T H E

T H E S u m m e r 2 0 0 7

A S S O C I A T I O N O F J E W I S H A G I N G S E R V I C E S O F N O R T H A M E R I C A

FROM THE CEO

Advocates Wanted Harvey Tillipman, President/CEO

Care for the aged has undergone major changes in the past 40 years. The 1960s saw the

creation of Medicare and Medicaid coverage for nursing home care and the subsequent dramatic increase in demand for services. In the years that followed, many communities launched major building efforts to meet the increasing need for services as both the demand and number of elderly in the United States increased. By the 1980s, construction of new facilities and the development of new programs and services to meet the need of the aging in communities had increased substantially.

Over the next 10 to 15 years the “baby boomers” (born between 1946 and 1964) will begin to populate these age groups. Over 75 million persons make up the “baby boom” group of aging adults. Where will the money come from to care for our aged and pay for the service they need so they can continue to age with dignity? Medicare

(See CEO, p. 4)

L'Shanah Tovah! AJAS would like to wish

Senior Health Care Advocacy and Jewish Senior Care Facilities – “The Time for Action is Now” Richard Schwalberg, Administrator, Menorah Park Center for Senior Living, Beachwood, Ohio

In light of increased government budgetary and Medicare/Medicaid funding issues, the “time for action is

now.” Menorah Park Center for Senior Living has been advocating on behalf of senior adults to stop both federal Medicare and state Medicaid funding cuts. Advocacy efforts have centered on educating and informing legislators regarding the negative impact of government funding cuts on seniors we serve.

Menorah Park advocates at both the state and the federal levels. This May, a special advocacy mission to Washington, D.C., was arranged by United Jewish Communities, Menorah Park board members and Menorah Park executive staff. The delegation met in individual sessions with Ohio senators and congressional representatives. They were joined by the Cleveland Jewish Federation advocacy representative, AJAS, AAHSA and UJC staff. These meetings focused on Medicare skilled nursing and Medicare home health care funding freezes and Medicare Outpatient Therapy CAPS.

At the state level, Menorah Park has

organized multiple trips to the Ohio state capital, Columbus. Menorah Park board members and executive staff joined with other area facilities, Cleveland Jewish Federation, AOPHA (Ohio’s non-profit homes association) to meet with Ohio lawmakers to eliminate a 2 percent nursing home Medicaid cut and increase Medicaid home health rates.

The main lesson we learned is that we as an organization have the ability to positively effect change. The majority of our advocacy efforts have been successful – why is this?

We have found that the politicians and their legislative aides look at us as the “best of the best” – non-profit providers who touch the lives of seniors. In many instances politicians are not educated regarding senior care by direct care providers. There is strength in numbers and by partnering with our trade associations – AJAS, UJC, AAHSA – our collective voice is more likely to be heard. These organizations also have expertise and staff dedicated to advocating for their members.

(See ADVOCACY, p. 11)

you and your loved ones a happy In This Issue…and healthy

Where do the Elderly Bride Renews Celebrating Creative ArtsNew Year. 2 3 6 9Turn for Help? Vows at 103 100 Years Therapies

Where do the Elderly Turn for Help? William Rapfogel, Ilene Marcus, & Esther Larson, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, New York, N.Y.

“There is no tragedy in growing old, but there is tragedy in growing old without means

of support.” President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that in 1934. Sadly, despite the diligent work of government and social service agencies, nearly 70 years later too many of our seniors are still facing that tragedy. Even one senior in need is too many, but today, tens of thousands of seniors are living in poverty right here in New York City.

The Federal Poverty Guideline and its Limitations

Thousands of New York City’s seniors exist in economic limbo – with too much income to qualify for anti-poverty programs yet not enough income to survive. That is why Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) believes that the federal poverty guidelines must be reassessed, or at the very least broadened, to include

SAVE THEDATE!2008 AJAS

Annual ConferenceCapitolizing on Jewish Values:

A Mission to Action

March 23-26, 2008Omni Shoreham Hotel

Washington, D.C.

people with incomes up to 200 percent of the current poverty level.

“The official federal poverty guidelines do not accurately define what it means to be poor – and have not for the past 35 years,” says a Nova Institute study sponsored by Met Council. According to the 2007 federal guidelines, a single person should be able to cover all of his or her needs including food, housing, clothing and health care on $10,210 a year, or $850 a month. This standard is woefully inadequate – especially in New York City.

Because the poverty threshold long ago ceased to reflect the actual cost of living, millions of this nation’s citizens in need find themselves ineligible for assistance. Most government agencies in New York recognize that the federal poverty guideline is not fair and does not accurately count people who are in poverty. Many government agencies now use some multiple of the federal guideline; for example, the federally-financed Food Stamp Program includes, as eligible, families with incomes of up to 130 percent of the basic poverty guideline. In New York City, all local agencies address this issue by using the federal guideline as a baseline and serving individuals up to 200 percent of the federal guideline. Two examples of this include the Home Energy Assis-tance Program (HEAP) which extends eligibility to families with incomes of up to 200 percent of the Basic Poverty Guideline; and Section 8 Housing Assistance Program (HUD) which allows a family of three 188 percent of the Basic Guideline to be eligible in the New York area. But this is not universally the case and differs from state to state.

