The ingredients that go into a COJO Flatbush Seniors Luncheon guarantee success. Start with a hearty helping of warm fellowship. Add a generous serving of fun-filled activities. Sprinkle some magical moments of singing and dancing. Now top it all off with a tasty salmon and pasta repast, and there you have it: the reason COJO luncheons are such popular and memorable events.
The most recent luncheon, held at Bnos Leah Prospect Park Yeshiva (BLOPPY), featured the usual much-anticipated interaction between the seniors and the school’s students, who sang and danced with their visitors and chatted and took pictures with them.
The bond between generations is always palpable to everyone in the room, and it never fails to lift spirits and create warm smiles. The entire atmosphere makes a lasting impression: the seniors leave little doubt about that. “I love the girls – so charming and respectful,” said Mrs. Lea Widman. “The dancing, the singing, talking with the girls; everything is excellent,” said Mrs. Miryam Marc. “The companionship, the lovely girls, the food, the beautifully set tables, and so well organized,” said Mrs. Emma Wohlberg. “Such a beautiful feeling of unity,” said Mrs. Lucille Eisenstadt. “So much to like –the games and prizes, the singing and dancing, the care and effort on the part of everyone involved with organizing these luncheons, especially Naomi [Shapiro] and Shoshana [Max] of COJO’s Seniors Division,” said Mrs. Edith Mindel.
COJO Flatbush CEO Louis Welz noted that the generational aspect of the luncheons took on an even deeper and more profound meaning in the aftermath of Oct. 7. “The students were too young to have ever witnessed, even from a distance, the scope and barbarity of an attack on Jews like the one on Oct. 7,” he said, “while the seniors never thought they’d once again see Jews so vulnerable to attack, certainly not in Israel. As a result, there’s been a heightened level of empathy, of concern, of identification with fellow Jews, wherever they are and whatever their age.”
BLOPPY’s Nechama Shreibman, who handles the logistics of the luncheons from the school’s end, said the warm connection between the students and COJO’s senior clients is “something one can’t help but feel, especially when they dance together, creating an emotional, spiritual, and literal link between the generations.”
This coming together of generations is “what makes the luncheons really stand out to me,” said COJO Flatbush Social Services Director Shulamis Shapiro. “The students gain new insight from chatting with the seniors and learning about their lives and the seniors are invigorated by the students’ youthful enthusiasm.”
COJO Flatbush offers a wide range of events, activities, and services for seniors. For more information, call 718-377-2900, ext. 342.
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