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Spring 2026 Newsletter

2026-05-13T11:24:42-04:00May 13th, 2026|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , |

Thanks to your compassion and support, WJCS transforms the lives of  Westchester residents all ages and backgrounds. Here, some recent program and staff highlights. WJCS Early Childhood programs of Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, and Mount Vernon came together at libraries across Westchester County to celebrate the Week of the Young Child/El Dia de los Niños. Children and their families and caregivers enjoyed storytimes, sing-a-longs, and arts and crafts donated by Made with Love Studio! WJCS Shelanu’s Target Sweep event was a night of laughter, friendly competition, and meaningful skill-building. Members of our Shelanu friendship community for individuals on the autism spectrum practiced ...

Shelanu: Transformation Begins Here

2026-05-08T14:54:19-04:00May 8th, 2026|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , |

by Nicholas Primavera, Coordinator of WJCS Shelanu & Supper Club Program This week, I had the opportunity to interview some of our members about the word “bullying” and how Shelanu has helped them grow. One member shared that before joining Shelanu, they were bullied and struggled with confidence. Since becoming part of the program, they have built friendships, worked toward goals, and even achieved impressive degrees. Another member explained that one of the best ways to handle bullying was to block out negativity and not engage with hurtful comments. Choosing peace over conflict helped them move forward. One inspiring ...

WJCS Early Childhood Programs Celebrate the Week of the Young Child & El Día de los Niños

2026-05-07T16:21:17-04:00May 7th, 2026|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , , |

This April, WJCS Early Childhood Programs proudly celebrated the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)'s 2026 Week of the Young Child and El Día de los Niños with a series of joyful, family-centered events across Westchester County. These celebrations highlighted the importance of play, creativity, and community while bringing together children, parents, caregivers, and community partners in warm and welcoming spaces. In Mount Vernon, families gathered at the local library for a festive evening filled with connection and fun. Children shared pizza, participated in a lively story time, and enjoyed creating a hands-on craft. The event offered ...

Superhero Therapy: An Innovative Way to Get Kids to Open Up

2026-04-24T17:06:33-04:00April 24th, 2026|Categories: Mental Health, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , , |

Most children have favorite superheroes. For Geovany Martinez, Clinic Director for the Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) Clinic in Yonkers, those superheroes are the doorway into the thoughts and feelings of his young clients. In individual therapy as well as in the Superhero Play Therapy Groups he conducts, Martinez uses characters from pop culture to help young clients, usually between the ages of five to nine, talk about their distress, symptoms, and stories.  Martinez’s office is filled with superhero stickers on the wall and superhero figurines. It’s an environment which invites discussion about beloved superheroes and TV characters. "Hearing someone ...

It’s not too late to Give for Good!

2026-04-23T14:57:00-04:00April 23rd, 2026|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

What a thrill it was to gather at last week's Gala to celebrate the life-changing work of WJCS! We're so grateful to our courageous clients who shared their powerful stories of struggle and resilience and to our attendees who gave so generously at our Give for Good Auction. If you missed our spectacular Gala, not to worry! You can hear the personal and inspiring stories shared by WJCS clients at the event by watching their videos below. At our Gala, we heard from people whose lives are immeasurably better because of WJCS. Meet Sonjaia, who has triumphed over mental ...

Volunteer Appreciation Week 2026

2026-04-22T15:42:14-04:00April 22nd, 2026|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , , , |

It’s Volunteer Appreciation Week! All of us at WJCS are so grateful to the 300+ incredible individuals who have given their time, energy, and hearts to WJCS in the past year. Volunteers play a vital role in helping us support, uplift, and empower individuals and families across Westchester. You are helping people in our community feel seen, supported, and less alone. That is a gift that cannot be measured. We are honored to have such dedicated partners in this work. Whether it is in hours spent sorting donations in our food pantry, packing care packages or hygiene kits, delivering ...

WJCS 2026 Gala: A Resounding Success!

2026-05-06T13:11:07-04:00April 22nd, 2026|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) hosted its 2026 Gala on April 15th at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, New York. More than 330 attendees—Westchester business, community, and political leaders, including Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg, and Assemblyman Chris Burdick, turned out to support the agency's major fundraising event of the year. WJCS, founded in 1943, is one of the largest human service organizations in Westchester, providing help to nearly 20,000 county residents of all ages and backgrounds each year. WJCS honored Marion Morgenthal, co-founder of the WJCS POINT ...