Even with these poverty guideline calculations, individuals still fall through the cracks. For example, in New York City, a vast majority of seniors are “widowed into poverty.” Married seniors come with a built-in “roommate” (with his or her own Social Security check or other benefits), but once a spouse dies,

the surviving partner will often try to continue living in the family home – alone – and the percentage of income devoted to paying the rent doubles as the second income is lost. Usually, one income is not enough to pay the rent, food, pharmacy and other costs of living associated with living in New York City.

Where do the Elderly Turn?

Communal social service agencies meet the needs the government cannot fill. The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council), an agency that serves the needs of low-income New Yorkers including over 62,000 seniors, serves people with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

How does Met Council serve these needs? Since its founding in 1972, Met Council has evolved into a multi-faceted social services agency, meeting the needs of the elderly and people in need through a broad range of services and programs. Our efforts are focused on helping those who can become independent do so while providing support for those who cannot be independent. Specifically, we provide a crisis intervention program that works with more than 100,000 people a year, helping them to avoid eviction, obtain medical assistance and receive emergency donations of food, shelter, furniture and clothing; home safety and repair services; low-income housing for special needs populations such as seniors, the homeless and the mentally ill; a kosher food pantry, home care, as well as job-training and placement services. Met Council also leads the social services sector in enrolling low-income children and families in New York State-sponsored insurance programs Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus.

Through a network of 25 local Community Councils in all five boroughs of New York City, Met Council

(See ELDERLY, p. 11)

P A G E 2 T H E S C R I B E

Bride, Age 103, Rejoices in Renewal of Marriage VowsChaplain Sheila Segal, MA, BCC, Director of Chaplaincy Services, Madlyn & Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life, North Wales, Pa.

Just about everyone loves a wedding, but the wedding that took place at the Abramson Center’s synagogue

on Erev Shavuot was uniquely joyful. “As old as I am, I never saw anything like it,” exuded Lena B., 88, who often does not feel well enough to attend services. “I’m just so happy I didn’t miss it.”

Throughout the synagogue residents shared their surprise and delight over the wedding that had just taken place: a symbolic re-enactment of the “marriage” between God and Israel at Mt. Sinai, the event commemorated on the Festival of Shavuot. It was the Center’s first experience of this beautiful Sephardic ritual for Shavuot, a major holiday that, in the Ashkenazic tradition, is bereft of such concrete rituals to help access its meaning.

While Sukkot and Pesach, the other two pilgrimage festivals, offer vivid rituals that stimulate the senses and memories of long-term care residents, each year we look for concrete ways to help them connect with Shavuot. One year, for example, we used packets of sachet to bring to life the Midrash that when the Torah was given at Sinai, all the flowers came into bloom and the world was filled with their sweet fragrance. of Syrian Jews. It was the first and only addition of Hallel and Yizkor, so it would

In recent years we have generated time I had experienced such a ceremony have to be on Erev Shavuot, when the more excitement around Shavuot by and I couldn’t recall many of the details liturgy itself is very brief, and that involving the residents in what we call – only that it took place in front of the service was only seven hours away. Of the “Greening of the Synagogue.” Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark) just before the course we don’t have a chuppah at the Together we lavishly decorate the reading of the Torah with members of Center, but a rainbow quilt made by a synagogue with plants from our the congregation holding the four poles group of our residents, and hanging on greenhouse as well as fresh flower of the chuppah (wedding canopy) while the wall in our executive offices, turned arrangements created by residents. a lengthy ketubah (marriage contract) out to be just the right size, and four tall We tuck and string bright silk flowers was chanted in Hebrew. individuals (a resident, a volunteer, a wherever possible – from door handles Could this Sephardic ritual work in social worker, and a music therapist) to Torah scrolls. our Ashkenazic congregation? I have agreed to hold the corners of the

This year, driving to the Center on known our residents to be open to new “chuppah” during the ceremony. the morning of Erev Shavuot, I was still experiences that enhance their spiritual Most important, an anthology in thinking of how to make the holiday lives, but there were a lot of details to my office contained a version of the more special for our community of work out in just a short time. The ketubbah for the marriage between Israel elders, when I recalled the time I had “wedding” could not be held during the (“the bride”) and God (“the groom”)1. witnessed the wedding ritual as part of morning service, which was already The groom would of course be the Shavuot service in a congregation pushing our time limits with the (See BRIDE, p. 8)

The bride and groom during the ceremony.

T H E S C R I B E P A G E 3

AJAS/UJA-Federation of New York Spring Symposium

Jewish Aging Services: Not the Same as They Used to be

“I found the articles to be excellent – short, informational, not on the ‘rocket science’ level

(which is a positive). I look forward to future issues.”

“Wonderful, intellectual, applicable”

“The opportunities are endless... The Journal certainly should be

useful as a reference guide.”

“Super effort for your first edition. Congratulations to the editorial board and all the staff

members!”

“Really enjoyed it and felt that it addresses many of the issues...

Very important to read about these issues and commentaries.”

