Rooted in Community, Committed to Giving: Celebrating Jonathan Singer's OJCF Journey

The OJCF family — trustees, staff, donors, and community partners — extends its deepest gratitude to Jonathan Singer for his 11 years of dedicated service and leadership. His commitment to the foundation's mission, his steady hand through moments of challenge, and his vision for what OJCF could become have left an indelible mark on the organization and on Jewish life in our region. We are deeply proud to call him one of our own.

As a fifth generation Portlander with deep roots in the community, Jonathan Singer has always been active in civic and philanthropic work, including chairing and serving on the boards and committees of several non-profit organizations.

He credits both sets of his grandparents—Helen and Jerry (z”l) Stern, and Anne (z”l) and David (z”l) Singer, all four of whom lived in Portland throughout his childhood—as well as his parents Sharon Stern and Peter Singer, his older siblings Rabbi Binyamin Singer and Anna Kodesch, and his Portland-based aunts and uncles Sara and Fred Harwin, Tom Stern, Eve Stern for modeling and instilling in him the value and importance of giving back to the Jewish community from a young age. 

Jonathan attended preschool at Neveh Shalom’s Foundation School, kindergarten at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, and part of grade school at Portland Jewish Academy. He also spent 10 years as a camper and counselor at Camp Solomon Schechter and a number of years as a day camper at the MJCC. He was also deeply involved in BBYO, including serving two years on the regional board and a term as president of Sol Stern AZA Chapter #65, which is named in honor of his late great uncle.

After attending Pomona College and focusing on civics,  Jonathan earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.,  He then practiced law in Washington, D.C. for three years before returning to Portland in 2013.  

It was through a fellow Berkeley Law alumnus—then-OJCFchair-elect Jeff Wolfstone—that Jonathan got reacquainted with the organization, which he had first learned about when his mother set up a donor advised fund several years earlier. His grandfather Jerry Stern (z”l) and his aunt Eve Stern had also previously served on the board.

Jonathan was elected to the board of trustees of OJCF in 2015, later joining its executive committee in 2018, and serving as Chair-elect, Chair, and Chair Emeritus between 2021 and 2025, during which time he worked closely with his predecessor Josh Frankel, his successor Jonathan Glass, many other outstanding and dedicated trustees, and OJCF’s professional leadership, particularly Julie Diamond (z”l) and David Forman. 

Jonathan’s 11 years on the OJCF board has corresponded with a period of significant growth for the foundation, including a near tripling of the charitable assets managed, and a growth to more than 500 different partner and non-partner funds.

But to Jonathan, it was never a matter of dollars in the door but rather the good that could be done with charitable funds entrusted to the foundation. During his time as a volunteer leader at OJCF, the foundation refocused on customer service (both for individuals and families as well as organizational partners), helped facilitate multiple complex donations of real estate assets (converting property investments into millions of dollars of charitable resources), developed new ways to attract donor advisors at all levels, and grew its community endowment fund — which led to a significant increase in charitable dollars available to organizations supporting Jewish life throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Jonathan’s time in OJCF’s leadership saw the foundation successfully weather a number of challenges, including the untimely passing of president and CEO Julie Diamond (z”l) and an unexpected search for a new CEO—both during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—and the collapse of OJCF’s then-financial advisor, First Republic Bank, and First Republic’s ultimate acquisition by JPMorgan Chase. This period also saw the foundation’s successful undertaking of a number of future-oriented initiatives, including a new strategic plan; developing a new marketing plan, branding, and logo; launching the Impact Together program; lowering fees; and implementing a more formalized process for the foundation to make grants from its community endowment fund.

Though Jonathan’s tenure as a trustee has come to a close, he remains an integral part of this community we all love so much. We at OJCF are forever thankful to him for helping to make Oregon's Jewish community stronger, more connected, and better resourced. Todah rabah. 

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