Home | WJCS Early Childhood Programs Celebrates El Dia de los Ninos |

WJCS Early Childhood Programs Celebrates El Dia de los Ninos

2023-05-04T11:52:36-04:00March 17th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Every April WJCS Early Childhood Programs celebrate the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Week of the Young Child. The NAEYC established this event in 1971 to recognize that early childhood years lay the foundation for children’s success in school and in life. We have now expanded the celebration to include El Dia de los Ninos, Children’s Day. Children in many Latin American countries go to school on April 30th and spend the day celebrating with pinatas, and other treats. WJCS will not offer candy at our celebrations, but we will have snacks, crowns, and books ...

WJCS and Y-COP Partner in Mount Vernon

2023-03-13T14:48:00-04:00March 13th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) and the Youth Community Outreach Program (Y-COP) announced their partnership to provide mental health support, case and referral management, and programming for social-emotional development for children, from kindergarten through high school, in Y-COP’s after-school programs. WJCS is the county’s largest provider of outpatient mental health services and Y-COP is a leading provider of youth-focused programs to the Mount Vernon community. Among the programs Y-COP administers are an after-school program, basketball and soccer programs, a girls’ empowerment group, and summer camp. Under the partnership, WJCS will provide staff onsite at Y-COP’s programs. The onsite staff ...

Advice from LGBTQ+ Teens to Other LBGTQ+ Teens

2023-03-10T14:15:18-05:00March 9th, 2023|Categories: Center Lane for LGBTQ+ Youth, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , |

The advice below came from real, LGBTQ+ teens in the local Westchester community. The people interviewed range from ages 13 to 18 and represent a wide array of identities. The advice is organized by topic, with each piece of advice followed by the teen’s age and pronouns. They are identified below by their ages and pronouns, but some of the identities featured also include: bisexual, lesbian, nonbinary, trans, queer, gay, and more! Coming Out/Discovering Yourself: Take your time to figure things out. You don’t owe it to anyone to have a solid label or explanation at any point in ...

Crime Victims Advocacy and Support Services Program (CVASSP)

2023-10-19T13:37:25-04:00October 17th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Being a victim of a crime is a traumatic experience. WJCS has launched a Crime Victims Advocacy and Support Services Program (CVASSP). By supporting victims through advocacy, ensuring they have safe housing, helping them access public benefits, and providing mental health counseling, WJCS helps victims recover from the experience. “Being a victim of a crime can be a life-altering event, shattering one's sense of security and safety. WJCS is here to help victims with the recovery process, to connect them to services, and to walk with them on the path to recovery,” said WJCS CEO Seth Diamond. A crime ...

Creating Art to Honor Women in History

2023-03-13T15:04:36-04:00February 1st, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|

March is Women’s History Month. Nurturing artistic expression with an emphasis on women in history was the focus on a recent creative arts program at the Wiener Academy for Young Women at the WJCS Mary J. Blige Center in Yonkers. Westchester artist Hilary Blackman engaged participants in an inter-disciplinary art project that included discussions about inspirational Sheroes, including mothers and grandmothers, that overcame great odds. They also talked about their favorite female performers, politicians, activists, and professional women who accomplished “first female ever milestones.” These conversations prompted ideas about the value of identifying personal strengths, building self-confidence, and determination ...

Dean Howell Joins WJCS Board

2023-03-08T13:36:32-05:00February 12th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , , |

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS), one of the largest human service agencies in Westchester county, is proud to announce that Dean Howell, Managing Director at Deloitte, has joined its Board of Directors. Mr. Howell has worked at Deloitte since 2016 and focuses on helping Higher Education and Government clients transform in a digital, cloud-enabled world. Previously, Mr. Howell worked at IBM, AT&T, and Oracle in a variety of technical solution engineering roles. He has worked with Westchester and NYC high school students, mentoring and inspiring their interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) while promoting the importance of higher education ...

WJCS Celebrates 80 Years of Health & Hope

2023-01-12T10:38:57-05:00January 12th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|

WJCS is celebrating its 80th anniversary! In 1943, Westchester Jewish Community Services was founded with the goal of serving a small number of struggling Jewish families. Over the past eight decades, WJCS has grown to become the safety net for people of all ages and backgrounds in Westchester county. Our not-for-profit human service agency now serves 20,000 Westchester residents and provides over 80 programs and hundreds of services related to mental health, trauma, children, youth, and families, senior care, LGBTQ+ youth and their families, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Holocaust survivors, bereavement, health and healing, and so much ...

Please join us at our 2023 WJCS Gala!

2023-04-03T12:40:38-04:00January 13th, 2023|Categories: Gala, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Our 2023 WJCS Gala will take place Tuesday, March 28th, from 6:30-9 pm at the Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, NY. We are thrilled to honor WJCS Board Members Michele Brettschneider and William Shirley, two remarkable individuals whose commitment to improving the lives of people struggling in Westchester is exemplary. Our 2023 Gala will feature our renowned Give for Good Auction and celebrate WJCS’s 80th Anniversary! It is because of our generous donors, supportive government officials, and dedicated staff and volunteers that WJCS has grown from a tiny agency in 1943 to a human service organization that serves ...

