Greenwood House honors the Siegels of Princeton.
By: Jennifer Potash
A single family with several members serving a nonprofit organization may not seem unusual, but how many such families are on first-name basis with many of the organization’s clients?
The Siegel family of Princeton is, and they will be feted Sunday at the Trenton War Memorial for many years of service to Greenwood House, a nonprofit nursing home and assisted living complex for the Jewish aged in Ewing.
The gala reception’s keynote speaker will be former President Bill Clinton.
The family Martin and Denise Siegel and their son and daughter-in-law, Hank and Lisette Siegel, have all served various terms on Greenwood House’s board of trustees, and they delight in playing hands-on roles in the daily life of the retirement and nursing care residents.
Martin and Denise Siegel, who are Princeton Township residents, discussed their affinity and involvement with Greenwood House during an interview at the center’s new Abrams Assisted Living unit.
"My daughter-in-law was just here with our grandson, baking cookies with the residents," Mrs. Siegel said. The Siegels’ children and grandchildren live in Princeton Borough.
Mr. Siegel said that he and his family attend services at Greenwood House during the holidays.
Passing though the halls there, several residents greet the Siegels, who take a moment to exchange pleasantries.
The family’s efforts are greatly appreciated, said Richard Goldstein, executive director of Greenwood House.
"We’re honoring them for all the wonderful work they’ve done," Mr. Goldstein said. "Without them we wouldn’t have gotten our first gala off the ground and gotten younger people in the community involved in a facility that serves the aged."
The couple’s involvement with Greenwood house dates back to their childhoods.
Mr. Siegel recalls as a boy of about 12 visiting his grandparents at the original Greenwood House, off Greenwood Avenue in Trenton, then called Home for the Aged Sons and Daughters of Israel.
"It made a very lasting impression on me because it was very dark and dingy there," said Mr. Siegel, CEO of Hamilton Jewelers, which has locations in Princeton Borough, Lawrence and Palm Beach, and one soon to open in Red Bank.
"Because of the conditions, I felt inwardly and I didn’t know how that someday I would do something to make Greenwood House better. Hopefully my family’s efforts over the years have helped to make Greenwood House a better place."
Greenwood House, which features a synagogue, kosher kitchen, recreation areas, therapy rooms, gardens and patios, relocated to Walter Street in Ewing in 1974 and now houses 122 residents.
Mrs. Siegel said that in her travels to other senior citizen facilities, she has not found the emphasis on comfortable and welcoming surroundings that is found at Greenwood House.
During her youth, Mrs. Siegel traveled around the state with her mother, a retired vaudeville performer, and regularly attended her mother’s performances at retirement homes, including Greenwood House.
In the early days of her marriage, Mrs. Siegel joined Greenwood House’s board of trustees and continued to renew her commitment to service on the board.
"I’ve been on many boards and served on charitable organizations, and this is the best board I’ve ever been on," she said.
A key task of any nonprofit board is fund-raising and Greenwood House is no exception. For the past half-dozen years Greenwood House has hosted an annual gala, usually with a prominent speaker giving the keynote address. The upcoming gala will feature the most prominent speaker thus far.
How did Greenwood House get the former president?
By making a telephone call, Mrs. Siegel said.
"I called his office in New York," she said. "But it was a lot of red tape and it took a long time for him to decide."
This marks one of Mr. Clinton’s few public speaking events this year, as he is trying to finish writing his autobiography, Mrs. Siegel said.
"In the times we’re living in, it’s going to be very interesting to hear what he has to say," she said.
And the event is open to the public, she said.
"We want this be to a community-wide event, and we want the entire community to participate," Mrs. Siegel said, noting there are lower priced tickets available for students and senior citizens.
Mr. Goldstein said that Greenwood House, which also provides services to homebound elderly, may seek to add another 10 beds to its nursing care unit. The latest addition to the complex, the Abrams residence, has capacity for 20 people. At the time of the interview, it had six occupants.
Mr. Goldstein said before the Abrams Residence was established, Mercer County lacked assisted living facilities for Jewish senior citizens.
"We wanted to be able to serve the community and provide a kosher facility, the religious aspect as well as the cultural aspect," he said.
To purchase tickets for President Clinton’s talk Sunday at 8 p.m. in Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, contact the box office at (609) 984-8400 or visit www.tickets.com. Tickets are priced at $25, $35 and $50. Doors open at 7:15 p.m.

