Dear Friend,

In May, we recognize National Mental Health Awareness Month and celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month.

With support from the Jewish Federation Bay Area, we are proud to provide our Jewish community with culturally responsive therapy and a bereavement group supporting emotional well‑being, stabilizing crises, and connecting clients with essential resources to strengthen long‑term resilience.

At JFCS East Bay, we also provide mental health services to people from all walks of life, from early childhood to older adulthood. Offering a safe, compassionate space for individuals or families to share their experiences provides a path toward healing. And, as part of your trusted community circle, we want to ensure you know we are here to help.

We look to the Jewish value of K'vod Habriyot—to uphold the dignity of every human being—to remind us that part of JFCS East Bay's vital work is to provide trauma-informed care for anyone in the community. If you or someone you know could benefit from counseling, therapy, or another type of direct mental health support from our dedicated team, please visit our Request Help page and click on the Mental Health tab.

With hope and gratitude,

Allyson Holmes-Knight, PhD

Chief Program Officer

Last week, JFCS East Bay was named as the recipient of the City of Berkeley's proclamation in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month. On Tuesday, May 12, CEO Robin Mencher was invited to meet with Mayor of Berkeley Adena Ishii and City Council Member Igor Tregub to receive the official honor. This is not only a recognition of our valuable work in the community, but also of our shared histories and values. Thank you!

On Sunday, May 17, we were delighted to celebrate the incredible people who volunteer their time and energy to support the work of JFCS East Bay! This was an opportunity for us to recognize what your generosity makes possible in our community. We could not do it without you!

Please enjoy this Volunteer Appreciation Celebration video from staff thanking you for all you do!

Last winter, a group of Albany Middle School students launched a holiday toy drive, speaking at different elementary schools to raise awareness and toys — resulting in 600 students donating gifts to more than 250 children and their families.

JFCS East Bay Volunteer Services Coordinator, Zoe Pollock, received the donations from club leader, Jasmine Liu, who shared "The most rewarding part is seeing the collective impact we can make as a community. Our club presented to classrooms about empathy and the importance of giving back."

If you would like to get a jumpstart on launching a collection drive to benefit JFCS East Bay clients, please visit our Volunteer Page or email volunteers@jfcs-eastbay.org.

JJ came to JFCS East Bay in April of 2022, after having worked in retail accounting and promotional products. Now a resident of Alameda for a decade, he previously lived in Texas, Oklahoma, Germany, and Mississippi.

JJ was drawn to JFCS East Bay's work with refugees, and he deeply appreciates the organization's focus on providing mental health support for youth. When he is not tending to his accounting duties, JJ can be found working out and playing pickleball, collecting autographed sports and entertainment memorabilia, thrifting, and going to flea markets.

On May 11 and 12, the Jewish California Capitol Summit convened in Sacramento, bringing nearly 700 Jewish leaders and allies (including 50 students and young professionals) together to lobby for our community's efforts.

Our focus was on budget requests to support refugees and Holocaust Survivors and benefits for low-income community members to counteract the federal cuts in Medicaid and SNAP benefits. Jewish California Together said, "We welcomed 40+ legislators to our evening programming, heard from over 50 inspiring leaders, and lobbied all 120 legislative offices in the Statehouse."

We lobbied for three items that protect Californians from the impacts of the federal government's H.R. 1. (Big Beautiful Bill): refugees support, Medi-Cal, and food benefits. Read more about our efforts here.

We partner with California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ) as part of the Rapid Response Network. A diverse and varied collaboration of nonprofit immigration legal providers, this network supports immigrants and families who are facing immigration enforcement actions. CCIJ offers direct contact links, step-by-step guides, and other supportive materials for those seeking safety and asylum.

To learn more about the work we do together, click here.

Tell Congress to Stop Funding ICE and California Border Patrol Without Accountability

Congress is moving fast to funnel $140 billion into immigration enforcement. Tell your elected representatives to say no. ICE and CBP can't keep tearing apart our communities. It does not make anyone stronger or safer; it only creates an atmosphere of fear and violence.  

The window to stop this is narrow. We need your voice!

Book Signing at Weekes Library Branch

27300 Patrick Avenue, Hayward

May 23, 2pm



Please come and enjoy a book signing by author Carlos Bojorge, a former refugee of Nicaragua and former JFCS East Bay client, who is pursuing a meaningful path as a writer and poet. We are so proud of his success and can't wait to hear him share his work with the public.

Jewish Heritage Month Family Celebration

Sports Basement, 2727 Milvia Street, Berkeley

May 26, 1pm-6:30pm



Come and enjoy this community event from the Jewish Coalition of Berkeley! There will be interactive art projects, collaborative painting, beginner folk dancing, and a film screening along with a workshop on antisemitism and how to effectively respond to it.

Communicating for Policy

Aspen Academy

June 10, 9am-10am



Learn the basics of communicating your ideas for policy impact. This program will teach you broad principles for communicating to policymakers, as well as tips on how to more effectively communicate – both in writing and orally – in order to achieve policy change on the issues you care about.

Decoding U.S. Government: Navigating Structures, Laws, and Policies

We Are All America Webinar

June 11, 2pm



This workshop provides foundational knowledge of how the U.S. government functions and how immigrant and refugee leaders can safely and effectively engage in advocacy. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of government structures, the legislative process, and pathways for influencing policy change.