Summer 2022 Kavod Connections

Teen Board Wins AJAS Jewish Programming Award

THE STORY OF ILAN RAMON From The Holocaust to Outer Space

OVATION JEWISH HOME

HEALTHCARE TEAM SUPPORTING COMMUNITY NEEDS

A Message From the CEO

MICHAEL SATTELL

In this issue of Kavod Connections we are proud to introduce you to Teen Ovation, an initiative recently chosen by the Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS) for a distinguished Jewish Programming Award. We are so proud of this recognition and the great honor to be able to share it with Jewish senior living communities around the world.

AJAS, founded in 1960, serves as a meeting place for innovation and thought leadership to drive outstanding mission based elder services. Ovation Communities has a long history of active participation in AJAS, with Nita Corré having served as its Chairperson, and I currently serve as Treasurer.

Through our involvement we are one of over 100 organizations, worldwide, committed to sharing best practices to assist each member community to excel. Our Jewish Programming Award, our second in five years following Rabbi Steven Adams Holocaust Survivors’ Seder, recognizes innovative programming that can be easily replicated by other AJAS members.

Please read further, on page 4, about what inspired Tanya Mazor-Posner, our Vice President of Development, to launch this amazing program.

Teen Ovation Board Wins Jewish Programming Award, Blueprint For Facilities Worldwide

In the midst of the pandemic, and faced with a lack of intergenerational engagement with our elders, the Jewish Home and Care Center, under the guidance of VP of Development, Tanya Mazor-Posner, created a new teen led organizational board, Teen Ovation.

Designed to teach leadership and career skills, while fostering relationships with residents and other teens by participating in discussions and activities, the board has been awarded the Association of Jewish Aging Services Jewish Programming Award.

Just one year after its creation, Teen Ovation’s impact has been felt not just at Ovation Communities, but throughout greater Milwaukee.

“I’m so proud that we won the Jewish Programming Award from the Association of Jewish Aging Services at its most recent national conference,” Mazor-Posner said. “Teen Ovation has been recognized as a model for other organizations to follow.”

“I love that we finally have a teen leadership group that really works in tandem with our older adults and our community,” Mazor-Posner continued. “Our board is about getting teens together whether they are Jewish or not. Our teens come from different schools, walks of life, backgrounds and experiences. Teens of all faiths and backgrounds ranging in age from 13 to 19 are eligible to apply.”

Just one year after its creation, Teen Ovation’s impact has been felt not just at Ovation Communities, but throughout greater Milwaukee.

New co-presidents, Eliana Tabak (sophomore at Nicolet High School), Maddie Weber (senior at Homestead High School), and Joey Arnstein (freshman at Nicolet High School), are looking to expand on Teen Ovation’s presence within the community.

Photo Above: Teen Ovation board members proudly display the AJAS Jewish Programming Award. L-R: Adina Pullin, Olivia Kleyman, Sarah Li, Jack Graskamp, Maddie Weber, Ellee Tabak, Alex Wilano, Ayahmi Johnson, and Joey Drouin.

“I think that under leadership from a teenager, this can become more widespread and reach other teens,” Tabak said. “I hope that under my leadership Teen Ovation can be a model for other facilities, both Jewish and nonJewish, in its ways of connection and intergenerational learning.

“We hope that soon we can begin to organize more community projects and hold larger-scale events with the residents,” Tabak continued, “My goal is to get as many actively involved members to continue the legacy of Teen Ovation.”

Gathering monthly, Teen Ovation board members participate in various social, mitzvah, and intergenerational activities such as, a summer picnic where the teens made garden decorations to add to one Ovation’s outdoor resident gardens, safe in-person gatherings with Ovation

residents, and making hand-made Rosh HaShanah cards for each resident.

In addition to building friendships, Teen Ovation is designed to help teens learn communication and leadership skills, while also participating in fundraising activities and sensitivity training in volunteering with older adults.

