MARCH 31 • 2022 | 31

I

f you have a loved one who’s
aging and wonder how to
deal with the many chal-
lenges that stage of life brings,
a new support group series
is now available
to anyone in the
community.
Novi senior
living communi-
ty Waltonwood
Twelve Oaks is
presenting the
series with insights
into common issues associ-
ated with aging, presented by

Independent Living Manager
Alyssa Tobias, LLMSW
.
The events take place from
5:30-6:30 p.m. on the third
Tuesday of every month
through August. Tobias started
the series due to the number of
people reaching out for resourc-
es as well as the effects of the
pandemic.
“COVID hit and I saw the
incredible despair of what was
going on in my community,
and I knew if it was going on in
my community, it was going on
everywhere else,
” Tobias said. “I

decided it was time to give back
and offer some services for peo-
ple that really need them.
”
Tobias says the events are
mostly geared as outreach
for people outside of the
Waltonwood community.
Tobias planned the series
with what she thought were the
most important and relevant
topics for people to know.
The first event, “
Aging
in Place: When to Make a
Transition,
” took place on
March 15 and focused on how
to speak with an aging family
member and find available
resources.
The next event, “Commun-
icating with Loved Ones that
Have Cognitive Disorders,
”
takes place on April 19. Tobias
will provide resources of how to
can cope and what kind of sup-
port is out there. The events will
be online as well as in-person.
The May 17 event will
focus on “COVID and Senior

Depression.
”
Guest speakers will be
brought in for the final three
events. A hospice professional
will be brought in for the June
21 event, “Hospice and the
Stigma.
” A police officer will
appear for the July 19 event,
“Elder Scamming: What to
Look For,
” and Josh Tobias,
funeral director at Ira Kaufman
Chapel (and Tobias’ husband),
will be brought in for the
Aug. 16 event, “End of Life
Decisions: How to Navigate
Them.
”
“For me, it’s really just a
mitzvah to do this work,
” Alyssa
Tobias said. “It’s my life’s work,
and if I can give back in any
way and share this knowledge
with anyone, it’s really my joy to
do it.
”

Those interested are asked to RSVP by

the Friday prior to the events by calling

(248) 735-1500.

Alyssa
Tobias

Find advice the third Tuesday of the
month through August at Waltonwood
Twelve Oaks.

Aging Support
Group Series

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

T

o celebrate the Sabbath,
Temple Kol Ami of
West Bloomfield host-
ed a family-friendly event
for the congregation, Goofy
Guf Tot Shabbat. Cantorial
Soloist Janet Christensen says
the event was fun for both
parents and kids. On Feb. 18,
the Reform congregation wel-
comed families to learn about
their bodies.
“The idea came about in last
week’s Torah Parshat Ki Tissa.
God does not show Moses
his face but his back. So, it
bears the question, if God has
a back does God have feet?
We humans are all made in
God’s image, B’tzelem Elohim.
We wanted to celebrate our

Lilah Samet, Lyla and Vered Gutmann finger paint duing the Goofy
Guf Shabbat craft.

RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Temple Kol Ami Hosts
Shabbat for the Tots

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEMPLE KOL AAMI

Lilah Samet and Lyla Gutmann
finger painting.

faces&places

bodies, our Gufs,” Christensen
said. “Composer/perform-
er Noah Aronson wrote an
amazing song called ‘Goofy
Gufs,’ inspiring us to use our
bodies, which we had the
parents and kids sing and
dance to. Rabbi Gutmann
told a story with a puppet

that tied it all together. We
end Tot Shabbats with craft
time, so naturally, celebrating
our bodies, we did finger
painting,” Christensen added.
For more details about
Temple Kol Ami’s events,
head to https://tkolami.org/
calendar.