For our annual Aging Gratefully cover package, Jmore recently spoke with four local Jewish seniors to glean their insights on how to best enjoy one’s twilight years.
A Daily Purpose
Every Friday evening, Jane Weiss makes Shabbos dinner for her two adult children and their families.
“I’m used to cooking for 12 to 14 people each week,” says Weiss, a grandmother of two, “but now it’s down to around six or seven.”
That’s largely because Weiss, 78, who belongs to Beth Israel Congregation, recently moved to a smaller dwelling at North Oaks. She previously lived in a condominium in Glyndon for a dozen years, three of them with her husband, David, who passed away in April of 2013.
But she’s not complaining at all about her new digs or cooking for her family each week.
“My move was very sudden, and my grandchildren said, ‘You’re still going to do Shabbos dinner, aren’t you?’” Weiss says with a chuckle. “I’m very blessed. I just wish my husband could’ve moved here with me. He would’ve loved it.”
A native of Eau Claire, Wis., who grew up in Arlington, Va., Weiss moved to Baltimore as a young home economics teacher and met her husband on her first day of school. After a few years in education, she wound up working for the Baltimore County Department of Aging for approximately two decades.
Weiss continues to work with the local senior population by volunteering at least twice a week at the Reisterstown Senior Center. She works at the front desk and in membership,also serving as a greeter and instructor.
Weiss already participates in myriad classes and programs at North Oaks, and she hopes to soon start a crocheting group there for Project Linus, a nonprofit that donates handmade blankets to children in need.
Aging well, Weiss says, is simply in her blood.
“Genetically, I’m very lucky. My mother was just shy of 98 [when she died] and my grandmother was about 96,” she says. “Up to the end, they were both very alert and oriented. And they were both great role models.”
After a lifetime of independent living, Weiss decided to move to a retirement community two months ago “as a gift for myself and for my children. I didn’t want to wait until I’m 85. Why wait? I didn’t expect to get in so quickly.
“For me it’s a wonderful environment, and some days my sides hurt from laughing so much here,” she says. “I find the social aspect very rewarding. It’s a healthy environment and I enjoy all the activities. I tell my kids it’s like being at the Concord Hotel. Everything here is under one roof, and I like that I’m already here if my needs do change at some point.”
The key to life at any age — but especially in one’s older years — is “having a daily purpose, and appreciating your health and your family,” says Weiss.
“Everything comes down to your view on life. Having worked in the senior population for a long time, I know we have to keep our minds and bodies going. Outlook is very important. You can be old at the age of 25. You have to put forth an effort and step out of your comfort zone.”
In addition, Weiss says being a caring and empathetic person is crucial to longevity and quality of life.
“I always tell my grandchildren to be kind to people,” she says. “You just never know what people are going through in their lives. Just by being kind can mean so much.”
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