Thank you for the March 21 piece “Move Over, Millennials” and the shout-out regarding Boomers. I saw the article as I was preparing to teach my class at HUC.
I lament the fact that 25 percent of our community is being largely ignored. I created the programs in aging for URJ during my tenure as founder and director of their Department of Jewish Family Concerns. Our Sacred Aging project even was awarded a national “best practices” prize by NCOA in 2010. Sadly, URJ “downsized” and eliminated the departments, regions and, thus, the program on aging. I am continuing this work with my web site: www.jewishsacredaging.com, which is the only one devoted to exploring issues of aging for Jewish boomers and their families. That also has led to the creation of Boomer Generation Radio, which I host here in the Philadelphia area every week.
I know from my work these past years (and echoed in the recent Pew Research Center survey), that large numbers of our generation have left congregations. They are seeking meaningful Jewish encounters and have been a driving force in much of the creativity within the Jewish community. They also still serve as role models for Millennials, so, to ignore them, especially as they age, may be a mistake.
Thank you again for keeping the message before the Jewish Week readership.
Cherry Hill, N.J.
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