What is Jewish about JEVS?
The simple answer is that JEVS Human Services embodies the highest level of Tzedakah, helping an individual to become independent. This principle is reflected in just about everything we do and is based upon our traditions and values.
In Judaism, Tzedakah refers to the religious obligation to ‘do what is right and just’ and is also the Hebrew word for ‘charity.’
JEVS Human Services was founded in 1941 as the Jewish Employment and Vocational Service, established to meet the employment needs of Jews in our community, many of whom had fled anti-Semitism and discrimination in Europe. It has grown and evolved to meet the needs of people from all walks of life seeking to realize their vocational and personal potential.
Moses Maimonides, the respected physician and philosopher, developed the ladder of charity or Tzedakah on which our Maimonides Giving Society is based. According to Maimonides, the highest form of Tzedakah is to help someone to become self-sufficient, preserving their dignity and transforming them from being a recipient to one with the capacity to give to others.
JEVS Human Services is a proud partner of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.