“Easy to read”

~ The next issue of the Journal

on Jewish Aging will be released in October 2007

Subscriptions begin at $72/year

To subscribe, please e-mail Rachel Maisler at rachel@ajas.org

Acclaim for the Journal on

Jewish Aging

On May 14, AJAS, in partnership with the UJA-Federation of New York, presented a day-long

symposium on aging with more than 150 professionals in attendance from Jewish agencies throughout the New York area, as well as other parts of the United States. These organizations include JCCs, Jewish Family Services agencies, Jewish federations, AJAS members and more.

Audrey Weiner, CEO of the Jewish Home & Hospital Lifecare System in New York, moderates a panel discussion during the Symposium.

Audrey Weiner, CEO of the Jewish Home & Hospital Lifecare System, was a key motivator for this event. In total, the Symposium took nine months to plan and featured 15 different speakers and panelists.

Throughout the day, the Symposium examined the effects of aging on a population of older adults who are: Not so Near to their families and adult children, shifting the burden

of caregiving onto institutions; Not so Frail and therefore desire to stay active and remain in familiar surroundings for as long as time allows; Not so Poor thus giving them the ability pay for care out-of-pocket and the freedom to seek care from Jewish and non-Jewish aging facilities; and Not so Jewish, so they can make choices regarding their care – not necessarily based on religious affiliation.

(CEO, from p. 1)

was designed as the nation’s health insurance for services. Medicare eligibility however, is limited to 100 days of nursing home care, after three days of qualified hospital stay and demonstrated need for skilled nursing care by one’s doctor. When medical and personal resources are exhausted and there is no private insurance (such as a long-term care insurance policy), generally Medicaid will only pay for a portion of the fees once the person is certified by a physician as “medically in need and indigent.”

Medicare and Medicaid coverage for elderly in need of care is a hot issue on Capitol Hill. The debate in Washington facilitated by constituents needing care and advocates championing their needs, rages on. As the need for long-term care

increases, this country will have to come to grips with the fact that we need long term solutions.

Over the coming months AJAS staff and members of the AJAS Public Policy Leadership Group, under the co-leadership of David Fuks and Dan Reingold, will be working closely with United Jewish Communities and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging to engage in the dialog needed and necessary to identify the problems and lay out potential solutions. But we need your help. When you receive a call to action please respond. We can no longer wait for “someone else to take care of it.” Your letter, your call, your involvement is needed and important, and we look forward to working with you.

P A G E 4 T H E S C R I B E

T H E S C R I B E P A G E 5

AJAS Webinar Recap

Beyond the Gala: Creative Fundraising Ideas

On August 2, AJAS members from across North America were online and on the phone

for the AJAS Webinar entitled “Beyond the Gala: Creative Fundraising Ideas.” The presenters were Hannah Moss of Jewish Home and Aging Services Auxiliary in West Bloomfield, Mich.; Mark Denton and JC Rafferty of the Jewish Home of San Francisco; Karen Flam and Lisa Blobstein of Maimonides Geriatric Centre in Montreal; Marc DePerno of Sitrin Health Care Center in New Hartford, N.Y.; and Connie Sandler of Sholom Community Alliance in St. Paul, Minn.

The Jewish Home and Aging Services Auxiliary program, “From

Bubbie with Love,” was originally designed as a membership event and then expanded to include a fundraising element. The JHAS Auxiliary used cooking demonstrations and new interest in cooking shows to attract new members. Guests received gifts like cookbooks to take home and remind them about the Auxiliary. In particular, a wonderful wine tasting event attracted many new faces – both male and female. Instead of a cooking demonstrator, a local sommelier was invited to talk about kosher Israeli wines. The Auxiliary hopes to continue these events with a new food idea each time.

“Someone’s in the Kitchen,” a dinner and cocktail reception on the campus of the Jewish Home of San Francisco, attracted more than 650 people in 2006. The event features 44 chefs from some of the region’s chicest restaurants who prepare a three-course dinner for a table of 16 guests. The chefs, as the “stars” of the evening, cooked in the center of a U-shaped table, while patrons socialized and enjoyed the intimacy of having a “restaurant” all to themselves. The evening brought the leaders of the Bay Area Jewish community to the Home in a celebration that grossed $850,000.

The “Maimonides Battle of the Bands” is a fundraiser for the Maimonides Geriatric Centre Foundation. During a two-night event, eight baby-boomer bands – made up of doctors, lawyers and other professionals – belt it out to raise funds to improve the quality of life of over 500 elderly clients. The event is a huge success and has sold out each year! It is a great way to reach a younger demographic and makes giving to long-term care organizations more appealing.

The “Sitrin Celebrity Classic” is a unique community awareness and fundraising event that highlights the abilities of all people and raises dollars for the purchase of specialized sporting equipment. The interaction of professional athletes, political figures

and people with disabilities in a wheelchair basketball event results in a highly successful entertaining and educational venue.

Sholom Community Alliance’s “Oy Vey 5K Run/Walk” appeals to all ages on several levels. It’s exercise. It’s early on a Sunday morning and over in under two hours. It’s affordable And it’s fun! Most importantly, it has attracted people that have no knowledge of the organization.

Call for WebinarsAJAS would like to invite its members to apply to host a Webinar this fall or winter on any topic pertinent or useful to the field of Jewish aging services.

Past topics include: • Creative Fundraising Ideas • Quality Improvement • Culture Change • Trans-generational Issues

Please contact Etel Menda at etel@ajas.org if you are interested in presenting an AJAS Webinar.

