JSA

JSA revamps advocacy

Jewish Seniors Alliance of British Columbia’s Margot Beauchamp, left, and Jeff Moss, right, with advocate for seniors’ rights Howard Glick and Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Care and Long-Term Care Susie Chant. (photo from JSA)

Jewish Seniors Alliance, whose mission is to reduce isolation, build connection and uplift and support Jewish and other seniors in the province, started 2025 with a new name.

At its annual general meeting last November, the organization chose to rename itself the Jewish Seniors Alliance of British Columbia. Formerly, it was called the Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver. One of the motivations for the change was to better reflect the organization’s goals and the services it provides.

The new name comes as JSA expands its advocacy work throughout the province, with efforts such as extending its reach, via its Senior Line magazine, to more communities. The new name, it maintains, recognizes the need to connect with more seniors in the province. Initially, JSA intends to partner with outreach programs in the Sea-to-Sky, Burquitlam and Surrey regions.

Similarly, the JSA Peer Support Services program has been rebranded. It will now be known as Community Support Services (CSS), which the organization believes will express its objectives and more clearly define the services it offers with senior volunteers and clients: senior peer support and friendly visiting/calling.

Concurrently, JSA has relaunched its advocacy work around free home support for all BC seniors, stating that it had success with this effort in the run-up to the provincial election. It will continue to meet with government and opposition MLAs, as well as work with and through community partners to ask people to contact their MLAs to voice their support for the initiative.

“The JSA approach to advocacy and government relations has been focused and targeted on decision-makers,” said JSA executive director Jeff Moss during a Jan. 22 Zoom event, in which he discussed the proposal for universal home care in British Columbia as a way to reduce the burden on individuals and government spending.

Moss summarized a recent mandate letter to Susie Chant, parliamentary secretary for seniors’ care and long-term care, which advocated for increased health-care availability, cost containment, responsive health systems, increased senior care, engagement with stakeholders and communication with the health ministry.

Howard Glick, an advocate for seniors’ rights and barrier-free healthcare, joined Moss on the Zoom panel. Glick had recently produced a short video, The Home Care Imperative: A Humanitarian Solution, on the need for free home support in the province, which was shown to the audience.

The video emphasized the advantages of home care, including aging in place, which can allow seniors to preserve their independence and dignity. It can also produce systemic savings that reduce waits for long-term care and free up hospital beds. And its implementation can be expedited, as home care can be scaled more quickly than construction for long-term care facilities.

Also stressed in the video was the idea of accessible, personalized home care as a better way to benefit seniors in their daily lives. The video argued that such a measure would foster independence and connection while strengthening the health-care system overall. This issue is particularly pressing, as the number of seniors in the province, and across the country, is set to increase in the coming two decades.

Most older adults, the video pointed out, would prefer to stay at home. Research from the Office of the Seniors Advocate, under the leadership of both former seniors advocate Isobel MacKenzie (now a JSA board member) and current advocate Dan Levitt, shows that many admissions to long-term care could have been treated at home with the right supports. Women, people in rural communities and those living alone make up a greater percentage of those moving into long-term care, according to the office’s report.

According to the video, British Columbia, when compared to Ontario, is lacking in several features that pertain to senior care, such as funding, services, eligibility, caregiver support and integration. The costs associated with accessing care for seniors in British Columbia greatly exceed those of other provinces as well, the video contends, noting that Alberta, Ontario and other provinces offer free home support for older adults.

Following the video, Moss reviewed a long list of advantages of providing free home care.

“The benefits are personalized at-home care, ease of access, reduced hospitalizations, fewer unnecessary admissions to long-term care, better health outcomes, increased independence and peace of mind,” he said.

During the question-and-answer session, it was conceded that the home-care model proposed in the video is, at present, far from the current reality.

“At this point, the system is fragmented, disorganized and unreliable, and there are a whole bunch of other problems. What our video is advocating is how to make things work for people in the future and that means reevaluating the structure of the system completely,” Glick said.

“Before any changes can be made, we have to have influence and contacts, we don’t have that yet. We’re just in the starting process of trying to get our foot in the door with the people who have the money and make policy,” he added.

photo - Jewish Senior Alliance of British Columbia executive director Jeff Moss, left, with Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Polievre — Jewish Senior Alliance of British Columbia executive director Jeff Moss, left, with Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Polievre. *(photo from JSA)*

The January event was part of the JSA-Phyliss and Irving Snider Foundation Empowerment Series and was co-sponsored by the Kehila Society of Richmond, COSCO and West End Seniors’ Network.

Moss, Glick and Margot Beauchamp, JSA’s quality assurance liaison, have since met with Chant. According to Moss, Chant gave them her support to move the initiative forward by way of making an introduction to the ministers of finance and health, along with opportunities to speak with all MLAs. JSA is also seeking the support of Brennan Day, opposition critic for rural health and seniors’ health.

