I am deeply grateful for the support I have received over the past two years and feel confident that I am leaving the roles of Incoming President and President-Elect in very capable hands. My sincere thanks to the Board, CEO Ted Cohen, our Director of Finance, IT & Administration Adina Libin and our office manager Sarah Legendre—whose coordination has been invaluable—and to the entire Lodge and LTC Foundation staff. Together, you have strengthened Hillel Lodge as a well-loved, respected, and high-functioning long-term care home. By placing our values at the heart of our strategy, we ensure that residents are known and cherished, staff feel supported, and families and donors see their impact reflected every day.

Our Mission is to provide compassionate long-term care that empowers each resident to live a full and engaged life in a welcoming Jewish environment. Our Vision is to be a leader in person-centered long-term care. These principles guide every step we take.

Our 2024–25 Environmental Scan reaffirmed four core Jewish values that shape our work:

Chemla (Compassion): Hillel Lodge is often described as “haimish,” reflecting not only our programming but the warmth and compassion demonstrated by all staff. This spirit is evident in the dedication of our care and recreation team and I am proud of how we share our story with the broader community through the Lodge Line.

Kavod (Dignity and Respect): A shift toward person-centred care has transformed our culture, beginning with dementia care and expanding throughout the home. Initiatives such as person-centred dementia care and pleasurable dining honour individual stories, support autonomy, and strengthen connection. This value also guides our evolving approach to palliative end-of-life care in a Jewish context, something the Board has been learning more about.

Shleimut (Excellence): We are committed to innovation and continuous improvement. The launch of Hillel Lodge Academy at the end of 2025 is a strong example, advancing nursing practices and elevating care standards through education and transparency.

Yosher (Integrity): Accountability, trust, and open communication define our culture. Our Continuous Quality Improvement program, as just one example, ensures we remain focused on outcomes that matter most to residents and on the steps needed to achieve them.

These values guide us, but Hillel Lodge is more than a care home—it is a vibrant community. We continue to build partnerships within and beyond the Jewish community, strengthen intergenerational connections, and enhance the sense of belonging for residents, families, and supporters. We are also proud to be a leader in aging and long-term care policy, while maintaining strong financial stewardship to support future growth.

Our volunteers are truly the heart of Hillel Lodge. Whether through random visits with coffee or pets, soup-making programs, or simple acts of kindness, you bring joy and light into the home. From Shabbat services to enhancing Jewish holidays and community Games Day or Biking for Bubbies and Zaidies events, your contributions—large and small—are deeply appreciated. While only a few can be formally recognized, all are valued.

Our strength is also sustained by the generosity of our community. The Hillel Lodge LTC Foundation, the Auxiliary of Hillel Lodge, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation along with broader community partners and grant support, enable us to meet the growing needs of residents despite funding challenges. This support is essential to our continued success.

Jewish values are not only our foundation—they are our compass. They shape how we care, lead, and grow, reminding us that long-term care is about more than clinical standards; it is about dignity, community, and meaning.

With respect and optimism for the future of Hillel Lodge, thank you.

As I reflect on 2025, I do so with a strong sense of pride in what we have accomplished together at the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge, and a clear view of the work still ahead.

This past year was one of excellence and purpose — defined by our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care and building the systems and culture needed to sustain it for years to come.

Clinical excellence is at the heart of what we do, and 2025 was a year that reflected that commitment at every level. Guided by a commitment to excellence, the nursing department undertook a comprehensive assessment of clinical practices across all programs to ensure our standards reflect the increasingly complex needs of today’s residents. The recruitment of experienced leaders and the integration of best practices with the deep knowledge of our team have resulted in a nursing department that is well positioned for sustained excellence in an evolving health care system. The launch of the Hillel Lodge Academy brought together clinical excellence, workforce development, professionalism, and person-centred care within a single, coherent framework — reflecting how deeply learning and growth are embedded in our daily practice.

This culture of excellence extends across the entire organization. Our quality improvement efforts are bearing fruit, with proactive identification of opportunities and growing internal capacity through quality champions and Lean Six Sigma methods. 

The impact of this commitment is felt every day by our residents. Our Food Services team has delivered an elevated dining experience, ensuring that the changing needs and preferences of every resident are honoured at every meal. The insourcing of laundry services has been a particular success, resulting in consistent quality, reliability, and value — an achievement that has been reflected consistently and positively in resident and family surveys throughout the year.

Alongside this operational progress, we have advanced our strategic direction. Working closely with our Board of Directors, we finalized a new Strategic Plan and translated it into a focused operational plan with clear priorities, measurable outcomes, and defined accountability. At the heart of this work are four core values, Compassion, Dignity, Excellence, and Integrity, which guide our decisions and define our expectations.

