By COLlive staff
Medical experts around the world have been eagerly working to find a pill that will help prevent or delay dementia and Alzheimer’s disease for decades now, but a senior neurologist says that a project the Rebbe has started actually provides a vital solution.
“Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is one of the world’s greatest medical threats as the number of people who suffer from these diseases grows as life expectancy grows,” says Dr. Yakir Kaufman, Director of Neurology Services at the Herzog Hospital, a geriatric-psychiatric hospital in Jerusalem.
Working at a medical center that specializes in nursing care for the elderly, Dr. Kaufman has in recent years conducted extensive research that shows that a higher level of spirituality may help slow the progress of Alzheimer’s Disease. His findings were widely reported about on Fox News, ABC News, newspapers and radio.
In a new interview, Dr. Kaufman said: “The visionary Lubavitcher Rebbe actually created a solution for Dementia and Alzheimer’s prevention, decades ago. The Lubavitcher Rebbe understood that the Tiferes Zekeinim project is one of the main projects that can actually enhance health, give meaning and prevent disease.”
Kollel Tiferes Zekeinim Levi Yitzchok is a network of Torah study institutions that have been operating for elderly men and women by the Colel Chabad charity organization.
The 7 branches in Israel were founded 34 years ago at the request of the Rebbe to honor the memory of his scholarly and pious father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneerson, of blessed memory.
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Dr. Kaufman has a particular interest in the activities of Tiferes Zekeinim as he also takes a spiritual approach to healing, placing the patient at the center of the healing process. “We learned that the patients with higher levels of spirituality or higher levels of religiosity may have a significantly slower progression of cognitive decline,” he says.
“The Lubavitcher Rebbe spoke time after time about the importance of primary prevention of disease, instead of treating disease and the Tiferes Zekeinim project is a very important part of this,” he said.
The neurologist says that there are more than 30 risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Part of them are medial, physical risk factors, but lately doctors have identified psychosocial risk factors including meaninglessness, depression, stress, subjective feeling of loneliness and low cognitive stimulation.
“Interestingly enough, all these major risk factors that are even more robust than the known medical physical risk factors, these 5 psychosocial risk factors happen as a group when one retires and becomes unoccupied and not busy.
At Tiferes Zekeinim, he says, “you actually see how the interactions -with the rabbi and within the group itself- gives them a sense of meaning, knowledge, cognitive stimulation and a sense of belonging and that someone cares about them and someone actually wants them to enhance their learning, their health and wellbeing.”
Dr. Kaufman, who is a Lubavitcher chossid, reveals that he actually refers patients to Tiferes Zekeinim kollels.
“I see that they achieve a stabilization of their situation in terms of their wellbeing and also their cognitive level,” he explains. “I see people that come from Tiferes Zekeinim and they actually maintain a level of cognition which is very important. In a way, this is a success story in terms of prevention. I think it is very important to open more Tiferes Zekeinim centers.”
Colel Chabad has launched a crowdfunding campaign “Honor the Rebbe’s Father” to establish 4 new kollels in honor of Chof Av, yartzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok. Dr. Kaufman says he supports the campaign wholeheartedly and called on the public to donate generously.
“I think that we should add more and more Tiferes Zekeinim,” he said. “Every neighborhood deserves a Tiferes Zekeinim center so we can enhance the health and wellbeing in every aspect of our elderly people and make life more meaningful and therefore also prevent disease.”
Donate today to inspire the lives of the elderly at HonorTheRebbesFather.com
It is teally Pikuach Nefesh and can save the lives and health of so many elderly people worldwide. We can all make the difference and make it happen!
Tiferes zekeinim in CH is basically a shiur for the men. What if they have hearing problems or even some mild dementia, and can’t keep up with the speaker.
I would suggest after the learning, lunch should be served, then time for one on one learning.
(Lunch of course should be dietetic, no sugar, low salt, and not much carb.)
Also on a side note, we need some programs for women. Yes there are numerous shiurim in CH, but not everyone can sit through regular shiurim, we need other activities, lunch, speakers, entertainment, etc. etc.
crown heights hosts tiferes zikainim in 770 near the entrance to the kingston ave vaiber shul.
on a side note, the lack of derech eretz for elders (ergo the chutzpah towards elders) in our community is astonishing and needs to be worked on.
The Chabad House in Johannesburg runs a very successful and well attended Tiferes Zikeinimnorogram which includes transportation, therapies, meals, shiurim, technology and more. It was a life saver for my aging grandparents and certainly staved off deterioration of dementia. The rabbi also would visited my grandparents when they became more frail and less able to attend. He officiated zaida’s funeral with much meaning and sensitivity. I’m grateful to Chabad for that and would encourage other Shluchim and Chabad Houses to emulate their projects.
It is teally Pikuach Nefesh and can save the lives and health of so many elderly people worldwide. We can all make the difference and make it happen!
It is teally Pikuach Nefesh and can save the lives and health of so many elderly people worldwide. We can all make the difference and make it happen!
There are daily programs for the elderly where seniors learn Torah here in Crown Heights, in English and in Yiddish if you need any more information you can call the kollel tifereth zekainim Levi yitzchok office at 718 604 2022 or email: [email protected]
The world needs this, in many languages.
Boro Park is a huge community most of whom use Yiddish as their daily language at home and school.
CH is an English speaking community with Yiddish as a second language for many.
only the oldests members of our community are more comfortable in Yiddish than English.
Nice program. What about Crown Heights?
Unfortunately, some elderly are undeserved and neglected in the Crown Heights community. Yiddish speaking Alzheimers patients need to go to borough park for any useful program. Unfortunately I know.