JSA is working to advance the interests of seniors at the national level as well. During Conservative Party of Canada head and leader of the Official Opposition Pierre Poilievre’s visit to Temple Sholom on Feb. 2, Moss said he took a moment to let Poilievre “know that 65% of BC seniors are living on less than $40,000 annually and that adjustments are needed in the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors so that they can ensure more sustainability to age better.”

Poilievre directed Moss to follow up with his policy team.

For more information on JSA’s home-care advocacy, visit jsalliance.org/advocacy.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Learning about aging

On Jan. 12, Dan Levitt, seniors advocate of British Columbia, spoke at the Jewish Seniors Alliance’s winter symposium. (photo from JSA)

On Jan. 12, Jewish Seniors Alliance, with Kehila Society of Richmond and the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture, presented the winter symposium titled The Future of Aging. The featured speaker was Dan Levitt, seniors advocate of British Columbia.

Jeff Moss, executive director of JSA, opened the afternoon event and Toby Rubin, co-executive director of Kehila Society, offered some remarks, including that Kehila is always happy to be a co-presenter with JSA.

Gyda Chud, representing the Peretz Centre, told a few stories about the Levitt and Gofsky families (Dan Levitt’s parents) and their history with the Centre. Levitt’s great-grandparents, Rose and Abe Smith, were among the founders of the Peretz. Chud spoke of her mother, Gallia, who is 100 years old – she lives by and instils the values of diversity, inclusion, social justice and advocacy. Chud also mentioned that she had been Dan Levitt’s preschool teacher at the Peretz Centre, where the symposium was held.

Tammi Belfer, chair of JSA, reminded everyone of the organization’s commitment to all the seniors of British Columbia, and thanked everyone for working to enhance the quality of life for all seniors.

Levitt, who is an honorary member of JSA, then educated the 125 attendees about the situation of seniors in this province. He began by giving an example from his time at a home in Mission. The story involves giving plants to seniors on one floor of the facility and telling them that they were responsible for the plants’ upkeep. Plants were also given to residents on another floor, but they were told that the staff was responsible for their care. The residents who were given the responsibility had plants that flourished, whereas the plants on the other floor died. Given purpose and responsibility, said Levitt, people will rise to the challenge.

Levitt continued with some statistics: there are presently 1.1 million seniors in British Columbia and, by 2036, there will be 1.6 million. More than 90% of seniors live independently, but the fastest growing segment of this cohort is over 85 years old, and one in three of them will need care.

In his travels across the province, Levitt has heard from seniors about age discrimination in the workplace, often related to the regulations of employment, such as losing long-term disability and group insurance coverage after age 65. Many were concerned about the cost of driver’s licence renewal medical forms, which can vary from about $80 to $250, depending on the doctor’s discretion.

Levitt’s office is planning on holding a panel on transportation that will look at the needs of seniors. Some of the concerns are the distances between bus stops and the availability of HandyDART services.

There are many challenges ahead, said Levitt, noting that there are 6,500 people in British Columbia waiting for a publicly-subsidized long-term care bed. Home support, which would enable many seniors to “age in place,” is expensive here – these services are free to users in Ontario and Alberta. There is a need for more advocacy, he said. Support is also needed for caregivers, so they are not lost to other jobs. Combating ageism is also important.

Some other problems include the seismic upgrading needed in many care homes and digital access for seniors. The future must include help at home, with aid in reminders regarding medications, and help with technology. There needs to be age- and dementia-friendly places like they have in Bruges, Belgium.

Recommendations from Levitt and the Office of the Seniors Advocate include improving SAFER (a rental help program for seniors, the rates of which are inadequate); free home support; the funding of shingles, RSV and enhanced flu shots; and developing cross-ministry synergy for seniors’ issues.

After a lively Q & A session led by Chud, Ken Levitt, Dan’s father, who is a longtime board member of JSA, said a few words of appreciation. Larry Shapiro, JSA past chair, presented Dan Levitt with a gift and Moss thanked him. Refreshments followed, and the audience lingered and talked with Levitt before leaving with more knowledge and confidence than when they arrived.

Shanie Levin is a Jewish Seniors Alliance Life Governor. She is also on the editorial committee of Senior Line magazine.

Changing roles, duties

Pharmacist Ted Mah headlined the first session of this year’s Empowerment Series, which is presented by Jewish Seniors Alliance with the help of the Phyliss and Irving Snider Foundation.

The Oct. 29 talk on Zoom was called Make Friends With Your Pharmacist. Mah spoke about the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists, which now include supporting people’s health and well-being, in addition to filling prescriptions and other duties.

