Los Angeles Jewish Health: Energizing Senior Life

As 2025 began and families returned from holiday celebrations, no one could have imagined the devastation, anguish, and heartache the people of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas were about to experience.Fortunately, Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) remained out of harm’s way. At LAJH, the safety and security of those in our care is paramount. We prepare each year for any disaster or crisis that could affect our campuses. Efforts include online courses and real-time, in-person drills.On January 7, as media shared images of the Pasadena Jewish Temple Center being directly impacted, it became clear this rapidly growing disaster would affect our community, including through a potential surge of seniors dislocated from other sites with nowhere else to go. That night, Senior Vice President of In-Residence Services Ilana Springer, CEO and President of LAJH Dale Surowitz, and a handful of leaders quickly jumped on the first of many daily calls, reviewing all emergency plans to ensure the safety of our residents, participants, and staff.(Left) LAJH volunteer Steven Zonis and Certified Therapy Dog Rudy joined by LAPD Chief of Police Jim McDonnell and staff (Right) Zonis and Rudy outside of the Sheriff’s Mobile Emergency Unit Among their first actions was confirming we had a good inventory of emergency supplies, including non-perishable food and water, surgical masks, and generators. Facility staff also positioned additional air filtration systems and confirmed emergency lighting was operational. Perhaps most important was assessing the welfare of our staff. Many LAJH staff live within the impacted area, and we wanted to make sure they were safe. Next, we needed to confirm we would have adequate staffing to continue providing our excellent care without disruption. The cross-functional teamwork from across LAJH that stepped up to ensure coverage was impressive: We made sure staff were standing by for deployment wherever help was needed.We communicated quickly and clearly to our internal and external audiences, updating them on our emergency efforts via email, voicemail, social media, and the website. We also reached out to fellow senior care centers and community leaders offering our support.Those displaced who came to us for shelter included a couple evacuated from their apartment in Palos Verdes, another woman from Palos Verdes whose home burned down, and a woman evacuated from her home in Encino.Our volunteers and even our cherished residents played a part in providing comfort. The wonderful canine companions and handlers who visit our campuses, thanks to funding from the Steven Ohren Foundation, reported to emergency command centers. They provided mental health support to those impacted by the disaster, including emergency workers as well as victims.In addition, our seniors teamed up with local schoolchildren to create thank-you signs for the heroic firefighters who worked around the clock under extreme and dangerous circumstances.While our campuses fortunately remained unthreatened throughout, the air quality prevented outdoor activities. One afternoon during this period, Chief Mission Officer Rabbi Karen Bender was finishing a lesson on the fourth floor of the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center when she noticed that, one-by-one; participants were turning to look out the window. They were seeing smoke from the Kenneth fire that had started that afternoon. The flames were miles away, but it was clear from the residents’ faces that this development was creating growing concern and fear. As Rabbi Bender and Ilana began strategizing about the best way to address the issue, Andrew, an activity aide at JEK, decided—without prompting—the best thing he could do to help was simply to sit down at the piano and start playing. This immediately diverted the seniors’ attention, and suddenly, everyone looked comforted and cared for. It was a signature LAJH moment, highlighting the warmth, dedication, and collaboration of our team and of the entire LAJH family.From ensuring we had evacuation plans and transfer agreements (including agreements with other facilities) in place, to continuously monitoring our emergency supplies, we remained vigilant throughout this disaster and confirmed that LAJH was indeed well prepared. The LAJH family can rest easy knowing we are ready for whatever may come our way.Of course, you can never be too prepared, and before a disaster is the best time to stock up on blankets, wheelchairs, non-perishable food, air purifiers, bottled water, etc. If you would like to contribute to help us purchase additional emergency supplies for the safety of the seniors in our care and for our devoted staff, please click here.  LAJH Certified Therapy Dog Rudy visits the Fire Command Center Students from Milken Community School join residents of the Newman Building, making signs of gratitude for firefighters

