Lights, Camera, Retirement!

When Ruthie Rotem, a school guidance counselor, was forced to retire at the age of 65, she took it pretty hard. "I was miserable. I thought the world had come to an end," says Rotem. "I didn't know what to do with myself." That all changed when Ruthie took notice of a new community television production course for retirees. Sponsored by JDC/ESHEL - the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee's partnership with the Israeli government - Community Television for the Retired has provided the opportunity for hundreds of individuals in 18 communities throughout Israel to learns skills ranging from writing and editing scripts, camera technique to post-production and distribution.

The innovative project began ten years ago when when cable TV first came to Israel. According to the law, air time had to be devoted to community television and part of that was to be about the elderly. Dr. Yitzhak Brick, director of JDC-ESHEL felt: "Who better to produce these programs than the elderly themselves?" Says the newly accomplished retiree Ruthie Rotem, "I found new content in my life. I found a place where I could express myself. I always worked, always thought about work. I never had the time to express all the things that were inside me. Now I can do that.

For other retired film students, this program is the fulfillment of an old dream. When Ora Terry was younger, she had a hard time choosing between social work and art as a career. Social work won out, but now that she is retired, she feels she can finally make room for her first love. In addition to drawing, sculpting and creative writing, Ora is now producing short pieces for public television. "I feel the need to look into my roots, and this gives me the chance to do so."

Rotem, Terry and 35 others between the ages of 55 and 75, all graduates of the initial course, meet for four hours every two weeks with their instuctor Eran Shapira, a television and film producer and director in a Tel Aviv community center. They screen works in progress, share feedback, and learn new techniques. On a recent Tuesday morning in early spring, the group viewed Rotem's film on exercise for osteoporosis, critiqued it, planned their next monthly television magazine, Transitions , and got tips from Shapira about how to most efficiently use their time in the editing room.

The work is demanding and not everyone is accepted. Out of 80 who signed up for a course in Jerusalem, only 30 were accepted. The program appeals to a growing number of people who may not find his or her place in a social club for the elderly. The sponsors are looking for intelligence, ability, and the willingness to work with people. Says Pnina Amit, a social worker, "These are people who did a lot and still do a lot...People sometimes feel empty when they retire, and their feelings of self worth decline. Here, they feel that they are doing something, that they are still contributing to society."

The retirees (they don't like the word elderly) who take part in the community television program become passionately involved in their new work. They commonly use words like 'fascinating,' and 'exciting' to describe their experiences. In the meetings they are engaged and animated. "Israel's elderly population has surged by 50% in the last decade and it's important that they have as many of the same opportunities to voice their concerns that younger members of society have," says JDC's Dr. Brick. "Through television, they can do just that, and contribute their lifetime's experience and knowledge to the wider community."

The Tel Aviv group includes several former journalists, social workers, teachers and other professionals. Yosef Florsheim, a former banker, signed up because he wanted to do something he'd never done before. Not only is he trying to broaden his own horizons, he is determined to broaden the horizons of his audience through films on cooking. A retired public relations professional, Rivka Visnia, says she was always fascinated by what went on behind the screen and how a five-minute program can take a week to make. She explains that she is enchanted by the complexity, the creativity, and the teamwork of film making. The project offers an opportunity for participants to work with their peers and to maintain such crucial skills as negotiation, the contribution of ideas and improving the lives of others.

In addition to self-expression, the participants have actually effected change. In Rehovot, potholes were fixed and in Akko, lighting was added in a dark neighborhood after shows produced by retirees exposed such problems on local television.

In addition to the Community Television for Retirees project, JDC's ESHEL program has recently sponsored a number of projects which allow retirees to discover how computers and internet access can enrich their lives.

by Randy Sloane