Mah graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1995 and began his career at a Safeway Pharmacy in Victoria. After five years, he was promoted to management and, for seven years, operated the Safeway Pharmacy at City Square in Vancouver. Currently, he is the manager of the Safeway location on Arbutus in Vancouver.

The Zoom started with a few words about Jewish Seniors Alliance by Gyda Chud, a former co-president of JSA and also chair of the program committee. Chud spoke about JSA’s theme of “Seniors Stronger Together” and its three guiding principles of “Outreach, Education and Advocacy” and how they can empower us.

Mah said he enjoyed his training at UBC. In his fourth year, when he did an internship at a hospital, he became very aware of the positive impact that pharmacy can have on patients when the rules and procedures are properly followed.

According to Mah, Safeway Pharmacies have a central distribution venue, where the preparation of medications is handled by robots to reduce the possibility of human error in the counting of pills. In all the stores’ pharmacies, audits are done regularly to ensure proper care and count of medications, including narcotics. Expired medications are disposed of.

Most pharmacies can make blister packages of weekly medications available upon request. Plastic see-through pouches are also available, labelled with the name of the medication, dose and time of day that it should be taken. For people with visual impairments, there is a chip and a machine that will read out the contents of the bottle.

There have recently been many changes in what pharmacists are permitted to do to assist patients and save time for physicians. Pharmacists can now administer more vaccines than they were able to in the past; for example, they can now give polio shots. They can also prescribe medication for many minor ailments without a doctor’s prescription: these include antihistamines for seasonal allergies, nasal steroids, antibiotic eye drops, contraceptives, and medications that help with skin conditions including eczema, dermatitis, diaper rash and bacterial infections. As well, pharmacists can prescribe topical creams for such problems as toenails, dandruff, oral cancer and cold sores, yeast and urinary tract infections, shingles, and a host of other ailments.

The Empowerment session Q&A included a question about renewing ongoing prescriptions without consulting a doctor. Mah said this would depend on something called “adaptation,” which includes the renewal itself, as well as changing the dose, formulation or other aspects of a

prescription. A pharmacist can generally do these things, however, a doctor can order that a prescription not be adapted.

Another question concerned the new mRNA vaccine for COVID, which, at this point, should be given annually, like the flu vaccine. There were also several questions about supplements, such as vitamins or calcium.

Mah said pharmacists can do medication reviews by appointment. This could include a discussion of supplements, such as how they interact with various medications. Information about people’s prescriptions is entered into PharmaNet, the province-wide data network.

Mah said drugs that a person is no longer using should be returned to a pharmacy in a Ziploc bag for disposal. For syringes, one should pick up a special container from the pharmacy.

Another question concerned psychotropic drugs, and also the tolerance of various drugs for different age groups, especially seniors. Mah said this is a question for a physician but added that, when a new drug is prescribed, it is usually only enough for 30 days at most, in case there is a negative reaction.

Other questions concerned taking a flu shot and COVID shot together, which is fine to do, and how long one should wait after having a COVID shot to have a booster – apparently three months is now OK.

Pharmacists must engage in regular professional development to maintain their licences, said Mah, who added that there is a current shortage of pharmacists in British Columbia because their new roles and responsibilities have increased the demand for their services.

Tamara Frankel, a member of the program committee and a board member of JSA, thanked Mah for his participation and for all his helpful information. The event was co-sponsored by the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture.

Shanie Levin is a Jewish Seniors Alliance Life Governor. She is also on the editorial committee of Senior Line magazine.

Seniors advocates honoured

Isobel Mackenzie, left, and Selina Robinson will be honoured at Jewish Seniors Alliance’s AGM Nov. 3.

The Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver’s annual general meeting on Nov. 3 will serve as an opportunity to welcome the organization’s first-ever executive director, Jeff Moss, and to honour two prominent women in provincial politics who have been dedicated to seniors throughout their careers: Selina Robinson and Isobel Mackenzie.

JSA chair Tammi Belfer will introduce Moss, whose hiring marks a significant change in the alliance’s 21-year history. The shift, she said, will enable the board of directors to focus on policy-making and high-level planning, while collaborating with the new executive director and staff on implementation.

“This transition is a gradual process, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to each board member for their years of unpaid work,” said Belfer. “Together with our executive director, we can now strategically plan every event, raise much-needed funds, and improve and expand our services to our ultimate clients – the seniors of Greater Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, and the entire province.”

Moss told the Independent that he is looking forward to his first AGM as executive director, a job he started in July, and that, in his new position, he plans to recognize the past and look ahead to the future of the “modern, inclusive and dynamic charity.”

“I am pleased to work alongside our incredible community partners, with the support of our generous donors, a committed board and motivated staff,” he said. “I look forward to continuing to build on our strong reputation for positively impacting the lives of lonely and isolated seniors.”

