…and they all lived happily ever after.

Just do it is the highly recognized trademark of Nike and a core component of the Nike brand. Since 1988, this slogan has lifted athletes and others (like me) to strive for the impossible. The slogan suggests not only to just do it, but to not over think it. This week’s Torah portion suggests a better slogan: Why do it?

The portion begins with a few verses about Shabbat, and then the entire remainder deals with the building of the Tabernacle (sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant). From this juxtaposition in the Torah, the Sages derive that one cannot build the Tabernacle on Shabbat. One might think that since the Tabernacle is a means through which an individual attains a deeper relationship with God, the building then seems the restriction of working on Shabbat. But this is not so. Why?

Is it possible that “building” is ultimately a mundane act? When we involve ourselves in the mundane – no matter for what meaningful purpose – we can too easily and quickly forget why we are doing it.

Our staff at JFS distributes food all day long and sees clients hour after hour. Our volunteers drive seniors to destinations all over San Diego and help keep our agency running on a daily basis. We pride ourselves in achieving the highly regarded Charity Navigator Four Star rating five years in a row and having an amazingly successful Gala. If we fail to see how the food provides security, the counseling offers comfort, and the rides enable independence – we fail to see the “why” behind our actions.  And someone building God’s Sanctuary may lose sight of the larger goal and view themselves merely as a builder.

The beauty of Shabbat is that it allows us to stop and reflect. It is a day to take stock of what we are doing and remind ourselves why exactly we are doing it. If the answer is a good one, then Shabbat will help infuse meaning into the week. And if the answer is not a good one, then Shabbat will (hopefully) help us steer our lives toward more meaningful accomplishment.

If we don’t stop on Shabbat and refocus, then even the building of God’s Tabernacle can lose its meaning. In our modern world, Shabbat is vitally needed to give us perspective – every week, without exception. We need to always reflect on Why do it?

Special thanks to Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt of Aish

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kelly, a first-time volunteer at our Hand Up Youth Food Pantry’s distribution at St. Paul’s Cathedral. She was overflowing with thoughts about her experience, and I asked her if she’d be willing to share them on my blog:

I went to St. Paul’s Cathedral near Balboa Park to begin my afternoon at the Hand Up distribution. A big truck pulled up full of food and four tables were quickly set up by staff. Before the Hand Up staff had arrived at St. Paul’s, they’d been busy back at the JFS office, loading hundreds of food bags onto the truck. The bags were divided into two groups: cooking and non-cooking. It didn’t occur to me that some people wouldn’t have the ability to heat up or cook food. There were some kosher, gluten-free, diabetic and other special dietary needs bags, too.

A JFS case manager was there, and she told me that she comes to the distributions every week to try to identify those who could be helped by other JFS services and to follow up with people she’s talked to in the past. She advises people how to apply for CalFresh (food stamps), get ID cards, driver’s licenses, bus passes, and much more. I learned that one reason many people need bus passes is so they can go to other distributions to get more food.

Once everything was set up, everyone found a job in the assembly line. Some new volunteers were in charge of putting five bagels in each bag. Another person, who had been volunteering for four years, put a few onions and apples in each bag. A volunteer from a substance-abuse rehab center and I scooped rice into individual bags. When people moved through the line, they got one of each bag.

It was overwhelming to see all these people, both homeless and employed, young and old, waiting in line to pick up a few bags of food—and they were so gracious. The JFS case manager explained that sometimes people have a job and enough money to pay their rent, but not enough to buy food. Usually when people think of “the hungry” they think of homeless people. But this was not the case.

There was a young woman in line who was smiling and making conversation with everyone. She was unemployed, looking for a job, and was thrilled to stumble upon us giving out food because she really needed it. I also remember a mom–with her two cute little kids who were just bouncing around–without a clue as to why they were there.

I’m grateful for my time volunteering at the distribution. It felt good to know I was helping fellow San Diegans, and it reminded me that there are things more important than myself in this world.

I hope reading about Kelly’s experience at the Hand Up Youth Food Pantry distribution was meaningful to you. She told me that she’s looking forward to coming back and bringing some of her friends next time. Volunteers like Kelly–people who generously donate their time to work at food distributions, help sort donations, assemble food bags, conduct food drives, and pick up donations–are what make the Pantry so successful. Last year, Hand Up provided the hungry in San Diego with 38,805 bags of non-perishable grocery items, 9,600 pounds of bread, 9,434 pounds of frozen meat, and 107,685 pounds of fresh produce, for a grand total of 359,085 pounds of food assistance equivalent to 280,535 meals.

