Weekly News & Updates
Caring for Older Adults Since 1907
HAPPY NEW YEAR
FROM JSL
Jewish Senior Life (JSL) has served our community for more than a century. Our mission statement says it all - - - We nurture a sense of community and enrich the lives of older adults, while embracing Jewish values and celebrating life.

Today, JSL includes 6 beautiful residences in 2 vibrant communities, where residents remain active in mind, body and spirit. In addition, the many programs and services of JSL extend into the community, providing additional supports and spiritual enrichment to older adults throughout the Metropolitan Detroit area.

Jewish Senior Life impacts more than just our residents. Nonresidential and residential clients, program participants and families benefit from our Jewish Community Chaplaincy & Outreach Programs. Our residents and their families enjoy a multitude of Music, Art Enrichment and Entertainment and remain active and healthy visiting our Wellness Centers. Additional support through JCare, Inc. and Supportive Home Health Care offers families peace of mind and assistance for their loved ones. Program for Holocaust Survivors & families offer ongoing support groups; FRIENDS of Jewish Senior Life Boutiques and Bistros provide a place to linger, relax, socialize and purchase an assortment of goods and delicious kosher items. Our Kosher-to-Go and Meals Made Simple dish up delicious food for dining in or carrying out. This year FRIENDS of JSL coordinated fashion shows, films, and a wine tasting. Our educational series on Healthy Aging continues to draw in crowds. JSL annual events are sponsored, well attended and appreciated by residents and community members alike. The Annual Eight Over Eighty Tikkun Olam Award, Bessie Spector Oldest Jewish Americans Brunch, FRIENDS Lives Well Lived, and Senior Dream Cruise brings the community together. Multitudes of families benefit from The Dorothy & Peter Brown Adult Day Program which offers support and respite care. JSL continues to be the provider of choice for outstanding and inclusive residences and compassionate services that enable older adults to live healthy, joyous and purposeful lives.

From our JSL family to yours, we wish you a Happy New Year and invite you to visit with your loved ones, tour our communities in West Bloomfield and Oak Park and discover for yourselves all that we have to offer. 
LIBRARY PROGRAM BRINGS JOY TO RESIDENTS
Ten years ago, the West Bloomfield Library developed an outreach program to provide books for seniors who are residents of West Bloomfield and for those who are not able to come to the library.

Librarian, Amanda Bacalis, has been the Outreach Coordinator since the inception of this program. Each month she brings large containers of books to Meer and Hechtman Apartments on the campus of Jewish Senior Life. Volunteers, Mary Jo Balcher and Sandra Gilbert assist Amanda with transporting books and checking them in and out.

Our residents look forward to Amanda’s visits as she accommodates individual requests, reserves books and hand delivers them. Amanda has gotten to know our residents and their taste in books. Often she recommends authors and/or titles of books that are specific to the resident’s interests. Amanda met with a resident with low vision for 20 minutes to review the list of audio and large print books. The resident appreciated the time she spent with her.

The West Bloomfield library donates DVD movies regularly. In addition, they also provide books for the community’s book club members.
Amanda remarked that her visits to Jewish Senior Life are very rewarding, as it gives her great joy to interact with our community and put books in residents’ hands.

The quality of life of our residents has been enhanced through West Bloomfield’s Library Outreach Program. It enables them to continue their love of reading while keeping their minds stimulated.

It is not surprising that the West Bloomfield Library was awarded national recognition for their programs and services. Jewish Senior Life is proud to nominate the West Bloomfield Library for Michigan’s Leading Age Volunteer of the Year award.
JACK BLACK SINGS HANUKKAH BLESSING
VISIT FROM DARCHEI TORAH SCHOOL
Kindergarten classes from Darchei Torah visited, sang songs, and delivered handmade Hanukkah cards for residents of Fleischman and Hechtman this week. Their visit made everyone’s morning!
POPULAR CHRISTMAS SONGS WRITTEN BY JEWS
By Robin Cornick
I’ve always loved Christmas songs. However, growing up in an observant Jewish household, they were sort of forbidden. Like ham. Although, truth be told, I never found ham all that appealing.

The fact is, Christmas music is fun. It’s jingly and jangly and just uplifting enough to keep you from wanting to kill the driver in front of you while you’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic because… well…  it’s Christmas .

Each year during the Christmas breaks of my childhood in central New Jersey, my parents would load our Chevy Suburban to the roof with my two younger brothers and me, our huge Bouvier de Flanders named Bonaparte, our tiny Yorkie named PeeWee, our cat, our luggage, a few of our friends and our skis and head merrily up the New York State Thruway to our weekend home.

That week, when Christmas Day rolled around, every single radio station — and pickings were slim, thanks to lousy reception in the Green Mountains — would run Christmas music non-stop from dawn until midnight.
FRIDAY FUNNY
JSL IS ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM!
Follow JSL on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates on what is going on at our campuses. Leave a like and comment while you're there too!
EIGHT OVER EIGHTY HONOREES ANNOUNCED
Mazel Tov to one and all!