WJCS Staff Recognition Awards

2023-03-07T15:42:27-05:00August 6th, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: , , |

Congratulations to the recipients of our most recent WJCS Staff Recognition Awards! Allison Danzig, Coordinator of WJCS Holocaust Survivor Programs, is a tireless advocate and champion for all the participants in her program, which serves over 160 Holocaust Survivors in Westchester county. Emily Fink, Program Specialist for the WJCS POINT program, brings warmth, creativity and skill to her work, thereby enhancing the lives of members of our POINT community. Sarah Fisher, Clinical Coordinator/Director of the Mobile Crisis Response Team, has exercised superb leadership as she developed this new program, trained her team, and offers guidance and encouragement to support ...

Volunteer Spotlight: Steve Cohn

2022-12-05T17:09:35-05:00December 5th, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , |

WJCS is privileged to have over 250 active volunteers. Here, Steve Cohn, shares his experience as a WJCS volunteer. "When I ended my 30-year career as Editor-in-Chief of Media Industry Newsletter in July 2016, I answered a "request for volunteers" post on the White Plains Library's website. After going through a background check (made me feel like a VIP), I worked on event information on library flyers. In March 2020, with the onset of COVID-19, the library shut everything down. (The reopened library now posts announcements online-only, with the writing done in-house.) That initial experience put me on a volunteering ...

Response to Club Q Shooting in Colorado Springs

2023-03-07T15:46:54-05:00November 22nd, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , |

Response to Club Q Shooting in Colorado Springs By Lisa Scott, Director of Programming, Innovation, and LGBTQ+ Services at WJCS   Our WJCS community stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in our outrage over the senseless shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ club in Colorado Springs, on November 20th. This is a horrific attack in what should be safe space. We are devastated by the loss of life and feel deeply for others whose lives are forever altered by the injuries they sustained in the attack.  Acts like these are meant to scare the LGBTQ+ community and LGBTQ+ allies but we ...

We’re Expanding Our Parent-Child Programs!

2022-11-16T13:20:46-05:00November 2nd, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: , , , , |

“Play is the work of the child.”—Maria Montessori Westchester Jewish. Community Services (WJCS) is thrilled to announce the expansion of early childhood programming to Tarrytown and Yonkers. Both initiatives are mode possible through generous support for the Westchester Community Foundation. The WJCS Tarrytown Parent Child Center will be a free early learning program for parents and their young children (newborn–4 years old). The program serves families in need, many of them Spanish speaking recent immigrants, and is focused on giving parents the confidence and competence to support their children’s early learning and literacy through joyful play, singing, reading, as ...

Domestic Violence: Myths & Realities

2022-11-02T11:22:08-04:00October 31st, 2022|Categories: Mental Health, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , |

Most people recognize how dangerous domestic violence is, both physically and emotionally. But there are still many common misconceptions about domestic violence. Here are 5 prevalent myths and the reality. 1. Myth: Most people report instances of domestic violence to the police. Reality: Half of abused women do not tell the police, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2. Myth: Acts of domestic violence are generally physical or sexual. Reality: Any pattern of coercive behavior—whether it's physical, sexual, economic, emotional, and or psychological abuse—exerted by one family member or intimate partner over another in ...

Words Have Power: Stand Up, Speak Out, and Make Change

2022-11-15T16:31:11-05:00October 25th, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , |

At our Margaret’s Place-Joe Torre Safe At Home program, WJCS created, with the help of our youth Peer Leaders, a special campaign in October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, to spread the messages that our words have the power to support survivors of domestic violence, ask important questions, and reach out for help. WJCS Margaret’s Place is situated in White Plains High School, Peekskill Middle School, and Cross Hill Academy in Yonkers. It encourages education and conversation about healthy relationships as well as trauma, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), Domestic Violence (DV), and counseling for trauma and DV-exposed youth. Cross Hill Academy ...

WJCS Hosts a Holocaust Survivor Sukkot Luncheon

2022-10-24T11:21:40-04:00October 24th, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|

On Wednesday October 12th, WJCS hosted about 70 Holocaust Survivors at a beautiful Sukkot luncheon at Westchester Reform Temple to celebrate the festive holiday. The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is known as a festival of joy, and joy is the perfect word to describe the mood and feelings experienced by our attendees. Guests were thrilled to gather in the beautiful sukkah—a temporary hut covered with branches that represents the divine protection the children of Israel received as they traveled in the desert for 40 years after leaving Egypt. The Survivors, who often feel socially isolated due to their advanced ...

Volunteer at WJCS This Fall!

