ABSTRACT
You are to love God with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your might.”1
Jewish relational care with the aging presents new and exciting challenges. The emerging twenty-first century is witness to demographic and social changes that have transformed the face of aging within our community. Old stereotypes are vanishing and multigenerational cohorts are evolving as “new” Jewish older adults. Given the nature of the changes, we as clergy are often part of this emerging “longevity revolution,” caring for congregants at the same time as we care for ourselves and our own families. The foundation for approaching this revolutionary new time is rooted in what may be called a “theology of relationships.” Simply put, this is a belief that the most powerful element we can bring to working with the aging is the presence of relationships based on sacred texts that, when translated into our own rabbinate, speak to the basic needs of our people and ourselves as we age: that of seeking meaning and purpose in life.
