The Jewish Federation Connecting with Community presents "Social Welfare History from Past to Present" with Rosalind Kopfstein, DSW, LCSW, MSW, who serves as co-president of Berkshire HIlls Hadassah and is chair of the Human Services Advisory Council for the City of Pittsfield.  She is a writer, teacher, and holds a doctorate in social welfare from the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City.

Rosalind will discuss how social workers are trained to help people but social policy determines the limits on how we can provide assistance.  From the Poor Laws of England in 1601 to the Social Security Act of 1935 to the current law titled TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families of 1996), we see similarities in how people are judged, assisted, and labeled.  The culture of who we help and why we help some and not others will be explored.

This free program is part of the Federation’s Connecting With Community Series and will be followed by a kosher hot lunch. Lunch is a $2 suggested donation for adults over 60 years of age or $7 for all others. Advance reservations are required for lunch and can be made by calling (413) 442-2200 before 9 a.m. on the day of the program.