December Newsletter here!

22 South Adams Street
Denver, CO 80209
December | 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
Health and Wellness
Resident Spotlight
AGE OF LOVE
Update from Dining Services
Development Corner
AGE OF LOVE
Check out what
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Blog Posts
Updates
Pictures
Interesting News
Calendars of Events
Kavod Senior Life is supported by MidFirst
Bank and RJM Construction.
Our mission is to provide lifeenriching experiences to older
adults through a broad range of
housing and support services that
reflect the spiritual, social, and
cultural values of Jewish tradition.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? SUGGESTIONS?
PLEASE CONTACT OUR MARKETING TEAM
Samantha Raizen Walsh
Director of Outreach & Strategic Marketing
swalsh@kavodseniorlife.org
Brian Rosen
Marketing and Events Coordinator
brosen@kavodseniorlife.org
303.399.1146
800.659.2656 TTY
kavodseniorlife.org
Kavod Senior Life, a 501(c)3, publishes this free newsletter irregularly: This is issue 1 for 2015 (1.2015). Kavod Senior Life is located at 22 South Adams Street,
Denver, CO 80209. No agencies or business mentioned in this newsletter received any compensation for use of their information or logo.
Nearly 200 attendees enjoyed
Kavod on the Road’s first large
Fall event, the AGE OF LOVE.
Kavod on the Road (KOTR)
hosted this event and has plans
to provide a fun, communitywide event each fall.
The AGE OF LOVE follows the
humorous and poignant
adventures of thirty seniors in
Rochester, NY who sign up for a
first-of-its-kind speed dating
event exclusively for 70- to
90-year-olds. From anxious
anticipation through the dates
that follow, it’s an unexpected
tale of intrepid seniors who lay
their hearts on the line, and
discover how dreams and
desires change—or don’t
change—from first love to the
far reaches of life.
Attendees were treated to a
screening of the film, a Q&A session with the director/producer/
cinematographer/editor, Steven
Loring as well as a dessert
continued on page 2
What’s New in Health and
Wellness at Kavod?
Kavod Senior Life fully embraces an
“Aging in Community” philosophy
and has been pursuing a strategic
approach to bringing health and
wellness programs to our residents.
We know that only 25% of our
residents drive and because of a
diminution of physical and mental
capacities of many, it is very difficult
Kavod residents participate in Chair
to arrange medical appointments in
Yoga in the Penthouse
the community. Many of our residents
also are limited by their financial resources. All of these factors lead to
delays in important health care exams and residents often rely upon an
emergency call to 911 to actually have a medical problem addressed.
We have developed a strong relationship with Legacy Rehab and they have
occupational and physical therapists on our campus five days a week.
Recently, we developed a relationship with Frontline Dental who provides
dental visits to our homebound residents once a month. We also have a
preferred partnership with All State Home Health who is willing to offer
30 minute visits with home care aides and licensed staff. We also offer T’ai
Chai and chair yoga as part of our wellness programming.
We are now expanding this to a much greater extent. We recently hired
Mandie Birchem as our Director of Health and Wellness. She has her
Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and most recently was the
Housing Resident and Community Specialist for the Denver Housing
Authority (DHA). While at the DHA, she promoted aging-in-place and
coordinated all of their health-centered activities. Her goal is to continue
to find additional health and wellness partners who will provide services
on site. Whether it will be a visiting doctor or nurse practitioner, a mental
health counselor, a chiropractor or a podiatrist, we intend to bring these
critical health and wellness providers to treat our residents at Kavod.
According to Tracy Kapaun our Director of Operations, “Our residents are
growing older and we want them to continue to enjoy living with us. By
bringing in outside professionals, we know our residents will be healthier
and avoid unnecessary nursing facility placement.”
continued on page 3
Resident Spotlight: Jesse Greenberg
“What’s New in Health and Wellness at Kavod?” continued from page 1
When visiting with Jesse
Greenberg you realize quickly
that you are in the presence of
Renaissance man. Trained as an
electrical and mechanical engineer
at New York University, he is also
a geometric abstract artist. Jesse
has an impressive collection of
first additions (all of which he
has read) and is a talented wood
worker. Samples of his work are
presently displayed in the art
gallery located in Kavod Senior
Life’s South building.