WJCS Announces 2026 Gala Honoring Community Leaders and Transformative Partnerships

2026-04-13T16:03:17-04:00March 11th, 2026|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , , |

Westchester County, NY — Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) proudly announces its 2026 Gala, to be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, NY at 6:30pm. The evening will celebrate visionary leaders and partners whose dedication and innovation have profoundly strengthened the Westchester community. At this year’s Gala, WJCS will honor: Marion Morgenthal, co-founder of POINT (Pursuing Our INdependence Together), an independent living community in White Plains that empowers young adults with developmental disabilities to live with dignity, purpose, and increasing independence. Joe Torre Safe At Home, WJCS’s partner in operating Margaret’s Place, a ...

Join Us at our WJCS 2026 Gala!

2026-04-13T13:41:19-04:00February 23rd, 2026|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) is proud to announce that it will be hosting its 2026 Gala on Wednesday, April 15 at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, NY. The Gala will be honoring Marion Morgenthal, co-founder of POINT (Pursuing Our INdependence Together), an independent living community for young adults with developmental disabilities in White Plains, recognizing Joe Torre Safe at Home, with whom WJCS operates Margaret's Place, a program dedicated to ending the cycle of domestic violence and abuse through education, support, and empowerment, and presenting the Young Leadership Award to Yael Friedland who founded and leads Share ...

Meet Our WJCS 2026 Gala Honorees!

2026-04-13T16:13:08-04:00February 2nd, 2026|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , , |

WJCS is thrilled to honor at our 2026 Gala the remarkable contributions of individuals and agencies that have worked in partnership with WJCS to have a transformative impact on Westchester.   Honoring Marion Morgenthal Co-Founder of POINT Marion Morgenthal is the mother of two sons, one of whom has significant learning disabilities. In managing his education, Marion and her husband, Lance Lynford, navigated various special education programs, a boarding school for neurodiverse students, and a vocation-focused post-secondary program. It was when they were facing the end of formal education that Marion, Lance, and families they had met along the ...

Black History Month: A Note From Our CEO

2026-02-02T13:45:04-05:00February 2nd, 2026|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: |

As we start the beginning of Black History Month, we take time to recognize and honor the profound contributions of Black Americans to our nation’s history, culture, and ongoing pursuit of justice. It is also a moment for us at Westchester Jewish Community Services to acknowledge and appreciate our Black colleagues whose leadership, care, insight, and commitment strengthen our organization and deepen our impact every day. Your work matters, and we are grateful for it. Some of you may have seen the news recently of the death of Claudette Colvin at the age of 86. In March of 1955, ...

Family Volunteer Day Event: Food Pantry Drive 2026

2026-01-20T14:26:47-05:00January 20th, 2026|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , |

More than 95 volunteers gathered at Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) Headquarters in White Plains on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for a Family Volunteer Event. Children and their parents assembled 50 Winter Hug Care Packages filled with soup cans, hot cocoa packets, tea bags, milk cartons, mittens, Teddy Bears, and hats that will be distributed families in need through our Food Pantry at the WJCS Mary J. Blige Center in Yonkers, NY. Participants also donated 20 cases of pasta, rice, beans, crackers, cereal, shelf stable milk, and more. "These community donations of essential goods are so important to ...

Annual 2026 New Year’s Staff Luncheon

2026-01-13T13:33:52-05:00January 13th, 2026|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , , |

Our Annual New Year's Luncheon at Mulino's at Lake Isle was a joyous celebration for all of our WJCS and Family Service Society of Yonkers (FSSY) staff, along with many of our Board members joining us. It was an afternoon of camaraderie, gratitude for all we've been able to achieve with our clients across Westchester during the last year, recognizing our 2025 Staff Award recipients, fabulous food, and even a fun game of trivia with prizes distributed. Thank you to Steven Schnur Photography for capturing our staff members' smiling faces!

20th Annual WJCS Have a Heart for the Holidays Luncheon

2025-12-03T12:41:28-05:00November 20th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , |

Scarsdale resident and Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) Board member Linda Plattus hosted her 20th annual luncheon, along with WJCS Board Members Sarah Kayle and Nina Ross; NextGen Council Members Yael Friedland and Samantha Stavis; and Host Committee Michelle Dinenberg, Poornima Eber, Allison Friedland, Fara Friedman, Jennifer Galeon, Jessica Levinson, Jessica Eckhaus Modell, and Robin Silk on November 19. The luncheon raised over $10,000 and more than 250 toys have been collected so far. Local community groups are expected to collect close to 1,000 more toys in the next few weeks. Gifts will be distributed to WJCS ...

