Purpose Statement

Wexner Heritage Village is founded on and inspired by the timeless wisdom of the Jewish faith. In our practice, and at our core, we believe that all people are created in G-d’s image (B’tzelem Elohim), that we are all endowed with infinite value, and that every person with whom we engage should be treated with dignity and respect.

We honor our traditions as well as those of all faiths.

We believe that acts of human kindness help repair the world (Tikkun Olam) with every word and deed.

We honor our elders and revere them for their strength and wisdom

(Hiddur Zaken).

We foster creativity, self-expression and personal choice, and inspire others to live their fullest and most purposeful lives.

Our mission is to create a vibrant, connected community that brings more life to every moment of senior living. Through integrity, humility, innovation and excellence, we strive to be the most trusted, most loved, most sought-after resource for the senior community.

A Community Response to a Growing Need

Wexner Heritage Village opened in 1951 after sustained community discussions about the urgent need for a Jewish home for older adults in Columbus.    Before its founding, families who required Jewish practice for long‑term care had to send loved ones to Cincinnati or Cleveland—options that were costly and often impractical. Determined to provide local care, community leaders and volunteers mobilized to create a home that would honor Jewish traditions while meeting the needs of aging residents.  The Jewish value and commandment of Honoring our Parents is essential to our mission from 1951 to this day.

Founding and Early Years

From Humble Beginnings to a Lasting Institution

The Columbus Jewish Home for the Aged began as a 14‑bed residence at 115 Woodland Avenue. Demand quickly exceeded capacity, prompting plans for a larger facility on College Avenue. A community naming contest produced the name Heritage Village, submitted by Edith Schottenstein Taxon, whose husband was a rabbi. On a bright, celebratory day, a large number of individuals from the Jewish community walked with the Torahs to the College Avenue campus and dedicated the new building, which remains the organization’s home today.

The Auxiliary and Community Leadership

Volunteerism That Built a Home

Also founded in 1951, the Auxiliary played a pivotal role in establishing and sustaining the home. Women from across the community led hiring efforts, secured essential staff such as care providers and a social worker, and provided hands‑on support—cooking, laundering linens, and volunteering directly with residents. Leaders like Mollie Nutis were instrumental in turning the community’s vision into reality.

Enduring Impact and Legacy

Seven Decades of Support and Enrichment

The Auxiliary continued its work for 70 years, raising funds that still support Jewish‑themed life enrichment programming for residents. From its earliest partnerships with organizations such as Jewish Family Services to ongoing community engagement, Wexner Heritage Village has remained committed to culturally informed care, dignity, and connection for older adults.

What This Means Today

A Living Tradition of Care

Wexner Heritage Village stands as a testament to community initiative, volunteer leadership, and sustained philanthropy. Its history reflects a collective commitment to ensuring that Jewish older adults in Columbus have access to compassionate, culturally attuned care close to home.

Mrs. Sylvia Schecter

An excerpt of an interview from the Jewish Historical Society:

Sylvia Schecter (Parts 1 & 2) Dr. Marc Lee Raphael interviewed Sylvia Schecter on September 22, 1974 as part of the Oral History program of the Columbus Jewish Historical Society.

Mrs. Scheter:

When we originally had this little Home for the Aged over

on Woodland Avenue, I had made a promise to my old aunt, Mrs. Roth, that

I would get involved in that when I got through with B’nai Brith. And

I did. I went around picking up stuff with Mrs. Pfeiffer and I helped do

some things. Lazaar Brenner, at that time, was a social worker and we

had an argument. We met in the office at the Jewish Center and we were

discussing whether it should be taken over by the Federation. You want

to know about controversy? You say there’s no controversy? I remember

sitting at this long table and there were two factions, the Reform and

the Orthodox, with a mixture of the other in between. They were asking

if the Federation would consider putting the Home for the Aged in its

budget, to some extent. They didn’t want to do it. We got together and

then they decided they would do it. Before they got into it, people were

sitting around – Charles Lazarus, Mrs. Lazarus, Simon Lazarus, Troy

Feibel – there was a whole group of us. Bob Mellman, Abe Wolman and

myself – Max Robbins at that time was interested in the Home for the

Aged – there was a whole table of us. We got into a heated discussion

because they said, “We have Montefiore Home or we’ve got the Home

for the Aged in Cleveland and if we want to, we can send our people

there.” At that time, they would send them and pay for them. But

they didn’t recognize the fact that there were people here who wanted

their people right close to them. So we got into quite a heated

argument, to the point where, finally, it was passed.

Then someone said, “Next thing you know, they’re going to want

money for a Home for the Aged. A new home. They’ll have enough people and they’ll say they need it.” I’ll never forget, Abe Wolman

turned red and I did, too, after we had already decided. We appointed,

last summer, a social worker, to be head of the Home for the Aged on a

side basis because it was just part of a social work thing. I got up –

by that time I had learned to use my mouth a little bit – and I said,

“You people are supposed to be the leaders of this Jewish community

and it seems to me, you worry about a home that you may have to build in

the future but if there is a time when we do need it, if you people are

supposed to be the head of the community and if you have an interest in

the Jewish people, if we have to do it, we’ll face it at that time and

not talk about it now. It’s a shame that we sat here and had to

discuss when old people really had no place to go.” Max Robbins and

Abe Wolman were very upset because they could take their people and put them in the Montefiore Home and if anybody wanted to visit them, they had the money to go visit them.

But here, these were poor Jewish people that couldn’t go visit

their parents. These people were really stranded here. From that day on, it was great. When we got ready to have a new home, the first thing we did was call Abe Wolman and Laz and I sat down and we called Bob Weiller and Aaron Zacks. We got two factions together. Bob Wriller, who had never worn a yalmalke in his life, we finally got him to walk into

Agudas Achim for a dinner and put a yalmalke on. It was the greatest

thing that ever happened. I think the Home for the Aged has been the

most unifying force for our Jewish community than there was in the whole

community. Besides the Federation. Because they have learned to work

together, to respect each others’ denominations and allow each to

fulfill its own role. I feel that the home as been the nicest thing that

has happened to our Jewish community. Look at Cincinnati, they have two

homes. You said there wasn’t controversy. There was a lot of

controversy

Interviewer: I only meant nobody has told conflicting stories about

the controversy. I don’t mean there wasn’t controversy. I mean

everybody that tells me the story about what you just told me, more or

less tells the story the same way.