To house the health and wellness
in health care costs by reducing
and improve our ability to identify
staff and partners, we plan on
hospital admissions and transfers
changes needed by our residents
renovating our Penthouse area.
to nursing facilities.”
to support them to age in
We have hired H&L Architects
community.
to design the offices, exercise
and therapy areas as well as
“I would love to have my doctor We believe that COLLAGE
meeting rooms. Construction
is a proactive approach to
will take place in 2016 and
make house visits like they did improving health and wellness
will probably run into 2017.
for our residents. It helps in
Kavod’s Board is in the
identifying specific needs and
when I was growing up.”
process of reviewing how
then demonstrating whether
this project will be financed
an initiative achieved its
and hopes to secure some of the
Last year, Kavod began to
desired outcome. Residents have
funding from outside foundations.
implement COLLAGE. Our care
been updated on these expanded
coordinators meet individually
plans and the feedback has been
According to Michael Klein,
with residents and use this
very positive. As one resident
Executive Director at Kavod,
assessment tool to identify
stated, “When I injured my hip,
“We want to demonstrate to
health risks and determine
it was so wonderful to have a
the foundations that support us
interventions and programs,
physical therapist treating me in
and the government agencies
provide customized resident
my building. I would love in the
that fund us that a Health and
reports (in areas such as nutrition,
next year to have my doctor also
Wellness Center will lead to better
balance, memory loss and mental
make house visits like they did
health outcomes. We also hope to
well-being), improve programming
when I was growing up.”
demonstrate an overall decrease
in areas of health and activities,
with him. He is young at heart
and young in spirit. He served in
the United States Air Force as an
Airman First Class in Guam for
two and half years. He relates that
“Guam is a beautiful place with
absolutely nothing to do.” Jesse is
a man who needs to be busy.
Jesse moved to Denver with his
family in the early 1960s and
began a fascinating career that
spanned from working in the
scrap metal industry to patenting
the elevated trucks used to
He received his first set of tools
load food and beverages on to
at the age of
airplanes. He has
six from his
also built all of
curmudgeonly “Kavod Senior
the furniture and
uncle, a
accessories in
Viennese
his apartment at
Life provides me a
cabinet maker.
Kavod.
Jesse reports
comfortable life...
that he was
Jesse has lived at
fortunate to
Kavod is a wonderful Kavod Senior Life
be the only
for almost two
person his
years. He visits his
place for me.”
uncle liked.
workshop on his
He took Jesse
son’s property in
under his wing and taught the
Parker, Colorado every weekend,
curious young man his craft.
where he collects and dries his
wood. He loves coming home
Jessie was born in Queens, New
to Kavod after his busy days. He
York in 1931, but you would never
knows he has a lot to do during
guess his age when speaking
the week. He delivers mail for
Kavod resident, Jesse Greenberg,
proudly stands in front of the art gallery
that currently showcases his creations
the Leasing Department to the
residents, reads to seven- and
eight-year-olds every Monday
afternoon and works on his art
projects.
“Kavod Senior Life,” says Jesse
“provides me a comfortable
life. I can pursue my interests
in an environment filled with
wonderful staff. If I need help
with something, there is always
someone there for me. Kavod is a
wonderful place for me.”
“AGE OF LOVE” continued from page 1
reception. For more information on the AGE OF LOVE and its mission,
please visit www.theageoflovemovie.com.
KOTR is Kavod Senior Life’s outreach initiative. KOTR partners with local
synagogues and agencies in the community to host educational and
social programs including day trips for seniors who live in the greater
Denver community. KOTR also helps to plan an annual conference
and resource day called LChaim! Jewish Wisdom on Aging Well, formerly
known as You only Live Once, Jewish Wisdom on Aging Well, in partnership
with CAJE, JFS, JEWISHcolorado and Shalom Cares. KOTR also offers staff
support to a lay-lead program called Jewish & Widowed and produces
Kavod’s Community Outreach
and distributes from Oy to Joy, a community calendar of Jewish senior
Coordinator. Sara Shvartzman and
programs.
AGE OF LOVE Filmmaker, Steven Loring
PAGE 2
UPCOMING DATES
Holidays at Kavod
Monday, November 30 at 10 am
Kavod will again be hosting a
number of
holiday
celebrations
this year. We
invite you to
join us for
some or all of
the festivities.
