At 88, Village Shalom resident Judy Jacobs embodies the best of the Greatest Generation: resilience, faith, and compassion rooted in Jewish values. A Holocaust survivor, educator, and advocate, Judy has turned unimaginable hardship into a life of hope and purpose.
A Family Tradition of Giving
Long before the war, Judy’s father—a radiologist in Hungary—spent hours each day providing free medical care for indigent Jews in Budapest. “It was simply who he was,” Judy recalls. “Helping others was part of his identity.”
That spirit of tzedakah—giving and justice—followed their family across continents. After immigrating to the U.S., her father continued volunteering, offering free radiology services to residents of a Jewish home for the aged. “There was no Medicare, no Medicaid,” Judy said. “He did it because it was the right thing to do.”
Those lessons became the foundation of Judy’s own giving. “It’s a family tradition,” she says. “My father used to say he wished he’d earned more—not for himself, but to give more to the United Jewish Appeal. That’s the world I grew up in.”
From Survival to Strength
Born in Budapest, Hungary Judy was only six when Nazi Germany invaded. She endured Nazi treachery in Budapest as well as the Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp. At war’s end, she and her parents rebuilt their lives in America. “The Holocaust didn’t end for me in 1945,” she says. “It took years to rebuild self-esteem after being dehumanized. But my parents modeled strength, dignity, and gratitude.”
A Deep Village Shalom Connection
Judy’s family connection to Village Shalom spans generations. Her mother-in-law spent her final year at the original Shalom Geriatric Home on Holmes, where she found comfort in community. Decades later, her father became one of the first residents in the Assisted Living apartments at Village Shalom.
“He was so excited,” Judy remembers. “He thought he’d be the first one here—and he almost was! He loved the Jewish programming, the services, the people. He was treated with such kindness and dignity.”
Those experiences made Village Shalom a natural choice when Judy decided to move years later. “There was never a question,” she says. “My father and my mother-in-law were happy here. I wanted to be in a Jewish environment, with my people. It feels like home.”
Faith, Family, and the Next Generation
A devoted mother and grandmother, Judy takes pride in passing down the values her parents instilled. “L’dor v’dor—from generation to generation—that’s what it’s all about,” she says. “You lead by example. My children saw how I treated my father with respect and love, just as he did for us.”
That legacy continues through her grandchildren, who have led Shabbat services at Village Shalom. “It meant everything to see them giving back,” Judy says. “That’s what it’s all about—caring for one another.”
Giving Back Through the Ages of Excellence
Today, Judy continues to give—quietly and generously—to ensure Village Shalom remains a place of dignity and belonging for everyone. “I donate to the Financial Assistance Program because I’ve known what it’s like to be without,” she says. “No one should ever be turned away because they can’t afford care.”
Her support of the Ages of Excellence Campaign reflects both gratitude and conviction. “I want this place to be here for my children, my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren,” Judy says. “It’s not just charity—it’s responsibility. You give because it’s who you are.”
A Life of Gratitude
Reflecting on her journey, Judy smiles. “I’m grateful—for my family, for this community, for the peace of mind Village Shalom gives me. And I’m proud to help my neighbors, even if I never know who they are. That’s what tzedakah truly means.”
Judy Jacobs’s life stands as a testament to endurance, generosity, and faith—an extraordinary example of how one person’s strength and spirit can illuminate generations.