JASA

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E

Jewish Association for Services for the Aged

Fall 2008Volume 3, Issue 1

W H AT ’ S I N S I D E

Research Institute Established/page 2

Construction at JASA’s Housing Facilities/page 3

JASA’s Help Center/page 4

New Case Management Initiative/page 5

Passover Seders at JASA/page 6

LINKJASA Helps Make Friends for Life

he old Jewish proverb, “Who finds a faithfulfriend, finds a treasure,” reminds us thatwhether we are struggling or celebrating,experiences shared with a friend or loved one

makes them that much more meaningful. Early in its history, JASA recognized that many seniorsfound it increasingly difficult to share experiences with others and looked for ways to make a difference.

There were compelling reasons for including social activities in the agency’s menu of programming.In addition to contributing to seniors’ quality of life, it was clear that spending time with others not onlygave seniors the opportunity to contribute to theircommunities, but it also promoted physical and mental health. Regular socialization can decrease the risk of depression and stroke and, as a growingbody of research now shows, can even delay theonset of memory loss.

In order to create opportunities for seniors to stay connected in a welcoming and stimulating gathering place, JASA began opening what are now26 Senior Centers across the city and Long Island and introduced a range of other programming thatalleviates isolation. Today, with funding from the NYCDepartment for the Aging, Nassau County Departmentof Senior Citizen Affairs, and the Suffolk County Office for the Aging, JASA’s Senior Centers welcomemore than 18,000 seniors annually. The Centers offer an exciting schedule of activities including fitnessand health activities; kosher meals; classes in art,music, dance, and writing; discussions on topics inhistory, current events and other matters; local trips;and holiday parties. Many Centers also offer engagingcultural activities which can serve as a jumping offpoint for enriching discussions. Center activities,though, are not limited to keeping seniors connectedto one another. Special attention is paid to offeringopportunities for intergenerational exchanges, throughevents such as the Passover Seders across the City and other occasions where seniors and youngerpeople can enjoy one another’s company. This varietyof Center programming ensures that all seniors canfind ways to meet new people, socialize, and becomea part of a community.

To meet other interests, JASA also offers an arrayof social activities outside of Senior Centers. Sundays

at JASA, the Ellie and Martin Lifton Institute of Judaic Studies,and the Cultural Arts Institute, for example, all provide an occasion for active seniors to gather, learn, and socialize. For more frail seniors, JASA offers programs such as WarmHomes and Social Adult Day Care, both of which include thebenefits of friendly conversation and group activities. A fullschedule of activities can be found at any JASA Senior Center,online at www.jasa.org/services/enrichment/index.html, or bycalling the JASA Help Center at (212) 273-JASA. ��

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jasagala‘08

Participants at JASA’s Gala (more photos on page 3) —top photo: David Warren, Sandy Lindenbaum, Leonard Boxerbottom photo: Aileen Gitelson, Jessica Feder, Sandy Lindenbaum, Linda Rosensweig, Bonnie Rosenberg, Ruth Perelson, Patti Abramson,Martin Lifton, Mark Imowitz, Carol Chinn, Larry Newman

M e s s a g e f r o m t h e

C E O a n d P r e s i d e n t

E A R F R I E N D S :

Although our work at JASA often meansthat we are caught up in the office taking care of administrative issues and

making sure that everything runs smooth-ly, we never forget that our greater purpose is to enrich the lives of New York seniors. For this reason, one of the great rewards of beingpart of the JASA community is the opportunityto visit our programs around the city. We experience first-hand the difference that JASAmakes in the lives of older people and theircommunities, which reminds us exactly why webecame involved with JASA in the first place.

This past spring we visited Passover Seders that JASA sponsors every year around the city.Although each was very different as befittingtheir different communities, they all reflectedthe importance of coming together at a specialtime to celebrate shared values, experiences,and aspirations. Seniors participating in ourprograms came to the Seders, but so too didothers of all religions, races, and ages. From a Hagaddah written by JASA seniors to musicand dancing to visits by prominent communitymembers, elected officials, and members of JASA’s Board, the Seders were truly life-affirming celebrations.

