Our Story

Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit (JFS) embarked on its mission in the late 19th century as local relief societies, the Hebrew Ladies Sewing Circle, and the Self Help Circle came together to form a unified single Agency to meet the needs of the local Jewish community. JFS incorporated in 1928, with the specific mission of “Finding homes for orphan children and supplying homemakers for families with an ill or absent mother.”

Since then, Jewish Family Service has always helped the newcomer, even as the American Jewish Experience has changed over time. Before World War II, JFS helped Jewish families acculturate to life in Detroit and provided assistance to ensure their safety and well being. After the Holocaust, JFS’ work changed dramatically, helping resettle Holocaust Survivors, advocating for restitution for these victims of Nazi persecution and providing psychosocial supports to help them cope with these unthinkable atrocities’ impact on their functioning. JFS, along with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Jewish Federation, JVS and Hebrew Free Loan, has helped resettle thousands of Jewish Refugees from the Former Soviet Union. After resettlement, JFS has continued to serve the “Russian Community” with culturally and linguistically competent social services for any need or problem. JFS continues to resettle a small number of Refugees annually and provides a variety of immigration and citizenship related services.

Jewish Family Service has evolved into a modern and comprehensive social service provider, helping individuals and families in metropolitan Detroit. The Agency has a reputation as an exemplary service provider within the Jewish and broader communities. Today our mission is:

Jewish Family Service is dedicated to helping individuals and families cope, survive and thrive in an ever-changing world. We are focused on the needs of the Jewish community while providing services to all.

JFS is a CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF International is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services) accredited Agency, demonstrating the value of its services and meeting internationally recognized organizational and program standards. Funded through a variety of sources, JFS has a budget over 10 million dollars and over a 100 person strong workforce.

Services

While Jewish Family Service helps with a variety of programs and services, uniquely tailored to individuals’ and families’ specific needs, the Agency has a rich history of providing the following core services:

Safety Net Services
Since its inception, Jewish Family Service has always helped families make ends meet. Known as the Jewish community’s safety net, JFS continues to provide emergency financial assistance, along with professional case management to help individuals and families become self-sufficient. In recent years, JFS’ safety net services have expanded because of the growing need caused by the worsening economy. In 2005, JFS began Project Chessed, an access to health care program, linking uninsured Jewish adults to a network of pro bono volunteer practitioners and institutions. Because all families in the community, regardless of income level or cost of their home, have been seriously impacted by the housing crisis, in 2008 the Jewish Housing Association, a collaboration among JFS, the Jewish Federation and Hebrew Free Loan, was established as a response to this crisis.

Counseling
Jewish Family Service has always helped people cope with whatever difficulties they encounter. Because life’s crises also involve interpersonal and psychological strife, JFS provides professional mental health counseling services.

Older Adult Services
Jewish Family Service assists older adults and their loved ones in the community. Through a continuum of professional services and collaborating with other agencies, a primary concern of JFS is to help older adults age in place safely and with dignity.

JFS Values
An inherent obligation within Judaism is to help one another. While our primary focus is on the Jewish community, we realize our responsibility of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), thus recognizing the broader responsibility and openness to the general community. Our professional responsibility is to serve our clients and care about our community.

We apply the highest degree of honesty and integrity, consistent with Jewish values and ethical professional standards, when determining the right decisions to complex problems. In our work, we: