Jewish Care Program planning to expand services to Santa Fe

The Jewish Federation of New Mexico, a nonprofit organization based in Albuquerque, is expanding its Jewish Care Program to Santa Fe.

“We knew there was a great deal of unfulfilled need to serve senior citizens and those in need of group counseling,” Executive Director Zachary Benjamin said in a phone interview.

The free services, available to all, “provide connections and resources to the most vulnerable members of the community such as isolated Jewish older adults and Holocaust survivors,” Benjamin said.

He said the program’s efforts include facilitation of a grief and loss support group, and addressing the social, financial and emotional needs of the vulnerable.

Benjamin estimated there are between three and five Holocaust survivors in the Santa Fe area, and he estimated there are 20 t0 30 in New Mexico.

“We are finding a handful of Holocaust survivors in Santa Fe that we didn’t know about,” Benjamin said. “They are some of the most in need of home visits and guardian services, and each one is important for us to know about. They all have suffered trauma, and they are all now aging.”

The Jewish Care Program, started in 2013, is guided by the core value “all Jews are responsible for one another,” program director Erin Tarica said.

Santa Fe’s Temple Beth Shalom has donated office space for the program.

A grand opening is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at Temple Beth Shalom, 205 E. Barcelona Road. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 505-303-3552 or visit jewishnewmexico.org.