I am glad to have the opportunity once again to express my thanks to all of you for your support of Jewish Family Service and for giving me the honor of serving as its board president. I am excited about the future of JFS. The organization is stronger now than it has ever been, thanks to the continued efforts of our staff, board, and members of the community at large.

The efforts of the staff, not only to continue providing essential services to our community, but also to seek out and address additional, unmet needs of Jews in Middle Tennessee, speaks to the high level of dedication and professionalism they maintain. It is a pleasure to work with them, and to know that they are both thorough and efficient, as well as discreet and caring. Today, JFS serves thousands of community members in dozens of ways that range from financial aid and food relief to counseling to adoption services, just to name a few. The number of people that JFS serves and the ways in which JFS serves them grows every year.

From the establishment our precursor organization, the Hebrew Benevolent Society, over 160 years ago, JFS has been a vital part of Nashville’s Jewish community. The agency serves a mission that the Jewish community of Nashville has always recognized as truly necessary and critical. Many members of our community have been involved personally with JFS for decades. Many of their families, for even longer. I am pleased to be able to carry on that tradition.

On a more personal note, as I mentioned in my remarks at the annual meeting, I value and am honored by the opportunity to serve an organization like JFS. There is nothing political, controversial, or skewed about its mission. JFS exists to help people in our community that need help, doing so in the best way it can. It is a privilege to lead an organization like that. The job is also made far easier because its mission is so pure of heart, and because the people who carry out its mission are so experienced, and care so deeply about it. They give their all to it daily.

I hope the year is a good one for all.

Yours Truly,

Ben Russ
JFS President

I am glad to have the opportunity once again to express my thanks to all of you for your support of Jewish Family Service and for giving me the honor of serving as its board president. I am excited about the future of JFS. The organization is stronger now than it has ever been, thanks to the continued efforts of our staff, board, and members of the community at large.

The efforts of the staff, not only to continue providing essential services to our community, but also to seek out and address additional, unmet needs of Jews in Middle Tennessee, speaks to the high level of dedication and professionalism they maintain. It is a pleasure to work with them, and to know that they are both thorough and efficient, as well as discreet and caring. Today, JFS serves thousands of community members in dozens of ways that range from financial aid and food relief to counseling to adoption services, just to name a few. The number of people that JFS serves and the ways in which JFS serves them grows every year.

From the establishment our precursor organization, the Hebrew Benevolent Society, over 160 years ago, JFS has been a vital part of Nashville’s Jewish community. The agency serves a mission that the Jewish community of Nashville has always recognized as truly necessary and critical. Many members of our community have been involved personally with JFS for decades. Many of their families, for even longer. I am pleased to be able to carry on that tradition.

On a more personal note, as I mentioned in my remarks at the annual meeting, I value and am honored by the opportunity to serve an organization like JFS. There is nothing political, controversial, or skewed about its mission. JFS exists to help people in our community that need help, doing so in the best way it can. It is a privilege to lead an organization like that. The job is also made far easier because its mission is so pure of heart, and because the people who carry out its mission are so experienced, and care so deeply about it. They give their all to it daily.

I hope the year is a good one for all.

Yours Truly,

Ben Russ
JFS President