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The mission of the Department of Jewish Services is to seek out and serve the members of the Jewish community by providing programs and services that address their physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.
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Senior Services
Senior Transportation
Jewish Healing Network
Counseling, Workshops & Support Groups
Educational Loans & Camp Scholarships
Financial Assistance
Feed a Needy Neighbor (FANN)
Information & Referral
Professional & Community Education
Volunteer opportunities
Senior Services
Offering services for seniors with sensitivity to specialized Jewish needs :
- Geriatric Care Management
- Medical Advocate Program
- Jewish Healing Network
- Senior Transportation
- Kosher Kart
Geriatric care management. Our staff of caring professionals provide comprehensive assessment, a coordinated action plan, and ongoing monitoring to help elders successfully and safely live independently for as long as possible. Assistance offered in accessing supportive services for seniors and linking them to community resources when additional help is needed. Care managers help “bridge the gap” between families living locally or out of state and adult relatives living in the Jacksonville area.
Medical Advocate Program (MAP). A trained professional accompanies the senior to his or her doctor visit, coordinates complex medical care routines and reinforces doctor’s instructions with the older adult who no longer feels comfortable going to the doctor alone. MAP helps take the fear out of remembering to ask the right questions, feeling confused about instructions given by the doctor. MAP serves as an advocate for the senior. MAP helps provide peace of mind to families. Family members who may not be able to take time off of work, or may live out of town and not be able to take their parents to their doctor visits. Our Geriatric Care Manager will accompany your parent to their doctor appointment, sit in on the physical exam, write a detailed report concerning doctor instructions and communicate with family members re follow-up care, and assistance with navigating the complex health care system.
Jewish Healing Network (JHN). The Jewish Healing Network is a program of Jewish Family and Community Services. Partnering with area synagogues and Jewish organizations and funded in part by the Jewish Federation, JHN is committed to fulfilling the mitzvah of Bikkur Cholim, visiting the sick. Following Jewish tradition, Bikkur Cholim is an expression of both responsibility and loving kindness.
- Bikkur Cholim - visiting the sick. JHN volunteers make visits to those in our community who are ill and to the frail or elderly who are in the hospital, in area nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or private homes. Assignments can also be made to those who are shut in or feeling socially isolated.
- Jewish Hospice services. JFCS collaborates with area hospice programs to better serve the Jewish terminally ill.
- Outreach to Jewish seniors. JHN volunteers offer holiday observances, such as shofar blowing and Hanukkah candle lighting, to seniors living in non-sectarian senior facilities and nursing homes.
- Spiritual support. The Jewish Healing Network offers a variety of educational programs, support groups and healing gatherings that are geared to issues of illness, loss, healing and hope.
- Alexandra Miller Speaker series. Annual educational program featuring a national speaker on a Jewish Healing related topic. Free and open to the entire community.
- Rabbi visitation. JFCS coordinates a rotating schedule of local rabbis available for hospital visits to unaffiliated or out-of-town Jewish individuals..
Senior Transportation (CALL TO GO)
Jewish Family & Community Services arranges transportation for older adults of the Jewish faith to religious services at no cost and to medical appointments, shopping trips and recreational activities for an affordable fee. Call 224-6287.
Kosher Kart
A convenient and affordable meal option for seniors and anyone recuperating from illness and hospitalization. A variety of delicious meals delivered to your home. Menus can be customized to meet specific health or dietary needs. Meals are $6.50 each (sliding scale available). Call 224-6287.
Counseling, Workshops & Groups
Offered to Jewish children, teens, adults, couples, families and groups struggling with emotional distress in the areas of anxiety, depression, abuse, and interpersonal problems.
- Bereavement Support
- Caregiver Connections: a telephone support group
- Interfaith Workshop: Two Faiths One Heart
- The Back to Work Club
- The Stress of Living With Less
- Koleinu: Our voices
- Minds in Motion!
- Hot Topics
- Individual and Family Counseling
Bereavement Support. For those coping with the loss of a loved one and needing a place of comfort, groups meet for six-week sessions, several times a year. Call 224-2048
Caregiver Connections. A telephone support group offered monthly. A unique format for the at-home, long-distance or working caregiver, offering a wide range of discussion topics and tips.
Interfaith Workshop: Two Faiths One Heart. Interfaith couples of any age, in which one partner is Jewish. Discussions focus on the unique challenges of raising a family in an environment that reflects different religions, cultures and upbringing.
