Dec 18, 2023
As we close out another year and welcome in a new one, it’s an opportune time to pause and contemplate where we are in our lives, personally and as a nation. Are we happy and productive as we move into our later years? Spiritually fulfilled? How are we dealing with our challenges and crises? Are we finding ways to come together in community, to discuss and resolve differences, and move forward? In today’s episode, we talk with Rabbi Robert S.Widom of Temple Emanuel of Great Neck, New York, who has been senior rabbi at the synagogue since 1969. Rabbi Widom has long promoted the development of strong community, promoting moral values while supporting a diversity of beliefs and opinions that make up America. He’ll reflect on his long tenure at Temple Emanuel, his experiences as a spiritual leader navigating turbulent times. As we celebrate a holiday season for many faiths, Rabbi Widom will describe his continual efforts to promote interfaith collaboration and dialogue through the Long Island Ethnic Coalition of Faith Partners—bringing together Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu and Muslim groups. And he’ll describe his congregation’s highly-regarded lecture program, created to present a wide range of events and intellectual thought that reaches out to people, regardless of their background.
Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in. My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents. The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.