Residents, their families and staff members at The Legacy Willow Bend life care community in Plano recently gathered together in observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. In addition, The Legacy at Home delivered traditional honey cakes to all of its clients to wish them a sweet new year. The Legacy Senior Communities is the not-for-profit parent company of both organizations. While this is a time of celebration, the purpose is to begin reflecting on the previous year and pray for self-improvement in the new year ahead. This holiday occurs on the first and second days of Tishri as the period of introspection, which continues for the ten days commonly known as the Days of Awe.
“Rosh Hashanah is an opportunity to spend time together with family and friends celebrating the start of a new year,” said Michael Ellentuck, president and CEO of The Legacy Senior Communities. “There is an immense sense of joy when I see the residents and their families come together at The Legacy Willow Bend. This year, as we also commemorated the holiday with families served by The Legacy at Home. By sharing this experience with one another, we lay the foundation for a sweet new year.”
The Legacy Willow Bend hosted an Erev Rosh Hashanah dinner and service for residents and their family members led by Bruce Feldman, who led services for independent living, and Eli Davidson, who led services for assisted living and memory care residents and their loved ones. Residents and guests enjoyed apples dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet year ahead. The following morning, residents participated in Taslich services, which included the sounding of shofar – the ram’s horn – as the call to repentance. Participants tossed breadcrumbs into the outdoor water fountain, symbolizing a release from their sins of the past.
As part of celebrating the holiday, volunteers helped The Legacy at Home deliver sweetness to its clients. Volunteers assembled honey cake baskets and then delivered them to clients right in their own homes. For The Legacy at Home volunteer Marilyn Schwartz, being able to share the spirit of the new year with those who are unable to go out and celebrate the High Holidays was incredibly meaningful.
“It was very satisfying to bring joy to others during this special time of year,” said Schwartz. “We were able to show people who are recovering from surgery, going through rehabilitation or dealing with another health condition that they have not been forgotten by the Jewish community. I hope that by delivering the honey cakes, we provided them with a connection to our community and a way to enjoy the holidays.”