Jewish Family Services, Inc.

03/19/2026

Congratulations, Aaron! Winner of the 2026 Salute to Jewish Educators School Support Award!
This award is presented to a non-teacher—such as an administrator, staff member, volunteer, or aide—who has made a significant and positive contribution to the school community. It recognizes their exceptional dedication and the unique impact they have had in supporting and enriching the school experience.

Read more here: https://www.milwaukeejewish.org/departments/jewisheducation/cjl/salutetoeducators/2026-award-winners/

03/18/2026

Congratulations to David Griggs, Milwaukee Business Journal 40 under 40 winner!
JFS Housing is lucky to have you as an impactful and charismatic board member. Read more here for his interview and about the award: https://www.jfsmilw.org/jfs-housing-board-member-recognized/
https://www.jfsmilw.org/jfs-housing-board-member-recognized/

03/18/2026

This week's Wellness Wednesday comes from our VOCA therapist who has experience with trauma-informed therapy. She recommends connecting to the community as a way to build strength. "By taking advantage of free opportunities throughout the city, like the Explore Passes thru the Milwaukee Public Library System, you can reconnect to curiosity, which is super stabilizing." Follow this link to the North Shore Library - any Milwaukee Library Card will grant access: https://www.northshorelibrary.org/explore-passes

She adds, "Checking free offerings or upcoming events that are wellness and community based are good for mind and body."

Wellness Wednesdays is a series of thoughtful, practical recommendations from our trauma-informed therapists.

We invite you to follow along, try what feels helpful, and share these posts with someone who might need a little extra support. And if you need more personalized care, please reach out. JFS is here for you.

03/16/2026

We are looking for our next President and CEO to lead us into a vibrant and successful future as we look ahead to our 160th anniversary!

Details on this important leadership position, including how to apply, are on our website here: https://www.jfsmilw.org/jfs-launches-search-for-next-president-and-ceo/

Please feel free to share this opportunity with your networks. We are deeply committed to procuring a robust and diverse pool of candidates.

Thank you for being an important friend of Jewish Family Services and for supporting and sharing in our mission: “To provide supportive services that will strengthen families, children and individuals throughout the life cycle within the context of their unique needs and traditions.”

03/11/2026

From kindergarteners to U.S. Navy SEALS, box breathing has been used to regulate stress.
Our school-based mental health clinician, Hayley, teaches kids how to handle big feelings and frustrations. Box breathing is just one of the tools she teaches and whether they are in the classroom or at home, tools such as this can make a big difference.
These tools work for grown-ups, too. Throughout your day, any number of stressors can effect overall mental health and even professional productivity.
Wellness Wednesdays is a series of thoughtful, practical recommendations from our trauma-informed therapists.

We invite you to follow along, try what feels helpful, and share these posts with someone who might need a little extra support. And if you need more personalized care, please reach out. JFS is here for you.

03/04/2026

Wellness Wednesdays is a series of thoughtful, practical recommendations from our trauma-informed therapists.

We invite you to follow along, try what feels helpful, and share these posts with someone who might need a little extra support. And if you need more personalized care, please reach out. JFS is here for you.

02/25/2026

As part of our mission to be the helpers in times of stress, we offer this support from our trauma-informed therapist, Chelsea, in our clinic.
"Remember to support your nervous system with movement and mindfulness. Heavy news activates stress responses in the body. We all need different types of movement depending on what our bodies prefer. This may mean higher energy movement like weight lifting or running, or grounding practices like yoga or meditation."

Many people are feeling overwhelmed by what they’re reading and seeing online right now. We are here to help you through it. If you need more personalized care, please reach out. JFS is here for you.

02/23/2026

We are excited to let you know that as we continue to grow and serve the community, we are embarking upon an important leadership transition. We are looking for our next President and CEO to lead us into a vibrant and successful future in partnership with our wonderful Board of Directors and staff members.

Details on this important leadership position, including how to apply, are on our website here: https://www.jfsmilw.org/jfs-launches-search-for-next-president-and-ceo/

Please feel free to share this opportunity with your networks. We are deeply committed to procuring a robust and diverse pool of candidates.

Thank you for being an important friend of Jewish Family Services and for supporting and sharing in our mission: “To provide supportive services that will strengthen families, children and individuals throughout the life cycle within the context of their unique needs and traditions.”

