A crisis organisation for everyone.
Rooted in Jewish values, Jewish House provides immediate crisis support, for all people facing difficult circumstances.
Who we are
Our work is grounded in Jewish values
Jewish House has supported people through crisis for more than 40 years.
What began as a small community initiative has grown into a 24/7 crisis organisation providing mental health care, accommodation, practical assistance, and community support. While our roots are Jewish, our services are open to everyone. We support people from all backgrounds, cultures and religions, responding to need wherever it exists.
The values that shaped Jewish House in 1983 continue to guide how we work today.
The world
Tikkun Olam
Supporting people and creating pathways forward.
We believe we each have a responsibility to help people through hardship, crisis and isolation. By supporting one another, we don’t simply respond to immediate need – we help create the foundations for a stronger future.
Respect
Tzedakah
Giving and receiving with dignity. Support is never one-sided.
It depends on both the willingness to give and the courage to receive. We believe everyone has something to contribute, and everyone deserves the opportunity to be supported. Together, this creates balance, dignity and shared responsibility.
Warmth
Chesed
Meeting every person with compassion and individuality.
No two people experience crisis in the same way. We listen first, respond with compassion, and recognise the unique circumstances, strengths and needs of every individual as we help them navigate the supports that are right for them.
their lives.
Sanctity
Kedusha
Seeing the value in every person.
We believe every person is created in the image of G-d and deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion. This belief shapes every interaction and every decision we make as we walk alongside people through life’s challenges.
Where we started
In 1983, with the blessings and inspiration of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson OBM, brothers Anthony and Roger Clifford purchased a house in Bondi that would become the Jewish House Crisis Centre.
The organisation initially supported people experiencing drug and alcohol dependency — many of whom had few places to turn for help.
As community needs changed, so did the organisation. Services expanded to include crisis accommodation, mental health care, homelessness support, children’s services, employment programs, and a 24/7 crisis line answered by a real person.
Over the next four decades, that small community initiative grew into a 24/7 crisis organisation supporting people from all backgrounds, cultures and religions across Greater Sydney.
Much has changed. The mission has not.
Milestones
More than forty years of responding to changing community needs.
Founded at 17 Flood Street
Jewish House opened its doors in Bondi with a 24-hour Care Line, crisis accommodation, counseling services and practical support for people experiencing crisis.
Cult Help Program
One of Australia's first specialist support programs for people leaving cults, including rescue and recovery support.
24/7 Crisis Line Formalised
The crisis line expanded into a fully structured 24-hour service with trained volunteers and the systems needed to coordinate emergency responses when required.
Rabbi Mendel Kastel Appointed CEO
Rabbi Kastel joined Jewish House as CEO, helping expand the organisation's reach, partnerships and ability to respond to emerging community needs.
Project 2500
Launched at NSW Parliament, Project 2500 committed to supporting 2,500 people experiencing homelessness over three years through a combination of government partnerships and community support.
Bondi Road Accommodation Facility
Jewish House expanded its accommodation services, creating additional capacity for people requiring immediate support and housing.
Fashion Forward
What began as a small community initiative has grown into a volunteer-run social enterprise raising more than $1 million for women and children in crisis, while saving thousands of designer garments from landfill.
NDIS Services
Jewish House expanded into disability support, helping NDIS participants navigate systems, access services and achieve their goals.
Ashfield – A New Chapter of Care
Jewish House opened its 9th and largest property in Sydney's Inner West – providing 50 rooms for men experiencing homelessness as part of the southern hemisphere's largest meanwhile-use housing initiative.
Bondi Beach Attack Response
Within hours of the Bondi Beach attack, Jewish House mobilised support services, distributed more than $2 million in relief and assistance, and established pathways to mental health support for those affected. The work continues.
How we work
Available around the clock
Immediate Crisis Services
Wraparound Support
Trusted referral pathways
Prevention and
recovery
Practical support
through innovation
Jewish House combines direct crisis support with strong partnerships, community knowledge,and a willingness to adapt when needs change.
The result is a model that is responsive, connected, and designed around real-world challenges.
Using technology to improve access and care
Technology should make support easier to access, not harder. In 2025, Jewish House launched an AI Voice Agent pilot at one of its accommodation facilities. Residents who forget their room access codes after hours can verify their identity and regain access immediately, without needing to wake staff overnight.
The result is simple: residents receive help when they need it, and staff can focus their attention where it matters most.
We are also exploring tools that reduce administrative work for clinicians and case managers, allowing more time to be spent supporting people directly.
Responding quickly to emerging needs
Communities do not experience crisis on a schedule.
When the Bondi Beach attack occurred in December 2025, Jewish House worked alongside government, clinicians, and community organisations to help coordinate support for those affected.
When Ukrainian families arrived in Sydney requiring emergency accommodation in 2022, partnerships were activated to secure housing within days.
The ability to respond quickly comes from long-standing relationships, flexible systems, and experience working in complex situations.
Understanding need through data
Good decisions require good information.
Jewish House uses community data, service trends, and client feedback to understand where needs are emerging and where resources can have the greatest impact.
This helps ensure services are informed by evidence rather than assumptions.
Connected support, not disjointed services
No single organisation can meet every need.
Jewish House works closely with hospitals, GPs, police, housing providers, schools, and
community organisations to help people access coordinated support.
Our role is often to connect services together, making it easier for people to navigate systems during already difficult periods.
Many ways to access support
People contact Jewish House for different reasons.
Some need accommodation. Others need counselling, financial assistance, children’s services, employment support, NDIS guidance, or help responding to antisemitism.
Because these services sit within one organisation, people can access support without needing to start again each time their circumstances change.
Our Board
Roger Clifford OAM
Ron Hirsch
Rabbi Mendel Kastel OAM
Jonathan Tolub
Eli Fisher
Robert Clifford
Cerina Filipczyk
Roger Clifford OAM
Ron Hirsch
Rabbi Mendel Kastel OAM
Jonathan Tolub
Eli Fisher
Robert Clifford
Cerina Filipczyk
Executive Team
Rabbi Mendel Kastel OAM
Brenda Kaplan
Rosana Coelho
Yolanda Lu
Eva Taase
Rabbi Mendel Kastel OAM
Brenda Kaplan
Rosana Coelho
Yolanda Lu
Eva Taase
Our Team
Heidi Baltineshter
Heidi Baltineshter
Partners
Memberships
