For our annual Aging Gratefully cover package, Jmore recently spoke with a trio of local Jewish seniors to glean their insights into how best to enjoy one’s twilight years.
In Their Blood
Sitting in the living room of their Greengate townhouse brimming with Judaica tchotchkes and Jewish art, Fran Glushakow Gould and Warren Gould hold hands and finish each other’s sentences while discussing their life together.
When Fran, an attorney, talks about recently taking a job in the city solicitor’s office — “I was thinking, ‘You’re 69 years old, why are you starting a new job?!’” — Warren interrupts to offer words of encouragement.
“Remember,” he says, “Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim [Museum] when he was 92.”
The Goulds are a familiar sight around their shul, Chizuk Amuno, where Warren, who is in his 70s, oversees the Pikesville congregation’s American Red Cross blood drive. Held six times a year, the Howard W. Brill Memorial Blood Drive is the largest Jewish institution-sponsored blood drive in the nation. He’s now known affectionately as “Mr. Blood Drive” or “The Vampire.”
“He saves a lot of lives and involves the community in this life-saving mission,” says a beaming Fran.
A retired advertising and marketing professional who grew up in New York, Warren became involved in the blood drive several years ago while participating in a brotherhood event at Chizuk.
“Another guy was doing it, but he left after 16 years and they needed someone,” he says. “So I volunteered for it and used my marketing background to get people in the door. I said, ‘I need your blood — every donation will save three lives.’ We grew it to a point where by 2019, we were saving 1,000 lives. It’s a lot of work and time, with a lot of moving parts, but it’s a great feeling. We try to grow it by 180 lives saved every year. …
“I don’t do it for ego,” Warren says. “It’s just the right thing to do, and I try to set a good example for my kids. I tell them, ‘Serve others and you’ll serve yourself. Live with an attitude of gratitude.’”
A Baltimore native who grew up in Miami Beach, Fran attributes the success of the blood drive to Warren’s outgoing personality. “He just likes talking to people,” she says. “And he remembers everything about everyone. He really is a people person.”
The Goulds, who met on the Jewish dating site JDate, have been married for 14 years. Both have three adult children from previous marriages.
“My daughters really wanted me to meet someone,” Fran recalls. “They said, ‘It’s time,’ and did a profile for me. I went out with a million guys and then I met Warren. There was an instant connection. It was totally beshert. We’re both very grateful that we found each other. This is a very happy ending to our previous situations.”
Separately and together, the Goulds keep busy. Warren admits to being a news junkie — “I still read four papers a day” — and a music aficionado, while Fran volunteers as a shiva leader for Chizuk congregants in mourning.
“I used to go to shul every Shabbos with my father, and I was involved with USY,” says Fran. “I think Judaism informs how we live, our morality and ethical behavior. It’s always been a big part of my life.”
When asked about what it takes to age proactively, Fran says it all comes down to “eating well, taking care of your body, and getting out of your head and doing for other people. … Warren is a very positive person, and that makes me positive.”
Warren agrees that being actively involved in Jewish life is crucial to their process of aging gratefully.
“Judaism is filled with optimism,” he says. “Think about all the miracles that sustain us. God gave us the capacity to do things for ourselves and seek help from others and to help others. … If you want to enjoy the last third of your life, just help others. It’s a two-fer. You bring joy to someone else and for yourself. I’ve gotten way more out of the blood drive than I put into it, and I always try to make people feel special because I really appreciate them being there. I want it to always be as good an experience as possible.”
For information on the next Howard W. Brill Memorial Blood Drive, visit chizukamuno.org/event/howard-w.-brill-memorial-blood-drive1.html.
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