JFS’ Thriving Seniors held its first Intergenerational Dialogue program, “Learning from Each Other” last month, which brought together twelve seniors and a group of high school students – members of Congregation Beth Israel “Chai School” program run by Rabbi David Bluman.
The theme of the night was “Technology: Friend of Foe?” and included ice breaker games, a dinner and dessert. Some notable conversations included “favourite types of communication,” as well as a discussion on what each other’s first phones looked like! Participants were encouraged to share with the wider group things they found interesting from their conversations.
“The young generation is very smart, smarter than our generation at their age. They know what they want to do in the future and how to get there. I admire them!” – Senior participant
The second Learning from Each Other session focused on the theme: “What is the Significance of Tradition in your Life?”
Two seniors brought in objects that were sacred to the traditions in their families: beautiful gold candle sticks from the early 1900’s that the senior still uses to light her Shabbat candles, and the other was a copy of a family Haggadah (Passover Seder guide) dating back to the 1700’s. This evening full of family history and heritage was enjoyed by the seniors and teens alike.
Check the JFS Event calendar for information on the next Intergenerational Dialogue Program, or contact Tamar Stein, Seniors Community Outreach Coordinator 604-558-5709 or [email protected].
Funding for our Thriving Seniors programs is made possible through Vancouver Coastal Health SMART grant and the May and Stanley Smith Foundation.