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Celebrate Jewish Holidays
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| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
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| 1 New Year's Day | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
The
most important day of the week for Jewish people is Sabbath. The Sabbath is
celebrated on Saturday. It begins Friday evening at sundown and ends at dark
on Saturday evening. The Sabbath is a time of spiritual and physical refreshment.
It is a day of rest, prayer, family and good meals. The Sabbath allows all of
us to feel fully human, at least once a week, and to put aside the worries and
concerns of the work week.
By Friday late afternoon, just before the sunset, the table is set for the festive meal. On the table are two candlesticks. Traditionally, the woman of the house lights the candles and says a blessing thanking God for giving us the Sabbath. Everyone greets each other with best wishes for a "Shabbat (Sabbath) Shalom (peaceful)." An aura of peace and tranquillity comes over the house.
We try to create an atmosphere which will give our residents the same special feeling for the Sabbath that they had in their own homes. Many of the traditional rituals and customs are followed.
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Services are held in the synagogue (Shul) every Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. and every Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. |
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Candles (electric, for safety) are available in the rear of the synagogue. Women residents can light these candles and recite blessing. |
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Wine is served after services. |
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Festive traditional meals are served. Chicken soup and chicken are most popular for the Sabbath meal. |
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The Activities Department plan special activities for the Sabbath. |
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| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 Valentine's Day | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 Presidents' Day | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
Menorah Park has a sacred trust to its residents and the community to be a Kosher campus, to observe the Jewish dietary laws. This is of extreme importance, as many of the residents lived by these rules in their own homes. To assist the Menorah Park in maintaining these high standards, a Mashgiach, a religious supervisor, regularly inspects the kitchen and all the food that is delivered to make sure that Kosher standards are maintained.
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| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 Purim Good Friday |
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| 23 Easter | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
Many
years ago, in far off Persia, a vizier by the name of Haman was a wicked man.
He hated a Jewish man named Mordecai. He plotted, with the King's agreement,
to kill not only Mordecai, but all the Jews in the kingdom. Mordecai's niece,
Esther, had become Queen of the kingdom. She had not told anyone in the royal
court that she was Jewish. Through a series of intrigues and plots, at the last
moment just before the Jew were to be killed, Haman's plan is discovered and
he is hung. The Jews are saved. Esther, the King, Mordecai and all Jews in the
Kingdom lived happily ever after. The story is told in the Book of Esther, which
is part of the Bible.
Purim means a lottery. This holiday is called Purim because the day on which the Jews were to be killed was chosen by a lottery. This story is important, not only because the Jews were saved, but because it also serves as a reminder that many other times throughout history the Jews have been saved from their enemies. Purim is the most joyous holiday of the year. Rejoicing, revelry, masquerades and pageants mark the celebration of the deliverance of the Jews of this kingdom.
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The Campus is brightly decorated with streamers and decorations with a Purim motif such as crowns, masks, noisemakers, etc. |
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A festive Purim luncheon is held in the auditorium. The chaplain of the Campus leads the luncheon and is assisted by both the Dietary and Activities Departments. The Purim story is told and acted out by members of the staff, A King and Queen are chosen from among the residents. Purim songs are sung with the accompaniment of music. |
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School groups come to visit, pass out gifts, and entertain the residents. |
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Hamantaschen are served to the residents. |
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| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 Passover | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
The
Jewish people were slaves in Egypt. They cried to God, and with God's help,
escaped the bondage of Pharaoh and went into freedom. This experience, of slavery
to freedom, is the most important story in Jewish life. The word "Passover"
refers to one of the ten plagues that God brought upon Egyptians to convince
their Pharaoh to let the Jews go free. In this plague, the Angel of Death "passed
over" the houses of the Israelites and killed the first born son of the Egyptian
people. Passover is a most popular and important holiday. Almost every Jew celebrates
it.
Passover is also a spring festival. At this time of year, life is reborn as plants begin to grow. Passover also celebrates this revitalization.
Passover is celebrated as a family holiday. The most important part of the celebration is at home with the Seder meals and rituals. Families and friends make sure to come together on the first two nights of this eight day holiday for a very elaborate meal. Some of the ritual foods are horseradish, Charoset and salt water. Horseradish reminds everyone of the bitterness of slavery, and Charoset (chopped nuts, apples, cinnamon and sweet wine) represents the cement used by the Jewish slaves to build the Egyptian pyramids.