Belfer praised Moss as JSA prepares for its move away from an operational board, noting that the coming year will not be an easy one, but it will be exciting.

“Jeff and I form a great partnership and I hope, together, we bring the name and extreme value of JSA to the forefront of all seniors. This population is growing and the need is increasing. Vancouver and BC can count on us to be there for seniors. We are seniors stronger together,” she said.

“Jeff’s caring nature and strong management skills are the exact combination we need for our first executive director,” she added. “When he reaches out to you, make a point of meeting with him – you are in for a treat.”

Robinson, who has been the member of the legislative assembly for Coquitlam-Maillardville since 2013, is not running for reelection on Oct. 19. She made the decision to retire for several reasons (jewishindependent.ca/the-aftermath-of-resignation) and is in the final stages of writing a memoir, which is set for release in November.

Before gaining a seat in the legislature, Robinson worked as a family therapist and was a city councilor in Coquitlam for two terms. Her career includes having been associate executive director of Vancouver’s Jewish Family Service Agency. As an MLA, she served as opposition critic on seniors, mental health and addictions, and other issues. In government, she served as minister of municipal affairs and housing, and as British Columbia’s finance minister. She was minister of post-secondary education and future skills until earlier this year.

“Representing people in my community and being their voice in government has been the greatest honour, and having JSA acknowledge that work warms my heart,” Robinson told the Independent. “Thank you, JSA, for being such great partners.

“Jewish Seniors Alliance understands that, in order to have a strong community, you need to make sure that the community has what it needs,” she said. “JSA engages Jewish seniors to provide them with services and supports, and to better understand their needs so that they can advocate for resources to better meet those needs.”

Mackenzie – who is nominated for a term this year on JSA’s board of directors – served for 10 years under both Liberal and NDP governments as the province’s first seniors advocate, before her retirement earlier this year. Her efforts won her widespread plaudits and dispelled initial skepticism concerning the effectiveness of the new office.

In a piece for the Orca in March, shortly after it was announced that Mackenzie would leave her role as seniors advocate, political commentator Rob Shaw wrote, “She left widely respected by all sides at the legislature, inside the Ministry of Health and even amongst the seniors care groups she has occasionally clashed with in her reports.

“Mackenzie’s work highlighting care hour shortages in long-term care homes, first-bed refusal policy problems, partners split up in assisted living, consent and admission concerns, and the underperformance of private long-term care facilities using public funding have all led to government reforms. She created a useful and relevant database on care homes. And she’s still fighting for a hike to the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) rates.”

In the 1990s, long before she became the province’s seniors advocate, Mackenzie was chief executive officer of the provincial nonprofit Beacon Community Services, where she led a new model of dementia care that has become a national best practice, and established safety accreditation for home-care workers.

Jewish community member Dan Levitt is the new provincial seniors advocate, taking over from Mackenzie.

The JSA AGM on Nov. 3 will be held at Congregation Beth Israel, starting at 5 p.m. Dinner tickets are $75 and attendees are requested to RSVP by Oct. 20 to [email protected] or 604-732-1555.

Anyone who has made a donation to JSA of $18 or more in the past 12 months is considered a member in good standing and is eligible to vote at the AGM.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Moss takes the helm of JSA

Jeff Moss (photo from JSA)

This summer, Jeff Moss became the first executive director of the Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver. Moss has long served the local community, following the example of his parents, who were deeply involved in building the Jewish community in Richmond.

The father of three adult children, Moss was co-chair of Richmond Jewish Day School, where, he said, the board took an active role, which helped him build a solid understanding of how an involved board could work alongside professional management. Moss spent three decades in the private sector before leaving to work at United Way British Columbia and then making his way to JSA.

“I reached out to United Way for an opportunity to become a campaign manager,” Moss told the Independent. “I went into work helping them with fundraising and campaign management, telling their story. And I had the opportunity to connect with a lot of great people and got some experience working in nonprofits. I had really wanted to get engaged with the nonprofit world. My desire was to go out and make an impact in the community.

“Then, Oct. 7 happened,” he said, “and I felt very strongly that I wanted to make an impact on the Jewish world if I could. So, I began to look for opportunities to serve in Jewish nonprofits and, eventually, the opportunity with JSA came along.”

Moss says that the executive director role has allowed him to tie his experiences of leading an organization and fundraising together. Further, it is an opportunity to bring his commitment to the community and bring a positive effect for those in need. He is thankful for the framework the late Serge Haber, JSA founder and often its guiding light, set in place.

“It is a great opportunity for me personally, and I hope I am able to meet the needs of JSA as we look to build upon the incredible successes that Serge and his team had built in terms of being able to create this organization,” Moss said, adding that he is intent on bolstering the pillars of the organization: peer support, education, outreach and advocacy.

