Reconnecting seniors after Covid’s isolation

To break seniors out of their Covid-necessitated isolation, the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC, in Cedarhurst, has established two new community-building, discussion-based group programs for people over 55: the Friendship Circle, for men and women, and the Men’s Club.

The groups were added to the Gural JCC’s long list of adult programs and services in April with a focus on connecting people, especially those emerging from the pandemic. Compared with younger people, seniors “can fall through the cracks more easily,” Andrew Kahn, the JCC’s older adult community specialist, said.

“While all the groups provide socialization, and each one has a focus,” whether for Holocaust survivors, people with traumatic brain injuries, or dancing, knitting or books, Kahn said, the Friendship Circle and Men’s Club “were specifically about bringing them out of isolation and together with other seniors.”

The aim is to help those who were isolated to reconnect socially. The United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York — a partner of the Gural JCC — introduced the concept of Isolation to Connection. The UJA supported the programs with a grant given to the JCC in February. The JCC declined to reveal the grant’s value.

The Friendship Circle and Men’s Club will give seniors purpose, community “and make them feel cared for,” Kahn said, adding that “a lot of seniors feel like they’re irrelevant or not vital, but they have so much life experience” to share.

Kahn makes the most of his background as a longtime yoga instructor and holistic health teacher, bringing knowledge of medication, exercise and stretching into the meetings. “He just came on board, and he’s working hard to accomplish his goals,” said Mary Sheffield, director of the JCC’s Older Adult Department program.

Kahn opens the Friendship Circle, which meets on Mondays from 2 to 3:30 p.m., with chair exercises and stretching. Afterward, he facilitates a group discussion among the seniors, which in the past have ranged from genealogy to life accomplishments. “We try to focus on things that are happy,” Kahn said, “things that make people become more grateful.” The Friendship Circle has roughly 18 members.

“There is a sense of binding and sharing experiences, and the feeling that we’re not alone, and we’re here to fight loneliness,” said Woodmere resident Asher Matathias, who is in both groups. He added that they make it possible for seniors to reconnect, “now that we seem to be coming out of the isolation that Covid has imposed.”

The Men’s Club is just getting off the ground, Kahn said, with a handful of members who meet every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to noon. They discuss current events, which sometimes leads the conversation into politics. Although there are opposing political views, the environment is always respectful, Kahn said. Both groups, which have a suggested $2 donation for guests, meet at the JCC, at 207 Grove Ave. in Cedarhurst, and coffee, tea and snacks are served.

“We want to put the unity back in community,” Kahn said, adding, “The U in unity, it always starts with a person … who’s going to start being understanding and listening and having that kind of approach. So I think we all can. And we need to, because it makes for a better community, a better society.”

When seniors call the JCC, they can be connected to programs and services that match best their interests and needs. “We’re making sure that a senior that calls in doesn’t just get that one-time call,” Sheffield said, explaining that when the JCC refers seniors to programs or outside services, such as its food pantry, the Department of Social Services or Meals on Wheels, “we will follow up to make sure that they have been able to go through the process” and get connected with what they need.

For more about the senior programs, call Kahn at (516) 569-6733 ext. 231.