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Federation Impact

Feb 23, 2018

A Survivor with Disabilities Finds a New Home

Theodore (Teddy) Halpern likes to think that his disabilities, plus some good luck, helped him survive the Holocaust. Because he was born with two clubbed feet, stunted arms and missing fingers, people always underestimated what he was capable of—including serving in the French Underground…

Feb 14, 2018

Love, Birthright Style

Though they come from different worlds, it usually doesn’t take long for participants and Israeli soldiers on Federation-sponsored Taglit-Birthright Israel trips to form lasting friendships. Every once in a while, one of those relationships develops into something more. Like this romance b…

Feb 6, 2018

A Roof Over Her Head

"The best decision I ever made was also the most dangerous. Fourteen years ago, I found the courage to take my three young boys, leave my ex-husband and start a new life. But my new freedom came at a cost—I couldn’t afford preschool for the boys or even fresh produce.

That’s when the …

Feb 1, 2018

Supporting People of All Abilities

The Los Angeles area is rich with programs addressing the needs of children with special needs, but as soon as they became adults, they were on their own. With help from the Jewish Federation, Shemesh Farm sprouted up to right this wrong. At Shemesh, adults with special needs are given an …

Jan 22, 2018

A Survivor Shares Her Story with a New Generation

Too “traumatized after the war,” Marsha Kreuzman didn’t discuss her Holocaust experiences for nearly 30 years. “I cannot actually tell you what date motivated me, but I woke up and said, ‘the world has to know what we went through,’” she recalls. The younger generation had to h…