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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For the past 105 years, the Los Angeles Jewish Home has provided seniors in the Greater Los Angeles area with vital programs and services. With a team of nearly 1,500 professionals working to provide the community’s older adults with outstanding, high-quality care, the Jewish Home is one of the largest employers in the San Fernando Valley. The Home offers its employees a rewarding working environment with generous benefits, compensation, and advancement opportunities. Training programs include instruction from the Home’s Annenberg School of Nursing (ASN) as a home health aide (HHA), certified nursing assistant (CNA), and licensed vocational nurse (LVN). No other senior care provider in Southern California offers so many advancement opportunities. To continue the tradition of staff enrichment, the Jewish Home has partnered with ASN to provide employees with three complimentary courses – restorative nurse assistant, medication technician, and medication technician recertification. Restorative Nurse Assistant Employees seeking a restorative nurse assistant (RNA) certification will learn techniques for helping patients increase strength and mobility levels, resulting in an enhanced quality of life. The two day RNA program is for current CNAs with at least 6 months experience, a high school diploma or GED, and a recommendation from the director of nursing. Medication Technician* Employees seeking a medication technician certification will be trained to prepare and provide patients with non-injectable prescription medications. The two day medication technician program is for current CNAs with at least 6 months experience, a high school diploma or GED, and a recommendation from the director of nursing. Medication Technician Recertification Employees seeking a medication technician recertification will receive a refresher course in the preparation and distribution of non-injectable prescription medications. The eight hour medication technician program is for current medication technicians only. The three courses will be available to staff through the end of August. For more information, please contact Cyndi Meyer at (818) 757-4431 or [email protected] *This course is waitlisted for May, June, and August

On Friday, June 9th, California State Senators Robert Hertzberg and Henry Stern stopped by to mingle with BCSC participants. Following lunch with participants, BCSC Executive Director Susie Fishenfeld provided the Senators with a tour of the Center. Both Senators offered their thanks to the seniors and stressed their support of the Los Angeles Jewish Home and BCSC. “We all stand on your accomplishments,” said Senator Hertzberg. “Everyone in this room has a great story. You built this city. You built this community. I offer my respect to you and want you to know we don’t forget.” “The Home and seniors are very important to me,” said Senator Stern. “I work for you. I’m here to serve you,” he added. During their visit, both Senators honored BCSC participant Sadye Peckman, who is 101 years young. She received certificates commending her life and recognizing her important contributions to her family and community. On Monday, June 12th, a grand day was had by BCSC participants and staff when the well-known Mexican actor, Eduardo Yanez, visited the Center. Eduardo is making Los Angeles his home away from his Mexican home as he pursues new and exciting opportunities and projects in "Hollywood". BCSC Marketing Director Santos Rodriguez (left), BCSC Executive Director Susie Fishenfeld (center), Eduardo Yanez.Eduardo provides care for his elderly mother who lives in Mexico and understands the daily challenges caregivers face. He is a community minded individual and understands the importance of access to community resources for an improved quality of life. Univision, a BCSC community partner, shared with Eduardo information about the BCSC PACE program which led to the visit. During his visit, he encouraged the BCSC participants to share their stories and memories through writing, painting, singing and any other way they can share those memories. Both visits were enjoyed by all and will continue to be a special memory for BCSC participants and staff. The Brandman Centers for Senior Care is the only Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in the San Fernando Valley. BCSC serves seniors age 55 and older who live in the BCSC service area, need coordinated medical care to continue living safely and as independently as possible in their own home and community. To view the photo album of our visitors, click here.

Men’s Health Month is celebrated each June with health, education and outreach activities, screenings, and health fairs. The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to raise awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. Men and women face many of the same health challenges, such as: maintaining a healthy diet and weightexercising regularly to keep our bodies strong and functioning at their bestgetting enough sleep, at least 7-9 hours each nightquitting smoking to lower risk of heart and lung diseases and cancercoping with stress While the life expectancy gap between men and women has decreased, women still live an average of 5.2 years longer than men. In general, men tend to smoke and drink more than women and often don’t seek medical attention as often as women. There are also health conditions that only affect men, such as prostate and testicular cancers. According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, here are 10 cancer symptoms men should be aware of and seek medical attention for right away: Abnormal lump: a mass or lump in the breast, testicles, lymph nodes and soft tissues such as tendons and ligamentsChanges in testicles such as a change in size or if they feel swollen or heavyChanges in restroom habits including increased frequency, pain when going, blood in urine or stool, persistent diarrhea or constipationChanges in your skin such as unusual bleeding, scaling or sores that do not heal as well as warts, moles and freckles that change color, size or shapeIndigestion or trouble swallowing, such as a prolonged painful burning sensation in your throat or chestPersistent cough or hoarseness, wheezing, shortness of breath or coughing up bloodChanges in your mouth, including white patches, sores, unexplained bleeding, numbness or tenderness of tongue, cheeks and lipsUnexplained weight loss not due to change of diet or exercise routineConstant fatigue regardless of how much rest you getPersistent pain such as back pain, headache or stomach ache can often be the first sign that something is wrong. So, men! Please use Men’s Health Month to schedule a medical checkup with your doctor and take a personal inventory of your current overall health and lifestyle. Many health issues can be treated and resolved with early detection, and that begins with you!

