Sir Moses Montefiore Home
The Montefiore Home is Australia’s leading aged care provider with a proud history spanning more than 120 years.
The Home provides a full range of residential aged care services within a secure, tranquil and Jewish environment and has campuses at Hunters Hill, Randwick and Woollahra. Each campus has its own distinctive style and ambience, but all share a commitment to providing exceptional levels of care and enhancing the quality of life of every one of our Residents.
The Home has a team of Diversional Therapists who design and facilitate leisure and recreation programs and help Residents overcome any barriers to participation. These programs incorporate laughter, creativity and self-expression, social opportunity and membership of a group. Individual Residents’ needs are assessed before particular activities are recommended.
The Hunters Hill, Randwick and Woollahra campuses accommodate more than 650 frail-aged Residents of which approximately 30 % are financially disadvantaged and unable to cover their own cost of care. In addition, one in three of our Residents is a Holocaust survivor; with their own complex and unique care needs. We have developed an integrated training program for our staff which equips them with the necessary skills to address these needs.
The Montefiore Home always works towards a culture of excellence in caring. This drives commitment to provide an outstanding service and optimise quality of life for every single Montefiore Resident, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Susie Solomon has celebrated her 100th birthday at the Montefiore Home in Hunters Hill.
Susie gets a Mazeltov...and flowers, from acting Hunters Hill Mayor Richard Quinn
Susie was born in Whitechapel, London on 19 January 1910 to Russian parents. She and migrated to Sydney with her parents and older brother Monte when she was two years old.
Susie’s father, a very skilled cabinet-maker, was also the cantor at the Bankstown Synagogue for many years and the family was central to Jewish life in western Sydney. Her family members comment on the fond memories of wonderful family lunches at the house in Bankstown, with at least 20 family members, all enjoying the splendid food, especially cakes, which Susie made for us, playing cricket in the back yard, playing piano rolls on the pianola, and friendly card games.
As the only daughter in a family of 5 brothers, Susie was a great source of help and care-giving to all of her family, taking devoted care of her mother until she died and then her father. Four of her brothers were soldiers with the Australian Army during the Second World War, two of whom fought in New Guinea and one went in the post-war forces to Japan. During that time, Susie’s help at home was especially important in keeping the family strong. In later life, she also took care of her two brothers Monte and Lou in their older age when they were very ill. If ever there was a good and committed woman who must be called a devoted family carer, it is Susie, much of whose life was spent taking care of others in a selfless, loving way.
Susie did not have children of her own, but she had 7 nieces and nephews to whom she was and remains close and who all honour her life, and three of her nieces attended the celebrations at Montefiore Home – Bettina Cass, Eve Bank and Rosalind Solomon. Susie remained very important in the lives of her brothers, sisters-in-law, and now her nieces and nephews, always very keen to meet her grandnieces and nephews and to hear about their lives and school and sporting achievements. Eve’s children in particular have been determined that Susie should stay alive long enough to reach this day-her 100th birthday, and she has not disappointed them. She is a woman of great will and determination.
Susie was also an expert, highly regarded dress shop manager and she loved her career in that field. She had a very keen eye for fashion, always looked beautifully dressed and smart throughout her long life. And she maintains her sense of style at the Montefiore home, loving to go to concerts, and to enjoy the gardens, properly dressed. Susie has enjoyed cooking and was an expert cook; she loved playing cards over the years with family and friends; has loved reading and until her eyesight grew too impaired, she was reading at least 3 books a week; and she loves sport, especially tennis; and she likes music. Her musical interests are wide, especially the jazz and blues of her younger adulthood life. She has a talent for friendship and caring for and about her family. She also has a great sense of humour, and can regale her family and friends with good stories. Her mind remains as sharp as a tack, full of vigour and she retains a great interest in the wider world of social affairs.
Sydney’s Montefiore Randwick care campus has been declared officially open by the Hon. Justine Elliot MP, Minister for Ageing.
With the campus now at full occupancy, the official opening celebrates an active Home that enhances the quality of life of the frail aged who are in our care.
In Montefiore President David Freeman’s address, he thanked the many people who have contributed to the creation of the Randwick campus including past Boards, Presidents, the Montefiore Development Committee past and present and his current Board and Executive.
He added: “The Commonwealth Government represented here today by the Minister, the Honourable Justine Elliot, Minister for Ageing, deserve special mention and thanks. Without the Department’s strong commitment and support for the Homes licensing and financial underpinning, this nursing home could not operate at all. The Commonwealth Government and the subsidy system in place is the backbone of the entire aged care system in Australia and we are no exception.
Accordingly, on behalf of the Sydney Jewish community I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Government and request Minister that you covey our very warm wishes of thanks to your Department for all of the assistance, support and encouragement that we have received for this project.”
Honorary Treasurer Tom Mautner, Honorary Secretary Max Kahn, Vice President Gary Inberg, Residents Maurie Zamel, Resident Josie Zamel, Hon Justine Elliot MP, Minister for Ageing, Montefiore President David Freeman AM.
