Respecting and Honoring Our Elderly Citizens
Ma’ariv, Israel, October 1
The International Day of Older Persons, celebrated worldwide on October 1, is significant for all populations, and not only for those who regularly deal with the wellbeing and rights of the elderly. This is a golden opportunity for all of us to stop and think about the generation of parents and founders: those who saw, learned, hoped, worked, and achieved their lives before us. We live in a country that is committed to moral and cultural values, both Jewish and humanistic. The strength of a society is measured based on its treatment of the weak. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to instill in the next generation values of compassion, respect, care, humanity, and tolerance. It is our duty to know how to allocate personal and public resources for the elderly and the lonely. They are part of us. It is up to us, the younger generation, to create employment opportunities for the elderly and to make sure that public services are easily and readily available to the elderly, who may lack digital literacy. In my public activity both inside and outside the Knesset, I placed the concern for the needs of senior citizens at the top of my agenda. My parents, who recently passed away, lived a long life. I had the privilege of taking care of them during their final years. The Torah commandment of “you shall rise in the presence of an elderly person and honor the presence of a sage” is a life mission of mine. A mission not to be taken lightly. I am currently promoting the law on the exemption from ambulance fees, for citizens who often arrive by ambulance to a hospital due to their health condition but are not hospitalized. Let us remember that the elderly have contributed to society for a long time. Many of them are Holocaust survivors who faced the horrors of the Nazis, some immigrated to Israel in makeshift ways or took part in the establishment of the state as citizens and soldiers. Especially during the High Holidays, when we often gather, hosting and entertaining family and friends, we must not forget the elderly and the weak. Let us adopt at the beginning of the year one good habit that will accompany us in the year to come. Let us look with appreciation and sincere concern for the sons and daughters of the previous generation who live around us. Let us continue to work to provide them with the ability to live and grow old with dignity. – Etty Atia, member of Knesset (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
