Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the passing of Michele Wahlder on Sunday, July 6. Michele was a dear friend of Jewish Family Service and held strong connections within the community.

In a video recorded by the Dallas Jewish Historical Society this past March, Michelle shared her meaningful journey with JFS. She spoke about meeting her husband while speaking at a JFS event, and later turning to the Binah Cancer Support Services after being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.

In her own words: “I decided to donate money to Jewish Family Service’s breast and ovarian cancer department so that no one would have to pay for services. I’m paying it forward. What I really wanted was exactly what I got—this lovely woman [Ann Rosenberg] gave a grant to JFS so no survivor of breast or ovarian cancer would have to pay for mental health services. That is something so greatly needed during that time. So I decided to give my own sizable donation to JFS so that I could pay it forward and no one would have to worry about finances that are involved—especially during such a difficult time of dealing with health issues. That’s what closed the loop on my JFS experience: to have been the recipient of such generosity and love, and then to give back.”

We are deeply grateful for Michele’s legacy of compassion and generosity. May her memory always be a blessing, and may her impact continue to be felt by the many lives she touched.