Fall Family Matters

Employment Support for Nonprofit Professionals Losing a job in the nonprofit sector, where purpose and service are at the heart of your work, can feel overwhelming and disorienting. Whether you were part of a team or leading one, if you have recently been laid off from a nonprofit agency, you are not alone. That’s why we offer compassionate, one-onone coaching tailored to your specific needs.

The cost of these services has been generously funded

by The Denver Foundation, and participants must be: • A resident of metro Denver (living in Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, or Jefferson County).

• Previously employed by a nonprofit organization.

• Laid off on or after January 1, 2025.

Our team will help you: • Reclaim your story with a resume that reflects your purpose, passion, and impact.

• Write cover letters that connect, helping you express your focus and goals.

• Strengthen your online presence with a LinkedIn profile that captivates recruiters.

• Prepare for interviews with confidence through customized, one-on-one coaching.

• Find your footing again with guidance on job search strategies, communication, and forging meaningful connections.

And much more!

Learn more at jewishfamilyservice.org/career-support.

Meet Our JFS Board Chair | 3

Join JFS for Van Jones: Speaking Up and Speaking Out | 4

Join Our Boulder Grief Group | 5

In this issue

We Must Help Holocaust Survivors | 2

FALL 2025

Family Matters is a quarterly publication of Jewish Family Service of Colorado, 3201 S. Tamarac Drive, Denver, CO 80231 | 303.597.5000

Dear Friends, During our annual meeting after JFS ended its fiscal year on June 30, we celebrated the agency’s accomplishments over the past 12 months, honored our retiring Board members, and welcomed our incoming members. It was an opportunity to recognize that none of the impactful work we did would have been possible without the engagement and generosity of our staff, Board, volunteers, and donors. And while this sentiment is often on my mind, it’s important to acknowledge in meetings like this one.

Our annual meeting was also a time to reflect on the obstacles we faced. In so many ways, it has been an extremely challenging year. A new administration and executive orders, funding streams in jeopardy, looming reductions in grants, increasing costs, and changes to entitlement programs, combined with increasing needs, present a daunting situation. And while we will continue to grapple with uncertainty for the foreseeable future, there is no doubt that we will remain committed to fulfilling our mission and being there for our community.

Here are a few things that I’m looking forward to in our coming year.

•O perationalizing the strategic plan, which focuses on finding ways to ensure JFS is financially sustainable for now and the future, and on optimizing our programs so that we are targeting and pivoting to address the critical needs and supporting the community in the most effective ways.

•E xploring and creating new sources of revenue to support our 30+ programs and services.

I know that over this fiscal year, we’ll need your support more than ever, from providing resources that help individuals grow their skill sets to find better employment opportunities, to offering services that support families experiencing hardships. I also know that we will meet the next crisis and be there for those affected by whatever is on the horizon because of your support, and I can’t thank you enough.

With warm regards,

Linda P. Foster President and CEO

Celebrate Sukkot JFS Jewish Disabilities Advocates (JDA), in partnership with Hebrew Educational Alliance, Ohr HaOlam, and Repair the World, will celebrate Sukkot with a warm, engaging, and participatory gathering.

The event will be open, accessible, and welcoming to all. Accessibility accommodations include wheelchair access, visual aids, ASL interpretation, quiet spaces, and a virtual attendance option for those who cannot join in person.

Sunday, October 12, 3 - 4:30 p.m.

Hebrew Educational Alliance 3600 S. Ivanhoe St., Denver, CO 80237 The event is free and open to the whole community. For more information or to request additional accommodations and to register, please visit emanueldenver.org/event/disabilityjusticesukkot2025.

Last year, JFS helped 155 survivors, and this year, we expect to serve 190 clients* into 2026 with:  Care management and consultation  Counseling  In-home services  Community-based programs  Holocaust survivor assistance

We Must Help Holocaust Survivors Dr. Bill Silvers is a son of Polish Jews who survived Auschwitz and Dachau. He is also a proud Jew and a doctor, which, in part, was to honor his father’s unfilled dream of attending medical school. Even after suffering a life-altering spinal cord injury, Dr. Silvers believes that as long as you’re breathing, you can do good in the world.

