Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Thankful for You

this Autumn

The joy of autumn is always appreciated here at the Parker Jewish Institute. As we reflect on all that we are grateful for this season, we thank our residents, patients and their families for choosing Parker, and our dedicated staff for providing superior, compassionate health care. This fall, our community shared many meaningful moments together. Here’s a look back at the wonderful autumn memories we created at Parker.

An Afternoon of Art and Movement with

Belly Dancer Nabila

Parker patients, residents and visitors were treated to an energetic and engaging performance by the highly acclaimed belly dancer Nabila. During her visit, Nabila explained the five-part artform of American cabaret belly dancing, from its fast-paced opening and the graceful veil dance to the sequence portion, featuring floor work, drum solo and finalé. Nabila taught audience members hand movements so that they could actively participate in the activity.

The Art of 3D Photography

Andrew Lauren, an active volunteer at Parker, successfully jumpstarted a learning series that examines the standalone art style of 3D photography. Residents are given 3D photographs, which they view through various devices such as stereo card viewers and anaglyph glasses. Residents are becoming scholars of this intricate art, which has a long-standing history that often goes unnoticed.

Charitable Crafts

In early September, residents enjoyed a hands-on charitable activity, in which they created colorful puzzle feeders for the therapeutic service horses of GallopNYC. A nonprofit organization, GallopNYC provides life-changing therapeutic horsemanship programs that improve the lives of New York veterans, senior citizens and those with disabilities. Residents had great fun creating these toys and loved hearing about the horses who received them.

Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

From Monday, September 22, 2025, until Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Parker’s residents, patients, families and employees of the Jewish faith ushered in the Jewish New Year. Parker hosted Rosh Hashanah services that included the sounding of the shofar, in keeping with Torah tradition. The community celebrated the holiday together, enjoying such symbolic foods as apples and honey, to wish for a sweet new year.

A Halloween Bash

For this year’s celebration, Parker’s Therapeutic Recreation Department organized a week of Halloween-themed activities, from Halloween Family Feud and Boo-Ling (Bowling) to Pumpkin Art and such spooky film favorites as Beetlejuice, Young Frankenstein and The Addams Family. The day also featured musical performances and tasty treats, as patients, residents, visitors and staff embraced the Halloween spirit in colorful costumes. Here at Parker, the magic of the holiday knows no age limit – everyone can join the fun.

Support Us

Generous contributions to the Parker Jewish Institute help support us in our ongoing mission: Providing compassionate and superior quality health care and rehabilitation for our patients/residents. Please consider donating today.

Thank you!