Our Home Life - The New Jewish Home

Our Home Life
Issue 8 April/May 2014
Prepared and Written by residents of Jewish Home Lifecare, Manhattan Division
Sharing Her Musical Gift
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Meet the Café’s Cook
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Animal Stories
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Newsletter Committee
Members & Contributors
Kathleen Foglino
Jessie Galloway
Toni Greene
Helen Rausch, Editor
Rachel Weiss
Amy Zerba,
Volunteer Facilitator
Jessica Sinovoi,
Staff Facilitator
Dedication to Esther Klingenstein
How Our Garden Came to Be
By Helen Rausch
You may have wondered about the history of our very
special garden, how and when it came to be. It is
designated "Esther's Garden" and a small plaque by the
Koi Pond reads: "In memory of Esther Klingenstein. Her
kindness and compassion will be remembered always."
In 1947, Mrs. Joseph Klingenstein (Esther) became a
The Newsletter Committee was formed by trustee of the Home for Aged and Infirm Hebrews as we
had been known since 1870. She subsequently became a
a group of Jewish Home residents in
January 2013 to allow them the opportunity Vice-President of the Home and took an active role in its
management. She was affiliated with the Home for 27
to learn what is going on at Jewish Home
Lifecare, Manhattan Division. Amy Zerba years. Over the years, she was a generous donor.
is the Volunteer Facilitator and works as a
In the 1950s, Klingenstein advocated that a large
Staff Editor for The New York Times.
proportion of the land then being acquired remain
undeveloped and used for a garden. Her commitment
For more information or to contribute,
was so strong that she helped fund this venture in a
please contact the Department of
Community Life: 212-870-4940.
See Garden, Page 2
Our Home Life
April/May 2014
Garden, From Page 1
significant measure. A well-regarded
landscape architect was engaged to
design and build an extensive garden.
We can imagine that the giant
Japanese Sephora tree near the Koi
Pond and the other large trees in the
second area of the Garden, which the
Frank Building faces, were there
when the garden was planned. They
are that old.
There have been other important
donors to the garden: Funds for the
patio, for example, were given by J.
Gaisman. A plaque by the side wall
of the upper level reads: "In
appreciation of pleasant hours in the
Garden. In memory of Emanuel
Taub,” to cite another donor.
But the garden remains “Esther's
Garden” and in good weather it has
been a primary place for relaxation in
the sun, or retiring in the shade under
the patio or trees, as well as for
parties and concerts. We are grateful
to Esther for her foresight. The
garden is a place of beauty and even
the birds know it.
Joyce Hitchcock
Doing What She Loves Best
By Helen Rausch
Joyce Hitchcock — who may be best known for
participating in holiday events in the Auditorium,
such as our recent St. Patrick's Day celebration —
grew up in a singing family.
"My family loved to sing. My mother sang to
herself all day long," said Hitchcock, adding "We
were always singing, at home, church, youth group,
school."
At an early age, she began to pick out piano tunes;
at age 6, she was taking formal lessons.
Hitchcock's musical talents have served her well
throughout a long and colorful career. One of four
children, she grew up in Athens, Ga. In her early 20s,
she left Georgia because she could not abide the
state's segregationist policies. She joined her two
sisters in New York City and has spent the last 25
years working at the Jewish Home.
"I think what goes on in the Home is important and
good," she said. "The Jewish Home has been very
good to me."
See Hitchcock, Page 3
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Hitchcock, From Page 2
Our Home Life
Hitchcock applied to the Home for a
position at a friend's recommendation. She
came for an interview and "met wonderful
people." She met the criteria for the job
(being able to play a variety of songs) and, at
age 50, was hired. She has been here ever
since, serving initially as a Full Activity
Leader with a specialty in music in the
Activities Department (as the Department of
Therapeutic Recreation Activities was then
known).
Today, she is semi-retired, having cut back
on her hours in 2005, when she was at full
retirement age. While she misses the greater
challenge of her full-time assignment, her
current assignment as a musician for the
Therapeutic Recreation department on
various units of all three buildings allows her
both to nurture her love of music and to
maintain important friendships.
Hitchcock also values the rich and varied
work experiences she enjoyed prior to her
employment at the Home.
She singles out the years spent at the
Church of All Nations Neighborhood House,
on the Lower East Side. The settlement
house, now defunct, was active "during the
'60s and '70s when all the drugs came in,"
she explained It accommodated a diverse and
needy immigrant population. Since the
establishment provided some private
apartments for staff, Hitchcock actually lived
on the premises for three of her nine years
there.
In addition, she cited the rich training she
enjoyed for 12 years while working at a
April/May 2014
private neighborhood music school, The
School of Musical Education, on West 94th
Street in Manhattan. Established in the
1940s, the school offered classes for ages 3
up to college and had its own educational
materials and curriculum.
