Early on in life, I learned the then-popular saying, “Grow old along with me – the best is yet to be.”
Another saying, “The laughter of the past is the melody that carries us forward,” has often challenged me – at times softly, at others loudly – when I have been hesitant to fill my days with what is new. Similarly, from Ethics of the Fathers 1:14, the concept of “If not now, when?” has real potential.
Today, as I ponder the future and how it can become filled with the unexpected, I share a few suggestions of my own. If they appeal to you, give them a go. You may be pleasantly surprised.
When I moved into a senior residence, referred to as a “protected residence” in Hebrew, I was fortunate to be able to continue writing in English and have had many articles published. Lately, I have tried to be more innovative in what I write.
Being innovative in various fields
I never stop seeking innovation. It is a significant path we can tread.
In my senior residence in Jerusalem, there are two kindergartens filled with the beauty of children’s faces and their natural laughter and joy. My integration into their lives began in a very unexpected manner. Three years ago, I suggested to our social worker that we develop a Haggadah with drawings by the children and the residents. She said it was a wonderful idea, but we didn’t have the budget.
Impetuously, I asked how much it would cost. She told me the amount, and I raised the money – I felt like a patron.
Because of the social worker’s enthusiasm, within a two-month period a joyous, very professional Haggadah came to be. Accompanying this article are some of the wonderful images of the Haggadah, drawn by five-year-olds and by our residents – some of whom are almost 100 years old.
Learning from the children
I am always surprised when children I know make something special “for Saba David” – a thank-you note in their own personal way: lovely notes and creative drawings. Children are inspiring. Every one of us in our later years, with time on our hands, can ooze creativity if we so desire.
There are so many opportunities to express one’s artistry while being helpful to others at the same time. There are many schools and youth organizations in need of volunteers. There are also people who, not well enough to leave home, would welcome a friendly visit.
Clearly, it is possible to moan and groan and tell yourself, “I’m not capable; I’m talented.” There are many excuses, but helping others will make you blossom.
Using my own creative talents
Eight years ago, my life became a bevy of colors. In high school, my art teacher had said, “David, don’t ever attempt art again.” Nevertheless, in Jerusalem I have attended drawing and ceramics classes over the years, though without much success. However, we all know that “nothing ventured, nothing gained,” and, encouraged to be creative by a wonderful teacher, I have made over 30 pieces in all types of media. I only have two or three left – the rest adorn the homes of friends and family.
The colors in the various works I create evoke a range of feelings never previously experienced in my eight decades of existence. You can do it, too – something you never thought you could, or, better, something you were told you couldn’t do!
One man’s garbage is another’s ‘find’
The first professor in college with whom I formed a close friendship was a talented young man by the name of James Robertson, Jr. His field was Civil War history. In his 40s, he was already quite a scholar, and he knew much about individuals who had fought in those terrible battles. The descriptions just rolled off his tongue. What I learned from him, in addition to how to conduct research using primary source material, is that there is always more information to be found by individual investigation.
One day, a friend – a researcher in the history of handmade silver objects from the 18th century onward – asked me to drop by his apartment in Jerusalem. When I arrived, he unrolled a large black-and-white photo of a Sunday school class at Temple Israel in the United States. He had found it in a pile of garbage next to an old, rundown home in a Jerusalem back alley. I was inspired by that amazing image.
The picture is featured in my American Heritage Haggadah, copies of which can be found in the collections of the libraries of three American presidents. My friend died young, but the photograph is preserved and now resides in the National Library of Israel (NLI).
Signatures that bring pleasure
In locating and occasionally reproducing images for my articles, I have come across several items that are extremely interesting. Among them is a handwritten letter from 1921, sent by famed film producer Samuel Goldwyn to William Topkis of Wilmington, Delaware. It discusses making a silent film about the Land of Israel – specifically, Jewish Palestine in the British Mandate period.
That film was never made, but in 1923, when Topkis brought his family to the Holy Land for half a year, he wrote and directed a silent film about a wealthy American Jew visiting the land of his forefathers.
Here are a few famous signatures I have seen: Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan’s (the “Chofetz Chaim,” 1898-1933), at the end of his famous book about avoiding harmful speech; former president Bill Clinton’s, in a letter sent to me; Abraham Lincoln’s on the commission of Henry B. Nones from Wilmington, Delaware, to the “cutter – coast guard service in the Civil War.” The last one was in a state archive, unprotected and subsequently stolen.
Reuniting with old friends
After a 68-year interval, I am once again friends with a fellow high school graduate from my class of 1955, who became a world expert in currency and holds a chair at a major American university. He and his wife visited Israel two years ago – a month before Oct. 7.
Of course, we had a wonderful time. Two wide-eyed boys of yore from Atlanta, Georgia – a Christian and a Jew – meeting in Jerusalem; it was indescribable. Today’s tools have made our renewed friendship “potent.” There are days when we exchange up to 10 emails, on every subject imaginable. Thankfully, we are alive, and our minds work.
Find an old friend; meet face to face if you reside close by, or communicate by email or WhatsApp.
I call this adventure, now at this later stage in our lives, a fortunate, exciting renewal.
Tips for searching and saving archival material
Look at any advertisement you might find on a magnet, a poster, or in the press – what is important about it, aside from its value in encouraging the potential customer to make a purchase or schedule an appointment? Well, if, for example, 30 years from now, researchers want to know what life was like in 2025, they can discover how people’s minds worked by how they wrote their ads.
Fifty years ago, I began saving all types of items, mostly documents. Exuberant about this form of preservation, I taught myself how to build archival collections. How fortunate I have been to have had the opportunity to preserve the building blocks of “real life.”
Due to my interest in creating a topical American Haggadah, as I researched I discovered all manner of Passover memorabilia in old newspapers, and even on kosher-for-Passover candy boxes.
Noteworthy discoveries were a 19th-century ad from a weekly New York Anglo-American newspaper, featuring a gentleman operating a matzah-making machine, and various artistic drawings of the Egyptian pyramids.
Busy with my research, I have also spotted a few examples of documents: letters, bills, and so on, belonging to notable individuals. If it is not possible to physically save such items, you can just photograph them with your phone.
Still so many joys
There are still so many and varied joyous pastimes to be enjoyed that can really benefit you and others around you. Make the most of every minute.
And remember that, as they say these days, “The magic happens outside your comfort zone.”