(Courtesy of Jewish Home) Martinis and mezuzahs—who knew they would make a perfect combination? On March 10 Jewish Home supporters and their guests gathered at the Jewish Home at Rockleigh’s new Charles P. Berkowitz Center for Rehabilitation Excellence for tours of the facility followed by martinis, hors d’oeuvres, desserts and affixing mezuzahs to 30 of the resident room door posts. “I think my friends and I were all surprised how meaningful it was to be a part of the completion of the building in such a profound way,” Jewish Home Foundation board member Garret Bedrin said following the evening.

Jewish Home at Rockleigh staff assisted with the tours as guests arrived, followed by remarks by Jewish Home Foundation board Chairman Howard Chernin and Jewish Home Family President and CEO Carol Silver Elliott. Jewish Home Family’s in-house chaplain, Rabbi Jerome Berkowitz, gave the blessing for the placement of the mezuzahs after a few words about what this mitzvah meant; he also led a moment of silent prayer for those under attack in Ukraine. The group then spread out to nearby households (the home-like, small-house philosophy has replaced units with households) and went from doorway to doorway sharing a very special moment together.

The Center for Rehabilitation Excellence is scheduled to open this spring and will provide in-patient and out-patient services, warm water aquatics therapy, life skills environments to promote home safety and independence and rooms outfitted for any future challenges with in-wall medical gases, negative pressure rooms and bariatric options to serve patients of all sizes.

For more information contact [email protected].