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WJCS Hosted Its 5th Annual Holocaust Survivor Day Luncheon
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WJCS Hosted Its 5th Annual Holocaust Survivor Day Luncheon

Miriam Arond2025-06-05T15:03:03-04:00June 5th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: seed the dream, home-delivered kosher meals, second generation, allison danzig, holocaust survivor luncheon, Holocaust survivors, Jewish Programs|

On Wednesday June 4th, Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) hosted its 5th Annual Holocaust Survivor Day Luncheon. The event brought together dozens of Holocaust Survivors living in the Westchester community along with their family members and caregivers. Holocaust Survivors Day is dedicated to celebrating the strength and impact of Holocaust Survivors. “In bringing survivors of the Shoah together, we celebrate their strength, resilience, connection to community and Jewish peoplehood, and generational wisdom,” said Marcy Gringlas, Ph.D., President of the Seed the Dream Foundation, which sponsored the event. The joy of being and celebrating together was evident to all those who ...

Supporting Each Other Through Chronic Illness
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Supporting Each Other Through Chronic Illness

Miriam Arond2025-06-05T09:54:20-04:00June 4th, 2025|Categories: Mental Health, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: chronic illness support group, chronic illness, Westchester|

Life-threatening illness can take its toll, not only on an individual but also their family. That’s why, for years, WJCS has provided individual and family counseling and supportive connections when people and their loved ones face chronic or life-limiting illness. Jane Slevin, LMFT, facilitator of a WJCS support group which is composed of people with a variety of illnesses, including multiple sclerosis, cancer, neuropathy, and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), explained “each month we discuss a wide range of topics, like coping mechanisms, symptoms, family dynamics, navigating the medical system. and life in general.” “When I joined the group ...

WJCS Co-Hosts Its 5th Annual Holocaust Survivor Day Luncheon and Concert
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WJCS Co-Hosts Its 5th Annual Holocaust Survivor Day Luncheon and Concert

Miriam Arond2025-05-29T15:48:47-04:00May 30th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: seed the dream foundation, holocaust survivor day, Holocaust survivors, Jewish Programs|

On Wednesday June 4th, Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) will host its 5th Annual Holocaust Survivor Day Luncheon. The event will bring together and honor dozens of Holocaust Survivors living in the Westchester community. “Seed the Dream Foundation is proud to support over 30 communities across the United States in recognizing Holocaust Survivor Day on June 4, 2025. As we mark this fifth annual Holocaust Survivor Day, we celebrate the resilience, courage, and legacy of Holocaust Survivors, and the lives they’ve built with strength and with grace,” said Dr. Marcy Gringlas, Ph.D., President of Seed the Dream Foundation, which ...

Jewish American Heritage Month
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Jewish American Heritage Month

Miriam Arond2025-05-28T13:42:47-04:00May 28th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: Jews in America, American Jewish heritage, jewish american heritage month|

It’s Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the many contributions Jews have made to the United States and explore their American experience. Here are some films and books that focus on the American Jewish experience. The Jewish Journey: America – This documentary includes interviews with scholars and Jewish-American writers, many of whom are immigrants themselves. They share the varied stories of migration through the last five centuries, with a rarely explored look at the actual journeys to get here. Shared Legacies – This film focuses on the often-forgotten story of the coalition and friendship between the Jewish ...

National Nurses Week is May 6-12
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National Nurses Week is May 6-12

Miriam Arond2025-05-08T12:20:18-04:00May 8th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: nurse appreciation, national nurse week, social services, Mental Health|

This is National Nurses Week, a recognition of the incredible nurses and nurse practitioners who serve across our agency. "At Westchester Jewish Community Services, our mission of providing compassionate, high-quality mental health and social services would not be possible without the dedication, expertise, and heart that our nurses bring to their work every day," said Seth Resnick, M.D. DFAPA, FASAM, Chief Medical Officer at WJCS. "Whether supporting clients in our mental health clinics and assisting in care coordination or providing community-based services in our residential programs, our nurses play a vital role in promoting well-being, safety, and dignity for ...

Jewish American Heritage Month: A Note from WJCS CEO Seth Diamond
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Jewish American Heritage Month: A Note from WJCS CEO Seth Diamond

Miriam Arond2025-05-08T12:14:21-04:00May 8th, 2025|Categories: Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: tikkun olam, jewish american heritage month, Jewish|

May is Jewish American Heritage Month, a time when we recognize and celebrate the contributions Jewish Americans have made to our country. For Westchester Jewish Community Services, this month carries special meaning. "Our agency was founded by Jewish Americans whose values of tikkun olam (repairing the world) are woven into everything we do. Their legacy of care and support lives on in our daily work: comforting the vulnerable, supporting the isolated, and ensuring that dignity and opportunity are available to all." As we mark this heritage, we also reaffirm our commitment to stand against antisemitism, which sadly remains a reality, ...

