From Humble Beginnings
Relief Agency founded in 1891
The Montefiore Relief Association, the predecessor of the Jewish Family & Career Services was founded in 1891.
In the late 1800's, there was an influx of Jewish immigrants to Atlanta. At the time, the two main synagogues, The Temple & Ahavath Achim Synagogue did not know how to meet the influx of Jewish immigration from Eastern Europe. The Montefiore Relief Association, the predecessor of the Jewish Family & Career Services was founded in 1891. Its purpose was to provide direct relief and loans geared towards helping an individual become self-supporting. More than 100 years later, this remains core to the mission of JF&CS.
Medical services were established in 1911
The Morris Hirsch Clinic is established.
The Morris Hirsch Clinic was established in 1911 to provide outpatient medical services to those unable to afford care. It operated out of an old house on Capital Avenue. In the beginning, the small clinic was only open on Sunday mornings, but soon more beds were added to the clinic and a nurse was hired at an annual salary of $500.
Expanding the Role in the Community
The Jewish Vocational Services was established as a committee of the Jewish Federation.
1979
Jewish Vocational Services was born.
1982
The agency became an autonomous organization.
1985
JVS became independent.
1991
Gary Miller was hired as CEO.
Bringing the organization together as JF&CS
Under Gary Miller’s leadership, the agencies merged in 1997 to become Jewish Family & Career Services, or JF&CS.
Prior to Gary's retirement, JF&CS won the prestigious 'Managing for Excellence' Award from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta in 2011.
Rick Aranson became the second CEO of JF&CS in 2015.
Expansion of the Dunwoody Campus
In 2017, JF&CS completed the expansion of its Atlanta campus.
The expanded campus, located in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody, now includes a new clinical services wing, a new disabilities services building (IndependenceWorks), a new lobby and Gathering Space, and a complete upgrade to all furnishings and fixtures.
The Dunwoody campus is just one of the three campuses that bring a wide range of services to the Atlanta community.
Terri Bonoff Joins JF&CS at CEO
In 2019, Terri Bonoff joined the agency as the third CEO.