Jewish Family Services Welcomes Shelley Rivkin as New Board Chair, Leading Organization Into Major New Chapter

Jewish Family Services (JFS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Shelley Rivkin as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. Rivkin steps into the role at a pivotal moment, succeeding outgoing Board Chair Jody Dales, who led the organization through the pandemic and the historic milestone of securing a permanent home for JFS for the first time in its 89-year history.

Rivkin will guide the next phase of development for JFS’s newly acquired 22,000-square-foot facility on Commercial Drive, which is slated for a major renovation to become a fully integrated hub for food security, mental health, seniors’ support, housing navigation, and counselling services. This renovation represents the most substantial infrastructure improvement in JFS’s history and will ensure the organization can meet the community’s growing needs for decades to come.

“Shelley brings deep strategic insight, decades of experience in community planning, and a profound commitment to serving vulnerable populations,” said Tanja Demajo, CEO of JFS. “Her leadership will be essential as we transform our new building into a future-ready social-service centre.”

A Leader with Deep Community Roots

Shelley Rivkin is widely known throughout the Lower Mainland as one of the region’s foremost strategists and leaders in Jewish communal life. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Congregation Schara Tzedeck, bringing decades of expertise in community planning, organizational development, and social-impact strategy.

Prior to her current role, Rivkin spent seventeen years at the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, where she advanced major community priorities including poverty reduction, housing initiatives, mental-health strategies, and global Jewish engagement. Her work has shaped policy, strengthened nonprofit capacity, and guided some of the community’s most significant collaborative efforts.

In addition to her professional leadership, Rivkin has volunteered extensively across community organizations and advisory bodies, consistently championing inclusive, evidence-based, and people-centered approaches to communal service.

“JFS is entering an incredibly exciting phase,” said Rivkin. “Our new facility will allow us to expand our services, integrate programs more meaningfully, and respond to the urgent and growing needs of individuals and families across the Lower Mainland. I’m honoured to support this work alongside a dedicated board, staff team, and community.”

Recognition for Outgoing Chair, Jody Dales

Outgoing Board Chair Jody Dales reflected warmly on the transition and Rivkin’s appointment.

“It has been one of the great honours of my life to serve as Board Chair of JFS during such a transformative time,” said Dales. “Shelley is exactly the leader JFS needs for this next chapter. Her deep understanding of community needs, her integrity, and her ability to bring people together will be invaluable as we move forward with the renovation of our new home on Commercial Drive. I have complete confidence in her leadership and look forward to seeing JFS

thrive under her guidance.”

Dales’ tenure included guiding the organization through COVID-related challenges, the launch of The Kitchen food hub, expanded mental-health and addiction services through JACS Vancouver, and the acquisition of JFS’s permanent facility.

A Major Milestone for the Community

The new Commercial Drive facility will allow JFS to significantly expand its reach and integrate services under one roof. Planned features include:

• A dignified, accessible food-security centre

• Expanded counselling, addiction support, and mental-health services

• Seniors’ programs and community navigation

• Purpose-built spaces for group programs and workshops

• Infrastructure to support case management, housing navigation, and emergency financial assistance

With Rivkin stepping into the role of Board Chair, JFS signals a strong and strategic path forward—grounded in stability, innovation, and deep community partnership.