The Holocaust Survivor Services Program of JCCGCI is not only the largest program at the organization, but it’s also the largest Holocaust survivor social service provider in the country, working to provide a life of comfort and purpose for victims of one of history’s greatest tragedies. We take great pride in being able to lead such a meaningful initiative that assists thousands of survivors in meeting the varied needs that make each day fulfilling.

Since its creation in (year), Holocaust Survivor Services program has grown steadily, expanding its reach and deepening its impact year after year. This year alone, HSS has already served over 4,000 clients across its many initiatives, and behind every one of those numbers is a survivor who got the personalized support they needed to live on their own terms.

Leading a life of dignity involves much more than meeting fundamental needs. It means having a say in how you live, and someone in your corner when things get hard. That message guides HSS in every service it provides, looking not only to improve health and wellbeing, but also to address social isolation and the drive for independent living.

Our homecare service brings support right to the door of homebound survivors, offering personal assistance with the daily tasks and chores that add stress to everyday life to make it easier for our survivors to remain in the homes they love. Homecare hours are already running about 13% ahead of last year’s pace, with over 850,000 hours logged so far in 2026.

“Every survivor we serve has already shown the world what resilience looks like,” says Yehuda Zellermaier, LCSW and Holocaust Survivor Services Managing Director. “Our homecare services help make sure their final chapters are lived with comfort and respect, right where they feel most at home.”

While homecare helps resolve the stressors of everyday life, not every challenge survivors face can be solved at the kitchen table. When a survivor is denied a benefit they’re entitled to, or faces a medical decision they don’t know how to navigate, HSS case workers step in to advocate on their behalf and secure the Medicaid support many struggle to secure alone. As of July, the case management team has been averaging over 1,200 sessions a month, working to guarantee that no survivor has to face these systems by themselves.

While healthcare and need based advocacy are crucial, practical challenges remain even once benefits are secured. If a survivor does not have access to nutritious meals or reliable transportation, they will be unable to reap the rewards of what they’ve been granted, which is why HSS implemented its transportation and homebound meals programs. This year, the transportation program has already provided more than 15,000 free rides to survivors facing physical limitations, financial strain, or safety concerns, getting them to medical appointments and essential services they may otherwise miss. Additionally, in just four months, our homebound meals program has delivered over 2,700 healthy meals directly to the doorstep of survivors to give them the steady, hands-on support that lets them truly thrive at home.

Dignity isn’t just about having a ride or a meal, however, it’s about having someone to share it with. Social isolation is one of the most common struggles our survivors face, many of whom have outlived spouses, siblings, and friends. That’s why socialization and community sit at the very heart of everything Holocaust Survivor Services does. Our Connect2 program pairs trained volunteers with over 100 homebound survivors every month for regular visits that promote companionship, support, and a shoulder to lean on in challenging times.

“Some of the friendships that come out of Connect2 are incredible,” says Elisheva Lock, MPA, LCSW, and Director of Connect2. “Volunteers and survivors will start as strangers and soon after not be able to imagine a week going by without their visit.”

For survivors who are mobile and seeking community, our Club 2600 program offers gatherings for socializing with fellow survivors. Every month dozens of survivors come together for an afternoon of food, music, exciting activities, and the kind of easy conversation and instant connection that’s hard to come by.

“For a lot of our survivors, Club 2600 is the one afternoon a month they know they’ll be surrounded by people who understand exactly what they’ve lived through,” says Zehava Birman Wallace, LMSW and Director of ‘Club 2600’ Socialization for Holocaust Survivors, Holocaust Survivor Case Management, and Sunday Older Adult Center Program. “Walking into an event feels like coming to a family reunion.”

That spirit carried into some of this year’s most memorable Club 2600 moments. In January, JCCGCI partnered with L’Oréal’s employee resource group, L’Oréal Mishpachah, to host 18 survivors for a full day of gifts and luxury treatments at the L’Oréal Tech Center in Hudson Yards. Our corporate partners also showed up during KPMG’s Challah bake and Salesforce’s hosted lunch event, creating memorable days full of shared culture, shared stories, and deeper connections.

Seven of our survivors also had an incredible opportunity this Spring to share their stories on a larger platform. In partnership with the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, JCCGCI had the incredible opportunity to sit down with and interview our survivors, who reflected on their experiences with hate and the importance of confronting it. Similarly, April’s Yom HaShoah commemoration with The Blue Card featured a panel of three survivors who shared firsthand testimonies in an intimate setting.

In an incredibly powerful event, Club 2600 welcomed Jonny Daniels and the Survivor Torah Project, an initiative built around a Torah scroll that a family entrusted to their Polish neighbors before being deported to Treblinka. Hidden for decades and later recovered, the Torah is now being restored one letter at a time by Holocaust survivors themselves. Watching our survivors take part in that restoration, turning a symbol of devastation into one of renewal, was a profound experience.

On a lighter note, in May, 18 of our survivors were honored on the field at Maimonides Park for the Brooklyn Cyclones’ Jewish Celebration Day, each taking part in a ceremonial first pitch in front of a stadium full of fans. Most recently, we provided transportation for two survivors from the JCCGCI community to visit White House, where they met with President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Oval Office and communicated their needs on one of the world’s biggest stages.

JCCGCI looks to provide expansive support to our community of survivors, but none of it would be possible without the incredible and hard working HSS team behind it. “Every number in this report represents someone who trusted us to show up for them,” says Yehuda Zellermaier, LCSW and Holocaust Survivor Services Managing Director. “That trust is the accomplishment. Everything else is just how we honor it.” Through trials and triumphs, every member of our team comes together around a common mission: to provide care for those who have lived through the unimaginable and give them the lives they deserve. We are incredibly proud to report on the successes of our HSS team over the past six months, and will continue to show up every day for our survivors.

👉 Want to learn more about our Holocaust Survivor Services? Visit https://www.jccgci.org/programs/older-adult-services/services-for-holocaust-survivors