2016-17 ANNUALImpact REPORT Serving Jewish Youth and Families Since 1855 WHO WE ARE Over 160 Years of Service & Care Residents of the Jewish Children’s Home exercise in the courtyard circa 1890. For 162 years, Jewish Children’s Regional Service (JCRS) has served at-risk, dependent and financially challenged Jewish children and families from seven (7) Mid-South states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas by providing college scholarships, grants for Jewish summer camp experiences, special needs assistance, and other vital outreach programs that are pivotal in building one’s Jewish identity. Today, JCRS remains vital, impactful, and more necessary than ever. In 2016-2017, over 1700 children and families were served from more than 200 communities across our region — a new service record! OUR HISTORY Jewish Children’s Regional By the end of World War II, Service (JCRS) began in many orphanages were closing 1855 as The Association for their doors around the country. the Relief of Widows and In 1946, The Jewish Children’s Orphans in New Orleans, Home also closed its doors. Louisiana. The institution, With the closing of the Home, created to care for children, the agency now known as The carried several names and Jewish Children’s Regional by the early 20th century, Service began as a program became known as The Jewish for serving both children who Children’s Home. remained with their parents as The Home originally was well as those who still required opened for Jewish children institutional care. orphaned as a result of the Residents gathered for a meal at the 2nd site of the Home at Sanford Weiss, of the 5342 St. Charles Ave. in late 1880s. Today that site holds the yellow fever epidemic. New Orleans Jewish Community Center. Bellefaire/Jewish Children’s At first, only local children Bureau of Cleveland, Ohio, were accepted, but by 1875 it was clear that Jewish became first director of JCRS. He and his wife, Viola Weiss, children in other areas also needed care. In that year, an led the agency for over four decades, creating programs agreement was reached with B’nai B’rith to extend services for camp scholarships and college aid. They also created an to the same area encompassed by what was then their out-of-home care program which has been expanded and District Seven: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, recently has become our present program for providing Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. scholarships for special needs care. Always pioneering new ways of helping children, in 1902 Jewish Children’s Regional Service has survived major the Board of Trustees of the Home decided to establish a upheavals — the Civil War; at least three yellow fever manual training school to provide vocational education for epidemics; major hurricanes; countless changes in our children of the Home. The Isidore Newman Manual Training society – and has adapted to the times. As the world School was opened with an agreement to serve other changes, we change too. Yet, one thing has always been children but only after, as stated by the resolution, “… our and will always remain a constant… our commitment to own wards are provided for.” care for Jewish children in need! 2 JCRS 2016-17 Annual Impact Report DEAR FRIENDS SUPPORTERS A Letter from our President& & Executive Director HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT JCRS is a unique Jewish agency. Nowhere else in the Dear Friends, United States can a family obtain case management in the form of funding for a child with special needs, substantially In the past year, Jewish Children’s Regional Service has funded camp and education scholarship assistance, and proudly impacted the lives of over 1700 Jewish youth Jewish outreach — all from one agency. Whether it is who reside in seven states of the Mid-South. These through a one-time special needs assessment or a lifetime Jewish children, youth and college students received of therapy and care, a subscription to the PJ Library ® services that are highlighted across the pages of this that provides free Jewish themed books to children up Annual Report. through age eleven, a Jewish summer camp grant, or It is impossible to adequately convey in this brief an undergraduate aid package, we are here to help. As report all the effort and tasks performed by the staff, impressive as these services are, the needs of our at-risk board, and additional volunteers, nor can we highlight Jewish community are ongoing and enormous. all the challenges overcome by our clients and the milestones our “success stories” have achieved. In essence, this report comprises a heartfelt “thank you” to all of our supporters. OUR SERVICES If you are not currently a supporter, we hope you become one after you have read the enclosed client & CONSTITUENCY profiles that inspire us to assist those who seek and All scholarship programs are needs-based, except for