L’Chaim means “to life” in Hebrew, and is often a toast used in drinking to a person’s health or well-being.

So it makes sense that “L’Chaim” is the name of a free conference & resource day offered by Kavod Senior Life, partnering with the JCC Denver and more than 20 other Jewish organizations. The L’Chaim conference on June 4 is a free, full day of over 30 diverse workshops and speakers offering information to help improve the quality of a longer life. The conference provides helpful resources not only to older adults, but also to their loved ones, caregivers, and service providers.

It’s hard to choose which workshop being offered at the L’Chaim conference could be the most beneficial. For me, learning about “Wise Aging with Joy, Resilience, and Spirit” is especially tempting during these turbulent days, but “Chair Yoga and Mindfulness” sounds like it could do the trick, too. Or, maybe I’ll finally be able to understand how my smartphone works with “How to Build a Tech-Savvy Mindset and Apply It.”

There’re workshops on estate planning, aging in place and housing options, legacy and tzedakah values, navigating Denver’s public transportation system, and so much more.

L’Chaim’s workshop leaders and speakers come from synagogues, institutions of higher learning, care management, law, government, and beyond. At the J, we’re especially excited that Rabbi Richard Address is the keynote luncheon speaker.

Rabbi Address is a media personality and a leader in the field of aging. He’s the founder and director of Jewish Sacred Aging, and his book “Seekers of Meaning: Baby Boomers, Judaism and the Pursuit of Healthy Aging” encourages readers to embrace the phenomenal changes in aging and longevity impacting all our lives today. Rabbi Address brings cutting-edge information about new developmental stages for older adults and new prayers and rituals. He helped develop the Jewish-focused spiritual material for the Jewish Aging Mastery Program (JAMP).

The J Denver was one of six JCCs across North America chosen by the National Council of Aging (NCOA) to pilot JAMP last fall. Rabbi Address helped create two stand-alone classes and other lessons that were interwoven into the 12-week JAMP program. Many participants in JAMP last fall appreciated how much the spiritual components of JAMP helped them be more prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of their aging experience.

We encourage you to check out the workshops, read more about Rabbi Address and other speakers and come to what should be a transforming day.

L’Chaim to all, and to embrace this longer life!

 


Debbie MacKillop, Coordinator of Older Adult & Intergenerational Programs