Dear JCCA Colleagues, This is a Father’s Day unlike any other in my lifetime; it feels like years of history are happening every week. It was only a few weeks ago that George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis; only a few days ago that Rayshard...
Dear JCCA Colleagues, Last weekend, a video went viral of a woman named Amy Cooper in Central Park shouting at a birdwatcher who asked her to leash her dog, as park rules require. “I’m going to tell the cops an African American man is threatening my life,” she yells...
Dear JCCA Colleagues, On Monday, we celebrate the birth of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who would have turned 90 years old a few days ago, on January 15. As we honor the legacy of his achievements, we must also re-commit to the racial and economic justice...
Dear JCCA Colleagues, The holiday season presents the opportunity to gather with loved ones and reconnect, to show appreciation for each other and the gifts that we receive, whether material or not. We take stock of the previous twelve months, some of us committing to...
Dear JCCA Colleagues, We are all aware of the struggles our clients endure each day and the challenges they confront. The holidays give us greater pause to consider the painful absence of a loving family, or the poverty that prevents parents from providing their...
Dear JCCA Colleagues: For those of us who celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days, we are entering our days of awe — a time to reflect, resolve, and consider changes for the year to come. Whether or not one observes the holidays, the autumn season always heralds a time of...
Dear JCCA Colleagues: Many of you know that my daughter has two dads, so it is significant for me that Father's Day falls in the middle of Pride Month. I am proud of all you do throughout the year to support our clients and colleagues who identify as lesbian, gay,...
Holiday celebrations, in general, bring the complex nature of family into stark relief. For those of us in child welfare, Mother’s Day embodies that complexity perhaps more than any other day. On the one hand, the nature of our work is defined by family disruptions,...
Dear JCCA Colleagues, As I reflect on 2017, I am more appreciative than ever of you, our JCCA staff members, who continue to devote yourselves to the highest quality of care for our children and families. While we cannot predict what the future holds, I am optimistic...
The Jewish holiday of Chanukah began last night. Known as the festival of lights, Chanukah celebrates a miracle from 167 BCE, when the Maccabee freedom fighters’ only supply of pure oil, enough to light the temple for one night, lasted for eight. This year, if we...