History
JFS was founded by Cele Cassman and Sara Singer in 1936 as a volunteer organization to assist and improve the lives of refugees, the elderly, and the poor. Originally known as the Jewish Families Committee, the non-profit was incorporated in 1976 as Jewish Family Service of Atlantic County. What began as a small, volunteer-based offshoot of the Federation of Jewish Agencies (now Jewish Federation of Atlantic & Cape May Counties), working out of a Ventnor storefront, has become a nationally recognized social-service agency, positively impacting the lives of more than 15,000 people annually.
With an annual budget in excess of $16 million, we provide a myriad of health, human, and vocational services to enhance the well-being of individuals and families of all ages, faiths, cultures, and lifestyles in Atlantic and Cape May Counties.
A professional staff of more than 175 highly qualified employees works to help our clients reach their full potential in a dignified setting that balances their cultural values with personal needs and goals.
We work and partner with many private and public organizations and agencies, leveraging those relationships to improve our services and create integrated systems of support. In addition to being an affiliate of the Jewish Federation and a partner agency with United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, we are a member of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies and the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies. Some of our partners include:
- Atlantic City Rescue Mission Atlantic
- Atlantic County Board of Social Services
- AtlantiCare Health Systems
- John Brooks Recovery Center
- New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
- New Jersey Department of Labor
- New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency (formerly DYFS).
- New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services
