A family’s legacy of giving: supporting seniors through endowment

In 1977, Vivian Freeman was a young widow looking to continue the legacy of her late husband, Herb, a devoted CJP donor and volunteer.

Vivian, who lived in Newton, decided to seed an endowment fund to help improve the lives of seniors throughout Greater Boston. Although her husband, who was…

How we’re connecting the next generation to Jewish Life

This month, 300 community members — including nearly 100 young adults — will travel to Israel with CJP through Spark, a celebration of Jewish life and learning, anchored by Israel’s 75th Independence Day. An additional 100+ young adults are participating locally in Spark something, a s…

Sparking a North Shore journey of connection, discovery, and fun

Amy Farber first went to Israel when she was 30 and has since been four more times. Ruth Estrich visited Israel once, when she was 60.

Come April, Amy and Ruth will return together — as Co-captains of CJP’s Spark North Shore cohort. In this role, they’ll lead a group of North Shore re…

Our swift community response to the national mental health crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated a rising mental health crisis in our community and across the country. In 2020, the number of Americans showing signs of clinical anxiety and depression rose from 11% to 41%. A recent study of Jews in 10 different communities, including Boston, found that 63…

“Full of heart”: a passion for CJP and Jewish community

Growing up in Florida, Aaron Ganz attended Jewish day school and overnight camp. Despite the strong Jewish influence in his childhood, a couple of negative experiences left him feeling disconnected from the Jewish community.

“Literally, religion had lost me,” he says. “But I was one o…