Some of the residents of the Joodse Invalide came from the slum dwellings of the Jewish quarter as the Jewish neighborhood of Amsterdam was called. They came from varied backgrounds and needed to be treated with great care. Nurse Esther Mok, who was the director of the home in the early years and later the head of nursing, knew at a single glance where to place each resident and which roommate would be best. She worked at the institution for more than 25 years.