Inside CJE November 2025
We are thrilled to present Inside CJE! Our digital digest is packed with exciting news about CJE SeniorLife’s various communities, programs, and services—and delivered straight to your inbox. Find out what’s happening at CJE!
-
At CJE SeniorLife, compassion and innovation come together to create award-winning dementia care that truly makes a difference. Our programs are thoughtfully designed to support individuals with cognitive challenges and their families, fostering a warm environment where everyone feels valued. Dementia-related services are woven throughout the agency, with dedicated staff offering a wide range of engaging programs that encourage social connection, lifelong learning, and independence – no matter where someone is on their journey.
For those living in the northern suburbs, CJE offers a range of dementia care services and programs – close to home and convenient. From residential care to an engaging adult day program, our offerings are thoughtfully designed to support individuals with cognitive challenges and provide meaningful resources for family caregivers.
Please visit Weinberg Senior Living in Deerfield, Illinois or call 847.374.0500 to learn more!
Read on to discover what’s available.
- Friend Center
Friend Center offers memory care in a residential setting, at Weinberg Community for Senior Living in Deerfield, along with Gidwitz Place for Assisted Living. The Friend Center has 40 residents, each with a private suite. When a new resident moves into Friend Center, the staff meets with them and their family to determine the optimal level of care and support systems for that person.
Friend Center offers a full array of activities. “During the day, we have structured programming with enrichment staff, including dance movement, music therapy, art therapy…there’s always something going on during the day,” says Friend Center Manager Stefanie Durcan. “We have different programs for different levels [of cognition], a sensory activity, or sorting, or folding, etc.” The life enrichment program staff creates the programs and brings together the clients who are appropriate for a particular program. Activities also include scenic drives and outings when weather permits.
- Adult Day Services
The north branch of Adult Day Services (ADS) takes place at Friend Center. There are approximately 20 participants on any given day, some of whom are dropped off by family members and some of whom come via CJE transportation services. When families are considering ADS, Nursing Manager, Cleme Telosa, meets with them and schedules an abbreviated trial day, to make sure there is a fit between client and curriculum. Once a new client joins the program, Telosa and her staff observe them closely to get to know them and understand their likes and dislikes, to help them feel comfortable and at ease.
ADS at Weinberg offers tremendous flexibility for families. Clients can attend for full days, half days, and can even take advantage of extended hours as needed.
Like its Evanston counterpart, the Deerfield campus hums with activity. “We have arts and crafts related to upcoming holidays, trivia, brain exercise like puzzles, singing and concerts—we try to schedule a live concert at least once a week—and a lot of seated exercise, yoga, balloon volleyball, and more,” says Telosa. “The goal of the program is flexibility for the family, and to keep the clients engaged.”
- Support Group Family Caregivers
Another important part of dementia care is working with and supporting family caregivers. Social workers at Weinberg Community, Carrie Cutler and Catherine Miller, cofacilitate a support group on the first and third Thursdays of every month for family caregivers. The first is virtual only and the other is hybrid in person and virtual. Attendees discuss some of the most difficult issues facing family caregivers: isolation, grief, guilt, what the future holds, and of course, their own mortality.
- Dementia Reality
Training and Support for Those Caring for Someone with Dementia Caring for a loved one with dementia can be challenging—but you don’t have to do it alone. Family caregivers in need of hands-on training and practical support can turn to Dementia Reality’s Family Caregiver Course for guidance and encouragement.
Offered at several locations, including Weinberg Community, this engaging 2.5-hour session combines interactive discussion with immersive virtual reality technology, offering a powerful experience that helps family caregivers see the world through the eyes of the person they’re caring for. Participants leave with essential tools and insights to provide compassionate, confident care, while helping their loved ones stay safe, connected, and engaged.
To learn more or register for a class, visit http://www.DementiaReality.org/family-caregivers.
-
While CJE SeniorLife’s services and residences are open to those of all faiths, its mission is firmly rooted in Jewish values, which guide and inform the organization. Rabbi Michelle Stern heads the Department of Spiritual and Religious Life, recently renamed the Maxine and Rabbi Mordecai Simon Spiritual and Religious Life Program. The Spiritual and Religious Life Program has two fulltime employees, a part time student rabbi, contracted clergy members, and a dedicated group of volunteers who are integral to its work. The purpose of Rabbi Stern’s department is to help residents and clients connect with any aspect of Jewish or spiritual life that might support them in their personal journey. “I think about how we can best serve the holistic health of our clients and residents, in connecting them with what are sources of meaning for them,” explains Rabbi Stern, who currently serves as the president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis.
