Our roots go back to 1939, when a growing Nazi presence in Europe threatened Jewish communities. Our organization was founded to help Jewish immigrants coming to America on the cusp of World War II overcome the barrier of pervasive antisemitism and find financial stability through employment.

Through the years, the people we help evolved as we reached out to those in greatest need. When the war ended, we turned our attention to returning soldiers who needed civilian employment. In the late 1940s and 1950s, we were on the forefront of responding to nationwide trend of deinstitutionalizing people with disabilities. As women entered the workforce in the 1970s, we provided them with the training they needed. We also responded to the many Jewish immigrants who were coming from the Soviet Union seeking a better life in America. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, we began offering computer skills training as computers became ubiquitous in offices and homes. And 2021, we introduced our job skills training programs to help unemployed individuals find in-demand jobs and help employers fill their vacant positions.

Today our goal of helping people find employment and financial stability is the same as it was when we first opened our doors, but we now help all people, regardless of race or ethnicity. We help them overcome barriers related to age, ability, education, immigrant status, job skills training, language, or the effects of generational poverty.

In the last five years, JVS has been strategically transitioning from a social service to a workforce development organization that unites all our programs under one goal — to help people along a path to employment. There may be many steps along the path, such as learning English, earning a GED, or training for a new career. Each completed step is an accomplishment. With each step, JVS is helping people help themselves.

Please download our 85th anniversary booklet below for more information about our history.