Alpert JFS News

Holocaust Survivor Recalls Painful Memories to Make a Difference in Students’ Lives

Alpert JFS’ client, Marie, an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor, recently met with a group of students and teachers at The Greene School in West Palm Beach to provide an experiential learning program, complete with a presentation of family photos taken before she was deported from her native Brussels, Belgium to France. There, she was put in a concentration camp, saved from imprisonment by the French Underground, and hidden in both a nunnery and farmhouse. After the war, Marie emigrated to the […] https://www.alpertjfs.org/holocaust-survivor-recalls-painful-memories-to-make-a-difference-in-students-lives/

Purim: The Holiday of Masks – Am I Wearing One?

This article was contributed by: Olivia Tartakow, LCSW, M.ED, Director of Community Directions at Alpert Jewish Family Service  Masks are a key symbol of Purim. However, we all wear masks at various times throughout the year. We have different roles, and the roles we play may determine what kind of mask we wear at different times. It’s part of being flexible and knowing when a mask is appropriate, and which mask fits the situation. Healthy behavior is when we’re conscious […] https://www.alpertjfs.org/purim-the-holiday-of-masks-am-i-wearing-one/

What is Gaslighting?

  This article was written by Sara Walsh, LCSW, Director of Alpert JFS Domestic Abuse Program   It seems like we can’t look at our Facebook newsfeed or watch the “Today Show” these days without learning about gaslighting; the new buzzword for emotional abuse. Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse, in which a person – to gain power and control – makes someone question their reality, judgment, and sanity. The term was inspired by the 1944 film, “Gaslight, starring […] https://www.alpertjfs.org/gaslighting/

From Russia, With Love

Written by Nina Glaser, Alpert JFS  The sounds of Russian folk songs filled the air as more than 35 people enjoyed the harmonization of two caregivers from Amicable Home Health Care singing in perfect harmony, at a recent Russian Socialization Event for Holocaust Survivors at Ferd & Gladys Alpert Jewish Family Service (Alpert JFS) in a room decorated with flowers, red, silver and gold balloons, and animal centerpieces. The songs, familiar to the attendees, prompted a sing-along for some, and […] https://www.alpertjfs.org/from-russia-with-love/

Why Should You Become a Volunteer?

This article was written by Belinda Lasky, Director of Volunteer Leadership at Alpert Jewish Family Service Volunteer.  The word alone evokes the image of a noble individual who gives his or her time to help others, shares expertise in a field, and serves as an active member of a community.  Nonprofit organizations like Alpert Jewish Family Service and Levine Jewish Residential Family Service rely on the dedication of volunteers to support others and act as agency representatives. Studies have shown […] https://www.alpertjfs.org/why-volunteer/

Alpert Jewish Family Service Commemorates Holocaust Survivors on 75th Anniversary of Auschwitz Liberation Day

Letter from Marc Hopin, CEO Alpert Jewish Family Service  Today, January 27, 2020, is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Auschwitz, located in Poland, was the largest concentration camp constructed by Nazi Germany. Studies estimate that 1.3 million people were deported to Auschwitz, where the Nazis murdered 1.1 million of them. There were only 7,000 people in Auschwitz when the Russian army arrived because, in the weeks before the liberation, the Germans forced 60,000 prisoners […] https://www.alpertjfs.org/auschwitz-liberation-day/

Alpert JFS Holocaust Survivor Client Celebrates 98th Birthday

One of Alpert Jewish Family Service’s Holocaust survivor clients, Horace, turned 98 years old. 75 years after Auschwitz, Horace is here at Alpert JFS’ Eat & Schmooze lunch, spending time socializing with other survivors and the caring Alpert JFS staff. Happy Birthday, Horace! This is one of 29 socialization events that we host each year for our Holocaust survivors. Horace is just one of 300 Holocaust survivors that is served by Alpert Jewish Family Service. No agency in our community […] https://www.alpertjfs.org/alpert-jfs-holocaust-survivor-client-celebrates-98th-birthday/

8 Ways to Deal With Stress and Family Issues

This article was contributed by: Olivia Tartakow, LCSW, M.ED, Director of Community Directions at Alpert Jewish Family Service As we are poised to enter a New Year and a new decade, this is an opportunity to look at new ways of dealing with stress and to rethink how to make stress work for us rather than against us. “You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your family.”  Family stress will not just disappear, but you can look for ways […] https://www.alpertjfs.org/8-ways-to-deal-with-stress/

The Youngest Mentor – Mentoring 4 Kids

Story contributed by: Jennifer DiSilvestro, Mentoring 4 Kids Program Director In 2018, Alpert JFS welcomed a new mentor, Bruce Evans, to our Judith & Jack Rosenberg Mentoring 4 Kids program. Bruce, age 30, is a financial advisor with a degree in business and he’s our youngest mentor in the program. While most single, young men spend their free time doing other activities, Bruce wanted to have a meaningful impact on a child through M4K’s one-to-one mentoring program. Bruce’s experience working […] https://www.alpertjfs.org/our-youngest-mentor-mentoring-4-kids/

Alpert Jewish Family Service Leads the Way: Hires Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Dr. Jeryl Kershner

Ferd & Gladys Alpert Jewish Family Service is proud to announce that Dr. Jeryl Kershner, who specializes in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, will be practicing here at our West Palm agency as of September 3, 2019. With over 30 years of practice as a Developmental Pediatrician and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Dr. Kershner utilizes a wealth of experience and expertise. Her training includes a fellowship in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the Developmental Medical Center […] https://www.alpertjfs.org/alpert-jfs-hires-dr-jeryl-kershner/