We celebrate and honor the life of Meyer Balser through The Meyer Balser Center for Healthy Living. The last 30 years of Meyer's life were devoted to the elderly. Hopefully, the center will devote the next 30-plus years enriching the lives of the Jewish elderly. Meyer Balser remained active and engaged through his nineties, continuing to serve on the Jewish Tower Board among other endeavors. We must be committed to providing education, exercise programs and intellectual stimulation for aging adults so that the later years are truly the golden years. 

Every Tuesday morning seven to ten women in their 60's and 70's come to The Meyer Balser Center for comradery, cheer, and crochet/knitting. Amidst the clicking of needles you will hear "da" and "ochenkresevah," "yes" and "that's beautiful" as these Russian women, along with several American women turn skeins of yarn into scarves, sweaters and even teddy bears. Greeting everyone faithfully each week is Maury Fradkin, who volunteers at The Meyer Balser Center on Tuesdays as the crochet/knitting instructor. "Many of these women are professionals and I learn as much from them as they do from me," shares Fradkin. "The European way of knitting is more efficient in the way the hands and fingers are used to make a stitch, but it's not how I learned so I teach beginners American style."

The class has become so popular that Maury is adding another class for the senior adult workshop, Stars at Work. Stars at Work, a JF&CS program located at the

In April, to honor of all the volunteers serving the Weinstein Campus, The Meyer Balser Center sponsored a night of laughter and music at the William Breman Home Auditorium with comediennes Jerry Farber, Jim Gossett and musicians Eli Frisch and the Tempos. Side splitting laughter and diet destroying sweets filled the evening.

The Meyer Balser Center is collecting memoirs of mothers. The collective wisdom, common sense, advice, home remedies, specific stories that impacted you and bring you comfort (or amusement) to recall is of interest to our Personal Histories Institute. If you are interested in sharing these memories, please call our office at 404-355-5696 to request a form. These will be typed, collated, bound and available to borrow or purchase through the The Meyer Balser Center library.

On Wednesday, May 19th, The Meyer Balser Center will sponsor a "Tai-chi for Seniors" conference. Come learn the many health benefits of this popular eastern exercise. You will hear experts speak about osteoarthritis. Participate in a class. If you are an activity director, recreational therapist, or a person looking for a gentle but effective exercise to minimize arthritis and improve balance and coordination, mark May 19th on your calendar. 

For more information about the Meyer Balser Center, please call (404) 355-5696. The Meyer Balser Center is one of Federation's local beneficiary agencies, and received an allocation of $215,639 in FY04.