Family Life and Parenting

Family Life Programs Touch Every Generation

By Vicki Gelbtuch

For the past several years our congregation has been blessed by the presence of Shari Baum, a social worker whose time is funded by WJCS and UJA Federation. In the beginning, Shari’s role was to meet with congregants for confidential counseling sessions free of charge, for a limited number of sessions.

Then, Rabbi Greenberg convened a small group of people to discuss a potential congregation wide programming role for Shari. And thus, we formed a small task force that is endearingly referred to as “The Shari Baum Group.” This group of congregants meets several times during the year to plan and implement a series of family life programs that touch on every generation and population within our Temple. All programs are offered free of charge as a service to our members. Each program is facilitated by a professional in the field, and there are always additional resources suggested if participants wish to take things further.

Our first year we offered a Crime Busters program for our seniors, a program specifically geared toward the “sandwich generation” entitled “Lincoln Continental” that dealt with the role reversal between aging parents and adult children, and a teen dating and abuse program specifi cally for our teens to explore healthy relationships. Rabbi Greenberg facilitated a program entitled “Oy, God Failed Me.” A program called “Getting Your House in Order” discussed advanced directives and ethical wills.

In our second year we added a parent component to our Teen Dating and Abuse Program and had a wonderful discussion with our vibrant and active seniors entitled, “What is Your Secret?” For the parents of our preteens we offered a Bullying Program that was facilitated by a world renowned expert in the field.

In our third year, some of our programming included an Eating Disorders program and a Family Caregivers Network Program that provides comfort, support and resources to those who face the challenge of making sure that our parents receive proper care. We will once again offer a session about ending Domestic Violence in the Jewish home. In the spring, we will host a program about the Gap Year for high school and college students that will include important information and resources that will be useful to those for whom this is a consideration. 

One of the most wonderful outgrowths of our Shari Baum Group has been the formation of our “Adults at Leisure” group. This group of seniors meets once a month to plan and enjoy various programs and day trips through our Temple. So far, we’ve hosted a Women’s Seder, a trip to the Katonah Museum to view a Cuban art exhibit with a private docent, followed by a discussion of the Jews in Cuba today, a trip to the Museum of Jewish Heritage, a picnic dinner and Jewish music concert, a visit to see the Chagall windows at Union Church in Pocantico Hills and lunch at Stone Barns. We meet once a month for a lively current events discussion and have many more exciting events already planned for the spring and summer.

Please join us in our efforts to continue to reach out to all of our congregants and watch for upcoming programs that may be of interest to you. For further information or questions, please feel free to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .