Home Community Community News The 60th Anniversary of the Sephardic Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

The 60th Anniversary of the Sephardic Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

In 1948, the New York Sephardic community with roots in Turkey, Greece and Yugoslavia envisioned an innovative home for the aged where their elders could live surrounded by friends in a culturally familiar environment. In 1951, the Sephardic Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was established, with 58 residents. Since then, the home has been taking care of elderly Jewish people from both the Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities. The home’s mission is to provide the elderly with the best quality of life in a respectful, dignified, safe, and compassionate environment in accordance with Jewish tradition.

Since the home’s founding, it has continuously met the changing needs of the local community. In 1974, 1983 and again in 2000, three major capital campaigns helped to expand the home to a 271 bed, modern, full service nursing and rehabilitation center.

The Sephardic Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is widely known and highly regarded for its outstanding, compassionate nursing and medical care. Their services include, short and long term rehabilitation; orthopedic care; cardiac and stroke rehabilitation; physical, occupational and speech therapies; a dental clinic; and gastronomy feeding. In addition, the home provides IV therapy, pain management, wound care, respiratory therapy, tracheostomy care, ostomy care, palliative and hospice care. Their holistic approach considers the emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of each individual.

A full time director oversees the Sephardic Nursing and Rehabilitation Center’s award winning and unique Alzheimer’s and dementia enrichment programs, which are designed to enhance the residents’ strengths instead of dwelling on what they have lost. The home is consistently at the forefront of elder care, embracing new methodologies and concepts. They also have a highly successful Adult Day Care Program.

Residents enjoy home cooked delicious gourmet glatt kosher, cholov Yisroel meals. The home’s Syrian, Egyptian, Lebanese and Yemenite residents enjoy weekly programs conducted in their native languages by our Arabic/Hebrew/French speaking Rabbi Avram Amar. The rabbi also provides spiritual support for residents and families and conducts religious services three times daily in our beautiful synagogue.

Residents lead active lives by participating in activities that are as varied as the resident’s interests, including music, dance, art, movies and frequent parties and trips. The home’s recreation director and staff ensure that residents are engaged in activities that promote mental, social and sensory stimulation through group activities and individual leisure pursuits. Residents and visitors are encouraged to stroll in our beautiful outdoor gardens and park, or just enjoy the beautiful landscaping. It’s the perfect place to relax and enjoy the fresh air.

The Sephardic Nursing and Rehabilitation Center’s Russian-speaking staff conducts excellent programs to enable residents from the former Soviet Union to feel at home.

You are invited to join us as we celebrate our 60th Anniversary on March 8, 2011 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. For further information, or for a tour, please contact Director of Development Bella Vais at (718) 266-6100 x 312.