And for the six million Jews who endured unthinkable atrocities during the Holocaust, and also for those who encounter antisemitic attacks every day, we must come together and do good in the world.

And that is exactly what JFS does throughout our community for Holocaust survivors. But the reality is that we cannot do this critical work alone.

Awareness of the JFS Holocaust Survivor’s Assistance program has grown, and more individuals are looking to the agency to provide services that help them live with dignity and in comfort and security.

However, as costs associated with age-related care continue to increase, JFS needs your help to ensure that this vulnerable population receives consistent care, and assistance creating a robust support system for them and their families.

JFS also advocates for survivors throughout the application process and recertification to ensure they receive the financial restitution to which they are entitled through the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

We must raise matching funds for the Claims Conference to show that our community is invested in the well-being of our survivors, and we cannot do this without your support.

Now is the time for you to choose compassion over hate and generosity over unmet needs for our local Holocaust survivors.

Please donate at jewishfamilyservice.org/donate/holocaust so this remarkable group can lessen their worries while receiving the care they deserve.

* Funding from the Claims Conference will only support 130 clients, so the financial deficit JFS is facing to support the anticipated number of survivors is more than $1 million. Moreover, funding will help JFS move survivors off the waitlist, so they can immediately receive support services.

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Meet Our JFS Board Chair Carl Rossow has spent his career developing companies that provide strategic counsel to political leaders, advocacy organizations, nonprofit agencies, and corporations and directing them on how to connect, persuade, and engage their audiences. He has served on numerous philanthropic boards, and throughout his nonprofit and board service, Carl has focused on organizations that strengthen individual lives and, in turn, the communities in which they reside. Now, Carl plans to bring his leadership experience, strategic thinking, and, most importantly, his deep belief in Tikkun Olam—the obligation to make the world a better place—to his role as JFS Board Chair, as he guides the agency into the future.

Like many, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Carl saw how easily people could fall into difficult times and how everyone has a role in supporting one another. It was also during this time that he learned more about JFS. “What struck me most, and what I truly value, is that JFS doesn’t just address one issue; they look at the whole picture,” shared Carl. “Someone facing food insecurity might also need mental health support and job training— JFS gets that. They offer everything under one roof, preventing people from falling through the cracks.”

“JFS isn’t just another nonprofit; it’s a lifeline for our community.”

—JFS BOARD CHAIR, CARL ROSSOW

Over the past three years, Carl has been a JFS Board member, Development Committee Chair, and Co-Chair of the Executive Luncheon. He has seen firsthand the impact JFS has throughout our community as individuals and families are empowered to rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient with JFS’s programs and services—and not just anyone, but rather everyone in need. JFS and our community are fortunate that Carl finds supporting our work is the perfect way to give back to his community, and our work resonates with his own values.

“It’s about lifting everyone up, because when our community thrives, we all thrive,” Carl said. “JFS is truly making a difference, one individual, one family at a time.”

In both his career and nonprofit leadership, Carl has sought to create lasting change by helping to shape impactful policy change, and by giving people the tools and support they need to thrive. Everyone at JFS is excited to work with Carl and the rest of our Board as they strive to increase awareness and engagement throughout our community and share the good work that JFS does every day. Learn more about Carl and our Board of Directors at jewishfamilyservice.org/about/board-of-directors.

JOIN JFS FOR VAN JONES: SPEAKING UP AND SPEAKING OUT We’re excited to introduce a more insightful experience for this year’s Faces of JFS event! Join us as we present Van Jones: Speaking Up and Speaking Out. Van Jones is a CNN host, political commentator, Emmy Awardwinning producer, and author of three New York Times best-selling books. He also found success as a social entrepreneur, having founded and led many thriving enterprises, including the REFORM Alliance, Color of Change, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and the Dream.org, which works to close prison doors and open doors of opportunity in the green and tech economies. Through his popular Van Jones Substack and social media channels, Mr. Jones has advocated for Jewish and African American allyship in confronting rising hatred and antisemitism in the Jewish community.

Wednesday, November 12, 2025 5:30 – 10 p.m.

Infinity Park Event Center 4400 E. Kentucky Ave. Glendale, CO 80246

Enjoy an extended cocktail hour for mingling, a creative curated dinner, an informative short program, and an engaging moderated conversation between Mr. Jones and Scott Levin.

