Thank you, Lauren - The Jewish Standard

I was thrilled to see the article about Lauren Glubo and the ARC Center at the Kaplen JCC in Tenafly (“Doing it again,” March 6). Lauren is truly masterful in her relationships with the seniors because everything she does comes from her heart.

For a few years, prior to Purim, the Buds (Pre-K) children at Yeshivat Noam visited the seniors in Lauren’s program. I was the person who was in charge of coordinating the visit. From the moment I first spoke to Lauren on the phone, I knew that this was a woman who loved her job – in fact it didn’t seem like a job to her. It was her passion. While we discussed what would occur during this visit, Lauren consistently had the best interests of the seniors in mind. No detail was too small. Every option was considered and then considered again, to ensure that the communication between these very young children and the elderly clients would be successful.

Just imagine – 4- and 5-year-old children interacting with people who could be their great grandparents, and loving every minute of it! After the children sang their Purim songs, Lauren asked each senior to introduce themselves and to tell us what they had done in their lives. We learned that these people were rabbis, scientists, business owners, doctors, and even teachers! And these children, always so active, sat quietly as each senior spoke. Afterward, having made the connection, the children passed out their mishloach manot to the seniors. The seniors complimented the children to their faces, telling them how beautiful they were, how beautifully they sang, and how smart they were. What beautiful comments for young children to hear. This trip was a favorite for the teachers as well, as we knew that it was one that was mutually beneficial for both groups. The success of this visit was all due to Lauren’s deep understanding, caring and knowledge for what her seniors needed.

Individuals on both ends of the age spectrum often are not acknowledged for the people they are. Thank you, Lauren, for helping both young and old be seen for what they can do in the future and what they have done in the past.