Reutlinger management agreement with regional nonprofit gets state approval

March 16, 2020

California’s attorney general has approved an agreement to shift management control of the Reutlinger Community in Danville to Eskaton, a nonprofit regional senior care provider.

Attorney General Xavier Bacerra conditionally consented to the shift in “control and governance” of the 70-year-old Jewish senior living center, pending approval from the California Department of Social Services. Deputy Attorney General Anita Velasco notified lawyers of Bacerra’s decision in a letter dated March 11.

The announcement came amidst some impassioned opposition to the deal within the East Bay Jewish community. At a public hearing on Nov. 5, some family members, donors and former board members voiced concern that it would lead to a change in the character of the facility, which was founded in 1950 as the Home for Jewish Parents in Oakland.

Opponents worry about a sunset clause in the agreement that gives Eskaton the right to relocate the business “to another comparable facility” in the region after five years.

In late November, 13 plaintiffs connected to the senior home filed a lawsuit against Sacramento-based Eskaton and Reutlinger officials. The lawsuit sought an injunction on the agreement, citing “no accountability to the Jewish community.” In February, a superior court judge determined that the plaintiffs did not have “the required standing” to pursue their claim. Read more.