KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTED
Stories from Residents,Volunteers, Families, and Staff
December 23, 2020
Meer residents were treated to lovely Chanukah gift bags from the Blanck-Komisar family, who's loved one, Sadie Komisar, lives at Meer. Thank you for thinking of our residents this holiday season!
December 16, 2020
To make the holidays a bit brighter for our residents, Oak Park staff put together these beautiful gift bags!
December 16, 2020
Prentis and Teitel staff embraced the season of giving by providing gifts and donations to Lighthouse of Oakland County. Their kindness and generosity will go a long way making this holiday season very bright and happy for a designated family.
December 14, 2020
Residents and staff in West Bloomfield enjoyed a beautiful Chanukah Parade with almost 100 cars cruising around campus that was organized by Rabbi Shneur Silberberg of Bais Chabad!
December 14, 2020
Hundreds of Jewish Senior Life residents and staff in Oak Park got in the Chanukah spirit as they watched a menorah car parade, complete with singing and dancing from the boys of Yeshiva!
December 11, 2020
200 Holocaust Survivors of Metro Detroit received these lovely Chanukah gift bags from CHAIM and the Program for Holocaust Survivors and Families. Thank you for making their holidays a little bit brighter!
December 10, 2020
To get in the holiday spirit, some of our beloved Meer residents shared their favorite Chanukah memories. Enjoy!
December 10, 2020
Our Oak Park staff celebrated the beginning of Chanukah with their rendition of "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel"!
December 4, 2020
Exercise instructor, Michelle Black, has been leading Meer residents in fun exercise routines to stay in shape while they stay safe in their apartments. All of the residents love following along!
December 3, 2020
During this season of giving, Prentis and Teitel Apartments collected 9 bags full of donated shoes from Oak Park residents! The shoes will be donated to Soles4Souls to give to those in need.
November 27, 2020
Shout out to our dedicated staff that spent their Thanksgiving this year working to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our beloved residents. Staff at Coville Assisted Living got in the holiday spirit with these turkey-tastic headbands!
November 25, 2020
Special thank you to our staff for putting together these lovely Thanksgiving gift bags for all of our residents! These bags of cheer are sure to make everyone’s Thanksgiving a little brighter.
November 12, 2020
Despite this difficult year, Fleischman residents came up with many things to be thankful for.
Fleischman resident, Dr. Herb Sherbin, served for 2 years in the US Army.
November 6, 2020
Celebrating our residents who have served on Veterans Day has been a longtime tradition at JSL. Since they are not able to have large gatherings this year, Meer Apartment residents were asked to write meaningful letters to veterans and widows, thanking them for their service. Letters were collected and placed in special binders which will be presented to the veterans in lieu of congregating. Enjoy reading these special letters in the link below.
November 5, 2020
Meer residents were excited to start participating in social distant activities again this week like arts and crafts! Thank you to everyone that has helped donate supplies for resident use.
October 26, 2020
A huge thank you to sisters, Alexa and Madison, for making sunshine cards for our residents! Your creativity and generosity make our residents smile.
October 23, 2020
Meet Bill Miller, Meer Apartment’s Beloved Mailman
Bill was born in 1958 at Pontiac General Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan. They moved to Novi where he went to Novi High School and graduated in 1976. Bill grew up with four sisters and two brothers. He was very involved in various sports in High School. He enjoyed playing baseball, hockey and golf. When Bill was 16 and his sister was 14 they won the National Championship for roller-skating in their age group.
Three of his brothers-in-law were in the Army and in the Marines and were deployed to Vietnam. Two returned wounded physically. One brother served in the Air Force.
When Bill was fourteen years old, he started working after school and weekends for Marian’s Clothing store which was situated on Grand River and Haggerty. He would stock shelves and organize the shelves. It taught him responsibility and to save money. Bill’s father and two brothers worked as boiler makers. Bill became a certified welder and worked for two and half years and was able to save enough money to be able to pay for college. He left shortly after for Jackson College (no longer exists) a small private college in Jackson, Mississippi. Bill did not want to enter the service because of the stigma attached to Vietnam. A friend of his suggested to major in music and history. He loved to play the saxophone. After graduating, Bill taught history in a private school and worked as an administrator in St. Louis, Missouri. He met his first wife in St. Louis and they had two boys, Eric and Evan.
He was not making enough money to support his family and decided to go back to working as a welder. He was able to find work in Michigan, Toledo and in California. When work became slow, Bill’s first wife wanted to move to Michigan. Bill’s sister signed him up for a test at the post office where he scored 92. A year and a half later, in February of 1986, he was hired.
He was shortly divorced and was very involved in raising his two boys. He loved going fishing with his boys and traveled to Las Vegas, Chicago, and especially to Key West in Florida. Seven years after working at the post office he met his second wife, Dawn, also a postal employee. They have been happily married since June of 2002.
Bill believes that we have to be able to adapt and to handle anything that is coming to us respectfully and gracefully. He believes in working hard and dedicating yourself to being kind to others.
Thank you, Bill, for delivering mail to Meer Apartments these last 12 years. Thank you for being such an exemplary person in such difficult times.
