16 | JULY 25 • 2024

Compassionate Caregiver
Jennifer Kellman, longtime recreation
coordinator/site supervisor at The Dorothy
and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult
Day Program in West Bloomfield, has received
the Sandra and Alfred I. Sherman award that
honors individuals who provide excellent,
professional and compassionate care to
seniors served.
The Brown Program is a joint initiative
of Gesher Human Services and Jewish
Senior Life and provides innovative and
engaging activities and care for those
living with dementia along with support
for their families at its two centers in West
Bloomfield and Southfield. Kellman, who
has been with the program since it started
in April 2000, received her award at the
Jewish Senor Life 14th Annual Meeting.
“The Brown Center participants are what
I love the most about my job. The rela-
tionships and interpersonal connections
we develop make it extremely rewarding
and a privilege to spend time with them,”
Kellman said.
She explained that many participants
were very interesting, with varied life expe-
riences.
“Whether they are smiling, laughing or
thanking me for a fun day it helps reaffirm
that I am making a difference in their lives,”
Kellman said. “Their hugs at the end of the
day convey so much to me without words.”
Brown Program Director Debi Banooni
said Jennifer not only carries with her the
whole history of the center but also pro-
vides compassion, dedication and creativ-
ity to the program, participants and their
families as well as the staff.
“The Brown Program is truly lucky to
have her on the team,” she added.

Jennifer Kellman with her family, from left to right,
son Cameron, husband Marc and son Jaden

The Matthews Family Foundation,
which features vibrant university
level courses that have already begun
inspiring and engaging residents at a
high level.
Several Jewish Senior Life
awards were presented by Tracey
Proghovnick, Jewish Senior Life’s
director of residential marketing
and community relations. Jennifer
Kellman, the site supervisor at the
Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish
Community Day Program, received
the Sandra and Alfred I. Sherman
Award, which honors individuals
who provide excellent, professional
and compassionate care to JSL cli-
ents. The Michael Cloonan Award,
created in memory of a long-time
beloved JSL employee, was given
to Zynobia Adams, live-in building
attendant at Prentis Apartments,
as well as to Ciera Gordon, a med

passer and personal care attendant at
Coville Assisted Living and Memory
Care Community, both in Oak Park.
Heinrich presented JSL’s 2024
Award of Excellence to Neil Satovsky,
who accepted via video from out of
the country. This award celebrates
remarkable individuals from within
the JSL family or from outside in the
community who have made a lasting
impact on the lives of older adults,
improved the agency or the lives of
our residents through board work or
philanthropic gifts. Satovsky served
as past president of the JSL board of
directors and is an outgoing board
member, having served to honor the
memory of his father who enjoyed
living at Meer Apartments.
Jewish Senior Life installed its
2024-25 officers and board mem-
bers. New president, Jason Fisher,
expressed his gratitude and enthusi-
asm for upholding the JSL mission.

Nancy Siegel Heinrich, Deborah Rosenthal and Mark Kowalsky

JSL’s Tracey Proghovnick and award recipient Zynobia Adams

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