May I invite you to consider Adam’s point of view. Remember Adam? The very first human being, born into the Garden of Eden on the sixth day of creation. Adam loved the sun. He enjoyed its light and its warmth upon his skin. So you can imagine what happened when he experienced his first sunset. At first it must have been breathtaking for him—the variant colors in the sky as the day came to a close. But according to midrashic commentary on the Torah, once the sunset was complete Adam burst into tears. Where did that beloved ball of warmth and light go? Did I do something to cause it to leave? No human being had ever experienced a sunset before, so Adam assumed that it was gone forever. Imagine how thrilled Adam was the next morning when he saw the sun rise for the first time. He sang and danced and rejoiced! Adam marveled at the magnificence of the sun. What if we felt that way each morning? What if we woke up in awe of the magical sun as if the sun’s very existence were a genuine miracle? If you happened to be here at the Grancell Village Campus of the Los Angeles Jewish Home on August 21st around 10:00 a.m., then you witnessed that type of enthusiasm. The family of one of our residents was kind and thoughtful enough to bring multiple pairs of viewing glasses for our residents and staff. One by one people shared the glasses and gazed into the sky with wonderment and awe. News agencies reported that this went on all over the country. Millions of Americans stopped to watch. I’m no scientist but I have got to say: what is the likelihood that the sun would be 400 times the size of the moon and also 400 times further away from the earth than the moon, so that this perfect encounter could occur? It’s amazing. And from a Jewish point of view, a solar eclipse can only take place on the eve of Rosh Chodesh, the Jewish holiday celebrating the new moon, the first of the month. With the events that took place last week in Charlottesville, Virginia, many Americans felt a sense of hopelessness and even fear that we are sliding backwards in time, as if there has been an eclipse of the hearts of many of our people. But then so many came out of the woodwork during the week and on the weekend following, demonstrating against bigotry, against racism, against neo-nazism. There has been an eclipse of the sun but not a “total eclipse of the heart.” Perhaps if we can all remember that we are all citizens of the earth, inhabitants of the same universe, all descendants from Adam and Eve, we will remember, as Jewish tradition teaches, that no one can say, “my lineage is better than yours.” We are all one, warmed by the same sun.Rabbi Karen BenderSkirball Director of Spiritual [email protected]

When most of us hear the words "vaccination" or "immunization" we automatically think: oh, that's for kids. It's true: young children receive several vaccinations as they grow up and prepare to attend school, including measles, mumps, chickenpox, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, or whooping cough. Influenza, or flu, shots are administered yearly beginning as young as six months. The bad news is…getting older doesn't mean you no longer need those shots! Throughout our lives we can be susceptible to catching many diseases just by coming into physical contact with someone who is ill or breathing air that is carrying germs from a sneeze or cough. We all know the importance of sneezing into a tissue or the crook of our arm when we have a cold and washing our hands frequently — all the time. These simple actions can help prevent transmission of illness from person to person. For some diseases, however, an immunization is necessary to help keep you healthy. As we get older, our age, job, lifestyle, travel, or health conditions can put us at risk for acquiring vaccine-preventable diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), here are the immunizations adults should receive to help prevent them from getting and spreading serious diseases that could result in poor health, missed work, medical bills, and not being able to care for family: seasonal flu (influenza) — All adults need this vaccine every year. It's especially important for people with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, and older adults.pneumococcal — There are two types of vaccines that are necessary to help fight pneumonia and its complications in seniors. The first is Pneumovax, which is given once. The second is Prevnar 13, which is also a one-time vaccine and should be given one year after receiving Pneumovax or vice versa. Tdap (whooping cough) and Td (tetanus and diphtheria) — Every adult should get a Tdap shot once if they did not receive it as an adolescent. All adults need a Td booster shot every 10 years. Herpes zoster — Zostavax is a one-time vaccination; however, since it contains a live Virus, some people should not take it. Be sure to check with your doctor to see if you are up to date on your immunizations and make a plan to follow up yearly. Regular visits can help insure you and your doctor are doing your most to protect your health…and you can improve your chances of living a healthy life at any age.

Each year on August 11th, sons and daughters across the country celebrate National Sons and Daughters Day. It's an important day for us here at the Los Angeles Jewish Home. That's because, first, every resident of the Home, every patient we care for, and every member of our staff is, of course, a son or daughter. Often, there are people in our lives we may regard as our "son" or "daughter." This could be a family member, children of close friends, or a "little brother and sister" from a community organization. Today is a day for all of us to show our appreciation for the sons and daughters in our lives. Here are 6 ways you can celebrate this special day: Cook a favorite meal togetherWatch a favorite movie or go to the theaterGo to a museumDine out for lunch or dinnerLook at old photographs and reminisceEnjoy an ice cream together If a son or daughter has moved away, call, Facetime, or Skype them and have a nice, long chat. Celebrate this special day with your children or anyone else who's like a son or daughter to you.

