Los Angeles Jewish Home

Throughout the entire lifespan, most people crave human contact — whether it’s comforting hugs from a close relative, or private intimate moments with a spouse or significant other. It’s a need that never diminishes or goes away, regardless of our age.

Sometimes, though, we make the mistake of ignoring those desires in our elder community. The fact is, though, seniors make up one of the most social, active, and — if they’re healthy enough — sexually active age groups.

This is where Katherine Forsythe comes into the picture. Holding an MSW from the University of Cincinnati, she is one of the foremost authorities on sexuality and aging. Forsythe works with individuals and senior care communities across the country, educating people of all ages on issues revolving around intimacy and relationships.

Katherine’s unique area of expertise makes her a go-to person for health media. She has been quoted in WebMD, 50Fabulous, Active Over 50, and other publications. And her websites, www.getasecondwind.com and www.katherineforsythe.com, attract wide audiences.

On Wednesday, October 26th, 2011, the Jewish Home will be welcoming Katherine Forsythe to our 14th annual Sarnat Symposium. Her presentation, Honoring the Whole Person Throughout the Lifetime: Senior Sexuality Sensitivity Training for Professionals, promises to be enlightening and informative. If you’re interested in hearing Forsythe in person, visit our Sarnat Symposium webpage and register for the event today!

Labels: Aging, Get A Second Wind, GetASecondWind.com, Intimacy, Katherine Forsythe, MSW, Relationships, Sarnat Symposium, Seniors, Sexuality, Staff

Imagine you are alone on a desert island. There's no one to tell you what to do; you can live wholly without restriction. Of course, after a while, you would stop relishing your "freedom". That kind of life is not true freedom; it is a life of loneliness and sterility.

When I was discussing Passover in one class recently, I asked what freedom was about. The first answer I got was "the right to express yourself." Indeed, free expression is one of the central principles of a free society, like in the United States.

But freedom of expression is very important on a personal level too. Even when we are surrounded by other people, we can still feel we are on a desert island. If I feel myself totally alone – an individual without real relationships, not truly part of a community – am I free to express myself? Not really, I think. I can truly express who I am only to people I can trust, people who care for me and will listen to me.

Let us remember, this Passover, that our true freedom lies in relationship and in community. Let our own Exodus be from loneliness to relationship, as we reach out to each other, and get to know cherish each other. Through those caring relationships we will all find our dignity and our freedom.

I wish you all a happy – and heart-warming – Passover!

Rabbi Anthony Elman serves as Rabbi of the Jewish Home's Grancell Village Campus. His professional background is multifaceted, encompassing the fields of law, social work, and psychotherapy. Rabbi Elman has been with the Home since his ordination and graduation from the Academy for Jewish Religion-California in May 2007

Labels: Community, Dignity, Elman, Exodus, For the Spirit, Free Society, Freedom, Freedom of Expression, Friends, Friendship, Island, Loneliness, Passover, Pesach, Relationships, Seniors