The Marvels of Music at Los Angeles Jewish Health

Home / News & Events / Newsletter

The Marvels of Music at Los Angeles Jewish Health

Dec 4, 2024

Around the world, December is a time for gift-giving, family meals, and shared celebration. It is also a time for music: from Chanukah medleys to Christmas classics, holiday tunes are the soundtrack of the season.

At Los Angeles Jewish Health, music plays an integral part of uplifting seniors’ spirits and enhancing their health and wellness throughout the year, from birthdays to holidays and beyond. Well-documented evidence shows that music has numerous health benefits for people of all ages, perhaps none more so than members of an aging population.

“Listening to music can help with anxiety, depression, and stress; it can also help reduce blood pressure and improve sleep,” says Noah Marco, MD, LAJH’s chief medical officer. “In addition, it activates parts of the brain that are involved in thinking, movement, and emotion. It’s been shown to help people recovering from a stroke with verbal memory and focus, and to connect people suffering from advanced dementia to their positive past memories.”

Supporting seniors through music is a major focus of life at LAJH. The Music Therapy Program at the Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE is just one example. A board-certified music therapist brings instruments to the center and involves participants in expressing themselves musically: singing and making rhythms while reflecting on how music has shaped their lives.

Board-Certified Music Therapist Sara brings instruments to Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE in Reseda

“The program is awesome—the music is just wonderful. It helps you relax, stay calm, and it helps you mentally because by singing together with people in a group, you know you’re not alone,” says program participant Theresa Vincent. “I would encourage everybody to do music therapy at Brandman!”

Music therapy is also provided to residents through a partnership with California State University, Northridge (CSUN). The collaboration brings students working toward their music therapy degree to LAJH, where they engage residents with percussion-based instruments and population-appropriate activities.

The CSUN students’ effort and skill are deeply appreciated by those who take part in the gatherings. “These students bring so much joy and make us feel better, we forget about our troubles and are just happy,” says one memory care resident at LAJH’s Goldenberg-Ziman Special Care Center.

Goldenberg-Ziman Special Care Center residents enjoy instruments provided by CSUN students

At the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center, residents participate in a different type of music therapy: the Wahlbangers Drum Circle, which leads them through low-impact exercises proven to activate both hemispheres of the brain.

“From helping residents modulate their emotions to encouraging concentration and cooperation, the benefits of the drum circle are many-fold,” says Susan Leitch, director of therapeutic activities. “The activity is universally accessible: Everyone can play, no matter their experience level.”

Wahlbangers Drum Circle leads musical participation at Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center

Young people frequently share their musical gifts with LAJH residents. “We are extremely fortunate to have so many talented individual musicians and groups volunteer from colleges, secondary schools, and synagogues. They visit LAJH almost weekly,” says LAJH Special Projects Coordinator Julie Lockman-Gold, whose role is supported in part by the Steven Ohren Foundation. In one instance, a resident had not played his bass in years, due to a stroke that made it challenging for him. A caring visit by a music major in college enabled him to feel confident in picking up his bass, and they played tunes together throughout the afternoon.

Resident Andy jams on his bass guitar with a volunteer music major

The number of outstanding performances is too numerous to list. Shining examples include a college student who has been playing the cello for LAJH audiences since he was in high school and a jazz band that performs for LAJH’s annual “Senior-Senior Prom.” Schools that have visited the campuses include UCLA, de Toledo High School, Brentwood School, Harvard-Westlake, Sierra Canyon School, Kadima Conservatory, and more.

Jazz musicians from de Toledo High School play for the annual Senior-Senior dance at Eisenberg Village

In honor of Father’s Day and thanks to support from the Steven Ohren Foundation, the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, the largest majority African American orchestra in America, treated residents to a moving concert. “I always tell residents, ‘You don’t have to go to Disney Hall to hear a phenomenal concert,’” says Stacy Orbach, Los Angeles Jewish Health’s director of volunteer services, “because we bring the sounds of Walt Disney Concert Hall to you!”

The Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles treated residents of the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center to a Father's Day concert

Music plays a central role in LAJH’s Jewish holiday celebrations, as well. At Passover and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Jewish music specialist Cindy Paley joins Chief Mission Officer Rabbi Karen Bender and Rabbi Ron Goldman in leading residents in song. Shabbat and other prayer services also prominently feature music. “Our residents love music, so we incorporate it into so much of what we do here,” says Rabbi Bender. “Especially when we play Israeli or Yiddish songs, people respond so positively because that music really brings back memories.”

Cindy Paley leads Grancell Village in celebration

The music agenda at Fountainview at Eisenberg Village is robust. Entertainment is available two Saturday evenings a month, including a summer concert series. Music is also a pivotal component of holidays at Fountainview: the Swing Dolls, a 1940s-style, Andrew Sisters tribute band, performed this past Veteran’s Day and July 4th, and during Chanukah residents will enjoy the musical stylings of a traditional klezmer band.

The Swing Dolls bring classic tunes to Fountainview at Eisenberg Village

LAJH’s myriad of music programs and therapies are made possible by the support of generous benefactors including The Steven Ohren Foundation—dedicated to assisting the elderly with medical and living expenses, with a special emphasis on the Jewish population—and Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, a longtime supporter of LAJH residents, which recently made a gift to help expand LAJH’s music programs. Individual donors are also essential for the ability of the music programs to thrive.

Residents at LAJH find many opportunities to showcase their own musical talents, as well. Whether playing a piano inside one of the residential buildings, staging a Passover play or Purim spiel, or teaming up with fellow residents to write and compose songs, many talented residents participate in the world of music available to them.

Residents of Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center wrote and performed their own musical Purim spiel

“Music truly infuses everything at LAJH,” says Annette Weinberg, LAJH’s campus lifestyle and enrichment director for Eisenberg Village. “Watching residents’ faces light up when the music starts is just the most amazing thing.”

Prev Page Next Page

Share

Sign up for the Los Angeles Jewish Health newsletter, Connections.

First Name

Last Name

Email

Recent Articles

Jan 8

Be The Shamash: The Light That Illuminates the Other Lights:

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

Author Visits LAJH to Share Story of the Rescue of Her Niece and Advocate for Hostages

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.”

Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE Welcomes New Vice President

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.”