After graduating from the University of Maryland, Janet B. Kurland z”l began her career at the Department of Social Services in Baltimore City, working with at-risk children in emergency placement. She then joined the team at Jewish Family Services (JFS), a precursor to JCS, where she assisted with child services and foster care. To continue her work, Janet pursued a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Work, commuting twice a week while working the remaining days at JFS. In addition to being a Licensed Certified Social Worker, she was a Board-Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work, and a Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager.

During this period, JFS also played an important role in Janet’s personal life, as her two children were adopted through Jewish Family Services. As a young mother, she took a pause from JFS to raise her children and began facilitating home groups with older adults. This experience led to a new career—one for which she is well-known in the community— her pioneering work in Gerontology and the development of community based social work services for older adults and their families. She was widely considered the “go-to” person for all matters pertaining to the care and well-being of older adults. Janet also founded the Jewish Community Critical Incident Response Team comprised of Jewish communal professionals specially trained to work with people of all ages to help reduce the initial emotional distress in the aftermath of traumatic events affecting members of our community

From serving as the founding director of the Northwest Senior Center in 1976 (now the Edward A. Myerberg Center) to becoming the assistant director of Gerontological Services at JFS, Janet made a significant impact. She developed JCS’s elder care consultation services, providing critical guidance to older adults and their families, and was often asked to share her expertise with human service and government agencies nationwide. Janet was a Delegate from Maryland to the White House Conference on Aging in 1995 and two years later, she chaired the 45-member committee that developed the Quality of Life portion of the Assisted Living Regulation for the State of Maryland.

In addition to her work at JCS, Janet taught at the Odyssey Certificate Aging Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Continuing Education for two decades, as well as at Towson University and the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Janet was president emeritus of the Maryland Gerontological Association and the first recipient of the Daniel Thurz Distinguished Service Award from Na’Aleh—The Hub for Leadership Learning. She also received the William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award in 2019, an award from CHANA Baltimore, and a lifetime achievement award from the Maryland Gerontological Association.

Janet and her husband had two children and five grandchildren. She often said, “If I can help a family living with an older adult find comfort and security during those years, I’ve done my job.” Janet passed away on December 6th, 2024, at the age of 94.