The Weinberg Chatter, Fall 2014

The

Weinberg

Chatter

Fall 2014

WEINBERG COMMUNITY FOR SENIOR LIVING GIDWITZ PLACE FOR ASSISTED LIVING

THE FRIEND CENTER FOR ALZHEIMER’S CARE

A Message from the Director Dear Weinberg Families and Residents, Welcome to our Fall Edition! Hope everyone is staying warm.

I am very happy to announce that our construction and remodeling project has been completed. We hope you are all enjoying our newly remodeled Beauty Shop, Dining Room, CafĂŠ and other areas! As you have probably noticed, we have had a very busy couple months. Of course, the High Holidays came and went, during which we had several guests for both evenings of Rosh Hashanah. It was great to see so many families enjoying the holidays with their loved ones!

On another note, we have completed our Friend Center addition, which consists of five new residences in what is called The Bernard Heerey Annex, and accommodates those who need a secured environment combined with the wonderful programming and care we offer. As part of this Friend Center addition, we have also created a beautiful new space for Adult Day Programming.

We have had many wonderful events at Weinberg Community over the last few months as well. Just to highlight, a few weekends ago, the Chicagoland Jewish High School and Gidwitz Place residents performed for the community and held an art display, showcasing their considerable talent. Everyone in attendance enjoyed it!

As part of an annual holiday tradition, the Resident Council is coordinating a holiday collection for residents and families to donate funds to the Weinberg direct care staff in appreciation of all their efforts throughout the year. Keep your eye out for this letter!

I’d like to remind you about our resident referral program. If any resident or family member refers a resident to either Gidwitz Place or Friend Center and the person signs a one-year lease, you will receive a check for $750. Our best referrals come from you, so please think of us!

I want to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving and wonderful year ahead!

Feel free to call me at 847-236-7856 at any time with suggestions.

Jennifer Weininger, Executive Director, Weinberg Community for Senior Living

1

REMINDERS A few reminders: Please sign in at the front desk, and sign out when leaving—-we need to insist on this for the safety of our residents and staff.

Please obtain a form at the front desk when going out of town, and indicate an emergency contact for when you are away. You can alternately call front desk to give the above information, and it will be sent to pertinent staff.

If you have a private caregiver working for you, please make sure we are aware of this.

If your family member is in the hospital and will be going to a rehab facility, please advise us, to guarantee continuity of care.

If you bring your pet to our building, please make sure that he/she is on a leash at all times.

DEPARTMENT UPDATE We want to introduce Marci Balonick, Personal Care Manager, who started a few weeks ago. She is busy learning about our community and all it has to offer!

Heidi Schrage, Leasing Associate, is new to our team, working in the Leasing Department with Elaine and Tawanna. Please make her feel welcome!

2

UPCOMING EVENTS Maxwell Street Junior Klezmer Band Performance Sunday, November 30th from 2-3 PM Social Hall _________________________________

Glenview Senior Chorus Performs December 11th at 2:00 PM Social Hall

Community Mitzvahs Meet Dani Wolf our social work intern for this year. Dani is a graduate of Chicagoland Jewish High School and the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana. She received a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. During college, Dani was active in her sororityAlpha Epsilon Phi and studied abroad in Jerusalem. She was a Lewis Summer Intern in 2012 at Lieberman Center in the Life Enrichment Department. She is currently a student at The University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and plans to graduate in June of 2016. In her free time, Dani enjoys running, spending time with her family and friends, traveling and going to movies. “So far, it’s been a wonderful experience and I’m so excited to be back at CJE. I look forward to learning a lot from the residents and my colleagues,” said Dani.

3

Happy Birthday!

GIDWITZ PLACE BIRTHDAYS October

Lorraine Krockey 10/22

Marsha Arenson 11/28

Leona Stern 10/5

Ben Landsman 10/25

Bea Simkovich 11/30

Gussie Kroan 10/10

Marvin Turchen 10/27

Dorothy Lessam 10/15

Norma Bashover 10/28

Abe Orgiefsky 10/15

Sam Bernard 10/29

Marsha Marks 10/16 Carolyn Axelrod 10/18 Milly Friedman 10/19 Rosita Faigenblat 10/20

