Facilitated by Judith Helburn, "Second Sixty" meets for “learn and lunch” at 10:00 a.m. every third Thursday of the year except during the summer. Sisterhood generously provides a lunch for which donations are accepted.  Adele Sperling coordinates the phone committee for each meeting and Syd Popinsky keeps our records.  About 25 seniors from the entire Jewish community attend each time.  We send out a flyer with the programs twice per year and have a phone committee to remind folks.  Anyone can attend and we do not check driver’s licenses to determine age qualifications. Other than a donation for lunch, "Second Sixty" is free.

Our year begins in September with a musical event and continues with informative and entertaining hour-long presentations. Our topics vary from Judaism to safety to politics and any other topic to enlighten our Seniors and keep the synapses connecting. In May, 2009, we hosted an invitational mini-conference to celebrate Older Americans Month and, in June of 2009, Sisterhood and 2d 60 held a tea to say farewell to long time member Lee Rosenthal who moved to Virginia to be near family.

Fall 2009 Event Schedule:

Our first event this year will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.: Marianne Fulton, CBI member/photojournalist, will present One Step Ahead of Hitler: Jewish Photographers. Gourmet lunch sponsored by Sisterhood to follow. Reservations please, 454-6806.

Sitting on an empty nest? Not much fun or exciting to enliven your life? Don’t fret – join "Empty Nesters."  We’re a group of 120 or so active Jewish seniors who refuse to let the social spark go out of our lives. So instead of mildewing at home, we gather several times a year to feed our need for fun and fellowship.  Some of us love to dance and sing; others prefer to watch a play or listen to music. All of us love to talk and eat.

Traditionally, "Empty Nesters" dine together twice a year in Smith Auditorium at Congregation Beth Israel.  We start with a social hour where we sip wine and nosh on veggies while catching up with old friends and making new ones.  Then we sit for a scrumptious dinner that nourishes our bodies, followed by lively entertainment that nourishes our souls. In years past, we have been serenaded by the Dell Tones, entranced by the spritely dancing of the Judy Lee Dancers, and participated in a Sing Along with Gus and Greta Gutman.

We complement our dinners with several special field trips each year.  We’ve laughed ourselves silly at Esther’s Follies, serenely cruised beautiful Lady Bird Lake, and howled at the antics of the cast in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.  We’ve also created our own merriment with cruises out of Galveston and an overnight trip to Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to shop for Chanukah presents.  Our Planning Committee constantly searches for new and exciting ways to enrich our members’ lives.

Bertha Shanblum, an original "Empty Nester," explains her dedication to the group: “I enjoy Empty Nesters because it is a terrific group of people who, like Sam and me, have had their children leave the ‘nest’ and who get together and socialize periodically with fun and entertaining events.  The camaraderie is what makes this group so great!”

Empty Nesters will gather at Congregation Beth Israel at 5:30 PM on Sunday October 25, 2009, for our traditional Fall Dinner, this year featuring a Fall Fiesta theme.  Our meal will be prepared by the Culinary Talents of the Sisterhood Crew for a price of $12 per person.  Rabbi Cookie Lea Olshein, Sue Bilich, and Greta Gutman will serenade us with Broadway show tunes.

Other events are still in the planning stage, but will probably include outings to Austin Shakespeare’s production of Measure for Measure, a River City Pops concert, and a riotous evening at Esther’s Follies. Also under consideration are trips to the Houston Holocaust Museum and a casino. Stay tuned for details.

You don’t need to be a member of Congregation Beth Israel to join Empty Nesters.  We welcome anyone who is interested in meeting people and sharing in our camaraderie. If you fit that description, join now!  Dues are only $10 a calendar year (and Syd Popinsky says you can’t get a better bang for your buck anywhere in Austin).  For more information, contact Harriet Melitz at 345-0765 (hirv56@yahoo.com), or Betty Marz at 795-0306.

George Burns said, ”You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.”  Members of Empty Nesters are living examples of this quote.  If you’re not one of us already, we hope to see you soon!