Family Volunteer Day Event: Personal Care Kit Drive 2025

2025-11-19T13:19:57-05:00November 18th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , |

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) was proud to host its first Family Volunteer Day Event on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2025, at Headquarters in White Plains, NY. Approximately 60 children, parents, families, and local community groups, including Girl Scouts Troops #2190 and #2775, and members of the Young Men’s Service League of Westchester gathered at WJCS to volunteer their time. Donors contributed nearly $3,000 in much-needed supplies for hygiene kits that will be distributed to WJCS Satellite School-based Clinics in 11 different schools located in Peekskill, Elmsford, Rye, Eastchester, and Yonkers. Volunteers packed 206 Personal Care Kits filled with ...

The WJCS ParentChild Center Celebrates 25 Years in New Rochelle!

2025-10-29T16:49:12-04:00October 29th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage|Tags: , , , , , |

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) hosted a joyful celebration of the 25th Anniversary of its Parent-Child Center in New Rochelle on Tuesday, October 21st. Music, toys, games, block building, and other fun activities were all part of the festivities. Dozens of children, WJCS staff, and Assemblyman Steven Otis were on hand to take part in the quarter-century milestone occasion. The WJCS Parent-Child Center is a free drop-in play group for young children, from birth to 4 years old, and their parents or caregivers. "It is a thrill to see children develop verbally, emotionally, socially, and cognitively over the course ...

WJCS Annual 2025 Sukkot Luncheon for Holocaust Survivors

2025-10-20T13:20:15-04:00October 10th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

More than 50 Holocaust Survivors, along with their relatives and caregivers, gathered on Thursday, October 9th to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale. The luncheon, hosted by Westchester Jewish Community Services, was attended by Congressman George Latimer, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, State Senator Shelley B. Mayer, and Michael Elkin, CFO of the Claims Conference (Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany). WJCS CEO Seth Diamond, and Allison Danzig, Coordinator of WJCS Holocaust Survivor Services, spoke to the guests, which also included many WJCS Board members, about the ...

October 7th: Two years. Two horrific years.

2025-10-06T12:50:43-04:00October 6th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|

Two horrific years. That has been the experience of so many in the Jewish community we serve since the brutal attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The pain has been relentless. The agony of the loss of life in those initial days; the continuing torment caused by the hostages still held by Hamas; and the surge of antisemitism in our country, and even in our county, unlike anything many had ever experienced before. I have heard from so many in our Jewish community of sleepless nights, deep worry for friends and family members, and tremendous anxiety about the ...

Congratulations to our WJCS 2025 First Quarter Staff Award Winners!

2025-07-22T14:01:42-04:00July 22nd, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , |

Each quarter, WJCS celebrates employees who go above and beyond, demonstrating their dedication and commitment to WJCS’ mission and clients. We feel so privileged to work with wonderful staff who have care, compassion, and expertise. Read below to learn about our most recent Quarterly Staff Award Winners.

Thank you for supporting our 2025 Back-to-School Drive!

2025-08-28T14:12:22-04:00August 28th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , , |

Thanks to your generosity, our 2025 Back-to-School Drive was record-breaking! Because of you, hundreds of children from under-resourced communities in Westchester will start the school year with the supplies – and the confidence – they need to succeed. We are deeply grateful for your support. Together, we helped set students up for a great school year ahead. Your donations ensured that children in our behavioral health clinics, school-based satellite clinics, after-school enrichment classes, the Parent Child Center, and many other WJCS programs are entering the classroom with the tools they need to learn, thrive, and reach their potential. We ...

Gaining Skills and Confidence: WJCS’ Volunteer Internship Program (VIP)

2025-07-02T16:17:07-04:00July 1st, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , |

by Ava Propper Rubin (From left: Jodi Maxner, WJCS VIP Coordinator; Susannah, VIP participant; Maria F. Callarame, External Affairs Manager at St. Joseph's Medical Center) “Volunteering at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers has been a wonderful experience for me. It has been the perfect stepping stone as I re-enter the world of work. I work as a cashier in the gift shop four days a week. I am slowly overcoming my fears of getting back to work and socializing in professional environments. I have gained confidence that I am capable of being professional in the workplace.” ~Susannah, ...

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