Jewish Family Service Agency newsletter, undated

A Time To Remember The Jewish Needy A fund to provide traditional Passover foods for families who could otherwise not celebrate Passover has been established at the Jewish Family Service Agency in Las Vegas. The money will be distributed, based on need, to JFSA clients, and others in need. Mr. William Feldman, Executive Director of JFSA observes, "it's our wish that all Jewish families might celebrate the Passover Seder with dignity. During the Seder we recall the Jews' libera-tion from slavery in Egypt, and more recently our perse-cution in the Holocaust." Passover is one of the major Jewish holidays of the year. Called "the Season of our Freedom," this year's C^brattt^^jc^fl^Apfcaa The Passover Fund will be maintained solely by donations from the community and will be managed by William Feldman. JFSA board mem-bers created the initial pool of funds and will be soliciting other donors throughout the community. "Most of us from Jewish families recall the fun of 'making Pesach'. This Passover Fund will help us share the joy with fellow Jews whose income may not cover the cost of special Passover foods." Please don't forget - remember the needy of Passover! Persons who would like to contribute to the Passover Fund may contact the Jewish Family Service Agency at 732-0304. JFSA Accomplishments 1. Annually over 10,000 service contacts. 2. Affiliated with United Way and Jewish Federation of Southern Nevada. 3. Licensed adoption Agency. 4. Agency serves on Clark County Social Service Advisory Board. 5. Distributes funds for Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency (FEMA) - Food & Shelter. 6. Center for State Utility Assistance Program. 7. Agency serves on FEMA - Food & Shelter Board. 8. Shared Housing Program for Seniors - "Las Vegas Match." 9. Establishment of the Las Vegas Youth Council for Jewish Youth. 10. Resettlement of families from the Soviet Union. 11. Family Life Education Programs to strengthen families. 12. Professional treatment privileges at Charter & Monte Vista Psychiatric Hospitals. 13. Student placement center for UNLV Social Work students. 14. More than 50 Volunteers. 15. Chaplaincy Committee through which volunteers visit the sick in hospitals and nursing homes. Pikvach Nefesh: Preserving Life For ten years, Jewish Family Service Agency's doors have been open to the people of Las Vegas - especially the Jewish community - to families from every walk of life and through all the cycles of life. Our mission is to strengthen individual and family life. Fulfilling this mission presents a constant challenge. We are a small Agency of four full-time staff mem-bers. We serve a Jewish Community of 30,000 individuals. When problems seem overwhelming and a family is shaken to the roots, JFSA is there to help. Our door is always open, always welcoming families in crisis and pain, and encouraging them to take those steps toward help and better understanding. The Agency addresses the special needs of our elderly and acts as "ex-tended family" for those who are alone. We represent the community's commitment to the essential work of "Pikvach Nefesh" - saving souls and preserving life. JFSA's work could not be accomplished without a committed staff, an outstanding corps of volunteers, and a dedicated Board of Directors. It is our JFSA "team" which has truly been enthusiastic in serving our clients and the entire Las Vegas community. I wish to express my appreciation for our funding bodies, primarily the Jewish Federation and the United Way of Southern Nevada for their support. Jewish Family Service Agency represents a tradition of caring and community building. Our growth has been impressive, but the challenges of the future are awesome. JFSA is committed to the growth of the Las Vegas com-munity and to meeting the changing needs of its families and individuals. Single Parent Support Group Dines In The Sukkah Five days after Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish Year, comes one of the happiest of all festivals. It is called Sukkot, which means "booths" or "tabernacles." After our ancestors left Egypt, the Bible tells us, they wandered for forty years in the desert before they reached the Promised Land. During all these years they lived in makeshift shelters made of dry palms. The Bible tells us to dwell in booths seven days each year in remembrance of the years of wandering and hardship. To show that Sukkot was close at hand, it became a custom to drive in the first nail or stake for the erection of the Sukkah at the end of the Day of Atonement. In the days that follow; the whole family participates in building the Sukkah. It is placed in the yard or in gardens. The Sukkah is not covered from above with boards, but with separate twigs, so that the stars may shine through. The Sukkah is decorated with apples, pomegranates, clusters of grapes, Indian corn, and all kinds of flowers. Jewish Family Service Agency 1555 E. Fla.mingo Road, Suite 125 ? L?3 Vegas, Nevada 89109 ? (702) 732-0304