These Seders fit right in with this issue ofJASALink and the feature article on the powerof building and fostering social relationships.Other articles highlight JASA’s Sally and HenryPearce Help Center, expansions to our casemanagement services, and the exciting newResearch Institute, which will bolster JASA’s programs and give seniors across the countryaccess to JASA’s expertise. These programs,whether new, enhanced, or with a record of success, make a real difference in the lives ofseniors.

So thank you, for inspiring us, supportingus, and for being a part of our community. Wehope that we mean as much to you as you do tous. ��

David Warren Aileen GitelsonP R E S I D E N T C E O

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DA Leader in the Field: JASA Establishes the Research Institute

ASA is widely recognized among social work and mental health professionals as an innovative leader in developingstrategies to address emerging senior needs. The agency is regularly consulted by these specialists regarding the

application of JASA’s strategies to their own work and is ofteninvited to present its projects at conferences and meetings.

JASA takes great pride in this leadership role, and has established a new Research Institute to ensure a broad platform to share its expertise. Founded in 2007 and headed by Dr. Victoria Rizzo of theColumbia University School of Social Work, the Institute builds JASA’scapacity to catalogue and evaluate its work, which in turn allows it to be shared with other service providers. At the National Council onAging/American Society on Aging Conference in March, for example,JASA was well represented, with seven presentations on its research.Gerontology professionals from across the country were exposed to exciting new models of service that JASA has developed. This type of national prominence will likely continue and even increase in comingyears, as the Research Institute strengthens JASA’s institutional capacityto improve the lives of seniors as well as participate in research activities with community partners.

One new partnership is already in place. As a result of Institute activities, JASA will join with the Columbia University School of SocialWork to implement the Hartford Partnership Program in Aging Education.Funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation and administered by theSocial Work Leadership Institute at the New York Academy of Medicine,this effort will help create a new generation of senior service experts by providing 12 students with $5,000 stipends, specialized training, and learning opportunities in the field of aging over the project’s first three years.

The Research Institute also benefits JASA internally. By creating tools that staff members can use to determine whether or not programsare having their desired effect, the Institute ensures that JASA is focusedon providing the best possible services. The staff trainings that theInstitute creates help staff members develop and maintain their expertise.These represent just a few of the ways in which JASA integrates cuttingedge research into service delivery, leading to improved service for seniorsand allowing the organization to clearly and objectively demonstrate itssuccess to public and private partners.

The Institute serves, in many ways, as an extension of JASA’s longstanding commitment to innovation and dynamism. Traditionally, professional staff have taken it upon themselves to evaluate programs,identify current trends in the field, and conceive of new models. With the Research Institute as a dedicated resource, JASA can formalize this progress and ensure that the broader gerontology community hasaccess to JASA’s expertise. ��

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Construction at JASA’s Housing Facilities

ecause where we live can provide a profoundsense of pride and reassurance, JASA places a strong emphasis on ensuring that all eight ofits housing complexes for seniors are attractiveand well-maintained. With one renovation

recently completed, one project nearing completion, and another set to begin within the next month, JASA isdedicated to revitalizing the residential facilities it offersfor seniors.

A recently completed project at the Evelyn and Louis Green Residence at Cooper Square gives residentsaccess to a glassed-in solarium as well as an open airrooftop patio. These areas offer stunning views ofGreenwich Village and the Lower East Side.

At the Israel Senior Citizens Housing Facility in FarRockaway, a courtyard beautification project is underway.As a result of the generosity of several friends of JASA,as well as a grant secured by Assemblywoman AudreyPfeffer, seniors can now gather among flowers, trees,benches, a fountain, and a walkway in the open areashared by four major buildings. The final touch will be acentral gazebo, which will be completed by the end ofthe summer.

Exciting changes are underway at the other JASA housing facility in Queens as well. Governor Patersonhas approved a $5.4 million grant for the BrookdaleVillage Houses, to finance improvements and maintainaffordability. Over the next year and a half, BrookdaleVillage Houses residents will see window replacements,new generators and a new oil tank, as well as improvedflooring and cabinetry and new energy efficient appli-ances.

