Louis Pollack and Nathan
Schechter share a table
at the required evening
meal.

26

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1991

Ex Plaza. She also made application
to JFA.
"I was a little leery about coming
out here (to Hechtman)," Mrs.
Freedman recalls. "I don't have
transportation. But as I walked in
the door they were saying the bless-
ings over the Chanukah candles —
I'll never forget that."
That Jewish atmosphere is a
critical factor for many residents,
and may be at odds with federal
rules.
"The Fair Housing Act of 1989 re-
stricts us," Mrs. Naimark says. The
minimum age for JFA residents is
mandated at 62, but the law also
allows younger handicapped
residents. "But younger han-
dicapped residents don't always get
along well with people in their 70s
and 80s.
"There is a small percentage of
non-Jews," she says. "People know
it is a Jewish building and that we
will keep it that way. Anybody is

welcome — if people are eligible (ac-
cording to HUD guidelines) they are
eligible. But we celebrate Chanu-
kah, not Christmas. We're not going
to hide our Jewishness."
There are 13 non-Jewish residents
in the Teitel building, which opened
last year. The Prentis building has
five non-Jews. The kosher food pro-
gram discourages non-Jewish ap-
plicants, Mrs. Naimark says. "One
man told me he would really miss
his pork chops."
But Mrs. Naimark believes that
federal budget cutbacks will place
even more pressure on JFA from
non-Jewish applicants seeking
HUD-subsidized housing. On this
issue, and for handicapped persons
who require more support than the
agency offers, the federal courts may
ultimately have to rule on the HUD
and JFA guidelines.
The handicapped are a very small
percentage of JFA residents, but in
each building a handicapped person