South Orange B’nai B’rith Federation housing marks 25th anniversary

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Jewish Community Housing Corporation of Metropolitan New Jersey will commemorate the silver anniversary of the South Orange B’nai B’rith Federation House, a 65-unit senior living community in South Orange on Monday, Dec. 11. The special event, open to the public, will take place during the South Orange Board of Trustees meeting at 7:15 p.m. in the South Orange Performing Arts Center auditorium, 1 SOPAC Way. A private, invitation-only dinner honoring SOBBFH residents and staff will immediately follow the ceremony.

Attendees and speakers will include Essex County officials and other dignitaries including Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, Freeholder Patricia Sebold and South Orange Village President Sheena Collum, who will offer special proclamations and remarks. Several SOBBFH residents are scheduled to speak as well.

In addition to celebrating 25 years of high-quality housing for seniors in Essex County, the purpose of the event is to draw attention to the success of subsidized federal housing initiatives. The South Orange B’nai B’rith Federation House, as well as the JCHC’s Jewish Federation Plaza in West Orange, provide subsidized housing for seniors and the disabled who qualify. The JCHC is a nonprofit organization that owns and manages four senior living communities in Essex and Morris counties.

“Without the support of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 125,000 senior citizens and non-elderly disabled individuals throughout the country — including a number of our residents — would be without high-quality, affordable housing,” CEO Harold Colton-Max said.

The South Orange B’nai B’rith Federation Housing, located at 219 South Orange Ave., opened its doors in December 1992 to accommodate independent seniors and disabled individuals.

“JCHC is deeply committed to providing a variety of housing options for northern New Jersey’s growing senior population,” Colton-Max said. “It’s so gratifying to celebrate a quarter-century of providing quality affordable rental housing at the South Orange B’nai B’rith Federation House. This supportive community allows residents to thrive and remain engaged in a safe, secure home of their own. And, they in turn bring vitality to the village of South Orange.”

For more information about JCHC’s senior living communities, visit www.jchcorp.org.