Community Magazine June 2019

“In this community,” Ann Shamah tells me, “all you have to do is ask”. And that is just what she did. Ann and her friend wanted to exercise. So six months ago she asked DSN if they would be willing to coordinate an exercise class for seniors. And they were! Her friend told a friend who told a friend and now between 20-30 seniors attend the DSN Academy for Seniors four times a week. The Deal Sephardic Network, DSN, was created in 2007 by a group of parents concerned that their children did not have enough social and athletic opportunities. A small group organized the activities and found recreation space to rent. The programs became very popular and requests abounded for expanded programming and for the inclusion of more age groups. When the costs of renting venues became exorbitant, the decision was made to establish a permanent home for DSN. In 2014, thanks to the generosity of the community, the building on Norwood Avenue was completed. According to Sammy Sitt, Executive Director, today they have about 5,000 members. When DSN was created the founders focused on programming for children. It then expanded to include exercise programming for adults and in the fall of 2017 the DSN Academy for Women was created. “Seniors were not originally on the priority list of populations we would serve,” Mr. Sitt continues. “But when Ann and her family requested an exercise program for seniors, wewere glad to give them the space.” The exercise program began in December of 2018 with about three people, and it “took off faster than we could imagine,” says Mr. Sitt. “For the children who join our leagues and play ball here this is a part of their lives. They have school, homework, and friends. For the seniors, this has become their life.” Older Adults Seek Purpose andMeaning Mr. Sitt is not exaggerating. Eminent psychologist Erik Erikson developed a theory of psychosocial development that identified the eight stages of development that a healthy individual should pass through from infancy to late adulthood. His theory is unique, as it includes later adulthood as a time of continued development, while other theories ignore this stage of life. For seniors, the challenge of their development during this stage of life is ego integrity vs. despair. As seniors, people reflect back on the events of their lives and take stock. If one looks back on a life they feel was well-lived, he or she will feel satisfied and ready to face the end of their lives with a sense of peace. Erik Erikson believed that adults need to create or nurture things that will outlast them, often by having children or creating a positive change that benefits other people. He saw that this drive does not end in older adulthood. It is important for seniors to feel a sense of fulfillment, knowing that they have done something significant during their younger years and continues to be meaningful. When they look back on their life, they feel content, as they believe that they have lived their life to the fullest. Success leads to feelings of usefulness DSN Academy for Seniors All You Have to Do Is Ask MOZELLE FORMAN 34 Community Magazine