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Jewish Family Service to officially launch two new programs for older adults
Left, older adults with dementia discuss prompts from a writing workshop at the pilot Mazel J Café event. Right, volunteers deliver a Mazel Meal to a client on Super Sunday. Jewish Family Service is committed to ensuring a good quality of life for older adults across the Lehigh Valley. In the next year, they will be officially launching two programs that piloted this year, both to great success: Mazel J Café and Mazel Meals.
pants walked away smiling, eager to return for more. In the future, Mazel J Café will be opening to the general public, and will include programs like writing workshops, dog therapy and a drumming circle.
Mazel J Café is a program bringing together older adults with cognitive and/or memory impairment for socialization and fun programming while giving caregivers the option to leave. At the pilot program in April, nine participants enjoyed a session of chair yoga and a writing workshop as well as a meeting with Rabbi Seth Phillips from Congregation Keneseth Israel. The partici-
Mazel Meals aims to help older adults who have trouble getting access to fresh, home-cooked kosher meals. At the pilot on Super Sunday in January, volunteers prepared kosher meals for older adults in the JCC kitchen, including a Shabbat chicken dish along with green beans and a carrot soufflé, with the help of ingredients donated by Whole Foods, Wegmans and Costco. These
fresh meals were packaged and delivered in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. The packages also included minestrone soup made by the Jewish Day School, rice salad from Congregation Brith Sholom, challah from Congregation Keneseth Israel and chocolate chip cookies baked by the PJ Library children. In the upcoming year, Mazel Meals will be repeated at important Jewish holidays and its reach will be extended to more people in need across the Lehigh Valley. Are you interested in volunteering for either of these programs? Contact Jewish Family Service at 610-821-8722 or visit JFS on Facebook.
Her beautiful smile lets me know. Our community offers a variety of retirement living options, including independent To read more resident living, personal care, restorative care and specialized memory care—all on a vibrant stories like this one, visit campus filled with activities for all to enjoy. And whenever possible, even couples CountryMeadows.com/stories. needing different levels of care can remain side by side, sharing their lives together. To learn more, call or visit us online. We’re close to you, and here to help. CountryMeadows.com.
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Independent Living | Assisted Living & Personal Care* | Memory Care | Restorative Care* | Skilled Nursing** *Forks campus offers Independent Living, Assisted Living & Memory Care only. **Skilled nursing is available at our Bethlehem campus only. Country Meadows offers services and housing without regard to race, color, religion, disability, marital status, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation or gender.
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Spunky senior celebrates her 100th birthday in style
By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor When Lillian Herman arrived at Olive Garden for a lunch with a dozen friends, she looked around the room eagerly. “Where are all the men?” she asked. “Why is it a whole table full of ladies?” To an onlooker, it may have sounded like a bachelorette party. But this group was here to celebrate for an entirely different reason – born on July 10, 1918, Lillian was celebrating her 100th birthday. The gathering was organized by Lillian's friend Debbie Ovitz, who met her and her husband Ben as a Jewish Family Service volunteer. Their relationship started as a ride-sharing system and developed into so much more, with Herman spending a lot of time and Jewish holidays at Debbie’s house. “Today is a very special day. I met Lillian 31 years ago and she was younger than I am now. She always loved to go everywhere – Hershey Park, shopping, riding in the car with me,” said Debbie, who considers Lillian as “absolutely part of our family.” “It’s a great day and a great celebration and a wonderful
friendship between Debbie and Lillian,” added Diane Silverman, who first introduced the pair all those years ago. Debbie has since introduced Lillian to her friends, many of whom joined her for her birthday celebration. “I met her through Debbie and she became part of the family. She showed up for all the holidays and it’s wonderful to see her as part of Debbie’s family and our friendship family,” said Tamar, who Lillian enthusiastically waved to from across the table. “We go back many years,” added Arlene Herling. “She’s always bubbly and lots of fun to be with. And thank God she’s here for this celebration.” The century-long path to reach this special day took place entirely in Allentown. Lillian was raised by an aunt and uncle in the Sixth Ward after her mother died giving birth to her. She graduated from Allen High School and found a job in a local factory, where she met her husband Ben, who wrote her poetry throughout the years of their marriage. After her husband died, Leo, a friend of his, came into her life. Lillian, who has no children, lived at Bnai Brith Apartments for many years and now lives at Phoebe
Allentown, where she enjoys playing bingo and socializing with friends. “I enjoy being in the company of everyone here and especially having my good friend and her daughter” plan the party, Lillian said. “I have so many nice friends here.” Many of her friends are drawn to her lively personality. As Susan Hochhauser said, “she’s always been a pleasure to be with. She’s fun and it’s nice to spend time with somebody who you can laugh with and enjoy the day.” Lillian cites her longevity to a positive outlook. She moderates her snacks – including a nightly nibble of eight potato chips and six Hershey kisses – and wakes up every morning singing. “I’m very lucky to have a healthy life,” Lillian said, and she takes advantage of every opportunity to do everything that everyone else is doing. Except, perhaps, for eating a large piece of birthday cake – “I don’t want to get fat, the boys wouldn’t like me,” she exclaimed to raucous laughter. With a goal of staying healthy as long as she can, Lillian’s lively spirit will hopefully keep her young for years to come.
