ABOUT US
Here for You, Your Family, and Your Community.
A non-profit, non-sectarian agency · Since 1980
Mission
Jewish Family Service of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties is a nonsectarian, nonprofit social service agency working to improve the overall quality of life for individuals and families of all faiths and backgrounds in our tri-county community.
Vision
Jewish Family Service of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties is a leader in mental health and social services providing healing, hope, and resources for all who enter our doors.
History of Jewish Family Service of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties
Thanks to our founder Betty Roswell for documenting our agency’s rich history.
1970
In the late 1970s, a group of dedicated volunteers recognized the need for a Jewish counseling agency in Somerset County. Chairs Betty Roswell and Margit Feldman worked with a team including Rabbi Michael Abraham, Adele Blumberg, Shuey Horowitz, Gert Robinovitz, Kenneth Straussfeld, Burton Shimonovsky, Esther Kaufman, Evelyn and Abe Rosen, and Ken Segal to turn that vision into a reality.
1980
In 1980, JFS opened its doors in Bound Brook. Originally open just two days a week, the first Director Ann Schulman, built a small caseload of counseling clients and introduced JFS to the community. Just five years later, we moved to our home on High Street in Somerville on October 1, 1985. In 2000, thanks to a community-wide matching gift campaign led by Jerry Zweig and Linda Jerrow, JFS achieved a milestone dream: owning our own building.
Compassionate and skilled social workers and professional staff have carried that mission forward. JFS stands strong today because of our executive directors including Tova Friedman, Jerry Starr, and now Shaina Sherman who joined the team in 2022.
Along the way, our services grew beyond counseling – adding career services, groups for youth on the Autism spectrum, refugee resettlement, emergency food assistance, support for Holocaust survivors, mentoring for isolated seniors, and more.
Now, nearly 50 years later, JFS stands as a cornerstone of support for our community. We are sustained by the Jewish Federation of West Central NJ, Somerset County, Arthur and Betty Roswell Foundation, Nancy L. and Arthur E. Lee Family Fund, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and the generous community members who believed in this work from the very beginning.
There’s a Place for You Here
Whatever brings you to JFS, you don’t have to have all the answers before you reach out.
You can start with a conversation. We’ll listen, help you understand your options, and connect you with the support that makes sense for your situation.