As for her own education, she has a
bachelor's degree in music from the
University of North Carolina in Greensboro.
She is constantly expanding her horizons
since she manages to pursue a range of
musical and cultural interests. She loves
musical theater as well as drama, the arts in
general and dance.
Hitchcock resides in SoHo but spends
summers in Maine at a camp "where music
is important."
“I can play classical as well as popular
music, have sung all kinds and my favorite
composition is the next new thing I learn”
Hitchcock observed that in 1989, when
she began her employment here, "the Jewish
Home was pretty much its own entity."
"Musicals like 'Hello Dolly' were put on,
the nurses sang, everyone pitched in," she
recalls with nostalgia, "There was good
feeling."
Hitchcock is maintaining tradition as she
participates in some of the the Home's
special events and leads sing-a-long
activities on the several floors where she is
assigned. Although she has curtailed her
hours, she remains an integral part of the
residents' musical lives.
Newspaper Recycling Program: The Department of Community Life Activities is
pleased to introduce a newspaper recycling program. Donations of recent daily and weekly
newspapers can be dropped off in the Volunteer Office.
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Our Home Life
April/May 2014
Popular Destination: Our Cafe
By Helen Rausch
Armando Reyes, assisted by Emily and
Ana, lends a cheerful presence to the Cafe on
the first floor of the Friedman Building. As
Manager, Armando, as he is known to all,
prepares homemade soups, fruit salads, green
salads, chicken salads and egg dishes. The
soups and the chicken salad — broiled with
tomato sauce — are among his most popular
dishes. Every day there’s a different soup.
Specialty items include pastrami, roast beef
and turkey — all Boar's Head products.
He will obligingly make up sandwiches and
heroes to order. We note that Jamaican
patties are catered; some like them with lots
of mustard. Kosher food offerings include
cream cheese and lox, turkey bacon, tuna and
mayonnaise. A variety of cheeses are
available and many patrons like a grilled
cheese with tomato sandwich.
Armando arrived in the United States from
Mexico in 1988. He has worked at the Cafe
for about four years. He is married with a
Armando Reyes and his popular soup.
daughter, Arly, who is 10-years-old.
The most challenging part of his job, he
says, is procuring food. The most
rewarding aspect is the people he meets
on a daily basis. His day starts at 6 a.m.
and he often works until 5:15 p.m. or
later.
The Cafe is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
almost every day of the year. The busiest
hours are from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and noon
to 2 p.m.
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Our Home Life
April/May 2014
A selection of stories from the Creative Writing Group.
Conversations With Animals
By Margaret Reilly
Penguin Talk
By Doris Brent
George: Now Look Alice, I waited a long
time for you to smooth down your feathers!
Now let's move along here to get to the
Penguin Ball. I want to enter the Flap-ADoodle Contest.
I would talk to my dog and my cat.
Just regular talk. I would ask them if
they like what they have to eat. I
would ask them if they are warm
enough. I have a bird feeder with
birdseed and the birds would come and
sing to me on Staten Island. I used to
leave peanut butter on toast for the
squirrels on the windowsill. I would
ask them if they enjoyed the peanut
butter and if they liked plain peanuts
also. Children talk to animals because
they believe the animals can listen to
them.
Dogs Do Understand
By Dolores Taylor
Alice: All right, all right! I don't want
sandy feathers spoiling my smooth look! I’m
going to win this sexy-look contest.
Out for a Walk With a Tiger
By Richard Harper
A lady used to walk a tiger on a leash on
59th Street. She's young, 28 or so. I
stopped and talked to her. She had this
tiger for a long, long time. She got it in
Africa. Her husband's work involved
buying animals, like monkeys, tigers and
elephants. He worked for the zoo. His wife
took a liking to one tiger. She took it
home. They had a doorman where they
lived who would open the door for them
when she rang the bell.
When I was younger my family had a
dog. I named her “Queenie.” She was
almost human or so it seemed to me.
When my parents were not at home we
were not allowed to answer the door
when someone rang the bell. One
evening, the doorbell rang and Queenie
became very agitated: running from the
door and back to me, whining until I
told her that when mom and dad were
not at home we couldn’t answer the
door. Immediately, she quieted down. I
was amazed because she seemed to
understand me.
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What I Would Tell Animals
Our Home Life
April/May 2014
Just One of the Family
By Laverne Owens
By Elizabeth A. Horgan
Really, this is to all animals, but I'll specify
a few. For example, fish. When I see pictures
of fish flopping around suffocating, I think I
would like to say to the fishermen, “Please
don't tell me they don't feel it.”
As for horses, I have never seen a horse
with a bit who looked comfortable with it.