MMaarrkk YYoouurr

CCaalleennddaarr!!

Western Regional Forum

Governance of Non-profit Organizations:

Issues, Problems and Solutions

October 15, 2007

Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging Reseda, CA

Hosted by Molly Forrest, CEO

Eastern Regional Forum

November 8, 2007

Orchard Cove, Hebrew SeniorLife

Canton, MA

Hosted by Len Fishman, CEO

For more information about these events, please visit:

http://www.ajas.org/events/ RegionalForums.aspx

P A G E 6 T H E S C R I B E

When the Association of Jewish Aging Services was crerated almost 50 years ago, it was

extremely rare for anybody to reach the age of 100 – even 85. Now, in 2007, AJAS member organizations find themselves catering to the needs of more and more centenarians. Here are some of these special residents’ stories…

Morris E. Biederman, 100 The Hebrew Home at Riverdale, Riverdale, N.Y.

Morris E. Biederman was honored by the staff of the Hebrew Home at

Riverdale on the occasion of his 100th birthday on Wednesday, March 28, 2007. Morris has been a board member of the Hebrew Home for 60 years and it was his foresight that helped purchase the Hebrew Home’s current property in the 1940s, and relocate it from Harlem to its current site in Riverdale.

Recalling the move to Riverdale on a rainy day in 1951, Morris says “We brought 39 residents to what [was] then one building, now the Stolz Pavilion and seven cottages. No one could have imagined the incredible changes that have made the Home what it is today.”

founded in 1946. Morris graduated New York University in 1928. He was married for more than 65 years to the late Esther Biederman.

– Malka Margolies, Communications Director

Maurice Eisman, 100 Charles E. Smith Life Communities, Rockville, Md.

Reaching the age of 100 is an

accomplishment for which Maurice Eisman, a retired pharmacist, is justly proud. He is equally proud of professional successes achieved

throughout a lifetime characterized by hard work and a single-minded determination to excel. “Whatever obstacle I hit, I didn’t duck. If I made up my mind to do something, I did it,” Maurice said.

By the time he retired, Maurice was at the top of his field, having just completed ten years as chief pharmacist of AARP. From pharmacy headquarters in Wash-ington, DC, he supervised a total of 30 pharmacies and consulted with physicians nationwide who sought advice on issues of prescription incompatibilities, particularly for patients suffering from a wide array of serious medical conditions.

Maurice is a life-long Washingtonian. As a talented student, he gained admission to the University of Maryland Pharmacy School. A greater challenge was persuading a local bank to provide him with the financial assistance he needed to carry him through four years. After receiving his degree, he took the Pharmacy Board exam, and earned the distinction of being one of 16 students who passed. Moreover, he received the second highest mark. He later earned a doctorate in pharmacology. When not working, Maurice tried his hand at writing stories and managed to sell some pieces to various publications. He also found time to become an accomplished artist, with a special focus on oil painting. Some of the stunning landscapes he

composed during travels around the United States today bring touches of quiet beauty to the walls of his room in the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington.

– Emily L. Tipermas, Public Relations Assistant

Sarah Gordon Katz, 100 Hebrew Health Care, West Hartford, Conn.

Sarah Gordon Katz, a resident of the Gene and Anja Rosenberg Hebrew

Home and Rehabilitation Center in West Hartford, Conn. has accomplished many things in her 100 years of living. Born in Manhattan, Sarah was part of a large family of eight children. They relocated to Connecticut to be closer to relatives when she was nine years old. Sarah has been a part of the West Harford community since that time. She attended the Morse Business College and married her husband Hyman Katz in 1927. They raised three children together and she helped him operate pharmacies in the Hartford area for thirty-two years. While Sarah reflects proudly on her professional accomplishments – she is particularly pleased with the impact she has made in the community.

Sarah joined the Mandell Jewish Community Center in West Hartford when she retired and became involved in the arts and crafts committee, quickly becoming chairwoman. It was brought to her attention that many residents of area nursing homes and hospitals were in need of practical items to cover the patients’ legs, as most facilities at that time were using towels for this purpose. Sarah began a knitting group to create lap robes for several locations, initiating contacts in each facility to determine need and inventory. The trunk of her car became her storage for the robes and in her 15 years of chairing the knitting group, 1,500 lap robes were delivered to area facilities. Additionally, while volunteering at the Mandell Jewish Community Center, Sarah was instrumental in creating a newsletter for members. She was also involved in the Sisterhood of Emmanuel

100 Years of Life &Learning

Sarah Gordon Katz at her 100th

birthday party.

Morris Biederman blows out the candles on his 100th birthday cake with Daniel Reingold, president and CEO of The Hebrew Home, left.

In addition to his membership on the Board, Morris has also served as the Home’s treasurer. He was a partner at Biederman, Greenwald-Kresch and Gerbasi, a New York City accounting firm

Synagogue, where she has been a member for 64 years.

Sarah continues to be involved in the Hebrew Home community, where she has lived for the past six years. She is active on the Resident Council board, and enjoys reading, playing bridge and visiting with her family. A local synagogue now delivers lap robes to area facilities, and Sarah takes pride in the fact that she started the tradition that is now being continued in the community.

