The Jewish Children’s Service Organization (JCSO) kicked off its annual meeting on Monday, June 18 by gathering around the bench that was donated to Jonathan’s Dream playground in West Hartford in celebration of the all-volunteer group’s centennial anniversary. Those assembled then went next door to the Mandell Jewish Community Center, where they conducted the remainder of their meeting. On the agenda: the awarding of Block Grants to several local Jewish organizations, including: Camp Shalom, Camp Gan Israel, JTConnect, Bess and Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford, Hebrew High School of New England and Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford.

The evening’s guest speaker Janice Rothstein, director of clinical services at Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford, spoke about the tremendous sense of appreciation local Jewish families in crisis have for the financial aid JCSO provides, as well as the great sense of happiness their children feel when they receive JCSO book bags at the beginning of the school year and brightly wrapped gifts in celebration of Chanukah.

The annual meeting also featured the installation of JCSO 2018-2019 officers and board members, including: Faith Helene and Joanne Pasternack, co-presidents; Anne Cohn, first vice president; Lois Berkowitz, second vice president; Jacqueline Berkowitz, board secretary; Judy Kronick, recording secretary; and Bonnie Wolfe, corresponding secretary.

For more information on JCSO, contact Jewish Children’s Service Organization, P.O. Box 370386 Bishop’s Corner Branch, West Hartford 06137-0386.

CAP: In advance of the organization’s annual meeting, JCSO co-presidents Faith Helene (seated, left) and Joanne Pasternak (seated, right), as well as other JCSO officers and board members, met at the bench the group donated to Jonathan’s Dream playground. The plaque on the bench reads: Jewish Children’s Service Organization (JCSO); In honor of 100 Years of Helping Jewish Children in the Greater Hartford Community.