“One is never too old to learn.”, Hannah told us when she announced she was starting college in her 80s.
My husband’s aunt Hannah was the sweetest, gentlest soul I’ve ever known. Not one of us in the family can remember her saying an unkind or a harsh word.
Hannah and her siblings fled Hitler’s German in the late 1930’s for Switzerland, Palestine and South America, and some of them, including 24 year-old Hannah, eventually came to New York. Here she made a new life for herself and worked for many decades at the United Nations.
Hannah was a beautiful young woman with many suitors, though she never married. With no children of her own she doted on her nephew, my husband Danny. He remembers that as a kid Hannah and her boyfriends often took him out for ice cream sodas and chocolate malts.
Years later when her great-nephew, our son Noah was born, Hannah became his beloved and favorite baby-sitter, always arriving with chocolate bars and packets of M&Ms hidden in her pockets for him to ferret out. Together Hannah and Noah went to the Central Park Zoo, all the city’s museums, children’s shows and movies, and never missed the St Patrick’s Day parade.
When Hannah retired after her years at the UN, she enrolled at Fordham University’s College at 60, a wonderful program for older adults who’d never been to college. Classes met at the Fordham campus on West 60th Street. By serendipity I was on a study sabbatical that same year taking classes just across town at Hunter College on East 68th Street. And so that year she and I became study mates!
Hannah took some wonderful history, literature, and art courses, and she asked for my help with her writing assignments. And so we’d meet to work together at the Hunter College cafeteria, a coffeeshop near Fordham, or at Hannah’s apartment.
One of her art history projects I remember was to describe her reactions to an artist whose work intrigued her. After we spent several afternoons at the Met, Hannah choose Caravaggio, an artist I too admired. Discussing his art and seeing his paintings thru Hannah’s eyes was a joy. A friend of mine called Hannah the aunt I was putting through college!
At the end of the academic year my sabbatical was over and in the fall I went back to work. Hannah, delighted by her new college experience, enrolled again. But by then her health had begun to decline and soon it became difficult for her to get to class.
Concerned over her absences, Hannah’s very kind College at 60 advisor called her and offered to send home reading materials and assignments for each class. Hannah would work at her own pace and send her homework and papers to Fordham, and I would be her conduit.
But sadly Hannah wasn’t to finish that semester, and she died a few weeks later.
Everyone at College at 60 had been so good to Hannah that I wanted to tell them all in person. When I arrived with my sad news, teachers and students rushed to embrace me and together we cried for my sweet aunt Hannah.
Dana Susan Lehrman
Dana, your story made me cry. When me mother graduated from high school she begged to go to college, but my grandparents said no, college was for boys and girls have to get married. And so she educated herself. She read books – so many that we eventually had our own library in our house! She was the best educated person I knew – and made sure all her six children were educated. BTW: She did tutor children and so her dream of being a teacher became true.
Thanx Ang, Our aunt Hannah and your mom – kindred spirits.
I always tell my students that I just might go for my PhD after I retire, just for me. I’ll be 53 next month and am getting close so let’s see if I put my money where my mouth is! The greatest joy will be to study with people who love to learn for the sake of learning. I wish I had known Danny’s aunt.
Do it. Adult learning is the best. And I agree it is for YOU. I know the feeling.
Go for it Denise, may you find teachers who are as inspiring to their students as you’ve been to yours these many years!
Denise, by chance just reread my blog post about my aunt Hannah and I see my reply to you seemed to have gone to another reader!
So in case you didn’t see it, let me repeat my wish that you go for the PhD and find teachers as inspiring as you’ve been to your students!
❤️ Dana
A beautiful story!
Thanx Artie, and so good seeing you and the JA old-timers last week!
What a special relationship and opportunity to share your love of learning. A joy to read.
Thanx Ellen, Hannah and I indeed had a special bond, after all we went to college together!
A true testament to how learning is life long. The urge never goes away; and where there is a will, there is a way.
Thanx Vivian, you’re a model of post-retirement learning, doing and traveling!
Dana, very poignant (got a little choked up) and relatable. I’m planning on retiring in a few months and want to take courses at Olli (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) in Great Barrington.
Thanx Joanie and good for you, hope to see more of you after retirement!
My father, who had an 8th grade education since he had to drop out of school to help support his family, got his GED at age 61. He took some exams to get college credit for his years as a refrigeration mechanic, took some college courses in education, and taught vocational ed in the city. He was always my inspiration for reinventing myself. I thought of him as I went through a program and got a masters in health and nutrition education a year ago to start a business.
Wonderful story Anita!
And much admire how you reinvented yourself after your retirement!
I wrote before so this may appear twice. I was touched by the story. Do you know if the program still exists?
Thanx Karlan. Yes, the Fordham program still exists welcoming adults over 60 who want a second chance at college.
No one appreciated it more than aunt Hannah!
Wonderful. A joy to read. Well written as the reader feels the love and pleadure you and D & N experienced. You were lucky to have her in your life and she shared that good fortune.
Having retuned to school for undergrad and grad work when my children were young I can confirm the rewards of learning as a more mature person.
What beautiful memories. Thanks for sharing.
Thanx Norma, and bravo to you and your fortitude!
Yea! You’re back!
Thanx Paula!
Lifelong learning is surely gratifying but check out Joseph Aoun’s new book ROBOT-PROOF about higher education in the age of artificial intelligence. Robot-proofing your career will rest upon 3 pillars: the several literacies one must acquire; experiential learning; AND LIFELONG LEARNING. Aoun has top credentials in the world of higher education. He’s smart and he’s right.
Thanx to you Mike, one who’s never stopped learning, writing and thinking!
You once told me that you can think anywhere!
Another heart warming story from your ,obviously, watchful brown eyes.
Thank you for sharing Aunt Hanna with me. Her story reminds me of many older, beloved friends and relatives. We have much to learn from these self educated souls.
Thanx Naomi, and so glad I went to college with you too!
A very moving story, Dana. From the poisonous hatred of Europe in the 30’s to the joyous pursuit of learning after she retired. I will think of her when I see anything by Caravaggio.
Forgive the late reply and blame a glitch with my blog server, am just now reading your sweet words about my tribute to aunt Hannah. Thanx Gerry!