The fall season is known for many things—the changing leaves, football, holidays, and more. In the AgeWell Atlanta community, it’s also full of fun events for older adults! Staying active is about more than just exercising. Studies continually show that as people age, the social and emotional connections made through meaningful activities can help improve brain health, reduce feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression. As the connection point between Jewish Family & Career Services (JFCS), the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA), Jewish Home Life (JHL) and Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta (Federation), AgeWell Atlanta is the perfect resource for active seniors to take advantage of all that Atlanta’s Jewish community has to offer. From exercise and cooking classes, to games, discussion groups and book clubs, AgeWell Atlanta has something for every interest and life stage.
Senior Week Is Back
First, AgeWell Atlanta’s Virtual Senior Week is back! We are bringing the fun and excitement of our in-person Senior Day to a COVID-safe week of virtual activities. Every day at 2:00 pm, seniors can experience something new and different.
The Zoom opens at 1:45 pm to allow participants to say hello to the group and meet new people. It’s an opportunity to relax, unmute, and be social before the program begins.
MONDAY, OCT 11th
Get in shape and dance to the rhythms with a low-impact Zumba lesson. This is a great way for older adults to move, stretch their limbs, strengthen muscles, burn some calories, and have a blast.
TUESDAY, OCT 12th
Meet Shay Hertzinger, the MJCCA’s Israeli Shlicha (emissary). Shay will share stories of growing up in Israel, her experiences in the Israel Defense Forces, and her work in Atlanta.
WEDNESDAY, OCT 13th
Show off your knowledge with a team trivia event! The group will be broken into teams, then, it’ll be time to show off those Jeopardy skills. There will be prizes for first, second, and third place.
THURSDAY, OCT 14th
Join Jeanette Kuvin Oren as she uses examples from her 35-year career as a Judaic artist to take you through the process of creating art for synagogues. From Torah mantles and Ark curtains to stained glass and mosaics, Jeanette will give a behind-the-scenes look inside our synagogues and how the art is created.
FUN-DAY FRIDAY, OCT 15th
Feast your ears on the Baal Shem Tones! Singer, musician, and cantor Helene Kates and her husband, musician, and composer Michael Kates will perform songs from the Jewish canon. Get ready to tap your feet, feel the spirit rising and sing along. This program is made possible by the Etta Raye Hirsch & Susan & Ray Schoenbaum in honor of Larry Cooper’s Special Birthday.
As with Senior Weeks in the past, AgeWell Atlanta’s partners all collaborate to make the event special. Popular past programs, such as “Touring the Jewish Ghetto in Venice” and “15 Decades of Braves Baseball,” have shown how entertaining and educational these sessions can be. Audiences will have a chance to learn, socialize, and have fun.
Attendance for each day is expected to be between 20 to 50 Atlanta seniors so please reserve your space. To plan your schedule, you can visit agewellatl.org/event/senior-week-2021/.
The Power of a Good Book
The MJCCA has an amazing lineup of both authors and performances for the 2021-2022 Arts + Authors Season, including the 30th Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA in November. This annual event offers attendees an opportunity to listen to and engage with bestselling authors at events throughout the month. Many of this year’s programs are hybrid: available in-person and on Zoom!
The season will include ex-CIA agent and author of The Unexpected Spy, Tracy Walder and novelists David Grossman and Lucy Adlington. Also speaking to support her candid memoir is Mindy Weisel, an internationally acclaimed artist, author, and cousin to famed Holocaust Survivor Elie Wiesel. She traces her search for beauty in her life, which began as a child born in the Bergen-Belsen Displaced Person’s Camp. Her courageous and honest story includes her struggles to understand her artistic voice and how it fit into the legacy she was born into.
Learn more about the MJCCA Book Festival by visiting atlantajcc.org/bookfestival.
Return to Joy
Then at the end of October, AgeWell Atlanta is teaming up with Nourishing the Soul (NTS) Workshops to present Return to Joy, a group of three special workshops. The project is part of NTS’ Jewish Spiritual Workshop series with Tracie Bernstein. These workshops are designed to engage individuals and couples in deep conversation that connects our actions, relationships, and everyday reality to the richness of Jewish thought and tradition.
The Return to Joy workshops are divided into three separate topics, presented over three Tuesdays:
OCTOBER 26th
JOY THAT REPAIRS discusses how humans have the power to destroy but also to uplift and repair the world.
NOVEMBER 2nd
AN EXPLORATION OF AMAZEMENT looks at how replacing cynicism and habit with awe can change the way we experience the world around us.
NOVEMBER 9th
JOY AS A REVOLUTIONARY ACT investigates how Joy as a choice and sometimes a struggle.
These workshops are being offered through AgeWell Atlanta, and registration is available in advance by Clicking Here.
AgeWell Atlanta is turning Fall Time into a Fun Time
We hope you will take advantage of these amazing programs and visit our website at agewellatl.org/events to join our mailing list or learn more about the book clubs, discussion groups and activities AgeWell Atlanta brings to our seniors. We are dedicated to helping older adults and their caregivers improve their quality of life. To view the many other programs and services provided through AgeWell Atlanta, www.agewellatl.org.
