Issue #4 December 2007 Kislev 5768


Dear Readers,


Hannukah is a time for drawing together andstrengthening our connections. We gather together with our close friends and family, to light flames in the darkness, sing songs of the strength of the few over the many and eat comfort foods - sugar sufganiot (donuts) and sizzling latkes. This issue of Israel Senior Life is devoted to contemporary grandparenting - we have included poems and articles that discuss how becoming a grandparent has changed out lives. Please keep sending in your submissions! Israel Senior Life is intended to reflect your lives and opinions and you are the best people to do this! Wishing you a Chag Urim Sameach, a holiday of lights and joy.



Tamar Wisemon

Editor

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New plan aimed at helping infirm elderly regain independence

By Yuval Azoulay, as printed in Haaretz

The health and pensioners' affairs ministries have unveiled a joint plan to improve medical treatment for the elderly. The plan calls for rehabilitation programs for the elderly in hospitals, private homes and the community at large. Its intention is to help older people with medical problems regain their independence.
T he project, drafted by a joint steering committee headed by former director of the National Insurance Institution, Prof. Yohanan Stessman, was described by Health Minsitry officials as "revolutionary."
The Pensioners' Affairs Ministry has earmarked NIS 7 million for the program, and the funds will be allocated over the next two years.
Health Minister Yaakov Ben-Yizri and Pensioners' Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan, both of the Pensioners' Party, said Sunday that elderly people who would require rehabilitation within a few days from their release from hospital would be eligible for the rehabilitation program. Steering committee members said yesterday that many elderly people who needed rehabilitation in the past did not receive it. As a result, they needed hospitalization or constant care and their condition deteriorated.
The committee members said they would consider enabling each person requiring rehabilitation to undergo some of the process in a hospital, for a three-month period, depending on the patient's condition. It will be possible to extend this period. The rest of the rehabilitation will be conducted in the community and the patient's home. ____________________________________________



A Return to Basics

by Larry Lefkowitz



My three-month old grandson

Gives me a wide smile and

Waves his hands and feet in frantic joy

Upon seeing me and

I am filled with pleasure

Thus we seek recognition and love

A seeking not lessened

By all my years of living

My cynicism and irony

Evaporate at such a meeting

And when he falls asleep

In his crib and I in my bed

In the same room

One at the beginning of life

The other toward its end

There is something almost mystical

About the moment

Like a smile bridging the years



Larry's stories, poems and humor have appeared in publications in Israel, the U.S. and Britain.
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"Israel 60+" Student Photography Contest


The winning entry!











After much deliberation by our panel of judges, the first prize in our Student Photography Contest went to Niva Simon of Ben Gurion University of the Negev, for her photograph entitled, "Dorot" (Generations). A
ll of the winning entries will be on display later this year.
Details to be announced!
Many thanks to our judges: Ariel Jerozolimski, The Jerusalem Post; Esteban Alterman, The Jerusalem Report; Melanie Fenton, International Freelance Photographer; Nati Shochat, Flash 90 and Israel TAlby, IsraelImages.com ____________________________________________
GRANDMOTHER-TO-BE
by Rifkah Goldberg

By the end of the year
Unceremoniously told
I will be a grandmother
Will my hair
Turn completely white
Anticipating the occasion?
Will my still full set of
Teeth start falling out
Lips begin to pucker?
Will I soon take little naps
In the middle of every day
Dreaming of the golden child?
Will I search the loft for
Your antiquated baby clothes
Take up knitting needles again?
How can you make me
Into a grandmother when I am still
Trying to find out who I really am?

Rifkah Goldberg has been writing poetry since 1996. She is a contibutor to the "Jerusalem Poetry Slams,” the Voices Israel Group of Poets in English, and the Israel Association of Writers in English. Her writing has also been published in poetry journals and anthologies in Israel, England and the United States.
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A NEW MEMBER OF THE TRIBE
Leon Moss

