views

Jewfro

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ou are not
mature enough
to tell it like is.
Even that burden you
leave to us children.
But I don’t care about
being popular. I care
Ben Falik
about climate justice
and the living planet.
Our civilization is
being sacrificed for the opportunity
of a very small number of people to
continue making enormous amounts of
money.”
“But then 20 years or so ago, some-
thing happened — adults decided they
didn’t have to give up kid stuff. And so
they pretended comic books were actu-
ally sophisticated literature.”
“These pundits talk about America
as if it’s a sports team and their readers
and viewers are the team’s fans —
celebrating highlights and big wins,

How Old Will You
Be Next Year?

downplaying the losses to rivals … It’s
ultimately a disservice to the country
we all share, and to the goal of actually
improving that country, to talk to us
like we’re its fans because we aren’t.
We’re its citizens, and we should be able
to handle the whole story.”
Those quotes are by (in order)
15-year-old Swedish climate activist
Greta Thunberg shaming leaders at the
United Nations COP24 summit; gas
bag Bill Maher creating undue CO2 fol-
lowing the death of Stan Lee; and Ben
Mathis-Lilley wondering why his fellow
journalists recast George H.W. Bush as
“America’s benign, saintly grandpa.”
They are just a few of countless data
points that point to 2018 as a new age.
Specifically, the Post-Age Age.
The current, chronological length of
your life once dictated much of your
lifestyle: to act your age. Like passing
the salt and pepper together, if that’s

LEFT: Ben’s daughter Phoebe at Drag Queen
Story Time. TOP: Ben’s mom at the Slizz concert.

even still a thing, your dress, diet, work,
politics, hobbies and relationships were
largely functions of how many years old
(or young) you were.
Now, age isn’t even a number:
A) Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at
getting engaged to someone he met on
JDate.
B) Created and scaled a caffeinating
consumer product, soon to be pitched
to investors on national television.
C) Painted Chanukah cards as pres-
ents for family members.
Ages: A) 58; bachelor party at The
Schvitz. B) 15; Watch Shark Tank Jan. 6.
C) 97; Thanks, Grandma Marge!
Any disruption of social norms —
gender identity, marriage equality,
racial equity — is bound to make some
people long for the past, typically, peo-
ple who enjoyed privileges and power
over others in those “simpler times.”
Rather than wring our hands that peo-
ple aren’t behaving socially based on
their biological state or status, we need
to wrestle with the opportunities and

continued on page 8

letters

Real-Life Seniors’ Need

I am writing this in response to your
article dated Dec. 6, 2018, “The
Upcoming Silver Tsunami,” as a board
member of Jewish Senior Life, as a
hands-on active volunteer and, most
importantly, as a family member of a
Fleischman Residence resident (assisted
living).
Many older adults are aging in place
with in-home services and caregivers
until they no longer can. Finances and
availability of consistent qualified and
capable caregivers play a major role in
“aging in place.”
Another major factor influencing the
decision and which must be considered
is family. “The Sandwich Generation”

of which I am a part, must be consid-
ered. How does one balance the needs
of children and parents with two work-
ing adults? Even with all the services to
age in place, someone has to supervise
and administer the dynamics of one’s
parents living in a home and running a
second household. What happens when
children do not reside where parents
do and the parents refuse to relocate?
What happens in a medical emergency?
My mother lived in her and my dad’s
home for 1.5 years after he passed
away, but she was isolated from inter-
actions with her contemporaries. She
was becoming antisocial and sleeping
out of boredom. So I moved her to
Fleischman Residence based on her
particular situation as opposed to the
more independent Jewish Senior Life

options.
Literally, by the second day, she was
attending activities, thriving and being
the social person she was not being in
her own private home. I had peace of
mind that she was in a safe, secure and
caring environment with an active life
thus alleviating me of many responsi-
bilities I had. Now our visits are social
instead of heavily slanted toward deal-
ing with many of life’s smaller crises.
Statistics, facts, figures, financial
considerations are major factors in
making decisions, but to suggest the
end of bricks-and-mortar facilities for
our seniors ignores the most important
element — the real- life senior person.

— Elaine J. Beresh
West Bloomfield

My Story

In the 1980s, Vladimir Gendelman
and his family left the Ukraine for the
United States. In common with many
Russian families coming into Michigan,
his family received help from local
Jewish agencies to acclimate to their
new home. Hebrew Free Loan gave
them an interest-free loan to purchase
a reliable used car.
“I turned sixteen one month after we
came here,” Vladimir said. “It was all
so overwhelming, I didn’t understand
what was going on. We were told that
a lot of what the Russian families
received was from the goodness of
community donors, but it really didn’t
make much of an impression on me. I
was young, and I have always been
forward-thinking, not focusing on
what’s happening right now. I just
know there’s a potential for tomorrow
to be better than today.”
The vehicle the Gendelmans
purchased was used to get members
of the family to work. “Lots of work,”
Vladimir said. “My parents, who
were professionals in Russia, did
all kinds of odd jobs until they were
certiﬁed to go back to professional
careers here. I did just about every-
thing that came my way, too.”
Years later, now married, a father and
the founder of companyfolders.com,
Vladimir thought back to what that
used car meant to his family, and
joined the HFL Board.
“I wanted to give back and help,
like those community donors years ago.
HFL was there for us at a difﬁcult time.
Today, for me to be on the other
side of the table helping fellow
Jews, helping people like me, is
huge. It’s very rewarding.”

Click. Call. Give Now.

www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184

Community donations help HFL
give interest-free loans to local Jews
for a variety of personal, health,
educational and small business
needs.

6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 • Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

Hebrew Free Loan Detroit

jn

@HFLDetroit

December 27 • 2018

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