“I think it’s so important to hear from everyone on their opinions and lives,” Weber said. “I hope to learn the life skill of communication. Not everyone communicates in the same way or has the same ideas, but I want to be able to hear out every idea I can on any topic or situation.”

“You never know where the next good idea is going to come from, and I think we underestimate the power of a good conversation with a wiser person.”

The AJAS Jewish Programming Award recognizes Jewish programs developed and implemented by AJAS organizations that are innovative, creative, and specifically designed to enhance the spiritual well-being of the older adults they serve.

If you or any teen you know is interested in joining the Ovation Communities Teen Ovation board, please contact Tanya Mazor-Posner at TMazor-posner@ovation. org, or call 414-721-9260.

Ovation’s Healthcare Team Supports Community’s Needs from Medicine to Daily Life

Medical directors Dr. Raul Mateo and Dr. Nancy Reeder are a critical part of Ovation Jewish Home’s interdisciplinary medical care team, working alongside the nursing department, led by Director of Nursing Laura Bauer. We recently sat down with Dr. Mateo and Dr. Reeder to learn more about what makes this partnership so successful.

Q: How is Ovation’s medical team structured to support resident care?

Dr. Mateo: Our responsibility as medical directors is to oversee and implement the high quality of care that is needed at a senior living community like Ovation. It really goes far beyond

the two of us and takes the entire nursing team to complement and fulfill what we do. We wouldn’t be able to do it without Laura and the rest of the nursing team.

Q: How did you get started in this profession and what brought you to Ovation?

Dr. Mateo: I started my career in family medicine and quickly fell in love with geriatrics and pursued it as a specialty. Nita Corré asked me to fill in temporarily at the Jewish Home when the last medical director retired, and I’ve stayed for 30 years! I immediately felt part of the community and loved the way it ran; I just never left.

Dr. Reeder: My background is in internal medicine and my interest in geriatrics was sparked when a friend and I cared for a 92-yearold neighbor. I realized that at any

age, if you get the right support from your medical team and community, you can have a good life. Dr. Mateo and I became acquainted through Milwaukee’s medical community and several professional groups. I’ve always looked up to him as a mentor, and I’ve enjoyed working alongside him as part of Ovation’s team for the past 15 years.

Q: It’s unique to have two medical directors on staff. Tell us a bit about that

Drs. Mateo and Reeder: We’re both certified medical directors, which is rare in the field, and actively involved with the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. We’re lucky to be able to work together to support each other and Ovation’s residents.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working with Ovation?

Dr. Mateo: The satisfaction I get from caring for the residents. You really get to know them, and they become part of your family and part of your life. Just spending time listening or having dinner together sometimes does more for a person’s overall wellbeing than any medicine I could prescribe. It gives me a real sense of happiness. Also knowing the staff are so united, work so well together and support each other is very satisfying. Every time I leave Ovation I feel like a part of me stays behind.

Dr. Reeder: Walking into Ovation is just like coming home. Engaging with residents and hearing about their days and their lives adds a whole other dimension. I’m always struck by Ovation as being the most enjoyable place to do what I’m doing. Everyone on the team strives to do their very best and I’m always confident the residents are well cared for.

DR. RAUL MATEO Family Medicine, Geriatric Medicine Aurora Health Care

DR. NANCY REEDER Internal Medicine

Ascension Medical Group

“There is so much value in having active and engaged medical directors and we’re fortunate to have two of them,”

SAID KATIE QUINTANILLA, OVATION JEWISH HOME ADMINISTRATOR.

“Dr. Mateo and Dr. Reeder truly want what’s best for the residents and the staff, they care very deeply for our entire community.”

From The Holocaust to Outer Space: The Story of Ilan Ramon

This annual Holocaust Education Program is funded through the Sidney and Nina Widell Fund of the Jewish Home and Care Center Foundation.

