Picture this:  An elderly man is sitting on a bench on a street corner at dusk, a white napkin spread across his knees.  On his lap is half of a large watermelon, which he is eating with a spoon and enjoying with obvious relish.  Occasionally a passer-by gives him a friendly greeting.

I saw this scene in the quiet Jerusalem neighborhood of Bak’a, where I lived for three weeks this summer.  Side by side with the fruit and vegetable stands, cafes, little laundries, and homes, I counted three day centers and residences for seniors within a couple of square blocks of my apartment.  In the afternoons and evenings, the seniors were sitting outdoors, chatting with each other and with visiting friends and family.  A peek inside two of these places revealed homey furnishings, dining areas, and a little synagogue.  Around the neighborhood, other elders were out in wheelchairs or walking arm in arm with hired companions.

Based on these impressions, I began to get a sense of Israel as a society where older people, including those with limited financial means, are valued and integrated into the fabric and rhythm of daily life.  Another example: I visited Yad Lakashish, “Lifeline for the Old,” a non-profit organization that provides creative work opportunities and daily support services to over 300 elderly Jerusalem residents with limited income and various disabilities.  Most are immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, and South America.  They gather to share a meal, and in workshops they create beautiful decorative and ritual items from textiles, metal, wood, ceramics, and other materials, which are then sold in their gift shop.  In the process, these seniors are engaged and empowered to be active members of society, with renewed dignity and self-sufficiency. 

Of course, these are the same goals that our Jewish community in Baltimore daily promotes and practices through a wide range of services and programs funded by THE ASSOCIATED.  Consider the vital social services for the elderly and their families provided by Jewish Community Services, the subsidized Weinberg residences for the elderly, Senior Friendly Neighborhoods, educational and recreational programs at the JCC, and congregational life, and much more. 

In Israel I met Sharon Benjamin, Deputy Director of Social Services for the City of Jerusalem.  Shortly after my return, she visited Baltimore, where I arranged for her to meet with staff from JCS and THE ASSOCIATED for a mutually beneficial dialogue.  In spite of differences between our two countries’ service delivery systems, we agreed that the well-being of the growing elderly population is a crucial priority. 

Inside Israeli buses there is a sign saying, “Lifne sayvah takkum,” meaning, literally, “Stand up in front of a white-haired person.”  I had a taste of what it’s like to be perceived as a senior when a young Israeli soldier actually got up and gave me his seat on a crowded bus, and I must say it felt kind of good. 

During Yom Kippur services, we recite a series of pleas to G-d.  One of them says, “Please do not forsake us in our old age, when our strength fails.”  My mother-in-law, z’l, used to poke me and my husband with her elbow every time we said this prayer, with a half-smile on her face.  Apparently we need these periodic reminders of our family and communal responsibilities to care for our elders when they most need us.  Whether their health is good or failing, we also need to nurture their dignity and independence, and to value and respect them always as individuals who have something significant and special to contribute.

By Gail Josephson Lipsitz, Coordinator, Public Relations, Jewish Community Services, Baltimore, MD

To learn more about how JCS can help you solve life’s puzzles, visit http://www.jcsbaltimore.org or call 410-466-9200.  Jewish Community Services is an agency of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.