Love Never Grows Old…but Loved Ones Do At DevonHouse Senior Living, we understand that loved ones sometimes need more care than family members are able to provide. We offer the best hands-on personal care in the Lehigh Valley including: • 24 hour professional nursing services • A delicious and diversified menu that includes Jewish favorites • Free unlimited transportation • Stimulating and engaging arts and entertainment programs Call Laura Crossan today at 610-967-1100 for a tour. Visit our website for more information: devonhouseseniorliving.com
1930 Bevin Drive Allentown, Pa 18103 SENIOR LIVING | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JULY/AUGUST 2018 3
Local couple celebrate birthdays, 55th a
Above, Arnan and Marlene Finkelstein explore Lake Louise by boat.
Arnan and Arlene Finkels daughters during a hike.
Above left, Arnan straps into the helicopter. Above center, showing off walking sticks during a hike. Above right, Arnan and Marlene by the Lake Louise resort after hiking aroun
The family pauses for a snack atop a mountain. 4 JULY/AUGUST 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SENIOR LIVING
Arnan and Marlene's six granddaughters, who experien
anniversary with 'heli-hiking' adventure
stein pose with their grand-
nd the lake.
nced the Canadian Rockies for the first time.
By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor Traveling up mountains in a helicopter and hiking atop glaciers may seem like an extreme trip to some, but for Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein of Allentown, their heli-hiking trip through the Canadian Rockies was an exciting adventure for them and their children and grandchildren. Marlene and Arnan first visited this area of eastern British Columbia 30 years ago, and later brought their three daughters and first son-in-law. “We joked, even then, about how it would be nice to take our grandchildren one day,” Marlene said, and that day came last August when they embarked on the trip with their three daughters, three sons-in-law, and six granddaughters ranging in age from 8 to 18. As for the occasion, “it was four months after Arnan’s 80th birthday, five months before my 75th birthday and six months before our 55th anniversary,” Marlene said with a smile as she showed pictures from the trip. “Plus Zoe, our oldest granddaughter, was getting ready to go off to college, so it was a lot of exciting things to celebrate.” The family flew together to Calgary and spent two nights in a lodge bordering Lake Louise. They hiked around the “beautiful” lake, explored “gorgeous” gardens in bloom and discovered squirrels, marmots and gray jays before renting canoes, Arnan said. Paddling along the water, which is mainly composed from glacial runoff, they were able to look up at the mountains in anticipation of the next stop of their trip. A bus took the family from Lake Louise to a small field, where they were then picked up by a helicopter. “It lands right here in front of you and they teach you how to make a huddle, you all get down on your knees, because the gusts of wind from the helicopter are so strong,” said Marlene, who found the ride initially scary, but “as it goes up, it’s so breathtakingly beautiful that you’re just in awe, and you forget to be scared.” Each ride in the helicopter led to a different part of the mountains, where the family and two or three guides would disembark for a hike. Over the course of a full day, they experienced 3-4 drops in different locations before heading back to the lodge for a family-style dinner and a relaxing soak in a hot tub. Atop the mountains, the family walked along ancient glaciers, discovered hidden waterfalls and magnificent vistas and traversed a swinging suspension bridge. “The very first time we did this, both Marlene and I found it to be a very spiritual experience,” Arnan said. “You’re in places where only a few people have ever been, you’re up 7,500 to 8,000 feet, and it’s pure and pristine and clear. I remember thinking about the power of humans being in that space, and it was a very strong feeling for both of us. Most tourists go looking at mountains; we were part of the mountains.” On the second day of heli-hiking, they found a particularly meaningful experience watching the solar eclipse from a mountaintop. “It really was amazing,” Marlene said. As for the hiking, “it doesn’t get much better. We feel very lucky to be in good health and be able to enjoy this.” After two and a half days of heli-hiking, the family traveled to Banff, a ski village with the mountains in view, and enjoyed more family time. “This is one of our favorite trips,” Marlene said, adding that the pair have enjoyed a variety of active trips, including a hiking trip in Iceland. While at home in the Lehigh Valley and wintering in Florida, Marlene and Arnan take care to stay active. From daily walks and recumbent bike rides to tap dancing and golf, they find it important to stay in shape to enjoy trips like these. “Our philosophy is that we’re better off if we keep moving, so we just keep moving,” said Marlene. Marlene and Arnan hope to serve as role models for their family members with their continuation of active trips later in life. “We wanted to teach our grandkids to be active and enjoy nature,” Marlene said, noting that several of her granddaughters have already asked when they can go back for another round of their newest family tradition. SENIOR LIVING | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JULY/AUGUST 2018 5
Six fitness tips to stay active at every age
Friendship Circle at the J on Mondays gives older adults a place to connect with others, share their stories and enjoy lunch and entertainment.
