News

Wednesday, February 3 at 10 a.m.

How healthy and safe is your home? Do you have multiple smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors? Do you have a fire extinguisher, and do you know how to use it? Have you ever spotted black mold? In this session, staff from Cornell Cooperative Extension will discuss the benefits of the Albany County Healthy Neighborhoods Program. While they are not currently conducting in-home safety assessments, they can set up a phone or Zoom appointment, ask a series of questions, and then make a contactless delivery of products that will improve your home’s healthy and safe. Healthy Neighborhoods is a FREE program, and there are no income requirements to participate. Many NNORC residents have had a HNP home visit or “phone visit” and are comforted to know their home is healthier and safer. They were also thrilled to receive so many helpful products!

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Thursday, January 28 at 1 p.m.

Join us for a new year of our stimulating monthly program.  The Capital region has a rich history dating back more than 400 years. In 1797, Albany became the official capital of New York State in 1797 and since then it has become of the hub of the Capital Region for banking, railroads, and international trade. Join us for a movie about the region followed by a discussion.

Save the date for the next Let’s Talk Albany on Thursday, February 25 – topic will be announced in the January NNORC News.

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Wednesday, January 27 at 1 p.m.

Lack of restful sleep is a considerable stressor to the body. Not only do sleepless nights make you irritable and crabby, but it adds stress. When our bodies are stressed, it adds to inflammation and the risk for diabetes, obesity, cancer, and heart disease. Join Fran Weiss, MS RD, CDN, Hannaford Registered Dietitian, to learn about nutritional approaches for stress management and restful sleep.

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Monday, January 25  at 1 p.m.

To honor MLK’s birth month, we’ll be reading Shirley Grau’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Keepers of the House. The story is set in rural Alabama, covering seven generations of the Howland family who lived in the same house and built a community around themselves. As such, it is a metaphor for the long-established families of the Deep South, their encounter with changing values and norms, and the hypocrisy of racism.

Save the date for the next book club discussion on Monday, February 22 at 1 p.m.

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Wednesdays, January 6, 13, and 20 at 10 a.m.

Looking for a way to increase the joy and manage the stress in your life?  Look no further than your next breath!  A regular meditation practice benefits body, mind, and spirit in many significant ways.

Whether you’re brand new to practicing meditation or find your established practice could use a little boost, this program is for you. In these three sessions, NNORC Senior Health Education Coordinator Judi England will discuss what meditation is and how it relates to reversing the stress response.  We’ll then explore different meditation techniques and ways to bring mindfulness into each and every day. Most importantly, you’ll receive support and encouragement to help you build a practice that works in your busy life.

NNORC has embraced Zoom (online video and audio conferencing) so we can continue to offer you programs. If you prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate, all you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up for a program. We will give you an access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial. We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

This is a scary and uncertain time for us all. We are all having to learn a new normal…with directives regarding COVID-19 changing every day. For many of you, your family and friends, it’s also threatening mental health and emotional well-being and sparking serious questions about food access and long-term care options for older adults. 


JFS is open and supporting community needs. We are:

  • grocery shopping for older adults and those with underlying health conditions
  • connecting to essential doctors
  • answering critical questions and
  • providing counseling and virtual support groups

JFS professionals will now offer expanded virtual support, with added hours on Fridays and Sundays. We are partnering with Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York to increase our volunteer capacity to meet community needs.

Please use this form if you know of a specific individual who needs immediate help or

  • To access our clinicians at JFS, please call us at 518.482.8856 to schedule a telephone appointment
  • For grocery and essentials requests, to access rides for essential doctors’ visits or related support through Project 5, please call us at 518.514.2143.
  • To speak with a Senior Resource Network specialist, please call 518.482.8856.

We are creating resource flyers on stress management, self-care, getting help, and more. They will be posted on our website and on Facebook (@JFSNENY).

Thank you for sharing this information as we work together to help those who need it most. 

B’shalom,

If you are able to subsidize our efforts to support our community, please donate to our Emergency Assistance Fund. More than ever, we are counting on your support as the urgent demand for services increases.

Renew your commitment to health and wellness in the New Year by joining us for weekly Chair Yoga via Zoom.  New to the practice?  Don’t worry! Everything we do is seated or standing with the chair for support.  There’s no need to get up and down from the floor.  A lot of modifications are suggested so that the practice will work for your unique strengths and abilities.

Join us Tuesdays, January 5, 12, 19, 26 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

NNORC uses Zoom for video and audio conferencing, so we can continue to offer you programs. Prefer not to use a computer or smartphone to participate? No problem! All you need is a telephone line to join in. Please call 518-514-2023 or email us at NNORC@jfsneny.org to sign up so that we can give you the correct access link or phone number for you to participate. You can also contact us for a one-on-one Zoom tutorial with a staff member. 

If there’s one thing you can count on each year, it is that you have to file your Federal and State income taxes!  Unfortunately, all of our appointments are filled. If you still need help filing your 2018 taxes, call 211 to find an available resource to help you complete your taxes.

Join us at the first meeting of the NNORC Breakfast Club, a monthly opportunity to come together to nosh on a bagel, socialize and learn useful information on a range of subjects.
“Tax Issues of Particular Concern to Seniors” is the topic of this first meeting. Our guest speaker Michelle Duchowny will discuss strategies for taking advantage of favorable tax provisions such as pension exclusions, long term care credits, senior property tax benefits and more. Bring your questions and your friends and become part of the NNORC Breakfast Club.
Michelle Duchowny is an Outreach Specialist from the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance. She works in the Office of the Taxpayer Rights Advocate, so she definitely has the inside track on these tax provisions.
Save the date for next month’s Breakfast Club: November 19, 2014. We will host Kim Verner, Esq., an expert in elder law from the Herzog Law Firm. She will discuss “Legal Documents Every Senior Needs to Have.”
DATE Wednesday, October 22 and November 19
TIME 9:30-11:00 a.m.
PLACE Albany Jewish Community Center at 340 Whitehall Rd., Albany, NY
RSVP 518-514-2023 Reservations are required
FEE $3.00 (members) and $5.00 (non-members)

JFS is pleased to announce the appointment of Christine A. Holle as Executive Director. Christine has been with JFS for over 24 years, most recently serving as Director of Finance and Administration.
“We’re delighted by Christine’s promotion to Executive Director and by the renewed energy and excitement she’s brought to the agency,” says Board president Bob Gumson. “We’re looking forward to working with Christine to continue JFS’ 158-year tradition of providing quality services in the community, and increasing awareness and utilization of JFS throughout the Capital Region.”

“I’m excited and honored to now serve as Executive Director,” said Christine.

“Throughout my time with the agency, and under the dynamic leadership of Anschel Weiss and Miriam Adler, there have been many changes in what we do, but the mission and values that are the foundation of our agency remain unchanged. As we embark on the next chapter of JFS’ long history, I envision JFS growing and moving forward by expanding services , developing partnerships and relationships within the community, and getting the word out so all community members know just how vital a resource JFS really is!”

PROVIDING SUPPORT, SERVICES & RESOURCES FOR OUR COMMUNITY