In 1881, when German chancellor Otto Van Bismarck introduced mandatory retirement age and pensions, he stated that no one over 70 would be permitted to continue working, at which time they would receive a pension. It was a fairly safe rule in that the average life span at that time was well below 70, so it seemed as if people were being rewarded for not working, but relatively few reached the pension age. This has changed radically, especially where the pension age, with some exceptions, is significantly below 70. Economists are constantly warning us that pension funds will not be able to honor their obligations because there are just too many people on pension.
This despite the fact that so many pensioners are still energetic and active and continue to work in a voluntary capacity or set up their own business enterprises,
Those who can afford to live in sheltered housing retirement complexes where they play sport, dance, attend lectures and concerts, and go on outings all over the country could just as easily be contributing to the national economy instead of volunteering as they do.
On the other hand, by volunteering, they are saving the organizations with which they work, large outlays in wages.
Among the residents of sheltered housing complexes who happily go out to volunteer and also hold charity events on the premises where they reside are the residents of Protea Hills in Shoresh. Not for the first time, they recently traveled south to the Michaeli organic farm to assist the farmer with tasks such as planting, packaging and preparing vegetables for the market, as most of the farm’s foreign workers have not yet returned, while some were taken hostage, and others were murdered by Hamas.
The farm needs workers on a daily basis, and Leket, with which the Protea residents have a long relationship, provided the necessary labor. It’s hard to tell who was more satisfied at the end of the day, the farmer or the Protea volunteers, says Judy Aronson, a member of the organizing committee of the Protea Volunteers. Also involved in the organization of the trip and the work were Marina Gil, Protea’s chief administrator, and Lena Drubachevsky of Moreshet Derech, the Israeli Tourism Guides Association together with Leket Israel.
Something else that has changed radically since Bismarck’s day is height. Today’s young men and women are almost twice as tall as their grandparents – because they have better nutrition, better medicines, and spend more time engaging in sport.
The downside is that they are uncomfortable when traveling by public transport. Although the interior design of buses has changed, the space between the rows of seats has not, and in airplanes, extra rows have been put in, which is a blight on leg room.
Universities in the country have suffered
■ ALL OF Israel’s universities have suffered losses since October 7, 2023. All have lost students, and some have also lost faculty. It is doubtful whether in the history of the state, so many memorials have been established to honor the memories of young men and women – most in their early twenties, who gave their lives in defense of the state. Some of the memorials are social welfare or artistic projects, while there are other monuments carved in metal or stone.
One of the more recent memorials was unveiled at the Safra campus on Givat Ram of the Hebrew University to honor the memory of Maj.-Gen. Gil Daniels on the first anniversary of his death.
Daniel was a Hebrew University alumnus, with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He later pursued studies in pharmacy.
Though living abroad, and therefore exempt from military service, he returned home to fight.
Shortly before he paid the supreme sacrifice, he proposed to the love of his life.
Not enough attention is paid to the fiancés of fallen soldiers, who are no less bereaved than widows.
The inauguration of the memorial was a moving event attended by family, friends, and members of the academic community.
The inscription reads:
In memory of Gil Daniels (1989-2023)
A promising researcher and chemist, a devoted humanist and thinker, who sacrificed his life defending Israel.
Bezalel Academy of Art and Design
■ AT THE opening of the First Born Festival at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, attendees could not help but notice the larger-than-life-size portraits on one of the walls. They were not labeled so unless somebody had made a close study of the portraits of the hostages, it was difficult to know whether the portraits on the wall were those of hostages or fallen soldiers.
On the subject of portraits of hostages, many on bus stops and street corners have been defaced in the same way that portraits of women have been defaced in the past.
This is the most despicable kind of vandalism.
Getting back to Bezalel, the event featured part of the multi-disciplined musical genres of Greece, performed by a six member-string and darbuka ensemble. The lighting of the first Hanukka candle was in the presence of Mayor Moshe Lion and the recently inaugurated president of the Jerusalem Foundation, Arik Grabelski, and other leading personalities of the municipality, the Jerusalem Foundation, and Bezalel, along with festival director Yoram Braverman, who is also the director of the Khan Theater, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, leading academics, cultural personalities and, of course, Bezalel students.
Bezalel President Prof. Adi Stern could not help but be delighted with the huge attendance. One of the joys of being at Bezalel is the range of open spaces at different levels of the building that enables seeing more than one event at the same time,
For instance, the musical event was in the large entrance hall. And one floor down, there was a clearly visible beautiful display of fashion.
Knowing that many haredi (ultra-Orthodox) young people are greatly talented, Bezalel opened a special course for them.
While people in the government are at odds with each other, those in the world of culture are much more cooperative.
Ten organizations and institutions work together to ensure the success of the festival.