Wrap Up Your Holidays in the Dining Room
Sunday, December 6
First Night of Chanukah
Monday, December 7 at 6:30 pm
Major League Dreidel in the Penthouse
RSVP/More Info: 720.382.7841 or
info@kavodseniorlife.org
Monday, December 14 at 10:00 am
Wrap Up Your Holidays in the Dining Room
Thursday, December 25
Christmas
Thursday, January 1
New Year’s Day
Sunday, January 31 at 4 pm
Academy of Lifelong Learning Graduation
in the Dining Room
Residents can look forward
to weeknight Chanukah
menorah lightings by
community leaders,
an intimate Chanukah
performance by Kavod
favorite Julie Geller, a festive
Christmas meal and a New
Year’s
celebration
with Jon
Sousa and
his band.
The 7th annual residentorganized Wrap Up
Your Holidays gift and
bake sale is open to
all. Highlights include
the option to have
gifts wrapped for
a small fee either
at the event or by
appointment, vendor
tables available for residents
to sell their handmade crafts
(knitted items, jewelry, pot
holders, painting, etc.), and
homemade baked goods.
Proceeds are split 50/50
with the Resident Council
Treasury and the Senior
Loan Project, the
Council’s interest
free loans for
residents.
PAGE 3
Thank you to our donors!
Academy of Lifelong Learning
John and Ingelise Brown and Safari
Wasserman families –
In Honor of Bess Brown
Area of Greatest Need
Garrett Barter
Bernice Fallik, In Honor of Muriel Bayroff
Bernice Fallik, In Honor of Muriel and Bruce Bayroff
Paul and Susan Fishman
Mark and Barbara Goldstein
Larry Hankin
Terry and Arthur Heller, In honor of Sharon Roth
Intermountain Jewish News, In Honor of Miriam Goldberg
Michael and Wendy Klein, In memory of Ingrid Son, z”l
Edward and Raeann Lampert
Julian and Adrienne Levy
Mohammad Sabir-Mian
Laura Michaels & Family, In honor of Ariella Booth Nadav
Perry Moss
Roni and Gary Ogin
Donald and Joyce Perlmutter, In Honor of Sharon Roth
Karen Silverman, Bill Goldberg, Eliana and Margalit, In honor of Ariella Booth Nadav
Fran Stern
Syntrinsic Investments
Jack and Mildred Zerobnick
Gaile Weisbly Waldinger,
In memory of Ingrid Son, z”l
Assisted Living
John and Ingelise Brown and Safari
Wasserman families – In Honor of Bess Brown
Syril Newman – In Honor of Bess Brown
Food Truck Event 2015
Richard and Elaine Asarch, In honor of Sharon Roth
Bad Daddy’s *
Bagel Deli *
David and Kari Chapman
Michael Cohen *
Stephen and Cheryl Cohen
Elizabeth Dubinsky *
Kerry Hildreth
Legacy Rehab *
Milwaukee Tavern *
PAGE 4
8/1/2015 through 11/1/2015
z”l
Larry Mizel
Perry Moss
Joyce Belkov, In Memory of her New York Deli News *
mother and father, Sarah and Syril Newman *
Nathan Greenspan, z”l
North Country *
Tatiana Blyumkin, In Memory of Pasta Pasta Pasta *
Mikhail Blyumkin, Mikhail, Raisa RJM Construction
and David Orlov, Aaron and Mila Rodionova *
Zelda Kanel and Rachel The Roth Family
Staroinets, z”l
Olga Roush *
Val and Galina Blyumkin, In Anne Shimek
Memory of Mikhael Blyumkin, Syntrinsic Investments
Rivel, Rachel and Nechama Beth Tittman, In honor of Sharon
Zilberbord, Rocha Dverka Kats, Roth
and Rosa Sverchkova, z”l
Dmitriy and Svetlana Umanskiy
Bernice Fallik, In Honor of Anne Gaile Weisbly-Waldinger *
Green’s Bat Mitzvah
Zaidy’s *
Bernice Fallik, In Honor of Bernice Health and Wellness/COLLAGE
Fallik and family
Jay and Rose Phillips Foundation
Bernice Fallik, In Honor of Muriel Sharon Sloane
and Bruce Bayroff
In-Kind Gift
Bernice Fallik, In Honor of Bernice Shari Hansen
Fallik
Poppy & Pine – For Resident Council
Jeffrey Gisin, In Memory of Mikhail Sandy Wolf
Blyumkin, z”l
Kavod on the Road
Harriet Keehn, In Memory
Leslie Beltrami
of Deceased family and loved
B’nai Havurah
Ones and In Honor of her Jim Cohen
family
Colorado Agency for Jewish
Alla Khazanova, In Memory of Education
Redecca Zinaida and Joseph Fritz Friedland
Isidor, z”l
JEWISHcolorado
Michael and Wendy Klein, In Cynthia Land
Memory of Ethel Morris, z”l
Elizabeth Naidu
