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Doris Werner looks to share joy with those around her every day. As a resident of Provision Living at West Bloomfield for a little over a year, she finds many ways to do exactly that. For Doris, the best part about life in an assisted living community is the interaction with her fellow residents. She regularly attends community happy hours, guest speakers, and in-person fitness classes. According to Doris, these are all highlights as they bring the community together. “I enjoy the sociability between the other residents and the relaxation,” she explains.
Doris, like many Provision Living at West Bloomfield residents, has a deep connection with her Jewish faith. The community, which celebrates all major Jewish holidays throughout the year, often looks to residents like Doris to provide a more personal connection to these celebrations. The most popular holiday celebration with residents each year is Hanukkah. Residents can participate in many traditional activities like a menorah candle lighting and nightly prayer. The community also features special foods like hamantasch. An outside group will visit the community this December to make latkes. Last year, Doris led the entire community in a sing-a-long of the Dreidel song, and taught fellow residents and staff about the dreidel symbols.
The ability to share her Jewish faith and traditions with fellow residents is deeply personal for Doris. She is grateful that her family passed these traditions to her and sees life at the community as an opportunity to positively share her Jewish experience. “It’s very special for me – I’m very proud to have had the opportunity to learn the language, to learn my history, and I feel very strongly connected to that culture and tradition,” says Doris.
Alissa Gash, Executive Director at West Bloomfield, says that Doris’ passion and knowledge can bring the entire community closer together. “Doris’ personal connection to her faith is an opportunity for all of our residents to learn, connect, and grow together,” Gash describes. When the community distributes informational pamphlets or stories about the holidays, Doris will volunteer to read the info for her fellow residents, and will often tell her own stories that provide a deeper understanding of the material. Doris even has a personal bookshelf of books and resources on Jewish traditions that she will pull from to help educate other community members. Doris also enjoys speaking with non-Jewish residents about their own traditions and cultures and finding where their values intersect. These interactions also bring Doris even more in touch with her own faith. “It’s very much a part of me, these traditions, and the language,” explains Doris. “It’s part of my history and it’s still with me.”
Seniors and their families are invited to meet residents like Doris and learn more about community life at Provision Living at West Bloomfield. Tours can be scheduled by calling the community at 1-248-843-0880 or you can request information online.