The Minister spoke at length about Montefiore describing it as a ‘beautiful establishment where the staff and service is a credit to everyone,’ and
praised the ‘very very high quality of care and impressive array of services.’ She particularly noted the dental clinic, hydrotherapy pool, landscaped gardens, physiotherapy centre, the day care centre and the activity programs which contribute to Quality of Life for Residents.
She remarked that Montefiore is ‘setting a new standard and benchmark’ and said, “Montefiore has certainly lifted the bar when it comes to providing care and lifestyle.”
The evening was an elegant cocktail function for almost 250 Life Governors and other VIP guests.
After the official proceedings guests schmoozed , acknowledging the new Honour Boards bearing the names of Montefiore’s Life Governors. Numerous guests made special mention of the delicious and beautifully presented food which was all created in-house by Montefiore’s excellent catering team. Attendees were also given a commemorative book showing the creation of the Randwick campus in photos.
The facility was completely funded by our loyal benefactors and this was our opportunity to pay tribute to our Life Governors and recognise their contributions, without which this immense project would not have been possible.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert paid a visit to Sydney’s Montefiore Home in Randwick this week.
Resident Este Maget, Aliza Olmert, resident Helen Mencel and Ehud Olmert pic: Henry Benjamin
Accompanied by his wife Aliza, Olmert was taken on a tour of the Home’s facilities by Montefiore Home president David Freeman ending the inspection in one of the Home’s lounges in which residents and their families were waiting to be addressed by the former Israeli leader.
He praised the community’s efforts in having established a care facility of the calibre of the Montefiore Home and told the audience that in Israel that there were similar homes but they were the responsibility of the Government.
Olmert said he would not be discussing current “complex geopolitical problems”. But he did tell the residents, 20 of whom were over 100, that although the latest peace talks he had been involved in had not worked out, “we were very close to a breakthrough”. He commented on the extreme elements in the Muslim world, singling our Iran, who are hell-bent on the destruction of Israel mentioning the dangers of nuclear power “in the hands of Islamic fanatics.
He added: “Although it is frightening, I want to reassure you that we know how to deal with this. The existence of Israel will be secure. The destiny of Israel is that Jews will be secure and not be threatened as it was in the past”.
On a lighter note, he mentioned that”this is the largest audience I have had in many weeks.”
Ehud makes a point pic: Henry Benjamin
Olmert, has avoided the media and granted only one interview to date with Greg Sheridan, Foreign Editor of ”The Australian”. Olmert is visitng Australia under the auspices of the Australia-Israel Culutral Exchange [AICE] and will participate in high-level briefings to the members of the Australian delegation to the Australia Israel Leadership Forum which will take place in Melbourne this week.
The former Prime Minister, who is facing corruption charges in Israel, told Sheridan that he had offered Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas “the most far-reaching and comprehensive peace deal any Israeli prime minister had offered.” The deal included 94% of the West Bank and all of Gaza and included a tunnel “under Palestinian control” linking the West Bank to the Gaza Strip. The offer failed to come to fruition.
Montefiore Residents and Moriah children welcome Shabbat together
Every Friday morning, the children from Moriah College Preschool visit Montefiore at Randwick for Kabbalat Shabbat with the Residents.
Esther Abecassis and Edmee Gattengo enjoy the company of Moriah kindy children
Candles are lit by an Ima from the Home and an Ima from the Preschool and similarly, Kiddush is made by an Aba from each. Challah is passed around, songs sung and generations join in sharing this cherished spiritual and traditional experience.
In turn, Montefiore Residents visit the Preschool from time to time, to celebrate special Chagim with the children.
According to Montefiore Community Development Co-ordinator Rene Ichilcik, “At the heart of these intergenerational initiatives is the way relationships are forged between the elderly and the very young members of our community, through the act of shared religious observances. The children and the Residents all look forward to their Kabbalat Shabbat. ”
Kabbalat Shabbat is part of Montefiore’s Quality of Life program which provides Residents with a variety of social, cultural and religious activities.
The outcome of Montefiore Hunters Hill’s Government accreditation audit validates our vision “to be the leader in the field of aged care.”
Over four days in September, Hunters Hill went through the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency accreditation process that allows us to operate. Accreditation requires us to comply with 44 standards set by the Australian Government, covering four main categories – Management Systems, Staffing and Organisational Development; Health and Personal Care; Resident Lifestyle; Physical Environment and Safe Systems.
CEO Robert Orie explains; “The process is extensive and intensive, covering both desk and site audits and I’m delighted to report that we came through with flying colours, meeting all the required standards.”
The assessors confirmed that staff interviewed were “very knowledgeable and creative” and impressed them greatly. Of 20 residents interviewed all were very positive about the care and service provided. “Safe, secure, happy to be here, so lucky to have a place like this,” were oft-repeated sentiments.
In the words of the Assessment Team Leader, “[It has been an] immense pleasure being here. We have enjoyed it so much. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful. Everywhere we have gone people have been eager to share and are full of knowledge. Thank you for helping us do our job so easily.”
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