02/18/2026

Many people are feeling overwhelmed by what they’re reading and seeing online right now. News and social media updates can take a real toll. As part of our mission to be the helpers and offer steady support to our community, we saw an opportunity to share a little extra kindness here.

At JFS, your well-being matters deeply to us. Our clinicians are always thinking about ways to support and protect your mental health, especially during stressful times.

Today, we’re beginning Wellness Wednesdays, a series of thoughtful, practical recommendations from our trauma-informed therapists. These are tools and resources that many people have found helpful. While JFS is not affiliated with the apps or outside services shared, they are trusted supports our clinicians often suggest as part of caring for your overall wellness.

We invite you to follow along, try what feels helpful, and share these posts with someone who might need a little extra support. And if you need more personalized care, please reach out. JFS is here for you.

02/17/2026

Join us in welcoming our new Director of Clinical and Community-Based Services,
Sarah Siker, MA, LPC, ICS, CSAC, (aptly pronounced "Psych-er"). Sarah brings more than 15 years of experience in behavioral health and addiction treatment, combining clinical expertise with strong program leadership. As a dual-diagnosis therapist, she has worked across the full continuum of care, including inpatient, residential, PHP/IOP, and outpatient settings.

During her tenure at Rogers Behavioral Health, Sarah launched the Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Brown Deer, building the program’s clinical and operational foundation from the ground up. She later served in an operations leadership role, overseeing multidisciplinary teams and advancing program quality, compliance, and performance initiatives.

She also developed and facilitated a relapse prevention curriculum for Froedtert Hospital’s transplant center, supporting patients navigating recovery within complex medical settings.

Sarah is passionate about building programs that are clinically strong, operationally sound, and rooted in compassionate, person-centered care.

“Sarah brings the clinical expertise, operational strength, and compassionate leadership our agency needs at this moment,” said Dan Fleischman, Interim President/CEO of JFS. “She is deeply committed to our mission, grounded in trauma-informed care, and dedicated to supporting both our clients and our team. We are thrilled to welcome her into this role.”

02/13/2026

Congratulations to our own Aaron Heffernan for your recognition as an important piece of the early education programming in Milwaukee!

We’re thrilled to announce the 2026 Jewish Educator Award winners! 🎉 Mazel tov to these incredible educators who inspire Jewish life and make a lasting impact on our community and future generations.

Join us at Salute to Jewish Educators on March 15 as we celebrate their dedication and meaningful work.

Want to show your appreciation? Honor an educator by purchasing an ad in the 2026 Tribute Book. The deadline to purchase an ad is February 18.

RSVP, see the full list of winners, and reserve an ad here ➡️ MilwaukeeJewish.org/Salute

Let’s come together to celebrate and say thank you!

02/05/2026

Honoring the memory of Elliot Lubar, a true leader in our community.

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Elliot Lubar, a deeply respected leader of Jewish Family Services and a guiding presence in our community. His passing was recently shared through his obituary, which can be found at the Blane Goodman Funeral's site as well as our site. Funeral services will be held online and in person at 11:30 AM on Friday, February 6, 2026 at Congregation Shalom, 7630 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Fox Point, WI.

Elliot served Jewish Family Services with distinction and devotion as Executive Director. Over a career spanning more than three decades at JFS, his leadership helped shape the agency during periods of significant growth and change, always in response to the evolving needs of the Jewish and broader community.

Among his many accomplishments, Elliot took particular pride in JFS’ leadership role in welcoming and resettling families from the former Soviet Union, when Milwaukee absorbed thousands of new immigrants in a short period of time. He was equally proud of JFS’ early commitment to adults with exceptional needs, helping to establish supportive housing and case management programs that continue to serve individuals with developmental disabilities and serious mental illness.

Elliot also played a key role in strengthening JFS as an institution, including guiding the transition to a standalone headquarters that better protected client dignity and confidentiality. He believed deeply in hiring the right people, mentoring future leaders, and ensuring the organization would remain strong long after his formal leadership ended.

Elliot was known not only for his professional accomplishments, but also for his humility, warmth, and deep sense of responsibility to the community. He often spoke of service not as a pursuit of recognition, but as an obligation rooted in values and care for others. His legacy lives on in the programs he helped build and the countless lives touched through his leadership.

May his memory be a blessing and a source of comfort to all who knew him.
With heartfelt condolences,
Jewish Family Services