
Zone in on a Healthier, Longer Life
Given a choice, everyone would want to live a longer, healthier life. And that’s what Blue Zone is all about. On Sunday we had our special ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the beginning of this very positive program for our Preschool of the Arts. While we always strive to promote wellness and good health, as the Torah mentions so many times how we have to guard our bodies, we are pleased to have the opportunity to provide this to our children. Just last year I shared my thoughts with you on this topic in an article in the Federation Star, and because of its significance and in order for everyone to appreciate the value of living ‘in the Blue Zone', I am repeating it here.
May Your New Year Be Blue!
Who doesn’t want to live a longer, healthier life! Are you aware that it could be within your reach, brought to a Blue Zone neighborhood near you by Dr. Alan Weiss of NCH?
Blue Zone is a worldwide movement to transform the wellbeing of a community by encouraging small but significant changes to lifestyles which will result in healthier, happier people who live longer and better. People who live in Blue Zones around the world commonly live to 100 years of age. They practise similar activities such as participation in purposeful lives, plant-based diets, red wine, spiritual events, down-shifting stress levels, multigenerational families, and belong to faith-based communities.
As a dedicated family man, I am excited to hear that NCH made a 10-year commitment to bring Blue Zone to our community. We all want our children and friends to enjoy quality living. As the Bal Shem Tov, the founder of Chassidism said, a small opening in the body is a big hole in the soul; the mental and physical elements in our bodies are interconnected. One of the commandments in the Torah as one studies is not to neglect to exercise and care for the body.
As a Rabbi I recognize a profound message here for all of us and can assure Dr. Weiss of our support as we aim to enter the Blue Zone.
We are approaching the High Holidays, a time to look back, assess, and then look forward to the coming year. We ask the following questions: How do I fill my year with meaning? How do I increase the quality of my family’s Jewish life? How do I take it to the next level?
All we have to do is look at the Blue Zone project to guide us straight to a HappyNew Year.
One of the steps of this project is to wake up with purpose each day. Our tradition teaches us that G-d created the world in an unfinished state and made us His partners to complete perfecting it. That is why we celebrate Rosh Hashana on the birthday of Adam and Eve, not on the first day of creation: we realize we are part of G-d’s master plan of creation, that each positive deed or act of kindness , no matter how small, makes a difference, gives us purpose each day and enhances the quality of our lives and those around us.
Down-shift, find a stress-relieving strategy to counter obligations and busy schedules. Look no further than the gift of Shabbat or our High Holidays as days of rest, time to wind down and spend quality family time - another one of the steps.
But my favorite step is to belong and participate in a faith-based community. It has been my unbiased experience that belonging to Naples Chabad, which offers faith, social, and humanitarian services will increase your happiness and enhance the quality of your life.
We must remember part of our extended family is Israel where our brothers and sisters need our support. Take the time to learn more about Israel or visit there to touch base with your heritage,in this country that has been our beacon of light.
With the holidays at hand, I encourage you to “take the pledge”: join this group of people and families who are starting the New Year afresh, with a clear strategy to improve not only their physical lives but also their emotional and spiritual wellbeing. See you in the Blue Zone?