The Jewish Review
Volume 60, Issue 10
By ROCKNE ROLL
When Cedar Sinai Park’s campus on Southwest Boundary Street in Portland was sold last year, it was meant not to be the end of a story, just that particular chapter. The next chapter now begins in earnest as the Robison Foundation for Jewish Elders announces its first grant-making cycle and its plans for the next stage in supporting Jewish life for seniors in Portland.
Michael Millender, President of RFJE, was on the committee of Cedar Sinai’s board that looked at what to do in light of the group’s financial model becoming untenable. Even before the sale of the campus and the reinvestment of proceeds from the sale into what has become RFJE was decided upon, Millender started working to put an action plan together.
“One of the things that very quickly became clear to me is that, in most cities, the board had been so focused on the sale process that no one had really put much thought into what would happen next, and we did not want to let that happen in Portland,” Millender said.
A new entity was created, and a new board constituted – starting with Millender and adding others from the committee that charted this course, as well as those from outside Cedar Sinai’s existing cadre of leadership.
“We have a lot of people who are in their 40s,” Millender said of RFJE’s board. “They’re the ones who are going to be the leaders of this community in the future, so I’m thrilled that they’ve that they are serving on this board. “They’ve brought a lot of energy and a lot of great perspectives to the work.”
That board includes Millender as President, Jaimie Harper as Vice President, David Hirsch as Treasurer, Margo Feves Pearmine as Secretary and Eddy Shuldman, Karen Blauer, Josh Erde-Wollheim and Lesley Sacks as members.
The new foundation then refined its mission – their official statement says that RFJE works to “enhance the lives of elders in the Jewish community of greater Portland by supporting their social, spiritual, and physical well-being.” Millender explained that the more detailed view is rooted in what the new board saw as the two primary functions of Ceder Sinai Park.
“One was to make sure that there would always be a place for anyone in the Jewish community who didn’t have resources to live in a dignified, safe and well-run place as they aged,” he said. “But beyond that, Cedar Sinai Park was meant to be a Jewish institution. It’s a place where people could live in a Jewish environment, celebrate Jewish holidays, have Jewish learning opportunities, really live the rhythm of a Jewish life.”
Without a physical campus, Millender said, the new foundation’s goal is “to broaden it out to serve Jewish seniors wherever they call home.”