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Hello Friends of Aging Together and Mishpachah,
We hope that you are enjoying the last days of summer. Let’s prepare during Elul together on Monday, September 15: first with Mishpachah Monday at 5:00pm to get a refresher of High Holy Day melodies, and then at 7:00pm with CBST's Aging Together when we’ll explore Beginning Again (and Again): The Spiritual Journey of Growing Older with Rabbi Dayle Friedman. More information can be found below.
Read on for September and October Aging Together and Mishpachah events, useful resources and social action, and two music playlists filled with contemporary and traditional sounds of the High Holy Days.
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Beginning Again (and Again): The Spiritual Journey of Growing Older
With Rabbi Dayle Friedman, spiritual guide, social innovator, chaplain, scholar, and pioneer in the development of a Jewish spiritual vision for aging
7:00–8:30pm | Zoom | Register
How can we grow deeper and wiser as we age? Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition, points the way for us by helping us to understand that all of life is a succession of shattering and renewal. This framing offers us a way of holding the challenges of aging, as well as the new beginnings and possibilities we can find amid them. We will apply the concept of shattering and repair to our journeys in aging and will offer spiritual tools to help us foster our resilience along the way.
Those who register and attend the presentation will be eligible to win one of five copies of Rabbi Dayle Friedman’s book, Jewish Wisdom for Growing Older: Finding Your Grit & Grace Beyond Midlife.
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Medicare Update for 2026
with Gilbert Gunken, Medicare consultant for NYC Department for the Aging’s Health Insurance Information, Counseling, and Assistance Program (HIICAP)
Monday, November 10 | 7:00–8:30pm | Zoom | Register
Whether you’re new to Medicare or already enrolled, get the latest updates on Medicare and related health insurance before the 2026 Open Enrollment period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2025) ends. The session will include information on Medicare Part A and Part B, Medigap/Medicare Supplement insurance, Medicare Advantage/Medicare Health Plans, and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage along with programs that help with Medicare costs.
The session is applicable to anyone who is Medicare-eligible living in the US.
Need Medicare information before November 10? Get your Medicare questions answered. HIICAP (Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program) at the NYC Dept for the Aging provides free and impartial counseling on Medicare and related health insurance.
| | Next Aging Together gathering: December 8, 2025, 7:00–8:30pm on Zoom. See the weekly CBST eNews for details. | | |
Ongoing — Mishpachah Monday Online Shmooze, Learn, and Fun. 55+, All Are Welcome!
5:00–6:00pm | Zoom
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Mishpachah (Family) is CBST’s weekly online meetup for conversation, learning and fun. We also have some great outings planned. Mishpachah is a great way to talk with new and familiar people. Monday meetups are lightly facilitated by Judy Ribnick, LCSW, and Chair Sharon Golub, along with Mishpachah participants and guests. No need to register, just join us here:
Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/513521023
Meeting ID: 513 521 023 | Call-in: +1 646 876 9923 (New York)
With Amanda Seigel
Monday, September 8
Amanda (Miryem-Khaye) Seigel is a Yiddish singer, songwriter, recording artist, actor, and researcher in Yiddish culture. She has performed throughout the United States and internationally, including in the recent play Bashevis's Demons (with Shane Baker). Her publications include a music album, Toyznt tamen (A thousand flavors) (2015) and the edited volume Women on the Yiddish Stage.
With Sharon Golub and Judy Ribnick
Monday, September 15
Sharon Golub, MEd., MMus., MSIT., is Chair of Mishpachah and CBST Chesed; Judy Ribnick, LCSW, MA, is CBST’s Director of Aging. Join Sharon and Judy for a refresher of Rosh Hashanah melodies and a look at new holiday music videos.
No Mishpachah Mondays on September 22 due to Rosh Hashanah. L'shana Tova!
With Dr. Michael Klein
Monday, September 29
Michael Klein is a person of many skills and talents including orthopedic pathology, playing euphonium and trombone, teaching brass instruments, playing shofar, and painting watercolors. Guess which one we’ll “hear” about (clue: T’kiah!).
No Mishpachah Mondays on October 6 or 13 due to Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret. Chag sameach!
