This is my costume

I’m a big fan of Halloween. I love thinking up great costume ideas even if they never see the light of day or the darkness of night. It wasn’t always the case. My mother didn’t sew and her attempts at making me homemade costumes usually fell flat. The last costume she made for me involved her patiently gluing and sewing red yarn to a shower cap and trying to rig a wire coat hanger covered with braids in the same red yarn to each side of the cap. Glue and gravity were not my friend that Halloween and I went to a costume party with a “Pippi Longstocking” sign around my neck, so it wasn’t a total bust. It was a nice try though and not my mom’s worst effort for sure. It really doesn’t matter how good or bad your costume is when you’re a kid. People still give you candy and who doesn’t love candy? I sure do, except for those godawful Mary Jane candies—blech! They could have all been Snickers or Twix or Smarties. But even then, you still had to worry that some meanie would give you a piece of candy with a razor blade inside. Worse yet, there were those well-meaning people who handed out apples, popcorn balls, pennies wrapped in cellophane, or toothbrushes. Oh, the horror! The great thing about Halloween is that it’s a time when it’s okay to jump with fear at the slightest sound, to watch scary movies, to eat fun-sized candy, to rent or buy a costume if your crafting skills are a little lacking, and to otherwise exorcise your demons.

Stay safe and healthy,

Tracy Jacobs

OSHER MEMBERS ARE INVITED

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore invites you:

Mark Oppenheimer in conversation with Saima Sitwat
Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood

Tuesday, November 2 at 7:00 p.m.
The Gordon Center, Owings Mills, MD
Tickets are Required

Join author Mark Oppenheimer, in conversation with writer and educator Saima Sitwat, on his new book, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood, a piercing portrait of the struggles and triumphs of one of America’s renowned Jewish neighborhoods in the wake of unspeakable tragedy, that highlights the hopes, fears, and tensions all Americans must confront on the road to healing.

Event tickets include one copy of the book and access to the in-person discussion event. Your book purchase not only supports the arts at the Baltimore JCC and local independent booksellers, but it also ensures that we can continue to bring you these engaging events. Books will be available for pickup at the event and shipped after the event; please allow 7-10 business days for delivery due to Covid-related USPS delays!

Part of the Baltimore Festival of Jewish Literature, a showcase of literary events reflecting important issues facing the Jewish community, featuring conversations with authors to inspire work towards justice and peace. This event is presented in In Partnership with The JCC of Greater Baltimore/ The Gordon Center, Osher at Towson University , Jewish Volunteer Connection, and Har Sinai Oheb Shalom.

Learn More & Get Tickets

*Saima Sitwat is teaching "Muslims in the Neighborhood" this fall at Osher at Towson University. Osher is excited to partner with the JCC on this event.

A partnership with Baltimore County Department of Aging’s Age- and Dementia-Friendly Initiatives, Towson University, and Baltimore County Parks and Recreation.

Free & Friendly Forest Meetups

October 12–November 16
Every Tuesday, 11 a.m. – Noon
Willow Grove Farm entrance to Cromwell Valley Park; we begin at the picnic tables in front of the Nature Center

Bring: Mask; individual water bottle
Dress: Dress for the weather – we’re on rain or shine!
Lunch: Linger with your picnic lunch following the program if you’d like

We welcome you and your friends, family, and neighbors to a lovely hour exploring nature together and meeting up with old and new friends. Our pace is friendly – which means slow and enjoyable to meet the needs and interests of individuals of all ages and abilities – especially caregivers/care partners and those who are older and living with physical and/or cognitive challenges.

To RSVP please contact Emily Kearns at ekearns@baltimorecountymd.gov or call 410-887-4751.

Ongoing: Towson University Department of Kinesiology Seeks Volunteers

Are you inactive or recreationally active?

Purpose: We are conducting a study to examine muscle oxygen consumption in response to two stimuli (following a rush of blood, or muscle stimulation) across various ages and how it relates to quality of life.

Inclusion criteria: Healthy, non-smokers, 18 or older with a body mass index (BMI) of < 30kg/m2, and either inactive or recreationally active (moderate intensity aerobic or resistance exercise for ³80 minutes/week), ability to walk continuously for ~30 minutes.

Exclusion criteria: Smoker, BMI > 30kg/m2, musculoskeletal injury, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorder or health condition in which high intensity exercise is not recommended.

Requirements: Testing will involve several online questionnaires and 1 visit to our lab located at 1 Olympic Place (participants will be given a parking code for free parking in the garage).

Testing will include:

Questionnaires about your health and physical activity
Blood pressure measures
A blood flow test
A muscle stimulation test
A walking test
A muscular endurance test

If interested, please contact: Rian Landers-Ramos, Ph.D. (rlandersramos@towson.edu) or Hyunjeong Park, Ph.D., MPH, MSN, RN (hpark@towson.edu)

Osher member, Helen Lacy, gets into the Halloween spirit!

NEXT UP AT OSHER: WINTER AND SPRING

We will host the winter Lecture Series in January and February. Spring 2022 semester starts in early March. Make sure to check your emails and this newsletter for more information—coming soon!

In Memoriam

We remember Osher members that have passed away recently. While we work hard to provide accurate updates, please let us know if you are aware of an Osher friend’s passing by contacting osher@towson.edu.