Interested in getting involved? We’d love to have you. Please visit www.jfssd.org/handupvolunteer to learn more.

It was just a little over a year ago when I first met Murray Galinson. I had been meeting many community leaders as part of my interview process for CEO of JFS; one after another they came to the Turk Family Center…all but one. In San Diego, there was only one “Murray” – and I was to meet him in his office. With a little extra dose of anxiety, I walked into his office only to be put immediately at ease. He came out from behind his desk, gave me one of those disarming smiles, a handshake, and sat next to me at his table. If I was supposed to be nervous, I quickly forgot. From my very first meeting, it was clear that I had met a special community leader who was approachable, bright, humble, and had a special place in his heart for the work we do at JFS.

Over the past year, I often called him and asked for some “Murray wisdom” — you know what I am talking about. That simple, sometime humorous approach to a problem that seems overwhelming to you, but clear to him. He always made himself available.

Like every agency in town, Murray’s “fingerprints” are all over JFS’s successes and best decisions. Most recently, he helped us think through the financing of our purchase of 8788 Balboa Avenue, and he chaired last year’s Heart & Soul Gala honoring Jill Spitzer. Many years ago, Murray and Elaine supported, championed, and helped launch our JFS adoption programs.

The memory that I will cherish the most is at a JCRC event this past November at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center. After greeting and chatting with Murray, I stood off to the side as I noticed there was a line of people waiting to talk to him. What I shared with Elaine, as I sat with her at dinner, was that when anyone saw Murray, they immediately had a huge grin on their face.

You couldn’t see Murray without smiling.

Since Friday, the shadow of the Newtown tragedy has been cast over everything — from Hanukkah parties to a performance by the San Diego Gays Men’s Chorus where I found myself quietly wiping away tears after songs were dedicated to the families touched by this latest senseless act of violence.

Coming into the office this morning was no different. JFS staff were either discussing what they did or didn’t talk about with their children this weekend. They said dropping their kids off at school this morning was emotional beyond their imagination.

Feeling emotional, hopeless, scared, and angry are only a few of my feelings. I want our world–our community–to be a better place, but I find myself having more questions than answers. Is this about gun control or school safety? Is this about mental health or about how we respond or treat individuals with disabilities? Or is this about how we raise our children? It seems like what happened that morning is about all of those questions and more.

What is clear is that we do need to talk about our feelings and these issues. For too many people, the stigma of getting help for emotional problems or mental illness keeps them suffering in the silence. What I have come to understand in my own family and in the thousands of families we serve every year is that many families have issues. Not every family needs the help of a social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist, but scores of families do. Anything we can do to make mental health more accessible and acceptable is a step in the right direction.

Many of you have probably heard about the terrible tragedy that occurred this past weekend about the murder/suicide involving the professional football player…and you might be wondering why I’m bringing up such an awful event on my blog. While reading about what happened, I came across an eloquent quote from Kansas City Chiefs back-up quarterback Brady Quinn. His comments could be applied to all of our relationships:

“When you ask someone how they are doing, do you really mean it? When you answer someone back how you are doing, are you really telling the truth? We live in a society of social networks, with Twitter pages and Facebook, and that’s fine, but we have contact with our work associates, our family, our friends, and it seems like half the time we are more preoccupied with our phone and other things going on instead of the actual relationships that we have right in front of us. Hopefully people can learn from this and try to actually help if someone is battling something deeper on the inside than what they are revealing on a day-to-day basis.”

Emotions and loneliness can be heightened during the holiday season. If there’s someone in your life that you suspect might be silently hurting, I encourage you to reach out to help—maybe they just need someone to listen. Or maybe they’ll just be grateful that you cared enough to say something. I’m reminded that especially during this time of the year, it’s important to value our family and friends, and remember how much we need each other when times get tough.

Contact JFS Counseling at (877) 537-1818 if you need someone to talk to.

For most of us, the holidays are a time when families celebrate together and are truly happy. But for some families, life circumstances or challenges can become magnified this time of year. Here at JFS, one particular program that helps families during the holidays is Embrace-A-Family.

The Embrace-A-Family program at JFS matches families in need with “Embracers” who provide clothes, toys, food, small appliances, and gift certificates using a description of the family, including gender and ages of children, and their holiday wish lists.

Many businesses, synagogues, clubs, and schools in San Diego have found that Embrace-A-Family is a great way to brighten the holiday season for struggling families and to bring staff, congregants, and students together for a good cause. Today we wanted to spotlight one of these generous local participants: Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.