January 27th commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz—the most notorious of Nazi concentration and extermination camps. Every day, there are fewer living witnesses to the atrocities and tragedies of that era. Today, only approximately 245,000 Holocaust survivors  remain. Many of these cherished seniors are frail and have multiple medical needs requiring care from expert geriatric healthcare providers like the care teams at Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH).At one time, there were 113 Holocaust survivors in residence at LAJH. Now in their 90s, 29 still call LAJH home, including a new 95-year-old resident and survivor who came to live at LAJH just last week. What they find here, thanks to the incredible professionalism of a highly-trained staff who wear compassion on their sleeves, is a special combination of nurturing, expertise and an ethos—developed by Chief Medical Officer Noah Marco, MD, the child of survivors—that prioritizes listening.Sally and Ben Marco, Holocaust Survivors and Parents of Dr. Noah MarcoHis approach has made Dr. Marco a trusted source of education on senior care and specifically  on caring for Holocaust survivors. Last month, he presented to 15 medical students from the University of California Los Angeles who came together to learn about the Holocaust and about the importance of providing services, in a caring and sensitive manner, to each member of the survivor community.“There are many things to keep in mind when caring for Holocaust survivors. For instance, it’s important not to rush the patients, as well as to approach and touch them only after getting explicit permission,” Dr. Marco said during his presentation. “Best practices also include recognizing potential signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); asking the patients about common somatic symptoms; and realizing that sexual or abuse questions are unlikely to get a truthful response. Survivors’ history makes them unique, and as care providers, we need to adjust our approach accordingly.”Participants in the class reported dramatically expanding their knowledge of the subject. “Despite attending a public school in Los Angeles, the second most Jewish city in the U.S., I learned about the Holocaust for a maximum of five minutes,” noted one student. “My time with Dr. Marco helped fill the void from those high school history classes; he spoke wonderfully, and I learned a lot.”Whether he is imparting wisdom about caring for survivors or speaking more broadly about the many distinct facets of senior health, Dr. Marco enthusiastically shares strategies to help make medical visits more efficient and satisfying, both for the care provider and for the patient.“Treating our patients at LAJH is not only about cataloging their symptoms, many of which are chronic and may not resolve. It’s also critical that we truly see them: learning what matters most to them, asking them what questions they may have, and eliciting their ideas and expectations,” Dr. Marco says.Dr. Marco, who is often called upon to share his expertise in geriatric health, recently laid out his philosophy related to providing medical care to seniors in an essay he authored for the publication Caring for the Ages, the official newspaper of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed). He was recognized with a second-place award in the paper’s 2025 essay competition, “Caring for Residents, Caring for Ourselves.” The essay will appear in Caring for the Ages’ March/April 2025 issue, which will be distributed to a wide national audience of post-acute and long-term care professionals. His other recent publications include “The Lost Summer” an essay published in this week’s edition of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.“My goal in treating seniors is always to move beyond just discussing their chronic issues so that we’re able to elicit their input about things that are important to them,” he says. “When they feel heard, they often feel better—one of the key indicators, for a care provider, of a job well done.”Dr. Noah Marco, Chief Medical Officer at LAJH

Chanukah 2024 at Los Angeles Jewish Healthby LAJH Chief Mission Officer Rabbi Karen BenderWhy it was important, this year especially, to bring in the Light Chanukah’s arrival this year inspired me to consider that there are three kinds of people in the world. The first are those who unfortunately bring darkness to our world. The second are those who bring light where there is darkness. Those people are wonderful, because where there is despair they bring hope, where there is sadness they bring joy, where there is cruelty they bring loving kindness, where there is tension, they bring peace. Then there is the third kind of person, the one who, like the shamash candle of the Chanukah menorah, in addition to conquering darkness, actually kindle the other lights. These are the staff members and residents at Los Angeles Jewish Health. Not only do they bring light, they