Dear Friend,

I recently had a conversation with Mark, a Jewish Home resident, who told me about a fascinating lecture-cum-exhibition he had attended at the Home. The presenter, Barbara, spoke about her experiences in East Africa, focusing on music, art, botany, ecology, conservation and the environment. She also brought along a number of Makonde carvings, works of art made from African blackwood. These carvings may depict men and women carrying out customary roles within their community or be of intertwined figures participating in ceremonial rituals. Some of this traditional art portrays several generations derived from a common ancestor, known as “people trees.”

This art form really seemed to resonate with Mark. As we chatted, we came to the conclusion that the Home could be seen as a people tree – generation after generation supporting our venerable organization, our collective achievements made possible through the commitment of those who came before, by those who currently champion our endeavors, and with room to “grow our tree” as we welcome new individual and community-based supporters.

The pleasure that Mark got from this lecture and exhibit is, in fact, thanks in large part to the support and generosity of community. The event was featured during the Home’s annual Summer Arts Festival – a four-month-long celebration that comprises culturally themed lectures, performances, concerts, and outings. Now in its 11th year, the festival is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the George & Dorothy Saxe Family Fund, a named fund at the Home. Dorothy and George Saxe decided to sponsor this annual happening because “it speaks directly to our interest in the performing and visual arts,” they say.

I hope your summer is proving to be as enjoyable as that of our Jewish Home family’s, who, thanks to our “people trees,” are engaged in lifestyle-enriching and -enhancing programs and activities.

Daniel Ruth
President & Chief Executive Officer

With thanks to a grant from the Jewish Community Endowment’s Newhouse Fund to support the acquisition of new rehabilitation equipment for the Home’s Fitness for All program, our residents have additional measures to maintain or improve their strength, range of motion, circulation, balance and functional mobility. Similarly, our short-term rehab patients can strengthen by following an exercise program and so reach their recovery goals.

One of the newest pieces of equipment, the unweighted treadmill system, is proving to be extremely beneficial. Not typically found in long-term care facilities, the unweighted treadmill offers those recovering from a stroke, or other orthopedic or neurological conditions, as well as patients with postural limitations, the opportunity to walk on a specially designed geriatric treadmill.

Jim Weslow, the Home’s director of Rehabilitation Services, explains that the unweighted system takes off a person’s body weight, but allows the individual to walk and move freely. Its ability to remove pressure from the spine is equivalent to having patients doing pool exercises.

Says 89-year-old Jewish Home resident Edie Sadewitz, who has a postural deficit of the spine, “Because of the work I’ve done on this treadmill, I’m no longer dependent on a cane, have less spinal pain, my posture’s improved, and I can walk faster. It’s really made a significant difference to my quality of life.”

“In my declining years … I decided to write a book about my life. I think it was not an ordinary one,” begins resident Rakhil Lantsman’s concise memoir. Read more to learn why the Russian saying “A man is weaker than a fly but stronger than iron” echoes true for Rakhil. Read More

There’s more than one way to cut a calorie. Here are six that do not require a lot of thought or effort. And they really work!

1. Trim down portions at home
According to a study of 18 recipes published in The Joy of Cooking since it was first released in 1936, home-cooked meals today have 63 percent more calories per serving. One major reason may be the 33 percent increase in serving sizes. Either halve recipes, or store half the food for another mealtime as soon as it's cooked.

2. Skip sweetened drinks
People who eliminated just one sugar-sweetened beverage a day from their diets lost more weight over six months than those who reduced the same number of calories from solid food, according to a Johns Hopkins University study. Researchers speculate that liquid calories are less satiating, leaving one hungrier.

3. Eat protein at every meal
In a European study of 205 slimmed-down men and women, those who ate about 25 percent of their daily calories from protein had an easier time maintaining their weight loss. Protein keeps one feeling full longer and uses more calories during digestion than do carbohydrates and fat, concluded the researchers. Good choices include three ounces chicken (26g protein), three ounces tuna (22g), 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (14g), 1/2 cup soybeans (11g), or one cup quinoa (8g).

4. Begin with broth
Research shows that about 20 percent fewer calories will be consumed if the meal starts with soup rather than going right into the main course. Be sure to avoid high-calorie cream-based varieties, though.

5. Juice the veggies
Vegetable juice may help quell the appetite and control calorie consumption. When University of California, Davis, researchers had a group of men and women follow a low-calorie, heart-healthy diet, those who drank at least eight ounces of low-sodium vegetable juice daily lost four times more weight than those who omitted the healthy beverage.

6. Make your own snack packs
Dieters actually ate more when given prepackaged 100-calorie snack packs than when they received larger packages, reports a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research. These products may be perceived as low-cal “diet” food, but in reality they tend to be sugary and nonfilling, so it may be hard to stop at just one. A better (and cheaper) option is to buy a big bag and portion out one’s own sensible servings.