As a human service agency, the mission and vision of Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts are rooted in Jewish values, which are shown below. The Agency’s Board and CEO attest that alongside these core Jewish values is a belief that every people should be able to live free and in safety in their homeland, and that both Israelis and Palestinians have a right to exist and to thrive.
As social service providers and individuals from a rich array of backgrounds, nationalities, ethnicities, political viewpoints, and religious affiliations, we know intimately the feeling of simultaneously holding both grief and hope. Our daily, hands-on work supporting trauma-devastated communities has allowed our diverse collective to live the Jewish requirement to “love your neighbor” and experience the hope this brings. Our Agency values are:
Integrity/Yoshrah – We commit to a deep sense of integrity in our work. Judaism’s core prayer is that of peace. Daily, staff cultivate resilience and build peace by bridging differences, resolving conflict and strengthening communities. We challenge one another to work and actively seek a more just and peaceful world, and an end to violence.
Human Dignity/Tzelem Elohim – Recognizing that there is a spark of the Divine in each person, we believe that every person has the right to live free from violence and that all people deserve dignity and humanity. We reject the dehumanization inherent in Antisemitism. Moreover, Islamophobia is inexcusable and has no place in our community.
Healing/Tikkun – We strive to be part of healing in the world. Healing demands that people have access to basic needs, including food, water, and medical care. Civilians are not acceptable casualties of war and must be able to escape from active war zones.
Compassion/Rachamim – We grieve for the deaths of innocent lives, and for those who have lost loved ones. Many members of our Agency staff and community have been impacted directly by this war. We speak with certainty: all human life is equally sacred.