PJ need our help. Library® and PJ Our Way® which are open to all Jewish To get involved, please call us at 1-800-729-5277, write youth ages 6 months to pre-teen. Nearly 40% of our us at P.O. Box 7368, Metairie, LA 70010-7368, or email us scholarship clients come from single-parent homes and at [email protected]. many are being raised by someone other than their In spite of all we accomplish, there is much work that biological parents – grandparents, other family members, still needs to be done. We are determined never to foster care. The typical family has 5 members within the create a waiting list for those who need our help! household and the combined average gross income is less than $70,000 per year. All the best for a wonderful 2018, Neil Kohlman, Ned Goldberg, JCRS President Executive Director JCRS 2016-17 Annual Impact Report 3 OUR IMPACT AOver Look 160 at Where Years Our of Dollars Service Go & Care Service OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS Highlights in aid provided $204,000 so Jewish children received children could attend Jewish 332 camp scholarships sleep-away camps from and attended coast-to-coast. different camps. 35 Jewish 1066 children received monthly books through the PJ Library®. students from 23 immigrant families received college aid. Jewish children and special needs adults285 received Hanukkah gift packages. children with special needs or 70 dependency received assistance or case Jewish children management. 117 received college aid. Our Time in History… 1856 Lazar Schwartz enters the Jewish Orphans’ Home. By the 1890’s, he became The Association for the 1855 president 1875-1886 The Home Relief of Widows and Orphans of Gates extends services to other states is created in New Orleans and of Prayer and moves to its permanent 1890 Residents of the Jewish builds the first Home at Chip- Congregation. location at St. Charles and Children’s Home exercise pewa St. and Jackson Ave. Jefferson Avenues. in the courtyard circa 1890. 4 JCRS 2016-17 Annual Impact Report PROGRAMS SERVICES Sharing& our Success Stories COLLEGE AID Through generous grants and no-interest loans, JCRS College Aid helps financially challenged students get College Aid one step closer to a cap and gown – and therefore one step closer to financial stability and self-sufficiency. JCRS Michael Finkelstein provides scholarships for college or vocational training is an attorney with the in the form of grants and/or no-interest loans based on New Orleans firm of financial need. Sternberg, Naccari & White, LLC, where he Many of the college students who receive aid from JCRS focuses his practice are from very low-income families. Each academic year on commercial our program funds approximately 120 students with an litigation, catastrophic average award of about $2,500. Typically, freshman and personal injury, sophomores are eligible for grants for the academic year. and internet and Juniors and seniors generally are eligible for a combination cybersecurity laws. Recently, Michael contributed to a of grants and no-interest loans. notable product liability case in which his firm received one of the largest personal injury verdicts ever awarded in the City of New Orleans. A New Orleans native, Michael is a graduate of Louisiana State University and LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center, where he earned a juris doctor and a diploma in comparative law. He was an active student leader during both college and law school. Michael is a recipient of the Stephen T. Victory Memorial Award from the Louisiana State Bar Association and the New Orleans Jewish Federation’s Cohen-Jacobs Emerging Leader Award. He is active in numerous community organizations, including co- chair of JNOLA in 2017, and is a member of the Young Leadership Council, the New Orleans Bar Association a JCRS College Aid recipient, graduated from Spencer Glaser and Youth Run NOLA. University of Tennessee Magna Cum Laude, and went on to law school at the University of Memphis School of Law in 2014. He is JCRS provided financial aid to Michael during all now an immigration attorney with the Memphis firm of Siskind of his years as an LSU undergraduate. Most recently, Susser PC. Michael became a Governing Member of JCRS’s volunteer leadership. Over117 Jewish youth received college aid at 60 different colleges in the past 12 months. 1891 1904 Edgar Goldberg Philanthropist Isidore Newman leaves Jewish creates a school Orphans’ Home. for home In 1908 he creates residents the first Jewish news- and other paper in Texas, the youth. Herald of Houston. 1903 The Jewish Children’s Home Band. JCRS 2016-17 Annual Impact Report 5 PROGRAMS SERVICES 2016-2017 Annual Impact& Report CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS Camp Since the 1950s, JCRS has recognized the value of Jewish Scholarships sleep-away camp as a unique opportunity for fun, personal growth, and Jewish identity-building.