Thought Piece - A Baby Boomer Bubie by Sandra E. Taradash

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July, 2009

If I Forget Thee....

Dr. Alice Howland is the William James Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. Dr. Alice Howland is also the principle figure in a haunting book entitled "Still Alice". The book was written by Lisa Genova and is available in paper from Pocket Books. It is NOT an easy read. It IS an important one.

The book traces the story of Alice as she deals with early on-set Alzheimer's disease. It is a story that involves you and brings you into Alice's family and her inner thoughts as the disease slowly changes her relationships and life. You are at once angry, sad and not a little afraid. Read the book!

With the longevity revolution well under way, the issue of Alzheimer's and dementia are increasingly in the news. Some expect a 1 to 200 % increase in cases in the next decades as the boomers age. There are major differences between Dementia and Alzheimer's and degrees of difference within each. These are subjects that will garner increased attention within our communities. This month, we have included on the Resources and Programs section a new study guide that has just been produced for congregations and organizations that deals with Alzheimer's and Dementia. The guide, prepared by a 5th year student at the Hebrew Union College in New York, Rena Polonsky, traces the issue from within the framework of Jewish texts. The guide also contains program information and resources. We hope that, should the situation arise, the guide may be of help. We also suggest that the guide be used as a primer for teaching about the issue to congregations, agencies and organizations within the Jewish community. Feel free to share this study guide and we would be interested to hear how you use it and how your congregation or organization deals with the issue of Alzheimer's or Dementia.

Shalom,

Rabbi Richard F. Address, D.Min

A Letter from Sig

It is early in the morning and a birthday is approaching. I realize that I am now older than my father and both of my grandfathers were, when they died.  That is a sobering thought. And I am still struggling with being Jewish and doing Jewish.  Yes, many years ago I decided to put on Tfillin, say the Sch'ma and a short prayer of thanks for having been given another day to live, every day. "Thank You God for You are good and Your mercy endures forever" and then I pray that God continue to "spread the Sukkah of His peace over Israel and all of us" and say Amen. Is this halachically correct? I know that it is not. But, then, I believe in autonomy and I once read Kant.

I have now done this for many years. It gives me a few moments in the morning to do some "in-dwelling", to go into myself, to seek that moment of inner peace that I never find during the day. It starts my day off with a moment of Shalom.

But is this all I should do?

This morning is but a few days after Memorial Day and I remember the pictures of the graves of fallen soldiers from my war and the many wars that have occurred since then. With that come the pictures of almost desperation in people who have lost their jobs recently and can't find new employment. This recession has affected all of us, even Professors who thought their pension would never change. So much for the sense of security.

So what does all this have to do with doing more personal Jewish? Do more charity? of course. But even more than this, I feel that I want a new commitment for myself. I want to say a Brachah over my fist cup of coffee and fruit, food I choose every morning.  After all, I have been blessed with another day and the ability to make the food and continue to think and choose, even at my age.  Have you ever had such feelings, dear reader? I would love to hear from you.

Now to the next quandary. I am so Jewish. I can do this, but, on the other hand...

What brachach do I choose?  The one tradition tells me that should be said as we eat fruit? The one that should be recited over coffee? They really do not resonate within me.  What resonates within me is the Motze , the blessing over bread . For in my memory, this blessing reminds me of happy occasions, in my home and in my parent’s home.  That is what I choose to do every morning from now on in.  For how long? For as long as it is meaningful to me. Will God understand? Of course. For He is my Jewish God and He, as Heine once quipped, understands all. For that is His business. C'est son metier

But then, may be I will change and use the traditional blessings. "Thanking God by whose word all things exist."  Joy thinks I should. But not yet.

Does this make me a Davke Jew? That is a discussion for another day-

Sig Stahl

WELCOME TO JEWISHSACREDAGING.COM 
 

            Close to 20% of the contemporary North American Jewish Community is age 65 and older. Medical technology and health awareness has now produced the longest living, healthiest, most mobile, affluent and most spiritually challenging cohort of older Jewish adults that has ever lived. Indeed, this multi-generational cohort has done much to challenge stereo-types of aging. Now, that group is being joined by the first wave of their children’s generation; then baby boomers. According to United States census figures, as of January 1, 2006, one person turns 60 every 7.5 seconds. The baby boom generation, itself a multi faceted and decades long “generation” is now entering its 60’s. What generational “baggage” will they bring to the aging process? Some three decades ago these two generations may have been in conflict over issues such as civil rights, Viet-Nam, Watergate and the trilogy of “sex, drugs and rock and roll”. Now, however, they are more likely to be joined in concerns over social security, entitlements, health care and changing social systems. How do we begin to grasp the implications of a Jewish community that is graying at such a quick rate and with such dynamism and creativity? How do we begin to understand how Jewish traditions and texts can impact such issues as care-giving, medical technology and decision making, health and wellness, new rituals and the ever growing search for one’s sense of meaning? It is the hope of this site to share ideas, “best practices”, stories and resources from the deep reservoir of Jewish communal experience. We welcome your input, your participation and thank you for joining us.

Shalom,

Rabbi Richard F. Address, D.Min
Jewishsacredaging.com 
rabbirichardaddress@jewishsacredaging.com

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