– Christy Kovel, Director of Public Affairs

Raenette Purdy Meyer, 101 Heritage Manor, Youngstown, Ohio

Born July 29, 1906. To celebrate mother’s 100th birthday, we had a series of four

parties, with different branches of our family attending. These were held at her lovely home in North Lima, Ohio, where she had lived since she married my father, Jerold Meyer, in July of l932. Dad passed away in l997, so she lived there with caregivers for 10 more years.

Soon after her 100th birthday, it became apparent that mother needed a facility to care for her rather than stay in her home, as the steep, old, farmhouse steps were too much for her. So, she moved to Heritage Manor at the end of September 2006.

It took some time for her to adjust to not having one-on-one caregivers, which she had become accustomed to. She longed for her home; however, she did not long for the solitary life she had led there. Her friends had all passed away, and she was pretty much alone there. She did, in fact, wish she could still play bridge, go out to lunch, go to the movies… but she realized that she could not do those activities any more.

Through my daily visits the first few months, and the concerted effort by the staff of Heritage Manor, she became adjusted and gradually stopped asking to “go home.” They took her to activities, even though she resisted, mostly because she did not really understand why she had to leave her comfortable chair we had brought from home for her. Often when I visited, one of the staff was sitting in her room with her to keep her company, which helped the transition very much.

Today, almost a year later, I think she is happy at Heritage Manor and realizes how well they take care of her. Her mind is pretty good for her age, although her long-term memory is much better than short-

term. She forgets I visited her or that my sister flew in from Michigan to see her. Mother has accepted her stage in life and is grateful for the good care and attention she is receiving. On nice days, she enjoys having me take her out into the courtyard to see the waterfall and the flowers. In her younger days, she was an avid gardener, and she still remembers the names of the flowers that are planted there!

The bottom line is that moving to Heritage Manor was a good move for mother. It is not easy to readjust at that age to something new, but I am proud of her resilience and her willingness to try to be happy in her new surroundings. She is doing well at the present time.

– Merabeth Lurie, Daughter June 19, 2007

David Sakoff, 100 Charles E. Smith Life Communities, Rockville, Md.

David Sakoff, a resident of the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, recalls how he worked to convince his younger brother to join him in buying out a small general store during

the Depression, when the number one priority for both of them was making a living and steering clear of the soup lines. At the time, David enjoyed the life of a musician – a violinist, to be precise – in a band that regularly entertained hotel guests vacationing in the Catskills. When this occupation no longer paid the bills, he was ready for a change.

The Sakoff Brothers store, located on Long Island in Cedarhurst, N.Y., was, according to David, one of the first stores ever to sell Hallmark greeting cards.

For 30 years, until his retirement in the mid 1970s, David and his family lived in Cedarhurst. When asked about special memories from this period, David says, “Everything was special to me, especially when my daughter got married.” His daughter married a Cornell graduate, who went on to become a distinguished NASA scientist and administrator; she herself worked as a schoolteacher before becoming a supervisor at the Department of Health and Human Services. He moved the DC area about 15 years ago to be near his

daughter and her family. His wife had passed away and he was all alone. David has lived at the Hebrew Home about 13 years.

Born in 1907, David recently celebrated his 100th birthday. His philosophy of life is summed up as follows: “I love people. It doesn’t matter who you are, what color you are, or where you come from.” It’s an approach worth noting!

– Emily L. Tipermas, Public Relations Assistant

Sadie Wahnon, 100 Menorah Manor, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Sadie Wahnon, a resident at Menorah Manor, turned 100 years old on July 22.

Sadie planned her own party, which was held at the Bernard L. Samson Nursing Center. More than 50 people helped her celebrate! Out of town relatives came and of course, many of her friends in the nursing center attended Sadie’s carefully planned party. She even helped to choose the menu!

One of the amazing things about Sadie is that she is a very talented artist – a painter. She attends painting class weekly in the nursing center, and is constantly giving her finished pieces away as gifts to family and friends. She also paints in her room, perfecting the work she has done in class each week. Sadie’s work has been featured in art shows held at Menorah Manor, on Menorah Manor greeting cards and featured on the cover of a “welcome” brochure for residents.

Sadie Wahnon with her sons Robert, left, and Benjamin

When she is not painting, Sadie serves on Menorah Manor’s Gemilut Hasadim committee, welcoming new residents to the nursing center. When Sadie was 91, she decided to become a bat mitzvah with several other residents at Menorah Manor. Sadie was born in Bulgaria and has lived in Pinellas County for 35 years.

– Judy Ludin, Executive for Public Relations & Communications

T H E S C R I B E P A G E 7

AJAS Welcomes New Program Director

The Associa-tion of Jewish

Aging Services is pleased to welcome Etel Menda as the new program director! Before joining AJAS this

summer, Etel worked in different Jewish and non-Jewish organizations planning events and seminars. Most recently, Etel worked for the American Jewish Committee where she was part of a team organizing week-long seminars in Israel for high profile journalists. Etel held a second job during this time organizing monthly seminars for the George Washington University Political Psychology Seminar Series Program. Prior to moving to Washing-ton, D.C., Etel worked at Haddasah-Brandeis Institute in Waltham, Mass. where she planned staff and board meetings and managed the office. In her position at AJAS, Etel is responsible for planning the Annual Conference, Regional Forums, Webinars and Symposia. Being an enthusiastic event planner, Etel is very happy that she is joining the AJAS team in this position.