By working tirelessly to main-tain and enhance its housing offerings, JASA offers seniors the opportunity to live in an affordable community without sacrificing quality or comfort. ��

(photo/left): Construction begins on a new courtyard at the Israel Senior Citizens Housing Facility.

(photo right): The beautiful new outdoor recreation area features a walking path and green space.

Photos (clockwise from upper left)

• David Soyer, Ruth Perelson, Carol Chinn

• Nan Morrison, Linda Rosenswieg,

Carol Goldstein

• Marilyn Friedman

• Commissioner Edward Mendez-Santiago,

Martin Lifton

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Many Questions, One Call

ven before 311, the comprehensive public services access number introduced by Mayor Bloomberg, JASA recognized the value of a single point of access to provide answers to

seniors’ questions. Since 1996, JASA has offered the Sally and Henry Pearce Help Center, a hotline which helps seniors

identify the appropriate resources to manage their changing medicalneeds, financial concerns, and mobility issues. While a wide variety of resources are available to assist seniors with these transitions, determining the appropriate program and navigating the eligibilityprocess can create additional anxiety in an already challenging situation. A single call to the Help Center can clarify the intricateissues facing seniors and their families and assist them in accessing the resources they need.

In an initial call to the Help Center, a senior or family member is greeted by one of the Center’s four personable and knowledgeablesocial workers. Experts on available geriatric resources, the social workers ask questions in a friendly, easy to understand way, listen carefully to the answers, assess the situation, and recommend a practical, easy to follow course of action. Recommendations rangefrom participation in benefits programs such as food stamps, Medicaid,or the Home Energy Assistance Programs, to referral for enrollment in services such as Meals on Wheels, adult day care, or case manage-ment. With their extensive knowledge of services for seniors, HelpCenter social workers do not hesitate to offer a service delivered by anorganization other than JASA if it is more geographically convenient or more fully addresses the senior’s concerns.

The services of the Help Center are not limited to assessments andrecommendations, though. In instances where the need is particularlydire or complex, social workers will follow up to ensure that the service has been obtained and is having its desired effect. Finally, befitting JASA’s role as a leader in the senior services field, the HelpCenter often fields calls from other service providers who seek advicein addressing particularly complicated or thorny issues. In these ways, the care and concern of the Help Center staff ensures that their workextends well beyond even the 10,000 calls fielded each year, to a moregeneral improvement of the lives of New York seniors as a whole.

Seniors and caregivers can reach the Help Center by calling (212) 273-JASA (5272) between the hours of 9am and 5pm, Mondaythrough Friday, or by emailing help@jasa.org. Calls will be answeredimmediately, and emails will be returned within 24 hours. ��

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PR E S I D E N T

David M. Warren

CH A I R

Leonard Boxer

EX E C U T I V E CO M M I T T E E

Samuel H. Lindenbaum, Chair

Saul B. Katz, Associate Chair

SE C R E TA RY

Carol Chinn

TR E A S U R E R

Mark R. Imowitz

AS S O C I AT E TR E A S U R E R

Martin L. Halbfinger

Jewish Association for Services for the Aged Board of Trustees

Patricia AbramsonDavid S. BagatelleSusan Black Marvin H. DavidsonDavid L. EigenJessica FederMarilyn F. FriedmanCarol S. GoldsteinDr. Nancy GoncharPatricia GreenJoyce I. GreenbergEric R. GreenhutDavid HildesPaul KronishHoward P. MilsteinNan J. Morrison

Lawrence NewmanRuth PerelsonNancy T. PolevoyBonnie D. RosenbergLinda RosensweigMarian RosnerMartin SirokaMark SteigerStuart F. Sucherman

HO N O R A RY TR U S T E E S

Elinor GuggenheimerMartin Lifton

CH I E F EX E C U T I V E OF F I C E R

Aileen Gitelson

The services of the Help Center are not limited to assessments and recommendations.... In instances where the need is particularly dire or complex, social workers will follow up to ensure that the service has been obtained and is having its desired effect.

t r i b u t e g i f t sJASA is honored when our friends and supporters encourage tribute gifts to the agency. In this and future issues ofJASALink, we will recognize the individuals in whose honor or memory we have receivedcontributions.

