“Al tashlicheinu l’ais ziknah – Do not cast us aside in our old age”
(Selichos). Our Baltimore community is blessed with a number of assisted living
as well as nursing home facilities to service the needs of our local elderly
and infirm. In addition to attending to their medical requisites, these facilities
also engage their residents in a myriad of activities to address spiritual and creative
needs. Among these pursuits are the weekend recitations of Kiddush and Havdalah.
Since 2007, a group of volunteers have, on a rotational basis, fulfilled these sacred
functions at Aventura at the Park (formerly Weinberg Park). Founded by Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld of Jewish
Spiritual Literacy, the program is formally called Love Your Neighbor and
boasts a volunteer staff of 9 participants, including yours truly.
Kiddush and Havdalah are recited when
all residents are gathered, typically in the dining hall for lunch. Consistent with
recommended protocol and in order to embellish the event, I make it a point to start
with a short story or song. As I deliver my presentation, I gaze out at the audience
in front of me and detect, with satisfaction, the full attention the residents are
giving me. I truly believe this phenomenon derives from a sense of appreciation
each one feels. One only has to reflect and realize that, for the majority of each
day, these residents are deprived of the presence of their loved ones. Hence, it is only natural that they look forward
to Kiddush and Havdalah with a sense of anticipation.
Several other senior facilities in
Baltimore have hosted Love Your Neighbor programs in past years. However, at
present, none of the other like facilities in our neighborhoods offers any such
arrangements. Instead, weekly Kiddush/Havdalah functions
typically fall each week to a lone administrator with no backup. Accordingly,
an effort is currently underway to extend the Aventura at the Park model to the
following care facilities: 1) Aventura at the Heights, formerly Tudor Heights
(Friday night Kiddush and Sunday Havdalah); 2) Sterling Care Assisted Living
(Daytime Kiddush and Sunday Havdalah); 3) Levindale Hebrew and Geriatric Center
(Sunday Havdalah only); and 4) King David Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (daytime
Kiddush and Sunday Havdalah).
In order to expand these services,
a cadre of volunteers is currently being solicited. To express your interest, kindly email your
full name, contact information and facility preference(s) to Playitagain642000@yahoo.com,
preferably by Sept. 25.
“Kichlos kocheinu al ta’azveinu – When our strength ebbs, do not
forsake us.”
The author would like
to thank Rabbi Seinfeld for his contributions to this article.