With Kevin Fyfe
Monday, October 20
Kevin Fyfe is a recently elected member of CBST’s Board. He is on the Engagement Advisory Team, Strategic Planning Committee, and co-leads Aleinu. Kevin is a licensed CPA and works in the financial services industry. Outside of professional obligations, Kevin enjoys creative endeavors like designing custom yarmulkes and crafting costume ideas, as well as volunteering at other community organizations in the city.
With Steven J. Frank and Dr. Gerald Goldhaber
Monday, October 27
Steven Frank is a new addition to CBST's Board and has been a member of CBST for 20 years. He is the Associate Director of Engagement for Hadassah, the Zionist Women's Organization of America, and will talk about bringing his experience in that role to his work for CBST.
Dr. Gerald Goldhaber, a professional in political research, will apprise us of the upcoming November 4 NYC mayoral election, and other races.
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Froyen! Women in Yiddish Song
with The Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus and CBST's own Larry Kay!
Sunday, September 14 | 1:00pm | In person at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 W. 67th St
Join us for a return performance of The Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus! If you’d like to purchase a discounted ticket ($25 vs. $50), please write to Sharon at sharon.chesed@cbst.org by Tuesday, September 9 with “Yiddish Concert” in the subject line. We need ten people to get the discount, so invite your friends and family!
| | Mishpachah Dinner at CBST | | |
Friday, October 17, 5:00pm | In person at CBST, 130 W. 30th St.
Join us for a pre-service meal and shmooze at CBST.
| | CBST Chesed—Making Connections | | |
Chesed, the Hebrew word for kindness or compassion, is the central Jewish value that centers CBST's Chesed Team. This intergenerational team focuses on providing community support and care to other CBST community members. Join our efforts to care for ourselves and each other, provide mutual support, and share in each other's joys and milestones. CBST Chesed creates connections between members of all ages.
Please add Chesed@cbst.org to your safe sender list to enable you to receive Chesed email.
| | Take Action from Your Own Neighborhood! | | |
The Simple Weekly Ritual Anyone Can do to Fight Authoritarianism with Resistance and Hope: The Beacon
CBST's Senior Rabbi Emerita Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum has started a project called The Beacon, which now has more than 1,000 members in New York City and across the U.S. and with which CBST is excited to partner. The Beacon brings together people of all faiths and secular backgrounds for a simple weekly ritual to mobilize against injustice. Read here to learn what you can do to act locally and nationally right in your own neighborhood.
| | Articles and Resources of Note | | |
JBI Library (formerly the Jewish Braille Institute) is pleased to offer large print, braille, and audio Machzorim (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Prayer Books), Jewish reference calendars, and more for this year’s High Holy Days free of charge for anyone who is blind, low vision, or print disabled, and to organizations that serve them. JBI Library offers a variety of editions for different denominations and in different languages, as well as options for children and families. The cutoff date is September 8 in order to be received by Rosh Hashanah. Check out their website for more information and click on "Individuals" to order, or call 212-889-2525.
Why Brains Need Friends: The Neuroscience of Social Connection. (NYTimes, 8.7.25) Social relationships can help our brains!
...and so can being in nature! A Surprising (and Easy) Way to Boost Your Attention Span (NYTimes, 8.14.25)
It’s a good idea to pack a Medical Go-Bag (NPR 7.23.25).
If you live in Manhattan* and would like access to free transportation to medical appointments, synagogue, older adult centers, shopping, theater, and more, contact Project CART. *Eligibility: Older adults age 60 and over, including those with wheelchairs, living in Manhattan Community Districts #1 through #8 (from the southern tip of Manhattan to 96th Street on the East Side and 110th Street on the West Side).
Get into the High Holy Day spirit with these two music playlists: Mishkan High Holidays 5786 Selections and High Holidays - The Praylist (Josh Warshawsky).
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We hope that you’ve enjoyed this issue of CBST’s Aging Together/Mishpachah newsletter.
If you’d like to support the work of Aging Together and Mishpachah, donate here, select “Donate to Another Specific Program," then choose "Aging Together." We appreciate all your contributions to our community.
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L’Shalom,
Ora, Sharon, and Judy
Ora Ezrachi, PhD.
Chair, Aging Together
Sharon Golub, MEd., MMus., MSIT.
Chair, Mishpachah and CBST Chesed
Judy Ribnick, LCSW, MA
Director, CBST Aging Together
JRibnick@cbst.org
(917) 310-4656
| | We are grateful to our Aging Together Funders: | | | | |
