DOROT

05/26/2026

Research shows that taking part in arts and cultural programs plays a major role in helping older adults connect, build relationships, and create meaning.

At DOROT, that can be as simple as drawing a different flower every month.

On a recent afternoon, a group of older adults gathered around tables with watercolor sets, paper, and brushes. This month’s flower was the rose, chosen as part of a yearlong theme exploring flowers that can be used to make tea.

“It’s not easy to draw,” says teaching artist April Lombardi, who spent more than 20 years teaching at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. “Everyone struggles at some point. And when you’re sitting next to someone who’s going through the same thing, that creates connection.”

You may ask your neighbor a question, give a compliment on their progress, or ask to borrow their purple crayon. Each moment builds connection.

“We see a lot of the same people,” April says. “You know you’re going to be among friends.”

Access makes that possible.

DOROT offers all of its programming free of charge, so anyone can show up, try something, and make a connection.

Join us: https://www.dorotusa.org/calendar/

05/21/2026

“Talking about death doesn’t make it happen any sooner.”

Those wise words are from end-of-life consultant Arielle Friedtanzer. Recently, 35 of us joined her on Zoom — from our kitchens, our living rooms, all over the country — to plan our own funerals.

These tips are based on that session, called Putting the “U” Back in Funeral. What came out of the room was warmer, funnier, and more meaningful than you might expect.

5 things we learned about planning your own celebration of life:

1. The right person to carry out your wishes isn’t always the obvious one.

2. You need to have the conversation with the person you want to carry out your wishes—don’t put it off.

3. Even if your wishes can’t be honored exactly, the conversation itself is the gift.

4. Honor what you loved — even the things you spent a lifetime saying no to.

5. A traditional funeral, a celebration of life, or both — make it yours.

DOROT offers free programs like this online and on-site, for adults 60+. Join us from anywhere.

🔗 Explore DOROT’s free programs and join us from anywhere.
https://www.dorotusa.org/calendar/

05/21/2026

“Talking about death doesn’t make it happen any sooner.”

Those wise words are from end-of-life consultant Arielle Friedtanzer. Recently, 35 of us joined her on Zoom — from our kitchens, our living rooms, all over the country — to plan our own funerals.

These tips are based on that session, called Putting the “U” Back in Funeral. What came out of the room was warmer, funnier, and more meaningful than you might expect.

5 things we learned about planning your own celebration of life:

1. The right person to carry out your wishes isn’t always the obvious one.

2. You need to have the conversation with the person you want to carry out your wishes—don’t put it off.   

3. Even if your wishes can’t be honored exactly, the conversation itself is the gift.

4. Honor what you loved — even the things you spent a lifetime saying no to.

5. A traditional funeral, a celebration of life, or both — make it yours.

DOROT offers free programs like this online and on-site, for adults 60+. Join us from anywhere.   

🔗 Explore DOROT’s free programs and join us from anywhere. Link in bio.

05/20/2026

You may have seen the headlines—so let’s be clear: DOROT is not shutting down.

A recent eJewishPhilanthropy article highlights how confusion between two organizations with the same name caused concern among members of the DOROT community.

In fact, we’re here, we’re strong, and our work continues.

Read the full story: https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/the-dorot-foundation-is-shuttering-the-anti-loneliness-dorot-nonprofit-is-emphatically-not/

05/15/2026

Wellness in motion.

From guided group movement to playful moments with colorful balloons, these scenes capture what connection looks like at DOROT. Participants reach, toss, and move together—building coordination, energy, and community with every step.

This is what it means to Champion Your Health: staying active, embracing joy, and strengthening connection.

Join DOROT in celebrating Older Americans Month! Let’s keep the movement going—and our connections even stronger 💜🎈

05/12/2026

Tomorrow is SAVvy Day!

What’s that, you say? 🤔 Let us give you the quick scoop.

SAVvy Day stands for Solo Aging Visibility Day. It’s a national movement designed to raise awareness about solo aging and celebrate the creativity, resilience, and planning that help people thrive without the ready support of family nearby.

This SAVvy Day, we’ll host a series of online conversations that offer practical tools, thoughtful perspectives, and opportunities to learn with others.

