By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

With medical advances and increasing average life expectancies, retirement is no longer viewed as a time to sit alone in your house. On the contrary, retirement for many Americans is a time to have new experiences and enjoy life to the fullest. It is widely known that one of the best ways to stay mentally and physically fit longer is to continuously engage your mind and body by challenging yourself to try new things.

At Sedgebrook, the next opportunity to learn something new, try a unique hobby, or meet kindred spirits is always right around the corner. With nearly 100 clubs and committees, days are typically filled with intellectually engaging lectures, leisurely afternoons working in the art studio or woodshop, and relaxing evening games of bridge or virtual bowling on the Nintendo Wii.

Culture-rich region
As much as Sedgebrook has to offer right on the campus, residents also benefit from the community’s proximity to Chicago, which offers endless opportunities for entertainment, recreation, and cultural enrichment. The trips are a chance for people to visit interesting places in the company of good friends.

A group of culturally minded residents recently took a trip to Chicago’s new Spertus Center for Jewish Culture. The Spertus Center, which is located in an architecturally stunning building in Chicago’s South Loop on Michigan Avenue, features rotating exhibitions that celebrate and explore different aspects of Jewish culture and tradition. One of the current exhibits, called “Imaginary Coordinates,” explores the notion of boundaries by juxtaposing antique and contemporary maps of Jerusalem.

“It is very well-designed,” says resident Ruth Saffro, who went on the trip to the Spertus Center. “The exhibits were very lovely, and our docent was terrific.”

The center is also home to Chicago’s only kosher café, which serves sandwiches, salads, and sushi, where patrons can refuel between exhibits.