Building Community Through Service 

One of Ilene’s most meaningful volunteer roles was serving as volunteer coordinator for the Jewish Museum of Maryland, a position she held for more than a decade. She helped organize and support the other volunteers who were essential to the museum’s success. 

“I knew the museum couldn’t function without volunteers,” she says. “They needed somebody to coordinate them, and I felt like I could help.” 

Her work with the museum introduced her to Jewish Volunteer Connection (now known as the Jewish Connection Network) and, with it, a wide range of opportunities throughout the Baltimore Jewish community. Later, a friend’s invitation to attend an event with the Jewish Women’s Giving Foundation led to another significant chapter of involvement. “I became very involved with that,” Ilene recalls. “It was just a wonderful experience.” 

Over the years, she also volunteered with Shalom Baltimore, welcoming newcomers to the community. As someone who wasn’t originally from Baltimore herself, she understood what it felt like to be new.  

“People are welcoming, but sometimes you still feel a little like an outsider,” she says. “I loved being able to go meet people and say, ‘Welcome to Jewish Baltimore. Here’s what our community has to offer.’” 

Reconnecting Through Grandparenting 

Although she stayed connected to the community through volunteer work, Ilene had stepped back from participating in many of The Associated’s initiatives in recent years. That changed when she received an invitation from The Associated to join the task force helping shape Baltimore’s Jewish Grandparents Network. “I thought, wait a minute, I’m a grandparent now,” she says. “That felt like a good re-entry point for me.” 

Today, being a grandparent is one of the roles she cherishes most. She and her husband have three grandsons, and she views grandparents as an essential link between generations. “I think grandparents are the thread that holds the family together,” she says. 

Growing up, both she and her husband benefited from close relationships with their own grandparents, experiences that continue to influence how they approach family life today. 

For Ilene, one of the most meaningful ways to pass along Jewish traditions is through shared experiences. Family time remains a priority, and many of those experiences now take place at Bethany Beach, where she and her husband spend significant time with their family. 

When family members are at the beach together, Friday night Shabbat dinner is a standing tradition. Siblings, cousins, grandchildren and guests all have a place at the table. “To show that to my grandchildren and to set the example that it’s something really important to us, that’s very meaningful,” she says. 

The Gift of Being Present 

While grandparenting has brought tremendous joy, Ilene says it’s also taught her something about slowing down. “When you’re a parent, you’re worried about what’s for dinner, the laundry, all the things you have to do,” she says. “As a grandparent, I really try to be present.” 

That means putting away distractions, staying off her phone and giving her grandchildren her full attention. She loves spending time with them outdoors, whether at the beach, on the tennis court or around the Shabbat table.  

The focus isn’t on elaborate activities. It’s about being together. “It’s the very best thing,” she says. “I love it so much.” 

Giving Back 

Volunteering remains a central part of Ilene’s life. In addition to her involvement in the Jewish community, she has volunteered for a variety of causes, including helping Baltimore residents access groceries and teaching English as a second language online. “I feel very fortunate in my life that I have food and clothes and shelter. If I have everything I need, I should help other people who don’t have what they need.” 

Ilene credits her parents for setting that example and believes giving time can be just as meaningful as giving money. “It makes me feel good to know that I helped somebody,” she says. 

 Best Advice for Grandparents 

When asked what advice she would offer grandparents looking to stay involved in Jewish life, she says, “Find a program or an event to attend. And if you don’t want to go by yourself, ask a friend to go with you.” 

Connection, she believes, doesn’t have to come through a major commitment. It can be a book club, a community event, a lecture, a volunteer opportunity or even a blood drive hosted at a synagogue. 

“It doesn’t have to be something big,” she says. “It’s an easy way to connect with other people. You just turn to the person next to you and say, ‘Hi, what’s your name?’” 

Through The Associated, the Jewish Grandparents Network and her ongoing volunteer work, she hopes to help others build the same sense of community, belonging and intergenerational connection that has enriched her own life.