In his book Relational Judaism, Dr. Ron Wolfson says that developing deep relationships with the many individuals who come into our midst is key to building Jewish communities. While we often focus on how to do so through our children, the book Wise Aging by Rabbi Rachel Cowan and Dr. Linda Thal gives us the opportunity to do that deep work with adults 55 and older.
Wise Aging provides the roadmap for the journey we are all on: achieving a fulfilling older age.
Here are six steps and resources for organizing a Wise Aging group in your community:
- Find like-minded people to join your group
- Introduce the idea with your clergy, and sisterhood, or brotherhood leadership using this information sheet
- Reach out to your synagogue through your newsletter with this sample invitation to join a group
- Decide group meeting location and times
- Use the chapters of Wise Aging to guide the focus of each meeting
- Have each group member bring journals or provide journals for ongoing reflection
Need additional ideas? The Institue for Jewish Spirituality (IJS) is training facilitators to lead groups around the country in an exploration of what it means to approach our later years with intention, energy, and joy. Wise Aging: Living with Joy, Resilience, & Spirit will be the core text for these group workshops. If you would like to find out more about establishing a Wise Aging workshop group in your community, contact the IJS here.
You can purchase your copies of Wise Aging here, or take Wise Aging on-the-go with the new Kindle Edition.