The hospital began participating in Embrace-A-Family a few years ago, after being introduced by CEO Gary Fybel and his wife Eve, active members of the San Diego Jewish community. This year, the hospital is embracing an impressive 30 families.

Katherine Kipp is the onsite coordinator for the hospital’s Embrace-A-Family program as well as the Executive Assistant to the CEO. She explains that staff and physicians at the hospital have been exceedingly receptive to the program. “I receive emails and phone calls at the end of October asking me, ‘Have we received our families yet?’ The staff here at Scripps La Jolla is extremely excited to be a part of this program every year.”

Once Katherine receives the list of families from JFS, she sends information to all the department managers. Each of the 15-20 departments at the hospital voluntarily embraces one family. So the Emergency Department embraces a family, Engineering embraces a family, Food & Nutrition Services, Surgery, and Trauma Services and so on…all embrace at least one family. The Administration Department makes it festive by decorating drop-off boxes for the gifts. And after all the donated items are gathered, they take pictures of the piles of gifts accumulated for each family and compile a document with the family descriptions and photos, which is shared with the staff.

If it sounds like they are organized and enthusiastic, they are.

Katherine’s passion for the program is clear. “JFS reaches families regardless of race, nationality, and religious preference. These might be families that are new to the country or are just struggling. It hits every aspect of life and anyone can relate to that. Our support to the program is a reflection of the hospital team efforts to grant the wishes of each of our embraced families.”

Donated gifts from one of Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla’s embraced families last year

JFS still has 140+ families waiting to be Embraced this year. The donation drop off deadline for Hanukkah gifts is December 3-4 and for Christmas is December 9, so there is still time to help! Please click here for details on how to get involved.

We count on our community’s full support – there is something to holiday spirit.

At JFS, we talk about being “one source for a lifetime of help.” What is a lifetime? In a little more than five years, JFS will be 100 years old.  For most, this would be considered a lifetime.

This past Shabbat we read Parshat Chayei Sarah, or the life of Sarah. What is a complete human lifetime, and what does it mean to live a full life? Parshat Chayei Sarah takes on these deeply difficult questions by beginning and ending with death—two deaths that are as unequal as they are momentous in the history of the Jewish people.

The parshah begins: “Sarah’s lifetime—the span of Sarah’s life—came to one hundred and twenty-seven years.”1 A midrash relates that upon hearing that Abraham had nearly slaughtered her son with a knife upon an altar to God, Sarah died suddenly and prematurely.

In contrast, at the end of the parshah, Abraham dies a peaceful, natural death: “This was the total span of Abraham’s life: one hundred and seventy-five years. Whereas Sarah dies in response to her son’s near sacrifice, Abraham lives long enough to witness his twin grandsons’ fifteenth birthdays.

Today, a person’s life expectancy can vary wildly, depending on where she was born. Japan and Hong Kong top the list at an average of 82.7 and 82.2 years, while Afghanistan and Zimbabwe bottom out at 43.6 and 43.4.  People consistently die younger in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and other parts of the Global South. This fact in itself is devastating. The unfulfilled potential of these lives—economic, social and cultural—cannot be measured.

Yet the meaning of a fulfilled, fulfilling life is not captured merely by longevity and the absence of suffering. It must also include emotional satisfaction, the living out of one’s values, and the development of the spirit. Abraham’s contentedness is defined not merely by his wealth or years, but also by his ability to see his grandchildren and to rest in the embrace of his kin.

Abraham was fortunate to die “old and contented,” but what does this phrase mean? The 13th-century commentator Ramban explains: “He saw all the longings of his heart come to pass.” Ramban’s description of Abraham helps us understand that our personal aspirations are no less vital to our lives than our physical well-being.

At JFS we get the privilege to help individuals and families live the life we dream of. Sometimes–divorce, addictions, unemployment, or terminal illness gets in the way of our plans. We get the chance to help clients and our volunteers articulate the full range of what it means, to them, to realize their right to a full life.

Special thanks to Rabbi Guy Izhak Austrian for his insights.

I read an interesting article in the New York Times last weekend about how much of the charitable giving in the United States isn’t earmarked for causes where it’s needed most. Here at JFS, we know that more than 50% of our total $16+m operating budget goes to addressing issues of poverty. We also know that 89 cents on every dollar goes towards programming, as identified in our Charity Navigator 4-star rating. In San Diego County, if someone was truly interested in ensuring that individuals most in need get the help they need, we would be on a short list of charities that are working to help those who are less fortunate.

Read the article here.