Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

"A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. It is easy to love children. But the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless are the true gold mines of a culture." - Abraham J. Heschel, Jewish theologian and philosopher (1907-1972)

This past month, Chabad at UCF facilitated a visit to senior citizens at Kinneret Apartments in Orlando. At Kinneret, pride and joy rolled over for all of us. A sense of community was felt as we gathered together to talk about our upcoming holiday plans while we enjoyed some delicious homemade challah. As students, it was exciting to connect over the shared experience of living in the same city, and to participate in reliving memories through the eyes of the elderly as they told stories of what our city looked like when they first lived here. We saw the mission of Kinneret Apartments come alive: An opportunity for these elderly apartment owners to socially interact with one another, fill their days with meaningful activities, and always feel welcomed. Kinneret makes it easy for our senior citizens to live an easy and carefree retired life. As their motto states, "Caring for Those Who Cared for Us."

More personally, with a passion for working with the elderly, this experience, made possible through Chabad at UCF, made me sure that social work is truly the career path for me and the lifework I would like to be involved in forever.