12/27/2025
Shabbat Message from Rabbi Dovid S. Polter
In 1981, after spending a year studying in Israel, I boarded a plane home as a tired fifteen-year-old traveling alone. When the plane landed at Chicago O’Hare Airport, I was bleary-eyed but proud of having managed the trip by myself. As I filled out the customs form, I wrote down my date of birth without much thought: 12/12/24.
The officer looked at me, puzzled. “How old are you?” he asked.
“Fifteen,” I replied.
He raised an eyebrow. “Fifteen? You wrote that you were born in 1924.”
I stared at the form and realized what I’d done. I had added forty years to my life. What was supposed to be 12/12/64 had somehow become 12/12/24. The math made sense - twelve plus twelve equals twenty-four, but my age certainly didn’t.
At the time, it was just a funny mistake. But with the passage of time, I’ve come to learn that even mistakes carry meaning. Looking back forty years later, I now spend much of my life working with seniors, people who, in fact, are about forty years my senior.
I find joy in their presence and wisdom in their words. Their insights are seasoned by experience, their stories filled with lessons that only a lifetime can teach. I often feel that I learn more by listening to them than from any book or lecture.
So, when you hear an idea, a thought, or even a passing comment from someone older, pause and take it in. Within those words may lie depth, perspective, and growth, the kind that only time can give.
Enjoy some inspiration - Shabbat Shalom by Phone
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Rabbi Dovid S. Polter, Jewish Community Chaplaincy Program, Jewish Senior Life
248-592-5039 • dpolter@jslmi.org
