Maggie Portrait, 86, has known her husband Daniel, 90, since she was 4 years old. She attributes their successful 65 years of marriage to being in love, accepting the bad times along with the good and not entering into marriage lightly. “We were both serious about marriage,” says Maggie. “We weren’t going to ‘try it’…
Parents, confess: when you encourage your kids to take up an instrument, you are hoping – praying! – they don’t choose the trumpet (OK, drums neither.) The flute is good: it takes a long time to even get any sound out. A violin does sound horrible in the hands of an amateur, but if he…
Seeking a culminating project for his years at Portland Jewish Academy, eighth-grader Sam Ellenby decided to combine his passion for music with helping the community’s seniors. “I have always had an immense passion for music, and I believe so strongly in the effects it can have on a person’s life,” says Sam. PJA’s Capstone Project…
The Robison Jewish Health Center is its official name, but almost everybody still calls it “The Home.”They probably don’t mean “home, sweet home,” but rather “the old folks’ home.” Though highly regarded by health care professionals, grateful families and dedicated donors, very few people are likely to say, “Goody! I get to go to The…
Annette Gerard has always volunteered, which meant juggling board memberships, synagogue activities and raising children. So, when she moved cross-country to Rose Schnitzer Manor four years ago, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Annette is instrumental to the success of Purls of Wisdom, the manor’s knitting group that has donated hundreds of…
Rose Schnitzer Manor will present “Epicurean Delights: Sweet & Savory,” a series of presentations exploring a scrumptious selection of tasty tidbits to delight the palate, during the month of August. All presentations are free and open to the public. On Tuesdays at 6:45 p.m. in Zidell Hall. Tastings will follow each presentation. Tuesday, August 5,…
“The Point of the Lesson is to Liberate our Internal Editors” is displayed in large letters across a projection screen. The Rose Schnitzer Manor’s upstairs activity room is dimly lit so residents can read easily. Elderly students, some in wheelchairs, gather around a large wooden table for the weekly writing class led by veteran artist…
Any dinner that starts with a strawberry margarita promises an extraordinary experience. The meal acquires extra significance when you pair the drink with the Mussar middot (ethical trait) of Enthusiasm, as Laura Fendel and a group of women living at Rose Schnitzer Manor did on Aug. 24. “This is a special dinner,” said Fendel, who…
My interview with Evelyn Hirsch (“Call me Evy!”) took a while to arrange because her new play was opening, and she was kind of busy. It was a huge success, to nobody’s surprise. So were the previous plays. As are the art classes she helps teach and the writing workshop she’s a part of. She’s…
Picture your grandmother or aging parent. Now, consider the following expletives or uncomfortable topics: bitch, ass, sex, infertility and shut up! The elderly and invective don’t really go together. Or do they? Actually, you bet they do. “We underestimate those on the extremes of the age spectrum,” says Matthew B. Zrebski. “Those over 60 don’t…
