JCA Insights, July 2024

Bethesda Big Train honored Jewish Council for the Aging as community heroes on July 17 during Jewish Baseball Heritage Night.

While the festivities were curtailed due to a rain delay, attendees at the game got to mingle with and hear from players and staff of Team Israel, including pitcher Shlomo Lipetz and utility player Assaf Lowengart.

Big Train went on to win the game, defeating D.C. Grays 16 to 4.

Friday, July 19, JCA hosted an annual meeting for our Montgomery County SCSEP (Senior Community Service Employment Program) jobseekers. It was an excellent opportunity for jobseekers to interact with other participants and share their stories and offer their suggestions that help keep the SCSEP program strong and vibrant. Among the many topics discussed was a preview of the educational opportunities coming in the Fall of 2024. The JCA SCSEP team continues to expand its services for seniors who still view working as a salient component of staying engaged and relevant.

Are you a current volunteer or considering joining the Heyman Interages® program as a volunteer? We invite you to our Volunteer Meet and Greet on August 15 and September 19, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Jewish Council for the Aging headquarters.

This is a wonderful opportunity to:

Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or just starting to explore ways to give back, we welcome you to join us. Light refreshments will be served. Bring a friend and make a difference together!

RSVP to Indira Dingledine. We look forward to seeing you there!

JCA’s Kensington Clubs (KC) is so excited and appreciative to announce that thanks to the generosity of Becky Plesset, our White Oak location now has a tuned piano.

Members in our early-memory loss social day program, visiting artists, campers and others at White Oak Senior Center have already been making music and creating good times.

However, we need to purchase two dollies so that we can move the piano around the room as well as a lock to keep it safe. Visitors are constantly in and out of the center, and we want to make sure the piano stays in good shape for years to come.

That is where you come in. Although the piano was donated to us, KC needs about $550 to purchase dollies and the special lock. The music makes our members so happy! You can donate through our website or by mail to Jewish Council for the Aging, 12320 Parklawn Drive
Rockville, MD 20852. Please be sure to designate that your contribution is for the Kensington Clubs piano.

Thanks so much and be sure and stop by and listen to the music.

August is Make-A-Will Month! JCA is using this national moment to highlight the power your will has to uplift your independence, your loved ones, and our shared mission to help everyone experience the positive side of aging.

Creating your will has that same power, enabling you to:

This resource, provided by Freewill, empowers every person to make a will in as little as 20 minutes. It’s a simple, secure online tool that JCA offers at no cost to you! 

Your will even has the power to build generational bridges and support every older adult at JCA. By including a legacy gift in your will, you give lasting power to our community as we provide access, answers, and opportunities to older adults and family caregivers throughout Greater Washington, D.C. far into the future.

We invite you to use Make-A-Will Month as a moment to explore how powerful your will can be — and how easy it is to plan for your future. 

This past month the JCA blog, Information for the Sandwich Generation, gave inspiring advice about entrepreneurship after 50 and warned against Facebook Marketplace scams. Family caregivers were offered some money saving tips and we all got good advice about summer safety.

If you are a caregiver for an older adult, or you know one, check out the KC Blog as well.

Harriet and Bernie Lebowitz in memory of Dr. Alan Minster
Laurie Dubrow in memory of Idabelle Sherman
Sybil and Morey Cantor in memory of Edward Sondik
Rosie and Claudio Debenedetti in memory of Edward Sondik
Brenda K. Edwards in memory of Edward Sondik
Elaine and Fred Gillespie in memory of Edward Sondik
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cowen in honor of Howard and Sue Wilchins

Marilyn Goldman in memory of Edward Sondik
Pat and Brad Harvey in memory of Edward Sondik
Phoebe Joseph in memory of Edward Sondik
Mark Kamins in memory of Edward Sondik
Marcia and Jerry Pruzan in memory of Edward Sondik
Terry Ellen Singer in memory of Reuben and Ethel Singer
Sheila Yuter in memory of Edward Sondik