Etel has a master’s degree in security policy studies from George Washington University where she concentrated on political psychology. Her bachelor’s degree is from Brandeis University in economics and international and global studies. Etel also studied psychology for a semester as a special student in the prestigious Bosporus University of Istanbul, Turkey. Etel grew up in Turkey and studied abroad in Spain, Germany and Costa Rica and traveled to many more countries. After being on-the-go for years, Etel finally felt at home in Greater Washington and enjoys every day that she spends here. Etel currently lives in Arlington, Va.

(BRIDE, from p. 3)

represented by the Torah; the bride, I thought, could be represented by the oldest resident in our congregation, Rose R., who was “ever fresh and fragrant”2 at the age of 103. And of course there already were plenty of flowers, which stirred the excitement of the residents as they entered the synagogue for our 4 p.m. service. Earlier that afternoon a group of residents, working with our horticulture therapist, had decorated the sanctuary more beautifully and creatively than ever before.

The excitement grew as I led the residents in several rounds of a traditional wedding niggun (song) and announced that we were going to have a wedding as part of our service. The wedding, I explained, would be a symbolic renewal of the contract made between God and Israel.

“So who is the bride?” I asked, and a chorus of happy voices replied, “We are!” The announcement that they would be represented by Rose R. met with more expressions of pleasure.

I waited until after the Amidah to open the Ark and begin our wedding celebration. Drawing on the liturgy for Erev Simchat Torah, I chanted some of the verses of Atah Ha-reta followed by the Shema. Then the congregation returned to singing the wedding niggun as the bride and the groom were brought under the chuppah. During the ceremony Rose needed to sit, so it seemed natural to have her hold the Torah scroll in her lap.

There was awed silence as I read the remarkable marriage contract between the Bridegroom, “Ruler of rulers, Prince of princes, distinguished among the select, Whose word is pleasing and all of Whom is delightful,” and the bride, a “pious, lovely, and virtuous maiden who won His favor above all women.” According to the contract the Bridegroom [God] stated: “Be thou my mate according to the law of Moses and Israel, and I will honor, support, and maintain you and be your shelter and refuge in everlasting mercy…”

“This bride [Israel] consented,” the text continues, “and became His spouse. Thus an eternal covenant,

binding them forever, was established between them.”

After reading the additional conditions and gifts that God and Israel bring to this marriage, I came to the conclusion of the ketubah: “May the Bridegroom rejoice with the bride who He has taken as His lot and may the bride rejoice with the Husband of her youth while uttering words of praise.”

The hush was broken by shouts of mazal tov, followed by several rounds of traditional wedding songs, Siman Tov U Mazal Tov and Od Yeshama.

After the service, and for the next few days, the residents were still talking about the wedding. Again they had shown their remarkable openness to new religious experiences. It was clear that the wedding had been meaningful to the whole spectrum of our community, from the more traditional to the less observant, from the more alert and oriented to those who are more cognitively impaired. Everyone does love a wedding, and the sights and sounds of a wedding evoke some of the most joyful and meaningful experiences of our lives.

It is unfortunate that the opportunities for nursing home residents to attend a wedding are few if any. But a wedding with a 103 year-old bride is an extraordinary experience that our residents felt privileged to share.

Notes

1. The Shavuot Anthology, edited by Philip Goodman, Philadelphia: JPS, l992

2. From the conclusion of Psalm 92: “[The righteous] will be fruitful even in old age, ever fresh and fragrant…”

Chaplain Sheila Segal is vice president of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. NAJC provides member services and certification to professional Jewish chaplains, many of whom work in aging services. For more information about NAJC, please contact Cecille Asekoff, National Coordinator, at sekoff@ujcnj.org.

P A G E 8 T H E S C R I B E

Expression Through Creative Arts Therapies Changing Lives at Lieberman Center Jeremy Barewin, Senior Associate, Public Relations & Marketing, Council for Jewish Elderly, Chicago, Ill.

For older adults, moving from the comforts of home or assisted living into a nursing home setting can be

faced with much fear and isolation. Many view admittance to a nursing facility as the last stop on life’s roller coaster. But residents at Council for Jewish Elderly’s Lieberman Geriatric Health Centre in Skokie, Ill., are finding that a skilled nursing home can be a place to live, flourish and express inner emotions, all through participation in creative arts therapies.

Lieberman Centre, one of the only facilities in the state of Illinois with a comprehensive creative arts therapies program, employs two full-time art therapists and a full-time music therapist, all master’s educated, who work with residents one-on-one and in group settings to address the variety of emotional and life issues brought upon by the aging process.

