JFS News

As we enter the darkest time of the year, let us remember to “love our neighbors as ourselves.” This important Jewish value happens to perfectly reflect Buffalo as “the City of Good Neighbors.”

What does it mean to find success? For Oleksandra Klimantova, it looks like unlocking the doors of 7 Elephants, the rhythmic gymnastics studio she opened in Buffalo this year. Oleksandra and her family came to Buffalo as war broke out in the Ukraine, at which time...

Saying “Thank you!” 100 times a day? Yikes- how could you get that done. What would you offer gratitude for? Your best friend? Food you love? The air you breathe? Being alive? The clothes you wear? The earth? Your job?  The practice of expressing gratitude in Judaism...

A day in the life of a housing navigator varies. Some days, I am in the office all day filling out check requests, documenting cases, and coordinating bed deliveries. On other days, I am in the community viewing apartments, picking up donations, and dropping off...

Some of you already practice mindfulness. I wonder what your practice is. For those of the Jewish faith who are aware, preparation for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins the month before in Elul, which began at sundown on Saturday, August 23. At that time, as...

It’s a scorchingly hot day, but Bijoux Bahati and JFS’ TST-R staff are enthusiastically leading small groups in team building exercises outside at Providence Farm Collective (PFC). Each summer during their break from in-school programming, the team partners with PFC’s...

Traditionally summertime is about going out. Like spies exploring foreign territories, we seek new places, maybe even a promised land. One goal in Buffalo might be to capture the sun when we can, to have fun and connect with friends old and new. Yet how do we...

We’re excited to welcome Olena Sardo, PMHNP-BC, to the Jewish Family Services of WNY team! In her role as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Olena will work with children and adults and their counselors to develop their treatment plans and prescribe psychiatric...

I’m sure you’ve heard “life is a journey, not a destination.” One of the highest character traits in Judaism is being humble on our journey. It’s about our place in the world, our path to find that for ourselves, and to see a broader perspective and respecting others....