Today I became a grandfather. Not in the physical sense – that happened some years ago - but in the real sense, when you suddenly become aware that your responsibilities have not yet come to an end. There are many days, usually on weekends, when grandchildren come to visit. These days are a mixture of ‘once-removed’ love, impatient waiting for their arrival followed all too soon by a longing for their departure, relief at the silence which follows and anxiety for their safety on the drive home. I have always assumed that these are typical of the thoughts that go round in a grandparent’s mind. Today was different and it came as a complete and very pleasant surprise. Second grandson Yonatan who lives in Tel Aviv, called to ask if he could spend the long weekend with us in Jerusalem. We hesitated, remembering the last such visit, about half a year ago. That had ended in disaster when I had to take him home halfway through the weekend because he couldn’t cope with being separated from his mother and I couldn’t stand his crying. But now I reacted immediately and positively and drove the fifty odd miles to pick him up. On the way back to Jerusalem he began asking questions about King David’s City, which I understood to mean the Old City of Jerusalem. This was confirmed by his rattling off some facts - the city has a high wall around it, there are eight gates, one is called the Lion’s Gate, another the Flower Gate - and his reciting miscellaneous information about the Western Wall. “Was it really part of the temple?” he asked. I said that I would take him there so that he could see for himself. I was enormously impressed – he is a first grader attending a Municipal primary school near his home. He has a good teacher – his education is already shining through, I thought excitedly. At home, I took down a book from my shelves and showed him photographs of the ancient walls and gates. His excitement grew. “Let’s go now, Pop,” he said. “What are we waiting for?” I was actually hoping for an afternoon nap to restore some of the energy used negotiating my way through the traffic, but his enthusiasm was too much to ignore. We parked the car in the lot outside the Zion Gate and he stood looking up at the high old walls in astonishment. I pointed out the archers’ slits and the crenellated top of the wall, explaining their purpose. He nodded. “Everything is made from stone,” he observed. He speaks both English and Hebrew and some of his sentences are composed of both languages, meaning one has to listen attentively so as not to miss anything. We made our way through the groups of tourists thronging the gate and wended our way, hand in hand, through the narrow alleyways. “What’s that nice smell?” he asked outside a bakery and I promised to buy hot rolls on the way out. “Why are there so many steps?” I explained that Jerusalem is built in the mountains and that there are steps everywhere. More and more I was impressed at his observation and mature remarks. At the plaza in front of the Western Wall we stood for a while looking at the various activities. “Can we go in there too?” he asked and I nodded. Taking his cue from me, he patted his head to make sure his cap was in place and we approached the crowded and awesome place together. “Can I touch it?” he asked and for a moment I felt as though some age-old instinct that lies dormant in every Jew was awakening. We walked up to the wall and he touched it lightly with one hand, as though saying, “I’m here at last.” At that moment I became a real grandfather. Real in the sense of fulfilling a tradition of bringing a grandchild to this place, of introducing him to his Biblical ancestors, of making sure that the tribe I am tending will continue for another generation. We stood quietly for a few minutes and then moved back slightly and watched the pious praying. We left the plaza, climbed the many steps and wandered around the residential quarter, looking at the old buildings. We watched the residents scurrying about on their holiday eve chores. A passing tourist ruffled Yoni’s red hair and said, “What a beautiful child!” He pulled away and made a face at her. A true six-year old boy. “Let’s go home, Pop and don’t forget the bakery!” Leon Moss is a "retired-but-working" engineer living with his wife in Kfar Saba. Work consists mostly of writing.
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"Our grandchildren accept us for ourselves, without rebuke or effort to change us, as no one in our entire lives has ever done, not our parents, siblings, spouses, friends - and hardly ever our own grown children."
Ruth Goode, author of "A Book for Grandmothers"
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We hope that this e-zine will give you a window onto life for seniors inIsrael today.
Every month we will send you the latest news, together with profiles ofveteran Israelis, reviews, articles and poetry written by or about seniors.

To subscribe, submit your article or request Writers' Guidelines - email: info@ezratavot.org
Israel Senior Life is a publication of Ezrat Avot
Visit our website at www.ezratavot.org/

Ezrat Avot provides services, resources and education to enable Israel'selderlyto age in the comfort and dignity of their own homes and communities.

Ezrat Avot 7 Tarmab, P.O.Box 5603, Jerusalem 91056, IsraelTel:+9722-582-5107

Issue #3 October 2007 / Cheshvan 5768

Israel Senior News
News and Issues affecting
Israel's Seniors
Issue #3 October 2007 Cheshvan 5768

Dear Readers,

We have noticed a number of themes running through the poetry and articles
that we have received. What makes it so interesting is that all of our
writers approach these issues from a different perspective, reflective of
their culture, professional background and life experience.
Keep sending in your submissions! Israel Senior Life is intended to
reflect your lives and opinions and you are the best people to do this!
As winter begins to creep around the corner, this month we are featuring a
number of articles and poetry related to the medical profession and how it
treats older people.

Wishing you a healthy winter,

Tamar Wisemon
Editor
____________________________________________
Or Akiva man arrested for allegedly
beating Holocaust survivor, 85
As printed in Haaretz

Police on Sunday arrested a 30-year-old Or Akiva resident on suspicion of
having assaulted an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor in the town last
Thursday.

Police suspect that Avi Strikovsky assaulted Ogen Radar, his neighbor,
because of a dispute over watering their apartment building's common
garden. He will be brought to court for a hearing this morning, and police
intend to ask that he be remanded until the end of his trial.

The assault took place at about 2 P.M. last Thursday, during the holiday
of Simhat Torah, as Radar was coming home from synagogue. According to
Radar's son, David Radar, Strikovsky was lying in wait for him near his
home. "He beat him all over his body, then went away and left him there,
bleeding," David Radar said. He added that Strikovsky apparently used a
sharp instrument, as his father suffered a deep cut on his forehead.
Radar managed to drag himself home and press the panic button he had
installed, which summoned both his son and the police. They took him to the
hospital for treatment.

"This was an attempted murder," David Radar said. "My father has a heart
problem, and a single punch could cause him to collapse."
This is the second time in a few weeks that Strikovsky has attacked Radar,
but after the first incident, the court released Strikovsky on bail.
____________________________________________
Israel Seniors Month 2007

Israel Seniors Month 2007 is taking place from October 7^th through
November 7^th.

During this time, seniors in Israel can enjoy a host of benefits such as
free or reduced entry to museums and theaters, tours, nature parks, classes
and special events. Many are for seniors' groups but discounts are also
available to individuals.

For more information, or to obtain a 90-page booklet (in Hebrew) listing
the attractions, contact:
The Department for Volunteerism for Seniors,
10 Yad Harutzim, Talpiot, Jerusalem
Tel: 02-670-8326
Fax: 02-670-8255
Email [mailto:avrahamei@molsa.gov.il] avrahamei@molsa.gov.il
____________________________________________
.
THE ART OF HEALING
by Monty M. Zion M.D.

