Men and
women
over 50
can find
there's life
after
divorce
or
widowhood

Socializing at a Moving On meeting are, from left: Marianne Wildstrom, Adele Cohen and Bluma Stark.

011

HEIDI PRESS

News Editor

magine yourself about 60
years old, widowed or divorced
with grown children. It's Sun-
day afternoon, the kids are
off who-knows-where, and
because you're not part of a couple
anymore, you can't really pal around
comfortably with your married
friends. You're past the grieving
stage, and you're looking for a social
outlet. Where do you turn?
Thanks to SPACE, the National
Council of Jewish Women-sponsored
service for divorced, widowed or
separated men and women and their
families, there is a program to fulfill

I

44. Friday, May 29, 1987

the sociar needs of persons beyond
divorce or widowhood.
Called Moving On, the program is
aimed at giving people in these cir-
cumstances opportunities to get
together and have fun as well as
make new friends. According to
Richard Kellman, executive director
of SPACE, who oversees the Moving
On program, the group is social in
nature, "for divorced and widowed
ready to move on with their lives and •
don't need a therapeutic group they
once did!' Kellman emphasizes that
the group is not to serve as a dating
service. Instead, it's to help fulfill a
need for people who wish to connect
with others in a similar situation.
"It was formed primarily, because

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

I saw a void in this type of program- Dr. Marla Rowe Gorosh on "Wellness,"
ming, not only by SPACE but by the focusing on physical and emotional
community at large," Kellman said. health.
What makes this program dif-
"That this is a large, growing popula-
tion, age 50-70, and people need and ferent from other SPACE programs is
want to get together not just for emo- that it is social, not therapeutic. Ac-
tional support which we do offer and cording to Kellman, it is for "non-
have offered many of these people, but transitional" people. "Our focus is not
now for a type of support after that — on the divorce or death. Our focus is
on the event!'.
a social support!'
Funding for the program comes
How this is accomplished is
through a series of lectures and ac- from the National Council of JewiSh
tivities. So far, the group has had a Women and contributions. Sometimes
series on "Attitudes for the Second a nominal admission fee is charged,
Half of Life," conducted by Dr. Steve and if a prospective participant finds
Goren, which talked about having a paying the charge is a problem, they
positive attitude after age 50; an can contact the SPACE office in
after-New Year's Eve social; a trip to advance.
the Bonstelle Theater and a talk by
One of Kellman's objectives for the