GRANT HELPS SIMKIN CENTRE PROVIDE SPIRITUAL CARE TO RESIDENTS
In 2021, the JFM provided a grant to the
Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre for a Spiritual
Care Aid.
“I know how important spiritual care is
in our type of setting,” says Laurie Cerqueti,
Simkin Centre CEO. “For our residents, our
families, and our community.”
Since she took over the CEO role, Laurie’s
thoughts have been directed to ‘How can we
serve our people even more than we are now?
How can we make this bigger and better?’
This sparked the idea that someone should
be brought in to look at what they were doing
regarding spiritual care to see where gaps and
opportunities lay to develop the program.
The Simkin Centre hired Rabbi Matthew
Leibl as the person to fill the role, someone
Cerqueti thinks will be a perfect fit for what
they’re hoping to do.
Beginning in April, immediately after
Passover, Rabbi Leibl will first spend time
getting to know the residents, their families,
and the staff at the Simkin Centre while looking
at the processes and programs currently in
place regarding spiritual care.
“As I spoke with Matthew about this
opportunity, we see it as an opportunity to
make a significant difference for the residents
and their families,” says Cerqueti.
Initially the timing was not right. With
two young sons at home, Matthew was not
looking to begin working again until 2023.
But knowing that he was the right person
for the role, the Simkin Centre deferred the
project and the grant to wait for Matthew to
be available.
This interaction with the Simkin Centre is
not Rabbi Leibl's first. He has been involved
with the Simkin Centre for over 15 years,
first working there at age 21. That year, he
did concerts three times per week for the
residents.
“I found that the music and performing was
an incredible way to connect with the people
there,” says Rabbi Leibl.
He recalls a story from that time frame
where he was performing Oseh Shalom, and
one resident who had been, to that point,
without her memory and less present, began
to mouth the words along with him. The song
helped her break through what she had been
dealing with.
“That moment was truly a game changer for
me. I’m so excited to be able to give back to a
place that helped people in my own family and
was a great place for me while I was figuring
out my way many years ago,” says Rabbi Leibl.
“Simkin is such a special place, and what
they’re doing there is awesome.”
The Foundation is
proud to support what
we are sure will be an
incredibly powerful
and positive addition
to the programming
at the Simkin Centre.