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'Aging With Dignity'

Jewish Senior Life unveils three-year strategic plan.

Larry Tisdale, nominating co-chair; Fred Blechman, outgoing

president; Hannan Lis, incoming board member; Libby and Leo
Sklar, friends of Jewish Senior Life

Bill Carroll
Contributing Writer

T

wo years after a merger, and one
year after hiring a new chief exec-
utive officer, Jewish Senior Life of
Metropolitan Detroit is moving forward
in its efforts to support aging with dignity
in the Jewish community for its more
than 800 residents in seven facilities, plus
other senior adults living on their own.
About 200 JSL officials, employees and
supporters gathered June 21 in the Norma
Jean and Edward Meer Apartments dining
room in West Bloomfield for the organiza-
tion's Annual Meeting and installation of
officers.
"Jewish Senior Life
is the central address
and resource for the
full continuum of care
for older adults in our
Jewish community," said
CEO Rochelle Upfal. "We
look forward to lead-
Rochelle Upfal ing the way as we work
together to best serve
the elderly of today
and tomorrow. Our culture continues to
transform as we focus on treating each
individual with dignity, care, sensitivity
and understanding."
In the JSL's annual report, Upfal
unveiled a comprehensive three-year
strategic plan for the organization, and
described completion of almost $4 mil-
lion in energy-efficient renovations at
some of the JSL buildings, with almost
100 percent of the funds coming from the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development's Green Retrofit Program.
"In some cases, this included new
floors, carpets, paint and heating and
cooling system repairs," she said.

42 July 7 • 2011

Nancy Siegel Heinrich, incoming president, with her sons

Daniel and Noah Siegel and her parents, Gloria and Marvin
Siegel

Hechtman Rebirth Cited
She pointed out that the One Number
program, the central phone number
(248-661-1836) for older adults to call for
assistance, is "open for business," and told
how JSL's signature communitywide Eight
Over Eighty program, which partnered
in May with the Frankel Jewish Academy,
"raised more money than ever before." She
declined to give a figure.
Upfal cited JSL's Hechtman II
Apartments, which were renovated and
refurbished after an almost disastrous fire
three years ago. She also said JSL's website
has been enhanced and biweekly "e-blast"
communications have been added.
The three-year strategic plan consists of
six parts: (1) continue to be the lead agency
for the elderly with the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit; (2) emphasize brand
identification so all of the community's
older adults will know who to contact for
their needs; (3) continue to explore and
expand JSL, mainly in relationship to other
agencies, such as the Jewish Community
Center, JVS and JFS; (4) expand and imple-
ment a development plan within the frame-
work of required expenditures; (5) main-
tain financial stability; and (6) establish a
purpose-driven culture to enable continued
growth and new initiatives.
"The plan is general in nature, but now
it's up to our managers and others to get
together, roll up our sleeves and work out
the details:' said Carol Rosenberg, director
of the JSL Foundation, the group's main
fundraising arm. "To keep us going, we
need contributions from wills, endow-
ments, tributes and ongoing fundraising
projects. The only way to continue mean-
ingful programs for our senior adults is to
keep bringing in the dollars.
"For years, we relied on many philan-
thropic families — the Fleischmans, the

Suzy Mulka, adminstrator, Prentis

Apartments, Oak Park; Jun Buison,

environmental services, Prentis

Apartments, recipient of the 2011

Blumbergs, the Hechtmans, the Prentises,
the Covilles, the Teitels, the Meers, the
Browns and others — to help us and to
have their names on our facilities. Now, a
new generation of philanthropists must
step forward and rally to our cause."

$19 Million Budget
JSL took in $2,599,590 in contributions
and grants in the fiscal year ending May
31; $560,630 was from endowments. The
Federation and Jewish Fund contributed
$1,046,840. The organization has a $19
million annual budget and 230 employees.
Upfal and Rosenberg declined to corn-
pare employment figures from the time
of the merger between Jewish Home and
Aging Services and Jewish Apartments
and Services (JAS) two years ago and the
present. Nor would they say how many
former JAS employees have left since the
departure last year of Marsha Goldsmith
Kamin, former JAS director, and sev-
eral other JAS management employees.
Reportedly, a number of other former JAS
employees have left since then.
"We don't want to keep discussing the
past and old headcounts; that's all over
with; that's behind us:' Rosenberg said.
"This is the dawning of a new era at JSL."
Nancy Siegel Heinrich of Royal Oak was
installed as new JSL president, succeeding
Fred Blechman of Bloomfield Hills.
"We must remember that JSL is car-
ing for our parents and grandparents, the
same people who built this community
through the years and made it what it is
today," she told the audience. Heinrich
also received the JSL's 2011 Award of
Excellence.
Blechman's presidency was marked by
many committee meetings and work ses-
sions that led to the merger.
"There's no doubt that the biggest

Michael Cloonan Employee Excellence

Award; Marcia Mittelman, administrator,

Meer Apartments, recipient of the 2011

Sherman Award for Social Workers

accomplishment of my term as president
was the seamless merger of JHAS and
JAS," he noted.

Honors Given
The JSL's President's Award went to Geri
Margolis of West Bloomfield and Hannah
Moss of Huntington Woods for their
innovative programming within the JSL
Auxiliary.
The Sandra and Dr. Alfred Sherman
Award was given to Marcia Mittleman,
administrator of Meer Apartments.
The Michael Cloonan Employee
Excellence Award went to Jun Buison, an
employee in the Environmental Services
Department.
Also installed as officers are Mark
Davidoff and Jeffrey Fleischman, both
of West Bloomfield, and Karen Sosnick
Schoenberg of Birmingham as vice presi-
dents; Leo Eisenberg of Birmingham as
secretary; and Eli Scherr of Farmington
Hills as treasurer. I

JSL Residents
At A Glance

Living quarters in 7 facilities: 908
Residents: 866
Single women: 612
Single men:156
Married couples: 49
Average resident age: 84
Youngest resident: 35
Oldest resident: 104
Average length of stay: 5.3 years