Before Passover, the entire house is thoroughly cleaned. All foods, dishes and utensils used during the year are removed and replaced with different ones used solely for this holiday. Matzoh (unleavened bread) is eaten in place of bread to remember the quick departure of the Jews from Egypt. When the Jews were leaving the land of slavery, they needed to leave immediately so Pharaoh would not change his mind and keep them as slaves. The bread they were baking had no time to rise and the result was unleavened bread. On this holiday, all items that have come into contact with flour or bread before Passover are called Hametz and are not used during the eight days of Passover. Hametz reminds us of slavery. To remind ourselves of the evils of slavery, we remove all Hametz from the house.
Passover reminds Jews that slavery and oppression of anyone is evil. Passover teaches that we must fight slavery and injustice in any circumstance and in any place.
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We try to make the holiday as festive and meaningful as it was in the family homes of each resident. Two Seders are held in the auditorium. Great care is given to set the mood with special decorations and table settings. Residents dress in their nicest clothing. Family members of residents often come to attend the Seder here at the Menorah Park. The Activity and Dietary Departments join together for presentation and preparation of the Seders and the Religious Director leads the residents through the Haggadah (the story of Passover). |
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Several days before Passover educational in-service programs are held to explain Passover to the staff and review for the residents. |
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All Hametz is removed from the Campus and only "Kosher for Passover" foods are used. |
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The day before Passover, the entire kitchen is changed over for Passover use. Special Passover dishes, utensils and pots and pans are used. |
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Services are held in the Campus' synagogue for the first two evenings and days of Passover as well as on the seventh and eight days. |
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The Activities Department does not conduct regular activities on the first two days and the last two days of Passover. Quiet activities are held on the units. |
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| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 Israel's Independence Day | 10 |
| 11 Mother's Day | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 Memorial Day | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
A small building stands across from the parking lot of the apartments that are part of the Menorah Park campus. This building contains a Mikvah, a small pool that is used for Jewish ritual purposes. The Bible instructs that when a person becomes ritually impure, he or she should immerse in "running water" as a symbolic way of reentering a spiritually pure life.
The Mikvah is a pool of water that is approximately five feet deep. The pool is filled with rain water. There is also a dressing room and a waiting room in the building that contains the Mikvah. The person going to the Mikvah enters the water with no clothing and totally immerses himself or herself in the water. It is as if that person were once again in the womb and is being reborn.
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 Shavuot | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 Father's Day | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
In
all history, there is only one time that God spoke to an entire people. The
Jews had left Egypt and were wandering through the desert to Mount Sinai. There,
they surrounded the mountain and waited as Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive
the Ten Commandments. God spoke to Moses as well as to the entire population.
This great event is commemorated with the holiday of Shavuot. Shavuot means
weeks, for this event occurred seven weeks after the exodus from Egypt. On the
fiftieth day the Israelites received the word of God. In English, Shavuot is
known as Pentecost because it fell on the fiftieth day.
On Shavuot, the Jews celebrate the giving of the Torah. The Ten Commandments are written in the Torah, the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah is written on a scroll and kept in an ark in the front of the synagogue. It is the holiest object in Judaism. Each Shabbat (Saturday), a portion of the Torah is read and discussed. The Torah, with its interpretations is the basis of Jewish life. For more than three thousand years, Jews have studied, discussed and build the foundation of their lives on understandings of the Torah. This process began with the first Shavuot at Mount Sinai.
It is the custom on Shavuot that only dairy products should be eaten. The reason for this is that the celebration of God's revelation should not cause pain to any creature. Blintzes (a crepe filled with cheese or fruit) is a delicacy that is often eaten on Shavuot. The celebration of this festival lasts for two days.
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A special Shavuot luncheon, including blintzes, is served. |
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Social programming is suspended for Shavuot. |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Independence Day | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
The synagogue is a successor to the Ahavath Achim (Brotherly Love) Congregation of Syracuse. The Meltzer chapel is a modern light room. Its beauty is enhanced with stained glass from the congregation and a contemporary sculpted Menorah commissioned for the room. It has flexible seating that enables full participation both by ambulatory and wheel chair bound residents.
