Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts

03/27/2026

Use this *QR code and URL to access Governor Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell new state portal allowing residents to report misconduct by federal immigration enforcement: https://www.mass.gov/fedmisconduct

*Created by our friends at https://miracoalition.org/

03/25/2026

We are delighted to share this significant legal victory protecting the rights and dignity of our clients and of refugees across the country.

We are deeply grateful to our partners in this case including the brave refugees participating, International Institute of New England, Democracy Forward, and International Refugee Assistance Project.

Together, we celebrate this important step toward ensuring that those who come to this country lawfully are treated with humanity and justice.

Read the press release at the link below or on the latest news section of our homepage: https://democracyforward.org/news/press-releases/court-blocks-unlawful-refugee-detention-policy/

03/24/2026

This is tonight. It is free but don't forget to register. Join A Faith That Does Justice March 24, 2026 at 7:00 pm on Zoomfor a virtual fireside chat discussing faith, resistance, and protecting our most vulnerable communities. Hear from inspiring interfaith leaders, including our JFS CEO Rabbi James Greene, as they explore how belief can move us to action in these challenging times.
The event is free, but registration is required. Click here to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2717732534161/WN_ymMeB3UVTp6swGCkfSlZfg #/registration

03/24/2026

Join us tomorrow! We hope to see you all at this benefit concert by the Welcome Table Chorus on Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:00 p.m.) at Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity, 130 Pine St., Florence, MA.

The concert is free with a $20 suggested donation encouraged. Tickets available in advance and at the door. Proceeds from the concert will benefit both Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts and Center for New Americans.

Directed by Nerissa Nields and Katryna Nields, the chorus will perform songs from the folk tradition along with selections from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Tickets are available in advance and at the door. Scan the QR code or go to the upcoming events section of our homepage more info: https://jfswm.org/

03/23/2026

Join A Faith That Does Justice tomorrow March 24, 2026 at 7:00 pm on Zoom for a virtual fireside chat discussing faith, resistance, and protecting our most vulnerable communities. Hear from inspiring interfaith leaders, including our JFS CEO Rabbi James Greene, as they explore how belief can move us to action in these challenging times.
The event is free, but registration is required. Click here to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2717732534161/WN_ymMeB3UVTp6swGCkfSlZfg #/registration

03/23/2026

There is still time to register for Building Resilience from Within. The series will run Wednesday, March 25th-Wednesday, April 29th.

Click the link to sign up for this free online program: https://form.jotform.com/260205911444146

All registrants will be sent the Zoom link to login the day before the first session.

03/20/2026

Thank you to everyone who came to the third annual A Little Knight Music concert to benefit JFSWM.

The concert was organized by LHS student Andreas Christoforakis and completely student-led. The evening would not have been possible without the Longmeadow High School students who volunteered their time and impressed us beyond measure with their talent and generosity. We are so grateful!

Special thanks to Rev. Doug Bixby; Jill LaBonte; and Stan Zdonick, the wonderful team at First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, for hosting and to Nick Christoforakis for all he’s done since the start of these concerts.

The funds raised will immediately be put to use helping refugees in need. Your generosity means so much to us.

03/19/2026

Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts was pleased to provide the following statement of support for Governor Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s new state portal allowing residents to report misconduct by federal immigration enforcement.

Rabbi James Greene, Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts: “Immigrant families are our neighbors and want the opportunity to build lives of meaning in their home. Ripping people away from their community where they are soccer coaches, teachers, frontline service and healthcare workers is fundamentally harmful to the Commonwealth and unamerican. I am grateful that Governor Healey and Attorney General Campbell have launched this new resource to help community members protect one another. It is a reminder that the word "neighbor" is not a geographic concept, but rather a moral one that speaks to our shared values of human dignity and integrity."

We are grateful for their continued leadership and support of refugees and immigrant neighbors across the Commonwealth. Click here to read the press release: https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-and-attorney-general-campbell-launch-state-portal-to-report-ice-misconduct

03/18/2026

In a personal account published on WBUR, Julie Wittes Schlack shares one of the stories behind the headlines: "I’m writing this now because Adje has just lost the SNAP benefits she relies on to feed her family. She is just one of the roughly 90,000 people per month — many of them documented immigrants — who, thanks to the grotesquely named One Big Beautiful Bill are (with a handful of exceptions) losing this essential food subsidy. In this respect Adje is both singular and painfully typical of the roughly 6 million immigrants to this country who are documented but not yet Green Card holders. But let me zoom in, because those facts and figures tell you nothing about who she is."

Click here to read the rest of the article: https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2026/03/17/western-massachusetts-ice-trump-immigration-snap-refugee-julie-wittes-schlack

03/17/2026

Our friends at Beit Ahavah are hosting their Light Up the Valley Community-Wide Silent Auction, open now through March 30th!

Auction highlights include a 12-week series at Norwottuck CrossFit, an Ovation classical guitar, a handblown glass menorah, a challah-baking lesson in your home, an acupuncture session, signed children’s books by Lesléa Newman, delicious cultural meals, and gift certificates to local favorites like Herrell's Ice Cream and High Five Books.

Scan the QR code on the image to check it out:

Bid generously to support a great cause.

03/17/2026

Building Resilience from Within has been rescheduled. Instead of beginning tomorrow, the series will run Wednesday, March 25th-Wednesday, April 29th.

The good news is that means that there is still time to register now for this popular six-week virtual self-care series. Click the link to sign up for this free online program: https://form.jotform.com/260205911444146

All registrants will be sent the Zoom link to login the day before the first session.

03/16/2026