On September 26, the community came together to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Jewish Family Service Karla and Larry Steinberg building. Nearly 400 community leaders, partners, donors, staff, and volunteers gathered to witness this important milestone, sharing in the excitement of what this expansion means for JFS’s future.
The new 100,000-square-foot building, located on Quorum Drive in Addison, is just a mile away from JFS’s current office on Arapaho Road. This expansion represents a bright future for JFS and the community we serve. The ceremony opened with Addison Mayor Bruce Arfsten, who welcomed the community and shared what makes the city such a special place. Rabbi Mordechai Harris, Chief Impact Officer at the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, reflected on JFS’s deep roots in the community, connecting the expansion to the Jewish theme of dedication.
Board Chair Julie Gothard took the opportunity to honor JFS’s 75th anniversary, expressing how meaningful it is to witness such significant growth during this milestone year. She acknowledged the legacy of past boards and expressed gratitude to the project partners, including Sunwest Realty, Susser Bank, GFF Design, Echelon, Structure Tone, Jewish Federations of North America, and Mission Advancement. She also thanked the Campaign Leadership Team: Jim and Ynette Hogue, Steve Waldman, Stan Rabin, Don Zale, Eric Goldberg, and Joel Litman.
Joel Litman, a long-time member of the JFS family, shared his personal journey with the organization, beginning as a volunteer 40 years ago. He recounted his journey from volunteer to Board Chair and Chair of the JFS Foundation Board, reflecting on his role in leading the search for and purchase of the current Arapaho property, making this move especially meaningful for him.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, President and CEO Cathy Barker officially launched the public phase of the Meeting the Moment campaign, outlining its goals and how the new building will enable JFS to better meet the growing needs of the community by late 2025. These goals include serving more clients, adding a second medical clinic and dental clinic, expanding behavioral health services, and reimagining the food pantry, among others.
Of the $40 million campaign goal, JFS has already raised $30 million, thanks to early commitments from lead donors such as Karla and Larry Steinberg, the Dekelboum Family Foundation, the Funk Family, Leslie and David Katz, Candy and Ike Brown, the Cynthia and Robert Feldman Foundation, Ann and Nate Levine, the Harold Simmons Foundation, DJ and Les Weisbrod, the M.B. and Edna Zale Foundation, and dozens of others.
Karla and Larry Steinberg, joined by their son Oliver, shared a few words about their philanthropic journey and how they were inspired by JFS’s mission, leading them to make the transformative lead gift to the campaign.
The ceremony concluded with community leaders coming together to ceremoniously “turn the dirt,” symbolizing the start of the renovation project for JFS’s new home.
Thank you to all who were part of the celebration as we embark on this exciting new chapter with the purchase and renovation of our new home.