Israeli Elderly Emerge from Isolation in ‘Nature Tuesday’ Program

The major adversities the older population in Israel (and everywhere else) endures are isolation and loneliness – which have become an existential crisis during the coronavirus closure. Even before the pandemic, 48% of the elderly in Israel said they felt lonely, and loneliness has serious mental and emotional consequences, including depression and anxiety.

The Nature Tuesday initiative has been reactivated as part of the struggle against loneliness. The program invites Israeli senior citizens to take advantage of subsidized transportation and guided tours offered by the Nature and Parks Authority’s sites.

The Nature Tuesday venture is part of a suite of programs offered by the Ministry of Social Equality and Retirees in an effort to creating social life, meaningful leisure activities, and ventures to alleviate loneliness for the senior citizen population.

The venture, which is shared by the Ministry of Social Equality and Retirees and the Nature and Parks Authority, there presents unique tours with tailored activities for senior citizens every Tuesday throughout the country and throughout the year. The activity is subsidized by the Ministry of Social Equality and Pensioners. Each organized group of senior citizens can initiate and coordinate a tour and receive transportation, entrance to the site and a guided tour for the group at the subsidized cost of NIS 40 ($11.5) per participant.