Elderly Russian Immigrants Celebrate Thanksgiving With Friends and Feast

Reflecting on the many things they have to be thankful for, participants in the JCC of the Greater Five Towns’ Russian Come Alive Social Day Program for elderly Russian immigrants recently came together to celebrate Thanksgiving.

For the seniors, the American holiday, and all the trimmings, has become a tradition and a time to express their gratitude for the luncheon and the many social and enrichment programs the JCC provides for them.

At a luncheon featuring turkey and all the trimmings, courtesy of the Inwood Country Club, the seniors warmly welcomed the annual feast, held at North Woodmere Park. They shared their appreciation to the Inwood Country Club for their generosity in hosting the traditional Thanksgiving feast and expressed gratitude to Rina Shkolnik, executive director of the JCC of the Greater Five Towns and to Irina Vainblat, Director of the Russian Come Alive Social Day Program and to the program coordinators, Yelena Fridman, Yulia Gross and Larisa Levina.

The Russian Come Alive Social Day Program offers a wide range of social and recreational outings and activities designed to meet the needs of the growing, but sometimes socially isolated Russian senior citizens throughout the Five Towns, Far Rockaway and surrounding areas.

For more information on this and other programs offered by the JCC of the Greater Five Towns, visit www.fivetownsjcc.org or call 516-569-6733.

The Jewish Community Center of the Greater Five Towns is a beneficiary agency of the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation of New York, a member agency of the United Way of Long Island, the Jewish Community Centers Association and an affiliate of the Five Towns Community Chest. It serves the communities of Cedarhurst, East Rockaway, Far Rockaway, Hewlett, Inwood, Lawrence, Lynbrook, Malverne, Valley Stream, West Hempstead, and Woodmere.