This annual dialogue between the RRC community and a distinguished Jewish elder allows students and faculty to encounter remarkable elders as a source of insight and inspiration.

Most recently, Hiddur used technology to present an intimate, long-distance conversation with Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of the Jewish renewal and spiritual eldering movements. Students at RRC viewed a filmed interview conducted by Hiddur director, Rabbi Dayle Friedman, and shared a lively and moving interchange with Reb Zalman via Skype (a free videoconferencing technology). Watch clips from the video interview. Read about this event in the Jewish Exponent. 

In 2007, we presented Autumn Song: Portrait of the Artist as an Older Woman—the first program in our series On Being an Elder that was held in the evening at a public location in the Philadelphia area. This event, featuring Yiddish poet and songwriter Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman, attracted a standing-room-only crowd. Read more, see pictures and listen to excerpts.

Past invitees included the Hon. Benjamin (Bill) Mehlman, jurist and founding chair of RRC's board; Ernest Kahn, Ph.D.,  and Norma Z. Levitt, international Jewish humanitarian. In 2006, we were honored to host Rabbi Jack Stern, former president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, rabbi emeritus of Westchester Reform Temple, and author of The Right Not to Remain Silent.