We will miss you when you retire in October.
October 22, 2020
Residents from both Teitel and Prentis were given the opportunity to hitch a safe ride on the JSL bus to drop off their completed ballot at the Oak Park city hall drop box today!
Our resident voters were recently featured in the Jewish News, talking about the importance of voting.
October 18, 2020
Federation's Young Women's Philanthropy brought carloads full of cheer to brighten up our residents' days in West Bloomfield. Everyone loved the cheers, honking horns, decorations, and colorful signs! Thank you for making our residents feel so special.
Fleischman Resident, Judy Martin, enjoyed the Care-A-Van so much she wrote a letter of appreciation.
"My name is Judy Martin and I live at the Fleischman Apts. Yesterday there was a ray of sunshine at our residence. Your cars came streaming through so beautifully decorated and your darling children waving and smiling at us. I live on the second floor and I was waving from my balcony. When the children noticed me, they smiled and waved so enthusiastically! It made our day in a most positive way! What a kind and beautiful gesture. Our deepest appreciation, Judy Martin"
October 15, 2020
This Saturday, Coville resident, Ruth Goldstein turns 102! Ruth was born in Brooklyn, New York the youngest to 3 brothers. Upon graduating from high school Ruth worked at the Daughters of Israel Nursery. One day she was standing outside waiting for the children to exit and she locked eyes with the handsome and dapper Jerry Goldstein who happened to be walking down the street. Ruth says that it was love at first sight. Ruth and Jerry married on September 7, 1940 and shared 45 beautiful years together. When Jerry retired as a men’s clothing designer, they moved to a condo in Tamarack, Florida and enjoyed retirement and spending time with friends. In January 1986 Jerry passed away and Ruth stayed in Florida for several years before moving to Michigan in 2005 to be close with her daughter, Carole Goldstein-Oppenheim. Jerry and Ruth were blessed with two beautiful children. Lenny, who currently lives in Long Island and Carol, who resides in West Bloomfield.
Additionally, she has two handsome grandsons who she is very close with. A plaque in Ruth’s room sums up her relationship with her family: “To the world, you are a mother. To your family, you are the world.” Ruth attributes her longevity to her loving family and friends. When asked if there was advise that she would be give the next generation, she said that is imperative to be kind and to love one another. When Ruth moved into Coville in 2009 she developed close relationships with other residents, their families and staff members. Over the years staff have enjoyed listening Ruth’s stories of New York as well as, reminiscing about the photos in her room. She is always available for good conversation and advice. During the winter months when the work day is over, Ruth will remind staff to bundle up and “button their necks” before leaving. It is truly an honor to have Ruth at Coville.
October 15, 2020
Hechtman resident, Evelyn Cantor, turned 103 this week! Read what her advice is on staying young.
Q: What is the secret to your longevity and good health?
A: It runs in my family. My mother lived to 94!
Q: What do you do to stay young?
A: I walk, eat healthy and laugh a lot!
Q: What would be your advice to your younger self?
A: Enjoy what you do.
Q: Is there anything you wanted to do but never got to?
A: Travel to Israel.
Q: What was the best decade for you?
A: My 40’s because I was travelling with my friends. It was a fun time.
Q: What is your earliest memory?
A: Picking up my baby brother, Samuel, from his crib by the neck! My mother, with a panicked look, calmly walked toward me and took him from me.
Q: Any regrets?
A: I can’t think of any. I would want to do it all over again!
October 15, 2020
Exciting news at Fleischman Residence! Residents have started enjoying socially distanced dining. They were all so happy to be able to be together.
October 9, 2020
Miggy is a certified therapy dog who runs errands and grocery shops for our residents with his owner and JSL volunteer, Julie!
October 9, 2020
FRIENDS of JSL has been busy putting together their 2020 Lives Well Lived video starring some of our spectacular residents from our West Bloomfield and Oak Park campuses. Join our celebration on November 22nd at 11am at jslmi.org/lwl!
October 1, 2020
Our residents have been enjoying beautiful outdoor performances by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as a holiday gift from the Isaac z"l & Yetta Pann Bikkur Chaverim Fund at Temple Israel! All of our residents and staff thoroughly enjoyed these beautiful performances and the lovely holiday card from both organizations. Thank you for bringing the gift of music to us.
September 24, 2020
High School students Harry Feber and Joshua Balan helped West Bloomfield campus residents celebrate the holidays last friday by blowing their shofar for everyone to hear.
Harry has come to blow the shofar for the residents for 5 or 6 years, ever since he took part in the Dor L Dor program.
Thank you to all of our volunteers who are making a difference in the lives of our community members.
Oakland County Mask Donations
Needlework and Textile Guild of Michigan
Caring Cards for Covid-19
Letters Against Isolation
Repair the World
NEXTGen Detroit Volunteers, Women’s Philanthropy TOV (Tikkun Olam Volunteers)
Israeli Group Grocery Shoppers
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit
Gracefully Greying
Real Simple
Individual Volunteers
Pen pals
Grocery shoppers
Mask Makers
Artists