Prior to commencing studies for the medical profession, one must have
completed courses in mathematics and in physical science. In the first
years of study at university, courses in physics and chemistry, followed by
physiology and biochemistry further point to the fact that medical
practitioners need to have a good basic knowledge of science.
But when one enters the clinical years of study, one learns that while the
basis for our profession is scientific, the practice of medicine is, in
fact, an art. For those who do not wish to participate in this art, they
take further studies in physiology or other basic sciences and embark on
careers of pure research.

The art of medicine involves establishing a diagnosis and prescribing or
administering treatment. The diagnostic art was particularly important in
my own field of practice, namely cardiology. It provided me with many years
of great enjoyment of my work. With all the technological advances over the
past half a century, this art has become less and less important and it
would be fair to say that cardiology today is, in fact, more of a
technocracy.

What is of concern to the older generation of physicians is the fact that,
pari passu with technological advances, what has suffered, unnecessarily,
is the art of healing. This became especially noticeable to me during and
after my wife’s recent prolonged admission to hospital.
What, in fact, do I mean by the art of healing? Of course, an accurate
diagnosis and application of appropriate treatment are essential
pre-requisites.

But for healing to be effective’ the patient has to be confident and
adequately reassured as to his progress. He has to feel that the medical
staff have an empathy for him and his family, and he has to experience a
certain amount of psychological support. So often the doctors visiting my
wife while doing their rounds would discuss her case and leave without
saying a word to her. A few words of reassurance accompanied by a gesture
such as holding her hand and certainly smiling while talking, would have
made a great difference to the healing process. Indeed, after a few days in
hospital, my wife mentioned to a young doctor how much a greeting
accompanied by a smile would be appreciated.

We are all familiar with the fact that in modern medical practice, the
doctor in his office is faced with his PC computer and fails to look at the
patient at any time during the consultation. A few glances at the patient
and especially sufficient time being applied to a physical examination with
appropriate information given at that time, can work wonders.

We, in the medical profession, have wondered at the popularity of what is
today known as alternative medicine. While some forms of this have been
accepted by the profession as being physically beneficial, even if a
physiological explanation is not apparent, many are well accepted by the
public even though claims of cures are so often exaggerated and
unconfirmed. Why are these treatments so popular and well accepted?

Because the practitioners concerned are expert at applying the art of
healing, which we, as physicians would do well to emulate.

Prof. (Emeritus) Monty M. Zion MD is former Chief of Cardiology at Shaare
Zedek Medical Centre in Jerusalem and subsequently Medical Director of the
Cardiac Institute of Kupat Cholim Meuhedet in Jerusalem.
__________________________________________________
Israeli-developed PeriBoost provides relief for PAD sufferers
As noted by Israel21c.org

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects 12% to 20% of Americans age 65
and older. The best thing to do if you suffer from PAD, a chronic condition
that happens when a plaque blockage occurs in a peripheral artery in the
legs or pelvis, is to walk. Walk, and walk, and walk. The act of walking
enlarges and expands the small blood vessels around the artery, ensuring
that you receive a steady flow of blood to your legs.

For some patients with PAD, however, walking just isn't possible. Perhaps
they have an injury or swelling, perhaps they are elderly or diabetic. The
upshot is that oxygen-rich blood does not reach the lower limbs. This
causes pain, changes in skin color, ulcers and difficulty in walking and
may even lead to gangrene and amputation.

Now, Israeli start-up PerAssist has developed a new treatment that offers
PAD sufferers a chance to save their limbs by developing a medical sleeve
called PeriBoost which improves blood flow to the lower limbs of PAD
patients in much the same way that walking does.
PeriBoost was developed by Dr. Aaron Hoffman, the chief medical officer of
PerAssist, Director of the Department of Vascular Surgery and
Transplantation at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa and an associate
professor at the faculty of medicine at the Technion-Israel Institute of
Technology together with water engineer Gaby Weizman.

The PeriBoost is intended for the legs only, and requires treatment for
three hours daily over three months. It is not painful, according to
company, and the patient can function normally throughout the procedure.
Says PerAssist’s CEO, "The blood vessel is not like a muscle, it has no
sensors or nerves. All we are doing is pushing it and this does not cause
any pain. The patient can eat, sleep, read - whatever they want. They won't
feel a thing."

If all goes according to plan, the product could be out in the European
market by the end of next year, and in the US in 2009.
___________________________________________
Marking Israel's "Seniors' Month"
Ezrat Avot's
Student Photography Contest
"Israel 60 Plus"
Deadline – 11^th November 2007
Enter by mail or email
[http://www.ezratavot.org/?categoryId=17333] Click here for more details
Visit Ezrat Avot at www.ezratavot.org
___________________________________________________
Medical Tests
by Michael E. Stone

Lots of people in the clinic,
all waiting for the same tests,
older and younger,
sicker and stronger.

Each has body,
fear, apathy or apprehension.

Each is tested,
sonared, dopplered,
scanned and grammed.

No real people check them,
Just machines with operators.

The results will take a week.

Michael E. Stone FAHA, PhD., DLitt. Serves as Gail de Nur Professor of
Comparative Religion and Professor of Armenian Studies emeritus at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has lived in Jerusalem since 1960. Prof.
Stone has been writing poetry since turning 59, around nine years. He
studies and translates medieval Armenian poetry, including the recent
translation of a 6,000 line medieval epic poem on Adam and Eve (Oxford
University Press).
_______________________________________
RETIRED
by Jill Sadowsky

She’s washed the pots and cleaned the house
The daily news she’s read.
Her husband must be so worn out
He’s fast asleep in bed.