“After 20 years of success so far, the way I see it, my role is to make sure that, as an organization, we are set up for the next 20 years,” he said.

Moss, who started the new position on July 2, praised the “incredible” board members at JSA and is planning to connect more with the organization’s stakeholders – that is, the community partners, donors and staff – to make sure they get the support they need. He looks forward to the future of JSA and its ability to have a beneficial influence in the Jewish community and the community at large.

“I am trying to ensure that we are going to be set for building out the structures that are needed to grow and be a sustainable organization,” he explained. “I want to continue the amazing work we are doing and enhance it – and to make sure that we are able to meet the needs of our growing seniors community.

“We are eager to connect with more volunteers in our Jewish community for our friendly visitor and peer support programs, and to connect with more Jewish senior clients to be matched in our seniors programs. We would like to extend beyond our current geographic reach, as our advocacy and outreach work is province-wide.”

The positive role JSA has goes well beyond the 140 clients and 100 volunteers who offer peer support – it impacts people’s family and friends, as well, Moss said. “The support we provide reduces the needs of others within the community, it makes it easier for kids and relatives to know there is additional home support for their loved ones.”

JSA also publishes Senior Line. With more than 4,000 copies per print run, JSA is hoping to expand the magazine’s presence into more seniors residences, through Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health, and province-wide. JSA recently updated its website, which includes archives of the magazine going back several years.

Moss said JSA is “grateful to the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation for supporting JSA’s organizational restructuring, and to all our valued donors who have been keen to help us along the way. We look forward to continuing to work and partner with them and other community organizations to meet the goals and objectives that we all set out.”

According to JSA’s mission statement, a senior is a person aged 55+. Those who volunteer for peer services are all 55+ but anyone who wishes to participate in the Friendly Visitor Program needs only to be 18 or older.

JSA will hold its annual general meeting on Nov. 3. The proceedings will include the recognition of former BC seniors advocate Isobel MacKenzie and retiring MLA Selina Robinson for their work on behalf of seniors.

This year’s JSA Fall Symposium will take place Nov. 17 and will feature Dan Levitt, current BC seniors advocate.

For more information, visit jsalliance.org.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

One family’s influence

Ben Shneiderman was the featured speaker at Jewish Senior Alliance’s Spring Forum May 26. (photo from hai.stanford.edu)

On Sunday, May 26, the Jewish Seniors Alliance presented their annual Spring Forum. Featured speaker Ben Shneiderman spoke about his family’s influence on journalism, photojournalism and the development of human-computer interactions.

Shneiderman was introduced by Gyda Chud, a past president of JSA and chair of the program committee. He told those gathered at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture about his family history, keeping the audience enthralled throughout.

Shneiderman is an emeritus distinguished professor of computer science at the University of Maryland. He has received six honorary doctorates in recognition of his pioneering contributions to human-computer interaction and information visualization. He has published more than 20 books, most recently, Human-Centered AI (Oxford University Press, 2022), which won the Association of American Publishers award in the computer and information sciences category.

However, Shneiderman did not begin with his own cultural contributions, but with those of his parents, Samuel and Eileen (née Szymin) Shneiderman. They began their journalistic partnership in Warsaw, writing for the many Yiddish publications that existed then. Their lives mirrored the turbulent events of those years. They moved from Warsaw to Paris, where they continued to contribute to Yiddish publications. They did major reporting from Spain during the Spanish Civil War. In 1938, Samuel published a collection of his work on the Spanish Civil War in Yiddish, titled Krig in Shpanyen: Hinterland. This coverage earned him the title of being “the first Yiddish war reporter.” This book was later published in Polish and then in Spanish. It will appear soon for the first time in English as Journey through the Spanish Civil War, translated by Deborah Green and published by the Yiddish Book Centre’s White Goat Press.

In 1940, with the help of the Yiddish press in New York, the family was able to immigrate to the United States and escape the war. Samuel worked with the Yiddish press and published many other books, including editing The Diary of Mary Berg, by an American woman who was incarcerated in the Warsaw Ghetto and described harrowing details of life there. Samuel wrote of the Kielce Pogrom in Between Fear and Hope. The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History has two virtual exhibits: one on Samuel and Eileen’s partnership, and the second on Ben Shneiderman’s computing contributions and the photojournalism of David Seymour, Eileen’s brother, who was known as Chim.

Chim’s humanistic style of reporting influenced modern visual storytelling. One of his photos, related to the war, may have inspired a painting by Picasso. Chim’s war photos were widely published in many magazines and journals, and he became known for his unique photographs of children who had become orphans during the conflict. He also took photos of many celebrities, such as Audrey Hepburn, Maria Callas, Ingrid Bergman, and many others. Some of these images were published in popular media such as Life magazine.

