Tifereth Israel nonagenarians share their tips on longevity

When you were in your teens, you probably thought that life’s all about freedom from rules. In your 20s, you might have moved on to valuing adventure above all else. In your 30s, relationships and family took precedence. Once you reached your 40s, you might have found satisfaction in stability. The pattern is clear – as we age, our priorities shift. What we once saw as essential becomes less so. Often, we think to ourselves, wouldn’t it have been great to have known back then what I know now! Well, some folks in the the community did the legwork for you. The Voice asked five nonagenarian members of Tifereth Israel, a New Bedford egalitarian congregation affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, to share their reflections on what keeps them going.

While the replies we received were different in their particulars, they contained some general similarities. Each person mentioned exercise, family, keeping busy and partaking in spiritual activities. Dr. William Abesh, a 92-year-old retired dentist, who served in Korea and in the Army Air Force, plays golf three times a week. He has been married for 62 years and says, “My goal is to stay healthy with my wife and keep running!” Anyone who still runs at 92 is definitely on the right track.

Florence Novick also credits exercise as a tool to help her “hang in there.” She says, “[Going to] the gym…has had me walking safely, several days a week for years. Eight times around the track is half a mile.”

Bud Bier is 90 now but, three years ago, he found himself unable to do much except stare at the TV due to a debilitating illness. It wasn’t until he finally gathered up the courage to do something he’s always found “difficult and even hateful” – begin a daily exercise routine – that he was able to get moving again.

Exercise allows seniors to stay in shape and to partake in activities they would otherwise not be able to engage in. For instance, Bier’s motivation was to be agile enough to renew his lifelong interest in building and flying radio-controlled aircraft. He first fell in love with airplanes at the age of seven. Later, Bier shared that passion with his son Jon. While recovering from his illness, Bier practiced flying with a computerized flight simulator – an activity that refreshed his long-forgotten reflexes. Bier says, “Through constant exercise I became stronger and gained much more coordination.”

The activity also served as an excuse to spend more time with his son, who brought him out to their flying field and helped him fly again, a pastime he considers to be “a very important part of [his] renewed interest and satisfaction with [his] daily activities.”

Resuming the old interest sparked participation in other social activities. He also built an actual model and now finds himself “up to [his] ears in balsa wood and glue and having a very good time.” Biers believes that his dedication to physical exercise and eagerness to try new challenges are keeping him feeling young. He has just learned to fly miniature helicopters, explaining, “Whatever keeps you active and laughing is great.”

Mary Schwartz concurs. This 93-year-old can’t pinpoint one item that keeps her going. She says, “To me, the answer is quite clear – a lot of things.” Schwartz elaborates that it’s not the activity itself but the essence behind it that “ignites the running or, at this stage, walking, from one project to the next.” She believes that moving is essential to living a long life and that “it’s the root of every move that matters.” Schwartz feels that it’s how she lives her life that makes living worthwhile to her. She is spurred by her zeal to experience all there is to know, a desire she calls a “restless urge to try to encompass the world in all its glory and to prove myself to myself and to that world.”

Abesh can relate to Schwartz’ inability to choose just one activity that’s vital to longevity. Besides golf, he enjoys spending time with his wife – sharing pursuits such as bridge, attending lectures, reading newspapers, watching TV and following the paths of their five grandchildren. In addition, Abesh serves on the boards of the local Jewish Federation and New Bedford Jewish Convalescent Home.

Novick also enjoys multiple activities. They include attending a weekly class taught by Rabbi Raphael Kanter at Tifereth Israel. She says, “It keeps me mentally stimulated.” Furthermore, she participates with The Friends of Buttonwood Park. These pursuits, thanks to her good health and ability to live in her own home, keep her busy and keep her going.

Edith Pliskin also treasures being able to remain home at the young age of 94. She says that it wasn’t until she recovered from a vestibular episode and was able to return to living independently that she “started living again.” Pliskin resumed playing her trumpet. She became “a valued member of the Tri-County Symphonic Band, UMass Dartmouth and Marion, Mattapoisett, Dartmouth summer bands.” She entertained at nursing homes and celebrated Shabbat with her shul family, rabbi and cantor. Pliskin elaborates, “Kiddush was always great. Education classes with my rabbi and cantor were inspiring.” To brighten her days, she liked to volunteer weekly at a hospital, play Scrabble and visit her family. Now, with the help of hearing aids, eye injections, a nebulizer, inhalers, a cane, vestibular exercises, physical therapy and massage, she looks forward to each day so that she could “Keep on doing what [she’s] doing!”

What are you waiting for? Get going!