After 40 years at Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia, the last 14 as president and CEO, Paula Goldstein is confident she’s leaving the organization in good hands. While the voyage hasn’t always been smooth, particularly during the rocky waters of COVID, she’s managed to steer the ship through to safety.
At the end of this month, however, she’s ready to sail away. “It’s time,” said the woman who started out visiting day care centers and people’s homes to make sure everything was in order, then evolved over the years into the person in charge. “I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude for the career that I’ve had here. But I want to leave at the top of my game. I never wanted someone to say, ‘She stayed here too long.’ And I want to spend more time with my husband and my kids.”
Looking back over her career, which began after the Cheltenham High School and Temple University graduate earned her degree from the Columbia University School of Social Work, Goldstein is proud of all she’s accomplished. For good reason, say her co-workers.
“She understands the community that’s being served,” said JFCS Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Rossi. “What I’ve observed over the past 14 years is a deep understanding of where our programs need to be focused based on the needs of the community. And I think that that will be a big part of what is missed with her leaving. Paula wasn’t just the CEO of JFCS; she was also part of the larger community and had those connections.”
When she took over as CEO, Goldstein had already climbed the JFCS ranks as director of counseling and chief operating officer.
“When I started, I was known, so people were comfortable with that,” said Goldstein, who by that point had raised two sons and two daughters. “But I think the other message was, ‘Now you’re our leader. You’re not an aligned social worker anymore, and we really want you to transform into that executive role.’ Fourteen years ago, I was transitioning into being leader of the organization. Now I know how to do it. I’ve learned something new every single day of this job for 14 years.
Along the way, she’s accomplished a great deal. She oversaw the launch of the JFCS Fertility Fund, which has welcomed 16 babies to date. Also during her tenure, the organization partnered with Jefferson Health and Divine Providence Village to vaccinate Holocaust survivors, older adults and those living with disabilities during the pandemic. She led the creation of the Mental Health Network, raising $400,000 to provide specialty mental health services to those without access. Goldstein even helped establish The Lewis Family Endowment Fund for Children with a $600,000 planned gift and The Skulsky Fund for Support During Serious Illness with a $650,000 planned gift.
Robin Brandies, JFCS’ incoming CEO, will inherit this legacy.
“I’m learning a lot as I am training my successor. I want her to be herself and bring her own style, energy, warmth and intelligence to this job. She’s got wonderful ingredients to be successful in this position. But what I want most for her, and she will do it, is to do it her way.”
Of course, the job has changed over the past 14 years, particularly after COVID and Oct. 7.
“The world has brought so many pressures and stresses that affect people that we serve and people that work here,” said Goldstein, sitting in the Bala Cynwyd building that JFCS moved into eight years ago after she helped raise $8 million to make it possible. “So, as the leader, you’re not only managing the daily business of the organization, you’re also trying to help people through these really rocky times. During COVID, there was so much need among our clients. It was months of figuring out how to work with them and get them what they needed. And we had to work hard to get our clients vaccinated.”
“So, the last five to six years just added other dimensions to the job. We are a Jewish social service agency, so the soul of this organization is Jewish. However, we’re not an organization that does any work in Israel or is connected to Israel. I think what’s happened since Oct. 7 is that everyone on the staff, Jewish or not, feels deeply about the crisis in the Middle East. But we are also here to provide emotional support and mental health care for everyone in our community.”
Compounding that issue, her oldest daughter has lived in Israel for the past 12 years, doing advocacy work for the Ministry of Justice. That means whatever is going on there is always on her mother’s mind.
“When I come to work, I wear my leadership hat,” said Goldstein. “And when I get home, I wear my parents’ hat. I think it’s important to separate it because, if you’re leading an organization, you have a job to do as the leader that requires you to do what’s best for the organization and the people that work there. And you really do have to separate your personal life.
“But I understand what it’s like to have a family, and I definitely bring that empathy and compassion to my job,” she added. “That’s where my own life experience helps me.”
As she prepares to leave, Goldstein knows it will be an adjustment.
“I think JFCS has become like a limb on my body,” said Goldstein, who in retirement will be doing some executive coaching as well as serving as a field advisor at Bryn Mawr School of Social Work. “It’s part of me. For the leader of any nonprofit, it’s a 24/7 job because the buck stops with you, no matter what happens. You have to reconcile that when you take that kind of job. But JFCS has always just had the most extraordinary professionals working here. We’re a family service agency that operates very much like a family. Some of my closest friends were here and are here. And it’s just been a joy to come to work every day. I can feel myself letting go, but I also don’t know how I’m going to feel on Sept. 1.”
Jon Marks is a Philadelphia-area freelance writer.
Beautiful. I now see where Josh’s passion originated! Adonai Bless you.