Dear friends,
As we marked the holiday of Yom Kippur, I know that all of us prayed to be together again soon. Holidays at the Jewish Home Family are special times of connection and this year, despite the challenges, was no exception. But not having the buildings filled with families, not seeing multiple generations coming together is a loss for all of us. Services at Jewish Home Assisted Living were conducted in the Community Room where all of the chairs were set up at appropriate social distances and everyone was in masks. Rabbi Korenblit conducted morning, Yizkor and evening services. On the Jewish Home at Rockleigh campus, we had unit-based services led by Rabbi Feld as well as some worship in the synagogue. We also had a lot of discussion sessions with the elders, sharing reminiscences of the holidays.
Other highlights at the Jewish Home at Rockleigh include many outdoor visits with family members. These visits are a great source of both joy and comfort for our elders and their families. Sunday’s small group and individual activities as well as our Afternoon of Music which featured a walk “Down Memory Lane” featuring many favorite songs. On Tuesday we noted the birthday of Jerry Lewis and the elders on the Rubin unit enjoyed this program and sharing their memories. On Seiden we had a great music and movement session and the lively activity got the staff and elders both dancing! We also had Recreation staff doing some manicures for our ladies, all of whom were thrilled to have their nails polished. Rubin and Kaplen 2 elders once again wrote letters to the Department of Health asking them to allow the Beauty Salon to reopen. We have been asking that, in every possible context, as well. The elders are frustrated that their previous letters have gone unanswered. They wrote, in their own words, about the importance of these services for their self-confidence and quality of life. Let’s hope we get both a response and some action! Elders also appreciated a program on Ruth Bader Ginsburg and shared their recollections of her career and their thoughts about her impact on many important issues. Wednesday began with a review of the Presidential Debate and, as you might expect, our elders talked about the need for people to respect one another and not interrupt. Elders on Kaplen 2 also enjoyed “The Joke’s on You” and music trivia. Rubin elders played trivia games and also had “Music from the Heart” while our Kaplen 1 elders had a visit from the Concierge Cart and Seiden programs included “Fun and Games” and “Sensory Sensations.” On Thursday we welcomed October with trivia, music and discussions and we also decorated both the sukkah on Kaplen 1 and the sukkah on Rubin. Decorating was accompanied by holiday discussions and memories. We also had a program on great inventors on the Rubin unit karaoke fun on Seiden. “Painting with a Twist” featured painting masks and enjoyed some wine or grape juice. On Friday we recognized the 15th annual Diversity Day and had many discussions on diversity. We also celebrated the 48th annual Storytelling Festival with a lively and interactive program.
Jewish Home Assisted Living elders began the week on Sunday with exercise. Rabbi Korenblit also presented an interesting lecture entitled “Yom Kippur as the Greatest Gift.” Tuesday featured fitness with Gina as well as program on Ruth Bader Ginsburg in honor of her life and many achievements. On Wednesday we headed to Egypt and also enjoyed the Wednesday evening film “On the Basis of Sex” which is the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her battle for equal rights. Thursday brought Patrick’s fitness class as well as Tai Chi with Hasmig, both favorites. We also decorated the sukkah, which is always great fun. On Friday the Yiddish Club met. We also watched a documentary on the Great Wall of China and enjoyed a lecture by Professor Ian Drake. His lecture was entitled “Landmark Supreme Court Cases: Plessy and Brown, the Battle over Civil Rights.”
Lots of other big doings in the works at the Jewish Home Family. Our annual Gala will be fully virtual this year and we hope that you will join us! There is no charge and no obligation. Just register and enjoy a brief (30 minute) program that will include the premiere of a film that tells the story of the COVID experience at the Jewish Home Family. We are saluting our heroes at the Gala—our staff—who have been so strong and resilient throughout this difficult days, weeks and months. Want to join us? Here’s the link to register: https://www.jewishhomefamily.org/CelebratingOurHeroes
We’ve also begun recording some podcasts and will soon be sharing them on all of your favorite podcast platforms. We’re calling it “Advancing the Art of Aging” and this brief audio programs will give folks the chance to not only learn more about us but also about many relevant topics that pertain to older adults and aging well.
This was a blog week for the Times of Israel for me and here is the link: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/foundations-and-faith/ As always, your feedback is welcome.
Be well,
Carol Silver Elliott
President/CEO
The Jewish Home Family
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Parkinson's Caregiver Support Group
We are happy to announce that the Jewish Home Family will be offering a Support Group for the Caregivers of People Living with Parkinson’s. The first meeting will take place at 7:00 PM on Thursday, October 29th through Zoom and will meet on the third Thursday of the month following that meeting. Those interested in attending the support group meetings, please sign up through this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrd-2uqzgjGtYsQ5VkXOy_2idReSeGlsCr
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10 Link Drive Rockleigh, NJ 07647 | 685 Westwood Ave. River Vale, NJ 07675