By Stacey Dresner

NEW HAVEN – Back before there was “assisted living,” there was Tower One.

In 1967, Tower One was envisioned by Irving Enson, Beatrice Horowitz, Linda Kantor, Jim Vlock and Leanor Wexler, all members of the New Haven Jewish community.

“I didn’t know anything about housing for the elderly,” said Vlock, who did some research and found that much of the senior housing at the time was “cubby holes with older people sitting around waiting to die. I decided this isn’t what we wanted at all.”

Tower One was instead, designed by renowned architect Charles Moore – at the time the dean of the Yale School of Architecture – as a 21-story high-rise.

“We decided we were going to build something that didn’t look like it was going to be for old people,” Vlock said. “Our thing was to build a college dormitory for senior citizens. It was a place for people to feel young.”

Tower One will kick off a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary on Sunday, Sept. 10, 1 – 3 p.m. at its downtown New Haven building.

Tower One founders, Leanor Wexler and Jim Vlock.

“We will recognize the City of New Haven which has been our home, HUD who enables us to have funds to provide housing for our elderly and also the Jewish Community Council, which was the predecessor to the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven,” said Vivian Kantrow, Tower One’s development and community relations director.

The event will include festive music, light fare and a program that includes Mayor Toni Harp; and representatives from HUD and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, of which Tower One is a beneficiary agency.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro will be the keynote speaker.

“We are celebrating our past and are honoring our present and building for the future,” Kantrow said. “We want to ensure the future and continue to offer the best to the elders of our community.”

When Tower One was built people were moving in younger and some still were working. The facility became so popular that in 1982 a second building, known as Tower East, was built. Today, the average age of residents at Tower One/Tower East is 88.

In addition to Tower East, other improvements have been made over the years. Thanks to HUD grants, since 2000 more than over 100 apartments have been made handicap-accessible with larger bathrooms and doorways. A new larger elevator also accommodates wheelchairs and walkers, supplementing the two existing elevators in Tower One. As the needs of the residents have changed, The Towers has been proactive in changing as well. Not only structurally with the addition of assisted living apartments, but also bringing more activities and programs on-site for those who may have difficulty getting out.

The Towers Foundation, funded by donations, supports a full-time life enrichment coordinator who plans activities and programs on-site aimed at providing residents with opportunities for learning, growth and fun.

While all eligible seniors are welcome as residents, the stated mission of The Towers is “to provide older persons of varying means with high quality living arrangements and services based upon Jewish values and traditions.”

All meals served in the dining room are certified kosher. On Friday nights, tables are set with white tablecloths and matzo ball soup and challah is served. Jewish holidays are celebrated and Jewish programming, including a weekly Yiddish group, Jewish movie series and lectures by area rabbis are also provided.

Tower One resident Izzy Juda.

Izzy Juda is one of the residents enjoying life at The Towers. Originally from Waterbury, Juda moved there three years ago from Florida.

“This definitely gave my family peace of mind,” said Juda, who serves as The Residents’ Association president, adding that he chose The Towers because of its kosher dining facility. Juda said that he enjoys the many amenities and activities that he has access to at The Towers. An active volunteer, he also takes part in lectures, trips to the symphony and educational excursions.

Esther Brochin is a resident who is benefitting from these life enriching programs and activities. She also moved to The Towers from Florida because she wanted to be closer to her family.

“My children and I felt it would be a good idea to move back to Connecticut to be closer to them,” she said.

An accomplished artist, she’s a regular in the art class offered at The Towers. She also participates in the knitting/crocheting group, is active in the garden group, and loves to get together with friends to play Mahjong and Canasta. Though she no longer drives, she still enjoys visiting museums and the symphony with her friends from The Towers. She even participated in the Elder Play Project, a partnership between The Towers and Long Wharf Theater for three years in a row.

“We will continue to grow and provide more on-site, life-enriching programs and services for our residents and their families,” Jackie Curl, interim president and CEO, said. “We are hoping that this year we will build our endowment to help ensure our success for the next 50 years. Whatever the future holds for us, our number one priority is to provide the highest quality of life to our residents.”