In Israel, August is the month where grandparents are called upon to help their working children by looking after their grandchildren, because there is no school or childcare for most of the month. Despite initial misgivings about arranging our annual Dor LeDor event during the war, we discovered that now, more than ever, our residents wanted to be able to give their grandchildren and great-grandchildren a day of fun and games.
For two days at the end of the long summer vacation, we organized a jamboree of fun activities for grandparents, great-grandparents, children and grandchildren, with the theme Dor LeDor – generation to generation. Luckily, the Beit Tovei Ha’Ir Residence in Jerusalem is a spacious building with lots of shaded outdoor spaces, and our staff created multiple stations with different activities for young and old to enjoy together.
Children were invited to design and bake their own pizzas, to learn to juggle, to bounce and slide on the inflatables, and to try various arts and crafts activities. At some of the stations, the grandparents also joined in, teaching their offspring to create sticker pictures, spin plates and juggle sticks. “We’re not so old that we’ve forgotten how to do a few tricks!” said one spry resident, while her grandchildren watched in amazement.
Over the two days, every resident could book places for their family, including a fun lunch of burgers and chips, and we also arranged a photographer to take family photos of all the participants.
One resident, Mrs. Lee Dorshev signed up 21 of her great-grandchildren for the event, explaining that she couldn’t leave any out because several of their fathers are currently serving in the IDF Reserves. “Some of the kids travelled especially from Karmiel to join me and their cousins”, she explained. “I couldn’t possibly have hosted them all in my former apartment in Jerusalem, so it’s great that we have such a beautiful big building and all these activities to keep them busy!”
The activities were carefully planned in outdoor areas of the extensive residential complex, so that most of the residents would not be disturbed by the sounds of the children playing. “Actually, our residents love having grandchildren in the building”, says Emanuel Glouberman, CEO of Beit Tovei Ha’ir. “As long as it doesn’t disturb their afternoon nap, they welcome the opportunity to interact with children and share their fun. Most of the chairs at the magic show were taken by our residents, and the kids had to sit on the floor!”
Researchers have confirmed that interacting with youngsters keeps seniors young at heart, and Beit Tovei Ha’ir certainly embraces this philosophy. “Our residents have many talents and enjoy passing them along to the next generation”, says Glouberman. “Respect for parents is one of our most important Jewish values. At Beit Tovei, we make sure that respect for our elders guides all of our decision-making, and we also make sure that they have plenty of fun!”
