Old School at Penn

It's no secret that Penn boasts a thriving community of Jewish undergraduates. But more and more, the University is becoming a hub for a different group of Jewish students - senior citizens.

The Senior Associates Program, administered by the College of General Studies, allows senior citizens and retirees living in the Philadelphia area to audit Penn courses for a nominal fee.

And according to CGS officials, courses that deal with Jewish history and culture consistently rank as some of the most popular among SAP participants.

These courses include titles like "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" and "European History: 1890-1945."

Hillel of Greater Philadelphia says Jews compose around 30 percent of the student body. Though CGS does not keep records of SAP participants' religious affiliations, the high enrollment in Jewish-interest courses along with anecdotal evidence suggests that a sizeable proportion of them may also be Jewish.

About 250 seniors take classes every semester, and the most popular courses often deal with aspects of Jewish history. For example, about 30 seniors are enrolled in a history course called Europe: 1890-1945, according to Nora Lewis, a CGS director of enrollment. About 25 are taking Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

So why are older Jews flocking to campus? Some point out that education has historically been central to the Jewish way of life.

"It's a cultural thing," said Marjorie Gable, a Jewish 67-year-old in her fifth year of taking classes through SAP.

Gable is taking "Rise and Fall of the Russian Empire" this semester. Like many undergraduates, she greets friends, sips coffee and reads a novel - right now it's The History of Love by Nicole Krause - as she waits for class to begin. And like many of her fellow Jewish students, she's only missed one day of class so far this semester - for Yom Kippur.

Gable said that she and friends in SAP, many of whom are also Jewish, often exchange course recommendations and chat about which professors they like the best.

For example: "Jonathan Steinberg. He loves his seniors," Gable said.

This informal process spreads the word about which professors might have the most appeal to Jewish senior citizens.

Some speculate that another factor in the popularity of Jewish-themed courses may be the strong community of Jewish students that Penn has maintained throughout the years. Some of these Jewish students of the past have become current senior associates. For them, participating in SAP may be just another way of maintaining their Penn connection.

Gable herself is an alumna of the College for Women, and her husband, father, father-in-law and two of her children all attended Penn.

"We're definitely a Penn family," Gable said.

Of course, there are benefits that can be derived from SAP beyond learning more about Jewish culture.

For Gable, it means she can finally focus on her classes.

"I'm much more into it now," she said. As an undergraduate, "I was busy writing my later-to-be husband's name in the margins of my book. Now, I really pay attention. I don't have to worry about who I'm going out with this weekend."

Not to mention, "having a PennCard is great fun," said Cirel Magen, a senior associate who added that she gets a laugh out of being one of the few 71-year-olds with the ability to flash an undergraduate ID.

She said that she and her friends from the SAP are even thinking of starting their own course review Web site because their tastes are different than undergraduates.'

"I love love love being in classes with undergraduates," Magen added. "The undergraduates at Penn are the nicest and most polite group of people."

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