30 | NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 J
N

OUR COMMUNITY

O

ne person’s essay 
discusses preparing 
food specialties for 
neighbors at unexpected 
times. Another person’s 
essay stresses the importance 
of talking about early and 
ostensibly personal health 
issues. A third person’s essay 
recalls the significance of 
travel with family. 
The three essayists are 
among 39 residents of Jewish 
Senior Life of Metropolitan 
Detroit who contributed to 
a new book, Don’t Write Me 
Off! that tells about lessons 
learned with the experiences 
of life and gives readers 
insight into what these people 
learned by going through the 
experiences. 
The idea is that lessons 
from the book will be direct 
and helpful for readers and 
illustrate that older adulthood 
is a rich and diverse 
experience. Don’t Write Me 
Off!, filled with the tales of 
those living in the six West 
Bloomfield and Oak Park 
residences administered by 
Jewish Senior Life, will be 

introduced at a fundraising 
event, Lives Well-Lived: 
Wrinkles in Time, on Tuesday 
evening, Nov. 14, at The J in 
West Bloomfield. Dessert and 
coffee will be served. Guests 
will also see three short 
documentary films. 

A CHORUS OF 
OLDER VOICES
“This book contains a moving 
chorus of older voices of 
people who have survived loss 
and hardship and found love, 
friendship and new passions,” 
said Beth Robinson, director 
of FRIENDS of Jewish Senior 
Life and the one 
who had the idea 
for the writing 
project. 
“This engaging 
collection creates 
a colorful mosaic 
that is equal 
parts poignant, touching, 
funny, upbeat, surprising and 
inspiring.” 
Eleven local writers and 
editors worked with the 
writers to tell their stories, 
and local photographers Ira 

Goldberg and Jon Lyback 
volunteered to take artistic 
portraits of the contributors.
Phyllis Lewkowicz, who 
earlier had done some writing 
about her late husband 
surviving the Holocaust, told 
about pleasures 
derived from 
cooking, and she 
explained how 
friendships were 
extended through 
that. 
“I hope 
people learn 
the importance of taking 
one day at a time,” said 
Lewkowicz, who has used 
some days to deal with the 

physical ailments of herself 
and daughter and other days 
to write “If There’s a Will, 
There’s a Way.” 
“I’m organized, and I 
wanted to share that.”
Nancy Kalef has 
successfully survived cancer, 
and she wrote about the 
importance of talking about 
the illness, 
regardless 
of where it’s 
centered, so it 
can be caught 
early and treated 
properly as hers 
was. Kalef’s 
efforts also have 
resulted in the realization of 

Beth 
Robinson

Nancy 
Kalef 

Phyllis 
Lewkowicz

JSL to introduce its anthology 
Don’t Write Me Off! at fundraising 
event Nov. 14.

A Festival of 
Storytelling

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

