The History of JF&CS
Since 1891, the agency now known as Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) has served our community. We are one of Atlanta's longest continuously operating social service agencies. It is remarkable to think of the impact we have had as an organization over that time. As Atlanta has grown dramatically, JF&CS has as well, altering our service offerings over the years to keep pace with a growing population and its evolving needs. But our underlying approach of transforming lives has remained constant throughout our history.
- In 1875, the population of Atlanta was recorded at 31,000, and the Jewish population was 400
- By 1935, Atlanta had grown to 285,000, including 12,000 Jews (U.S. Bureau of Census, Census of Religious Bodies, 1926)
- In 1960, the Atlanta Jewish population is estimated at 20,000
- Today, Atlanta metro is more than 6.1 million, and there are 132,100 Jews in the Atlanta community
Historically, JF&CS is a testimony to the commitment of the Atlanta Jewish community to the values of the family and the importance of the individual.
- 1891 - the Montefiore Relief Association (MRA) is established to provide charity and financial assistance to immigrating Jews
- 1911 - Morris Hirsch Clinic formed to provide charitable health-related services
- 1924 - Montefiore Relief Association and Morris Hirsch Clinic merge with the Jewish Federation for Social Service, and MRA is renamed to Montefiore Family Service Bureau (MFSB)
- 1953 - MFSB is renamed to Jewish Family and Children's Bureau (JFCB) after adding a local child care program to its service
- In 1960, JFCB had a staff of three and a budget of approximately $35,000
- By 1970, the staff had grown slightly larger and the budget had expanded to approximately $65,000
- In 1975, Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) is formed as an entity of the Atlanta Jewish Federation
- 1980 saw the JFCB budget move to slightly over $500,000
- July 1982, Jewish Family Services (JFS) received its State Charter as the "umbrella" name for the combined JFCB and Ben Massell Dental Clinic
- 1986 - JVS becomes fully autonomous
- 1997 - JFS and JVS merge to form JF&CS
In 1991, JFS had nine programs and an operating budget of $1M. Today, JF&CS has an operating budget nearing $25M, approximately 30 specialized programs, with a staff of nearly 200.
From Humble Beginnings
Relief Agency founded in 1891
The Montefiore Relief Association was founded in 1891 in large part by Morris Lichenstein.
In the late 1800's, Eastern European Jews begin to arrive en masse. The two main synagogues in Atlanta – The Temple & Ahavath Achim Synagogue – did not know how to meet the influx of needs. Morris Lichenstein was instrumental in establishing the Montefiore Relief Association in 1891 shortly after coming to Atlanta – the predecessor of Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS). Its purpose was to provide direct relief and loans geared towards helping an individual become self-sufficient. To this day, this remains core to the mission of JF&CS.
The Morris Hirsch Clinic is established in 1911.
Morris Hirsch, a founder of The Temple, established the clinic, providing outpatient medical services to the less fortunate. 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.
In 1915, dental care was provided.
The clinic transitioned to solely provide dental services in 1929.
In 1956, Dr. Irving M. Goldstein, a dentist and former Chief of Staff at the Morris Hirsch Clinic, and Dr. Marvin Goldstein, his brother and successor, recognized the need to move the dental clinic from its location in downtown Atlanta. They enlisted the help of Ben Massell, one of Atlanta's premier builders and developers, who ultimately acquired a location on Pryor Street.
In 1959, urban renewal and eminent domain laws made it necessary for the clinic to move. Again, Ben Massell, with help from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, secured the clinic a new home, this time on 7th Street in midtown Atlanta, where it remained for 49 years. In honor of his involvement, assistance and financial generosity, the clinic was renamed the Ben Massell Dental Clinic (BMDC).
Ben Massell Dental Clinic (BMDC) on 7th Street in midtown Atlanta.