Irina and Mikhail Pines, In Memory Bernard and Roberta Naiman
of Mikhail Blyumkin, z”l
Erwin Shulkin
Alla Khazanova
Temple Sinai
Michael and Wendy Klein, In Women’s League of BMH-BJ
memory of Rabbi Stephen L’Chaim Conference
Booth Nadav’s sister Barbara, Boomers Leading Change in Health
z”l
Judaism Your Way
Seth and Carol Ward, In memory Life Enrichment
of Rabbi Stephen Booth- Kristin Friedrich and Legacy
Nadav’s sister Barbara, z”l
Resident Council – Holiday Gift Bags
Vivian Weinstein
Ellen Brown
Gaile Weisbly Waldinger, In Roselle Leviton
Memory of Irwin Hoffberg, z”l
Cargill Food Distribution
Gaile Weisbly Waldinger, In Russian Books
Memory of Edith Morris, z”l
Elena Berlinsky, In Memory of Gaile Weisbly-Waldinger, In honor Tatyana Berlinskaya, z”l
of Seth Ward
Shul
Nioussia Abeleva, In Memory of Abel Abelev, Fira Abeleva, z”l = zichrono livracha/ of blessed memory
Yevsey Abelev, Yakov Treyger, * = In Kind Gift
What Will be Your Legacy?
Leona Helmsley was a billionaire.
She specified in her will that her
multibillion-dollar hotel and real
estate empire should go entirely
to dog-related charities. The
“Hotel Queen’s” Last Will and
Testament also named her dog,
Trouble, as a beneficiary of twelve
million dollars. Everyone except
Leona thought she was crazy. She
might have considered leaving
her billions to her children, other
family members and, perhaps, her
favorite charities through a legacy
gift. However, Leona did none of
those things. She preferred dogs to
people and left her riches to them.
Clearly, legacy gifts are a matter of
passion and dedication.
Although Helmsley’s situation is
unusual, it does show the power
of legacy gifts. These gifts allow
donors to remain loyal to the
causes they supported throughout
their lives. Often families or
individuals with modest estates
shy away from bequests. They
think that only folks with Leona’s
billions should consider planned
gifts. They fear that planned
giving will be very complex and
expensive. The truth is that
charitable gifts can easily be
included in a will.
As a friend of Kavod Senior Life, we
would appreciate your willingness
to provide for our long term
success through your estate
planning. Bequests are critically
important to the continued
success of our organization. They
provide a source of support that
is not subject to fluctuations in
the economy. Please consider
including a gift, small or large, in
your will. Leave a legacy of loyalty
to Kavod.
Contact your legal advisor to
include Kavod Senior Life in
your estate planning. Please feel
free to contact Kavod’s Director
of Development, Gaile Weisbly
Waldinger, at 720.382.7819 or
gwaldinger@kavodseniorlife.org
with any questions.
Development Corner by Gaile Weisbly-Waldinger
In last my last column I talked about the exciting
preparations for Kavod’s first fundraiser, Food
Truckin’ on South Adams Street. The event has come
and gone and I am pleased to report that it was a
great success. As the sun broke through a very cloudy
sky, 225 guests arrived for a wonderful evening. They
sampled dishes from four food trucks and enjoyed
hamburgers, Vietnamese food, Kosher Mediterranean
food and nitrogen infused sorbet for dessert. Wine
and beer flowed freely as Temple Emanuel’s Rabbis
Joe Black and Brian Immerman served as celebrity
bartenders. While great music was played by Hal
Aqua and The Lost Tribe, a talented balloon artist,
Jason Stone from A Twisted Event, wandered through
the crowd and entertained adults and children with
his incredible balloon creations. The highlight of the
evening was the presentation of a declaration from
Mayor Hancock to Sharon Roth, the event honoree,
declaring August 27, 2015 as Sharon Roth Day in
Denver. It was an evening filled with friends, food and
fun while successfully fundraising for the remodeling
of Kavod’s new kitchen. Thanks to all who attended.
We look forward to an even bigger version of this
event next year.
