Returning safely to our building, and keeping connections alive online
When the Himan Brown 60+ Program opened its physical doors again on June 15, eager members returned with gusto. Program director Julia Zeuner says, “they were overjoyed simply to be in the same room with each other again.” Among the first in-person offerings were the Open Lounge for socializing, Game Play, and what turned out to be a greatly popular series of cocktail parties on our rooftop, with up to 75 members in attendance. “People are so excited to be back and to reconnect with friends and the things they love,” says Zeuner. Encouraged by the response, in-person activities have expanded to include lectures, discussion groups, fitness classes, piano recitals, Supervised Bridge and more. In-person studio art classes resumed on Tuesday, a film series with onsite screenings and discussion started up on Friday, and much more is planned for fall. All in-person activities are for fully vaccinated members, and all interactions are with fully vaccinated staff.
Zeuner appreciates that some members are more ready than others to return to in-person activities – also, that it’s simply more logistically possible for some. In addition to differences in individual circumstance and comfort level, the program’s pivot to 100% virtual programming during the pandemic resulted in the registration of new members from far beyond 92Y’s physical space. Zeuner and her staff are now making it a priority to offer classes and activities in a hybrid format wherever possible so that all members have access, whether in person or virtually. "Connection and engagement have always been my highest priority, especially during the pandemic, and there are now wonderful new possibilities in how people can connect and engage," says Zeuner. "What’s most important is that however members choose to engage with the Himan Brown program – whether virtually or in person – they are welcomed by our strong community and find fulfillment and intellectual stimulation from our programming.”
Zeuner also spoke enthusiastically about a new blended membership between the HB 60+ Program and 92Y’s May Center for Health, Fitness & Sport. Just launched, 92Y’s 60+ Community Membership offers “the best of both programs,” she says. “We’re excited to be giving HB 60+ Program members full access to our amazing pool, cardio court, weight room and May Center classes. And we’re equally excited to be giving May Center members an opportunity to explore their diverse interests and to become part of a wonderful community of lifelong learners. It’s all about community building,” she says, "and offering a terrific platform for vital older adults interested in living their fullest lives.”
The story of one older adult doing just that was captured in a July feature in The New York Times. Ninety-three-year-old Dr. Vera Jiji has been a Himan Brown program member, 92Y supporter and member of HB’s Chamber Music Group for 33 years. The group gives experienced musicians age 60+ the opportunity for collaboration, study and an annual performance. Dr. Jiji rediscovered her love of the cello in this group after she retired from her career as a college professor at 62, finding not only a place to rekindle her love affair with music, but discovering an entirely new community after leaving the one she’d established in her college life. Reflecting on joining 92Y’s Chamber Music Group in 1988, she remarked in the Times, “Even though I was aging I learned I could still re-enter this wonderful world of creating music. And the community I lost I found again. Music gave me a new group of people. It gave me support. It gave me a new home.” Read the full story.
Julia Zeuner’s days are filled with supporting, nourishing and enriching the lives of the Himan Brown 60+ Program’s members, and also to growing the program. Taking a moment to reflect on the impact of it all, the return to in-person programming and more she says, “the commitment and enthusiasm of our members speaks both to the program’s place in their lives and the fortitude of this incredible 92Y community. I marvel at our members every day.”
Learn more about the Himan Brown 60+ Program.