“Connection is why we’re here. We are hardwired to connect with others, it's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.”                 ― Brené Brown, Daring Greatly

Even before the onset of COVID-19, three in ten of all adults reported lacking companionship, feeling left out, and feeling isolated from others, according to the AARP. The pandemic has only exacerbated this problem. Isolation is a major risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure, and early onset dementia—and its health impact is as severe as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. 

That’s why we saw a need for K’vod. K’vod is the Hebrew word for honor and respect.

K’vod partners with our community’s congregations, agencies, and community members to identify those who would benefit from more social engagement, meanwhile building a referral network that includes rabbis, Jewish professionals, medical professionals, attorneys, police departments, and others who provide services to older adults. 

K’vod Connect also partners with AgeWell Cincinnati, a central resource connecting older adults to more than sixty available services among its four partner organizations. Those include the Mayerson JCC’s nationally accredited Senior Center, Meals on Wheels, and Shalom Phone programs, as well as Jewish Family Service’s Center for Holocaust Survivors, Russian Jewish Cultural Center, and counseling and care management programs. AgeWell Cincinnati is uniquely positioned to help improve the quality of life of these older adults, by not only addressing isolation but the myriad and complex issues people in this population often face. 

For more information or to help us help others, please contact Rabbi Yair Walton at (513) 766-3333 or ywalton@jfscinti.org