Defining Moments of Leadership
1961
Leonard L. Cohen joined the staff of the Jewish Family and Children's Bureau of Federation as Director of Casework Services and Planning. Services included marriage counseling, parent-child counseling, personal counseling, services to the aged, assistance to the unwed mother, adoption service, resettlement assistance, and help in locating scholarship resources. He retired in 1988 following 27 years as Executive Director of Jewish Family Services.
1975
Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) is created to focus on occupational placement and counseling. Leadership and program growth is provided by Dr. Mark Fisher, Executive Director, from 1975 - 1993. It was initially called the Gate City B'nai B'rith Federation Employment Service of the Atlanta Jewish Welfare Federation.
1982
Under the lay leadership of Phyllis B. Friedman z"l, Jewish Family Services (JFS) becomes an independent organization. It started with a staff of seven. Herbert Kohn is named President in 1982. JFS becomes the parent name for the new agency consisting of Jewish Family and Children's Bureau and Ben Massell Dental Clinic.
First Annual Meeting - 1983
Growing to Meet the Dynamic Needs of the Community
1984
Aided by the generous contribution of the family of the late Max M. Cuba, JFS moves from the Atlanta Jewish Federation Building into offices in the Selig Educational Building next door to The Temple.
1986
The PAL Program, Atlanta's only Jewish Big Brother/Big Sister program, is created to match mentors with Jewish children in single-parent homes. Its annual fundraiser, Havinagala, is initiated in 1994.
1991
JFS begins providing services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "ILP Parties" begin in the mid-90s to help provide financial support for the independent living program. They soon become the singular annual wine tasting event – The Tasting – that is now more than 20 years strong.
Gary Miller joins JFS as CEO in 1991
In 1991, Gary Miller left his native Montreal to take the helm at Jewish Family Services. At the time, JFS had a budget of around $1M and ran nine programs: Kosher Meals on Wheels, Cradle of Love Adoption, The PAL Program, Community Chaplaincy, Counseling, Resettlement, Volunteer Services, Friendly Visitors, and DART (Dial-a-Ride Transportation).
1993
Shalom Bayit (Peace in the Home) domestic violence program begins as a three-year grant. Today, it remains a core program, offering educational programming, advocacy and consultation, and working to dispel the myth that abuse does not occur in Jewish homes.
1995
JFS and JVS move together from separate Midtown offices to the agency's current location on Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
1997 - Jewish Family & Career Services is born
On January 1, 1997, Jewish Family Services (JFS) and Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) officially merged into one agency. This was symbolized when JFS President Judith Cohen z"l "wed" JVS President Ron Kirschner at the first JF&CS Annual Meeting in 1997.
2001
The Rainbow Center was founded by members of the Atlanta Jewish Community to support LGBTQ+ individuals. It is now renamed SOJOURN: the Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity, and operates as a separate agency.
2005
Services to older adults, previously Elder Connections, are formalized as a core service area and endowed as Aviv Older Adult Services.
2008
The Ben Massell Dental Clinic opens its new office on 14th Street in Midtown.
2012
HAMSA (Helping Atlantans Manage Substance Abuse) is launched as an all-inclusive community resource for education and referral services relating to substance abuse and addiction.
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 a complete upgrade to all furnishings and fixtures.
Terri Bonoff joins JF&CS at CEO
In 2019, Terri Bonoff assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer.
Defining Moments of Terri's Leadership
2019
Terri was hired as CEO following a nationwide search (starting May/June 2019). In her early months she met extensively with board members, clergy, and community leaders to assess unmet needs, which repeatedly pointed to a gap in youth and teen mental health services. She also pushed for the launch of what would become the Horwitz-Zusman Child & Family Center, and one of her first initiatives as CEO was raising wages for Direct Support Professionals in the I/DD program, a move that eventually helped make JF&CS one of the highest-paying employers in that field.
