Classes begin Monday, Feb. 15
The Simon Family JCC was Joe Fleischmann’s home away from home. He knew everyone and spent at least a few full days a week at the JCC taking classes, exercising, eating lunch, and being with friends.
When he passed away last year at 89, his niece, Janet Gelman, wanted something left in his memory at the JCC.
Fleischmann was very humble, and he wanted to give what he had back to the JCC. When he finally bought himself a computer, he donated it to the JCC, figuring he could use it there. It was from that computer that he emailed Gelman in New Jersey in his last years.
Fleischmann needed help with the computer sometimes, and he got it from his friends at the JCC.
“He would have wanted more seniors to be familiar with basic computer skills, so it’s for that reason that we looked into a senior computer class,” says Gelman.
The JCC Computer Lab and classes are being funded through the Joseph Fleishmann Memorial Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation.
Michel Newman, who has a computer science degree and is an active JCC member, will teach the classes. The beginner level will deal with simple applications of emailing and YouTube. The second level will deal with learning to use the search engine Google, and how to Skype.
“I have an older father in Israel,” says Newman, “and we stay in regular touch. I want the same for older JCC members.” “My goal is to get the classes off the ground,” says Gelman. “To educate and enlighten people at the JCC—this would make my uncle proud.”
by Leslie Shroyer