inspire others to bring the light. What made the events this year at LAJH Extraordinary As holidays approach, it is always our goal to ensure residents experience something akin to what they would have had in their homes and at synagogue. This year, we are proud to have gone beyond that goal to bring joy, celebration, surprise and delight! Residents enjoyed not only potato latkes but also creative vegetable latkes. They enjoyed traditional sufganiyot and kosher Krispy Kreme donuts. At Grancell Village, they experienced a sufganiyah tasting, including creme brulee and dulce de leche. There were concerts performed at each campus with the renowned Cindy Paley and elaborate outdoor extravaganza lightings with our enormous and artistic outdoor Chanukiot. Twelve year old twin volunteers dressed up as a life sized menorah and dreidel and visited each floor bringing smiles and laughter. Shabbat Chanukah services were led by a skilled nursing resident Rabbi and a band he assembled!  Resident volunteers took charge of lighting the menorah lights on their floors each night. At the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center, those same twin volunteers assisted me in re-affixing mezuzahs on every room, as residents participated. Rabbi Ron Goldberg held a food and toy drive at Eisenberg Village, enabling the entire campus to participate in seasonal giving to those in need. In the midst of it all, our wonderful activities staff ensured that residents celebrated New Year’s 2025, perhaps a once in a lifetime overlap with Chanukah. We are so grateful to all who worked together bringing so much joy and celebration to the residents of LAJH! Chanukah celebration led by resident Rabbi WarshawYoung volunteers delight residentsEisenberg Village toy driveConcert with Cindy PaleyResident sufganiyot tastingGoldenberg-Ziman Special Care Center residents celebrate with glowsticksMezuzahs re-affixed in the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical CenterToast to the New YearBrandman Centers for Senior Care PACE celebrates the New Year

Since October 7, 2023, Jews around the world have been on tenterhooks waiting for news of the hostages taken captive during Hamas’ brazen attack of Israel. The worry and concern have been constant companions of many Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) residents, as well. In December, they gathered in the theater at Fountainview at Eisenberg Village to hear prominent podcaster, political influencer, and philanthropist Liz Hirsh Naftali, who spoke about her role in securing the release of her great niece Abigail and about her continued commitment to freeing the hostages who have still been left behind.Liz, a lifelong Angeleno with deep roots in Israel, recounted arriving in Israel to celebrate the holiday of Simchat Torah on October 6, 2023. After an evening of dancing and celebration, she was awakened the next morning to the sound of alarms blaring: Hamas had breached the Israeli-Gaza border.“I have family who lived along the border, in Kibbutz Kfar Aza,” she told the crowd of LAJH residents and members of SAYVA (a collaborative network focused on community, positive aging, and wisdom) in attendance at the event. “I called my sister-in-law that morning and discovered that my niece and nephew had been murdered by terrorists there—and that their three-year-old daughter, Abigail, had been kidnapped.”A long history of activism equipped Liz for what came next: returning to the United States and sharing Abigail’s story as widely as possible with media outlets and political leaders on Capitol Hill.“I met with Democrats and Republicans; I believe hostages should be apolitical, and we received incredibly beautiful support from people on both sides of the aisle,” said Liz, the host of The Capitol Coffee Connection podcast. “I was driven to keep talking to people and refused to take ‘no’ for an answer because when you’re in a situation like this, and someone you love is being held against their will, you cannot rest or even take a breath until you see their face again.”Liz’s efforts ultimately contributed to a deal being struck: After 51 days in captivity, Abigail was freed along with 104 other hostages during a truce between Israel and Hamas.Inspired to preserve a record of Abigail’s story, Liz wrote Saving Abigail: The True Story of the Abduction and Rescue of a Three-Year-Old Hostage, a book about the rescue efforts.“As humans, we need to elevate these stories—to tell the truth about October 7 so people can start to heal,” she said. “I also wrote this book so people would understand they have the power to influence events. There are still hostages who haven’t been able to come home, and people might feel like nothing they do can have any impact, but my experience shows that’s not true. I think we can each play a role, in our own ways, in bringing the rest of the hostages back, stopping the fighting, and allowing Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace.” 

