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On Thursday, May 29th the Jewish Home hosted the EV Shayna Punim Chapter’s 2014 Red Hat Society Fashion Show. This special event, sponsored by Gerrie Wormser and John N. Levi, Jr., featured many of the Home’s residents modeling gorgeous garments donated by a local CAbi boutique. Delicious finger sandwiches and ice cream sundaes with hot fudge were graciously served by the Home’s dietary department while live entertainment was provided by the vivacious keyboard and ukulele player Cali Rose. After years of sponsoring the fashion show, Gerrie states that it’s her favorite event. She explains, “My favorite part of the fashion show every year is taking a few 90-year-old people and teaching them to walk down the catwalk with style and flair. I love watching them enjoy every minute of it. I have a background of working as a casting director. The whole process of finding my models and bringing out their inner beauty and natural playfulness is a lot of fun. People just eat it up. It’s fabulous and I love it.” In planning the fashion show, Gerrie reached out to independent CAbi consultant, Bobbie Casalino-Lewis, who was happy to be part of this special event. “This unique opportunity was a wonderful way to give back” said Bobbie. “It’s not always easy to find ways to use my set of specific talents to bring others happiness, but I definitely did that today. Gerrie took me to a few of the Red Hat meetings and gave me beautiful models to work with. I fitted them, styled them, and helped them to shine today.“ After all was said and done, the models surely did shine while walking down the Jewish Home’s runway in their amazing attire and with a newfound sense of self-appreciation.One of the show’s regular attendees, resident Alice Kulick, loves watching the fashion show each year. She exclaimed, “The show was very nice! The girls looked lovely. I was very surprised by the fashions they were wearing. These outfits were a lot different than last year’s and they all looked gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous!”Alice is a big fan of the Red Hat Society and thinks its events are highly entertaining. She states, “I’ve been a part of the Home’s Red Hat Society for the past three years and I love it! Every year they have two big events and they’re always a hoot. I’ve even modeled in the show once before. I really enjoy attending the Red Hat events because they give members a chance to participate and have a good time.”Please click here to view photos from the 2014 Red Hat Society Fashion Show.Special thanks to Gerrie Wormser, John N. Levi, Jr., Bobbie Casalino-Lewis, all of our beautiful models, their handsome escorts, and the activities staff for making this event such a beautiful success.

Our seniors love the Los Angeles Jewish Home. This Thanksgiving season, they had the chance to express all the ways the Jewish Home is so special to them. Following are some of the reasons why our residents are so happy to be here. 1. Great medical care Above all, our residents receive excellent healthcare. The Jewish Home exceeds their expectations with a wide range of services designed specifically to meet the medical needs unique to seniors. 2. Activities that keep minds sharp and bodies in shape Our seniors really value all the life-affirming activities we offer – special programs to keep both minds and bodies active! Seniors can choose from a range of exercise classes, music programs, arts and crafts activities, and so much more. 3. The chance to make new friends Meeting new people and making new friends is another reason why our seniors appreciate the Home. Our residents form deep, enduring friendships that enrich their lives. 4. A caring staff Seniors appreciate that our staff is highly trained, knowledgeable, and professional. They also say our staff is exceptionally compassionate and caring. In fact, many of our team members form close relationships with our seniors. This is more than a job; it is a passion. Our residents expressed other outstanding qualities of the Home. Two more we particularly want to recognize: our donors and our volunteers. Your contributions and your involvement make a very valuable, very important difference to our residents. Thank you sincerely! Want to learn more? We've created a short, entertaining slide show featuring our residents expressing why the Los Angeles Jewish Home is so special to them. Watch now!

There is no one single secret ingredient to the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s success. Our extraordinary staff, talented administrators, trailblazing board members, and generous donors all play a critical role in creating the kind of warm, nurturing, supportive environment that has earned the Jewish Home its stellar reputation nationwide. However, one bit of Jewish Home magic deserves special attention: its incredibly dedicated cadre of volunteers, who tirelessly give of themselves—day in and day out—to improve the lives of the seniors we are so privileged to serve. Aylene Kovary Gift Shop Volunteer, Eisenberg At the Jewish Home, volunteering is central to our mission and to the smooth operation of our daily schedule. Volunteers hail from different places (some are loved ones of current or former Jewish Home residents; others are community members who have heard about our work and are excited to join in to help), but they share a common interest and intention, says Stacy Orbach, the Jewish Home’s director of volunteer services. "No matter how they come to us, our volunteers are so grateful for the services we provide to seniors. They understand how much elderly men and women have done for our community, and they are eager to show their appreciation by giving back," she says. Volunteers participate in the life of the Jewish Home in a myriad of ways, from reading to residents, to troubleshooting their technology issues, to assisting with special events. Many bring in their certified therapy dogs to visit with residents and enhance their emotional well-being. Others help lead our growing music therapy program, or simply play an instrument and bring it with them to the Home to share their skill with a deeply grateful audience. Another area of participation for volunteers is our intergenerational programming, which enables kids to spend time with our residents and delight them with their youthful vigor, as the younger generation learns so very much from the seniors. Phil Moser, Book Cart/Book Distribution Volunteer During the initial stages of the pandemic, we had to put a temporary pause on allowing volunteers onto Jewish Home campuses; securing the health of residents is always our top priority. Now, as the ongoing health safety protocols remain in place, we are ready to welcome volunteers back on campus. Volunteers must be vaccinated and have received at least one booster. Even when COVID-19 necessitated isolation, there was another population of volunteers who did not have to vacate the Jewish Home premises: our residents themselves! Many of them spend a portion of their day volunteering in a broad range of capacities, from the mailroom to the arts and crafts studio, to our active Resident Councils. Resident Robert Lehman is just one example. After arriving at the Jewish Home in 2011, he discovered that volunteering helped him put his own challenges in perspective. "When I first got to the Home, I was focused on my own health issues, but then I realized there are so many people here in need of more assistance than I am," he recalls. "Volunteering helped me forget about my own troubles and concentrate instead on uplifting other residents as I worked to meet their various needs." Robert’s volunteer efforts have included serving as President of one of the Jewish Home’s Resident Councils. In that capacity, he would meet each week with Jewish Home staff to address his fellow residents’ questions and concerns. "The council was a vehicle for residents to express their needs and requests, and I am so grateful they confided in me and enabled me to serve them," Robert says. "I did my best to make everybody comfortable, and I worked hard to get people the ‘yes’s’ they were hoping for!" Aylene Kovary helping a patron Stacy points out that, whether they are residents or community members, volunteers make a crucial contribution at the Jewish Home. "Some of our residents can feel isolated from time to time, and volunteers help them feel they’re no longer alone," she says. "In addition to their able minds and bodies, our volunteers bring us unconditional love, which is the greatest gift we could possibly ask for." To learn more about volunteer opportunities at the Jewish Home, contact Stacy Orbach at (818) 774-3219 or [email protected].

This June marks the 50th anniversary of the ordination of the first woman rabbi in the United States. Sally Priesand was ordained on June 3, 1972, on the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) campus in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her professional milestone was a giant step forward for Jewish women, who have in the past half century distinguished themselves in a broad range of influential rabbinical roles. Rabbi Karen Bender is one such pioneering influencer. In her role as chief mission officer of the Los Angeles Jewish Home, she is an invaluable source of wisdom, compassion, nurturing, and care for thousands of residents, who look to her for guidance and counsel. Her presence at the Home is deeply valued by residents, staff, and leadership alike. "Rabbi Bender has the ability to touch people in a special way," says Jewish Home CEO-President Dale Surowitz. "You can see her gift reflected in the faces of our residents during Shabbat services—how she rekindles memories and helps them access heartfelt emotions. We're tremendously fortunate to have her here." Dale is not alone is his admiration. "Rabbi Bender is an extraordinary human being and a truly amazing rabbi," says Andy Berman, chair of the Jewish Home's board of directors. "The fact that she grabs, and holds, the attention of a congregation whose average age is 91, is just incredible. She makes all of us so proud." It's a sentiment widely shared around the Home. "Rabbi Bender has the ability to see the essence of every resident and connect deeply with them, and she lifts up their spirits with her presence, services, music, humor, and love," enthuses Ilana Springer, CEO/administrator of the Jewish Home's Joyce Eisenberg Keefer Medical Center. In characteristically humble fashion, Rabbi Bender is less focused on her own accomplishments than on her gratitude for the path forged by Rabbi Priesand 50 years ago. Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion President Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., presents Rabbi Karen Bender with an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity "We live in a patriarchal society, and not everyone likes to see women in leadership roles," she notes. "When women started being ordained, there was a lot of push back, and Rabbi Priesand took the brunt of it. What's remarkable to me is that she carries those memories so elegantly and chooses not to dwell on the negative, but instead to emphasize all the wonderful things she has done and experienced." Perspective, Rabbi Bender says, is everything. "I've now been a rabbi for nearly 30 years. And, thinking back over my experiences, I could really tell the story in two different ways, and I suspect that would be the case for all women rabbis," she says. "We could share countless examples of the ways people tried to keep us down. Or we can tell it as a glorious, joyful story of aspiration, fulfillment, achievement, and creativity. That's definitely the lens through which I see things." For Rabbi Bender, working at the Jewish Home provides a constant opportunity to reflect on the significance of being a woman rabbi. "I know what it means to the elderly Jewish women I have the pleasure of spending time with every day," she says. "I've had female residents tell me they wanted to be a rabbi, but that it wasn't allowed in their day. Seeing me in this position is beyond nachas—it's empowering. And how wonderful, at this stage of their lives, to be validated, not just as Jews, but as Jewish women."