She’s shopped for food
And mowed the lawn
Her work is much admired.
He says; “It must be nice for you,
Now that we’ve retired.”

Jill Sadowsky is an English teacher and grandmother living in Raanana. She
made Aliya in 1963 and is the author of a book in Hebrew, "Bachu L'Ma'anam"
(Weep for Them). Her writing has appeared in numerous publications in
English and Hebrew.
_________________________________________
Anglo Retirees Tutoring Schoolchildren

Project Mesila places senior volunteers in elementary schools to provide
individual assistance to Israeli schoolchildren struggling in their English
studies.

Available for this new school year in Jerusalem and Bet Shemesh.
[mailto:info@ezratavot.org?subject=Please contact me about volunteering
for Mesila] Click here to learn how you can become a Mesila volunteer.
__________________________________________
We hope that this e-zine will give you a window onto life for seniors in
Israel today.
Every month we will send you the latest news, together with profiles of
veteran Israelis, reviews, articles and poetry written by or about seniors.
To subscribe or to submit your article or request Writers' Guidelines - email:
info@ezratavot.org

Issue #2 September 2007 Elul 5767 BS"D

In This Issue:
Aging Holocaust Survivors demand raise in pitiful Israeli benefits

Hearing opens for Haifa man accused of torturing Holocaust Survivor

Geneology: My grand-daughter the Gibeonite
Leon Moss

I Used To Be
Sue Tourkin-Komet

Creativity in the Golden Years
Tamar Wisemon & Heather Shinder

The Added Years
Ray Walker


Dear Readers,

Rosh Hashanah is traditionally a time for families to come together, recall the previous year and wish one another a sweet New Year. In this issue of Israel Senior Life, we feature a geneological look at one Jewish family and hear about the lessons one poet has learnt from life!

Wishing all of our readers and their families a sweet and fulfilling year

Tamar Wisemon
Editor

We hope that this e-zine will give you a window onto life for seniors in Israel today. Every month we will send you the latest news, together with profiles of veteran Israelis, reviews, articles and poetry written by or about seniors.

To subscribe, click here ,
To submit your article - send to info@ezratavot.org
Post an opinion on articles below


Honey is well-known as an antibacterial and disease-fighting antioxidant, giving your body not only nourishment for today, but strength for tomorrow. Perhaps honey tastes so sweet because it offers hope for the future.

This Rosh Hashana, Ezrat Avot will distribute 2,500 Holiday Food Packages to Jerusalem's needy elderly and families . Click here to give a fellow Jew a sweet New Year

Israeli Government and Claims Conference to Increase Holocaust Survivors’ Stipend
Ezrat Avot Staff and News Agencies

After months of private discussions and public protest, culminating in a “March of the Living” by elderly Holocaust survivors through the streets of Jerusalem , the Israeli government has granted an additional monthly stipend of nearly $300 to Holocaust survivors. The agreement came as a response to embarrassing revelations that one third of the 240,000 survivors in Israel are living in poverty.

"My aim is to get all the Holocaust survivors above the poverty line and make sure that they live in decency," Israeli Welfare Minister Yitzhak Herzog was quoted as saying.

The government’s initial offer of an additional $20 sparked widespread public outrage, being deemed as an insultingly low figure, and wholly inadequate to improve the standard of living of the very poorest of the survivors. Angry protesters dressed in striped pajamas reminiscent of their concentration camp garb and carried signs saying, "Sorry we survived."

In related news, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, which channels funding for specific survivors who receive their stipends and compensation from Germany and other sources, such as the Swiss banks arrangements, has reacted to criticism in recent years that it spent too much money on education and memorials and not enough on the actual survivors.

Starting this year, the Claims Conference will change from a formula that saw 80 percent going to welfare and health purposes, and the remaining 20 percent for education and commemoration, to freeze the education grants and increase the health and welfare allocations.

Hearing opens for Haifa man accused of torturing Holocaust Survivor
Ezrat Avot Staff and News Agencies
On August 30th, Haifa District Court opened the hearing for sentencing of 25-year-old Arik Schechter, who admitted to attacking, torturing and robbing 68-year-old Holocaust survivor Ita Fogel in February this year.
Shechter, along with 19-year-old Stephen Borisvitsky and 22-year-old Liran Hubert, is accused of breaking into Fogel's house in Haifa to steal what they believed to be a large sum of money. They allegedly caused a power outage in the building, waited for Fogel to leave her apartment and attacked her in the stairwell, forcing her back into her apartment. When they dind't find any money, the three young men tortured Fogel, gagging her mouth with tape, beating her, pouring bleach on her, dousing her in water and applying electric shocks to her body. "For my entire life, I worked and I was independent, and if not for the three accused, I would continue to be independent for the rest of my life. I put shutters all over the house but the fear still won't leave me and continues to follow me. I'm afraid of my shadow. I don't go out at night. Who knows who is standing behind you when such thugs exist in Israel," says Fogel. Prosecutor Maayan Zur said during the hearing that the crime was extraordinary and extreme, and the sentence should be handed down accordingly. Schechter expressed sorrow for his actions, saying, "I am ashamed and regret that I was a partner in these offenses. I am not a criminal and I have no criminal past." But Fogel, who has been undergoing rehabilition ever since the attack, rejected his apology, "Forgiveness gives me nothing," she said, "These thugs came in and killed my life. I would shoot them if I saw them. They tortured me for hours." Some 20 pensioners protested outside the court in protest of a recent spate of attacks on the elderly.

