History

A group of concerned Jews establish the Hebrew Orthodox Old Age Home, Bet Moshav Zekenim, in a frame house on Cleveland’s east side. For five years, the Home sheltered elderly Jews who had arrived in the “new country” from shtetls and ghettos of eastern Europe without resources or family with whom to live. The Home was supported by membership dues of 10 cents a month, solicited house-to-house, street-by-street, in the old Woodland-East 556th Street neighborhood.

The Home moved to a new 46-bed building on Scovill Avenue in the heart of the Jewish community, where it served the immigrant elderly until 1921, when a new building for 80 residents was constructed on Lakeview Road. The new facility included an 800-seat synagogue to serve the entire neighborhood. By 1948, 135 additional beds were added.

Following a year of extensive study and major new construction, the Home developed a long-range plan that set the stage for the move in 1968 to the present Menorah Park site in Beachwood.

Consistent with new concepts of care for the elderly, Menorah Park constructed an independent housing facility, The R.H. Myers Apartments, on the same campus.

A major facility and program expansion is undertaken in response to the dramatically increasing number of elderly and their changing needs. This expansion increases the capacity of Menorah Park by 20 percent, with the addition of new non-institutional services as well. At the same time a Research Institute is established.

Dr. Marvin Schermer Community and Professional Services Building and FUNdamentals Children’s Center were built.

The R.H. Myers Apartments opens, Menorah Park’s first additional residential building on its campus for persons wanting independence while appreciating a campus connection. This is followed by Stone Gardens Assisted Living (1994), Wiggins Place Assisted Living (2004), and Helen’s Place in 2013, which provides award-winning services to residents with memory loss.

Menorah Park changes its name to Menorah Park Center for Senior Living, with the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Pavilion being dedicated the same year, which allows every Menorah Park resident a private room.

Peter B. Lewis Aquatic & Therapy Center begins serving therapy and rehabilitation needs in the community. It remains one of the only Centers that offers aquatic therapy in addition to land-based therapies.

Menorah Park’s DriveWise program is founded, to meet the needs of aging drivers. Medical Transportation Service provides non-emergency ambullette and ambulance services to and from the hospital and doctors’ appointments.

Wiggins Place Assisted Living opens.

Helen's Place opens, providing award-wining services to residents with memory loss.

Menorah Park's Center 4 Brain Health begins, and is already making a difference at the local, national and international levels by helping community members and professionals with proactive approaches for enhancing memory and solutions for persons with memory challenges.