Congratulations to our WJCS 2024 Fourth Quarter Staff Award Winners!
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Congratulations to our WJCS 2024 Fourth Quarter Staff Award Winners!

Miriam Arond2025-05-05T15:48:50-04:00April 30th, 2025|Categories: Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: staff appreciation, staff awards|

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.

April is National Volunteer Month
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April is National Volunteer Month

Miriam Arond2025-04-25T14:42:29-04:00April 25th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: volunteer opportunities, get involved, national volunteer month, volunteer|

April is National Volunteer Month. All of us at WJCS are deeply indebted to our amazing crew of over 200 volunteers, who help our programs and participants grow and flourish. On behalf of all of our WJCS staff, thank you for the time and effort you dedicate to volunteering for our agency. Our volunteer corps plays an essential role in ensuring that our agency fulfills its mission to help people of all ages and backgrounds overcome emotional, social, educational, vocational, disability, and spiritual challenges. Our volunteers play an important role in helping our clients lead lives with strength, resilience, and ...

Raising Resilient Children
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Raising Resilient Children

Miriam Arond2025-04-24T17:19:34-04:00April 24th, 2025|Categories: Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: dr. samuel kahn, kahn memorial lecture, raising resilient children, dr. tova klein, ed institute|

Tovah P. Klein, Ph.D., author of Raising Resilience and Director of the Barnard College Toddler Center and Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology, will be the Keynote Speaker at the upcoming. WJCS Samuel Kahn Memorial Lecture. The lecture will take place on Wednesday May 14 from 1:30-2:30 pm via Zoom. Dr. Klein will focus on raising resilient children in an age of uncertainty. She will discuss how research on trauma and its impact on emotional and intellectual development, including her own findings, can help parents offset and even avoid damage that could derail their children’s future. The stressors and traumas could ...

Give for Good. Change a Life.
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Give for Good. Change a Life.

Miriam Arond2025-04-18T14:03:30-04:00April 18th, 2025|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: give for good, wjcs gala|

Supporting WJCS transforms lives. Below are stories shared by four WJCS clients. Please watch the videos below and hear how, with the help of WJCS, they were able to build resilience, gain hope, and create better lives. MENTAL HEALTH treatment can save a person’s life. Help make that happen. Fund 12 therapy sessions for $2,500 and be the reason someone finds hope again. LGBTQ+ YOUTH need a safe, affirming community…now more than ever. Fund 6 support groups that foster connection and build strength for $1,000. YOUNG ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS deserve to ...

WJCS 2025 Gala: A Huge Success!
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WJCS 2025 Gala: A Huge Success!

Miriam Arond2025-04-09T16:36:17-04:00April 9th, 2025|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: joel s. beckman, gillian rittmaster, wjcs 2025 gala, fundraiser, Gala, Nonprofit, Westchester|

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) held a hugely successful Gala at Brae Burn Country Club on Tuesday, April 8th with more than 350 community and business leaders, government officials, and Westchester residents, all passionate advocates for helping those in need in Westchester. Scarsdale residents Joel S. Beckman and Gillian Rittmaster were honored at the celebratory event hosted by one of the largest human service non-profit organization in the county. The evening was filled with inspiring words and personal, transformative stories of WJCS clients who shared their struggles before coming to the agency and how the organization transformed their lives. ...

WJCS Hosts Passover Luncheon for Holocaust Survivors in Westchester
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WJCS Hosts Passover Luncheon for Holocaust Survivors in Westchester

Miriam Arond2025-04-09T16:21:40-04:00April 9th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: allison danzig, beth el synagogue, passover, UJA federation of NY, holocaust survivor luncheon, Claims Conference, Holocaust survivors, Jewish|

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) hosted a Passover Luncheon for members of its Holocaust Survivors program at Beth El Synagogue Center In New Rochelle on Wednesday April 3rd. In partnership with UJA-Federation of New York and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, WJCS created a pre-holiday celebration filled with music, delicious food, and many smiling faces. Holocaust survivors attended with family members and caregivers, all of whom delighted in the opportunity to be together. "WJCS is committed to ensuring that Holocaust survivors in Westchester feel supported, both in practical ways as well as socially and emotionally," said ...