2022-11-16T13:21:13-05:00September 20th, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|

Summer flew by for us all at WJCS! Despite the fast pace of the season, we were able to fit in some amazing volunteer events. And, there's even more planned for this fall! This July, we received 500 backpacks, provided through Supplies for Success and packed by UJA-Federation Westchester for the annual WJCS Back-to-School Drive. In June, volunteers participating in Deloitte's Impact Day assisted ParentChild+ staff at Hartley Park. And, just this past weekend, volunteers got to work on a beautification project at a WJCS community residence as part of Volunteer NY's Serve & Remember 9/11 campaign.Didn't have the chance to volunteer ...

☼ 2022 WJCS Summer Highlights ☼

2022-09-06T13:17:32-04:00September 6th, 2022|Categories: General|

We're #WJCSProud of our summer achievements! Here are some highlights. New York State Senator Shelley Mayer joined us as we celebrated the hope, strength, and resilience of Holocaust Survivors in Westchester at our 2nd Annual Holocaust Survivors Day luncheon in White Plains. Allison Danzig, Coordinator of WJCS Holocaust Survivor and Family Services, (far left) welcomed guests, and shared with the Survivors that they inspire us every day. We are grateful to CBS New York and News 12 Westchester for covering the moving event, filled with music, friendship, and gratitude. Thank you to our partners, UJA-Federation of ...

Our Board’s Commitment to DEI & Other Essential Values

2022-12-22T23:36:52-05:00November 17th, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|

The WJCS Board of Directors is fully committed to upholding the values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as well as other essential standards of integrity. Here is the WJCS's Board's statement of values, followed by the WJCS Board's statement of commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.   The Board of Westchester Jewish Community Services embraces the following values: We value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and are committed to building a board that represents our served communities. We believe that all people have the right to be treated with fairness, dignity, respect, and compassion. We look for places to ...

WJCS Hosts A Second Annual Holocaust Survivor Day Luncheon

2022-11-01T14:58:30-04:00August 23rd, 2022|Categories: Featured Internal, General|

Dozens of Holocaust Survivors gathered on Wednesday, July 13th for the second annual Holocaust Survivors Day Luncheon, hosted by Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS). The joyous and meaningful event, held under a tent on the grounds of the Young Israel of White Plains, was a tribute to the hope, strength, and resilience of the survivors and the courage and determination with which they build constructive lives and families after experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust. Allison Danzig, Coordinator of Holocaust Services at WJCS, welcomed everyone to the event and shared ...

We Mourn the Loss of Board Member Victor Hershaft

2022-08-22T14:43:53-04:00August 22nd, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|

It was with great sadness that we received the news of the passing of Victor Hershaft. WJCS Board President Bruce Freyer captured what a huge loss this is for our community and how grateful we are to Victor for his many contributions. Here are Bruce's words, ones that resonate in all our hearts: Victor was, without doubt, the consummate board member. He assumed his position back in 2003, with passion, dedication, and unbounded commitment to WJCS. Victor brought insight and substantive input to every meeting. He had a keen sense of the aims and purpose of WJCS and he ...

The 2022 WJCS Back-to-School Drive: A Huge Success!

2022-08-17T09:10:33-04:00August 10th, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|

The 2022 WJCS Back-to-School Drive has concluded and we're happy to report that it's been a big success! Through the generosity of WJCS donors and our non-profit partners, UJA Westchester and Supplies for Success, we have been able to help 1,300 children in under-resourced communities in Westchester, start school equipped for a successful academic year. We have supplied young children in WJCS programs with brand new backpacks and school supplies, plus a $20 gift card to purchase a new first-day-of-school outfit. Thanks to Order Out of Chaos for donating school year planners which are being distributed to our tween ...

WJCS is hiring!

2022-07-27T13:48:12-04:00July 27th, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|

WJCS helps transform lives every day. Our 80+ programs provide Westchester county residents of all ages and backgrounds with mental health counseling, trauma treatment, vocational and recreational activities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, care management for seniors, support for LGBTQ+ youth, and so much more. We have many positions available. If you or someone you know wants to use their knowledge and skills to make a valuable difference in people’s lives, WJCS is for you! The following are just a few of our job openings. Please review our comprehensive list of job opportunities at WJCS at: https://www.wjcs.com/careers/openings/ ...

Summer is in full swing at WJCS!

2022-07-25T17:17:01-04:00July 19th, 2022|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|

Our WJCS programs and staff are having a great start to the summer! Here are some highlights. Opening day of our Summer Fun in Hartley Park program in Mount Vernon was filled with smiling faces of children and parents who are eager to engage in fun, entertaining, and educational activities. Deloitte volunteers dedicated their Impact Day to making care packages filled with family summer activities for children in WJCS programs and did some spring cleaning at the WJCS ParentChild+ Summer Fun in Hartley Park program in Mount Vernon. WJCS launched a Mobile Crisis Response Team in partnership ...

Sign-up For Our Newsletter

 
WJCS Headquarters | 845 North Broadway, White Plains, New York 10603-2427 | 914-761-0600

Stay Connected

Contact us
Go to Top