And again, the people riding on them in these
uncomfortable saddles say “Oh no! They
don't feel it! They get used to it!” And I have
something I want to say to cats: I love them
madly, but I want to say to them: “Please
stop torturing and half-killing birds. Then
you would be perfect.”
Really, I would like to speak to all animals,
but we don't have that much time. So to all
you fishermen and equestrians, think twice
about what you're doing to these creatures.
Habla Espanol?
I had a dog and wished it could talk to
ask if it loved me. He was very smart.
It was in the country, in Ireland. The
dog was one of the family— ate our food
— was fond of potatoes — a mongrel
looking like a terrier — called “Spot”
because he had big brown spots.
My brother brought him when I was an
infant. It was a present from the local
farmer who was trying to get rid of him.
Spot took us to school, picked us up
every day. He could hear when we got out
of school and would trot to get us.
He was well behaved. He would hunt
for rabbits and small creatures with my
brother. Never bit anyone.
A new workshop for Spanish-speaking
residents led by Maria Vega, a Therapeutic
Recreation Leader, has been introduced. The
"Spanish Group With Maria" meets twice a
month on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. in the Library
for cultural conversation and socializing.
Contact Us
He was a lovely dog and I'm sure he's in
dog heaven.
Spot died when he and I were both 14
years old and I buried him in the field
near the house and everyone came to the
funeral. The donkey, pony, sheep and the
hens. I cried for days.
The Newsletter Committee is accepting questions, letters and literary contributions. Stop by the
Department of Community Life or write to: Jewish Home Lifecare, Department of Community
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Life, 120 W. 106th St., New York, NY 10025; or call 212-870-4940.
Our Home Life
April/May 2014
A Tribute to Dr. Mynit Si
Contributed by Shiny Mathew, RN, ANP
Dr. Si at center, surrounded by colleagues
A lady dressed so elegant
With the right amount of pearls and stones-Matching accessories so professional--And proud to be a woman physician.
Her compassion and warm heart,
Gentle touch and words of energy
Helped the patient feel at ease.
In her presence, patients were comforted,
The anger and frustrations of loved ones
Melted into tears when she held their hands
And consoled them.
In therapy rooms, she become a cheerleader;
In the dining hall, an encouraging friend.
She was a leader and a team player
Who knew the ins and outs of each patient,
But was humble enough to care for them as her
own.
She shared all the credits without reservation.
A teacher with great wisdom
She imparted not just theories of medicine
But philosophy and the art of medical
practice,
Sharing her wealth of experience with
countless fellows.
Dr. Si is a well rounded person who loves
good food,
Enjoys music, movies and Broadway
But also finds time to practice meditation
And religious chants.
A real friend to her co-workers,
A sincere employee of The Jewish Home,
She completed her term victoriously.
I salute you with great joy and pride,
My role model, mentor and big sister-"Thank you" is not enough to express
How I feel at this time of farewell-I wish you all the best
As you enter the next phase of life.
The memories we shared will always
Be a catalyst to me to continue "the good
work".
Editors Note: Dr. Si recently retired after
serving at The Jewish Home for 27 years,
having worked mostly with sub-acute
patients. She will soon be heading for Hawaii
to spend some time with her daughter.
Check out Our Home Life newsletter at www.jewishhome.org/our-services/
our-campuses/manhattan/newsletter-by-residents-of-jewish-home-lifecare-manhattan
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Our Passover Seders
Our Home Life
April/May 2014
By: Rachel Weiss
All residents were invited to attend one of
the celebratory Seders held on April 14th
and 15th.
Throughout the Seder the celebrants were
reminded of the hardship of slavery and the
joy of redemption. A platter of symbolic
foods was passed around while the
Haggadah was read: hard boiled eggs in
salt water – tears of exile, marror (bitter
herbs) and horseradish to remember the pain
of slavery. A mixture of almonds and
apple, charoset - recalled mortar,
combining the bitter and sweet.
Throughout the evening we were reminded that
the Seder is unique:
Rabbi Malamy and Rabbinic Intern, Carlie
Weisbrod, light the candles. (above)
Grandchildren ask the “Four Questions”. (below)
Why is this night different from all other nights?
On all other nights we eat leavened or unleavened
bread:
On this night we eat only unleavened bread.
On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs:
On this night only bitter herbs.
On all other nights we don't dip herbs at all:
On this night, we dip twice.
On all other nights we eat upright or leaning:
On this night, we all lean.
"A great many of us here do not have family,
per se, in our lives at this point. We have a
tremendous gathering of people who are after
the same thing, and I don't just mean food,
although that's very important. It brings us
together in a way that only happens once or
twice a year."
-Doris Brent
Excerpt from New York 1 Interview
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