The First JFCS Program at the New Barbara and Harvey Enrichment Center of JFCS in Bala Cynwyd

The Jewish Family and Children’s Service (JFCS) of Greater Philadelphia presented a Fran and Elliot Kane Memorial Lecture program on Friday May 19, 2017 at the new Main Line site of JFCS, located at the Barbara and Harvey Brodsky Enrichment Center of JFCS located at 345 Montgomery Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, PA. The panel program was titled “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother: The Unspoken Struggle of Mental Illness and the Impact on Family and Community” with author Liza Long and a diverse panel of individuals. With over 150 guests in attendance, they spoke about their experiences with mental illness, how the system is failing children, and how to strengthen understanding and support of families who struggle.

Photographed here, from left to right are: Barbara (Bobbi) Brodsky of Haverford (lead donor of the Barbara and Harvey Brodsky Enrichment Center of JFCS, Keynote Speaker Liza Long based in Boise, Idaho and JFCS President/CEO Paula Goldstein of Elkins Park. (More photos and captions are available on dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ahdicugsml3xkxs/AAA5REss3zFYrBdLLesLlbega?dl=0 )

Keynote speaker, Liza Long, is a passionate advocate, educator, and mother of four based in Boise, Idaho who wrote about the tragic shooting of school children in Newtown, CT in an anonymous blog post titled, “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother” about the murderer in the Sandy Hook massacre. He killed his mother, Nancy, and then children and teachers at the school before killing himself. The post written by Long quickly became viral when she realized she needed to tell her story. She is the author of The Price of Silence: A Mom’s Perspective on Mental Illness and her essays have appeared in USA Today, Psychology Today, and Time.com. Long speaks across the country about the importance of ending stigma and providing real solutions for children and families.

Panelists included Lori Cooper, Melissa Hopely and Maria A. Dobinick. Lori Cooper is a public figure who openly shares her struggle and triumph with mental illness. She is married to Rabbi Neil Cooper and has three children and five grandchildren. Melissa Hopely is a motivational speaker for Minding Your Mind, a mental health and anti-bullying advocate, and author of The People You Meet in Real Life. Maria A. Dobinick has vast experience in the behavioral health public sector with expertise in school based behavioral health programs and the role of behavioral health supports within the juvenile justice system.

Paula Goldstein, President/CEO of JFCS, shared her enthusiasm about this program and said, “We were thrilled to have such a wonderful response from the community. With over 150 people in attendance, it was clear there is a striking need for more information about mental illness in our youth.”

The Fran and Elliot Kane Memorial Lecture is established in memory of Fran Kane z”l, a longtime employee of JFCS and one of the founding Care Managers for Senior Horizons, and Dr. Elliot Kane z”l, a longtime dedicated volunteer to JFCS’ Hospice Program. The lecture is made possible through a generous gift from Fran Kane’s sister, Natalie Markowitz.

For more information about JFCS, please visit www.jfcsphilly.org

About the Barbara and Harvey Brodsky Enrichment Center of JFCS:
For 162 years, JFCS has assisted countless individuals and families in the Philadelphia region at every
stage of life. And, now these services are more convenient to those in the western suburbs at
the new Barbara and Harvey Brodsky Enrichment Center of JFCS in Bala Cynwyd, PA. This new 18,000
sq ft., $8 million project becomes is the fifth branch of JFCS of Greater Philadelphia adding to those in
Center City, Elkins Park and North and Northeast Philadelphia, offering therapeutic services and
educational programs.

This state-of-the-art building was designed by Jason Wilhelm of J. Wilhelm Consulting and has been custom-built to meet the needs and programing for a wide range of clients extending from Holocaust survivors, older adults, children, LGBTQ communities, people living with disabilities, parents seeking to adopt a child, family counseling, to food insecurities and helping individuals to gain financial stability. Its social services range from foster care and adoption, to family support and education, to financial assistance and healthcare and much more. In the lobby, visitors will find very large black and white portraits (12’ x 8’ in size) of 18 Holocaust Survivors with a supportive and much more throughout the space.