Services are held each Friday evening, and Saturday morning, as well as on the High Holidays and Festivals. During the summer months, Congregation Beth Sholom - Chevra Shas joins with the residents each Sunday morning for Minyan. The Services are conducted in Hebrew and English.
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| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
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| 1 Labor Day | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 Rosh Hashanah |
The
celebration of the new year in Judaism is very different from the secular celebration
that occurs in December. The Jewish new Year is not celebrated with drinking
and revelry, but with solemnity. Rosh Hashanah, which means the new year, is
a serious and thoughtful time. Jews must review their past acts and plan their
futures. A good year is hoped and prayed for during this time and a feeling
of happiness surrounds the occasion.
The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar and Rosh Hashanah does not fall on the same day of every year, but it is always in early autumn. The focus of Rosh Hashanah is in the synagogue and most Jews attend synagogue on these two days. Synagogue services tend to be extensive. The highlight of the services is the blowing of the shofar. The shofar is a ram's horn that reminds the Jews of the biblical story of Abraham who was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac to God. At the last moment, God intervened, as he recognized Abraham's devotion and willingness to serve Him, ordering Abraham to substitute a ram (that appeared in the bush) for his son. Recalling his devotion, the shofar is blown, the congregation stands and listens to the sound piercing through the hearts of all, creating a "prayer without words."
Rosh Hashanah begins a ten-day period of thoughtfulness. This ten-day period concludes with Yom Kippur.
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An atmosphere of thoughtfulness and excitement about the upcoming new year pervades the Campus. |
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All offices and therapies are closed on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. |
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Synagogue services are held in the Menorah Park Shul on the two evenings and mornings of Rosh Hashanah. These services are well attended. |
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The shofar is blown in the synagogue. |
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Many family members visit - particularly on the first day. |
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The Dietary Department provides wine and honey cake in the lobby during the first afternoon of the holiday so residents and their guests can properly wish each other a happy new year. |
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Festive meals with wine, Challah and special table cloths are set up for the residents. |
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On both days of Rosh Hashanah only quiet floor activities are held. |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
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| 1 Rosh Hashanah(cont.) | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 Columbus Day | 9 Yom Kippur | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 Sukkot | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 Simchat Torah | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
This
day is unlike any other holiday in any other religion. It is a day spent in
prayer and in thought, asking God and each other for forgiveness for sins. Yom
Kippur is a fast day. The holiday begins at sundown and no food is eaten or
liquid drunk until nightfall of the following day. Yom Kippur is considered
to be the most important day of the year.
Before Yom Kippur, Jews are supposed to ask one another for forgiveness and make amends for hurts they have caused each other. Only people can forgive other people. A person cannot ask God for forgiveness for wrongs done to others. God forgives sins only between people and God.
The holiday begins with an evening service called Kol Nidre. During the service, God is asked to forgive the promises that were made in the previous year, but were unable to be kept. In this way, everyone is given a chance to make a fresh start. Each person must look at himself or herself, his or her responsibilities, hopes and plans and pray for a good year. Yom Kippur is the climax to the ten-day period of repentance that began with Rosh Hashanah.
Yom Kippur concludes with the blowing of the shofar, the ram's horn. This is a loud upbeat pronouncement of hope for a good year, a year that will see peace come to the Jewish people and to all humanity.
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Residents may be particularly tense and anxious in anticipation of Yom Kippur. |
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Synagogue services are held both in the evening before and the day of Yom Kippur. |
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As fasting would be injurious to the health of many residents, they are not permitted to fast. Jewish law states that Jewish practices are "to live by and not to die by." Some residents may feel very badly because they cannot fast. |
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Dietary may have different hours and menus to reflect the traditional Jewish menu usually served before the fast and to break the fast. |
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All offices and therapies are closed on Yom Kippur. |
When
the Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt, they began to make their way through
the desert to Israel, the promised land. They spent 40 years wandering in the
desert and never remained in one place for a very long time. During these years
they lived in structures that could easily be set up and taken down again. This
type of temporary "hut" is called Sukkah (Sukkot is the plural of Sukkah). The
festival of Sukkot is to remind us of this period of wandering. Some Jews build
a Sukkah at their homes and eat their meals in it. In warmer climates, people
also spend the night in the Sukkah as the Torah (the first five books of the
Bible) instructs us to "live in the Sukkah during the week of the festival."