Geneology: My grand-daughter the Gibeonite
by Leon Moss
In a burst of misguided energy a few years ago, I decided to update the family tree. It’s finally done. About 4 meters wide and one meter high, it’ll stretch across the entire wall of the living room. In addition, I made a directory of everyone’s whereabouts. Why not give the future generations a start when it comes to looking for free accommodation in far-away countries?

Up until the mid-seventies, the tree had a straightforward and regular look to it. The earlier generations are lost in the mists of Eastern Europe . So I went back only as far as my great-grandparents, those valiant souls who sent their children out of the home knowing that in all probability they would never see them again. A fruitful family, the tree grows sideways, meaning that I’m always taping new sheets onto the sides and I’m forever on the lookout for super-wide photocopy machines.

The variety of names is formidable, but as in most Jewish family trees, first names repeat regularly as the new-born are named after departed ancestors. The tree has other common threads running through it as though it was spun by a single weaver.

The early entries are quite boring: born - Lithuania ; migrations - Lithuania to South Africa ; educated - South Africa; married - so-and-so from Lithuania ; died - South Africa ; buried - such-and-such cemetery, South Africa . Not much in the way of variety and color. It’s a nice, comfortable tree that you would never see in the front of a thousand page, prize-winning family saga.

In the fifties changes began to creep into the details. Suddenly the brides and grooms were born in South Africa instead of Lithuania . One cousin even married a woman who came from England ! In the sixties and seventies, someone received a doctorate at an American university; a third cousin emigrated to Australia and another to Israel . Unimportant but interesting family trivia.

By the end of the seventies, the tree began to undergo violent quakes as various brothers, cousins and other assorted relatives began searching the world for new attractions. Migrations flourished. New names began to appear - names that no longer had that old Lithuanian ring to them. A German sounding name here and a name with Polish spelling there spiced up the old tree.

Now in the late nineties, the tree has become twisted, gnarled and tangled - parts of it are quite unrecognizable. Migrations? We can no longer list them as families wander from country to country in search of a new Goldene Medina, a new Paradise to replace the crime-ridden South Africa . Family branches creep all over the world sending exploratory shoots into the most unlikely and exotic places on the planet. If the shoot takes root, it sends back a cry to the old country, “It’s good here! Come over!” And another family branch can be seen clutching airline tickets as they rush around frantically attending to emigration procedures.

No branch of the family has been spared the upheavals. Even my own direct family line receives a jolt from time to time.

Take grandchild number four, for example. A five year-old with an all-over, all-year-round sun-tan. Religion – Jewish, both sides; place of residence - Sydney , Australia ; mother - born in Australia ; maternal grandmother - born in Calcutta . A grandmother born in Calcutta , India , listed side by side with one born in South Africa ? On the same line? Unheard of!

Let’s look at grandchild number five. Religion - Jewish both sides; maternal grandmother - born in Boston ; place of residence - Gibeon . Gibeon ? My grand-daughter is a Gibeonite?
Gibeon is the English name for Givon, where son number three has built a house. Situated on the north-west outskirts of Jerusalem , it was the capital of a league of cities northwest of Jerusalem in the period of the Israelite conquest. Here Joshua called for a miracle - “Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, moon, in the valley of Ayalon .” The city flourished in the Israelite period and was destroyed during the Babylonian invasion. Today it is a thriving and growing community.

For all we know, grand-daughter may be turning the family wheel full circle - perhaps we were Gibeonites to start with and she’s simply coming home. Or is it the start of a new branch of the family?

Like Gibeon , the family tree will continue to grow and will contain many strange entries as we Jews thread our way through the world. In the years to come, perhaps one of my adventurous Gibeonite descendants will become mother or father of the Martian branch.
The writer is a “retired-but-working” engineer living with his wife in Kfar Saba. Work consists mostly of writing and the late career change will be documented in another article.

"I Used to Be"
by Sue Tourkin-Komet

I used to be younger
and now I am older.
I used to be chubbier
but now I am slimmer.
I used to be of the age when conceiving children was a month-to-month reality.
but now I’m of the age when most women are grandmothers.
I used to be shyer
but for years I’ve been out-spoken.
I used to be clumsy
and now I am sportsy.
I used to be more American -- and now I'm a hyphenated American-Israeli.
I used to be a poor dresser
but became better at it.
I used to be more of a perfectionist but gave up on that.
I used to get out of breath when running uphill, but I’ve been lucky
to have trained myself to get more out of every breath.

I used to be so carnivorous—maybe three times a day—
and now, sometimes I’m that way only three times a month.
I used to look upon Creative Writing as a course to take--
and now I look upon it as a way of breathing--a way of life.

I used to perhaps worry about “Writer’s Block”---
and now I can worry that I’ll never write enough.

Sue Tourkin-Komet, from Washington , D.C. , made Aliyah to Jerusalem in 1968. A graduate of Case Western Reserve Univ. of Cleveland and the Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem, her journalism, prose, and poetry has been published in some 30 publications and in 2005 she received a Writer's Grant from Beit HaNassi, the Office of the President of Israel.