So, what’s next? The kitchen opened last week and
we celebrated! We hosted a Grand Reopening for
the community on Thursday, December 3rd. In
addition to cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres and tours of the
new facility, Rosenberg’s Deli presented a cooking
demonstration. If you were not in attendance, we
hope you will visit the vibrant community that is
Kavod Senior Life.
Wondering what to do with your used car, truck, motorcycle or boat?
Donating your old vehicle to Kavod is convenient, easy and may qualify you for a
tax deduction. Best of all, your donation makes a big difference in supporting us!
Call 1.866.628.2277 or go to vehiclesforcharity.org/Donate/Kavod.html
PAGE 5
Save the Date!
Construction Update from Kavod Dining Services
It may seem like a long journey to the end or better
yet to our new beginning, but we are very close, at the
time of this writing, to completing the construction of
the new kitchen. Final inspections, punch list and other
adjustments are currently being done. Plans are well
underway for our anticipated move into the new space
and the removal of our temporary kitchen trailer is highly
anticipated.
There is tremendous excitement around the opening of
the new kitchen. As you may know, Kavod’s residents
have been extremely patient during this massive
construction project. The new kitchen will offer Kavod’s
residents food options that were previously unavailable.
The modern, state of the art equipment will allow our
chefs to transition from solely producing food on a
large scale to providing customized options. Meals
will be fresher and more nutritious. The view into the
new kitchen allows residents and guests to see what is
happening in a very attractive environment.
The finishing touches are also underway in the new
hallway and lobby and should be done at the beginning
of December. We invite you to come and see all of the
wonderful changes for yourself!
Your Friends at
Kavod Senior Life
Wish You a Bright and
Happy Chanukah!
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Temple Emanuel, Denver
♦ A Conference & Resource Day for community seniors, their family members and community professionals
♦ Keynote Speaker Peninnah Schram, internationally known storyteller, teacher, author and recording artist
Kavod’s Executive Chef, Yohannes Soeprasetyo
and Director of Dining Services, Doug McCaw
stand proudly in the kitchen’s entryway
♦ Multiple Workshop Options
♦ Registration Opens Early 2016
Visit lchaimdenver.org for more info!
Brought to the community by:
A stunning interior view of Kavod’s new state of
the art kitchen
Kavod Residents Cruise to Alaska
Kavod residents had the time of their lives on a cruise to
Alaska in early September. The week-long trip was staffed by
four Kavod staff members. Six residents as well as ten nonKavod residents participated. Most participants on the trip
were in their 70s and 80s, plus resident and non-resident
family members joining the cruise.
“It was just a wonderful trip,” commented Linda McCanne,
Kavod resident and active member of the Travel Club. “I
enjoyed eating with the group at night. And the scenery up
there is so different than it is here. It was a very enjoyable
trip, I loved it.”
“We talked about what excursions they did that day, how
everything was going and what they were going to do the
next day. Many wonderful shared stories!”
Staff is beginning initial conversations and plans for a 2017
trip to Israel, hoping to find ways to subsidize the cost. This
trip will also be open to non-residents that wish to join. The
Kavod Travel Club also went on a cruise to the Bahamas in
2013 and on a bus trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon in
the spring of 2014.
The Life Enrichment staff works hard to find quality trips
at an affordable price and many months of planning go
into these excursions. Many residents would be unable to
organize or afford an all-inclusive trip without the assistance
of Kavod’s Life Enrichment and Travel Club. One benefit is
that participants are able to pay costs in installments over
many months, rather than paying all at once up front.
Staff prepares and plans for these trips for nearly a
year, making sure that all details are taken care of. The
Norwegian cruise line was chosen because of favorable
reviews and a good reputation for great senior customer
service, obviously a high priority for the group.
“We enjoyed dinner as a group every night on the ship,”
said Connie Moore, Kavod’s Director of Life Enrichment.
PAGE 6
Kavod residents, community members and staff on board
the Norwegian cruise ship. Top to bottom, left to right:
Henry Solano, Todd Macleod (Staff), Bob Simons, Jacqueline
Crumb, Iona Hinshaw, Dana Thornton (Staff), Kay Owens,
Jan Perkins, Janine Solano, Ariadna Gheorghiu, Tom
Lutrey, Michael Gutzait, Amalia Solano, Connie Moore
(Staff), Ralphie Lutrey, Ellen Brown, Hollice Stander, Linda
McCanne. (Not pictured: Marla Kahhan) Photo taken by:
Dmitriy Umanskiy (Staff),
PAGE 7