Ethel Silberg looks on as Doris Seifert makes a point.
LI VING TE X T BOO K
RUTHAN BRODSKY
Special to The Jewish News
I
started looking for things to do
when I retired," says Rae
Sugarman. "I didn't know what
- I wanted, but I knew right away
what I didn't want. Joining IRP is the
most thrilling thing that has hap-
pened to me."
Sugarman, a former elementary
school principal, sought involvement
in various programs and activities
but found her niche when she joined
the Institute for Retired Profession-
als at the Jewish Community Center.
"When you're accustomed to
thinking, and then the opportunities
for thinking are missing, you die a
little," says Sugarman. "At IRP I'm
participating in my own learning
- with people of different backgrounds,
but with a singular purpose: they're
all curious and anxious to learn."
Mental decline is not a natural
result of aging. Gerontologists agree
that for most healthy people, many
mental abilities remain fairly stable
or even increase. In fact, expertise or
the skill necessary to perform a par-
ticular activity can improve despite
aging by continuing to accumulate
information on a subject and becom-
ing better organized with the mate-
rial.
"Retirement produces many
loose ends," says Leon Lucas, a
semi-retired dentist. "You miss your
associates and the professionalism of
the job you've left behind. IRP pro-
vides me with that sense of profes-
sionalism in its broadest sense, for
each of us gains new expertise in liv-
ing through the institute."
The Institute for Retired Profes-
sionals started with a very small ar-
ticle in The Jewish News announcing
the formation of a discussion group
for former professionals at least 60
years old. Because the response to
that announcement was so signific-
ant, Irwin Shaw, former executive
director of the Jewish Community
Center, believed it was necessary to
develop a program that went beyond
discussion groups.
For some time, several of us felt
that this particular group of people—
educated, active, retired, eco-
nomically comfortable — have been
neglected by Jewish institutions,"
Shaw explains. "The reason for this
neglect is that, as a group, they are
perceived as being able to fend for
themselves. And, indeed, they can!
But we've never tapped into their ta-
lents, their experience and knowl-
edge. The formation of IRP is a first
attempt to deal with this group of
people in a meaningful way, for them
and for the community. It is progress-
ing extremely well."
Shaw feels that the potential of a
program like IRP is enormous. He
explains that by the year 2000, one
out of every five Jews will be over 65.
Moreover, Jews in this age group will
have a higher percentage of former
professionals with more advanced
education than the general popula-
tion.
"We've never learned how to use
this group as a resource," Shaw con-
tinues, "not just for the Jewish com-
munity, but for the community as a
whole. Perhaps high school students
could meet with these people and talk
about career choices. Or, perhaps
high school students could come to
the Centers and train some of the
group to use computers. Certainly
the dynamics of intergenerational
activities offer much excitement let
alone the myriad of ideas unformu-
A unique
organization
brings retired
persons together
to teach and
to learn
Continued on next page
0
CO
Members of the Institute for Retired Professionals gather for a meeting: Passive
learning is not acceptable.
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