We're back...well, sort of.

I did my first program of the year for the Jewish Pavilion. It has been a year. A whole year. Where has it gone? Many of us are starting to do things again for the first time in a year. We have missed so much. I found that people moved from one building to another. I had no idea but I was happy to see familiar faces, as were they. I found out that people I loved are gone, but there was no real way to let me know. I found out that I still LOVE being with my seniors more than most anything I do. They were so happy, and grateful, and energetic. They have been missing our programs so much!

I sing, and I have since I was a very small child. It has always been a passion for me to work with residents in elder-care communities. For the last 15 years or so, that has meant going into facilities and doing programs and especially concerts for the Jewish Pavilion. I sing music from the last 100 years including standards, Broadway, oldies, forties, fifties, sixties, seventies and some special songs we grew up with, like “My Yiddish Mama”. This week I was told, I belong on Broadway, I should have a CD for residents to buy (because they still listen to CDs, lol), I am the best they heard at the facility, and many more compliments. It was very flattering. Let me make it clear, I'm not that good, but to them the attention, love, and care that was behind my performance was priceless. I also brought matzoh ball soup

to one of our sponsor facilities – Gentry Park. It was my first visit there and I'm not sure whether they preferred my cooking or my singing. It had been more than a year since some of them had tasted Jewish penicillin, and some had never ever tasted it, but it brought them joy.

All of the residents in the facilities I visited have been vaccinated, and I never got anywhere near any of them. We were beyond socially distanced, and as safe as we could possibly have been, but it was still different. Good and Bad. It was better because they have been missing our visits. They have loved getting our goodie bags, calls, and letters, but a visit is another whole thing. It was bad, because some chose not to attend, they are just not there yet, and because of the depression that is so apparent.

We prepared goodie bags again. Thanks to Susan Littman and her friends for all of their help and treats. We also ordered Kosher Hamentashen. This year we are thankful to “Don't touch my cookie”. This is a small company on Long Island (in NY) run by two lovely young women who had to change their lives due to Covid-19. One was a make-up artist. All her experience and training were no longer useful when NY was on lockdown. She and her sister-in-law-to-be (her wedding was postponed as well) started baking goodies for friends and it turned into their new adventure. They did a FANTASTIC job with our hamentashen and are loving the ability to support our non-profit. They are looking forward to Passover, when they will be sending goodies to us for our Passover goodie bags, and around the country to people

that either can't get out to shop, or to those that don't have Passover foods available. https://www.instagram.com/donttouch_mycookie/ is where to go for fudgy Passover brownies, macaroon stuffed chocolate chip cookies, matzoh crakle and more, delivered to you directly. Enjoy.