On Jerusalem Day 2008, Leah Abramowitz received Jerusalem’s highest honor – the Yakir Yerushalayim (Worthy of Jerusalem) award – in recognition of her significant contribution to the field of eldercare. Her crowning achievement was the founding of the Melabev organization together with Prof. Arnold Rosin.
Melabev began in 1981 as a volunteer-run start-up for dementia patients whose families wanted to keep their loved ones at home for as long as possible. By 2024, Melabev had grown exponentially: 10,400 people received its services, which include day centers, home-care programs, and specialized nursing care.
When she made aliyah in 1957, Abramowitz worked as a group leader for new immigrants, a juvenile delinquency officer, and the first community organization worker in Netivot. In 1972, she joined the staff of Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, where she spent nearly three decades as a social worker in the geriatric ward.
Abramowitz was born in Germany and was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where she and her close friend Nancy Elbaum, of blessed memory, were organizers and leaders of Bnei Akiva. She earned her BA from Sir George Williams College in Montreal and her MSW from the Hebrew University’s Paul Baerwald School of Social Work. She married Abe Abramowitz in 1959, and together they are blessed with a large and growing family. They have been living in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City since 1973.
A “forever learner,” Abramowitz was a longtime student of Prof. Nechama Leibowitz. Her book about her, Tales of Nehama, was published in 2003.
The Magazine recently met with Abramowitz at her home to talk about her life since retiring from Melabev in 2008.
What suggestions do you have for people getting ready to retire?
Be sure to have a full schedule. Do something meaningful each day. Otherwise, you’ll spend too much time waiting for a doctor at the kupat cholim. Try to start something new – learn to play the piano or study a new language.
Check out the Jerusalem Municipality website for volunteer opportunities.
I’m currently writing my life story through the Life Stories Project at Yad Sarah.
What is the Life Stories Project?
The Life Stories Project enables seniors to share the stories of their lives and leave a written legacy for their families. A volunteer spends as many sessions as necessary with each senior, listening and recording. Once the writing is complete, photos and documents are added. After editing and design, the story is published.
You always seem so busy, yet always have a smile. How is your life different today than it was before 2008?
In truth, my schedule isn’t quite as busy. I have less responsibility to be in a specific place at a specific time. Still, I take on new challenges all the time, and I continue to keep a yoman [daily planner] – but a smaller one.
Is it a good idea to volunteer at an organization where you were once employed?
A new leader is not always interested in advice from a former employee, but it can work. I’m still on the staff of the Shaare Zedek Memory Clinic and on the board of directors of Melabev. I’m currently organizing an exhibition in honor of Melabev’s 40th anniversary. That’s who I was – and still am: an organizer.
What is your position at Yad Sarah?
I started as coordinator for their Institute for Geriatric Studies. Today, together with another social worker, we are responsible for four support groups that help families cope with the dementia-related challenges of spouses or parents. We also have one group in English for men whose wives are cognitively impaired.
I know you’re passionate about writing and are well known for your articles and books. Can you share a few recent examples?
These are two of my recent Jerusalem Post articles:
1. “Where our families come from: Jewish Holocaust history” (Dec. 9, 2022) – written after visiting my hometown in Germany with six of my Israeli-born daughters.
2. “Israel-Hamas War: How do grandparents mourn family killed in Gaza?” (Dec. 31, 2023) – written after the tragic death of our grandson Ayal, who fell in Gaza on the 14th of Kislev, 2023.
My most recent book, published in 2018, Aging in Wellness and Diversity, is a collection of short stories describing the common situations faced by family members, nurses, doctors, and social workers caring for aging individuals.
You are widely admired for your amazing Shabbat hospitality. How do you manage?
My husband’s Hebrew name is Avraham. When we married, we decided to follow the example of the biblical Avraham. As new immigrants in the 1950s, people were always inviting us, and we wanted to continue that custom. We hope our guests do the same when they set up households.
As for the shopping, one son takes me to a supermarket every other week. Our children help with the cooking and baking, and everyone joins in for the cleanup.
Do you take any classes?
Definitely – every Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday. Some are on Zoom, like the class with Yael Shlossberg from Bar-Ilan University, which I love. Others are in person, like the two English courses I take at the Yeshurun Synagogue. And every night I try to learn a bit. I highly recommend Avigdor Bonchek’s series of books What’s Bothering Rashi?
Do you still make time to go swimming?
I try to go twice a week – to the Lerner Family Sports Center or to the Sports Center of the Jewish Institute for the Blind.
How does your extended family stay connected?
During Hol Hamoed, we take family trips; and during the summer we spend a few days at the Kinneret. On Hanukkah, I host a holiday celebration in our home.
Every midweek night, at exactly 9:30 p.m., we all get a beep on our phones – it’s time for our family study of mishnayot. Our beloved grandson Ayal Meir Berkowitz always kept a tractate in his pocket. May his memory be for a blessing.
For more information about the Life Stories Project, call Shoshi at Yad Sarah at (02) 644-4575.