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HONOR
Blumenthal Family
Neil. As a result, both of Harry’s children – Neil and his sister,
Carole Shostak – along with Harry’s brother, Hillie, now 92,
have followed in his footsteps.
Harry also established the Harry and Dorothy Blumenthal
Mitzvah Fund, which filled a variety of needs at the Home for
many years. Noting that his father was a close friend of Jerry
Levine, the Home’s former longtime executive director, Neil
recollects: “If the Home needed something small, such as a
hairdryer or a piece of equipment, Jerry could turn to my dad
and the Mitzvah Fund. The money was there for it.”
Although Harry died in 2002, the fund remains an
important part of his legacy. “When it gets low, I fill it up a
bit,” Neil says.
Harry never lived at the Jewish Home himself, but his
sister, Eva Robinson, did. “My Aunt Eva, who passed away a
few years ago at the age of 103, loved it there,” says Neil. He
relates a story about one particular visit he made to his aunt
at the Home. “She couldn’t wait to show me the painting
she’d done in the Home’s creative arts center. I was so
surprised Aunt Eva was now a painter that my first response
was, ‘Where did you learn to do that?’ She was so proud!”
While Harry’s legacy continues to provide for residents
through the Mitzvah Fund, it is also apparent in the beautiful
Tree of Life sculpture he donated in 1999 in honor of his wife,
and which graces a corridor in the Home. Recently, Neil and
Carole donated a second Tree of Life sculpture in memory of
their beloved parents.
“My father was a wonderful man,” says Neil, “and he was a
firm believer in the Jewish Home.”
Harry Blumenthal donated a Tree of Life sculpture in 1999 in
honor of his wife, Dorothy. Recently, a second Tree of Life was
donated by his children, Neil Blumenthal and Carole Shostak.
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Jewish Senior Living 2009/ 2010