Who We Are
Jewish Vocational Service serves more than 2,000 individuals each year representing a number of seemingly unrelated populations: adults with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, military veterans, and job-seekers of all ages. As different as they may be from one another, these 2,000 people have one thing in common: the dream of a better life. That is why every minute of every day, we at JVS focus on one goal - and only one goal - helping these clients make that dream come true.

Our Mission

Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest New Jersey (JVS) helps people help themselves through innovative programs in vocational training, education, and career counseling that create pathways to hope, independence, and employment. Inspired by Jewish values, we proudly serve clients from any and all backgrounds.

“It’s an amazing feeling—to know you have enough money in the bank to pay your rent, to walk into a store and buy food, to see a gift you’d like to buy and know you have the money to buy it. It’s your money—money you earned on your own. There’s nothing like it.”

—Ariel Schoenberg, JVS Client

Our History

Since 1939, JVS has provided job placement and other critical assistance to tens of thousands of unemployed, under-employed, and underserved individuals seeking to support themselves and their families—independently, self-sufficiently, and with dignity. Initially founded to serve members of the local Jewish community who faced anti-Semitism following the Great Depression, JVS soon expanded its scope to provide a therapeutic work environment for immigrants and refugees with physical and emotional challenges who were forced to flee Europe during and after World War II.

Over the past nearly eighty years, JVS has continued to adjust and adapt to both changing times and the changing needs of the community. Today, JVS provides career counseling for both experienced employees and those new to the workforce; education and skill-building for immigrants and refugees; job training and internship opportunities for individuals with developmental, emotional, and physical disabilities; and, corporate training for the employees of hundreds of companies located throughout New Jersey and beyond. In addition, JVS provides customized business solutions that enable local businesses and non-profits to reduce costs, optimize efficiencies, and maximize revenues while meeting the needs of their stakeholders.

At JVS, we believe everyone has something of value to contribute to society. By helping people see their own potential—and believe in themselves—we help them fulfill their own promise and become active, productive members of their community.

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