At its Annual General Meeting on June 23 at 7 p.m. at Shaarey Zedek synagogue, Jewish Child and Family Service will be honouring and higlighting Cherly Hirsch Katz, Director of Adult Services who is retiring after 43 years of at JCFS and a careeer dedicated to the betterment of our Jewish community.
As she told the Winnipeg Jewish Review, ‘ In 1981, I, like many people at that time, did not really know about much about JCFS. However, I quickly discovered it was Winnipeg’s best kept secret. JCFS has always emphasized the aspect of family, both as an organization and in the work we do. I worked and stayed at JCFS because their values are in line with my own. This has been much more than a job for me. It has been my passion and something I have been deeply committed to.”
Hirsch-Katz has spent most of her years at JCFS delivering services to seniors both as a social worker and supervisor of the Older Adult Services program. She has also worked in and supervised the Newcomer Settlement, as well as Mental Health and Addiction Services. “As Director of Adult Services over the last few years, it has been my role to ensure that the best possible services are provided to those who need it. From the very first phone call, to meeting with a social worker and developing a plan, the needs of the client is our priority.”
When asked about some of the highlights of her career, Hirsch-Katz responded “It has been a privilege to work with so many individuals and families in our community throughout my career at JCFS. Throughout the years, I have been given the opportunity to create groups and programs which have hopefully made a difference in people’s lives. Some areas of focus with the Older Adult Services Program have included work with caregivers, coping with memory loss and providing education on elder abuse. I have also been fortunate to have been able to be a part of the development and growth of many services within the organization.”
In the early 1980’s the services and staff were a lot smaller than they are today. Hirsch-Katz indicates. “It has been exciting to be a part of these changes and see new programs and supports that are continually being put into place to meet important needs of community members throughout their life cycle. An example of this has been the additions of aging mental health, addictions and most recently youth mental health to our existing mental health program.”
According to Hirsch-Katz, “JCFS is in the best position it ever has been to move forward in many exciting ways.”
She says that JCFS is doing more public community educational programming than ever before and responding to the feedback from those events for future programming. JCFS continues to focus on all aspects of services for all ages and stages of life in our community.”
One service that Hirsch-Katz emphasizes that requires a new focus in Settlement Services. “‘This is in the wake of recent funding cuts to our longstanding federal funding for immigration services. JCFS is working hard maintain the important work of settling and integrating new immigrants to the Winnipeg Jewish community,” she adds.
“On a positive note, JCFS recently launched the new Asper Empowerment Program, which provides a continuum of help through food security, financial supports, and employment services. JCFS is also in the process of revitalizing our volunteer program, which is an essential part of its service delivery.
The core services in mental health, addictions supports, child welfare, and services to seniors continue to evolve and grow.”
On a final note, Hirsch-Katz observes that “in the wake of Oct 7 and the rise in antisemitism, JCFS has been leading the way in our community by providing mental health counselling, workshops, and emotional supports to anyone feeling the stress and impacts of being a Jew in the current social climate.”
We will also be honoring and highlighting Cheryl Hirsh, our Director of Adult Services, who is retiring after 43 years at JCFS and a career dedicated to our Jewish community.
