Menorah Park Opens Center to Assure Syracuse Residents’ Quality of Life

Menorah Park, a continuum-of-care campus in Syracuse, NY, is committed to serving the aging Central New York population in a holistic way. The recent opening of the Abraham Shankman Wellness Pavilion, smack in the middle of Menorah Park’s main building, places a high value on the integration of mind, body and spirit to achieve health and wellness.

To this end, the Shankman Pavilion consists of elements that cover various aspects of health and wellness, and all contribute to the quality of life of its residents:

• The Jim & Arlene Gerber Bistro, located in the former Menorah Park café area, is the centerpiece of the Shankman Wellness Pavilion. The Bistro, serves a healthy kosher menu with an emphasis on “mindful eating”. It is open every day to residents, families and anyone looking for great food in a contemporary and comfortable atmosphere. Take-out is available, and organizations and business groups are also welcome to hold meetings and events at the Bistro.

• Fox’s Den Sports Bar allows residents, family and friends to watch a game on large screen TVs, and enjoy beverages and snacks you’d find at a local establishment.

• Dr. Irving & Dorothy Goldman Piano Lounge complements the Bistro and Fox’s Den with Happy Hour entertainment and other musical programs.

• Anne & Hy Miller Theatre, fully-loaded with audio-visual equipment, shows films, hosts small theatrical performances, holds lectures and other activities that stimulate mental fitness.

• Sephardic Home for the Aged Foundation Arts and Minds Community Room houses Syracuse Jewish Family Services’ Early Memory Loss program, the Memory Café, events for the special needs Havurah group and more.

• Solomon Family Technology Center used donations from the Jewish Teen Funders Network to create Intergenerational computer classes taught by teens and delivered to residents.

More is planned under the Abraham Shankman Wellness Pavilion umbrella including outdoor spaces encompassing new gardens, walking paths, gardens, fountains and more.

These new approaches to wellness look beyond the immediate medical concerns of the individual resident and try to incorporate other dimensions such as social, intellectual and emotional aspects. “Programming at the Shankman Wellness Pavilion,” said Andy Fox, past vice president of the Menorah Park board, “will be comprehensive, include all dimensions of wellness, and engage campus residents, families, staff and the community in the process.”