“Individuals want to preserve a sense of pride and dignity consistent with Wellness groups focus on maintaining Project,” a unique resident-directed their earlier years, but they are often current levels of functioning through community art endeavor that served as faced with emotional reactions to loss self-expression, self-exploration and the centerpiece of Lieberman’s 25th and limitations,” says Deb DelSignore, socialization. Community building is Anniversary celebration. Lieberman’s director of the Alzheimer’s used as a form of cultural transformation “She didn’t really think she could do Special Care Unit and manager of where residents gather together, build any type of art,” says Ostrander. “This is Creative Art Therapies. “Through connections and voice opinions and a typical response. Residents often say therapy sessions, participants learn how concerns. that can’t even draw a stick figure, how to cope with change more effectively, Currently, more than 60 residents am I going to create a painting.” and find new meaning and purpose in participate in weekly music therapy However, the ability to paint or draw their present life.” group sessions, nearly 50 participate in has no bearing on the therapeutic value

Creative arts therapists use the art therapy groups, and 15 to 20 of creative arts, Ostrander explains. media from various arts modalities, residents regularly have one-on-one “We often say it is the content not including the visual arts (drawing, sessions with the therapists. the quality of the image that matters,” painting, sculpture, printmaking, Ida, a Lieberman resident for the past she adds. “The creative process is where collage, fiber arts and photography), year, faced much resentment and healing and growth takes place, not music (drumming, song writing, chime isolation upon her move in. She had necessarily in the beauty of the finished choir and performances), drama, dance, little interest in meeting new people or art piece.” poetry and creative writing in therapy becoming involved with programs, Although she came in during the sessions. especially art, which she never had a middle of the 27-month project, Ida was

The Lieberman program provides propensity. instrumental in seeing the “Thumbprint three modes of service: clinical, Now she is using the arts as support Project,” a stunning wall-size five-foot wellness and community building. through a challenging life transition. by eight-foot portrait of the Lieberman Clinical services are provided to With encouragement from Creative building, created entirely with thumb-individuals with special psychological, Arts Therapist Colleen Ostrander, she prints, through to fruition. The framed cognitive and/or physical needs. became involved with the “Thumbprint (See ART THERAPY, p. 10)

Four Lieberman residents, who were instrumental in construction of the Thumbprint Project, pose in front of the portrait that now adorns the wall of the resident’s social hall.

T H E S C R I B E P A G E 9

Leader of the Band: Music Brings Life to a Band of Spirited ResidentsJocelyn Chu and Dan Hoover, for Heritage Pointe, Newport Beach, Calif.

It was during the “Roaring 20s” that Jean Aird first developed her love for music. As a young girl, she took

piano lessons and had dreams of music being an important part of her future. Jean’s dreams came true, but certainly not as she had envisioned. Today, nearly 80 years later, music continues to enrich Jean and others in the unique musical band that she leads.

Every Monday afternoon at 2 p.m., Jean’s band of musicians gather to rehearse for their next holiday “gig.” They work on their own original vocal and instrumental arrangements of traditional and Americana music. The average age of the band members is about 85 years old. They call themselves the “Klatter Band.” Their tools of trade include kazoos, maracas, drums and a variety of other, mostly percussion, instruments. All Klatter Band members live at Heritage Pointe, an AJAS member organization in Mission Viejo, Calif.

“It’s all about living life to the fullest,” says Jean, 88, who has lived at Heritage Pointe for three years. “We have older residents here who enjoy doing things to keep themselves busy and productive. That’s why I helped to organize and conduct the Band.”

The Klatter Band is not the first retirement age musical group for Jean. Her senior musical career started over 30 years ago in Chicago where she belonged to a band that entertained and made money for the retirement home she lived in. From Chicago, Jean moved to Camarillo, Calif.’s Leisure Village for 27 years where she played in the Rythmettes Band. The Rythmettes use of kitchen utensils as their percussion instruments became the inspiration for Jean’s formation of the Klatter Band.

Jean Aird is herself an inspiration for living life to its fullest. At night, she volunteers to fill in as the activities director when Heritage Pointe staffer Myra Rubin goes home. She gather the

Jean Aird, far left, with some members of the Klatter Band.

other residents to actively participate in activities and events like music,

exercise, art and craft classes, religious studies, reading and discussion groups and games. Jean, whose zest for life is as contagious as her smile, declares “I am very active here and I love being active.” She feels that Heritage Pointe allows her the freedom to help others and gives her the opportunity to “live in a lovely apartment, enjoy kosher food and participate in activities with the other residents and helpful staff.”

Despite her busy schedule at Heritage Pointe, Jean crochets baby blankets and afghans for friends and her cherished family that includes three children, nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

(ART THERAPY, from p. 9)

mural, which was unveiled at a grand ceremony last year, now hangs proudly on the wall of the Lieberman social hall as a symbol of teamwork and community for residents, staff, family and friends to enjoy.

Through her participation, Ida has been able to assimilate into her new surroundings.

“My participation has helped me adjust and be happier,” she says. “I’ve met some very nice people and made new friends. It has been very meaningful for me to be a part of this project.”

In addition, residents who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia are reaping the benefits provided by creative arts therapies.

“Those with dementia often have difficulty expressing themselves verbally,” says DelSignore. “Because creative arts therapy offers a place for non-verbal communication, it can serve as an effective way for residents to truly explain how they feel.”

DelSignore cites a case where she was brought in to help a dementia patient who isolated herself to her room. After a few sessions it became

clear, through the client’s images and her reflection, that she was scared of the behaviors of fellow residents on the Alzheimer’s floor. The client would draw pictures of “monsters” and an image of herself holding a brick as protection against them.

“It is through this alternative communication that we, as caregivers, are able to understand situations like these more clearly and act accordingly,” DelSignore says.

