Kramer Agencys Sixth Annual Homebound Mitzvah Program to Reach 2,200 Jewish Seniors

On Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 4 and 5, 2002, more than 160 volunteers will load their cars, and deliver free Jewish New Year packages, to an estimated 2,200 appreciative, homebound seniors in the community, as well as in area hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and assisted living facilities in Palm Beach County, Fla.

West Palm Beach, Fla. - On Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 4 and 5, 2002, the Sixth Annual Homebound Mitzvah Program for the High Holidays will be held by the Lola & Saul Kramer Senior Services Agency, Inc.

Rosh Hashanah is the holiday that marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year 5763. This year, it begins at sundown on Friday, Sept. 6. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year, which follows 10 days later on Sunday evening (Erev Yom Kippur), Sept. 15. Together, they are referred to as the High Holidays.

This year, the start of Rosh Hashanah is Friday night, which is also the Jewish Sabbath - making this a very unique holiday. To honor this event, a number of our volunteers will be delivering Homebound Mitzvah packages, and at the invitation of participating seniors, will be staying to share a special Shabbat" and Rosh Hashanah dinner.

In total, it is expected that more than 160 volunteers will load their cars, and deliver free holiday packages, to an estimated 2,200 appreciative, homebound seniors in the community, as well as in area hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and assisted living facilities. Deliveries will originate from both the Morse Campus in West Palm Beach at 4847 Fred Gladstone Drive, as well as at the Morse Adult Day Center on the Alex & Esther Gruber Jewish Community Campus at 8500 Jog Road in Boynton Beach.

The High Holidays package includes one kosher meal for Rosh Hashanah and one for pre-Kol Nidre, holiday candles and wine. Participants will also receive a videotape of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services conducted by Rabbi Alan Sherman, chaplain with the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and director of Religious Activities at Morse Geriatric Center, and Cantor David Feuer from Temple Emanu-El of Palm Beach. A specially printed prayer book to accompany the videotaped services is also included and the Kramer Agency loans out numerous video players - at no cost - to those who need it.

The mission of the Kramer Agency centers around the goal of maximizing the concept of aging-     in-place by allowing clients to remain safely in their homes for as long as possible while receiving an appropriate array of support services.

The Kramer Agency continues to go to great lengths to fill the void often felt by homebound Jewish seniors during Jewish holidays and currently offers the Homebound Mitzvah Program for the High Holidays, Passover and Shabbat. Sponsored through a major grant from the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and by the generosity of 45 Mitzvah Makers," the Homebound Mitzvah Program brings the spirit and traditions of the Jewish holidays into the homes of seniors throughout the community who might otherwise not be able to attend synagogue services or celebrate with loved ones. Since its inception in 1997, more than 20,000 deliveries have been made by program volunteers.

For additional information about the Kramer Agencys programs and services, or to become a Mitzvah Maker, contact (561) 616-0707.

The Lola & Saul Kramer Senior Services Agency, is a not-for-profit affiliate of the Joseph L. Morse Geriatric Center. Opened in 1983, the Morse Geriatric Center is a 280-bed state of the art long-term care facility in West Palm Beach, Fla.
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