Cantor Jeffrey Shiovitz

Formed 16 years ago as a means for our seniors to get together, Ha Mishpacha is a group for couples and singles aged 65 and over. The group meets on the second Tuesday of each month to enjoy programs of a musical, cultural, educational, or social nature. At each program, a hot lunch is served at no charge to seniors, many of whom are living on fixed incomes. There are always leftovers and we encourage attendees to take them home. We have a very dedicated group of ten women: Annleah Berger, Monica Blum, Ellen Freeman, Roberta Freilich, Eleanor Frey, Batya Goodman, Sharon Richter, Joan Rottenberg, Bette Slutsky and Barbara Weiss, who cook, plan, shop and serve. No one ever leaves hungry. Our wonderful Caring Committee generously underwrites the cost of lunch.

Our congregation is a young one with 400 students in our religious school and over 100 in our nursery school. Naturally, there is more programming geared to our children, however on most months we average 80-90 in attendance at our lunch and the program that follows. What makes this even more important is that many in our Ha Mishpacha group still work and don’t consider themselves senior citizens. Even in the dead of winter, when some are in warmer climates, we still have 70 people in attendance. When parents of our members are visiting from out of town, they often come to check us out. Everyone who attends has a good time. This leaves me on a high each month and stays with me for days!

The Ha Mishpacha program is usually structured so that we begin with lunch and then adjourn to the sanctuary for our program. Our programs vary to include speakers on God and spirituality, Jewish art and Jewish life around the world. Some of our programs this past year included: The Many Sounds of Kol Nidrei; Oscar Israelowitz spoke on and illustrated synagogues of New York City; Mark Kovler spoke on senior legal issues; Rahel Musleah on the Jews of Iraq; Dr. Ellen Weiser gave a book review; Cantor Scott Harris gave a concert; Sarah Shiovitz delighted us with a recital (accompanied by me); and Rabbi Kane spoke on homosexuality and Judaism.

Now in its eleventh year, we are still adding to our program, learning from it and kvelling over it. It began from nothing to become one of our most important and active groups in the synagogue. The members who attend are often called upon to help in our nursery school at holiday times, help with our Mishloach Manot projects at Purim or lend a hand doing synagogue mailings. We have found that this program also gives unaffiliated Jews an opportunity to give Tzedakah in memory of loved ones, to donate no longer needed toys and books to a Jewish organization, or to donate Passover food for elderly shut-ins. We have tried to let them know that they have not been forgotten and that they are important and integral parts of our synagogue. Last year, we expanded our program to include a monthly Thursday morning current events discussion group with social worker, Shari Baum. Another more recent addition is a twice monthly Yiddish class which seems to be growing at each meeting. We continue to look for new and exciting programs. I am most proud of the Solomon Schechter Gold Medal Award given to CSI in 1997 for excellence in Senior Programming.