While the event format has shifted, our commitment to strengthening our position as a community safety net and sustaining the essential services our community relies on every day remains the same.

Learn more about the event, including sponsor opportunities and tickets, at jewishfamilyservice.org/event or contact Kate Shephard at kateshephard@jewishfamilyservice.org or 720.248.4633.

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Coping With Grief? Join Our Boulder Grief Group Our in-person group, facilitated by Hannah Salander, Licensed Professional Counselor, art therapist, and spiritual director, offers a welcoming and safe place for community members to share their grief, be witnessed by each other, and create connections.

The group meets on the second Monday of each month at the Boulder JCC from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Each session will begin with a brief centering practice and a poem or thought, to create a calm and welcoming space. Participants are then invited to share openly, lighting a battery-operated tea light in honor of a grief they carry, a recent loss, or a loved one’s name.

Silence is equally welcome as a way to honor one’s experience. Each candle will be placed at the center of the circle as a symbol of remembrance. The group will close with an acknowledgment of healing and gratitude for the communal gathering.

Participants can attend our Grief Group as often as they’d like, but registration is required, and there is a $10 suggested donation. Sign up for our group at jewishfamilyservice.org/jfs-boulder-grief-group-form.

Join the JFS Legacy Society: Create Opportunities for You and JFS What does it mean to define your legacy? In a general sense, it’s when you consider your passions and values, and recognize the importance of how your life can impact others. It’s about having the foresight and commitment to honor your past and influence the future. It’s about leaving your mark on the world.

By joining our JFS Legacy Society, you will help pave the way for a stronger future throughout our community. Your investment sustains the programs and services so that our neighbors stay fed, heal through mental health support, find stable and safe housing, and so much more. Now, more than ever, our Legacy Society members are crucial to strengthening our position as a community safety net while we are amid extraordinary turmoil and uncertainty around government funding.

Learn more and become part of a dedicated group of supporters who have made a special commitment to JFS to ensure that our life-transforming work endures for generations to come at jewishfamilyservice.org/donate/leave-a-legacy.

Thank you to our JFS Legacy Society members who had the vision to include JFS as a beneficiary in their estate plans. See the list of current Legacy Society members at jewishfamilyservice.org/donate/jfslegacy-society.

JFS Board Updates Our JFS Board of Directors works together to sustain our community, our programs, and especially our agency now and for the future. They use their passion, experience, and wisdom to help us fulfill our mission of making the world a better place and improving the lives of individuals and families throughout Colorado.

We’re excited about the new Board members who joined our incredible team, and we look forward to them sharing their strengths and talents throughout JFS and our community.

Elliot Marks Elliot Marks is a Managing Director at Hines, a real estate developer and investor. He joined Hines in 2019 to work on developing urban living communities, and today, he focuses on creating housing opportunities across Colorado.

Jane E Rosenbaum Jane E Rosenbaum brings extensive local and national board experience and has been involved with JFS for many years. She was the Celebration Chair of the JFS’s 150th anniversary campaign, Board Chair, Board member, and served on both the Development Committee and Budget & Finance Committee.

Josh Weiss As a Denver-based litigator and lobbyist, Josh Weiss navigates the complex intersections of law, policy, and advocacy in Colorado and nationwide. As a litigator, Josh represents clients in high-stakes commercial and Constitutional disputes, whether in the courtroom or through negotiation.

You can read the full biographies of all our Board members at jewishfamilyservice.org/about/board-of-directors.

Toss Like a Boss With Team ACE JFS Team ACE had an incredible performance at the Special Olympics Regional and State Bocce Competitions this summer!

We were so excited to cheer the team on and proud of their dedication and enthusiasm this bocce season. Next up? ACE is starting its bowling team in September because that’s how we roll!

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NON PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 1217

Jewish Family Service of Colorado Joyce and Kal Zeff Building 3201 South Tamarac Drive Denver CO 80231-4360 Social services for Jewish victims of the Holocaust have been supported by a grant from The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Simply the Basics Having access to items like toilet paper, soap, and menstrual products is just as important as having nutritious food on your table to stay healthy.

Let’s help each other and donate to the JFS Food & Hygiene Drive at jewishfamilyservice.org/highholidays.