Heidi and Catriel Sugarman moved to Beit Tovei Ha’ir in July 2024 because they felt like prisoners in their own home. Today, they have a wonderful apartment with a full array of support services, as part of a warm and welcoming religious community.
The Sugarmans first met a summer camp outside of Toronto but then lost touch. They made Aliyah separately as young singles in 1969, and met by chance on the steps of the Jewish Agency building! They lived for many years in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem, until Heidi’s health made it impractical. She explains: “Our apartment was not accessible – the elevator was difficult to operate, and we had to walk down a long, uneven path from our building to reach the road. We considered finding a more accessible apartment, but decided that we may as well plan ahead and move straight into an assisted living apartment.”
Catriel is an artist who creates beautiful pieces of Judaica using rare woods. The highlights of his career include a detailed model of the Beit HaMikdash and the restoration of the chair of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. Heidi is an academic – she taught anatomy for many years in Israeli universities – so she is no stranger to research. She set out to find the optimum assisted living solution in Israel.
This was not Heidi’s first experience of retirement homes in Israel. Back in 2019, Heidi’s aunt had moved into Beit Tovei Ha’ir and she lived there for several years, including during the Covid pandemic. “After the aunt suffered a stroke, she needed a fulltime caretaker. Beit Tovei Ha’Ir assigned a nurse from their staff to train and supervise the caretaker. This arrangement allowed her aunt to continue living in familiar surroundings in her apartment and she didn’t have to move to a nursing home
“I was very impressed by what they call their “Ageing in Place” program, because the thought of being confined to a nursing home is a great fear for many of us. The fact that Beit Tovei are willing to take responsibility for their residents through the end of their lives is very unusual and impressive. As far as I could ascertain, none of the other places that we looked at could offer this option.”
In fact, each of the other retirement facilities that they visited had something wrong with it. One had a lobby the was inaccessible with stairs in the middle of the lobby, another did not have a proper shul, and another had problems organizing a minyan on the holidays. The clincher came when they visited Beit Tovei Ha’ir for a trial stay and experienced the wonderful Shabbat atmosphere.
“We didn’t want to live anywhere where we couldn’t experience the peace and conviviality of Shabbat. In Beit Tovei Ha’ir we can attend services in the Beit Knesset, enjoy the Kiddush and meals with friends, and join in with the Zemirot led by the guest rabbi. It’s really the highlight of our week, and we are surrounded by people who feel the same.”
The Sugarmans feel very fortunate to have a beautiful two-bedroom apartment with a custom-designed kitchen, and space for almost all their furniture. Catriel loves to cook, Heidi orders their groceries online, and Supersol delivers to their apartment!
“Our apartment is beautifully situated – south-facing and overlooking the Lobby, which makes it easy for us to participate in all the major events in the Residence. Almost every day there is a high-quality lecture or activity that we can participate in. I have a small circle of close friends, including a childhood friend from Montreal, but we generally enjoy a quiet life. It’s good to feel that I can go out easily – the entire building is accessible. If I ever want company, I can take the elevator to the Lobby, where there is always someone to talk to.”
Catriel keeps busy with research into Jewish history – he is currently investigating topics relating to the Beit Mikdash in Jerusalem. Heidi volunteers for the Israeli Pa’amonim financial counseling organization, helping them with online research, for Professors for a Strong Israel, and for the National Educational Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorders.
During their first year in Tovei Ha’ir, Heidi joined the Residents’ Committee, where she is investigating better options for safety bracelets that will alert the support staff if a resident falls while alone in their apartment. “I researched the different options available, and then met with the CEO to discuss testing the various alternatives that would better meet our needs”, says Heidi. “It’s great to be part of a community that takes issues like physical safety seriously.”
Heidi and Catriel are very glad that they chose to move into Beit Tovei Ha’ir, and they are happy to speak to prospective residents. “We definitely made the right decision at the right time. It is an excellent solution for people who struggle with mobility issues but who want to maintain their independence and live a full life.”