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Shira Stein
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Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Shira Stein

Miriam Arond2025-04-01T14:58:18-04:00April 1st, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: volunteer spotlight, national volunteer month, volunteer|

April is National Volunteer Month. WJCS is so fortunate to have over 250 dedicated volunteers who assist and support our organization in a wide variety of programs. Shira Stein has been a volunteer in the WJCS Marketing Department since June 2024. “I am in the middle of a career change. To break up the monotony of applying for jobs and to be part of something bigger, I sought a volunteer opportunity,” says Shira. “A friend of a friend connected me to the WJCS Marketing and Communications Department where I’ve been able to use my experience in researching, crafting, and ...

WJCS is Named Best-in-Class Employer
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WJCS is Named Best-in-Class Employer

Miriam Arond2025-04-02T12:45:47-04:00April 2nd, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: gallagher, best employer, best-in-class employer, scott bojer, Nonprofit, Westchester|

(From left: Seth Diamond, WJCS Chief Executive Officer; Milagros Rivera, WJCS Director of Human Resources; Scott Bojer, Area Vice President at Gallagher; Stephan Spilkowitz, WJCS Director of Engagement and Culture) Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) is delighted to share that our agency has been named Best-in-Class Employer by Gallagher. Scott Bojer, Area Vice President at Gallagher, visited WJCS Headquarters in North White Plains and presented the award to WJCS CEO Seth Diamond and WJCS Human Resources Director Milagros Rivera. “This Best-in-Class designation is a reflection of our agency’s unwavering commitment to creating a workplace where employees feel valued, supported, ...

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
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Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Miriam Arond2025-02-19T16:13:51-05:00February 19th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: white plains high school, teen dating violence awareness month, margaret's place, teen dating, domestic violence awareness, healthy relationships, Young People Achieve|

This February, WJCS youth programs throughout Westchester are observing Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is dedicated to raising awareness about teen dating violence and promoting healthy relationships, with a particular emphasis on consent this year. Consent is fundamentally an ongoing mutual agreement between partners regarding their experiences. While often associated with physical or sexual activity, it pertains to the decision-making process behind actions, not just the actions themselves. The WJCS Young People Achieve (YPA) program is educating White Plains High School students about the importance of consent and boundaries with peers and partners. Self-care ...

Providing Connection For Older Adults
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Providing Connection For Older Adults

Miriam Arond2025-01-30T14:42:49-05:00January 25th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: isolation to connection, senior support, jccmw, jewish community center of mid-westchester, cheryl brandwein, senior programs, senior services, aging safely, older adults, Nonprofit, Westchester|

Almost 40% of people living in Westchester who are age 65 and older live alone. In recognizing that many seniors face physical, emotional, and practical challenges, the Jewish Community Center Mid-Westchester (JCCMW) and Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) are proud to announce the continuation of their Isolation to Connection program, a free program that is open to all. Knowing what senior services are available and accessing then can be confusing. The Isolation to Connection program, which is funded through a grant from UJA-Federation of NY, assists isolated older adults in Westchester by providing a caring professional who offers support ...

We’re So Grateful on this Giving Tuesday
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We’re So Grateful on this Giving Tuesday

Miriam Arond2024-12-16T15:14:52-05:00December 3rd, 2024|Categories: Featured Internal, General|Tags: grateful tuesday, giving tuesday, support wjcs, caring, connection, donate now, Year End Appeal, Community|

You are going to be receiving lots of emails, phone calls, and social media requests today asking you to donate to causes. At WJCS, we renamed today—what is known as "Giving Tuesday"—Grateful Tuesday. We are devoting today to thanking you, our donors, our community of supporters, who help keep WJCS strong. You ensure that we can help our Westchester neighbors when they need us most. You can make a difference and you do! When you donate to WJCS, you are making an impact.  Because of you, thousands of our Westchester neighbors, of all ages and backgrounds, are provided with ...

Together, We Transform Lives
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Together, We Transform Lives

Miriam Arond2024-12-16T15:15:37-05:00December 13th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: donate now, Year End Appeal, Nonprofit, Westchester|

Every day Westchester residents of all backgrounds who face mental health, trauma, disability, parenting, aging, and other challenges are provided life-saving services and programs at Westchester Jewish Community Services. It is our privilege and passion to help nearly 20,000 people each year. But we can’t do it without you! Our Year End Appeal is happening now! Every new and increased gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $25,000 with a Matching Gift from the Mensch Family in memory of Reggi Mensch. Your generosity transforms the lives of those we serve. With your help, we offer dozens of ...

