From the structure rose the spirit.
It began as a place. A single wing inside Westminster Care of Orlando. It began as the brainchild of two board members from Kinneret Council on Aging and Orlando Regional Healthcare. Their idea was to create a “neighborhood” for members of the Jewish Community who needed skilled nursing home service, a place where they, their culture and their traditions would never be forgotten.
The name, The Jewish Pavilion, seemed perfect, referring to a temporary structure that is open on all sides. Over the course of its evolution, this “project” would prove to be just that—open…to everyone, yet anything but temporary.
An auxiliary organization, Friends of The Jewish Pavilion, was formed to take on fundraising and volunteer activities. With donations from five families and a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, The Jewish Pavilion opened its doors in September 2001. At the time, the young group served just fifteen residents, but the seed of possibility had been planted in the hearts and minds of many, many more.
For three years, The Jewish Pavilion operated as a program of the Kinneret Council on Aging. In 2004, the group’s forward-thinking leaders filed for separate 501c(3) non-profit status and established a Board of Directors. The program was growing, and with it grew the desire to reach even more people. An outreach program was established to serve those living in facilities throughout Central Florida. Then, in the wake of the 2004 hurricanes, The Jewish Pavilion lost its dedicated space at Westminster Care, and the outreach effort took center stage.
Within two months, families of Jewish residents at more than a dozen facilities requested the Pavilion’s programs and services. Soon, volunteers were bringing holiday programs, Shabbat dinner and challahs to seniors all across metro Orlando. They arranged friendly visits with caring volunteers as well as spiritual visits from Rabbi Adler. That year, The Jewish Pavilion’s “Nursing Home Without Walls” won the Association of Jewish Aging Services award for Creative Jewish Programming. The following year, they were honored with the Creative Programming Award from the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando.
Today, The Jewish Pavilion serves residents at over 40 facilities. True to its name, it is no longer a place, but a promise.
