I serve as the Executive Director of Jewish Community Services (JCS) Cape Town and was recently appointed COO of Care Services, the new centralised body uniting seven Jewish welfare organisations under one umbrella.
Over the past seven years, I have focused on strengthening JCS by implementing systems, processes, and collaborations, as well as developing strategies and new initiatives to ensure sustainable care for our most vulnerable and indigent community members supporting individuals and families from cradle to grave.
JCS is one of the largest Jewish social service organisations in South Africa, with a proud legacy spanning more than 160 years. Our services include professional social work, material relief such as accommodation and rental assistance, and food security through the Tikvah Foodbank and Meals on Wheels. We oversee five communal homes: a step-down psychiatric facility, two cottages for low-functioning individuals, a 17-bedroom group home, and most recently, a welfare aged-care home. Despite these services, accommodation remains one of our greatest challenges, and JCS continues to contribute significantly toward rental support for those in need.

To address the growing demands of our ageing population, I spearheaded the Assisted Daily Living Initiative, the first of its kind in our community. This programme established a Client Care Services division, with carers providing Constant, Roving, and Ad hoc Care to more than 210 elderly clients living in both rented and JCS-owned accommodation. It ensures that aged community members remain safe, secure, and properly cared for, while also preserving independence and dignity.

From this work came the recognition that a dedicated residence was required for those needing more intensive care. This led to a major milestone: the acquisition and renovation of Spes Bona, a 50-bed welfare aged-care residence. Leading this project from start to finish alongside our Chairman, Paul Berman, I secured donor partnerships, navigated compliance requirements, and oversaw logistics and operational systems. Spes Bona, set to welcome its first residents in October 2025, represents a transformative step for welfare-aged care in our community.

The newly established Centralised Care Services Organisation, tasked with centralising admissions, finance, HR, and care management across seven organisations: Highlands House, Glendale, Oranjia, Astra, CJSA, Nechama, and JCS.

Though still in its early stages, this restructuring has already reduced duplication, streamlined administration, and centralised intake, enabling each organisation to focus more fully on its service delivery.

Together with the Care Services team, I also developed the Suite of Services, a pioneering initiative that provides tailored care packages for financially independent seniors. This model not only supports clients in their homes but also generates sustainable revenue to subsidise welfare care for those unable to pay.

I believe my nomination reflects both my personal commitment and the collective achievements of the extraordinary teams I work alongside. Our community faces immense pressures: an ageing population, rising care costs, and funding challenges. Through strategic leadership, donor and communal engagement, disciplined governance, and innovation, I have helped position JCS and Care Services as resilient and forward-thinking organisations.

At the heart of my work lies a simple principle: every person, regardless of circumstance, deserves dignity, security, and care. I pair compassion with accountability, ensuring that services are delivered with excellence while building donor confidence through transparency and measurable outcomes. This balance of vision, discipline, and care continues to drive me in serving our community.

My vision: I will continue to lead with empathy, passion, accountability, and purpose — hands-on, building strong teams, drawing partners, financially secure and turning ideas into lasting services. My goal is to create a well-structured welfare organisation that ensures the security of the indigent and vulnerable in our community, long after my role ends.

I envision Jewish Community Services and Care Services as a financially resilient centre of excellence for Jewish welfare in Cape Town — modern, efficient, and transparent in its operations. With reliable, centralised systems, the organisations can scale sustainably and use technology to improve client care by reducing gaps, accelerating placements, and strengthening monitoring. This future includes seamless centralised intake for all the Orgs, HR, and finance, supported by diversified, predictable funding that reduces reliance on emergency appeals for funding certain projects. Practically, this means measurable outcomes, excellent governance, an empowered workforce, and stronger partnerships across communal organisations, and our donors and funding partners locally and internationally.

I want to see a South Africa where compassion and capability go hand in hand — where civil society organisations are effective partners in social protection, where no elder goes hungry or homeless because of our systems failures, and where communities are resilient through education, employment, care, and social inclusion. Locally, that means advocating for smarter collaboration with government and corporate, sharing best practices, and scaling community-led solutions that address poverty, ageing, and social isolation.

Core Principals That Drive My Vision:
Dignity, passion, sustainability, evidence-driven decision-making, transparency, and partnership form the compass that guides my leadership. With these principles, we build services that enhance lives today and secure futures for tomorrow.