Our Wilf Campus Mission
To be central New Jersey’s leader in providing a continuum of care and related personal services, primarily for the Jewish elderly, in an environment that enhances and respects Jewish values, traditions and lifestyles.
Our History
The history of The Oscar and Ella Wilf Campus for Senior Living is a long traveled road that brings us to where we are today. It is paved with the names of many people who, with persistence and commitment, were able to take the dream of a Jewish home for the elderly and make it a reality. In the early 1960s a committee of interested people called upon Phil Levin of Plainfield to become the first president of the “Home.” This wonderful philanthropist worked tirelessly to make our nursing home a reality. On the day before his death, at an executive committee meeting, Phil Levin signed his pledge for the Building Campaign and thus our nursing home, The Central New Jersey Jewish Home for the Aged was officially born. On September 26, 1971 ground breaking ceremonies were held. Construction commenced in the fall of 1972 and the “Home” was dedicated on March 23, 1975. Our first residents were admitted the following month.
In the early 1970s our Auxiliary was created, numbering 1700+ members strong. This dedicated group was most successful in the areas of fund raising and securing volunteers for the campus.
With time, the forward thinking board saw a need for affordable housing for independent seniors. Wilentz Senior Residence for independent living opened its doors on October 14, 1985. Then again, the board saw a need for another level of care and The Stein Assisted Living Residence was born and opened its doors in 2003. The Stein Hospice then emerged and began operations in 2005.
Over the years, we have experienced growth in our services, our resident population, our reputation and our campus itself. In early 2000, the board of trustees had to make a very difficult and painful decision in order to ensure the survival of our campus and our mission to serve the Jewish elderly. It was determined that the long term care facility would be leased to a company that would maintain Jewish traditions and ensure that elderly Jews would still receive the quality of care for which the campus was known, as well as the best possible programs and activities. On March 1, 2007, a long term lease and partnership with The Regency Heritage and Rehabilitation Center was signed. At the same time, the campus officially became The Oscar and Ella Wilf Campus for Senior Living. The entity that was formally known as the Auxiliary became The Foundation at the Wilf Campus, and now serves as the primary fund raising and event arm of the campus.
In 2010, the campus embarked upon a very aggressive strategic plan. Through this plan, Hospice extended its reach into a wider range of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and private homes, as well as into more NJ counties, specifically Union County and the Monroe Township area. Continuing the tradition of offering excellent health care education to the community and healthcare professionals, many new educational programs were added to continue to serve the older adult population.
In 2011 the campus opened Wilf Transport – a door-to-door transport service geared to serve seniors and disabled adults who are unable to utilize other forms of transportation – and on October 1, 2012 Wilf Transport began operations. Currently Wilf Transport provides service for Stein Assisted Living and Wilentz Residence, and also operates various community service contracts and transport services in the community, funded through both private and federal grant awards. Wilf Transport was approved by the IRS as a non-profit agency in 2014 and continues to grow its success to fulfill the mission of the campus.
As we have increased our service, we have also outgrown office space. In April 2019, construction on the Education and Resource Center was completed. The building now houses all of our corporate offices, Stein Hospice offices and Wilf Transport. The Education and Resource Center also includes a variety of meeting rooms and a community room, which has allowed the Campus to expand its health, wellness and educational programs for the community.
In January of 2020 the Wilf Campus launched Wilf At Home. The agency provides home care in a number of settings including private homes, assisted living facilities and long-term care facilities. With options for non-medical companionship, spiritual/pastoral care, personal care assistance, and skilled nursing care; Wilf At Home aims to provide quality, individualized care in a trusting and comforting environment.
On September 18, 2022 we were honored to dedicate the Education and Resource Center to Gail Shapiro-Scott and David Scott, both of blessed memory. Gail and David were committed friends of the Wilf Campus, championing our mission for over 20 years. We are honored that they chose the Wilf Campus to be the stewards of their legacy.