Creativity in the Golden Years
by Tamar Wisemon & Heather Shinder

Age is opportunity no less,Than youth itself, though in another dress,And as the evening twilight fades away,The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
As Longfellow so eloquently stated, your retirement years can provide you with the opportunity to reveal hidden talents that you never had the time to nurture before. Many seniors use this stage of their life to express themselves through learning new skills or indulge in full-time focus on a beloved hobby.

Ezrat Avot spoke with two Israeli seniors from different backgrounds who have maximized the opportunity they have been given to express their creative side. We hope that they will serve as inspirational role models to get your own creative juices flowing and perhaps even launch a new career!
Nissim Levy, Sculptor
At the "Galleria Shel Sabah" (Grandpa's Gallery) in Moshav Tsafririm, Nissim Levy exhibits his unique iron sculptures, artistic fusions of iron odds and ends. From a huge "cello" with a snapped string to a "laundry line" of sheet metal clothing, his bold and witty pieces reflects an amusing eye on familiar objects from a new angle.
Nissim was born in Iraq , and immigrated with his family to Israel when he was ten years old. He worked in the farming industry but when he retired, at fifty- eight, he decided to polish up the skills he had learned as an apprentice locksmith in his youth, and create art work from scrap iron.

Says Nissim, "For an artist, fifty eight is late to start, but at least I'm doing what I love"

His "environmentally-friendly"creations are composed of scrap iron, the original shapes of the pieces serving as his source of inspiration for the finished work. His artwork revitalizes these discarded remnants, integrating them into a larger setting in unexpected ways to creating quirky and ori ginal sculptures.
As member of the Ella Valley Artists Forum, a Jewish Agency Partnership 2000 project, Nissim's sculptures have been exhibited at a number of local art events and craft fairs. His work is on display, and available for purchase, to visitors passing by his home and workshop at Moshav Tsafririm 5, Emek Haella. Tel: 9911212.

Ray Walker, Poet
Ray Walker is a retired teacher, former Rockies climber, social activist, American olah and published poet. At age 87, she has kept a journal since 1969, amounting to over 140 volumes of eloquent contemplation. "When I sat down and read over some of my journals, I realized that I had written poetry but wasn't even aware of it at the time" Ray explains with glee as she leafs through a deep collection of personal thoughts. "This one's from the early seventies" she casually mentions,browsing through her poetry through the glasses resting on the tip of her nose.

Ray is part of a women's creative writing group, called Pri Hadash which meets weekly at the OU Israel Center. There every week, religious women meet, share ideas, and inspire each other to create works of art in the form of words.

At age 87, the diminutive yet strong- willed and spiritual, Ray Walker has already published one collection of poems, entitled Mnemonic Devices and a New York publisher has expressed interest in another work, its title though, Ray insists, be kept secret, incase she becomes inspired to change it. "The poems were an outgrowth of the daily experiences that profoundly affected me" she explains.

To begin nurturing your inner artist in your golden years, Ezrat Avot recommends looking into the following places:
• Call your local matnas (community center) to find out their schedule of art and pottery classes.

• SUNFIRE CERAMICS, the Beit Shemesh studio of Sara Shoshana Shiffman, also offers pottery classes. Tel: 050-991-9472 or 02-9919472.
• The OU Israel Center holds a Jewish Women's Writing Group, Pri Hadash, every Sunday. For more info call (02) 566-7787.
• The AACI (Association for Americans and Canadians in Israel ) offers drawing classes for seniors every Tuesday. For more info call (02) 561-7151.

The Israel Museum offers weekly painting classes. For more info call (02) 677-1303.

• Ella Seltzer of Bead-azzled in Ramat Beit Shemesh offers a series of jewellery-making workshops to create wearable art. Tel: 991-4253. http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=3463828&msgid=63970&act=F38Y&c=146124&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bead-azzled.us%2F
This article was reprinted from Connections Magazine

The Added Years
by Ray Walker

I'm really thankful
For the Added Years:
The Gift of Life
We take so much for Granted.
And modern science

Has prolonged our span
Beyond that normally
Bequeathed to man.

Given the Added Years,
The hours and the Days
And weeks to fill

How do we spend them?
How do we spend them?

Staring out of Windows?
Or looking for a Thrill?

"So what is there to do?"
Asks Everyman.

Give some of it to others,
If you can.

Ray Walker is a Ray Walker is a retired teacher, former Rockies climber, social activist, American olah and published poet.

Read more about Ray in the article on Creative Seniors, above.
Israel Senior Life is a publication of Ezrat Avot
Click here to visit our website at http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=3463828&msgid=63970&act=F38Y&c=146124&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ezratavot.org%2F
We welcome comments and submissions to info@ezratavot.org

Ezrat Avot provides services, resources and education to enable Israel's elderly
to age in the comfort and dignity of their own homes and communities.
To support our activities, click here

Ezrat Avot 7 Tarmab, P.O.Box 5603, Jerusalem 91056, Israel Tel:+9722-582-5107

Issue #1 August/Av 2007

Welcome to the first issue of Israel Senior Life, a monthly e-zine published by Ezrat Avot!