The Los Angeles Jewish Home is fortunate to partner with organizations across the city to provide care for the elderly men and women in our community. One of our frequent collaborators—and invaluable supporters—is The Jewish Community Foundation. This spring, the Home was the proud and grateful recipient of a generous Reimagine Grant from The Foundation, which provided funding to advance our innovative tele-health program. Assistance from The Foundation helps cover the cost of key Jewish Home personnel responsible for rolling out state-of-the-art mobile telehealth carts that allow many of our residents to access high-quality care without leaving the comfort of a Jewish Home campus. Currently, the telehealth program is being piloted on the Grancell Village campus, and plans are to extend it across all Jewish Home facilities—making the future of senior care simpler, easier, and more comfortable than ever before.

For the nineteenth consecutive year, the Jewish Home will host its annual Sarnat Symposium on Wednesday, November 2, 2016. This year’s symposium, Creating Caring Connections for an Aging Society, will bring together some of the most progressive experts in the field of geriatrics to share their insight, research findings, and experience with social workers and other professionals who care for seniors. Six CEU credits are offered for those licensed as LCSW, MSW, MFT, BRN, NHAP, and RCFE. Our diverse and dynamic speakers and topics include: Freddi Segal-Gidan, PA, PhDUniversity of Southern CaliforniaWhat’s New in Alzheimer’s Disease and DementiaTim CarpenterEngAGEEngAGE: Transforming Senior CommunitiesDaniella Kaiserman, Esq.Borchard Fellow at Bet Tzedek Legal ServicesLegal Approaches to Elder Abuse: Advanced Planning, Restraining Orders, and Civil RemediesCathy A. Alessi, MDUniversity of California, Los AngelesSleep Interventions for Seniors: What Does the Research Tell Us? In 1998, Rhoda and Bernard (of blessed memory) Sarnat made a generous gift to the Jewish Home to create an endowment to fund, in part, an annual conference on issues related to aging. The Rhoda G. & Bernard G. Sarnat Symposium was established to honor them and to promote the education of professionals in the field of geriatric care. The Sarnat Symposium will be held at the Jewish Home’s Grancell Village campus located at 7150 Tampa Avenue in Reseda. Registration fee is $90 per participant. Senior and student discounts are offered. For more information, please click here.

