Federation Impact

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 …

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 …

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…

Repairing Homes, Repairing Lives

Mickey Levine never imagined he’d be spending his Sundays doing home construction and repairs. He’s not a professional contractor. But now? “I do it all. I’ve retiled, put in sinks, put in ramps, painted, patched ceilings,” he said. All because he answered a Federation call for vol…

Hesed Unflinching

Winter in the former Soviet Union. The temperature is -27 ˚ F, and snow and ice have closed the roads. But Tania is riding a borrowed horse and sleigh packed with food and supplies from Federation partner JDC for Tatiana and Bronislav. She’ll make this hour-long trek every day because Tat…