December Allan Schwab 12/1 Helen Leavitt 12/8

Carol Shapiro 10/30

Alice Piller 12/8

Leroy Siegel 10/31

Howard Kahalnik 12/14

November Ruth Shaffer 11/20 Rose Liebowitz 11/25

Monroe Glazer 12/16 Isabel Zisman 12/23

THE FRIEND CENTER BIRTHDAYS October

November

December

Toby Diamond 10/6

Mary Danna Savin 11/4

Frances Cohen 12/3

Annette Katzeff 10/10

Shirley Margulis 11/11

Lillian Rosenberg 12/3

Frank Nitikman 10/26

Belle Mest 11/11

Lois Ringel 12/8

Naomi Claver 11/28

Claire Glutzer 12/19

Jerome Block 11/30

4

Life Enrichment Highlights In addition to our daily programs, here are some

highlights for the upcoming months. You are welcome to attend these or any or our entertainment programs with your family member.

Tuesday, December 16th from Sunday, November 30th from 2-3PM

2:00-3:00PM

Maxwell Street Junior Klezmer Band Performance

News and Views End of the Year- 2014 Social Hall

Social Hall December 23th from 2:00—3:00 PM December 11th at 2:00 PM Glenview Senior Chorus Performs

Hy Spek Presents, “Millennium Park” Social Hall

Social Hall December 31st at 6:30 PM December 15th from 1:30-2:30 PM

Gidwitz New Year’s Eve Party!

Solomon Schechter 1st graders visit Gidwitz—Hanukkah celebration

Featuring music of “Spirit”

Social Hall

5

Social Hall

GETTING TO KNOW YOU Al Schrero

Al, as he prefers to be known, moved to Gidwitz less than a year ago. However, he seems to have found a comfortable niche for himself. His morning routine begins with 30 push-ups and leg raises in his apartment, then on to the Dining Room for breakfast where he socializes with tablemates and stops at various tables to say hello to friends, After breakfast, he can be found either reading the newspaper in the Library, or weather permitting, walking to the pond, where he sits on a bench and watches the wildlife.

Al was born in 1927. His father was from Lithuania and his mother was from Moscow.

His parents were fluent in Yiddish, which they spoke when they did not want the kids to understand. Al was the youngest of three: “I may have been a mistake,� he jokes. He attended Roosevelt High School, and at age 17 enlisted in the Army Reserves, never serving outside the USA. However, his oldest brother did serve abroad during WWII. Very sadly, he lost his life when he was shot down, the plane landing in a farm field in France.

Many years later Al took his family to the crash site, where a young farm worker gave Al a penny he had found at this site. Now that penny is still a treasured memento that Al keeps in his apartment.

Al went to the University of Chicago. He developed an interest in advertising, so he made the rounds with his portfolio to various agencies and was hired. Thus began his career in advertising. He married Paula at age 34, adopting her three children. He and Paula then added another daughter to the family. Al claims to have too many grandchildren and great-grandchildren to count. He was married for 37 years when his wife Paula died. However, since moving to Gidwitz Place he no longer feels so alone.

Employee Spotlight Charlotte Wiedman Charlotte Wiedman is the Assistant Food Service Director at Weinberg Community. She has been with CJE since the opening of Lieberman Center—15 years ago and counting. She helped open Weinberg Community in 1997 as Director of Food Service. Charlotte began her career at The Swedish Retirement Home, and after eight years, was recruited to CJE. She attended the College of DuPage and obtained her Certificate in Food and Hospitality Management.

Born in St Louis, Charlotte is the sixth of seven children.

Her siblings continue to reside in St. Louis. Charlotte relates that she was always the “baby of the family,” until her mother had one more child at the age of 48. Char moved to Evanston when she married, and had a daughter and a son. Her daughter, an attorney, recently moved to St Louis. Her son, a skilled carpenter, lives in Deerfield, and he and his wife are expecting Char’s 1st grandchild in December—-the best gift ever!

Charlotte has been a dynamo at Weinberg Community. She was instrumental in building Weinberg’s catering business, including supplying meals for Chicagoland Jewish High School, as well as offering holiday catering for the public. Charlotte manages our Dining Rooms with the skill of a clinician, often overseeing seating problems and other issues that often arise.

Char is devoted to our community, caring deeply that our residents are well served and respected. In her “off-duty” time, she and a friend go antiquing, visit jewelry and art fairs, go to movies and go into the Big City to try out the trendy restaurants. We are so fortunate to have Char as part of out Weinberg family.

7