Holocaust Survivor Support
The Holocaust Survivor Support Program helps Survivors age safely and independently in their homes through holistic, comprehensive services. We work with Survivors, their families, and caregivers using a trauma-informed lens in order to ensure Survivors in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties maintain a high quality of life, connection to resources, individualized support from our staff, and a strong sense of community.
JFCS Care Management services for Holocaust Survivors include:
- Supportive counseling and advocacy: our committed and caring social workers provide trauma-informed counseling to Survivors, meeting them where they are and providing a safe space to share and communicate. They advocate for our Survivor clients and the entire Greater Philadelphia Survivor Community.
- Home care: helps Survivors age in place with dignity, warmth, and respect by assisting with daily tasks such as getting dressed, bathing, light cleaning, laundry, preparing meals, and moving around the house safely.
- Nursing care: our Nurse Practitioner provides in-home visits as a means of preventative care, providing referrals to further treatment as needed.
- Meals on Wheels and food assistance: we work with our internal Grocery Delivery Program to provide fresh produce and pantry staples to Survivors, and KleinLife’s Home Delivered Meals program to provide kosher meals to homebound Survivors. Additionally, we deliver boxes of culturally appropriate/sensitive food from the local Russian grocery store to Survivors from Russia. We also supply gift cards to Netcost and ShopRite, and work with the Mitzvah Food Pantry to provide additional groceries.
- Social events: we are committed to bringing Survivors together to share in fun and educational workshops and events that foster a sense of community. These include the annual Café Europa celebration, the Tasty Travels program in our kitchen, art therapy, music therapy, creative writing, Seders, luncheons, dance, exercise, tai chi, and more.
- Transportation: JFCS coordinates transportation for clients to and from medical appointments, JFCS social events, workshops and classes, and in the event of an emergency need.
- Connections to resources and referrals: we assist Survivors with connecting to the services they may need outside of JFCS, such as applying for public benefits, finding adult day care centers, receiving pro-bono dental work, and many other services.
- Emergency financial assistance: JFCS is able to meet the emergency needs of low-income Survivors by providing funding for health and safety-related priorities.
- Uniper: this free, easy-to-use platform available on a TV, computer, or tablet, keeps Holocaust Survivors connected and active by allowing them to attend a schedule of interactive classes, watch recorded videos, and video chat with loved ones. Includes programs in English, Spanish, and Russian.
Our Holocaust Survivor Support Program includes a multilingual team with Russian, Hebrew, Spanish, and Ukrainian language capacity.
Our Staff
Carly Bruski, LMSW, Program Officer, Holocaust Survivor Support & Older Adults
Steve Zakusilo, MSS, LSW, Program Manager
Julia Eidelman, MS, Care Manager
Jessica Rubinstein, LMSW, Social Worker
Jalia Seyidzade, Care Manager
Olga Shaulov, Bilingual Administrative Coordinator
To contact us about Holocaust Survivor Support, CLICK HERE
Social services for Jewish Nazi victims have been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
JFCS services for Holocaust Survivors are supported by
The Jewish Federations of North America.
JFCS services for Holocaust Survivors are supported by
KAVOD SHEF.