Hiddur: The Center for Aging and Judaism works to foster a spiritually alive, engaged approach to the second half of life. We strive to connect all generations and empower elders to act as a transformational force in society.

Established in 2003 by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Hiddur draws its name and vision from the biblical command, "Bring splendor (hiddur) to the elders" (Leviticus 19:32). Hiddur educates rabbis and other Jewish professionals in the academic setting and through training and presentations across North America. We advance scholarship on aging and create spiritual resources for Jewish elders and their caregivers.

News and Notices

What's Next: Jewish Boomers Look to the Future



On April 2nd, Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman moderated a panel exploring how Jewish identity, spiritual needs and sources of gratification change with age. The sold-out event took place at the Technology Center of WHYY public television in Philadelphia. Four distinguished panelists joined Friedman: Rabbi Rebecca T. Alpert, Associate Professor of Religion and Women's Studies, Temple University; Mark Aronchick, attorney and former chancellor, Philadelphia Bar Association; Harris Steinberg, architect, PennPraxis, University of Pennsylvania; and Ken Ulansey, musician, world traveler and lapsed psychologist. 

The Jewish Exponent covered the event and wrote: "In the same way that this generation defined so much of the culture, so too, said Friedman, will they redefine what it means to enter one's 60s, 70s and beyond: 'Jewish boomers will be wanting to make a difference in the world, and they could be doing that through the Jewish community, which is why the forms of Jewish connection may need to be opened up and recast.'"
Read the full article.

 
Hiddur hosted Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi via teleconference for a groundbreaking program, "On Being an Elder." Read more about the event and see video clips of a conversation with Rabbi Dayle Friedman. Read the feature story in The Jewish Exponent.

Check out Midrash and Medicine: Imagining Wholeness, an interdisciplinary conference in which Hiddur is partnering, Scheduled for May 11-13, 2009 in Pacific Grove, CA.