Saturday, April 26, 2025
Teenagers at Congregation Beth Ohr in Bellmore are building bridges across generations with Senior Teen Joy, an initiative led by Grand Avenue Middle School students Zach Hoberman and Benji Balshin.
Through fun and interactive events, the group connects teens and younger congregants with seniors, fostering meaningful relationships and strengthening their community.
Congregation leaders at Beth Ohr said both Benji, 13, and Zach, 14, are very involved in their community, inside and outside of the synagogue. Over the last few months, they’ve organized and led several programs inviting teens and seniors to come together — each time fostering more attention for their cause.
“Last year, we created this program where we wanted to connect seniors and youth within the Bellmore-Merrick community,” Benji told the Herald during the duo’s latest event, a hamantaschen cookie bake on March 2. “We put together all of these great events, like Jeopardy, trivia, retro discos, baking events, to just connect the teens and the elders within the community to get to know about each other and learn.”
The number of participants has varied at each event, but turnout is increasing at the duo continues to organize more initiatives.
Zach explained their initial idea for Senior Teen Joy grew out of an activity they did in Hebrew school. They were provided with cards that made them think about what is most important to them, and both chose helping elders.
“That’s how we came up with the idea,” Zach said, “and now we’re thinking about our next one we want to do — maybe a game day, but we’re not sure yet.”
At Senior Teen Joy’s cooking-themed event, which took place at Beth Ohr, Brian Fishman, owner of Sweet Karma Desserts in Plainview, led attendees in baking hamantaschen — the traditional cookies made for the Jewish holiday Purim, which begins this year on March 13. Benji and Zach were hands-on throughout the event, assisting with the baking process and ensuring everything ran smoothly while answering questions along the way.
“Both boys are amazing,” Audra Beerman, Benji’s mom said, adding that her son has always been passionate about helping others.
Right after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Beerman said, her son expressed a desire to help people in need, especially the homeless in New York City.
“For his birthday, he got a bunch of gift cards, and he was like, ‘Mom, I want to give this to people in need,’” she said. “He started a whole project.”
Senior Teen Joy, she said, has grown because of both boys’ passion for giving back. Each event they’ve held has been well attended.
“They handle all of the organization, all of the planning,” Beerman said. “If you build it, they will come — the two of them are so amazing.”
Benji and Zach have adopted a “L’dor v’Dor approach,” which means “from generation to generation.” Their mission, according to their website SeniorTeenJoy.com, is simple: to bring together the young and the elderly, creating an environment where the wisdom of seniors and the energy of teens can come together in fun, engaging ways.
“In a world where different generations often don’t interact as much as they could, we’re breaking down barriers and creating meaningful, lasting connections,” they wrote on their website. “This isn’t just about having fun; it’s about learning from one another, forming bonds, and sharing stories that span generations.”
Teens who take part in activities with Senior Teen Joy can also earn up to three hours of community service.
David Hoberman, Zach’s dad, said one of his son’s best qualities is that he’s very easy to work with and always willing to help others.
“When he and Benji started this venture, I was like, ‘Alright, what do you need?’” Hoberman said, “and Zach said, ‘No, we got it.’ It’s fantastic, and they’re good kids. They’re not just doing this for credit — they came up with this idea to be good people. And that’s something special.”
Those interested can follow Senior Teen Joy updates at SeniorTeenJoy.com. To learn more about Congregation Beth Ohr, at 2550 South Centre Ave., visit CBOhr.org.
both students at Grand Avenue Middle School in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.
