Adventures from My Weekly Visits to the Jewish Old Age Home
Every week when I walk into one of the Montefiore homes, I never quite know what I’m going to get.
A deep halachic question?
A story from Europe?
A moment of reflection?
Or, as happens almost every week, a marriage proposal.
It’s become something of a routine.
“Rabbi, are you married?”
“Yes.”
“How many children do you have?”
“Five.”
“You sure it’s not ten?”
And then recently, one woman, with perfect comic timing, leaned forward, looked at me and said:
“Well, Rabbi… if five children makes you want to sit down… would you like to sit on my lap?”
The room burst into laughter.
So did I.
These moments – playful, cheeky, full of charm – are a highlight of my week.
But each week also brings moments that land much deeper.
Like the afternoon I met a couple who completely took my breath away.
He is 105 years old.
She is 98.
They are the oldest living couple in Australia – married for 80 years.
Eighty years of choosing each other.
Eighty years of partnership, memory, sacrifice, shared life.
Standing with them, even for a few minutes, felt like stepping into a sanctuary of love. Their tenderness toward each other, the way they looked, spoke, paused and held a softness and wisdom that only eight decades of marriage can create.
I left that day feeling that I had witnessed something holy.
And moments like these are why, although I come each week to teach, to give classes, to answer questions, to share Torah…
I always leave feeling I’m the one who has been inspired.
Sitting with people in their 80s, 90s, and beyond, I see a patience that life has carved into them.
I see how gently they wait for one another to finish speaking.
I see how fiercely they hold onto dignity, even as their bodies weaken.
I see how urgently they want to express themselves, because time suddenly feels precious.
And I see how much love they carry — for their families, for their community, for our shared Jewish story.
There is humour, yes.
But there is also holiness.
There is vulnerability.
But also strength.
There are questions I answer,
but even more questions they answer for me.
Every week, I walk in as a rabbi.
But every week, I walk out more human, more grounded, and more grateful.
These visits stay with me.
The laughter stays with me.
The wisdom stays with me.
And their stories stay with me.
#StoriesThatStayWithMe #RabbiOnDemand #Montefiore #JewishCommunity #WisdomOfOurElders #HumourAndHoliness #JewishLife