Chim took some interesting shots of life in the state of Israel in the early 1950s. Of note is a photo of a wedding taken outdoors, possibly in the Judaean Hills. The chuppah is torn in a few places and one side is being held up by a rifle and a pitchfork. Chim was killed while photographing the Suez Crisis for Newsweek in 1956. He was 45 years old.

Throughout the presentation, Shneiderman replied to questions and comments, Marilyn Berger, a past president of JSA, thanked him for his inspiring words.

The next JSA event is A Summer Afternoon of Music on June 24, featuring a live concert of classical music, showtunes and Jewish songs by Trio du Souvenir – Rudy Rozanski (piano), Yu Tsai (cello) and Arnold Kobiliansky (violin). Co-sponsored with the Kehila Society and Congregation Beth Tikvah, the concert and lunch take place at Beth Tikvah. To attend, RSVP by June 21 to Toby Rubin, [email protected] (lunch is $15).

Shanie Levin is a Jewish Seniors Alliance Life Governor. She is also on the editorial committee of Senior Line magazine.

Many make gala successful

Left to right: Ken Levitt, Tamara Frankel, Tammi Belfer and Marie Doduck. (photo by Marchant Photograophy)

photo - A Night at the Catskills emcee Michael Geller — A Night at the Catskills emcee Michael Geller. *(photo by Marchant Photograophy)*

The Jewish Seniors Alliance commemorated their 20th anniversary with a gala titled A Night in the Catskills, which showcased Jewish humour from past to present.

On March 17, Schara Tzedek Synagogue was filled with more than 230 supporters and guests who reveled in an evening of good food and timeless humour. I was co-chair of the event with Michael Geller, who masterfully emceed the proceedings.

photo - More than 230 people attended the Jewish Seniors Alliance gala, which took place at Schara Tzedek Synagogue on March 17 — More than 230 people attended the Jewish Seniors Alliance gala, which took place at Schara Tzedek Synagogue on March 17. *(photo by Marchant Photograophy)*

The night commenced with a warm welcome from JSA president Tammi Belfer and a tribute to the late Serge Haber, whose foresight laid the foundation for the seniors alliance two decades ago. The JSA is dedicated to supporting the welfare of all seniors, irrespective of race, religion or sexual orientation, through advocacy, peer support, education and outreach.

photo - MLA Michael Lee makes one of the night’s 50-50 draws, as Tim Bissett and Marilyn Berger await the result — MLA Michael Lee makes one of the night’s 50-50 draws, as Tim Bissett and Marilyn Berger await the result. *(photo by Marchant Photograophy)*

The entertainment lineup featured archival footage of renowned Jewish comedians, whose jokes still elicit laughter, alongside contemporary comedians like Kyle Berger and David Granirer, founder of Stand Up for Mental Health, and magician Stephen R. Kaplan, also known as “The Maestro,” all of whom enchanted the audience with their humour. I capped off the night with my “bucket list” stand-up sit-down comedy act, leaving the crowd in high spirits. (I delivered my routine from my wheelchair, if you’re wondering about the sit-down part of my stand-up.)

photo - Gala attendee Gary Averbach waits as magician Stephen R. Kaplan forms his prediction — Gala attendee Gary Averbach waits as magician Stephen R. Kaplan forms his prediction. *(photo by Marchant Photograophy)*

Guests enjoyed deli offerings from Omnitsky Kosher and desserts and service by Nava Creative Kosher Cuisine. Tim Bissett provided concierge service, working in tandem with JSA volunteers, who merit special recognition for their efforts in facilitating every aspect of the event, from its inception to festive conclusion. A special acknowledgment is also due to JSA staff members Miguel Méndez, Rita Propp and Jenn Propp for their dedication and extra hours spent supporting the volunteers.

Heartfelt gratitude is extended to all who generously contributed to the success of JSA’s 20th-anniversary celebration.

Marilyn Berger is a past president and a life governor of Jewish Seniors Alliance. She was a co-host of and performer in JSA’s gala, A Night in the Catskills.

JSA celebrates its 20th

Kyle Berger, left, and David Granirer headline the Jewish Seniors Alliance’s A Night in the Catskills on March 17. (photos from JSA)

The Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an event that’s all about laughter.

A Night in the Catskills: Jewish Humour Then and Now takes place at Congregation Schara Tzedeck March 17, 6 p.m.

“Jewish humour has enabled the Jewish world to gain strength through a history that shows that we should not be in existence today, but here we are bigger, stronger and better than ever!” said Marilyn Berger, a past president of JSA, who will make her debut as a stand-up comedian at the event. “Ask Kyle,” she said, referring to one of her sons. “I have given my family plenty to laugh about.”

