University professor teaches neighbors via Ann’s Choice TV

Frequent travelers Sheldon and Marilyn Halpern will be the first to tell you: An overseas trip can be enlightening, often in unexpected ways.

Upon their return from a trip to Israel to visit their daughter and her family, Sheldon contracted pneumonia. They had been looking casually at senior communities for about five years, but this episode finally convinced them that it was time for a change. Once he recovered, they sold their house and moved to Ann’s Choice, the Erickson Living-managed community in Bucks County, Pa.

“At Ann’s Choice, we have a comfortable apartment, a wonderful circle of friends, and an incredible support system,” says Sheldon. “It wouldn’t be fair for us to live on our own and depend on [our adult children] when one is 1,500 miles away in Minneapolis and the other is half a world away in Israel. Moving was a gift to our children.”

Since their arrival three years ago, Sheldon, a retired college professor and administrator, has actively contributed to several educational endeavors at the community. The New York native, who earned his masters and Ph.D. in English from Columbia University, continues teaching college-level courses online. His most recent contribution is a course for Ann’s Choice Virtual University (ACVU), an online learning experience that broadcasts lectures over Ann’s Choice TV directly into residents’ homes.

“This is an ideal way to keep community members intellectually engaged,” notes Christa Segal, director of resident life. “The response from our resident presenters and participants has been incredible. And the TV station has done an outstanding job. We couldn’t have done it without them!”

Sharing his knowledge

Sheldon’s course centers on a passionate interest inspired by his travels. Entitled “How Geography Creates History: Five Cities of the Ancient Middle East,” the lecture explores how key locations in the region impacted the world from 3500 BCE to 1918 CE.

“During my year as a visiting professor at Tel Aviv and Hebrew Universities, I developed a keen interest in archeology,” says Sheldon. “We’ve been back often and have visited a number of places in the region. “Based on trips to Turkey, Jordan, and Israel, and the major cultural and historical events that occurred there, I thought it would make an interesting lecture. This is where the Roman Empire rose and fell, where Islam emerged and spread, and where the Ottoman Empire dominated for centuries, all because of where they are on the map,” he notes.

He begins in Cappadocia, an area in central Turkey made up of volcanic ash. “People built homes in caves carved into soft rock,” he notes. “In the 8th century, when the Arab Caliphate moved against the Byzantine empire, those cave dwellings expanded into a vast underground city where the residents could protect themselves against marauders.”

He discusses Meggido, an ancient town situated in a narrow mountain pass near the Mediterranean Sea. “Numerous ancient battles took place there,” Sheldon notes. “The most recent was in 1918 between the British and the Turks.”

While Meggido may be little known, its name in Greek—Armageddon—is familiar to most. “In Hebrew, it’s ‘Har Meggido,’” says Sheldon. “In the New Testament, which was written in Greek, it translated to ‘Armageddon,’ the place of the final battle on earth.”

He also covers the Nabataeans, a nomadic Arabian tribe that dominated the spice trade for centuries and built a vast kingdom, including fantastic cities like Petra, Jordan, now a world heritage site.

His first favorite subject

In addition to his historical and archeological interests, Sheldon is an avid reader. During his career, Sheldon taught a range of authors, genres, and periods in British literature. His chief interest, however, is the poetry of the English Romantics, including such luminaries as Wordsworth, Blake, Keats, Shelley, and Lord Byron.

To celebrate his love of verse, Sheldon organized a poetry group at Ann’s Choice that meets biweekly over Zoom.

“Participants send in poems they like, we read them aloud and discuss them,” he says. “Poetry is like a music score: It exists on the page but comes alive only when you hear it.”

Thanks to all these educational pursuits, Sheldon finds life at Ann’s Choice full, rich, and stimulating.

“We never stop learning,” he says, “and I’m delighted to be a part of that effort.”

If you'd like to learn more about on-campus groups and clubs, visit AnnsChoice.com or call 1-800-401-9069.

Ann’s Choice, one of 20 continuing care retirement communities managed by Erickson Living®, is situated on a scenic 103-acre campus in Warminster, Pennsylvania. The not-for-profit community of more than 1,900 residents and 1,000 employees is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, Inc., who provide independent financial and operational oversight of the community. Additional information about Ann’s Choice can be found at AnnsChoice.com

Written by Dorrie Anshel