We recently lost a great disabilities activist – chances are you have never heard of her, but she changed the world for so many people. In November 2021, Anne Emerman passed away in her hometown of New York City at 84 years old.

We are in need of more Outreach Visitors and Garber Drivers. If you have a few hours a week to spare and can help provide companionship or rides for older adults, please contact Dana Shapiro, Community & Volunteer Engagement Manager, at dshapiro@jfcsmpls.org or 952-417-2112 to learn more.

We will also have some upcoming volunteer opportunities for pickups and deliveries to support refugees settling in our community, so contact Dana if you are interested.

Click here to learn about other volunteer opportunities and stay informed about volunteering at JFCS through our quarterly volunteer e-newsletter. Let Dana know if you want to be added to the list to receive future editions or have questions about volunteering.

Refugee Shabbat 2022, which will take place on March 4-5, is a moment for congregations, organizations, and individuals in the United States and around the world to dedicate a Shabbat experience to refugees and asylum seekers. Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis and Jewish Family Service of St. Paul are supporting refugee resettlement efforts through a supply drive to help make Minnesota home for the more than 1,000 Afghan refugees who have arrived in our state since September.

By Ruth Paley, LICSW, JFCS • Director of Children and Family Programs

Since COVID hit two years ago, liquor sales have hit the roof. Women especially report drinking more heavily and more often, and one in four Americans report drinking to cope with pandemic stress. Isolation, depression, anxiety, distance learning, and loss of employment have also contributed to and intensified drinking.

“Dry January” – a month without alcohol has grown in popularity in recent years, and the Star Tribune offered and advertised the Dry January wellness challenge this year with articles, mocktail recipes, classes, sober stories, and much more.

It is hard to believe we are almost entering the third year of the pandemic. What a mixture of emotions we experience as we navigate daily life. There is so much hope that the year ahead will offer more normalcy and a lessening of the grip of COVID on our lives. One thing is certain: our daily lives have changed significantly. Returning to the old normal is simply not possible. Adapting to the new normal and what that will hold is where we must focus our attentions. This includes working to support important relationships in our lives and empowering ourselves to take control of our everyday lives.

Presented by Bea Hollander-Goldfein Ph.D., LMFT

Dr. Hollander-Goldfein, a licensed clinical psychologist and marriage and family therapist, is the director of the Transcending Trauma Project (TTP). She will discuss findings that emerged from the project that are already making major contributions to the fields of trauma, coping and adaptation and intergenerational transmission.

Given the horrifying attack on Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville Texas, the recent attacks in Pittsburgh and Poway, and the pervasive fear and danger we face as Jews in an environment of increasing antisemitism and hate-based bias, we recognize that not only is it time to reconvene our community around our shared values and our shared commitment to our community’s safety, but it is also time to engage a broader representation of our community in the conversation.

JFCS serves and employs people of all cultures and faith traditions and highly values inclusion and diversity. We are currently seeking great candidates for these positions: