A Tribute to Paula Goldstein: Leading with Vision, Serving with Heart
The Board of Directors, the Board of Trustees, and the professional staff of Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia (JFCS) are proud to honor our beloved President and CEO, Paula Goldstein on her retirement. We celebrate her successful career of over forty years at JFCS, including an impactful fourteen-year tenure as CEO.
Paula’s leadership has guided the organization through tremendous growth and change and has deeply shaped its soul. Paula led JFCS with compassion, precision, and a rare combination of strategic vision and frontline empathy. As a trained social worker, Paula understood firsthand what it meant to serve on the ground, to hold space for others in times of crisis, and to advocate tirelessly for those in need.
Whether fighting for Holocaust Survivors when funding came under threat, or spearheading an urgent campaign to sustain services to our Jewish community in a time of growing vulnerability, Paula remained steadfast in her mission to serve, uplift, and heal our community – while ensuring no one fell through the cracks.
In moments of crisis, Paula’s calmness and clarity have been a source of strength to our community. Following the events of October 7th, under Paula’s guidance, JFCS rapidly deployed trauma-informed counseling and support to students, families, and staff across the Philadelphia region. Her first question was, “Who is hurting, and how can we help?”
Under Paula Goldstein’s leadership, JFCS strengthened its existing services and programs including the successful merger with Our Closet – now Our Closet In Your Neighborhood – providing Philadelphians in need access to basic necessities such as food and clothing. Other notable accomplishments include founding the LGBTQ Initiative, the Orthodox Services Program, the JFCS Fertility Fund: A Gift from the Heart, and Camp Mariposa – a year-round program for children with a family member with drug addiction. Paula also led the organization in groundbreaking fundraising efforts, including a capital campaign for the building of The Barbara and Harvey Brodsky Enrichment Center. Amid rising mental health concerns in our country, Paula ensured every staff member was trauma-informed and led the creation of JFCS’ Mental Health Network – expanding access to specialized mental health services for individuals who might not otherwise receive care. JFCS is now a fully trauma-informed agency, embedding this approach across all levels of service and operations.
Paula’s impact extends far beyond program development and fundraising. Under her leadership, JFCS forged vital partnerships with Federation Housing, Einstein Healthcare Network, Jefferson Health, and Divine Providence Village to ensure that Holocaust Survivors, older adults, and individuals with disabilities had access to COVID-19 vaccinations. She also facilitated support for Ukrainian refugees by embedding a social worker at KleinLife, and recently collaborated with longtime partners, Abramson Senior Care and Federation Housing, to fund a joint study of Jewish seniors in Philadelphia, ensuring our services continue to meet their evolving needs. Following October 7th, Paula led the charge to embed social workers at Drexel Hillel, Penn Hillel, and the Hillel at Temple University, providing Jewish college students with access to culturally competent Jewish therapists. Her commitment to collaboration is further exemplified by the Northeast Services Hub—a shared space where essential services converge, including family support, rental and food assistance, and the office of State Representative Jared Solomon, all working together to serve the community more holistically.
Paula, we thank you. For being a leader, a mentor, a colleague, and a friend. For your courage, your compassion, and your unwavering dedication to individuals and communities in personal or communal crises and to the most vulnerable people in Philadelphia.
A Moment in Time: Securing the Future of JFCS
Since its founding in 1855, Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia (JFCS) has been the safety net of our Jewish community—a steadfast source of hope, healing, and help during life’s most difficult moments. For 170 years, JFCS has stepped up in times of crisis and need, offering vital services such as food assistance, housing support, financial counseling, and mental health care.
We find ourselves at a pivotal crossroads. The needs in our community are growing: antisemitism is on the rise, trauma is widespread, social isolation is deepening, and most urgently, financial support is shrinking, which places core services in jeopardy at a time when they are needed most.
Throughout every era, JFCS has met each moment with resolve and purpose which is why we are proud to launch A Moment in Time, a special campaign that is both a tribute to Paula Goldstein’s extraordinary leadership and the foundation for our next chapter. JFCS is more than a service provider; we are a lifeline and a place of refuge, strength, and compassion.
Earlier this year, our Board of Directors unanimously approved—and personally invested in—A Moment in Time, and we are proud to share that JFCS has set a fundraising goal of $10 million which will allow us to sustain, strengthen, and grow the services that so many rely on.
We are now turning to you – our community – because JFCS touches every dimension of Jewish life. If you care about our youth, our elders, our survivors, our neighbors — JFCS is where your impact will endure.
Without this continued support, we face painful realities:
- Reduction in services for Holocaust Survivors and isolated older adults.
- Disruption in essential food and housing programs.
- Longer wait times for those experiencing mental health crises.
Every dollar raised through A Moment in Time helps safeguard programs that provide dignity, independence, and healing.
This is our Moment in Time. And it’s yours, too.
Let us honor Paula Goldstein’s legacy not just in words, but in action. Let us ensure that 170 years from now, JFCS remains strong, steady, and filled with heart.
To learn more about how you can support this vital campaign, please visit jfcsphilly.org. Or contact our Chief Business and Resource Development Officer, Pia Eisenberg at peisenberg@jfcsphilly.org or 610.809.2800.
Thank you for being part of this moment.