Rabbi's Blog

"Honor Thy Father And Thy Mother"

I think it started a few years ago, when my father was having difficulty recalling specific places visited with my mother. Only then to be followed up with his early retirement due to a few “mistakes” he made. Then, this past year, all of us noticed that it took my father almost a full minute just to say a simple sentence because he had a hard time remembering basic nouns.

With my father in his 70’s, it should not surprise me that Alzheimer’s has set in. And yet, with every conversation we have and every decision that my siblings and I make for my father, I’m still struck by my father’s decreasing abilities.

Over the decades, we all have seen a huge amount of change in our world. And yet, there are some things that have stayed the same. I have had countless conversations with congregants about how dementia and Alzheimer’s have affected them and their parents. The commandment above is simply stated, “Honor thy father and thy mother.” And yet in practice, this can be extremely difficult, especially if your parent has Alzheimer’s or dementia. Helping with decisions for a parent that does not even accept they are experiencing any cognitive deficiencies makes even the most basic decisions unbearable.

With all of that in mind, I would like to invite you to come to a special conversation with Rabbi Michael Goldman. Rabbi Goldman is the head of an organization called Seivah (click here for more information). Basically, the purpose of this Westchester-based Jewish organization is to provide support for individuals and families that are affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia. I have asked Rabbi Goldman to chat with us about the practical and the spiritual aspects of his work. He will engage in a conversation with us about how Judaism looks at this difficult struggle and how we as a community can better understand what is happening to our loved ones and ourselves.

Rabbi Goldman will be speaking to us on Thursday, May 25 at 7:45 PM.

Whether you have a loved one, a friend, or you are just concerned about these issues, I strongly suggest coming out for this wonderful conversation. It promises to be informative and supportive.

Look forward to seeing you there next week,

Rabbi Robbie Weiner

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