Join us in our mission to extend hope, dignity, and compassion.
Kindness Initiative will be closed Friday September 11 in observance of Rosh Hashanah. Shana Tova! , Join us in our mission to extend hope dignity and compassion. , If this is an emergency please call 911. For all non-emergency inquires please call (858) 216 - 1666.

About Us

About Us

Who We Are

Our Mission

Our mission is to alleviate poverty in San Diego’s Jewish community by mitigating individual crises and fostering self-sustainability, rooted in kindness, empathy, and Jewish values. Fully dedicated to our Jewish community, we go far beyond crisis response. We walk alongside families, building lives through dignity, education, and personalized one-on-one concierge case management that meets each person exactly where they are. 

What sets us apart is our commitment to providing a personalized, one-on-one experience with our members through our customized concierge case management program. By providing comprehensive support, resources, guidance, and financial aid, we partner with each individual on their unique path to self-sufficiency. 

From Our Roots to Today: How We Started and How We’ve Grown

In 2009, two incredible women, Helene Bortz and Myrice Goldberg, founded The Jewish Gift Closet in San Diego. What began with a few racks of clothing, shoes, and wedding dresses quickly grew as the founders realized that individuals and families needed more than physical goods—they also needed food, household items, financial support, and access to essential services.

Over the next decade, the Jewish Gift Closet became a vital lifeline, serving thousands of local Jews and addressing a wide range of needs, from emotional and medical support to transportation and other critical resources. Helene and Myrice worked tirelessly to ensure that every client received compassionate, dignified care.

In 2020, Kindness Initiative formally adopted the program, renaming it kindnessG’MACH. 

Israel at Kindness’ Core – How We Help Israeli Families

Looking after our own people is our responsibility, because only our community can truly care for the Jewish people within it. At kindnessG’MACH, we are proud & honored to support Israeli families who come to San Diego for medical treatment, work, or relocation, providing them with a home-away-from-home and the essentials to live with dignity and comfort. 

Israel & UCSD’s Joint Transplant Program

Each month, kindnessG’MACH assists 3–4 Israeli families arriving for two-year medical treatments through UCSD’s transplant program. Entire families travel from Israel, and with our support, we furnish their homes, provide new sterile mattresses, and supply other essential items to help protect their immunity while surrounding them with love, care, and community support. 

Ongoing Support for Israeli Families

Since October 7th, kindnessG’MACH has also welcomed 2–3 additional Israeli families each month, helping them settle immediately with furniture, household goods, financial assistance, and even job coaching. We ensure that these families can create a fully Jewish home at no cost, providing items like mezuzahs, menorahs, seder plates, candlesticks, challah covers, and more—bringing tradition, comfort, and familiarity to a new place far from home.

Israel at Kindness’ Core

We proudly support Israeli families coming to San Diego for medical treatment, work, or relocation, providing a home-away-from-home and all the essentials to live with dignity. From furnishing homes and supplying sterile mattresses to offering Jewish items like mezuzahs, menorahs, and seder plates, kindnessG’MACH helps families feel safe, supported, and connected to their heritage—at no cost.

Our Governance

Kindness Initiative is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, guided by a volunteer Board of Directors and supported by dedicated committees and advisors who help steward our mission with integrity and care.
Board of Directors
  • Selwyn Isakow, President
  • Simone Abelsohn
  • Bruce Abrams
  • Alan Binder
  • Paul Hyde
  • Suzanne Marcus
  • Susan Monk
  • Sari Rudy
  • Sarah Shekhter
  • Jack Shevel
  • Brad Slavin
Board Committees & Task Forces
  • CGN, Governance, Nominating, Compensation
  • Development, Fundraising
  • Finance, Budget, Risk Management, Audit, Investment
  • Marketing, Branding, Communications, Events & Community Outreach
  • Member Services, Internal Services & Member Needs
  • Real Estate, Accommodations & Facilities
  • Strategy, Strategic Planning & Initiative Tracking
  • Technology, Operations & Innovation
Board Committee Advisors
  • Barry Entous, Finance & Strategy
  • Blake Thompson, Real Estate
  • Rabbi Simcha Weiser
Women’s Committee Chair
  • Sari Rudy
Men’s Committee Chair
  • Jeff Schwartz

Personal Dignity at Kindness Initiative

At Kindness Initiative, personal dignity means recognizing and reinforcing the inherent worth, individuality, and potential of every person we serve. Poverty, crisis, homelessness, or dependence on others can gradually erode confidence, independence, and a person’s belief in their own ability to move forward. We therefore seek not merely to provide assistance, but to restore a sense of agency, self-respect, hope, and control. Members and Clients are treated as individuals with strengths, preferences, choices, and aspirations not as problems to be solved or recipients of charity. Through respectful relationships, personalized support, meaningful choice, and opportunities to participate in their own path forward, we strive to ensure that every interaction communicates: you matter, your voice matters, you are capable, and your circumstances do not define your worth. Ultimately, dignity is restored when a person begins to see themselves not through the lens of what they lack or what has happened to them, but with renewed confidence in who they are and what they can become.

At Kindness Initiative, restoring personal dignity is not only an important outcome in itself; it is also an essential step toward rebuilding the confidence, agency, and sense of possibility that enable Members to actively participate in the tasks and decisions necessary to achieve their individually defined and aspirational goals.

Terms & Conditions

Kindness Initiative Member Etiquette Policy Statement

Just as we expect our staff, volunteers, and service provider organizations to abide by basic civil interpersonal behavior consistent with Jewish values, we expect our Members to:

  • Be courteous, polite, and respectful to all service provider staff and volunteers.
  • Assist yourself wherever possible in attaining emergency and self-sufficiency plans.
  • Offer warm and sincere greeting; be prompt in responding to calls, e-mails, or correspondence; and be on time for all appointments.
  • Try not to become frustrated with disappointing performance of service providers. You have an opportunity to reflect your concerns in the website post-event survey.
  • Always exhibit the highest levels of personal hygiene.
  • Take responsibility for your own safety.
  • Don't talk about others in a negative or hurtful way (Lashon Hara).
  • Be kind to others. You are a Member of the Kindness Initiative.

Not adhering to any of the above repeatedly may result in termination of membership privileges.

Other Jewish Values KINDNESS INITIATIVE Encourages Include:

  • Taking responsibility to participate actively in the local Jewish community, both as an expression of good citizenship and as a model for others.
  • Continuing to expand your Jewish understanding and knowledge.
  • Always acting ethically.
  • Supporting the unique relationship between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora.
  • Being an exemplary ambassador for yourself, your family, and the Jewish people through your actions.