It is perhaps not a coincidence then that Kyle Berger preceded his mother on the standup stage, and also produces comedy shows. He and David Granirer, founder of Stand Up for Mental Health, are headliners of the 20th anniversary event, which will include a performance by magician Stephen R. Kaplan, aka the Maestro. The whole megillah will be emceed by JSA board member Michael Geller, whose involvement in JSA was inspired by his late father, Sam Geller.

“He derived a great deal of joy from regularly attending JSA events and this is one of the reasons why the organization is so special to me,” Geller told the Independent.

Michael Geller emcees JSA’s A Night in the Catskills at Schara Tzedeck. (photo from JSA)

“This comedy night is a follow up to a similar event organized by JSA 13 years ago,” he explained. “It was initiated by a phone call from the late Serge Haber, who called to tell me that the province had just canceled JSA’s gaming grant, but he knew my father would want me to help replace the funds. I asked how much was the grant. He said it was $18,000. I told him that was too much for me, but I had an idea.

“I was a fan of the website Old Jews Telling Jokes. Since JSA served many older Jews, I offered to book a room, buy some deli, and invite 17 of my friends to join me and each put up $1,000 and we would entertain one another with our favourite Jewish jokes.”

Haber – who founded JSA – liked the idea, as did the board, but they also wanted to join, and couldn’t afford to pay $1,000 each. So, the format was changed to one where people would attend and donate what they could, said Geller. Held at Congregation Beth Israel, almost 250 showed up.

“We presented clips from Old Jews Telling Jokes and invited people in the audience to share a joke in return for a donation. Everybody agreed it was a fabulous event,” said Geller. “There was just one small problem. We didn’t raise very much money.

“So, this year we are charging $118 dollars to attend. Some generous members of the community are coming forward and agreeing to be sponsors. This will allow other seniors in the community who can’t afford $118 to attend. It has also allowed us to hire Tim Bissett, an experienced professional event organizer to assist with the program.”

photo - Stephen R. Kaplan will perform at the 20th anniversary celebration — Stephen R. Kaplan is a special guest performer at the 20th anniversary celebration. *(photo from JSA)*

Expressing gratitude to the sponsors on behalf of JSA, Geller said, “we are hoping other community members will come forward, especially those who regularly share their favourite Jewish jokes on the golf course. Sponsors will be invited to participate in the program by telling a favourite joke or two, or introducing a favourite comedian or routine.”

For his part, Geller is preparing for his role as emcee by watching vintage and contemporary Jewish comedians and selecting material. “The program will also include some professional comedians who are volunteering their time, and special appearances by local rabbis who have been urged to share stories they would never tell in shul,” he said.

“I am thrilled to be celebrating our 20th anniversary and look forward to going from strength to strength as my own children now, believe it or not, become seniors!” said Berger, who shared her appreciation for the organization that Haber started.

“As I gracefully age,” she said, “I thank Serge for enabling me to spend my golden senior years embraced by the love that Seniors Alliance offers.”

“JSA undertakes many programs that benefit so many Jewish seniors, including the excellent Senior Line magazine,” said Geller. “While we are supported by many community organizations and foundations, we need additional funding. I am, therefore, hoping this evening will help promote the organization’s good work and, this time, actually raise money to allow it to continue.”

For tickets to A Night in the Catskills or to become an event sponsor, visit jsalliance.org or call 604-732-1555.

Supporting one another

On Jan. 22, Jewish Seniors Alliance, as part of its Empowerment Series, presented a lecture by Dr. Honoré France. An educator, artist, writer, therapist and consultant in the field of mental health, France explored the early history of seniors peer support, which is based on the concept of seniors helping seniors.

Grace Hann, trainer and supervisor of Senior Peer Support Services at JSA, co-hosted the Zoom event with Andrea Krombein of South Vancouver Seniors Network, which co-sponsored it. About 60 seniors participated. Gyda Chud, past president of JSA, welcomed everyone.

In her introduction of France, Hann said she uses his writings in the JSA’s peer-support training program. She noted that France has presented his ideas on training in many countries and has been involved with peer support since the late 1970s, when he moved to Victoria. He was influenced by the works of Viktor Frankl, as well as work done in a hospital in Paris, where a doctor and a former patient began a program to help patients by using recovered patients as volunteers. Much research has been done in this area, she said, and it has been shown that paraprofessionals can be as effective as therapists.

France has written a book on peer counseling and peer support. As well, he said, Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning and Erik Erikson’s eight stages of life (of psychosocial development) are still being used by therapists. Communication and listening skills are of prime importance in peer counseling, he said, and Hann pointed out that silence, as well as mirroring back what the client has said, are useful in opening communication and forming a bond between the volunteer counselor and the senior. Two volunteers, Marie and David Kirkpatrick, said they had learned from the training provided by Hann and Charles Leibovitch, senior peer support services coordinator with JSA, and through contact with clients.

