Offering a helping hand to those in need

Who can you turn to when you need support? Whether a person is facing illness, financial struggles, family violence or mental health challenges, Jewish Care would like to be the community’s first point of contact for those in need.

The AJN spoke with its director of strategy & engagement Yoni Paluch to understand its new approach. “Jewish Care has been around for a long time … We do a lot, from running aged care to in home care, disability services, social services … The question is, how do we bring more of that Jewish flavour into everything we do? And how do we bring back the idea of ‘we’re listening’? We want to co-design initiatives with the community. We want to understand what the community’s needs are and respond to those needs.”

For example, Jewish Care is currently co-designing a youth mental health survey for 16 to 24-year-olds to better understand their views on how they would like to be engaged.

Paluch notes that Melbourne in 2025 is very different to the past amid antisemitism post-October 7 and the cost-of-living crisis, and Jewish Care is seeking to adapt to meet the needs and expectations of the community.

He said Jewish Care would like to be the first call for anyone in need. “If we are able to support with a service we provide, we will, or we will hold their hand while working with other community providers to find that support. When one comes to Jewish Care, we will help you get back on your feet.” Jewish Care seeks to work in alignment with other community organisations including CCare for meals, and the Melbourne Jewish Charity Fund (MJCF) for emergency financial support. Paluch is a former CEO of the MJCF.