The Rabbinic Education on Aging Program (REAP)

Gearing Up for the Age Wave: A Guide for Synagogues

Sacred Seasons: Jewish Spiritual Resources for Elders

The Rabbinic Education on Aging Program (REAP)

Hiddur prepares rabbis to serve and engage elders and their caregivers in a uniquely comprehensive and multifaceted program, the Rabbinic Education on Aging Program (REAP). Built on the foundation of nearly two decades of work in the field at RRC, REAP components include:

The Benjamin Mehlman Cycle of Academic Courses on Aging:

The Mehlman Cycle of Academic Courses on Aging provides a practical rabbinics curriculum infused with the perspectives of Jewish tradition and academic gerontology. Named for The Hon. Benjamin (Bill) Mehlman, of blessed memory, a beloved founder of RRC and the Reconstructionist movement, the courses are open to students seeking skills useful to the generalist rabbi, and those intending to focus their rabbinate on aging.

Clinical Supervision: Supervised clinical internships in nursing homes, Jewish social service agencies and other community settings provide students with the opportunity to gain skill, experience and insight serving elders through spiritual care, education, and programming.

Shades of Gray: Exploring Spiritual Dimensions of Aging Through Jewish Literature: The Shades of Gray monthly seminar is offered to rabbinic students, rabbis, cantors and chaplains. Participants reflect on their work with elders in institutions and congregations through the study of novels, short stories and memoirs. Participants hone their theological and practical creativity through the creation of rituals and liturgical resources related to session themes.

Resources for RRC and Klal Yisrael: We have expanded our offerings to include co-curricular programming on aging issues for RRC students, faculty, staff and administration. Co-curricular programs have included:

• On Being An Elder – An Ongoing Series of Conversations with Distinguished Jewish Elders . Participants have included the Hon. Benjamin (Bill) Mehlman, a founder of RRC and the Reconstructionist Movement, Ernest Kahn, Ph.D., a treasured national leader in Jewish communal service, and Norma Levitt, international Jewish humanitarian. Videos of these dialogues (PDF download) are available on CD Rom.
• Pirkei Savim – Learning from Our Work With Elders: A Student Panel

• Beyond Oy Vey – The Role of the Spiritual Caregiver in Responding to Elder Abuse: A workshop for RRC students, as well as chaplains and para-chaplains from the Joan Grossman Center for Chaplaincy and Healing of the Jewish Family and Children’s Service.
• Binareinu uvizkeineinu nelech : Creating Multi-generational Communities, a workshop with Judith Turner of Dorot that included an intergenerational Torah study session by telephone conference call with elders in New York City.

Gearing Up for the Age Wave: A Guide for Synagogues

In collaboration with the Union of Reform Judaism Sacred Aging Project, we convened a conference with leading scholars and practitioners from all four major movements in Judaism in May 2004, to explore the "age wave" and its impact on synagogues—on everything from the programming they plan to the way they structure their organizations. Our report "Gearing Up for the Age Wave: A Guide for Synagogues"(PDF) summarizes highlights from the think tank and offers direction to congregations seeking to address and engage aging Jews as part of a multigenerational community. The full report is available for free download, and is being distributed to lay and professional synagogue leaders across North America. A brief executive summary (PDF) also is available for download.

Sacred Seasons: Spiritual Resources for Jewish Elders

Sacred Seasons Celebration Kits are innovative resources to enable staff, volunteers or family members to facilitate celebration of Shabbat and holidays for Jewish elders in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and retirement communities. Each kit includes everything needed by a leader without Jewish background to create a celebration:

• Leader’s guide with information on the observance and step-by-step instructions for creating the celebration
• Master copies of large-print participant handouts with songs and prayers in Hebrew, English and transliteration
• CD recording of songs and blessings in the celebration.

We have completed production of kits for Shabbat, Passover and Hanukkah.

With support from the Gimprich Family Foundation, kits for Shabbat, Hanukkah and Passover are available on the Web site http://www.sacredseasons.org, thus making Jewish celebration accessible to frail elders across North America. The printed materials can be downloaded free of charge, and the CDs areavailable for a nominal shipping and handling fee.

With support from the Fund for the Elderly, the Fredna Creamer Family Charity Fund and the Rose P. and Robert M. Epstein Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, we have distributed hard copies of the celebration kits to over 200 long-term care facilities, 25 chaplains and 150 para-chaplains in the Delaware Valley.

In the future, we look forward to developing Sacred Seasons resources for frail elders living in their own homes in the community.