BPJCC Senior Expo Draws 2,000-Plus Participants Preparing to Step Into Their Golden Years 

By Yehuda Alter

(BPJCC) — The Ateres Chaya Ballroom in the center of Boro Park was filled to the brim on Sunday morning and afternoon with more than 2,000 men and women eager for the next stage in their lives, the golden years.

This was the second annual senior expo presented by the Boro Park JCC, and its CEO, Rabbi Avi Greenstein, could not be prouder of the turnout and the incredible energy in the room. “Last year’s inaugural event drew 1,500 to an event that was new to the community — but so direly needed. This year we added more than 500 to that number,” said Rabbi Greenstein.

He credits the incredible teamwork of many players — including the team at the JCC who “worked for close to a year to plan this event, and the incredible and prominent presenters and exhibitors who inspired and educated the participants with everything they could wish to know — and more — about this beautiful stage in their lives.”

The Master of Ceremonies was the engaging and entertaining Jake Turx of Ami Magazine, who sometimes had the crowd in stitches — but otherwise kept the proceedings moving flawlessly, interspersed with humor and fascinating information.

Dr. Nir Y. Uriel of Columbia Hospital, a world-renowned cardiology expert, dedicated his entire day to this event. Aside from his incredible keynote address, he patiently spent time meeting with fellow physicians from the community, members of Hatzolah and many participants on matters relating to heart health and much more. He was joined by Dr. Irving Friedman and Dr. Meir Cohen, a neurologist and diabetes expert respectively, who likewise dedicated themselves to providing consultations at no charge to the participants.

It is no secret that people entering their golden years are often caring for elderly parents, and must handle matters of estate planning and medical Halachah for their loved ones and for themselves. Here too, the expo outdid itself with fascinating presentations chock-full of crucial information in these areas, based on decades of experience of the experts.

Another issue affecting seniors is phone and email scams, which have become so common, unfortunately. NYPD Inspector Richie Taylor was on hand with his team, and made a presentation, bringing awareness of this issue.

Dozens of booths, staffed by experts in a dizzying array of fields, lined the entire hall — availing those in attendance to learn about health care, senior living, estate planning and so much more.

A slew of elected officials made their appearances as well — paying homage to the importance of this event for our community. Many of them had a hand in arranging the event. “A special thank you for Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein and Councilman Kalman Yeger for making the effort to attend,” Rabbi Greenstein said.

“The positive feedback did not stop coming all day, and continued flooding the JCC inbox,” reported a staffer. “People were effusive in lauding the event.  The layout. The booths. The volunteers. The information.”

“It illustrated tremendous effort and planning, and led to an excellent execution,” said one participant. 

The booths have by now been disassembled, and the exhibitors and presenters have returned to daily life — but the knowledge and empowerment felt by the 2,000+ seniors will remain with them for a long time to come.

Photos by Hillel Lichtenstein