Jewish Aging in Greater Orlando
What do Central Florida’s older Jewish adults need to remain happy, healthy, and engaged? The S’firot Foundation’s Jewish Older Adult Needs Assessment has the answers.
The S’firot Foundation’s guiding principle is as simple as it is powerful: Meaningful philanthropy begins with listening.
As the Foundation starts investing its proceeds back into our community, its leaders are committed to using evidence-based research and informed decision-making to guide strategic grantmaking that maximizes meaningful and lasting impact for Jewish older adults and their caregivers, for whom the Foundation was formed.
So how, exactly, does the S’firot Foundation know what those older adults and their caregivers want and need? The Foundation isn’t guessing or assuming, it’s asking. And, more importantly, it’s listening.
The Jewish Older Adult Needs Assessment was the S’firot Foundation’s comprehensive listening tour. The Jewish Aging in Greater Orlando report is the extensive and insightful synopsis of this research and understanding.
The Needs Assessment was conducted from March 18 to June 30, 2025. It included a detailed online survey as well as numerous focus groups and community forums. With the expert guidance of the S’firot Foundation Advisory Committee and the nonprofit consultancy Impact:NPO, results from the Assessment were distilled into the Jewish Aging in Greater Orlando report, which was unveiled to the community at an Organizational Briefing in July and Community Forum in August.
“Our process to listen and understand the needs of our area’s older Jewish adults and caregivers was thoughtful and deliberate,” says Wayne Green, executive director of the S’firot Foundation. “The investments we are making into the community will be transformative. Lives will be changed, and our grant partners will be able to help more people than ever before in ways that weren’t previously possible. This is important work, and I want to thank the community for participating in this expansive process with us.”
Where We Go From Here – Together
The Jewish Aging in Greater Orlando report is the roadmap with which the S’firot Foundation will plan and prioritize its grant funding. A pilot grant program is already underway in partnership with Jewish Pavilion Senior Services, Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando, the Rosen JCC, and Kinneret Council on Aging, and every funded program will include a thorough report and assessment component to ensure the S’firot Foundation’s investments are creating the results the community expects and deserves.
The S’firot Foundation is also continuing to expand its grantmaking through the 2026 Incubator Grant Program, which supports innovative programs and creative approaches responding to the needs of Jewish older adults and caregivers. Invited organizations are encouraged to use the findings of the Jewish Aging in Greater Orlando report to help inform their proposals and develop programs grounded in demonstrated community needs.
Four Approaches to Aging
The Needs Assessment found Jewish older adults fall into four distinct categories in their approach to aging:
- CONFIDENT: They are healthy and not worried about the future (26%)
- PRAGMATISTS: They are healthy but actively planning ahead for the future (33%)
- CONCERNED: They are uncertain about the future and how they will manage as they age (23%)
- ADAPTERS: These older adults are actively coping with physical and health limitations (19%)
Where Do Central Florida’s Older Jewish Adults Live?
90% live in Orange and Seminole counties with the remaining split nearly evenly between Osceola, Lake, and Volusia. A full 74% of those Jewish Older Adults live in single-family homes, and an overwhelming majority of those surveyed want to age in place – to remain in their homes even as the physical and health challenges of aging increase.
What Seniors Want
The Top 5 interests from the Needs Assessment:
- A centralized source with access to information on older adult resources in Greater Orlando
- Outings to museums or events specifically for Jewish adults 60+
- Communal holiday celebrations with other Jewish adults 60+
- Communal Shabbat dinners with other Jewish adults 60+
- Volunteer opportunities in a Jewish community service program
Key findings of the report can be read at SfirotFoundation.org/jewish-aging-report.