Executive leadership has always been one of the signature strengths of Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE. This past fall, LAJH added another exceptional leader to its roster when it welcomed Kim Stratman as the Brandman Centers’ new vice president.Kim comes to the Brandman Centers from St. Paul’s Senior Services, which has been caring for San Diego seniors for over 60 years. As vice president of operations and housing at St. Paul’s, she developed a track record of accomplishments serving the frail elderly—experience she looks forward to bringing to her work at the Brandman Centers.“Like LAJH, St. Paul’s offers assisted living, independent living, memory care, skilled nursing, and PACE programs,” Kim says. “I’m excited to build on the knowledge I gleaned during more than a decade at St. Paul’s and to find new opportunities through the Brandman Centers to enrich the lives of seniors in the greater L.A. area.”At LAJH, Kim will oversee the continued growth of the Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE program.“We have an ambitious schedule for expansion, with new facilities planned in Van Nuys, the beach cities, and Palm Springs in addition to our current sites in Reseda and West L.A.,” Kim says. “Our goal is to have everything up and running sometime in 2026.”Kim will assume the role and responsibilities of Susie Fishenfeld, the Brandman Centers’ beloved long-time vice president. During her decade-long tenure, Susie was a key driver in launching PACE at LAJH and turning it into the vibrant and dynamic program it is today.“Susie has made invaluable contributions to our organization and has been absolutely instrumental to our PACE program’s ability to thrive,” says Larissa Stepanians, LAJH’s chief operating officer. “I am extraordinarily grateful to have had her as a wonderful colleague and to have benefited from her incredible expertise.”With Kim’s arrival, Larissa says, Brandman Centers is poised to reach new heights of success. “Kim has demonstrated a strong ability to spark innovation, foster collaboration, and achieve strategic goals,” Larissa notes. “We are extremely fortunate to have her overseeing PACE and its alignment with LAJH’s organizational mission.”As Kim sees it, central to advancing that mission is the commitment and cohesiveness of LAJH’s staff.“In the short time that I’ve been here, it’s already clear to me how wonderful this organization is and how much everybody cares about the team,” she says. “I feel so fortunate to now be a part of that.”With the staff’s support, Kim is eagerly preparing to broaden the Brandman Centers’ reach.“We’re going to continue increasing our impact as we work to give more seniors access to high-quality, all-inclusive care,” she says. “It’s amazing to see the ways in which we can improve seniors’ lives.” 

Signature Los Angeles Jewish Health program ushers in its next chapter (RESEDA, CA – December 26, 2024) Los Angeles Jewish Health’s (LAJH) Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE has appointed industry veteran Kim Stratman as Vice President, LAJH announced. Stratman will serve in a critical position at a time of growth for LAJH’s successful PACE program.Stratman comes to the Brandman Centers from St. Paul’s Senior Services, which has been caring for San Diego seniors for over 60 years. As Vice President of Operations and Housing at St. Paul’s, she developed a track record of accomplishment serving the frail elderly.“Like LAJH, St. Paul’s offers assisted living, independent living, memory care, skilled nursing, and PACE programs,” Stratman said. “I’m excited to build on the knowledge I gleaned during more than a decade at St. Paul’s and to find new opportunities through the Brandman Centers to enrich the lives of seniors in the greater L.A. area.”Under her direction, the Brandman Centers will pursue ambitious plans for program expansion.“We are busy preparing to establish new facilities in Van Nuys, South Bay, and Palm Springs, adding to our current sites in Reseda and West L.A.,” Stratman said. “Our goal is to open the doors in 2026.”Stratman will be assume the role and responsibilities of Brandman Centers’ longtime Vice President Susie Fishenfeld. During her decade-long tenure, Fishenfeld was a key driver in launching PACE at LAJH and driving its success.“Susie has made invaluable contributions to our organization and has been absolutely instrumental to our PACE program’s ability to thrive,” said Larissa Stepanians, LAJH’s Chief Operating Officer. “I am grateful to have had her as a wonderful colleague and to have benefited from her incredible expertise.”Stratman’s arrival signals a deepening of LAJH’s commitment to maintaining the Brandman Centers as a pillar of its community outreach services.“We’re going to continue increasing our impact as we work to give more seniors access to high quality, all-inclusive care,” Stratman said. “It’s amazing to see the ways in which programs like ours can improve seniors’ lives.”