A friend called a month or so ago to share an idea with me. I’d like to say she’s a good friend, even though we rarely speak to one another. Our conversations flow naturally and easily as if we’ve known each other for many years when, in fact, it’s been far shorter than that. The topics vary, and who knows what they are about. But one thing I can say for certain is there is a common theme threading through each one of them.
My friend and I
are roughly the same age and from the same generation. I can’t speak for her,
but like most of my friends, I had a stay-at-home mother and a father who
worked hard building a business. We children grew up, got married and raised a
family. The women I know worked hard, too. Many of my friends are baalei teshuva, and as we parented our
children and worked in our chosen fields, we began a journey the likes we had
never traveled before.
Then our children
were married off, one by one, and as we faced retirement – or when we suddenly realized the
nest was officially empty
– we
weren’t quite sure where we were going. Still, many of us were fired up and
excited, all the while curious as to where we were headed.
This friend of
mine and others like her enjoy stimulating conversations. Many of us have
discovered new passions or interests. Cut from the same cloth, we’re
intelligent frum women with a
boatload of life experience. Many of us moved to Baltimore to be closer to our
married children. Some of us have reached retirement age. Still others have found
new and exciting directions to explore and ideas never discovered before. No
matter where each person came from, we all seemed to share something in common.
Everyone was searching for connection.
These women have
raised children and perhaps been successful in a career once upon a time. Maybe
they moved away from the place they had called home for 20 or 30 years or more
and had left behind a group of women who had become like sisters. And here they
are, bereft and adrift. Their new world is full of young people who speak about
carpools and parenting styles, “tablescapes,” and where to buy matching
children’s clothing for Yom Tov. They see young people everywhere – in the shuls where they daven and
in the magazines they pick up at the grocery store. Where, these ladies wonder,
are women their age, and why can’t they find them no matter where they look?
* * *
This friend of
mine, along with some other women, is helping to create a new organization
looking to make a change for the better. These ladies took it upon themselves
to form an alliance for frum women
who have much to give and a lot to offer. They’ve reached out to many women in
our community asking them to share what it is they are looking for. The name
they’ve chosen for their new group is a warm and welcoming invitation to the 55-plus
crowd, and it’s an answer to what has been missing in the lives of many women.
Let’s Connect! The name says it all.
I spoke to the
founding members of Let’s Connect! Come join me and hear what Rebbetzin Chasida
Teichman, Mrs. Sara Brejt, Dr. Moshay Cooper, Mrs. Chaya Dachs, and Mrs. Goldie
Silberberg have to say.
Rebbetzin Teichman
started the conversation by talking about the importance of being with people: “Nothing
is as connective as in-person contact. That’s what Let’s Connect! is all about.
As it says in that old advertisement jingle from the late ’70s, ‘Reach out and
touch someone,’ connection cannot be felt in a Zoom group.” The Rebbetzin
quipped, “Did you ever try giving a screen a hug?” She felt strongly about the
importance of person-to-person contact. “There’s an energy, a vitality. You
really sense the soul of the person when you are with them,” she added. “The
level of connection is so much higher when meeting people face to face rather
than on a screen.”
Dr. Cooper
stressed the importance of “person-to-person interactions, which bring an
energy to the room and to the connection between two people.”
Mrs. Silberberg
touched on a common topic among women ages 55 and up. She recently became an
empty nester, and her social stratum has now changed. “There aren’t peers to
discuss shidduchim with,” she noted,
“and I’m definitely not on the seminary track anymore. I’m in a different world
now. Let’s Connect! is a way to reach out to different social structures.”
Mrs. Brejt
discussed the newcomers to Baltimore. She’s met so many women who are missing a
social framework and are really feeling that lack once they move here. “They are
looking for a place where they can find one another. Our purpose of this group
is to find ways to make connections.”
Mrs. Dachs felt it
had to do with wanting to find shared interests with others. “Certainly, there
are a lot of people and a lot of options here in Baltimore, but it has been
hard to find a way to connect people of similar interests. Let’s Connect! is
looking to bring small groups of people with shared interests together. Imagine
how much broader the idea of doing chesed
could be when done by groups of women who feel a connection towards one
another.”
Dr. Cooper said,
“What we are aiming to do is to create a community of people who are interested
in moving forward into the next chapter.” She stressed the importance of each
woman in the community, highlighting the vital role each of them will play in
this new venture.
Mrs. Dachs added,
“This isn’t an exclusive group. There will be community events multiple times a
year for everyone, but there will also be options for small interest groups who
can meet on a regular basis.”
Rebbetzin Teichman
said, “Women out there have so much to offer. Some are artists, writers, or
architects. Each person can continue to develop into the best version of
herself. We never stop growing. We just continue discovering other parts of
ourselves. Let’s Connect! can help women thrive in a Torah-based community.”
Dr. Cooper noted,
“Women in our stage are evolving and in a place of growth, self-discovery, and
positivity.” Who knows? Maybe in this warm and connecting environment, women
will uncover hidden passions not recognized before.
The organizers of
Let’s Connect! reached out to many 55-plus women in the Baltimore community to
ask them if they were interested in connecting with other women in their
age-range. The answer was a resounding yes!
Dr. Cooper
related, “We searched for women who represented a wide range of people
including a rebbetzin, a stay-at-home mom, someone who is still working, and
someone who recently moved into town.”
Women were asked
what kinds of groups they would be interested in. A variety of ideas came
pouring in and, as Mrs. Brejt so aptly said, “Everyone connects to Hashem in a
different way.”
Dr. Cooper related
that some women were interested in certain skilled-based sessions, such as art,
dance, and music. Other women wanted physical activities, such as walking and
hiking groups. Still others thought inspirational speakers would be great.
There was an interest in events with the authors of cookbooks to include
cooking demonstrations. Some people were interested in working together for a
specific cause or wanted to be involved in chesed
projects, such as visits to the elderly in assisted living facilities.”
Rebbetzin Teichman
noted that some women were interested in forming a travel group. Mrs.
Silberberg commented how wonderful it would be to form chabura-style learning groups for women to connect. The rabbinic
advisors, Rabbi Heber and Rabbi Marwick, are also very enthusiastic about Let’s
Connect!
Perhaps the most
vital question that was asked was, is there a need for such a group? Mrs. Brejt
received responses such as, “It’s needed!” “I can’t wait!” and “I’m looking
forward.” Rebbetzin Teichman heard, “This would be fabulous!” and “This is so
exciting!” Dr. Cooper found among the women she spoke to that there is
definitely a need for Let’s Connect! and that women felt it would have broad
appeal. She said, “Everyone said it was a terrific idea, and women expressed
excitement and were energized by this concept. Many wanted to know how they
could help and what they could do to be involved in this project.” In
fact, if you have suggestions for the organization’s founders, they can be
reached at letsconnectbaltimore@gmail.com.
The organizers of
Let’s Connect! have brought to light the feelings of so many women, and it is
as if a thunderous applause has reverberated throughout Baltimore. Women
everywhere are excited and ready to get started. The founders of this wonderful
group will kick off the first event on May 4th. (See ad on facing
page.) Here, participants will be able to choose topics of interest to them and
are encouraged to suggest thoughts and ideas of their own. They will have a
chance to see new faces and greet old friends. There will be speakers and
interesting activities that I’m sure will be a great beginning to Let’s
Connect! – this wonderful new venture that the women of Baltimore have been
eagerly waiting for.
Zahava Hochberg
created the column “Musings Through a Bifocal Lens.” She can be reached at zahava.hochberg17@gmail.com.