Born in 1954 to Holocaust survivors Eliezer and Tonya Wolfferman, Ilan Ramon grew up to become Israel’s first astronaut. On Sunday, May 8, 2022, Holocaust educator David Bitan shared the inspiring story of Ramon’s family ties to the Holocaust and his journey to outer space.

“When we’re talking about the Jewish people and the establishment of Israel,” Bitan said, “the story of the Ramon family beautifully describes the connection between the Holocaust disaster and this unbelievable achievement of being the first Israeli in space.”

Inspired by his family’s survival of the Holocaust, especially his mother’s

survival of Auschwitz, Ramon joined the Israel Air Force (IAF) and accumulated thousands of hours of flight time. He was the youngest fighter pilot to participate in the 1981 bombing operation of Iraqi nuclear facilities and worked his way up to the rank of Colonel by 1994.

In 1997 NASA was preparing a flight crew for the Space Shuttle Colombia, due to his flight experience and the recommendation of his superiors, Ramon was selected to join the crew. As a Payload Specialist for the crew of seven and their research and experiment mission, Ramon and the Space Shuttle Columbia launched on January 16, 2003.

“Spending 15 days in Space, Ramon honored his heritage and religion by observing the Sabbath and requesting Kosher food for the mission,” Bitan said. “In addition, Ramon brought with him an Israeli flag, a copy of the Israel Declaration of Independence, the Torah, and maybe most symbolically a picture drawn by Petr Ginz who perished in the Holocaust.”

“Petr Gintz was deported to Auschwitz where he was eventually killed, but his drawing survived,” Bitan continued. “Imagine at 14-years-old, a little boy drawing earth from the moon, and who is going to fulfill this vision? This unbelievable dream? This is how influenced by the Holocaust Ilan Ramon was and how important it was for him to represent the Jewish and Israeli people as the first Israeli astronaut.”

After 15 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes and 32 seconds in space, Space Shuttle Columbia began to prepare for reentry.

Upon reentry, on February 1, Columbia suffered catastrophic damage and exploded just 39 miles from landing at Kennedy Space Center. There were no survivors.

According to an official investigation, it was determined that upon launch the space shuttle orbiter’s left wing was damaged when part of the polyurethane foam insulation on the external tank broke off. The heat shield was compromised due to damage sustained during the initial ascent. The heat of reentry was free to spread into the damaged portion of the orbiter.

Posthumously, Ramon was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush in 2004.

“This is one of the things that represents the achievements of Ilan Ramon as a great leader for the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” Bitan said. “As the only foreigner ever to get this award from the President of the United States, it is an unbelievable honor.”

Through his family and his achievements, Ilan Ramon’s legacy continues to strengthen and grow. Prior

to her death in 2018, Rona Ramon set up and organized the Ramon Foundation, in honor of her husband and son, Asaf.

“Asaf was following in his father’s footsteps and was often recognized as one of the best young pilots in the IAF,” Bitan said. “At 21 years-old and six years after the death of his father, during a training exercise, Asaf tragically lost his life.”

According to the Ramon Foundation website, “Based on the educational paradigm of Ilan and Asaf Ramon, we have built an impressive network of educators who work from the Upper Galilee to the Southern Negev in Israel. This combination of incredible leaders work to inspire and educate young adults and students alike.”

View the entire Ilan Ramon presentation by scanning the QR code.

Above: “Moon Landscape,” was drawn by Petr Ginz while he was in Auschwitz. A copy was given by Yad Vashem to Ilan Ramon to take aboard Space Shuttle Columbia.

Below: The crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia: Rear (L-R): David Brown, Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson, Ilan Ramon; Front (L-R): Rick Husband, Kalpana Chawla, William McCool.

Ovation Communities Public Relations Manager

Get to Know Ryan Berlin

Ovation Communities is thrilled to welcome Ryan Berlin to the team. Ryan joined Ovation in January 2021.

Having a passion for people and storytelling, Ryan Berlin, Ovation Communities new Public Relations Manager, knew immediately that Ovation Communities was the place for him.

