Skip to main content

Jewish Rehabilitation Center for Aged of the North Shore (Mass.) Records

 Collection
Identifier: I-575

Scope and Content Note

The Records of the Jewish Rehabilitation Center for Aged of the North Shore consists of programs from annual meetings and recognition dinners, as well as a 50th anniversary dinner in 1995 and a “Dynasty”-themed event in 1986. In Folder 4, there are also some miscellaneous photographs and newspaper clippings documenting events held at the JRC. A small group relates to the Ladies’ Auxiliary, and one photograph is of Cantor Morton Shanok.

Dates

  • undated, circa 1961-2004

Creator

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for researcher use. Please contact us to request access or to make an appointment to view this collection at jhcreference@nehgs.org.

Use Restrictions

There may be some restrictions on the use of this collection. For more information contact jhcreference@nehgs.org.

Historical Note

The Jewish Rehabilitation Center for Aged of the North Shore (JRC) was founded in 1945 as the Jewish Convalescent Home. A group of men and women from Lynn, Massachusetts, led by Rabbi Herman Bick of Congregation Anshai Sfard, determined a need for a convalescent home for the sick and elderly members of the North Shore community. Through outreach and fundraising efforts, the group purchased their first facility at 147 Washington Street in Lynn. The Ladies’ Auxiliary raised money to furnish the building and purchase linens for its residents.

By 1951, the purpose of the organization had changed from a convalescent home to a permanent residence for the elderly. Along with their evolving mission, the name of the center changed to the Jewish Home for the Aged.

A 1964 study undertaken by the National Council of Aging and the Jewish Federation of the North Shore found that the North Shore required a larger, more modern facility to meet the needs of the community’s older population. Thereafter, the Jewish Home for the Aged began planning and fundraising to fulfill the community’s needs. In 1966, they changed their name to the Jewish Rehabilitation Center for Aged of the North Shore (JRC).

The new facility opened its doors in 1972 and quickly reached its capacity of eighty residents, while filling a long waiting list as well. The JRC added 100 beds over the following couple of years, and dedicated the Shapiro-Rudolph Adult Day Center in 1985.

The JRC continued to expand, update, and add new services through the 1990s. With the opening of the Woodbridge facility in Peabody, which provides a variety of housing options for its residents, the JRC became the largest not-for-profit home for the elderly on the North Shore.

References

  1. Materials from the collection.

Chronology

1945
The Jewish Convalescent Home is founded.
1951
The Jewish Convalescent Home becomes the Jewish Home for the Aged.
1964
A study into the needs of the elderly on the North Shore is undertaken.
1965
A committee is established to plan for the expansion of the Home.
1966
The Jewish Home for the Aged is renamed the Jewish Rehabilitation Center for Aged of the North Shore.
1972
The new facility opens.
1977
An addition to the new facility is completed.
1985
The Shapiro-Rudolph Adult Day Center is dedicated.
circa 1989
Cantor Morton Shanok becomes Religious Cultural Coordinator.
1997
The Woodbridge Assisted Living Residences opens.

Extent

0.5 linear feet (1 manuscript box)

Abstract

The Jewish Rehabilitation Center for Aged of the North Shore (JRC) was founded in 1945 as a convalescent home for the elderly in the North Shore Jewish community. Over the years, the organization expanded and became a permanent residence for the elderly, and with the opening of its assisted living facility in Peabody, the JRC became the largest not-for-profit home for the elderly on the North Shore. The collection contains programs for meetings and events, as well as a small group of photographs and newspaper clippings.

Physical Location

Located in Boston, Mass.

Acquisition Information

Donated by the Jewish Heritage Center of the North Shore in 2013.

Processing Information

Processed by Shannon Struble, 2015.

Title
Guide to the Jewish Rehabilitation Center for Aged of the North Shore (Mass.) Records, I-575
Author
Processed by Shannon Struble
Date
2015
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at American Ancestors Repository

Contact:
99-101 Newbury Street
Boston MA 02116 United States
617-226-1245