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

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are almost here. All across our community the High Holiday momentum is building, with treasured family recipes pulled from bookshelves and thought given to building new traditions to celebrate the Jewish New Year and the subsequent Days of Awe.

These simple traditions that we find so comforting, may be just memories for the seniors in our Central Florida community. With family members living far away and the challenge of living alone, the holiday season is ironically a time of anxiety and frustration for some in our community, particularly those living in Kinneret Apartments in Orlando.

We know that some of our Kinneret residents may find it difficult during these special holidays, so it is the gathering together and the spirit of the High Holidays and that we strive to embrace. Our collaboration with Second Harvest Food Bank includes Chef Terah, who joins our residents monthly to teach healthy cooking on a budget. This month Chef Terah's program will start with the theme of 'Apples Dipped in Honey' with a twist on the traditional foods served during the holiday festivities. Our monthly 'Let's Get Crafty' arts program will be an opportunity for our residents to craft Holiday Cards that will be shared with friends and family.

The Rosh Hashanah celebration will continue with a Kinneret sponsored program with the Jewish Pavilion, where our residents will gather as a community for onsite Holiday services, dip apples in honey, eat honey cake and hear the sound of the shofar-all to celebrate together for a sweet New Year.

The Kinneret bus provides our residents with the opportunity to join in both Reform and Conservative services at our local synagogues. This allows our residents to take part in the Greater Orlando Jewish community and be part of traditions that are familiar.

Round challahs, honey and apples are a few of the small touches that make a difference when our residents share in our Daily Continental Breakfast leading up to Rosh Hashana. Imagine how the smell of the Challah or the sound of the Shofar helps link each of us, especially each of our Kinneret residents, with the hundreds of years of Rosh Hashanah celebrations.

Every day the Kinneret Board focuses on the quality of life of all of our residents. We know that Rosh Hashanah is there to remind us of new beginnings. This holiday is an opportunity to start afresh, to free ourselves from obligations that were made this past year and recast those obligations anew.

At Kinneret, every day presents us with a new opportunity to enhance the lives of our residents. Our residents rely on us 365 days a year. It is during Rosh Hashanah that we can focus on our successes and our re-dedication to the goal of remaining committed to enhancing the quality of life for those seniors at Kinneret.

Since the birth of Kinneret in 1968, we have been successful, but we know we can do more! Rosh Hashanah gives us the chance to challenge ourselves with 'Better.'

We at Kinneret hope, that as you reflect on this special New Year, you will consider including our Kinneret Seniors in your plan to impact our community and help us 'DO BETTER.'

For more information, please contact Sharon Weil at sweil@kinneretcouncil.org.

Sharon Weil

Executive Director, Non-Profit Operations