After moving to Milwaukee in 2016 with his wife Adrienne, Ryan knew that he wanted to expand on his career. A journalist by trade, Ryan graduated from Central Michigan University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism.

“When we moved to Milwaukee, I was looking for something more career wise,” Ryan said. “I had worked as a writer, journalist and magazine editor. I knew I was looking to take the skillset I already had and add to it.”

Post-graduation, Ryan kicked off his career in journalism working at a smalltown newspaper in Mount Pleasant, Mich. While working as a journalist Ryan

was exposed to the public relations side of communications and decided to pursue it as a career.

After making the switch to PR, Ryan worked for two years as the communications director for the American Power Boat Association before being promoted to the director of operations.

While working as a writer for a trade magazine in Milwaukee, Ryan went back to school to get a master’s degree in public relations from Kent State University.

“When I got my master’s degree, I bounced around a little bit professionally,” Ryan said. “It took me some time to find my niche within public relations. I worked for a couple of different agencies and agency life just wasn’t for me. I wanted to work directly with people, working toward a specific mission and Ovation has given me the opportunity to do that.

“Jumping into this position and getting to talk with residents and listen to their needs and telling their stories has been one of my favorite aspects of the job.”

“My favorite part about working in public relations is being able to tell a story through an organization’s mission, vision and core values,” Ryan continued.

“I believe this positively impacts both the residents and the community as a whole.”

Ryan is a one-person department at Ovation, and his role focuses on promoting all aspects of the organization. This includes managing digital and print advertising and developing different campaigns that align with Ovation’s overall mission.

Some of Ryan’s main duties include working with and engaging residents, overseeing external communications, managing and updating social media platforms, producing content for the quarterly newsletter and updating the website.

“Jumping into this position and getting to talk with residents and listen to their needs and telling their stories has been one of my favorite aspects of the job,” Ryan said. “I love engaging with the residents and the rest of the team, it feels great to be part of a community both here at Ovation and in Milwaukee.”

One of Ryan’s main goals for the future is expanding Ovation’s social media presence. He wants to highlight the activities, events and living that goes on at Ovation. He would also love to see Ovation’s social media presence expand to platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

While serving the Ovation community Ryan plans on continuing to position the organization as an industry leader in assisted and senior living.

“I want to break the stigma of senior living facilities being referred to as a ‘home.’ Ovation isn’t just residents sitting around, there is so much life here that I want to showcase and highlight,” Ryan said. “I want to show the community what life is really like here and the care and expertise that Ovation has to offer.”

About Ryan

FAMILY

Ryan is married with two kids, Maxine (4 years old) and Eli (8 months old) and two dogs, Kofi and Sasha.

MILWAUKEE FAVORITE

Since his family is relatively new to the city, they love to explore and try new things. One of Ryan’s favorite Milwaukee hangouts is Sobelman’s where he and his family order the Bloody Beast annually on Maxine’s birthday for the sake of a size comparison.

SPORTS

Born and raised in Detroit, Ryan is also a proud fan of the Lions, Tigers and Pistons.

Photo top: Ryan, his wife Adrienne, brother Stu, and children Maxine and Eli, enjoy their annual trip to Sobelman’s for Maxine’s fourth birthday.

Photo bottom: Ryan, and his wife Adrienne attended Wrestlemania 32 and Wrestlemania Axxess on their honeymoon in Dallas, Texas.

Ovation Communities Recognized For Partnership with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

In August of 2014, Ovation Communities partnered with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing in an effort to improve the quality of life, human dignity, and healthcare outcomes for residents and older adults worldwide. Now, In recognition of eight years of research and collaboration, Ovation Communities has been awarded the UWM College of Nursing Community Partnership Award.

