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Looking For Community
As the High Holidays approach, many Jewish older adults may be looking for ways to feel more connected to tradition, to community, and to people who understand the transitions that can come with aging. Across Jewish Cleveland, programs are helping them find comfort, connection, and renewed meaning in Jewish tradition during life’s biggest transitions.
For many older adults, the High Holidays might arrive alongside significant life changes — retirement, becoming a grandparent, caregiving, a move, or the loss of a loved one. If this season feels different than it once did, Jewish tradition offers familiar and meaningful rituals, and opportunities to connect with others who may be navigating similar changes.
For someone wondering, “What can I do – or ask someone else to help me do – to feel more connected this High Holiday season?” the answer may begin with one small step: joining a holiday meal, hearing a familiar blessing, attending services, lighting Shabbat candles, calling a friend, or asking whether Jewish holiday programming is available in a care facility.
The Gift of Jewish Tradition
“Jewish tradition offers us the gift of a steady rhythm that anchors us through life’s inevitable changes,” said Rabbi Thalia Halpert Rodis, rabbi for engagement and learning at jHUB, who leads the Chayim Tovim: Living Well initiative through Jewish Education Center of Cleveland. “Every stage of life holds the potential for growth, renewal, and meaning.”
The initiative’s name comes from the High Holiday liturgy, in which the community asks to be inscribed l’chayim tovim ul’shalom — for a good life and for peace. Through the program, older adults and grandparents come together for Jewish learning and connection.
“Jewish tradition invites us to think not only about the number of years that we are given to live, but how we fill those years,” Rabbi Thalia said. “Finding other people who can relate to you doesn’t erase life’s challenges, but it may shift the way that we carry them.”
Rabbi Tzvi Alyesh, director of senior support services at Bikur Cholim, sees this firsthand through regular visits with Jewish older adults across Northeast Ohio, including those living in non-Jewish care facilities. Bikur Cholim volunteers deliver Shabbat dinners, bring food to residents who are ill, and provide consistent visitation to help Jewish older adults stay connected to their community, wherever they live.
“We are the bridge between people living in these facilities across Northeast Ohio and the community,” Rabbi Tzvi said.
This High Holiday season, Bikur Cholim is partnering with several care facilities to provide catered Rosh Hashanah dinners for residents, along with small holiday care packages. Rabbi Tzvi noted that many residents who were less connected to Jewish practice earlier in life often find renewed meaning in it as they age.
“A lot of our community members find that as they age, Judaism becomes more central to who they are,” he said. “It’s a more reflective time in their lives.”
Both rabbis emphasized that reconnecting with Jewish life is always possible, no matter how much time has passed. The Hebrew word teshuvah, is often translated as “repentance,” but it also carries the meaning of “returning”, returning to oneself, to community, to tradition, or to a practice that once felt meaningful.
“There is no point at which someone is too disconnected to come back,” Rabbi Thalia said. “It can be attending High Holy Day services, lighting the candles on Shabbat, joining a Jewish learning program, or simply marking a sacred day like Rosh Hashanah with time set aside for reflection.”
“There is no point at which someone is too disconnected to come back.”
Rabbi Thalia Halpert
“My hope for all of us is that we find moments of peace, connection, laughter, and blessing,” Rabbi Thalia said.
To learn more about Aging Well programs, including Chayim Tovim: Living Well and Bikur Cholim, or to find support for yourself, a family member, a friend, or a resident in a care facility, visit https://www.accessjewishcleveland.org/agingwell/
Have an idea for a future blog post or topic that you would like to learn more about? Contact Atara Engel, senior associate of Aging Well, at aengel@jewishcleveland.org.
Ways to Connect
Looking for a little more connection this High Holiday season? Start with one small step:
- Reach out to someone you care about. Send a holiday greeting, make a phone call, or invite a friend or family member to share a meal.
- Find a way to celebrate. Check the Jewish Cleveland community calendar for High Holiday services, programs, meals, and other opportunities to gather and connect.
- Ask for help finding connection. Whether you’re looking for Jewish programming at a care facility, a learning opportunity, or a way to get more involved, reach out to a local Jewish organization or community professional who can help you find the right fit.
Contact us at 216-292-INFO (4636) for more information.
