Jonathan Singer was recognized as 2026’s inductee to the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation’s Julie Diamond, z”l, Legacy Society at the organization’s annual meeting Monday, June 15 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center in Portland.
“For nearly a decade, Jonathan has brought steady judgment and deep engagement to his service as a board member,” Foundation President and CEO David Forman said. “As board chair, he provided both the vision for our strategic roadmap and the framework that kept the board and staff aligned during both complex and challenging times.”
It was the second major celebration for Singer within a week – he joined his new wife, Katy Nelson, under the chuppah just two days prior. Singer’s family, from as far away as Jerusalem, turned out in numbers to see the new husband become the Legacy Society’s newest member. After receiving his award, Singer spoke about his journey as a member of the Foundation’s board; a tenure which ends next month as he steps down.
“Back in 2015, I did have a vague sense of what OJCF did in terms of helping administer donor-advised funds and manage the endowments and reserve funds of our partner organizations, but I didn’t really know everything that OJCF did or could do,” he said, “and I didn’t fully appreciate what it meant for our community to have an independent community foundation that can focus directly on fostering philanthropy today to ensure that our community will have the support that it needs in the years to come.”
That support continues to grow and deepen year over year, as outgoing Board of Trustees Chair Jonathan Glass detailed in his report. In the first 11 months of the soon-to-end fiscal year, OJCF’s donor-advised funds have 17 percent more grants than the year prior, distributing more than $5 million. Meanwhile, OJCF’s invested assets have appreciated more than 18 percent over that time.
In multiple regards, Singer led the way in that growth.
“While Jonathan’s leadership has strengthened how we govern and grant, his generosity has strengthened how we give. He has not only contributed meaningfully himself to most of our programs, if not all of our programs, he has helped unlock giving from others, time and again,” Forman said in his introduction. “He has stepped forward first, championing giving approaches that turn generosity into participation. Jonathan regularly initiated matching contributions that invite others to open donor advised funds and to accurately grant from them. Through his generosity, he has helped build a culture where giving is shared, where giving is visible, and where giving is contagious. That is what real legacy looks like in real time. Legacy is not only what we leave behind, but it’s what we set in motion.”
Singer steps down from the board along with Trustees Jason Kaufman and Susan Menashe. Lisa Greenfield, Eric Kodesch and Steven Weinstein were elected to the board by the unanimous vote of those Foundation members present; the same vote also elected Benjamin Ariff and Ann Sacks to second terms on the board.
The Foundation’s members also unanimously approved amendments to their articles of incorporation, the most prominent being the official removal of “The” from the Foundation’s name. (Legally, the correct name is now “Oregon Jewish Community Foundation.”)
The Foundation also welcomed new board chair Mia Birk. The former City of Portland Bicycle Program Coordinator and author of “Joy Ride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet” was connected with OJCF following the sale of a pair of businesses she launched after her government service.
“A certain Gail Mandel answered the phone, and not only did she answer, but she bent over backwards and made me feel like my giving mattered,” Birk said.
Through OJCF, she endowed a scholarship program through Portland State University and helped launch the Eastside Jewish Commons.
“I fell in love with the work, the idea that philanthropy isn’t simply about money, although it is, but it’s more than that,” she said. “It’s about values, about legacy, about turning gratitude into action, and about helping people express what matters most to them.”
Glass, now Chair Emeritus, will remain on the Foundation’s Executive Committee as Treasurer.
“While my titles may have changed, my commitment and passion for OJCF and its mission remains as strong as ever,” he said, “although I’m hopeful it may involve just a few less meetings.”
PHOTO: Singer speaks at OJCF's Annual Meeting (Rockne Roll/The Jewish Review)