NJ Jewish News on-line | JFCS to honor federation at 70th anniversary event

The Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County will mark its 70th anniversary with a dinner-dance honoring the United Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks for its steadfast support.

The event is set for Saturday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Princeton Marriott Hotel and Conference Center at Forrestal on Route 1 in Princeton.

JFCS hosts a dinner-dance every year, noted executive director Linda Meisel, but this event is special in two important ways.

“It’s different because we’re 70 years old, and there’s something to be said for an agency that has continued to serve the community over that period of time,” Meisel said as she sat down recently to plan the anniversary event with cochairs Lois Miller and Robin Valentine, both of West Windsor.

“JFCS was founded in 1937 by a group of women who were concerned about the Depression and about widows, orphans, and elderly people who were at risk — so they formed a group called the Hebrew Women’s Aid Society,” Meisel said. “That slowly became a professional Jewish family service over time.

“I think it’s really important to emphasize the continuity,” she said. “The agency has been there as the human-services arm of the Jewish community for a long time. For 70 years, we’ve been making people a priority.”

The March 10 event is also distinctive in that it marks the first time a constituent agency has formally honored the federation for the constancy of its support, according to Meisel.

“We’re honoring federation because they have been our most consistent and generous supporter in all this period of time,” she said. “One of the things unique about federation’s financial support is that it is not restricted. It allows us to offer a sliding fee scale that is so critical for seniors.”

Valentine, a JFCS board member, also pointed to the strong relationship between the agency and the federation. “The partnership between the federation and JFCS is a wonderful partnership, and we look forward to many more years of partnering with them in the community,” she said.

In addition to focusing on federation, the dinner-dance will feature an auction of extraordinary items, according to Miller, who serves as a JFCS board vice president. Among those items are a Florida getaway, a day of golf, a wine refrigerator, a massage session, jewelry, and theater tickets.

“We are excited about the event,” she said. “Community support is important for us. Otherwise, we can’t provide the depth and breadth of services. We look forward to a strong turnout.”

The reservation deadline for the JFCS dinner dance is Feb. 28; the deadline for the event’s ad journal is Feb. 12. For information, contact Lourdes Bovarnick at the agency or by phone 609-987-8100.