Between January and June of 2008, JASA received nearly $50,000 in tribute giftsfrom 110 donors:

I N H O N O R O F

Patricia AbramsonRose BurmanMalcolm Cohen’s 95th BirthdayJon Feder’s BirthdayJoyce GreenbergPam Grunt and Eric Greenhut’s WeddingMartin LiftonRuth PerelsonJennie WeinseiderMorris Westen on Father’s DayMarian Rosner

I N M E M O R Y O F

Stanley BermanJames ConeGenevieve FreiserMartha FriedEdward FriedsonDebbie GellerEthel GoldbergSobyl GoldsteinLester GottliebSara HalbfingerHayuta HermanRebecca OustatcherBluma PassyPear RaphaelKathryn SacksMartha Wachsman

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JASA Selected to Leadnew Case Management Initiative

April 1, 2008, the New York Department for the Aging (DFTA)restructured its case management services for homebound elderly. These services function as the keystone to DFTA’s overall homebound elderly program, placing the organization

providing them at the center of a neighborhood network ofproviders of meals, medical care, legal aid, and other services. Througha highly competitive process, JASA was awarded 5 of the 23 newcase management contracts, the most of any organization.

In the 40 years since its inception, JASA’s mission has been to sustain and enrich the lives of the aging in the New York metropolitanarea so that they can remain in the community with dignity and autonomy. To achieve this mission, the organization has developed avariety of interconnected services which will enable JASA to successfullycarry out the case management contracts. As a result of these newcontracts, JASA will play an even greater role in the lives of New YorkCity area seniors in neighborhoods within the Sheepshead Bay, ConeyIsland, Brighton Beach, Flatbush, Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood,Parkchester, Throgs Neck, Co-op City, and Far Rockaway communities.While JASA already provides case management services in the neighbor-hoods where the contracts were awarded, the affiliation with DFTA willmake JASA’s services more accessible.

JASA is uniquely positioned to play a key role not only because of the agency’s long history of quality services, but also because of its existing relationships with other service providers. The organizationprides itself on its many interdisciplinary and intercultural partnershipswith agencies such as Senior Action in a Gay Environment (SAGE),Visiting Nurse Service of New York, and the Haitian Council for Elders.Through these contracts, DFTA has recognized the importance of localcommunities and cultures in providing services, and this emphasis hasenabled JASA to solidify longtime as well as new partnerships to morefully meet the needs of seniors.

These partnerships will ensure that JASA can refer clients to theappropriate agencies quickly and efficiently. With the award of 5 DFTAcontracts, JASA looks forward to being a leading provider of critical programs to an even greater number of community members. WhileJASA is proud to expand access to its services, the true beneficiary willbe, ultimately, the New York senior community. ��

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The March 2008 meeting of JASA’s Board of Trustees marked the end of an era. It was the first meeting in the organization’s history without one of its “founding fathers,” StanleyBerman, as a member of the board. A man of passion, drive, and integrity, Stanley spentnearly 40 years on the Board of Trustees and more than 25 years as the Secretary of theBoard and Chair of both the Housing/Building and Legal Committees. He left a lastingimpact on JASA through his expertise and dedication.

As a well-respected leader in the affordable housing industry through both his govern-ment and private practice work, Stanley was an invaluable asset to the JASA community.He took a great personal interest in the housing that JASA provides, and thousands of New

York seniors owe him a debt of gratitude for ensuring that their homes are safe and affordable. While his expertise was instrumental in the growth and success of JASA, it is his personal warmth, generosity

of spirit, and profound sense of decency for which he will always be remembered. As President of the BoardDavid Warren has said, “We owe him much, and he will be sorely missed by all who knew and worked with him.”

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Passover Seders at JASA

JASA LINK

A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E

Jewish Association for Services for the Aged

132 West 31st StreetNew York, NY 10001212.273.5200www.jasa.org

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Fall 2008 • Volume 3, Issue 1

JASA’s annual Passover Seders are intergenerational celebrations that provide an opportunity to give thanks and create new memories.