The Holidays
The Jewish calendar is full of holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah in the fall, Passover in the spring, Shavuot in the summer, and many holidays, holy days and weekly Sabbath observances in between. Rabbi Stern and her team bring these special events to Weinberg Community and other CJE residences, holding services and observances for residents. Prayerbooks have been created in house with the residents in mind and include thoughtful features such as large print to help with legibility and spiral binding to make them easier to hold.
The Spiritual and Religious Life team works with many other CJE programs, including Adult Day Services and those that take place in the Delighter/Winston Center for Aging Well, to make sure that everyone who wants to observe a Jewish holiday has that option. In fact, it is working to expand its reach into more areas of CJE, to touch more people seeking spiritual support, including participants in My Go-To Place, and affordable housing residents. “I want everyone who wants to have the opportunity to shake the lulav and etrog,” says Rabbi Stern.
Because she cannot be everywhere at once, she also meets with residential staff to advise them on how to acknowledge upcoming holidays, and she and her colleagues are also available to staff members to answer questions they might have about how to enrich the holiday experiences for residents.
Educational Programs
Education and learning are core Jewish values as well, and the Spiritual and Religious Life Program upholds those by hosting educational programs with a Jewish teaching or Torah portion, followed by a discussion group. Recent educational sessions at Weinberg Community centered around the concept of obligation and current events in the U.S and Israel. On Tuesdays, Rabbi Stern leads Torah Tuesday at Friend Center, talking about a Jewish concept or holiday, with an art program or other sensory experience to provide additional stimulation and engagement for participants. Some recent topics: The spices of Shavuot, and the sounds of the shofar. In addition, a new discussion group is starting at Village Center, to take place once a month; its first focus was: constructive ways to argue, disagree, and listen to one another.
Pastoral Care and Ethics
The Spiritual and Religious Life Program may also come in at the end of life. Rabbi Stern, who is also a board certified chaplain, regularly provides pastoral care at Weinberg Community for those who are ill and for their families, to support them through pain and sadness. She provides pastoral care in other branches of CJE upon referral from other departments, such as legal services or counseling, and is frequently called upon to advise on end-of-life issues consistent with Jewish values and to help alleviate isolation that residents may be feeling.
All Are Welcome
There is such a wide variety of religious traditions among the residents and clients of CJE SeniorLife: Some join with no religious background, and others come with a very high level of observance. The Spiritual and Religious Life Program ensures there is room for all. “I like to think of our department as a hug around the agency,” says Rabbi Stern. “We want to infuse a sense of spirituality or Jewish values in what we do and help teams of people be more equipped to address people’s needs.”
-
With so many meaningful causes to support, choosing where to give can be personal. For many donors, it’s about feeling a true connection to the mission – and that’s where CJE stands out.
“Every day, 11,000 people in the U.S. turn 65,” says Stephanie Smerling, Vice President and Chief Development Officer at CJE. “As the needs of older adults grow, so does our responsibility to meet them with dignity, compassion, and care.”
While CJE receives vital support from the Jewish Federation, it also raises money through foundation grants, partnerships with local businesses. For example, CJE is one of the two hometown charities of McGrath Evanston Subaru and nationally through Share the Love, the car company’s campaign to support local organization’s Meals on Wheels programs. Other money comes through community campaign events like #GivingTuesday, tribute gifts in honor or in memory of a loved one, bequests, and from generous donors who are dedicated to our mission. There are so many ways to give to CJE. One of the most visible expressions of support for CJE SeniorLife is its annual fundraiser, Celebrate CJE, which takes place every autumn. The event brings the community together with outstanding food, incredible entertainment, and meaningful insights into CJE’s wide range of programs and services that support older adults and their caregivers.
Caring for our older loved ones requires significant resources, and the cost of providing quality care continues to rise. That’s why fundraising for CJE is not just a priority—it’s a continuous and vital effort. Fortunately, the need is widely recognized. People understand the importance of ensuring that older adults have access to safe housing, nutritious meals, and compassionate care.
There is a shared sense of responsibility and empathy that drives support for our mission. “Most of us have known an older adult who’s made a lasting impact on our lives,” says Stephanie Smerling, Vice President and Chief Development Officer at CJE. “It’s heartbreaking to imagine any senior going without food, shelter, or support. That’s why our mission matters so deeply. We provide vital services—meals, housing, care—and we’re unique in our exclusive focus on older adults and those who care for them.“
For more information about donating to CJE, please visit https://cje.net/waystohelp/donate/ or call the main number at 773.508.1000.
-
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Celebrate CJE–what a night! From meaningful moments to Modi Rosenfeld’s unforgettable performance, the evening was filled with laughter, connection, and purpose. Experience a bit of the excitement with our photo gallery of the evening. View gallery >>>
