About Tamarisk NorthShore

A beautiful independent living community in Deerfield, Illinois.

We welcome you!

A beautiful independent living community in Deerfield, Illinois, Tamarisk NorthShore makes it easy to live the life you love. Volunteer in a food pantry. Take a beading class. Sharpen your canasta skills. Debate foreign policy. Relax in the easy pace of life, knowing someone is always nearby if needed.

Spacious, modern apartment homes, superior dining, and engaging activities and programs, backed by a legacy of enhancing the lives of those they serve, distinguish Tamarisk NorthShore. We welcome you!


The Tamarisk NorthShore Experience

There are other retirement communities. But there’s only one Tamarisk NorthShore: your unique choice for independent living in Deerfield, Illinois.

Tamarisk NorthShore offers a vibrant, welcoming lifestyle enhanced by superior dining, first-rate hospitality, refreshing life enrichment, and the peace of mind that comes from a trusted care network. All backed by a level of commitment that you won’t find anywhere else. There’s a small community fee or security deposit and just a simple monthly rental fee, so you can protect your assets, live close to family and ease their worries about the future. Feeling secure feels good!

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Meet the Team

Drew-K

Drew Kowalski, Executive Director

Drew helped open Tamarisk NorthShore, chosen because of his reputation for successfully opening other senior living communities and his natural ability to build a staff that truly understands the importance of delivering excellent customer service.

Drew started his career in the financial arena, but found his passion working with older adults when he joined another senior living organization over 14 years ago. Since then, he has opened four other senior living communities in the Chicagoland area: “I consider myself very blessed to be part of this amazing community and organization. Our leadership team alone has over 70 years of experience in senior living and hospitality industries. We hope that you’ll visit Tamarisk NorthShore soon and see for yourself why Tamarisk is the talk of the town!”

Drew earned a bachelor’s in finance from Indiana University, and a master’s in business administration from University of Illinois.

Jim

Jim Betke, Director of Maintenance and Housekeeping

Jim is a real “go-to” person and we are thrilled that he is on our team. With over 12 years in senior living management, most recently as a Maintenance Supervisor for a community in Lake Forest, his previous experience includes working for a park district, where he was responsible for overseeing the operations of multiple business spaces. Earlier, he worked in commercial and residential construction.

Residents find that Jim is very results-oriented—he thrives on finding creative solutions to problems: “The most gratification that one can have is going to work, helping seniors maintain their beautiful apartment homes, and becoming part of a community that is really like a large family.”

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Michelle Bernstein, Director of Life Enrichment

Michelle has over 25 years of experience with working with older adults. For the past 10 years, she worked for Weinberg Community on CJE SeniorLIfe’s Deerfield campus. Working for CJE and Tamarisk is not just a job for Michelle. She is passionate about helping older adults maintain their independence and dignity, while enhancing their lives with socialization, support, and stimulating programs. She truly enjoys the time she spends with the residents and co-workers: “I feel blessed to come to work each day—to do what I love and be with people who feel like family.”

Michelle graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in corporate communications and psychology and has a certificate in gerontology.

Ray

Ray Eliot, Business Office Manager

Ray is responsible for managing our Concierge team as well as resident billing, customer service, and human resources. Ray brings years of experience to our community as she previously was in the same role at another senior living provider. Ray earned a degree in accounting and a JD degree from universities in the Philippines.

CJE Mission

The mission of CJE SeniorLife is to enhance quality of life and facilitate independence of older adults.

We champion older adults and families on their unique journeys, cultivate communities built on innovation, tradition and trust, and help each person in the Jewish and larger community live life to their fullest abilities with dignity and respect.

CJE SeniorLife Values Statement

Older adults living better every day connected to the community of their choice with access to trusted care and full range of services, rooted in Jewish values.

Respect

Kavod

We recognize, honor and acknowledge the inherent value of each person, for their wisdom, their culture, their background, and their unique history.

Advocacy

Timicha

We give voice to our clients’ needs and facilitate positive actions on their behalf. We engage state and federal officials to advocate the adoption, preservation, and/or modification of governmental programs and practices which benefit our community and clients.

Innovation

Chidushim

We advance our knowledge and evaluate, develop, and implement new and advanced programming and models of care to bring benefits to our clients, community, and broader older adult/health care environment.

Compassion

Chesed

We treat everyone with caring, sensitivity, understanding, and supportive responsiveness.

Intention

Kavanah

We approach our work and each task with mindful consideration as to what we are doing and why we are doing it, as individuals and as an agency.

Accountability

Arevut

We are responsible individually and as an organization for ethical, accurate work and interaction with others. We plan strategically and provide quality care with measurable outcomes and fiscal soundness.

Location

Deerfield, Illinois, considered one of the state’s best places to live, is situated in Lake County, adjacent to Cook County and bordered to the west by Riverwoods, Highland Park to the east, Northbrook to the south, and Bannockburn and Lake Forest to the north. Deerfield boasts a network of 20 parks as well as annual festivals and events.

Visitors and friends can quickly access Tamarisk NorthShore via US-94. The Metra line to downtown Deerfield is just two miles away, making it easy to enjoy downtown Deerfield’s boutique shopping, restaurants, charming coffee shops, financial services, and other conveniences.

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Residents of Tamarisk NorthShore also enjoy being a short distance from the Chicago Botanic Garden where they can volunteer, walk, or simply take in the natural beauty. Other nearby attractions include Ravinia, a lovely 26-acre park and site of an annual internationally renowned music festival; and NorthShore Center for Performing Arts.

For added peace of mind, Tamarisk NorthShore is centrally located between NorthShore University HealthSystem’s Glenbrook Hospital and Highland Park Hospital.

Find answers to many of your questions below.

General FAQs

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There are other retirement communities. But there’s only one Tamarisk NorthShore: your unique choice for independent living in Deerfield, Illinois.

Ready to find out more?

Take a look and see why Tamarisk is the perfect place for you to live!