National statistics suggest that up to 75 percent of older adults living in skilled nursing facilities and up to 50 percent of all people over the age of 85 have some form of dementia.

“One needn’t have control of rational language to write a poem, create a dance, or take a photograph,” writes Anne Davis Basting, in her 2006 article “Arts in Dementia Care: This is not the end… it’s the end of this chapter,” published in Generations, the American Society on Aging’s quarterly journal. “Where rational language and factual memory have failed people with dementia, the arts offer an avenue for communications with caregivers, loved ones and the greater world.”

P A G E 1 0 T H E S C R I B E

(ELDERLY, from p. 2)

provides safety-net services in neighborhoods with significant aging Jewish populations, operating on the social services equivalent of the “broken windows” theory of crime-prevention. Just as law enforcement agencies found that the number of serious crimes dropped when people were punished for infractions as seemingly minor as breaking a window or jumping a subway turnstile, we believe that crises among the elderly can be prevented by providing services as seemingly minor as literally fixing a broken window or a torn linoleum floor. A broken window could attract a burglar and a worn-out floor might cause an elderly person to

Every year, Met Council’s crisis intervention teams help tens of thousands of people to avoid eviction, obtain medical assistance and emergency donations of food, shelter, clothing and furniture, as needed. We also have programs to prevent domestic violence and abuse. Our Food Program distributes over 4.5 million pounds of kosher food annually to hungry and destitute New Yorkers – whatever their religion – through neighborhood food pantries, monthly food packages and vouchers redeemable in local supermarkets. Every day, we provide home health and personal care services to over 4,000 poor, elderly people. Our job-training and placement programs assist over 7,000 unemployed or under employed in finding employment opportunities and job placements. Met Council also owns, operates, and is in the process of developing over 2,000 units of housing

for special needs populations around New York City – including the elderly, the homeless and the mentally ill – and provides a wide range of health, welfare and socialization services to support our residents.

Since our founding, Met Council has never shied away from a challenge. We’ve remained committed to our mission of being the voice for the Jewish poor and working poor. In the coming years, we will continue serving the elderly by increasing our advocacy for them in government, creating innovative programs to better serve them, and by partnering with fellow agencies to work together to provide for the elderly in our communities. The ‘Bubby Boom’ is less than 10 years away. We need communal support to fund and build programs that do not currently exist so we can provide for our bubbies the way they deserve to be provided for.

While social workers are in the home, chatting with

the client, they can do a preliminary needs-

assessment: Can he read andwrite, fill out the forms heneeds for social services?

Is she homebound? Are unpaid bills piling up? Is there adequate health

care – and insurance to pay for it? Is there food in the

refrigerator?

trip and break a hip – so Met Council’s Project Metropair program responds quickly to make repairs or to install security devices like window guards or bathtub safety rails.

These programs also serve as a gateway to our broader services for many elderly people. While social workers are in the home, chatting with the client, they can do a preliminary needs-assessment: Can he read and write, fill out the forms he needs for social services? Is she homebound? Are unpaid bills piling up? Is there adequate health care – and insurance to pay for it? Is there food in the refrigerator?

(ADVOCACY, from p. 1)

Menorah Park applauds AJAS for having the foresight to hold its Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., March 23-26, 2008. The theme of the Conference is Capitolizing on Jewish

Values: A Mission to Action and will focus on advocacy. We encourage all AJAS member facilities to heed our motto, The Time for Action is Now, and to plan on attending this year’s AJAS Annual Conference.

In Washington, D.C., representatives from Menorah Park present Michelle Spence, legislative assistant to Sen. John Ensign, with a plaque recognizing her work with Medicare Therapy CAPS and helping seniors. From left, Steve Raichilson, Enid Rosenberg, Michelle Spence and Richard Schwalberg.

T H E S C R I B E P A G E 1 1

A J A S S P O N S O R S

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Contributor

Health Information ResourcesHealth Information Resources

2008 AJAS ANNUAL CONFERENCE March 23–26 • Washington, DC

For more information visit www.ajas.org

The Scribe is the quarterly publication of the Association of Jewish Aging Services of North America (AJAS). All content in this newsletter is the property on the Association of Jewish Aging Services and may not be reproduced unless written permission is obtained from AJAS..

Association of Jewish Aging Services 316 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE

Suite 402 Washington, DC 20003

202-543-7500 fax 202-543-4090

www.ajas.org

CHAIR Molly Forrest

molly.forrest@jha.org

CHAIR-ELECT Barbra Gold

barbra.gold@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

SECRETARY Warren Slavin

slavin@hebrew-home.org

TREASURER Michael Brodie

mbrodie@mjhha.org

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Eli Feldman

efeldman@mjhs.org

PRESIDENT/CEO Harvey Tillipman harvey@ajas.org

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS/MARKETING

Rachel Maisler rachel@ajas.org

PROGRAM DIRECTOR Etel Menda

etel@ajas.org

A S S O C I A T I O N O F J E W I S H A G I N G S E R V I C E S O F N O R T H A M E R I C A

T H E

Association of Jewish Aging Services 316 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Suite 402 Washington, DC 20003 USA

NonprofitU.S. Postage

PAIDRockville, MDPermit #5832