RJ Blog

I do not know of any colleague who has not, at one time or another, sat with a family as a loved one neared the end of life. It can be a heart-wrenching, spiritual, troublesome, anxious and fulfilling encounter — all at the same time. Sadly, too many families find themselves alone and adrift in a sea of medical terminology and health care controls. The physician, having tried “the arsenal of medical technology,” may ask what the family wishes to do next. This month’s edition of Atlantic Monthly includes a thought-provoking piece on the need for “The Conversation.” Author Jonathan [...]

by Rabbi Douglas Kohn My grandfather was looking at me through empty eyes. His scruffy mustache was unmoving; he was just staring. My dad was making simple, small talk, but grandpa was just staring. I couldn’t recall then – and I can’t recall now, 20 years later – when was the last time I’d had a meaningful conversation with him. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia does that to us: They can’t remember, while we remember the pains and losses. Our endeavors to address health and wellness issues in synagogues and Jewish institutional settings actually result from illness and being unwell. “Health [...]

Have you been reading this year’s Jewels of Elul, daily stories to guide your pre-High Holy Days introspection? The most recent “jewel,” on the topic of aging, is written by a familiar name: Rabbi Sally J. Priesand, the first ordained female rabbi. In “Not Yet,” Rabbi Priesand begins, In a dilapidated log cabin, near a cornfield, there lived an old farmer. He had lived in the same place for so long that he attracted a lot of attention from passersby. Some believed his age to be 110, yet he maintained a youthful disposition and a sparkling sense of humor. Once [...]

In his introduction to musician Craig Taubman’s annual “Jewels of Elul,” project Rabbi David Wolpe writes, “Here is a booklet full of wisdom about age and aging, the land we will all visit if we are blessed. As each year passes, clap your hands and sing. Spring is green and vital, but winter has its beauty and its joys.” Throughout the Hebrew month of Elul, which began last weekend, receive short stories, anecdotes, and introspections in your inbox to celebrate each day of the month. Guest bloggers will include Herb Alpert, Peter Yarrow, Donna Shalala, and Zalman Schacter Shalomi,  among [...]

by George Rosenbaum Many Reform congregations struggle with membership renewal as the proportion of their older members increases. Aging members gradually become less active in the congregation as energy or health wanes and travel becomes more difficult. Although members are living longer now than prior generations, congregations face difficulty in retaining members who are reaching an advanced age. With declining participation, some elderly drop their memberships. At the same time, attracting younger members is becoming more difficult than in prior generations. The size of Reform congregations is thus impacted at both ends of the life cycle. Congregations need to be [...]

A recent article in the New York Times highlighted the impact of the current economic difficulties on the elderly, especially those who are on fixed incomes and frail. The article reminded me of ways that our congregations can enhance their mission of being  a “caring community” (with no or little cost to the congregation).

In developing our project on the aging of the baby boomers (Sacred Aging) a host of questions have emerged. Many have to do with how we, given the gift, we pray, of longevity, can continue to answer God’s question of Genesis 3: “where are you?” (ayecha) So, I decided to try and start a small dialogue on our blog about these issues.

Baseball is a great game. Often, a lot of attention gets paid to the phenom, the “kid.” As teams adjust and reality sets in, the reason returns and we often again celebrate the “crafty veteran.” It seems that in baseball, as in life, wisdom trumps knowledge.A recent piece in the New York Times titled “Older Brain Really May Be a Wiser Brain” sheds new light on the expanding research into the older adult brain. These studies are particularly meaningful for my work and our department’s major program on longevity and the baby boomers (Sacred Aging). The articles points out that, as we [...]