Rabbi Susan Elkodsi, spiritual leader of the Malverne Jewish Center for 11 years, recently released her first book, “Midrash Hazak: Torah Wisdom by 70 over 70 (but who’s counting?),” reflecting on the experiences of Jewish elders.
A member of the Malverne community, Elkodsi edited the book, which features the works of more than 70 Jewish scholars, who are over the age of 65, as they explore the teachings of the Torah.
The anthology, published in October with Ben Yehuda Press, shares unique Torah commentary designed as a companion to the weekly Torah portions read in synagogues every Shabbat.
“The book is a weekly commentary on the Torah, the five books of Moses, written by people who are 65 and older for the same population,” the 66-year-old rabbi said. “To talk about how the weekly Torah readings speak to us as older individuals, in a way that they might not have spoken to us as younger people, and what wisdom can we glean that can help us to live our best lives as we get older.”
The inspiration to publish the book came to Elkodsi while earning a certificate in Gerontology and Palliative Care with the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University in 2019.
“One of the other rabbis in the group made a comment that when the elders in his congregation share their thoughts, he always pays attention because they have so much wisdom,” she said. “So I wrote back, ‘You ought to collect these and publish them.’ And then I said to myself, ‘Wait, this is something that I could do.’”
While Elkodsi did not write commentary — because she was not in the desired age category at the time — she wrote the introduction and prefaces for the book, which contains 54 Torah readings as well as additional readings for important festivals. However, Elkodsi has been working on the book together since 2019, gathering insights from religious leaders across various denominations, editing and working to publish the series.
“Older Jewish adults tend to be underserved in mainstream synagogues that are all about attracting young families because children are our future,” Elkodsi said. “There’s not a lot out there in the way of meaningful programming for older individuals who have different needs.”
Elkodsi’s goal for the anthology was to gather wide appeal, which is why commentary is included from various denominations, rabbis, cantors, Jewish educators, lawyers, social workers, and more.
“There are Torah commentaries out there for teens, children, and people in the LGBTQ community,” Elkodsi said. “But nobody’s created one written by people of a certain age for that same population.”
She expressed hope that “Midrash Hazak” is an opportunity to make the weekly Torah readings relevant to an older population — “to foster discussion, to give people an opportunity to think about an ancient text, and what kind of wisdom that might have for them in the year 2025 and beyond.”
Providing commentary for the book included such contributors as Rabbi Laura Geller, rabbi emerita of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills and twice named one of Newsweek’s 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America; Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, one of the original editors of the Jewish Catalogue; Rabbi Stephen Fuchs, former president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism; Rabbi Richard F. Address, the founder and director of JewishSacredAging.com, and others.
Rabbi Arnold Samlan, executive director of Jewish Learning at the Jewish Federation of Broward County, Florida, and former West Hempstead resident, contributed commentary for a portion related to respecting one’s elders.
“We related it to a verse in which the author of the Book of Psalms asked God not to reject him, even though he has reached an older age,” Samlan, 70, said. “It really resonates, as in our society, there are those who are disdainful of those who are elderly, or who often don’t pay enough attention to their opinions and the wisdom that they’ve gained over the years. These texts are a reminder that the experience and wisdom one gains over the years should actually increase the respect they’re given.
“I think those of us who have reached the age we’ve reached are secure in who we are. We really feel comfortable in our skin,” Samlan added. “We’ve witnessed tremendous change over the course of our careers and lifetimes, tremendous change in society, tremendous change in the Jewish community and in Judaism itself. The ability to reflect back, to share with others of our age and also with our younger colleagues coming up the rank, is something I treasure and value.”
Ellen Cohn, a West Hempstead resident and chaplain at Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson and at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream, contributed commentaries for the book as well.
Her sections focused on Shavuot, a holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai, as well as a Torah portion about Moses dying.
In “The Final Chapter, What Moses Can Teach us About the End of Life,” Cohn writes about how Moses died alone on Mount Nebo after leading the Israelites to the Promised Land.
“He goes up alone, but he doesn’t really die alone because God comes up and God buries him,” she said. “So even though he’s alone from the other people, God is there.”
Cohn compared this portion to her work as a chaplain, ensuring people don’t die alone.
“The beginning of life is important, and the latter part of life is important,” Cohn said. “You gain more meaning for yourself and more meaning that you can use for other people, having lived life. I think talking about the wisdom that you accrue as you age is very important.”
“Midrash Hazak: Torah Wisdom by 70 over 70 (but who’s counting?)” is available for purchase at BenYehudaPress.com/books/midrash-hazak/.