The Stress of Living With Less. A workshop series that addresses the emotional and financial challenges of our times. Provides tips for saving money and reducing debt, coping with the challenges that come with an insecure financial future and talking about the concerns of parents moving in – or adult children moving back in.
The Back to Work Club. An ongoing support group which meets twice a month, designed for those impacted by the current economic crisis.
Koleinu: Our Voices. An information sharing website for parents of Jewish children with special needs. A forum to make inquiries about the disability you wish to research and the resources available, and a venue for caregiver support with other parents who are dealing with similar issues. www.koleinujax.org
“Minds in Motion!” Supportive on-site services, including assessment, intervention and referral, provided by a JFCS clinician and offered to teachers/staff, students at parents of religious schools in area synagogues throughout the community.
Hot Topics.A monthly discussion group for seniors on a variety of interesting and stimulating topics addressing issues of the day.
Individual and Family Counseling
Financial Assistance
Winn Dixie Emergency food pantry and financial assistance available to those in need.
Winn Dixie Emergency food pantry. Open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. You must bring your picture ID, social security card and a social security card for each member of your household. Specialty foods are available as well as vouchers to purchase Kosher food.
Financial Assistance - past due bills and rent deposits with past due bills and deposit.
Specialized funds. There are limited specialized funds to help Jewish individuals, families, and seniors in need, including assistance with medical costs and indigent burial services.
Information & Referral
Professional assistance in accessing information to appropriate community services, with sensitivity to the needs of Jewish individuals. Information and guidance to individuals and families is available along with linkage to specialized community resources and programs.
Professional and Community Education
Jewish Family & Community Services has a large offering of educational programs that are available to the community.
Professional education programs
Taking Care of the Jewish Patient - training to health care professionals working in hospitals, long term care, independent and assisted living facilities to be more aware of the special needs of the Jewish resident or patient.
What is the Jewish Healing Network? training to synagogue caring and mitzvah committees reinforcing the importance of Bikkur Cholim, visiting the sick, and providing tips on how to make visits to those who are ill. Learn about this 5,000 year old tradition and how to make it an important part of your life today.
Share the Care- learn how organize a group within your own synagogue or organization to take care of someone who is seriously ill, recuperating from a serious injury, or elderly and in need of assistance.
Community education programs
Brunch, lunch, weekdays or weekends, JFCS staff welcomes the opportunity to speak to Sisterhoods, Brotherhoods, and Adult Education groups. Call 224-2048 to schedule a speaker. Some topics include:
- Telling Your Life Story
- Ethical Wills
- Do Not Cast Us Away in our Old Age: Preparing for those “golden” years
- Who Will Lead the Seder, and other challenges of Parenting the Parent
Other topics available and can be custom-tailored to your group or organization.
Scholarships and Educational Loans
Camp scholarships. The Josh Bay Fund helps provide support to families in the Jewish community who need assistance paying for Jewish day camps in the Jacksonville area for their children; partial scholarships for Jewish overnight camps also available.
Jewish Educational Loan Fund (JELF). JELF offers interest-free loans to Jewish students for post-secondary study at accredited institutions.
Volunteer Opportunities
Jewish Family & Community Services is always looking for volunteers to help with the following programs:
- Jewish Healing Network
- Feed a Needy Neighbor program
- Kosher Kart
- Helping with Jewish holidays at Mt. Carmel
- Outreach to Jewish seniors in non-Jewish nursing homes and assisted living facilities
- Administrative jobs also available – helping with clerical or mailing projects
Call 224-2048 for more information.
Ongoing Support Groups
The Back to Work Club
Meets: 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month - 1:00 p.m.
Bi-monthly networking and support group for anyone whose job has been affected by the current economic crisis. Meets at Jewish Family & Community Services, 6261 Dupont Station Ct. E., Jacksonville, FL 32217. Call 394-5737.
Caregiver Connections: Telephone Support group
Phone in: 2nd Tuesday of the month - 12:30 p.m.
A telephone support group for at-home, long-distance or working caregivers, offering a wide range of discussion topics and tips. Registration fee is $10 per session. Call ahead to register and receive an access code 394-5722.
Bereavement Support Group
Group forming now
For those coping with the loss of a loved one and needing a place of comfort, our 6-week bereavement support group, sensitive to the needs of the Jewish community, meets several times throughout the year. Call 394-5737 for further information.
Jacksonville Jewish Federation
Working in partnership, JFCS and the Jacksonville Jewish Federation are dedicated to promoting the well-being of all those within the Jewish community who need support and services.
See our Frequently Asked Questions
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