About Us

What we are all about

About our Organization

ABOUT HJFS

Hamilton Jewish Family Services is a non-profit multi-service agency. Since 1929, we have been identifying and responding to the needs and challenges of the local Jewish Community. Specifically, but not exclusively, we are committed to the delivery of social services that reflect Jewish values and traditions.

Although we’re a small agency by size, Hamilton Jewish Family Services provides a full range of social services traditionally offered in a large Jewish community.
Through the years we’ve maintained a flexible mandate that allows us to rise to the demands and changing needs of our clients.

Our Mission

Traditions

Strengthening the individual

Family

Communal life in keeping with Jewish values

Our Story

Jewish Social Services was started in 1929 and is the oldest Jewish agency in Hamilton-Wentworth.It was formed to help the Jewish Community face problems of the depression.

Throughout the years the focus of our agency has grown to meet the ever-increasing needs of the community. In 1950 when Hungarian refugees came to Hamilton the agency expanded into resettlement.

In 1975 when the former USSR started to allow increased emigration, Jewish Social Services began to work with Canada Manpower to resettle immigrants in Hamilton. Since that time, over 300 families have been successfully resettled.

This service to newcomers from all countries and walks of life has expanded to deal with the unique problems of immigrant families such as language, aging parents, financial hardships, job searching, education and integration into the Hamilton Jewish Community.

In 1990 as poverty increased, the focus became helping the poor through the food bank, financial counseling and emergency casework.

Since

1929