Atlanta Jewish Foundation Impact Story
October 16th, 2025
For many couples and individuals, starting a family is filled with challenges – emotional, physical, and financial. As World Fertility Day approaches on November 2nd, the Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF) is shining a light on this journey and the incredible difference that community support can make.
Labor of Love
Founded in Atlanta ten years ago, JFF began with one woman’s determination to help others. After undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in Israel – where treatments are government-subsidized – founder Elana Frank returned to the U.S. and was stunned by the high costs and lack of open conversation around infertility. A chance conversation at the JCC pool sparked a realization: she wasn’t alone. That moment inspired her to create a Jewish organization that could provide both financial and emotional support to others navigating the same struggle.
From Baby Steps to a National Movement
JFF started with a small Innovation Grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, helping Frank turn her vision into a structured program offering fertility grants, emotional support, and education. Today, JFF operates in ten locations across the U.S., helping hundreds of families bring Jewish children into the world. In fact, just last month, JFF’s 300th baby, Ori, was born!
“Our grants support IVF, FET (frozen embryo transfer), and intrauterine insemination,” explained Sarah Shah, JFF’s Director of Operations. “The process is designed to be fast because, for many families, every minute counts.” JFF partners directly with fertility clinics, which streamlines payments and allows grantees to receive discounts. “Every dollar goes directly toward making that Jewish baby.” Sarah said.
To date, thousands of parents have benefited from this model. But the need continues to grow: “We’ve already received more applications in the first half of 2025 than in all of 2023 and 2024 combined,” Shah shared. “The need has become so great that we now have a waitlist.” Rising costs, job layoffs – including recent federal cuts – and lingering post-pandemic financial strain have made fertility treatment even less accessible. Shah also noted a shift post October 7th. “We have had a surge of people interested in applying. I think people are looking for connections to the Jewish community. They want to feel proud of their heritage and raise a Jewish family.”
Keeping the Lights On
From early on, Rachel Loftspring, a fertility attorney and former JFF National Board Chair, understood that lasting impact required long-term vision. In 2019 she brought JFF to Cincinnati – the organization’s first expansion city after Atlanta. But Loftspring’s vision didn’t end there. She understood that JFF’s success depends on its financial stability. “Most seven-year-old organizations don’t usually talk about endowments,” reflected Jenny Jones, JFF’s Director of Development. “They’re just worried about keeping the lights on. But Rachel’s vision inspired us to think bigger.”
Loftspring was determined to create a strong financial foundation for JFF’s future and to memorialize her father-in-law, Dr. Sheldon Pelchovitz z”l”, the first OB-GYN to bring IVF to Cincinnati in the 1980’s. Sheldon was a brilliant doctor who is fondly remembered for his dedication to his family, his friends, and his patients. Along with Elana Frank, Loftspring worked with Rachel Rosner – The Atlanta Jewish Foundation’s Endowment and Fiduciary Review Officer. “Together we established JFF’s endowment and gift acceptance policies, the structure necessary for long-term growth”. JFF opened The Sheldon Pelchovitz Restricted Fund as an Agency Fund at the Atlanta Jewish Foundation with just $10,000. “They started small, but they started right.” said Rosner. JFF continues to make regular contributions to the endowment, and with Atlanta Jewish Foundation’s investment strategies in place, the fund has surpassed $55,000 in less than two years.
In Cincinnati alone, the JFF has helped to bring over 50 babies into the world through more than $175,000 in grants. “This is a great example of how it only takes one person to make such an enduring impact.” Rosner said.
Nurturing the Future
For many families, these grants are about identity, continuity, and belonging. As one applicant wrote, “The chance to have support from a strong Jewish organization during such an uncertain time means more than we can express. It’s made us feel like we’re in the right place and less alone, and it comforts us to know that when we do have children, they’ll already be connected to the local Jewish community.”
As JFF celebrates its tenth anniversary, its mission is more vital than ever: to turn heartbreak into hope. “Our grants are available to everyone – interfaith couples, LGBTQ families, and anyone who needs extra help on the path to parenthood.” said Sarah. Through the partnership of the Atlanta Jewish Foundation, JFF is not only helping families grow – it’s helping ensure the future of the Jewish people, one miracle at a time.
And just as Rachel Loftspring’s gift transformed countless Jewish families in Cincinnati, someone in Atlanta can do the same today – by establishing an endowment or legacy gift that helps more families experience the joy of Jewish parenthood.
Support JFF through your Atlanta Jewish Foundation donor portal, or reach out to Ghila Sanders at gsanders@jewishatlanta.org or 404.870.1611 to start a Jewish giving conversation!