A Jewish Courier's reporter made a round of visits to the various important Jewish institutions in Chicago for the purpose of reporting on their activities and progress. We begin with the Jewish Home for the Aged, who are, we feel, entitled to be first because of their age.

A finer and more important institution than the Jewish Home for the Aged is hard to find in Chicago.

The Home is located on the corner of Albany and Ogden Avenue, opposite Douglas Park. There is not a more beautiful spot anywhere else in the city. Summer and winter the air is always fresh, clean and healthful. The neighborhood is clear of factories and business places of any kind. The building, from a distance, looks like a rich beautiful colonial style home in a beautiful country setting. This home was founded in May, 1903, and since its inception has developed into one of the finest Jewish institutions on the American continent.

The institution was founded with donations from private individuals and from the membership of the home, but the actual establishment of this worthy institution is credited to one man only, who was not a resident of Chicago and who donated twenty thousand dollars to build the home for homeless aged Jews. The name of the donor is Abraham Slimer, who lives in Waverly, Indiana. He is considered one of the most liberal Jewish philanthropists of our time, for he has donated much money to Jewish institutions in all parts of the United States. Mr. Slimer is deeply interested in the Jewish Home for the Aged, and were it not for his liberality, it is very likely that this home would not have been built at all. This kind gentleman came into the office of the old home which was of course a very small building at the time, to look around, investigate its activities, etc. He at first did not care to give his name, but after a thorough investigation he revealed his identity and stated that the home was being conducted very systematically to his way of thinking, and informed the superintendent of the home of his twenty thousand dollars donation to build a Jewish Home for the Aged. The 3reporter of the Jewish Courier happened to visit the home on a Friday afternoon and he found the inmates making preparations for the holy Sabbath. The Home is conducted according to the old orthodox Jewish traditions. First of all every room in the Home is thoroughly cleaned and floors scrubbed. The inmates do their own baking of the Sabbath bread, over which a prayer is offered by every male inmate who receives two such loaves of this holy bread.

Each person is furnished with clean laundry every Friday. This home for the aged has 67 inmates, of whom 33 are women. Fourteen married couples also live there very happily in private rooms. All the rooms are well lighted, clean, warm, and dry, as in all up-to-date hotels. The building has all of the most modern improvements, steam heat, baths, a pharmacy. Every inmate must have a hot or cold bath daily, and that is why they all look so clean. There are extra nurses employed to care for the old inmates. Twelve physicians have volunteered to be in attendance one month in each year. Whenever an inmate feels a little indisposed, all he has to do is press an electric button and a house nurse will appear immediately and 4and look after his comfort or provide medical attention if needed. Most of the inmates of the home are well, cheerful and happy. Their faces show the satisfaction of their lot, which is the result of their being taken care of in their old age by such a capable institution.

Among the old inmates you will find a few of them who are highly educated and cultured, geniuses in the line of knowledge. Some of them sit all day studying the holy Torah, and others who are not so educated occupy their time in reading King David's Psalms and Yiddish newspapers and magazines. No medicine is allowed in the home. Intoxicating liquor is forbidden except for sacramental purposes or by permission of the house physician or the superintendent of the home. The inmates are forbidden to visit saloons where hard liquor is being sold or places where gambling of any kind is going on. They are permitted to receive their relatives and friends in the social room of the home on certain days of the week.

The inmates are not allowed to leave the home without a permit from the superintendent and even with the permission the time allowed is only from 59 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon and must give the name and place of their intended visit. No inmate is allowed to mix in the affairs of the institution in regard to its management, etc.

All rules and regulations laid down to the inmates must be obeyed to the letter. For the first offense the inmate is usually reprimanded and is told that such offense must not be repeated, for if such violations happen again he or she is subject to a dismissal from the Home.

Eligibility for Admission to the Home.

All old Jewish persons are not accepted by the Home for the Aged. Only those who have long been residents of Chicago and who have no relatives to care for them are eligible for admission. Men under 65 years of age and women under 60 are not accepted. Every application is thoroughly investigated and each applicant must take a solemn oath to abide by all laws, rules and 6regulations of the Home for the Aged. Applicants must answer all questions correctly; any misrepresentation in the application will lose the applicant his right of entry to the Home. All moneys belonging to the applicant, as well as benefit derived from societies, lodges, life insurance, etc., must be transferred to the Home before entry. Although every applicant must part with all his possessions, the Home could not exist even one month with all the old people's money, pensions, etc., for the main income of the Jewish Home for the Aged is derived from dues collected from members, private donations, or proceeds of bazaars and balls. On the 29th of this month the annual ball of the Home will take place. All Chicago Jews are expected to be present at this important affair, for this is one project from which we get quite a sum of money for the benefit of the Home.

Religion and Happiness

The pious orthodox old Jews could not be happy in any institution without Kosher dietary laws and a synagogue in which they can say their prayers to 7their God, study the Talmud, etc. That is why the management of the Jewish Home for the Aged has provided all these pleasant surroundings for the old folks, and for this the management deserve great credit and many thanks from the orthodox Jews of Chicago.