06/18/2020
Community Connection and Feelings of Gratitude
- Share This Story
Drs. Linda Sandhaus and Roland Philip have many charitable causes that they care deeply about and support. Their love of art and music is what inspires them to give to the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Museum of Art. As retired physicians, they support the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. In honor and memory of each of their first spouses, both deceased, they created endowed scholarships at their alma matters.
As longtime generous supporters of the Campaign for Jewish Needs, they wanted to do something permanent for the Jewish Community. After much careful thought and learning about many of our community’s needs, they found a cause that that spoke to them both: supporting the Jewish elderly.
A recent tour of Menorah Park with Linda’s mother – visiting from out of town and considering relocating to Cleveland – caused them to think about elderly Jewish Clevelanders. They realized how important it is for Jewish seniors to have a place to go when they can no longer live independently or safely at home. As Linda explained, “It is not just about the facility looking good, but it is also about having activities that engage seniors such as art and creative writing. It is about improving the quality of their lives.”
Linda shared that before she moved to Cleveland and met Roland she was living in New Jersey and didn’t have much of a connection to the Jewish community there. When she moved to Cleveland, she joined Fairmount Temple and was amazed at the strength of our Jewish community: “It has enriched my life.”
Roland and Linda both feel a tremendous amount of gratitude. They feel fortunate to have been successful in their careers and feel that it is their obligation to help others that are less fortunate. They are especially pleased that their fund will support the Jewish elderly because they know this is a part of the community that will only be supported by Jewish people.
Because their endowment broadly included “Jewish elderly” as its purpose, the grant each year has the flexibility to be used where there is the highest need. It may support residents of Menorah Park or Montefiore, as well as programs that support those living at home such as lunch programs and meals on wheels.
The process of creating their endowment was “simple,” said Roland. “Once you decide that you want to make a charitable gift, the Federation makes it easy,” he explained. When asked about the impact of their gift, they hope it inspires others to realize that they too can do something meaningful for the community – for whatever cause speaks to them.
Comments