The Brookdale Gerontological Institute, the first comprehensive agency for the study of the present and future needs of the aged in Israel, was officially opened last week at a convocation in Jerusalem. Presiding at the convocation of medical and social scientists from the United States and Israel was Dr. Martin Cherkasky, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Health and Welfare of the Joint Distribution Committee, under whose leadership the institute was developed.
Dr. Cherkasky, who is also director of the Montefiore Hospital in New York, said that the project will include a research and training center, a 100-bed facility for the long-term care of infirm aged within the framework of a general hospital, and a 50 residential apartment facility for well aged. It is being financed by a $5 million grant from the Brookdale Foundation of New York and by matching funds from the Israeli government.
The creation of the gerontological center will help to meet some of the mounting problems of the aged in Israel. It was noted that the percentage of people over 65 in Israel has risen steadily from 4.2 in 1951 to 7.5 in 1971. This figure is expected to go up to 8.6 in 1975.
BUILDING WILL BE AVAILABLE IN OCT.
Samuel L. Haber, JDC executive vice-chairman, who addressed the opening session, announced the appointment of Dr. Israel Katz as director of Brookdale Institute. Dr. Katz was formerly director-general of the National Insurance Institute of Israel, and was also formerly the director of the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work, another JDC-initiated project. Appointed as associate director was Prof. Itzchak Margulec, medical director of Malben, the JDC program in Israel. Prof. Margulec teaches a post-graduate course in chronic disease and aging at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School.
Plans for the gerontological complex were prepared by a highly select committee of experts including members of the JDC Advisory Committee on Health and Welfare, and other American and Israeli gerontologists and social scientists. Dr. Alexander Gonik, medical director of the JDC, stationed in the agency’s overseas headquarters in Geneva, served as coordinator of the project.
The research institute is housed in the Archaeological Building on the Hebrew University campus. The building was purchased by the JDC with Brookdale Foundation funds, together with a matching grant from the Israeli government. Several rooms are already in use and the entire building will be available by the end of Oct.
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