What is the secret to living to 106? According to Jewish Home resident Faye Levitt, "It's part luck and part the way you are. You have to be happy with yourself and have a good attitude and good friends." Last week, luck, attitude and friendships brought Faye to her 106th birthday, which she celebrated with family and friends. Held at the Home's Grancell Village Campus, the party was a collaborative effort of Faye's family and the activities department of the Mark Taper Building where Faye resides. The room was festively decorated for the occasion with pastel balloons, floral centerpieces and a Happy Birthday banner featuring photos of Faye. A beautiful cake tempted everyone until Faye did the honors of making the first slice. As a member of the activities staff played Happy Birthday on a baby grand piano, everybody sang along, wishing Faye all the best and many, many more. A self-confessed "shopaholic," Faye was glowingly beautiful in a new blue top and her hair freshly coiffed. The youngest of five children, Faye was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Anne and Harry Reader, who were from Austria. Anne and Harry moved their family to Galveston, Texas to open a jewelry store. Though business was good, sometimes the town would flood, with water entering their store and rising to the bottom of the safe. A friend suggested they consider moving to Taft, California, near Bakersfield. At the time, Taft was a booming oil town, so the family packed up and relocated. As she got older, Faye loved getting dressed up and going to work in the store, something she would do for decades to come. To this day, she still takes great care to always look her best. Another family move brought everyone to Santa Monica, where a new store was opened. It was in Los Angeles that Faye met her husband-to-be, Ben, through a girlfriend. After dating for one year, they married and went on to have two children, Ken and Myrna. Now Faye's family includes four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all living nearby. She is also the only – and favorite - aunt to the thirteen children and grandchildren on Ben's side of the family, many who were on hand to celebrate her birthday. "She has become mother to all my friends as their own mothers have passed away," exclaims Myrna. Throughout their marriage, Faye and Ben worked together in the store and enjoyed traveling with a group of friends, visiting Israel, Spain, France, England, Italy…and Vegas. When he was 85, Ben passed away, and Faye, who was 75, began living on her own in an apartment in Encino. There she made friends with a group of women and they did a lot of fun things together, including barbecuing at Faye's place. When she was 93 and had to give up driving, Faye moved to an assisted living facility where she lived for about 14 years. As always, she made a lot of friends and enjoyed socializing. Although she has never had a serious illness or surgery, she began to need more care. Ken and Myrna suggested the Jewish Home. "The Home was recommended to us by so many people," explains Myrna. "And it is a wonderful place! Since coming here, our mother is eating better, exercising, participating in activities, and attending Shabbat and holiday services." "With our mom living here at the Home, we know she is taken care of and we don't have to worry," says Ken. "I feel lucky to have my mom with us at 106! She's smart, sharp, has a great memory and sense of humor. It's amazing what she has experienced and seen in her lifetime." Though she's only been at the Home for a few months, Faye encourages others to consider making the move. "It's made a big difference in my life," she says. "As you get older, it's better to be around other people than to be living in a place by yourself. It gives you the opportunity to communicate with others. Here at the Home, the care is great, the employees are wonderful and the food is good!" Reflecting on her 106th birthday celebration, Faye "is elated! I see all my relatives and friends and it's a pleasure. I'm happy to be able to enjoy this because it's not usual that a person my age would be able to experience this. I am thankful to my family and the Jewish Home staff for making this party so wonderful!" On behalf of the Jewish Home, mazel tov to Faye on this milestone occasion. We wish her good health and happiness in the years to come. To see more photos of Faye's 106th birthday celebration, click here.

If you have a senior loved one in your life or are a senior yourself, you’re probably familiar with the word geriatrician. But in reality do you know what this term actually means? A geriatrician is a fully trained physician specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of seniors. In most cases, geriatricians are primary care physicians, board-certified in internal or family medicine. Before becoming a geriatrician, most complete a one-year, post-residency fellowship in the field of geriatrics. Geriatrics is the branch of medicine catering to older adults. Once the fellowship is completed, the geriatrician is ready to perform his or her primary role – enhancing the quality of life for seniors as they age. However, those physicians who went into the field prior to the development of formal training programs, had the ability to take a written test that demonstrated their knowledge in the field and get certified as a geriatrician. Geriatricians play a major role in a senior's health and well-being, providing diagnosis and treatment to patients with complicated medical conditions. Seniors with age-related illnesses, disabilities, and/or prolonged use of prescription medication can greatly benefit from the carefully crafted care plans geriatricians create. These specialists usually start with a complete assessment of each patient's physical, psychological, cognitive, and social function. Once the doctor is familiar with a senior’s health profile, he or she work closely with the entire care team to develop a comprehensive plan of care. Geriatricians are ready and willing to provide their patients with information and insight to make tough decisions easier to navigate. They can also help to take the load off of family caregivers who are struggling with caring for a senior loved one at home. With a quick evaluation of the senior’s living space, geriatricians propose small modifications to make home life easier and safer. Many experienced geriatricians excel in providing key suggestions to continuously improve the quality of life for seniors. At the Los Angeles Jewish Home, chief medical officer Dr. Noah Marco leads a team of noted geriatricians who provide award-winning services to seniors on site. “Many in the field consider the Jewish Home as one of the birthplaces of Geriatric Medicine,” says Dr. Marco. “When UCLA established the Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology in 1979, it affiliated with the Los Angeles Jewish Home as a place for its doctors to get their experience. We are fortunate that several of our doctors graduated from that program.” If you or a senior you know are interested in healthy aging or looking to receive life-enhancing care, consider making an appointment with a geriatrician. Call the Home’s convenient, toll-free Connections to Care hotline 855.227.3745, or visit the American Geriatrics Society site and use the Find a Geriatrics Healthcare Professional tool to find a geriatrician near you.