Issue #1 August 2007 Av 5767

In This Issue:

Knesset approves Ministry for Pensioners' Affairs
News Item

"How I Made it to the Bench"
Leon Moss

Golden Aliya
Heather Shinder

"Rethinking"
Larry Lefkowitz

Welcome to the premier issue of Israel Senior Life! We hope that this e-zine will give you a window onto life for seniors in Israel today. Every month we will send you the latest news, together with profiles of veteran Israelis, reviews, articles and poetry written by or about seniors. To submit your article or poetry - send to info@ezratavot.org

Knesset approves New Ministry for Pensioners' Affairs
On July 25th, Israel's Knesset on Wednesday approved a bill for the creation of a new Pensioners' Ministry headed by MK Rafi Eitan, the head of the Gil Pensioners' Party. MK Eitan, who was a minister without portfolio in the Prime Minister's Office, will serve as Minister for Pensioner Affairs and Jerusalem Affairs.

MK Eitan said that without an independent ministry, his department could not achieve its desired goals, such as a public advisory committee for pensioner affairs and a public information center to deal with pensioners' requests. "For a year we have been trying to lay the infrastructure and we can't because of bureaucracy," he said. MK Eldad of the National Union charged that the establishment of the new ministry was just to create jobs for Olmert's supporters in order to strengthen the shaky coalition.

Do you think Israel should have a Ministry of Pensioner Affairs? How effective do you think it will be? Post your comments below...

Rethinking
by Larry Lefkowitz

My grandfather read the yiddish newspaper,
the letters and photographs
brown in my memory.

I thought him hopelessly old-fashioned,
European.

Now, at 67 I am studying Yiddish.
Act of self-enlightment
Or atonement?

Larry's stories, poems and humor have appeared in publications in Israel, the U.S. and Britain.

"How I Made It to the Bench" by Leon Moss
I sat on a bench in the street today! Five years ago when we moved from Jerusalem to Kfar Saba I was looking for a hardware store when I noticed the benches on the street corners. I saw that most of the seats were occupied by elderly men. I’ll never do that, I promised myself. I’ll never sit on a bench on the street and watch the people passing by.

Today I did it. I understand why I sat there. I became unemployed a month ago. The company closed down - I had nothing to do with it. I had been the company writer, hammering out technical specifications, proposals for work, marketing material, whatever needed writing. My unofficial title was “Official Writer”. It wasn’t a surprise. The work scene had been steadily declining with the hi-tech drift over the past months and I watched in silence as more and more of the staff were fired. I was kept on until the end, in case a new request for a proposal came in - the big one that would stave off the end. It never arrived.

So I find myself two months short of 69 with nothing to do. I have a pension, true, but it is calculated on the number of years worked in this country. Interest rates on our savings are low and all in all what comes in is about enough to see us through the first two weeks of each month, if we live quietly and breathe shallow. My nights are restless and sleep is frequently interrupted as the problem surfaces. Then I manage to turn my thoughts to some pleasant incident and I drop off again, only to wake an hour later. In front of the TV set in the early evening hours I am the champion sleeper, unable to keep my eyes open.

My stay on the bench was pure necessity. I had taken the car down to the industrial area of the town for a service and decided to walk back and collect it. I saw the unoccupied bench about half way in the two mile walk and decided to stop awhile – not to rest, but to gather my thoughts, put some order into my mind, think things out, run through my list of contacts one more time. So I sat down and immediately dropped into a deep reverie. I never noticed when the other two occupants arrived. But when a passing cabbie hit his horn in frustration and broke through the fog, I found myself one of three gray-haired men sitting on the bench.

So far my days have been pretty full. On Tuesday I drove to Jerusalem to my insurance broker and had him go through all the papers, do a few of the sums and find out what I need to do in order to pull my pension onto its feet. It was a stimulating exercise in which I participated with enthusiasm.

Yesterday I took a deep breath and walked across town to the National Insurance Institute to find out about the government old-age pension. I never took it at age 65 – who needs it when one is gainfully employed and pulling in a good salary? I wondered if I had forfeited it forever. The reception area of the Institute is like a tourist’s view into hell. Hordes of old and disabled people look as though they’ve been milling around for decades. Voices are raised. The clerks have little patience and elbows are used indiscriminately. I stated my request to the man at the help desk and he punched keys on a machine and handed me a slip of paper, already yelling at the guy behind me. I looked at it and read “3rd floor, Room 302 and you are number 44 in line”. From there it was easy. The clerk was pleasant and actually smiled at me during the brief interview. I left with a list of papers and forms I need to have filled in by my previous employer.

In the meantime I am glued to my computer and the list of job advertisers and employment agencies on the Internet. There are many of them and it has taken me a while to understand exactly what is required and how I need to go about looking for a job. Of course everyone is an equal opportunity employer until the dreaded question of age comes up. Pushing sixty-nine is heavy going.

That I am worried about money or the lack thereof is clear and I understand it perfectly. But now that seems to be the secondary problem. Age has suddenly surfaced. Of course it was always there – everyone knows how old they are. Some manage to live below their age and others choose not to – it’s part of one’s personality. What I’m finding now is that I am having old age thrust upon me when I don’t want it, when I’m not ready for it and when I’m least expecting it. It’s almost as though my age is taking advantage of my being unemployed and hopping on for the bumpy ride.

The whole subject is a new stage in my life. With a good deal of careful consideration and faith in my abilities, I am sure that I will succeed in finding my way through this new maze as I have in the other stages of life. And what better place to do my thinking but on the bench at the corner of Weizmann and Rothschild? So if you see me there, know that I’m busy solving the problems of my future.

It’s a relief to know that I don’t sit on public benches for the same reason as those other old men.

The writer is a “retired-but-working” engineer living with his wife in Kfar Saba. Work consists mostly of writing and the late career change will be documented in another article.

