[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 105 (Wednesday, August 3, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            TRIBUTE TO METROPOLITAN JEWISH GERIATRIC CENTER

                                 ______


                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 3, 1994

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, in 1907, a group of civic-minded Brooklyn 
residents concerned about the well-being of their elderly neighbors 
pooled their energies and their resources to establish the Brooklyn 
Ladies Hebrew Home for the Aged.
  That small institution grew steadily through the years; now it is 
known as Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center--a facility that has 
pioneered a wide range of programs to serve the elderly, and which 
reflects to this day the spirit and devotion of its founders.
  Currently, Metropolitan serves more than 500 residents at its 
affiliated Brenner Pavilion in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, and 
359 at its Parshelsky Pavilion in Coney Island. Metropolitan is also 
meeting the needs of some 20,000 people in the metropolitan New York 
area through an array of outreach services and affiliated 
organizations.
  On May 20, Metropolitan gave further expression to its abiding 
concern for the health, comfort, and dignity of its residents with the 
opening of its affiliated Shorefront Jewish Geriatric Center, a 
magnificent $48 million nursing care facility that will replace the 
nearby Parshelsky Pavilion.
  Shorefront has been designated as the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg 
Pavilion in recognition of a generous gift to support its construction 
by the Baltimore-based Weinberg Foundation. A substantial contribution 
to the development of Shorefront was made also by the S.H. and Helen R. 
Scheuer Family Foundation.
  Shorefront will be fully equipped to meet the needs of the resident 
population, with special attention devoted to services for patients 
with Alzheimer's disease and other mental impairments and sensory 
disorders.
  The opening of Shorefront represents the initial phase in the 
establishment of a campus for the elderly of Coney Island.
  The second phase will be the construction of Shorefront Towers, a 
multistory building that will provide 116 apartment units for low to 
moderate-income elderly. It will be built on the Parshelsky site.
  As the sponsor of Shorefront, Metropolitan will make available to the 
tenant a host of support programs, including social services, leisure 
activities, and pastoral care. Especially important is the fact that 
this housing will enable the elderly to enjoy independence and an 
enhanced quality of life.
  The development of Shorefront Jewish Geriatric Center and Shorefront 
Towers is due in large measure to the leadership of Metropolitan--men 
and women who give selflessly of their time and energy to a truly 
worthy endeavor.
  These dedicated individuals include the members of the building 
committee: Martin A. Simon, the chairman, who also is president of 
Metropolitan, and Harold Cohen, Michael Epstein, Philip Geller, Mark L. 
Goldstein, Eli S. Feldman, Seymour Levine, and John H. Wolff. All have 
been involved for many years in programs designed to enrich the lives 
of the elderly served by Metropolitan.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a community home to such an 
outstanding organization. Social services provided by this noble group 
have helped to better the lives of thousands. The Metropolitan Jewish 
Geriatric Center is a model of benevolence and altruism for the whole 
Nation.

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