This commitment to quality was further affirmed through our successful CARF Accreditation. This was not approached as a compliance exercise, but as an opportunity to advance our systems and reinforce our commitment to continuous improvement.

Finally, our work extends beyond the walls of Hillel Lodge. Through active engagement with the long-term care and broader health sector, we continue to contribute to and learn from the broader health system, bringing that insight back to benefit those we serve.

This reflects our continued and unwavering commitment to delivering the highest quality care possible. Thank you to our residents, families, staff, board of directors, volunteers, and partners for the role each of you play in making Hillel Lodge the home that it is.

There is a Yiddish word, "bashert", that speaks of something destined, something meant to be. When I look at what our community has built together at the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge, I believe that word applies not just to a single moment, but to a shared calling that grows stronger with every passing year.

This past year, we answered that calling with action, and none of it happened by chance.

I want to begin by thanking my fellow Board members, whose wisdom, generosity, and tireless commitment shape every decision we make. They give not only their time but their judgment, their passion, and their personal dedication to ensuring that Hillel Lodge remains a place of excellence and dignity. I am privileged and proud to serve alongside them.

June 2024 marked the opening of our Dream Garden, a beautiful, fully accessible outdoor courtyard featuring barrier-free gazebos, a soothing fountain, and raised garden beds where every resident can participate in the simple, profound pleasure of tending to growing things. For many of our 121 residents, this garden is their backyard. Watching it come to life this year and watching residents gather there with family, breathe the fresh air, and find moments of peace has been one of the most moving experiences of my time with the Foundation. This project is the direct result of donor generosity, and it will touch lives for generations to come.

I also want to celebrate the extraordinary community that surrounds us. To every donor and sponsor who believes in our mission: you are the reason we can dream bigger. To our remarkable volunteers, who give their time and their hearts freely: you make the Lodge feel like home. And to the riders and supporters of Biking for Bubbies & Zaidies, Ottawa's premier fundraiser for long-term care, your pedalling, your pledges, and your community spirit are nothing short of inspiring. Every kilometre you ride is a kilometre ridden for someone's bubbie or zaidie, and that matters deeply.

Because of all of you, we head into the future with confidence, with gratitude, and with great purpose. The best of Hillel Lodge is still ahead of us.

There is a phrase I have been turning over in my mind this past year: L’dor v’dor. From generation to generation. It took on new meaning when I watched a group of students spend an afternoon with our residents.

What I watched was not a “program.” It was a conversation, an exchange between generations. Stories flowed in both directions, and laughter and smiles filled the room. Each participant had something to learn and share from the other.

From the very beginning, and still today, Hillel Lodge connects one generation to the next.

I came to this work as someone who deeply respects this community. What I have come to understand is that the people in our care are not merely residents. They are the keepers of stories and the builders of this community.

I believe dignity in aging is not a privilege. It is a right. And closing the gap between what our residents deserve and what the public system alone can provide is exactly why we exist.

This past year, your support made that real in so many ways. From the new therapeutic bathing that restores comfort, to the meal assistance program that ensures no one eats alone and unaided, to Companionship Connections, which does something the healthcare system was never designed to do on its own. It fights loneliness and isolation. And so much more.

None of this happens without you.

That is not a formality. It is the truest thing I can say. Every gift, every ride, every act of generosity is a decision to say that the people who built this community deserve to be held by it in return. You are making that happen, and the difference it makes in the lives of our residents, their families, and the staff who care for them every day is real and lasting.

L’dor v’dor. We are part of something much larger than any single year, and because of you, that chain holds strong. The best of Hillel Lodge is still ahead of us.

Strategic Plan 2026-2031

A Strategy Shaped by Many Voices, Guided by Shared Values

Great plans begin not with answers, but with listening. The development of the new Strategic Plan 2026-2031 for Hillel Lodge began with a simple commitment: to hear from the people who matter most.

Over an extensive period of consultation, we engaged a wide and meaningful range of voices. Residents shared what brings comfort, purpose, and joy to their days. Families described what trust looks like when someone they love calls Hillel Lodge home. Volunteers and community members offered perspectives shaped by deep connection to our mission. Staff at every level brought insight from the heart of daily care. And our Board of Directors provided the governance wisdom and strategic lens that shaped the plan's foundations.

"This strategic plan reflects the heart of our home, the strength of our team, and the commitment of everyone who cares about the future of Hillel Lodge." 
— Ted Cohen, CEO, Hillel Lodge

At the centre of everything we heard — and at the centre of our plan — are our four core values. Rooted in Jewish tradition and lived out in every interaction, these values are not aspirational statements alone; they are the standard by which we measure every decision, every day.