David Broner
Charles Domstein, PhD
Ruthe Goldstein
Doreen Hermelin
Dr. Harris & Phoebe Mainster
Irene Miller
Joyce Sherman
Warren Tessler, DDS
EVENT DATE CHANGED
Please note the date and location of our event, "Healthy Aging: The Body" has been changed from January 22nd at Hechtman Apartments to March 26th at Fleischman Residence. Check our newsletter and Facebook page for future updates.
CALENDAR
1/2 - Pottery Class at JCC West Bloomfield, 11 am. $15. To reserve spot: 248-432-5467 or rchessler@jccdet.org

1/7 - Simply Dance at JCC West Bloomfield, 11am. $7. No partner needed.

1/8 - Wednesday Movie Matinees: "The Way We Were" at JCC West Bloomfield, 1pm

1/9 - Family Caregiver Support Group at Fleischman Residence/Blumberg Plaza, 1:30pm

1/14 - Family Caregiver Support Group at JVS Human Services Southfield, 1:30pm

1/14 - Simply Dance at JCC West Bloomfield, 11am. $7. No partner needed.

1/21 - Simply Dance at JCC West Bloomfield, 11am. $7. No partner needed.

1/22 - Wednesday Movie Matinees: "A Walk in the Clouds" at JCC West Bloomfield, 1pm

1/23 - Marvin's Bistro Popup Dinner at Fleischman Residence/Blumberg Plaza, 7pm

1/23 - Pottery Class at JCC West Bloomfield, 11 am. $15. To reserve spot: 248-432-5467 or rchessler@jccdet.org

1/27 - Family Caregiver Support Group at JVS Human Services Southfield, 5:30pm

1/28 - Simply Dance at JCC West Bloomfield, 11am. $7. No partner needed.

1/30 - Pottery Class at JCC West Bloomfield, 11 am. $15. To reserve spot: 248-432-5467 or rchessler@jccdet.org

January 22nd's "Healthy Aging:
The Body" has been rescheduled for March 26th at Fleischman Residence
Visit our Facebook page for more news at JSL.
EIGHT FUN FILLED NIGHTS
Eight nights of Hanukkah began last Sunday. Multiple parties brought our residents together at nightly menorah lightings on both campuses. Come celebrate at Jewish Senior Life.
UPCOMING
POP-UP DINNER
Join us January 23rd at 7 PM
for our next fabulous Pop-Up Dinner at Marvin's Bistro.

Chef Ron Colasanti and his team will be dishing up a delicious 7 course meal featuring fresh fish and seasonal vegetables.

This event will sell out!

Tickets are $54 per person or $100 per couple.

RSVP to Leslie Katz at 248-592-5062 or lkatz@jslmi.org
ASK ALEXA THESE
HANUKKAH QUESTIONS
By Arielle Kaplan

Amazon’s Alexa and I have come a long way since I first welcomed her into my life two years ago. Though we didn’t really get along at first, we’ve spent many moons together, and have built such a close-knit relationship that we’re practically siblings. 

As siblings do, Alexa often tests my patience, especially when she pronounces my name incorrectly (it’s Arrrrielle like a pirate, Alexa, not the “airy” mermaid!). But she also tests my knowledge with daily trivia questions — something I truly enjoy — so this Hanukkah I decided to flip the script.

In the spring, I quizzed Alexa on her knowledge of Passover, and it went… well, why don’t you just read what happened for yourself?
This time around, however, I decided to ask Alexa about Hanukkah, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that she brushed up on her Jewish knowledge. Not only does Alexa really know the history of Hanukkah, she even blessed me with 18 jokes. How Jew-y of her! 
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Avocado Egg Rolls with Spicy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
  • ⅓ cup fresh cilantro or 1 teaspoon dried coriander
  • 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ cup finely diced red onion
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped sun dried tomatoes, drained from oil
  • 2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled and diced
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 6 Egg Roll Wraps
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for frying, such as Colavita
  • 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon hoisin
  • ¼ chili garlic sauce

  1. In a small food processor, combine cilantro, rice vinegar, honey, garlic and cumin. Pulse to finely chop and combine. In a small bowl, combine cilantro mixture with onions, tomatoes, avocado and salt. Mix until just combined.
  2. Lay one egg roll wrap in front of you with a tip pointing down. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of avocado filling into the middle of the wrap. Lightly brush each corner with egg wash. Fold bottom corner up and over the filling, tuck each side in and continue to roll up, sealing tightly. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down.
  3. Fill a large skillet a 1/4 inch deep with oil and heat over medium to medium-low heat. Fry egg rolls about 5 minutes until crispy and golden brown on all sides, using tongs to turn them so they brown evenly.
  4. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin and chili garlic sauce. Serve with egg rolls.

Recipe is from jamiegeller.com
SHABBAT SHALOM
Shabbat Shalom from the Hechtman Apartment staff!
This newsletter was created by: Jo Rosen and Amanda Martlock
Shabbat Shalom

Nancy Heinrich, Chief Executive Officer
Jennie Klepinger , Chief Financial Officer
Jo Strausz Rosen , Executive Director of Development
Barbra Giles, Executive Director of Aging Services
Clint Guess, Executive Director of Operations
Dianne Azzopardi , Director of Human Resources
Ron Colasanti , Director of Dining Services
People of all faiths and beliefs are welcome.
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