A Remarkable Career 

A Baltimore native, Janet was born on Smallwood Street. She earned a scholarship to the University of Maryland and graduated early, at the age of 20. 

At the time, her career could have gone anywhere. For upon graduation, she landed a job in a small advertising agency in Baltimore.  

Yet as fate would have it, one day Esther Lazarus, the assistant director at the Department of Social Services for Baltimore City stopped by. “She told me she was looking to hire,” recalls Janet. “A group of Jewish girls, including myself, went down to her office to apply. We got the jobs, and I began working with at-risk children in emergency placement.” 

That began her decades-long career in social work. In the 1950s, she was working at Johns Hopkins Hospital when Betty Schwartz came in to visit a patient. Betty was working at Jewish Family Services (JFS), a precursor to JCS, when the offices were on Eutaw Street.  

The two spoke and soon Betty hired Janet to work in JFS’S child services and foster care. After one year, she needed to earn her graduate degree to continue there. 

Janet applied to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of School Work. After being accepted, she commuted twice a week to the school, working the remaining days at JFS. 

During this period, JFS would also play an important role in Janet’s home life. “My two children were adopted through Jewish Family Services,” she recalls.  

Transitioning to Older Adults 

As a young mother, she left JFS, to raise her children and she began facilitating home groups with older adults. That would lead to a new career – the one she is famous for in this community – working with older adults and their children. 

From establishing the Northwest Senior Center (now the Myerberg Center) in a storefront where Tov Pizza was to becoming assistant director of Gerontological Services at JFS, she made her mark. She developed JFS’s elder care consultation services, helping older adults and providing critical guidance to their families, as well. 

And she was often called upon to share her knowledge, often going on the road to share her expertise with agencies around the country. 

Today, she lives at Springwell Assisted Living and fills her life with reading – a recent favorite is the Women of Rothschild – as well as spending time with those she loves, including her children, their spouses and five wonderful grandchildren. 

And she is giving back, recently creating a Legacy Endowment with The Associated. 

“Jewish Community Services and The Associated were so good to me from my career to my family. Because of that, I never missed phoning on a Super Sunday and when I retired, I wanted to continue to give back,” she says.  

And she adds, “I tell my friends. Baltimore is such a special place. What we have in Baltimore doesn’t just happen by accident. It takes dedication, money and commitment. Through my legacy gift to The Associated, I want to be part of making sure it continues to be there for others.” 

As for her ongoing philosophy on life, she remarks, “Be grateful for what you have. Without a sense of gratefulness, you won’t have a sense of happiness.”