France also discussed some of the myths about aging. For example, we are just as mentally fit at age 80 as at age 20, he said, but our reaction times are slower. To keep healthy, we need to exercise both the body and the mind, he said.

Chud thanked France for his comments and his work, noting how effective it has been in JSA’s peer support training program. Comments and questions included Margot Beauchamp on the connection between isolation, loneliness and general health, and Larry Shapiro said volunteering should be first on any list of things seniors should be doing.

A new training session for peer support will begin on March 1 and those interested should contact the JSA office. The next Empowerment program will take place in March, with the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia. More details will soon be available at jsalliance.org.

Shanie Levin is a Jewish Seniors Alliance Life Governor. She is also on the editorial committee of Senior Line magazine.

Peer support’s long history

The Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver has invited Honoré France, a scholar on aging and expert on peer support, to speak via Zoom on Jan. 22. He will discuss the topic Discovering the Essential Importance of Seniors Supporting Seniors.

France, a professor emeritus in the department of educational psychology and leadership studies at the University of Victoria, will focus on the senior peer support training he developed. The training has been used by JSA for several years to help new volunteers learn how best to connect and liaise with isolated, lonely seniors in the community.

Among the topics France will cover are the early history of seniors peer support, strategies for self-care, information about memory, the value of exercise and the development of a healing presence.

Earlier this month, France shared some of his presentation with the Independent, including a peek at the origins of peer support during the beginning of psychiatry in the late 1700s – through French physician Philippe Pinel and hospital superintendent Jean-Baptiste Pussin.

The talk will then move to more modern examples of senior peer support, including Indigenous approaches, and the development of group homes and inclusive treatment.

According to France, peer support is successful when various factors are in place, including effective approaches in helping aging populations and the promotion of the concept of self-help and independence among older people.

Additionally, for peer support to be beneficial, people need to want to help themselves, there needs to be a reserve of talented older people who want to be helpful and, should someone have a problem or concern, there must be a willingness to seek out peers.

After addressing various aging myths, such as the belief that dementia is inevitable, France will examine ways to stay mentally, physically and spiritually fit. He will explore nature as medicine, practices of letting go and cleansing, positivity (finding purpose and meaning), and mind-body activities like yoga, meditation, art and helping others.

France said he hopes that, by the end of the session, participants will “understand the developmental stage of aging and the central concept from Viktor Frankl about meaning and the crucial role it plays in healthy aging, and to follow their dreams as they age in the same way they did earlier in life.”

Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, believed finding meaning in life to be the central human motivational force.

“Aging is natural and part of living,” said France, and people “can be in control physically, mentally, psychologically and spiritually. Aging is what you make of it and learning is a medicine and keeps you mentally fit.”

France emphasized that, no matter what a person’s condition in life is, they can live fully, consistent with their physical and psychological level.

His talk will look at ways people can train themselves “to listen to others and to be like Frankl – optimistic, resilient, and always ‘moving.’ And, finally, [how to] develop a healing presence, as well as how to empathize at a deep level by bringing ‘light’ into the world to those in need.”

He added, “I will also provide some strategies for dealing with stress that I use. There will be a question period at the end, and Grace Hann will speak about the volunteer program at the Jewish Seniors Alliance along with one or two volunteers,” France said.

Hann is JSA’s senior peer support services trainer and supervisor.

Aside from his role at UVic, France is an artist, writer, therapist and consultant in the field of mental health. He has worked at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Addis Ababa University and the University of Massachusetts, where he graduated with a doctorate in counseling.

His academic interests include diversity, group processes and creative arts therapy. His current research involves reconciliation and residential schools, cross-cultural issues, creative arts, spirituality and eco-psychology (an intellectual movement to understand the relationship between humans and nature).

France has written several books and more than 75 academic articles on counseling issues and practices. Further, he has presented more than 80 scholarly book chapters around the world. He is currently re-writing and updating a 1989 publication on senior peer counseling, titled Senior Peer Support/Counselling Handbook: An Interactive Guide, which is set for publication this year.

On a personal level, he keeps active through gardening, playing squash and pickle ball, carving, building furniture and participating in strategic games, such as Go and chess. Currently, he is finishing up a novel based on his experiences hiking the West Coast Trail, his life teaching and backpacking around the world.

France’s talk is part of the JSA Snider Foundation Empowerment Series and the South Vancouver Seniors Network is a co-sponsor of the event. The Zoom starts at 11 a.m. The link to join it will be distributed through JSA’s email newsletter. Those interested in attending can also email [email protected] for the link.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.