Join us from wherever you are for one or all of these online programs, all happening Wednesday, May 13.

✨ Emergency Planning for Solo Agers

Be prepared—learn how to organize and plan ahead for unexpected situations.

✨ Policy Solutions for Solo Aging

Explore ideas that can improve the future of solo aging—and how you can help move them forward.

✨ Decluttering for Solo Agers

Reframe your space, your story, and your legacy while learning practical ways to let go and lighten your load.

✨ Ethical Decision-Making in Healthcare

Understand the role of clinical ethics and how solo agers can navigate complex healthcare decisions.

✨ Solo Agers Panel Discussion

Gain insight from solo agers across the country as they share how they’re navigating where and how to live, making healthcare decisions, decluttering their lives, and building reliable support systems.

✨ Ready to join us? Register and explore the online programs that caught your interest:

https://www.dorotusa.org/news-stories/solo-aging-visibility-day-2026/

Navigating Solo Network: The path to dynamic solo aging starts here

Join us for Solo Aging Visibility Day (SAVvy Day) programming at DOROT, where we will raise awareness, foster understanding, and build a supportive community for solo agers.

05/06/2026

Technology is essential to staying connected to the world, for older adults as much as everyone else. And with DOROT’s Tech Coaching program, no one has to feel embarrassed about what they don’t know. You can meet one-on-one at home with a trained volunteer to tackle all sorts of common tech questions. Sessions might focus on everyday essentials like email or Zoom, or more creative interests like social media or digital storytelling. Along the way, you’ll build confidence with tech and have fun doing it.

Only looking for a one-time coaching session? At DOROT’s drop-in Tech Coaching meet-ups, older adults can come with any question about their devices, big or small. The atmosphere is welcoming and judgment-free, with a strong peer-to-peer feel. Come as you are, ask anything. Whether you have one quick tech question or want a bit more support, Tech Coaching is here.

👉 https://www.dorotusa.org/programs/tech-coaching/

04/29/2026

As Global Volunteer Month comes to a close, we're spotlighting our intergenerational programs, where every participant is a volunteer—whether you're 15 or 85!

From intergenerational chess and our summer teen internship to virtual discussion groups through GENuine Connections® and more, there are so many meaningful ways the generations come together at DOROT.

Swipe to hear what volunteers Jack and Lili have gained from their time playing chess together in Westchester ♟️➡️

| The Eisner Foundation, Generations United, Generations Working Together.

04/27/2026

🌍 Global Intergenerational Week 2026 | April 24–30

Now in its sixth year, Global Intergenerational Week celebrates the power of meaningful connections between generations worldwide—and at DOROT, this work is at our core.

Today, we’re sharing one of our favorite videos, “You Shine: DOROT Intergenerational Connections,” which showcases friendships between older adults and teens—relationships filled with joy, trust, and shared understanding. These connections are just one of the many ways DOROT combats loneliness every single day, both IRL (in real life 🙂) and online.

➡️ Join us: Learn more about our online intergenerational program, GENuine Connections, and find out how you can get involved at www.dorotusa.org/GENuineconnections

| The Eisner Foundation | Generations United | Generations Working Together

04/24/2026

It’s been an energizing few days at the American Society on Aging conference. ✨

Our team connected with colleagues from across the aging field—bringing DOROT’s work into conversations about evaluation, belonging, and justice driven community programs.

Julia Kessler-Hollar, Senior Program Officer of Supportive Services, presented on DOROT’s new strengths-based home assessment, reframing what it looks like to truly see older adults in their own spaces.

Ali Hodin Baier, Chief Program Officer, joined Amy Eisenstein of the RRF Foundation for Aging to demystify program evaluation for community-based organizations.

Claire Solomon Nisen & Charles Markham, Managers on our Onsite & Special Programs team, partnered with SAGE and Justice In Aging for a powerful panel on meeting this moment for LGBTQIA+ elders, immigrants, people of color, and older adults living on limited incomes.

Between sessions, our team reconnected with longtime collaborators, met new ones, and sat in rooms full of people deeply committed to aging with dignity, belonging, and joy.

We're leaving inspired, connected, and ready to bring these ideas back home. Thank you to the American Society on Aging for a meaningful week! 💜