2017 From Generation to Generation Calendar Features Three Holocaust Survivors, a Decorated WWII Vet and an Original Advertising “Mad Man”
A story that is generations in the making… literally! Meet the Guys and Dolls of the hottest and smartest 2017 Calendar on the market. Fifteen residents, from the Gurwin Jewish assisted living community in Commack were photographed and quoted in the fifth annual Calendar. The 2017 “From Generation to Generation…L’dor v’dor” calendar shares a lifetime of experience, advice and wisdom from members of the Greatest Generation with us all, in addition to the timeless beauty portrayed on Camera.
This year’s Calendar includes sage advice and gallery worthy photos of three Holocaust survivors, a WWII Purple Heart Veteran, one of the original “Mad Men,” two couples married 68 and 72 years and an Italian grandma with 26 grand & great-grandchildren (and another on his/her way). Every calendar photo includes inspiring words from these extraordinary members of the Nation’s greatest generation.
“The residents featured in our calendar are truly an inspiration… They have lived lives filled with a wide range of rich experiences, and they offer us not only a window into the past, but a path to the future.” -Herbert H. Friedman, Executive Vice President, Gurwin Jewish.
Stewart Greene, a former partner at the Wells Rich Greene advertising agency, (TV Show, Mad Men) advises younger contemporaries to “pursue your passions.” Mary Falcone, who is blessed with four daughters, 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren (plus one on the way), encourages the future generations to “cherish family.” Helen and Mel Morgenstein, have been blissfully married for 72 years and reminds younger couples to “respect each other.” Les and Lorraine Parver got hitched 68 years ago and say the secret to a successful partnership is to “cultivate your own interests.”
In every Gurwin Jewish Calendar, the recounting of world history is chronicled via first hand narratives. This year’s photo shoot includes remarkable accounts of the Holocaust and World War II by the extraordinary heroes who withstood impossible circumstances. Gerald Burberry, escaped Nazi Germany via the Kindertransport and became a nature photographer. Burberry urges the young to take time to find the beauty in life and “Appreciate nature.” Edwin Zola, was drafted to the Army around the same time his family was taken to Auschwitz. Bearing witness to the horrors of war, Zola recollects that people should “use common sense” as a means of ending war. Ruth deBeer (AKA Ms. March) escaped Germany and rebuilt her life in the United States. She went to College at age 50 and says that is how we honor those lost in the Holocaust, so we “never forget.”
While every one of the Gurwin Jewish Assisted Living Residents in the Calendar are truly phenomenal individuals, Sidney Klein’s journey is unparalleled. Klein is a decorated World War II Army veteran with six battle stars and a Purple Heart, earned after being injured in the Battle of the Bulge. Mr. Klein says the two most important decisions he has ever made were marrying his wife and enlisting to serve his country. He credits his pride in our nation as a driving force in his life and encourages his younger Americans to “Serve your country.”
Smithown Today is overjoyed to recommend that ALL of our readers watch the behind the scenes video, documenting the making of the 2017 Gurwin Jewish “From Generation to Generation, L’dor v’ dor” Calendar. You can request a copy of the Calendar free of charge by emailing info@gurwin.org or by calling 631.715.8537.
We’d also like to encourage our readers to reach out to your senior loved ones and ask them to share a story with you, in hopes of passing on the history of the greatest generation to live among us.