Golden Aliya by Heather Shinder
Why do people make aliya? Young adults may envision establishing careers and raising children here, but seniors anticipate a different kind of homecoming, armed with their life experience, precious possessions and coming to a Jewish State that didn’t even exist when they were young. Ezrat Avot spoke with several senior olim for a first-hand look at the issues faced by “Golden Olim ”.

Fearless at 86, Rita Weiss
“I always felt that Israel was my second home,” explains Rita Weiss, an Auschwitz survivor who made aliya from New Jersey. She chose to make aliya a year ago at the age of 87 to be close to her daughters and grandchildren after her husband passed away. Rita retains great faith in Hashem and finds solace that she is finally living in the Jewish homeland .

Despite an injured back, she walks up and down Emek Refaim Street every morning and attends aerobics classes and Torah shiurim at the OU Israel Center weekly .
While one daughter is fearful of terror attacks on Israeli buses, Rita continues to ride the bus, “I wouldn’t have grandchildren, nieces and nephews here if we were all afraid….I feel more secure living here alone than I would in America .”

Not Just a “Telephone Bubby”, Naomi Sussman
"These past years have been some of the happiest of my life,” proclaims Naomi Sussman. After diligent research and a 4-month pilot trip, Naomi made aliya nearly five years ago to be close to her daughter and grandchildren in Ramat Beit Shemesh .

A big challenge was figuring out what to do with her possessions in America . “I’m a packrat,” she admits, “I realized that I had to give away many of my belongings because if I wanted to take everything with me, or wait to sell it all, I would never make aliya "

After donating almost everything to a needy newlywed couple and a poor family, Naomi finds pleasure in the simplicity of her belongings. But her greatest joy comes from her family, “I’m not just the bubby on the telephone anymore… We have a very close relationship now,” affirms Naomi with a smile .

Difficult but Worth the Schlep, Alfred and Rose Cohen
“Be prepared for a change in lifestyle,” warns Alfred Cohen, 88, “But though it’s been difficult, it is the best move we’ve ever made,” referring to his aliya with wife Rose, 92, a decade ago. They moved from New Jersey to the Katamon neighborhood in Yerushalayim, to a cozy apartment found by their two daughters who live here, one in Efrat and the other in Ra’anana, (a third daughter remains in the US.

" I’m an ulpan dropout!” the vivacious Rose admits. However they’ve both found that they can easily get by in Yerushalayim in English. Their two complaints are the heat and the Israeli medical system. “I’ve waited in lines here for hours,” Rose explains, referring to medical treatment she has received in Yerushalayim. Despite the drawbacks, she maintains that “to perform a mitzva outside of Israel just isn’t the same"

Among the resources they have found most helpful are their children, their books, their air conditioner for the summer heat and their housekeeper Jane, who cares for all their needs .

To make Golden aliya a smooth and rewarding transition, Ezrat Avot recommends considering the following points :
• Language: Many retired immigrants choose to attend an ulpan either to begin learning, or to improve their Hebrew. Others find that even a minimal level of Hebrew is sufficient, especially if you are planning to live in areas such as Beit Shemesh or Yerushalayim, with a large English-speaking population .
• Housing: Some real estate agencies such as Anglo Saxon and ReMax cater particularly to Anglos coming to Israel. The internet can also be a great resource: www.flathunting.com is an English website offering Yerushalayim daily real-estate listings. Aliya organizations such as Nefesh b’Nefesh and AACI can help find different types of retirement housing or assisted living facilities .
• Pensions: Eligibility for US Social Security or British pensions are not affected by aliyah – you can arrange to receive payments in Israel. Immigrants who make aliya after the age of 60 are not entitled to a standard Israeli pension through the Bituach Leumi (National Insurance Institute, nor are they required to pay premiums. However they may be eligible for a “Special Old-Age Allowance”. It is also possible to receive “Avtachat Hachnasa” (income supplement), if one’s income does not exceed a set percentage of the average wage, however the seniors who seek help from Ezrat Avot can unfortunately attest that the Israeli pension alone is insufficient to financially survive .
• Health Care: Every Israeli citizen is entitled to mandatory health care coverage from one of the four kupot cholim (health funds) – Maccabi, Meuhedet, Clalit, Leumi. Therefore every kupa must accept the application of a new immigrant, even with pre-existing medical conditions. Private health care is also becoming more popular and dental care is mainly private.
• Transportation: Many golden olim “throw in the car keys” when they make aliya, wary of driving in Israel. This may play a factor in the decision to settle near children. Public transportation is cheap for retirees and convenient within most cities, but insufficiently accessible to the physically-challenged. A number of organizations offer wheelchair-accessible transportation but the fees can be expensive, particularly in outlying communities. Cities such as Beit Shemesh and Netanya have a convenient fixed fare for cab rides within the city boundaries, unlike larger cities such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv

Heather Shinder made aliya from Montreal in 2005 .
This article was reprinted from Connections Magazine

Israel Senior Life is a publication of Ezrat Avot
Click here to visit our website at http://www.ezratavot.org
We welcome comments and submissions to info@ezratavot.org

Ezrat Avot provides services, resources and education to enable Israel's elderly
to age in the comfort and dignity of their own homes and communities.
To support our activities, click here

Ezrat Avot 7 Tarmab, P.O.Box 5603, Jerusalem 91056, Israel Tel:+9722-582-5107