Andrew Guckes | Staff Writer
Robin Brandies will become the next CEO of Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia after the organization announced a potential merger, pending regulatory approval, with Abramson Senior Care on June 12. Brandies was previously CEO of Abramson. The organizations hope to complete the merger in the next few months.
“There were two paths that were parallel and occurring at the same time, yet completely separate,” JFCS Board Chair Sheree Bloch said. “Our transaction team and our search committee were two completely separate teams. At some point in the interview process, it came out that we were also engaging in merger discussions with Abramson. We at JFCS serve people across the entire life spectrum, and we need to get the strongest, most capable, best candidate that will represent our organization … and lead us into a better place in an environment where there are shrinking resources … and Robin emerged as the best candidate.”
Brandies has served as president and executive director of Abramson Senior Care for the past two years. She has been with the organization for a decade. Her appointment will make the transition smoother as the organizations look to create a single source for care for vulnerable Jewish elders in Philadelphia. Brandies will take over her new post on Sept. 1.
“It is a testament to the strength and spirit of collaboration in our Jewish community that two exceptional organizations are coming together to benefit vulnerable seniors,” said Neil Model, chair of the Abramson Senior Care Board of Trustees. “We are excited to bring Abramson’s years of expertise and quality services to JFCS, where we look forward to expanding the reach of our mission. We are also delighted that JFCS has hired Robin to be their new CEO, as we have great confidence in Robin’s leadership.”
JFCS Board Chair Elect Caren Barnet said that Brandies is the right person for the job because she exemplifies the organization’s values. JFCS works to help strengthen families across generations, which includes the older generations that Abramson targets specifically.
“Robin is the right leader to steward our essential organization forward and broaden our reach. She is a person of integrity and intellectual curiosity with an authentic belief in JFCS’ mission,” she said. “What’s more, she is a compassionate leader who will nurture our culture of innovation, transparency and inclusion.”
Brandies is taking over for CEO Paula Goldstein, who is retiring on Aug. 31.
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia President and CEO Michael Balaban said that Goldstein’s tenure was a positive one, and that the organization is poised to continue that trend under its new leadership.
“We celebrate Paula Goldstein for how she has led JFCS over these many years and her dedication to positioning the organization for the future,” he said. “We look forward to Robin Brandies as she carries that vision forward in continuing to strengthen support for lives across our Jewish community and beyond.”
Bloch said that for those who are used to what JFCS offers, there will be only an increase in services from here on out.
“Life will proceed as always, and for our clients who receive senior services from us, if anything, we will have a much more robust offering of services on day one — the current Abramson programs will exist side by side with the JFCS programs for seniors,” she said. “But the purpose of this is not for the programs to exist side by side. The purpose of this merger is for us to be able to do more together.”
The two organizations serve similar communities despite their small differences. Balaban said that they have a shared history, and that will contribute to their ability to work together moving forward.
“Jewish Family and Children’s Service and Abramson Senior Care share deep roots that date back to the mid-1800s,” he said. “This merger, combining their shared expertise and compassion, stands as a bold step forward in elevating and enhancing care for community members across greater Philadelphia.”
Bloch said that since then, the organizations have worked toward the same goals, even if they are just now uniting under the same name.
“We are spiritually aligned. We’re mission aligned. We are Jewish legacy organizations,” she said.
Bloch added that the appointment of Brandies and the potential merger will help create a better environment for those who need it most.
“I think our senior care programs are going to be stronger. We’re going to create sustainable programs that will be able to scale to more people, and we’re looking forward to having Abramson staff join our staff and do more together,” she said.