The residents of Eisenberg Village recently received a very unusual and thought-provoking gift from Dan Rosenfeld — a Jewish encyclopedia. Written in the 1970s, the encyclopedia consists of 20 volumes in pristine condition. The Jewish encyclopedia was given to Dan by his grandfather, Karl Frey, and he is now passing it on to the Home's Eisenberg Village seniors. "As a kid, every family had to have an encyclopedia," said Dan. "It was necessary — part of raising a family and part of being Jewish." Dan sees learning as a lifelong challenge. "Today, because of the accelerating pace of research and knowledge, it's more important than ever for seniors to keep current and keep the brain active," he explained. Even with new technology and communication tools, such as computers, the internet, and social media, physical books still have a special meaning. "There's something to holding a book, the physical aspect of turning a page. It is part of our childhood, a communal memory," said Dan. Joy Picus, a former Los Angeles City Councilwoman and current resident of Fountainview at Eisenberg Village, is a community leader who Dan has admired for many years, both professionally and as a personal friend. They stayed in touch over the years. When Dan mentioned he and his wife were downsizing and had this encyclopedia, Joy suggested it would be beneficial and interesting to the residents at the Jewish Home and suggested a visit. "I was deeply moved by my visit to the Home — at the quality of services and facilities — and even the food! It is a very impressive operation," Dan noted. Sitting and talking with the seniors at the Home reminded him of a visit 50 years ago to the senior home in Portland. To become an Eagle Scout he had to do a community service project. Dan chose to visit the senior home and interview the residents. He collected their stories and published a newsletter — printed on a mimeograph machine! Even then, at the age of 14, he was fascinated and interested in seniors and their stories. And now, thanks to Dan's generosity, the seniors at Eisenberg Village will be able to research and learn, and perhaps tell their stories, using their newly donated Jewish encyclopedia.

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On Friday, July 28th, the participants and staff of the Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) had a special visit from the Girl Scouts-Granada Hills Troop 4006. As part of their summer community service program, troop members Cassie, Kaitlyn, Sophia and Gracie collected cans, bottles, and recyclables to raise funds to provide custom made blankets to BCSC participants. As they presented the blankets, the Scouts spoke about their project, which took a few weeks to complete, and got to know the seniors. BCSC participants and staff enjoyed the special visit by the Girl Scouts-Granada Hills Troop 4006 and greatly appreciate the thoughtful gifts they provided. A program of the Los Angeles Jewish Home, the Brandman Centers for Senior Care provide quality medical care that promotes independence for seniors through the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). The PACE program enables frail seniors with multiple health conditions to live safely at home. The innovative program coordinates all services so qualified seniors are able to have their healthcare needs taken care of in one place. Among the program's many services are adult day healthcare, primary, and specialty medical care, vision and dental care, medications, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, transportation, acute care, home health care, and caregiving. The program serves patients age 55 and over who live in the Jewish Home's service area.For more information about the Brandman Centers for Senior Care, please click here to visit the BCSC website or call 818.774.8444.

Years ago a senior facing a severe decline in eye sight asked to speak with me. She said, "Rabbi, I have mostly been a good person throughout my life, but once, when I was younger, I did a terrible thing. I am quite sure that I'm losing eyesight as a punishment for what I did." We spoke for some time as I tried to convince her that she was confronting a medical condition, not a moral condemnation. In the words of Rabbi Harold Schulweis (z'l), nature is amoral. Nature and science do what they will, and it is an unhealthy theology to conclude that suffering comes as a punishment. That being said, unfortunately, she is not the first Jew to posit such thinking. The Jewish holiday of Tisha B'av is coming up, this year July 31-August 1. Tisha B'av is a day of fasting that is set aside to mourn the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem in 586 BCE by the Babylonians, and in 70 CE by the Romans. According to the Rabbis, the Temple was destroyed because of sinat chinam, senseless hatred between Jews. The Rabbis felt remorse for the fact that the Jewish people were divided and fractured at that time and concluded that the Temple's destruction must have been sent as a punishment. To this I say the following: while I reject the notion of divine punishment, I do recognize the reality of natural consequences. When people are consumed with hatred their words and actions flow from that hatred. When people are filled up with love and warmth, very different words and actions flow from that love. The consequences are often immeasurable. Sometimes there is no way to connect the dots. But all relationships are affected by emotions and emotions can take on a life of their own. Even today, there is political and religious conflict over Jerusalem and even over the holiest of sites, the Western Wall, also known as the Kotel. Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews are battling over how to make that place holy. There are new wedges of division between the Israeli government and diaspora Jewry over Jerusalem's holiest site. Isn't that ironic? We pray for a day when there will be only peace and love expressed among Jews and between Jews and our Muslim neighbors. And we can take the time of Tisha B'av to check in with ourselves. Do we harbor senseless hatred toward anyone? Is it good or bad for ourselves, our family, our communities, our country? What biases do we have against people of different denominations or religions? How can we grow love inside of ourselves toward those most difficult for us to love? In the end, Judaism wants nothing more from us than to love our neighbor as ourselves. "All the rest is commentary—go and learn it!"Rabbi Karen BenderSkirball Director of Spiritual [email protected] I Arch of Titus image courtesy Steerpike [CC BY 3.0]

The Los Angeles Jewish Home welcomes visitors from around the world on a regular basis. Recently, Ava Goldberg or, as she's known in Israel, Aviva, stopped by to tour the Home. Until her recent retirement, Ava served as the Head of Social Services for the Elderly for the City of Jerusalem and the Mayor's Consultant on issues of older people in the city. In retirement Ava will be living part-time in Jerusalem and part-time in Los Angeles. "I am really interested in the field and that's the background for this visit," she explained. Ava toured the GV campus and was quite impressed with the Home and with two things in particular. "One is the scope of thought to both community care and institutional care and the diversity of service. This is extremely impressive. I would like to adopt some of that for Israel. There's also a coordination between community and institutional which we don't have much of in Israel and certainly not in Jerusalem and I'd like to see more of that in Israel," she noted. "The other thing I'm impressed with is how the workers are being treated – are they smiling or not. And (at the Home) there is a whole bunch of smiling faces around here. This is obviously a very good place to be both for the client/patient and for the workers as well. Those two things impressed me tremendously," she noted. In explaining the differences between senior care in Israel and Los Angeles, Ava said: "Israel is a small country with a small elderly population. Jerusalem has 9% of the population is over the age of 65 which is small by standards now. So we are just getting into services for the elderly. We don't have an umbrella for services for the elderly. Unfortunately its split between two government ministries and the municipalities which is not good for the services. So we need more coordination of services."

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