JUNE 2026 “I can hear everyone!” exclaimed JFSA client and Holocaust survivor Michael Pustelnik upon receiving a new hearing aid through the community-based initiative Hear in Cleveland.
Pustelnik’s previous hearing aid had not been functioning properly for several years. His wife, Suzanna, is equally thrilled. “Now I don’t have to be so upset all the time because Michael can’t hear me,” she said. “I just want to cry.”
Pustelnik and 25 other older adult clients and Holocaust survivors participated in the hearing aid clinic, held at JFSA’s Kindness Center, through funding support from the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
Hear in Cleveland provides critical hearing care and follow-up services at no cost to vulnerable individuals across Northeast Ohio. The Starkey Corporation, through its nonprofit foundation Starkey Cares, supplies the hearing aids. University Hospitals’ ENT department conducts ear health evaluations while the audiology services are provided by Starkey Cares Provider Network, the University Hospitals Audiology Department, Kent State University’s Northeastern Ohio Audiology Consortium, and Cleveland State University’s Health Speech and Hearing Clinic.
“Hearing loss among older adults is a significant risk factor for social isolation, depression, increased risk of falls, and cognitive decline,” said JFSA board member Dr. David Rosenberg, who co-founded the initiative with Fortunato Figliano, owner of Centers for Hearing Care in Youngstown, Ohio. “By restoring hearing, these challenges can be mitigated and overall well-being significantly improved.”
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