The JCC offers a variety of aquatic exercise classes, like Aqua Yoga, geared toward older adults. Left, J-Arts hosts art classes for adults who want to learn a new craft. Right, Mazel J Cafe keeps participants engaged through stimulating activities and conversations such as drum circles and games.
According to the Silver Sneakers program at the JCC, which provides different types of workouts for ages 65+, there is no one too old to get a good workout! Here are some fitness tips for older adults from JCC fitness manager Nolie Schneider and Silver Sneakers instructor Jenn Dietz: 1. The best thing you can do is find ways to move! Use simple exercises like standing up and sitting down or stretching your arms and legs to stay active at any time. Repeat your small movements throughout the day to keep your muscles awake and healthy. 2. Strengthening your muscles is important at every age – strength is often “use it or lose it!” Some good ways to strengthen muscles include using resistance tubing, light dumbbells (2-4 lbs.) and squishy balls to target major muscle groups such as shoulders and chest or legs and core. 3. It’s particularly important to target muscles that may get squished or cramped during the day. Think about what you do during the day and which muscles tend to be in the same position for a long time, and find ways to move them. Working on posture is important if you spend a lot of time sitting. 4. If you have arthritis, consider a
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The JCC and Jewish Family Service partner for Yiddish on the Go at Luther Crest Senior Living.
water class like water aerobics, water yoga or swimming. These classes can help you work on your muscle strength while being joint-friendly. 5. Try a workout class like one of the many Silver Sneakers classes at the JCC. These classes feature a qualified instructor and a peer group with a large variety of abilities. 6. If you’re hesitant to join because of a past or current injury or limitation, know that modifications are available for every single exercise to help you stay active without hurting vulnerable areas. If you’re worried that the exercises may be too easy for you, there are also modifications to make them more difficult.
Yoav-Lehigh Valley partnership founding member wins Israel’s Presidential Medal for Volunteering
Nurit Grossman (second from left) receives the Presidential Medal for Volunteering from Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor Eighty-year-old Nurit Grossman, a founding member of the Partnership2Gether program between the Lehigh Valley and Yoav, Israel, has won a prestigious award for her volunteer organization, People in Red. The Presidential Award for Volunteerism is the most prestigious award in the field of volunteering, given each year by the president of Israel to 12 winners. The aim of the award is to recognize the work done by individuals and groups in all sectors of the populations and to encourage the spirit of voluntarism in Israel’s society. Hundreds of recommendations of suitable volunteers arrive at the president’s residence to be examined by a special judging committee.
The 12 entries whose volunteering effort has been the most prominent that year are selected. People in Red came about after a tragic accident in Grossman’s family. “After our son Gal, who was a member of the Bomb Squad of the Israeli Police Force, was killed in a road accident whilst on duty, I established ‘Anashim Be'Adom’ (People in Red) with the hope that we might be able to prevent others from going through the same ‘Via Dolorosa’ as my family did,” Grossman said. The organization’s mission is to promote road safety as part of a social commitment and strengthen positive behaviors in the field; volunteers deliver lectures and educational projects to children and adults and encourage legislative measures to promote safe driving. One such measure is a
graduated driving license law, creating an obligation to escort a new driver (up to age 24) by an experienced driver for 6 months. “We began to demonstrate at dangerous junctions throughout the country, and then branched out to activities in schools, lectures in army bases, representation in the various relevant committees in the Knesset and accompanying recently bereaved families during the court sessions to try the drivers responsible for the deaths and wounded on the roads,” said Grossman, whose efforts with this organization since its founding in 1997 led to this award. “We never thought that we deserved any kind of reward or prize,” read a statement from the organization. “Our reward is reducing the number of road accidents, increasing awareness and making information accessible to the general public.” The award has raised a great deal of awareness for the organization and its mission. On June 27, Grossman attended a ceremony where Israeli President Reuven Rivlin personally presented her with the award. In addition to her work to keep Israel’s roads safe, Grossman served as the inaugural coordinator of Partnership2Gether in Yoav and helped establish connections between Yoav and the
Lehigh Valley that continue to flourish today. She remains on the Steering Committee and “I still have close connections with many of the people I worked with and met” on trips to Allentown, she said. She and her late husband Yudke were also shlichim to Montreal twice. During the first shlichut, Yudke was the head of the youth department of the Canadian Zionist Federation, while Nurit
helped to set up the Education Resource Centre of the Jewish Education Committee, and together they founded the Israel Youth Programme Centre. For the second shlichut, Nurit was the educational emissary of the Jewish National Fund in Canada. Nurit still lives in Kibbutz Galon where she and Yudke met 54 years ago. She has four children and eight grandchildren.
FREEDOM of movement
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