Do you remember Woodstock? How about the moon landing? Did you ever see a movie at something called a “drive-in?”
If you answered yes, you just might be a baby boomer — and thus the right age for the Boomer Engagement Network (BEN) for Jewish singles.
This year-old program from the Jewish Federation brings together Jewish singles born between 1946 and 1964 for community building and social events. Members see plays and films, grab drinks, dine out and altogether have such a blast that one participant called it “a youth group for grown-ups.”
BEN is fun, but it also meets a serious need. The same generation that witnessed the Summer of Love is now being called “the loneliest generation,” with a large number of people facing aging alone, thanks to higher divorce rates and natural life events like spousal loss. But creating a network of supportive relationships reduces loneliness and introduces joy — not to mention the potential for romance.
Interested in getting involved (and possibly hitting it off)? Here’s what’s in store for BEN this fall:
- Oct. 24 — Shabbat dinner at Congregation Kol Emet (1360 Oxford Valley Road, Morrisville, 19067)
- Nov. 3 — Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish (Stage 42, 422 W. 42nd St., New York, 10036)
Sign up for one or all of BEN’s programs. For more information, visit the Boomer Engagement Network on MeetUp and Facebook or contact Penina Hoffnung at BEN@jewishphilly.org or 215-832-0813.
‘The Fox and the Flock’ E-book: Our Sukkot Gift to You
The evening of Oct. 13 began the joyous, eight-day holiday of Sukkot, celebrating the bounty of the fall harvest.
Its traditions are filled with symbolism, including shaking a lulav and etrog (symbols of the harvest), eating foods stuffed with even more foods (a symbol of plenty) and building a sukkah, a temporary hut in which we gather for meals. The sukkah symbolizes the Israelites’ dwellings during our 40 years in the wilderness — the fragile homes of a people constantly on the move.
When you visit a sukkah to feast and sing, you also plug yourself into our roots as a wandering people, at the mercy of nature, dependent upon one another for survival. Gathering in the sukkah becomes a powerful reminder of the fragility of the very notion of a physical “home”— that indeed, home is wherever you’re surrounded by love and care.
In this spirit of celebrating both nature and community on Sukkot, the Jewish Federation created this exclusive storybook for you and your loved ones to enjoy. Download the e-book by visiting jewishphilly.org/ebook.
Chag sameach!
