You are welcome here. Your family is loved here.
At Jewish Family and Career Services one of our core values is Kehilah (Community) which means connections that strengthen individuals and build community. We believe that the opportunity to go through life with others and share stories, struggles, and successes is what brings meaning to individuals and communities.
Our support group is for parents and caregivers raising transgender, non-binary or otherwise gender-expansive children and teens. We hope to provide a safe space to share experiences, ask questions, and receive guidance and support from others who understand your situation. This population face unique challenges that require sensitive and supportive care. As parents or caregivers, it can be difficult to navigate these challenges on our own, which is why this support group is an invaluable resource.
As a parent or caregiver, you may be grappling with complex emotions and concerns about your child’s safety, well-being, and future. This support group provides parents with valuable information about how to best support your child. You may also be navigating unfamiliar territory when it comes to medical, educational and legal issues.
The main thing we want you to know is: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. These groups provide you with the opportunity to connect with others, share experiences, and feel the comfort of a supportive community.
You can join this free, virtual support group that meets on the third Monday evening of every month by registering below. The group is facilitated by a licensed clinical social worker.
This week we are highlighting JFCS Staff and Board of Directors and what Black History Month means to them. See below for our first highlight.
For myself, Black History Month is a personal time of reflections, as I think about the numerous sacrifices and accomplishments of those close to me. My late parents, both successful educators, devoted their life to helping black Americans through their teachings and instilling the confidence of strength and perseverance to hold to their beliefs and life dreams. I’m SO grateful for my ancestors, mentors and the many individuals who have stood and currently stand, fighting against racism and oppression. Throughout my newspaper career and now at JFCS, I recognize the role of my work and its impact to reduce barriers and provide the opportunities that should be available and accessible to all. The only barrier to opportunity (if any) should be determined by the individual, not by structural and intentional racism.
Every day, but especially each February, I pay tribute and celebrate Black talent and influence – past, present, and future!
Valecia Quinn
JFCS Navigate Director
JFCS CEO, David Finke, Ph.D. talks about what Black History Month means to him:
Black History Month, to me, is the opportunity it provides me personally and professionally as the leader of JFCS to further live out our values of justice, community, and respect. I see Black History Month as a reminder to once again look back upon our nation’s history, thinking about the systemic wrongs that have been inflicted on black members of our community. Equally important, I see Black History Month as the chance to acknowledge and celebrate the resilience of black Americans, who, despite systemic racism and historic barriers to success, have succeeded and continue to create a community where they and all of us can live with dignity and purpose.
While we focus on Black America this month, it is important to remember that the established and accepted practices of racism that were implemented by whites in our country and continue to reverberate centuries later, can have a similar deleterious effect to all marginalized communities. Freedom from persecution and violence because of who you are, what you look like, how you identify, or from where you originate, is an ongoing struggle in our culture. To me, the significance of Black History Month is that, only by recognizing and fighting to change our history of systemic racism and acknowledging the strengths of those it has impacted, can JFCS fulfill its vision of a Louisville where all live with dignity and purpose.
This month, we will highlight individuals who have paved the way and are currently fighting for the liberation of Black Louisvillians. We will also be promoting ways you can celebrate in Louisville through festivals, activities, and how you can support Black businesses in Louisville.
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
—Martin Niemöller
This quote hangs in the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. It is a quote that encompasses the theme for this year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day-“Home and Belonging”. For thousands of years before the Holocaust there was a targeted effort to dehumanize the Jewish population, taking away the ability to feel safe in a place they called home and their overall sense of belonging. Taking away these two pieces of identity was the breeding ground for the targeted hate, disinformation, and eventual genocide of the six million Jewish people during the Holocaust.
Discrimination and disinformation can spread quickly when bystanders are silent in the face of hate, and this hate continues to the present day, in various forms to many groups. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “In the face of growing economic discontent and political instability, escalating white supremacist terrorism, and surging hate and religious bigotry – we must be more outspoken than ever,” drawing a parallel between the Holocaust and the present day.
May we all take today to remember the six million individuals who were victims to the Holocaust. Six million individual’s names, personalities, dreams, and lives that were taken by extreme hate. The theme of “Home and Belonging” should make us strive to do all we can do in the face of current hate and discrimination and remember we have the responsibility to take a stand against darkness. May we take every opportunity to create a space of home and belonging for every member of our Greater Louisville Community.
