KEARA CUMMINGS
Federation changes phones, adds staff
By Jewish Review
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The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is working to be more responsive to community needs with a new telephone system and a new staff person at the front desk.
Now, whether people come to the office door or telephone the federation, they typically will be greeted by a real person instead of voice mail. The new telephone system, which had a few glitches when it was installed in September, is now functioning. Unless the staff is in a staff meeting or otherwise unavailable, the phones will now be answered by a member of the support staff who can direct the caller to the appropriate staff member for assistance.
“Federation wants to be here as a resource to the community,” said Josh Stein, JFGP marketing and communications director. “If people are having trouble navigating their way through the Jewish community we are here to assist them.”
Federation also added an additional member to the support staff when it hired Keara Cummings to staff the front desk.
Cummings, who graduated from Willamette University in Salem with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies, joined the federation staff at the end of summer.
Cummings currently is studying Hebrew with Dorice Horenstein and hopes to apply to rabbinic school within the next five years.
While living in Salem, Cummings worked at Temple Beth Sholom co-teaching the b’nai mitzvah class at Sunday School. She grew up in a Reform congregation in Phoenix. She said when her parents decided to move from Phoenix to Wisconsin shortly after she graduated, she decided to return to the Pacific Northwest.
“I love the Pacific Northwest and thought this was a better place for me,” she said.
On working at the federation, she said, “I love it. The people are nice. I started at the end of summer, but it feels like forever—in a good way.”