Home Sweet Home
by Emily Raij
It’s a busy day.
Students from a local high school are buzzing about. They’ve brought all the ingredients to make challah a little later. There’s live music downstairs and lively dancing to go with it. The day started with a big continental breakfast in the dining hall, and it’s a good thing, too. It takes a lot of energy to keep up with everything that’s happening.
If you didn’t know better, you might confuse the daily activities calendar at the Kinneret Apartments for that of a fraternity/sorority house on a college campus somewhere. Instead, Kinneret is a nonprofit senior-living community in the heart of downtown Orlando, and its roots in the Jewish community run deep.
The first 168-unit Kinneret tower was opened in 1972 on land chosen by prominent Jewish community leader Abe Wise. The site is adjacent to downtown Orlando’s Lake Lucerne, which Abe said reminded him of the Sea of Galilee. That’s actually how Kinneret Apartments got its name. The Sea of Galilee is known in Israel as Lake Kinneret. Ernest Rapp was the original architect. His son-in-law Bob Hara and grandson Jacob Hara have remained involved on the Kinneret board of directors for three generations.
Even in the 1970s, demand for senior-living options in Central Florida was high, and the second 172-unit Kinneret tower was opened in 1976. More than 40 years later, the local senior population is growing faster than ever.
“As long as senior citizens move to Florida, there’s going to be a need for Kinneret Apartments,” says Sharon Weil, executive director of the Kinneret Council on Aging (KCOA), the nonprofit organization founded in 1985 that provides support services to residents of Kinneret Apartments.
Today, more than 300 seniors, aged 62 and older, live in Kinneret’s one-bedroom and efficiency apartments. The complex’s many amenities make it comfortable, but the KCOA’s many programs for residents make it special.
Thanks to a partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank, any Kinneret resident who wishes is given an overflowing bag of free groceries every month. The gift includes staples like rice, canned goods, frozen meats, eggs, dairy, and fresh produce. The KCOA’s Be Happy Be Healthy program keeps the residents moving, crafting, and laughing to make sure their minds, bodies, and spirits stay in good shape. High schoolers from the Jewish Outreach Initiative of Orlando arrive for a challah bake twice a year while students from Hillel at UCF and Rollins College drop by for Shabbat services and dinner every few months, as well.
In all, there are more than 50 activities, trips, and events each month on the Kinneret calendar, and if that’s not enough, a KCOA-owned bus is at the ready to whisk residents to nearby shops, restaurants, and cultural activities.
“I love the community,” says Sharon. “This is one of the only places where people aren’t looking down at their phones. Seniors are too often overlooked. They have so much wisdom to impart if we just take the time to listen.”
In the finest Jewish tradition, the best community building at Kinneret happens at mealtime. Each day begins with a free, continental breakfast open to all residents. That gets everyone connecting and socializing right off the bat. From there, residents often gather for meals throughout the week.
“Food creates community,” says Sharon. “We have residents who enjoy cooking meals, so we’ll provide the food, we bring in chefs to put on cooking demonstrations, and they’ll all cook and eat together.”
Kinneret even provides the Kiddush wine for weekly Shabbat – which is always a big hit.
There are many ways the local Jewish community can help fulfill Kinneret’s mission, too. Every year, KCOA hosts its 8 over 80 fundraiser, during which eight of the community’s most notable seniors are celebrated. It’s a fun and fulfilling honor. The KCOA is always interested in receiving exciting new nominations.
“This is an opportunity to, simply put, celebrate the life of a person who has given so much to the community,” says Sharon.
To nominate an exceptional senior over 80 to be honored at this year’s 10th annual gala, fill out the form at KinneretLiving.org by October 11.
“We want the local community to know about our rich history, vibrant present, and our bright future,” says Sharon. “Kinneret Apartments are for anyone in our community over age 62 who is looking for an affordable, vibrant, and active senior community. It’s more than just a place to live. It’s a home in every sense of the word.”