SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Every Sunday, a group of more experienced and older Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel members arrive at the Linda & Rudy Slucker Religious School’s kindergarten class. These are the “grandfriends” and they are quickly becoming integral members of the children’s school day.
The Grandfriends Program at TSTI, located in South Orange, is part of a three-year fellowship pilot program from Ideal18, and it’s designed to connect generations and destigmatize aging. During the 2.5-hour class each week, the grandfriends play and chat with the children at various stations and participate in circle time.
Murray Blasz, one of the grandfriends, said, “It’s really about the kids. I never knew my grandparents, and there may be some youngsters that have grandparents who live 3,000 miles away. I like sharing and giving the kids another dimension they normally don’t get in school. It’s been an eye-opening experience.”
“When we interact with our kindergarten students as they sing, color and pay attention to the adults around, we know the future is in good hands,” Jesse and Leslie Bayer, who are also grandfriends, added. “It’s very satisfying, and we look forward to it each Sunday.”
“I always wondered how to bring in older friends for more than just a quick story,” TSTI Preschool Director Carol Paster, who is also one of the kindergarten teachers, said. “So when I saw Ideal18’s program, I jumped at it. I want our grandfriends to have long-term relationships with the kids.”
“The teachers prepare a fun-filled Sunday morning each week for the kindergartners, with stories, games, and arts and crafts projects that make it fun to learn about Jewish history and Torah,” grandfriend Barbara Schwartz said. “Seeing the world through the eyes of 5- and 6-year-olds is truly a joy!”
“It is a wonderful morning,” grandfriend Lois Larkey said. “It has been a learning experience watching their growth. I taught middle school and high school, so the experience with kindergartners is an entirely different level of awakening. Frankly, it is breathtaking.”
Religious School Director Mindy Schreff couldn’t be happier about the program.
“When Carol proposed the idea of the grandfriends, I jumped at the opportunity to bring together these two segments of our temple community,” Schreff said. “It has been a joy to watch the connections between our kindergarten students, our teens in the classroom and our grandfriends grow and flourish. The grandfriends are a wonderful addition to our religious school community.”
The program, officially titled “Sages of All Ages: Creating Deep, Long-Lasting Relationships,” received a grant this summer from the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest NJ.
Photos Courtesy of Carol Paster
Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel ‘grandfriends’ bridge the generation gap added by Editor on
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