Bob Levin is a resident of the Five Star retirement community in Teaneck. Over the past year, he has reveled in his monthly conversations with sixth graders at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County about aging, personal responsibility, the power of positive thinking and the value of a well-lived life. “They are full of questions and enthusiasm,” Levin remarked. “They made me feel that I have valuable insight to share.”

This week, students played host to Levin, together with a robust group of octogenarian and nonagenarian seniors, at a “year-end party.” This event represents the culmination of the school’s first year participating in Better Together, a two-year program supported by a prominent national foundation, designed to encourage meaningful interactions between young and old.

As part of Schechter’s bnei mitzvah chesed curriculum, sixth graders visited with seniors at Five Star throughout the school year and engaged in conversations reflective of its monthly midat hachodesh (value of the month) program, including concepts of leadership, bravery, optimism, joy and social responsibility.

Students worked with the seniors on a final group art project, and presented them with photo montage scrapbooks filled with excerpted “nuggets of wisdom” from their monthly visits. Before returning to Five Star, the group shared moments of hakarat hatov (gratitude) that each experienced in their lives. As they bade the seniors good-bye, one student said, “This is definitely something we should be doing more often.”

The program continues in the fall with a new batch of Schechter sixth graders at the helm.

For more information, please contact Leah K. Silberstein at [email protected] or 201-262-9898 ext. 286.