“Beginning with Dr. Christine Kovach, and now with Dr. Murad Taani, the research we have been able to help facilitate has been inspiring,” said Ovation Communities President and CEO Michael Sattell. “We are honored to be able to contribute to the betterment of our community and for seniors in long-term care facilities around the world.”

contributions in collaboration with the college of nursing at UWM,” Dr. Taani said. “Second is to demonstrate creative approaches to building partnerships with the College of Nursing at UWM. Lastly, we had to showcase collaborative partnership activities which assist in fulfilling the mission of the college of Nursing at UWM which benefits the broader community.”

Funded by a grant from the Jewish Home and Care Center, research has primarily focused on alleviating the range of human suffering that comes in the context of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

The Community Partnership Award recognizes individuals or organizations who have been engaged in collaborative activities to address community needs and health issues in society.

Submitted by Dr. Taani, the award criteria consists of three main objectives. “The first is demonstrating sustained partnership and meaningful

Retiring in 2020, Dr. Kovach was succeeded by Dr. Taani, whose research focuses primarily on improving lung health, strengthening respiratory muscles, and increasing physical ability in older adults.

“I was mentored by Dr. Kovach over the years,” Dr. Taani said. “When the opportunity arose to build on the work she had done at Ovation Communities, I jumped at the chance.

“The partnership provides the necessary resources, facility, and access to residents, that fosters and helps promote research and improve health outcomes and quality of life in older adults,” Taani said. “It’s a win-win for everybody; for residents, students, researchers, UWM, and Ovation Communities. I can’t thank Ovation Communities enough for this partnership and collaboration. We are working to keep this going for the foreseeable future.”

Photo: Ovation Jewish Home Professor on Aging, Dr. Murad Taani works with UWM nursing student on course work.

Surlow Winners 2022

Ovation Employees Recognized for Excellence in Resident Care and Customer Service

The Maurice S. Surlow Award for Employee Excellence was established in 2000 and made possible at the direction of his extended family, including Jim, Bob and Burt Zucker. Mr. Surlow was born in Hungary and immigrated with his family to Milwaukee in the early part of the 20th century.

At his passing in 1997, he left a major bequest to the Jewish Community

Foundation of Milwaukee Jewish Federation. A portion of that bequest is annually directed to the Jewish Home and Care Center Foundation. Originally working closely with Bob and now his daughter Debbie Zucker, a team of staff members who made special efforts to care for residents with the best customer service are selected.

The Spring 2022 Maurice S. Surlow Award for Employee Excellence winners are:

OVATION JEWISH HOME:

Cathy Thornton, C.N.A. and LaToya Bradley, C.N.A, holding awards; (Bianca Floyd, Laundry Aide, not pictured.) Accompanied by Scott Kwiatkowski, Patty Anderson, Katie Quintanilla.

OVATION

CHAI POINT:

Jody Steingold, Resident Assistant, accompanied by Trish Cohn and Cheryl Buckman.

Our Friends & Supporters…

We are pleased to recognize our donors whose gifts help sustain our mission. Donors are listed for contributions received between February 14, 2022 through May 15, 2022. We strive to be accurate and complete. Please inform us of any errors and accept our apologies for any oversight.

Some donations were given prior to the departure of our dear loved ones; an asterisk meaning ‘Of Blessed Memory’ is listed next to their names if this is the case.

Beatrice Miller Beauty Shop Fund in Memory of Audrey Laufman

Wendy Hirsch

Chai Point Fund

Elaine Berke

Barbara Bold

In Memory of Harry Koenig and Lisa Gorelick’s brother

Merzy Eisenberg

Leonard Levine

Tanya Mazor-Posner

In Memory of Ahava Perlman’s mother

Mildred E. Schapiro

In Memory of Doje Sherman

Dor L’Dor Corridor Fund

Aura M. Hirschman

In Honor of Gert Mollik

Education Fund

Alan Pollack

Frances and Ezra Berman Activity Fund

Michael Opitz

Golden Alliance

Enid Bootzin Berkovits

Cheryl A. Brickman

Mary Anne Selby

Hyman Kastrul Synagogue Fund

Jo Ann Aebly

In Memory of Charolette Leib

Eugene A. Bass

In Honor of Rabbi Emmer

Audrey Bernstein

In Memory of George Kracower

Barbara Bold

In Memory of Ahava Perlman’s mother

Gerry A. Cohen

In Honor of Rabbi Emmer

Patricia Cohn

In Memory of Ahava Pearlman’s Mother

Karen Drummond

In Memory of Ethel Scklore

Marshall Forbes

In Memory of Thelma Forbes

Allen Koren

In Memory of Betty Koren

Allen Koren

In Memory of Ahava Perlman’s mother

Gertrude Mollick

In Memory of Ahava Perlman’s mother

Werner Richheimer

In Honor of Bill Komisar and In Memory of Charolette Leib

Sharron Rottman

In Honor of Rabbi Emmer

Terri Schaller

In Memory of Bruce G. Rice

Rachel Stern

In Memory of Sidney Grinker

James A. Sweet

In Memory of Tillie Bodner

Jewish Home and Care Center Fund

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Network for Good

Sharon and Mike Grinker Donor Advised Fund

In Memory of Hannah, Sid and Loyal Grinker

The Bedding Group

In Honor of Marty Komisar

James H. Barnett

In Honor of Bill Komisar

Lynda Baron

In Memory of Ethel Himmelreich

Jeffrey Bensman

In Memory of Milt Kaplan

Kathleen Briggs

Howard Dubner

In Memory of Josephine Baskin Minow “This program/project was made possible by a grant from the Eillen & Howard Dubner Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of the Milwaukee Jewish Foundation

Lisa Gorelick

In Memory of Doje Sherman

Eileen Graves

In Memory of Marvin

Steven Gruen

Ellen C. Guiseppi

In Memory of Michael Markovits

Lee Hammes

In Memory of Marcella Hammes

Philip Horwitz (3)

Allen Koren

In Memory of Doris Sherman

Harriet Kozoll

In Honor of Marty Komisar

Samuel Leib

In Memory of Charlotte Leib

Daryle Malkin

In Memory of Richard M. Malkin

Miriam Mayer

In Honor of Julia Gimbel

Tanya Mazor-Posner

In Honor of Barbara DeSmet

Tanya Mazor-Posner

In Honor of Bob Michels

Arleen F. Peltz

In Memory of John Viel

Alan Pollack

Susan Pollack

In Memory of Jack Pollack

Byrda Raffe

In Memory of Doris (Doje) Sherman

Werner Richheimer

In Honor of Bill Komisar and In Memory of Charolette Leib

Merle Richlen

In Memory of Ida Pressman

Steven Rickun

In Memory of Ruth and Joseph Rickun

Steven Rickun

In Honor of Rabbi Emmer

Vicki Schober

In Memory of Ken Berke

Jill Silbar

In Memory of Doris Jean Sherman

Kenneth A. Stein

Stanley F. Teplin

In Memory of Maxine Gould

Michel Twerski

Sylvia S. Walters

In Memory of Becky, Barny, and Steve Solochek

David Weiner

In Honor of my three grandchildren

Stewart Witkov

Barry Zalben

Nita Corré Dor L’Dor Corridor

Nita & Alan Corre Donor Advised Fund

Donors are listed for contributions received between February 14, 2022 through May 15, 2022. Numbers in parenthesis indicate multiple gifts during this time period. We apologize for any errors or omissions. *Of Blessed Memory

Invest in the Heritage of our Community. YOUR SUPPORT enables us to continue to fulfill our mission.

For over

115 YEARS we have upheld our mission.

We strive to do more, providing for state-of-the-art physical, occupational and speech therapies, excellent amenities and top rated care from nurses, aides and social workers with activities that stimulate the mind, body and soul.

Gift Shop Re-Opening!

Adhering to CDC, and health official guidelines, including social distancing and facemask requirements, the Jewish Home and Care Center Gift Shop will be re-opening on June 20th.