No Holocaust survivor should have to suffer the indignities of aging alone or struggle to meet the costs related to growing older. That’s why UJA’s Community Initiative for Holocaust Survivors supports agencies like Selfhelp, which provide life-affirming care.
This is the story of just one client.
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Shimon*, a Holocaust survivor, was 101 years old and living in a nursing home when a New York State Supreme Court judge referred him to Selfhelp’s guardianship program. It had been discovered that Shimon was not receiving the care he deserved: he was fed non-kosher food against his request, and, when he asked for a haircut, the nursing home shaved his head – an act surely among the most re-traumatizing events for any Holocaust survivor.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, our partner immediately took charge. They initiated the process of becoming Shimon's guardian and placed him at a highly regarded Jewish facility, navigating many bureaucratic hurdles to secure a new insurance provider that would cover his new nursing home.
When Shimon finally left to move to the new facility, he turned to his social worker and said, “I am free.”
Shimon thrived in his new environment, attending Shabbat services, singing and even dancing at social events. His social worker brought him rugelach and babka, chatted with him in Yiddish, and celebrated his 102nd birthday with him over marble cheesecake (Shimon’s favorite).
Several months later, when Shimon was diagnosed with metastatic cancer, his guardianship team worked to ensure that Shimon received the appropriate medical care. When his diagnosis and prognosis were determined, they placed him in a Jewish hospice agency so he could be as comfortable as possible at the end of his life, in accordance with his wishes.
