"The FaceTime is really quite unbelievable to me"

For Kimmelstiel and many other seniors, one of the unexpected silver linings of covid-19 has been discovering the untapped joy of video calling, especially at a time when in-person interaction is strictly off limits. In fact, Kimmelstiel says she’s communicating with her family much more frequently than she did before the pandemic.

The novelty of video calling wore off long ago for most people across the country, but for this group of seniors, isolating in their New York retirement community, it’s a small miracle.

Eleanor Weinhouse, 90, who lives at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, which is next to Riverwalk, said like many others there she’s now video chatting with her family several times a week. For her, the video calls are brand new.

“I’m old fashioned, so the FaceTime is really quite unbelievable to me,” Weinhouse said.