The Marks JCH is piloting the use of virtual reality (VR) to support the wellbeing of our homebound Holocaust Survivors. We will use VR to lead an immersive music program. A cohort of Survivors will revisit music from their youth, join Carnegie Hall performances, and more, all from the comfort and safety of their living rooms. Not only will these programs bring joy and improve quality of life for Holocaust Survivors, but there is evidence that this approach may improve cognitive function.
One study found that listening to music can slow the decline of cognitive function in older adults. A Harvard Medical School article notes the benefits of listening to music for stress, mood, movement, and more. Marks JCH professionals learned about the evidence-based benefits of music and virtual reality at a professional development conference and embraced the opportunity to bring VR to our Holocaust Survivors. This pilot program will boost Survivors’ health while helping them make the “journey” from the isolation of their apartments to performances and concert venues worldwide.
One of our treasured Holocaust Survivors, 100-year-old Vladimir Sats, recently told a Marks JCH staff person, “that the exciting new programs offered keep him going.” We are here for Vladimir, for all of our Holocaust Survivors, and for the more than 4,000+ older adults we serve year-round. Our Survivors’ “twilight years” are not a time to stop learning and growing. We embrace technology to help them live as fully as they can, for as long as they can.
This program is generously supported by the Karsch Family Prize for Technology and Innovation through the UJA Federation of New York.
About our services for Holocaust Survivors:
For more than three decades the Marks JCH has supported Holocaust Survivors who are part of the wave of immigrants who began to arrive in southwest Brooklyn in the 1980s. Approximately 52% of Holocaust survivors in NYC live at or below the federal poverty level. The far majority of these are cared for by the Marks JCH, who provides services to more than 900 Holocaust Survivors, as one of the largest providers serving Russian-speaking aging adults in NYC.