2020
The pandemic dominated this year. JF&CS expanded telehealth for mental health and older-adult services and created 11 new support groups, while emergency financial assistance demand grew so fast that a program built for roughly $400,000 a year was projected to need upward of $5 million. JF&CS was among the first organizations to receive funding from the Jewish Federation's COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, and the Kosher Food Pantry, career services, and older-adult programs all scaled up to meet demand. In December, JF&CS hosted a "Tween & Teen Mental Health in the Age of COVID" event featuring Mayim Bialik, which helped build the case for a dedicated children's mental health center.
2021
Our community's and state's mental health was at the forefront of the issues being addressed in the wake of the pandemic. As one of two main recipients of a $5.6 Million endowed gift left by the Frances Bunzl Family Trust, JF&CS renamed its clinical services area to the Frances Bunzl Clinical Services. Additionally, JF&CS officially launched the Horwitz-Zusman Child & Family Center on August 18, 2021, the culmination of a fundraising campaign that started with $1.7 million and eventually topped $4 million. The leadership team built a five-year plan for a holistic approach serving children age 2 and up, informed by research showing Georgia ranked near the bottom of states for mental health access. The Kosher Food Pantry also relocated to a larger space that spring to handle pandemic-driven demand. A 6-Part mental health webinar series was created to help parents address some of the most prominent issues such as depression, substance abuse, and parent-teen relationships.
August 2021
Horwitz-Zusman Child & Family Center launches.
2022
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, JF&CS stepped up to form the Atlanta Ukrainian Evacuee Relief Assistance (AURA) program to assist with resettlement aid to the first wave of Ukrainian evacuees to the Atlanta area. The new Horwitz-Zusman Child & Family Center built out its staff and physical space, adding around 15 clinicians and specialists, including a parent coach, play therapists, and a child neurologist, plus specialty programs for LGBTQ+ families, young women, and preschoolers. A new Focus Workshop Series was launched to continue educating the community in various mental health topics. JF&CS was named an Atlanta Top Workplace for 2022 by the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC), landing at #13 among mid-sized Atlanta companies and also earning the Special Category award for Meaningfulness.
2023
A roughly 2,100-square-foot, 11-room physical expansion of the Horwitz-Zusman Child & Family Center was completed which culminated in an Open House reveal in January. In March, JF&CS launched the "BeWellATL" youth mental health initiative with a $500,000 matching grant from the Zalik Foundation, part of a national Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies/Jewish Federations of North America framework. JF&CS again won a Top Workplaces honor by the AJC.
August 2023
BeWellATL initiative is created.
October 2023
The Shalom Bayit "Peace in the Home" program celebrated its 30th Anniversary.
2024
Internally, the year's annual meeting recap noted cash flow and leadership were named as growth areas to address, leading the board to establish an operational cash reserve account. Externally, in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 on attack on Israel by HAMAS and a rise in antisemitism, JF&CS leaned into a role Terri described as a "first responder" for the Jewish community during crisis, including a "Be Well with Hillel" partnership supporting Jewish college students' mental health. Antisemitism was the key topic at Community of Giving with celebrity guest speaker, actor, artist, and Jewish advocate Jonah Platt. The Frances Bunzl Clinical Services launched the Feel Better Letter, a newsletter containing information on various topics for a segmented audience focused on mental health issues. JF&CS was once again named a Top Workplace by the AJC for the third year in a row.
2025
Terri announced in the Spring that she wanted to step back from the CEO role, feeling the agency was at an inflection point requiring a sharper focus on financial sustainability. In August 2025, Jay Cranman (former CEO of Hands On Atlanta) took over as CEO, and Terri transitioned into a new role leading a "Growth, Innovation and Durability Campaign" aimed at raising roughly $20 million to secure the agency's long-term footing.
Testimonials
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Terri Bonoff, CEO of JF&CS, stated that everyone would keep their jobs. Paychecks would not be interrupted. COVID-related absences would be paid without question. Taking care of family was the first priority. “When you believe in your staff, take away any fear or insecurity of job loss, people stand up and deliver results that far surpass what is predictable or imaginable.”