Time to Take a Breath
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Time to Take a Breath

Miriam Arond2024-11-04T12:54:45-05:00November 26th, 2024|Categories: Mental Health, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: breathing technique, breathing exercises, calm, brenda haas, mindful, Breath, meditation, breathwork|

By Brenda Haas, LMSW, Ed.M., Director of WJCS Guiding Parents Through Services Program and Partners in Schools Consultant at Leffell School The fall season is in full swing. Kids’ schedules are packed, parents are trying to balance work and family, and the holidays are almost here. Having a full life is a blessing, but it can also be stressful to manage it all. Stop. Pause for 60 seconds. And breathe. Calming our bodies and minds through simple breathing techniques is a proven ways to reduce anxiety and modulate mood. Consciously switching our attention from everything whirling around in ...

Halina Rosenkranz to be Inducted into Westchester’s Senior Hall of Fame
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Halina Rosenkranz to be Inducted into Westchester’s Senior Hall of Fame

Miriam Arond2024-10-23T14:47:51-04:00October 23rd, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: westchester senior hall of fame, halina rosenkranz, Holocaust survivors, Jewish Programs|

We are thrilled to share the wonderful news that Halina Rosenkranz, Group Facilitator and Case Manager for the WJCS Holocaust Survivor Program, will be inducted into Westchester County’s Senior Hall of Fame. Halina has been a passionately dedicated and caring advocate and supporter of some of the most vulnerable people in Westchester County: aging Holocaust survivors. Her compassion for survivors, who have lived through unimaginable loss and devastation, has made her an invaluable source of comfort and emotional and practical support to them as well as to their children, the Second Generation, who bear the scars of their parents’ ...

WJCS Hosts Sukkot Holiday Luncheon for Holocaust Survivors
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WJCS Hosts Sukkot Holiday Luncheon for Holocaust Survivors

Miriam Arond2024-10-23T13:48:59-04:00October 23rd, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: shelley b. mayer, sukkot, sukkot luncheon, UJA federation of NY, Westchester Reform Temple, Claims Conference, Holocaust survivors, Jewish Programs|

Holocaust survivors and their relatives and caregivers celebrated the joyous holiday of Sukkot together at a festive luncheon on Tuesday October 22nd at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale. “Having just gone through the high holidays and that extended period of teshuva (repentance) and introspection that comes with it, we now celebrate,” said Allison Danzig, Coordinator of WJCS Holocaust Support Services, as she welcomed more than 70 guests to the event. “This is a time for showing appreciation to others and for all the good around us. It is a time of Thanksgiving and harvest, and a time to begin ...

Voting On the Spectrum: Empowering Neurodiverse Voices in the Electoral Process
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Voting On the Spectrum: Empowering Neurodiverse Voices in the Electoral Process

Miriam Arond2024-10-08T15:22:57-04:00October 8th, 2024|Categories: Disabilities, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: neurodiverse, voting, special needs, spectrum, intellectual disabilites, IDD, developmental disabilities, Autism|

By: Nicholas R. Primavera, MS, MBA, Program Coordinator of WJCS Shelanu & Supper Club Voting in any election can be scary and anxiety provoking. Voting is a fundamental right and a vital aspect of public participation, but for individuals on the autism spectrum, the process can present unique challenges. From understanding complex ballot language to navigating crowded polling places, these obstacles can sometimes discourage participation. However, with proper resources, support, and understanding, voting can become an accessible and empowering experience for everyone. In this article, I will explain some of the challenges I have observed, along with some of the ...

October 7th: One Year Later
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October 7th: One Year Later

Miriam Arond2024-10-07T11:18:22-04:00October 7th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: october 7|

Today marks one year since the devastating attack by Hamas in Israel, a day that inflicted profound and lasting wounds. The trauma of that event is compounded by ongoing violence in the region, most recently with rockets from Iran. Even more heartbreaking is the cruel reality that, after 365 long days, Hamas continues to hold dozens of hostages, denying them their freedom. The pain of that day has only been deepened by the disturbing rise in antisemitism, leaving many in the Jewish community feeling vulnerable and isolated. It is shocking to realize that in a place where safety and ...

Free October 9th Community Forum on Assisting Youth, Young Adults, and Families Impacted by Psychosis
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Free October 9th Community Forum on Assisting Youth, Young Adults, and Families Impacted by Psychosis

Miriam Arond2024-10-02T15:06:01-04:00October 2nd, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: community forum, greater mental health of new york, westchester government, psychosis, ontrackny, michael orth, NAMI|

Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health, Westchester Jewish Community Services, Greater Mental Health of New York, and NAMI offer a community forum focused on assisting youth, young adults, and families impacted by psychosis. As much as 8% of the population will be impacted by psychosis at some point in their lives and about 4% of the population will meet criteria for a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia. These statistics suggest that more than 80,0000 Westchester County residents will be impacted by psychosis at some point in their lives. Psychosis is often confusing and disorienting for those impacted by it, ...