Everyone who has a Sukkah invites others to join them for meals or for a Sukkah
party.
The roof of the Sukkah is made of tree branches and other vegetation. The branches of the roof are not bunched together to remind the Jews that the Sukkah is only a temporary shelter. This loosely woven construction also allows the stars to shine through so that from in the Sukkah it is possible to see God's creation. The Sukkah, which is also called a tabernacle, reminds all Jews of God's sheltering presence.
Sukkot is also a festival to celebrate the harvest. It occurs in the fall, five days after Yom Kippur. As Yom Kippur is very solemn, Sukkot is joyous. The crops are in and thanks is given to God. As a celebration of the produce of the earth, the Torah instructs Jews to gather four types of vegetation; a palm frond, citron, myrtle and willow. In Hebrew these are called an etrog (the ciron) and lulav (the palm frond fastened with the myrtle and willow twigs). They are waved in six directions to signify God's presence everywhere.
Sukkot lasts for nine days. The first two days and the last two days are the most important. The last day is the most jubilant of all. This day is called Simchat Torah which means the happiness of the Torah. During the course of the year, Jews read the entire Torah. Each Shabbat a portion of Torah is read. On Simchat Torah the reading is completed and begun again. The cycle of the Torah is eternal, without end. There is singing and dancing in the synagogue. Children parade with flags and form a procession following the Torah (the Torah scrolls are taken from the Ark and carried lovingly through the synagogue).
Thus, the holidays that began with Rosh Hashanah conclude with the merriment of Simchat Torah. The season of High Holy Days comes to an end.
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A Sukkah is erected in the courtyard and everyone is invited to visit. |
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A special luncheon is held in the auditorium lead by the Chaplain with the Dietary and Activity departments. It is a festive meal with wine and challah (special egg bread). Tables are set with tablecloths and centerpiece. |
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Each resident is given the opportunity to say the blessing over the Lulav and Etrog and wave it in all six directions. |
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Services are held in the Synagogue the first and last two days of Sukkot. |
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The activities department does not conduct regular activities on the important days of Sukkot. Floor activities are held. |
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Decorations appropriate to Sukkot (harvest celebration) are displayed around the Campus. |
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A memorial service for residents of the Menorah Park family who have died is held on the eighth day of the festival. Staff and residents are invited to attend. |
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| 2 | 3 | 4 Election Day | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 Veterans Day | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 Thanksgiving Day | 28 | 29 |
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| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 Chanukah | 23 | 24 | 25 Christmas | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
December
is a dark month because the days are short. Chanukah is a celebration of lights,
filled with happiness, parties, rituals and gift giving. Chanukah is primarily
celebrated in the home, rather than in the Synagogue.
More than two thousand years ago, the Syrian-Greek tried to destroy Judaism. This King, Antiochus IV, forbade Jews from worshipping God, keeping Kosher, observing the Sabbath, and practicing circumcision. Almost miraculously, the Jews, with no army, successfully defeated some of the strongest armies in the world and defended their right to practice Judaism. This was the first war for religious freedom that has ever been recorded.
A legend relates that when the Jews came to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem, there was insufficient virgin oil to keep the eternal light burning until new oil could be manufactured. The amount of oil found was only enough for one day, but the story tells that it lasted for eight days. This was the time needed to make new oil. For this, and other reasons, Chanukah lasts for eight days.
The main celebration is the lighting of the candelabra, the Menorah. On the first evening of Chanukah, one candle is lit. Each evening another candle is added. Finally, on the last evening of Chanukah, the Menorah is fully ablaze.
As the legend of the oil is very popular, doughnuts and potato pancakes (both which are fried in oil) are served as traditional Chanukah foods.
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A Menorah is prominently displayed in the lobby. The Activities Department decorates the Campus with dreidels, Menorahs and other Chanukah decorations. |
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A Chanukah luncheon in the auditorium is led by the Chaplain with the help of the Dietary and Activities Departments. Potato pancakes (latkes) and other Chanukah foods are served. |
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Youth groups and other school groups visit and sing songs for the residents. The atmosphere is lighthearted and joyous. |
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The Auxiliary of the Menorah Park presents each resident with a gift. |
4101 East Genesee Street*Syracuse, New York 13214*Telephone (315) 446-9111