For more than two decades, the Los Angeles Jewish Home has hosted the annual World's Largest Mother's Day Celebration—a chance to honor our special mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers with special meals, festive music, and fun activities. Although the pandemic continues to require many modifications to events such as this one, the Mother's Day spirit is still alive and well at the Jewish Home, as families and Jewish Home staff and volunteers find innovative ways to mark the special occasion, not just on Mother's Day, but throughout the month of May. Under the direction of Mother's Day Celebration dynamic Chair Elizabeth Jacobs, the Home produced a tribute journal, featuring special ads and messages from residents' loved ones, distributed digitally to more than 15,000 people. Producing the journal was a big undertaking, but Elizabeth shared it was worth the hard work. "The Los Angeles Jewish Home holds a special place in my heart since my mother lived at Eisenberg Village and received extraordinary care," she says. "It is so very important to cherish and pay tribute to the special mothers in each of our lives. I was delighted to serve as chair of this year's celebration and to honor all of the beautiful women at the Home." This year's Mother's Day festivities at the Jewish Home will take place throughout the month of May during what the Home is calling "Mother's Day Month." Plans for the celebration include special meals, as well as various fun, safely distanced activities. In addition, on Mother's Day itself the Home distributed sweet gifts to show appreciation to all of the moms. These outpourings of affection have been made possible, in part, by generous Jewish Home donors and partners like Torrey Pines Bank, Presenting Title Sponsor of the Home's Mother's Day celebration. "On behalf of Torrey Pines Bank, we wish all mothers a very Happy Mother's Day," said Monika Suarez, managing director of public, nonprofit, and affordable housing finance at Western Alliance Bank. "The bank is proud to sponsor the Home's Mother's Day celebration once again. We are pleased to be able to give back to the community and to celebrate the mothers living at the Home." Families of Jewish Home residents, who have been accustomed to gathering at the Home for Mother's Day, have been supportive of this year's temporary shift away from in-person visits. "We know how hard it is on everyone unable to celebrate in person," says James Mackay, administrator of the Mark Taper building at the Jewish Home. "Public health regulations, space constraints, and the safety of our residents required us to come up with an alternative plan. We are tremendously grateful for everyone's patience and understanding, and we look forward to resuming our Mother's Day tradition next year. In the meantime, we anticipate safely accommodating more visitors as the regulations change in the coming weeks." No matter what form the holiday takes, the Jewish Home remains dedicated to helping residents feel seen and loved, notes Dale Surowitz, the Home's CEO and president. "Mother's Day is always a very special occasion here. This year, we have so much hope for a bright future. As we cautiously return to more normal routines, we want to make certain we celebrate all mothers, today and every day," he says. "Happy Mother's Day to all those here at the Home and throughout our community."

Choosing the right health plan can be tricky at any age. Our reliance on the healthcare system increases as we age—and so, too, does the difficulty in finding a plan that meets our growing needs. Starting in January 2021, the Los Angeles Jewish Home will introduce the Brandman Health Plan, a new offering designed with aging seniors in mind. "Traditionally, health insurance tends to think of seniors as being between 65 and 80 years-old, but the age of the demographic is really changing. The Brandman Health Plan is based on a more expansive model of care that grows out of our more than 100 years of real-world experience with residents at the Jewish Home, where the average age is over 90," says Stephen Martinez, Ph.D., CEO of the new plan. "Our program is different because it’s been built to reflect the evolving needs presented by the interaction of geriatric care and pre-existing conditions." The plan is a Medicare Advantage Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan, also known as a C-SNP. To enroll, a senior must be a resident of Los Angeles County and be diagnosed with at least one of four qualifying chronic conditions: diabetes, chronic heart failure, cardiovascular disorders and/or dementia. "We offer two plans depending on the chronic condition, Aspire and Arise, and each plan has two options based on Medicare and Medi-Cal eligibility. All plans cover Medicare Part A and Part B, as well as Part D—the pharmacy component," Stephen notes. "But what makes us competitive is the range of additional, or supplemental, benefits we’re providing." The Brandman Health Plan’s supplemental benefits offering was created based on feedback from Jewish Home clinicians and administrative leaders. "We asked our staff for a wish list of what they would like to see a health plan offer," Stephen says. "They shared that people with dementia frequently lick their lips, which can cause their dentures to shift out of alignment. Based on this information, we made sure to include denture alignment in our dental benefits. When discussing hearing benefits, we learned that many people could not afford additional batteries. We made sure to offer a range of hearing aids, from a basic model at no copay to an optional upgrade at an additional cost, with extra batteries included. The bottom line is that the Brandman Health Plan provides comprehensive coverage at a great value." A partial list of the benefits offered by the Brandman Health Plan includes dental, hearing, vision, transportation for medical appointments, mental health services, in-home safety assessments, and a rich drug formulary that offers prescriptions, such as insulin at a $35 copay for a 30-day supply. "We are extremely enthusiastic about all of the ways the Brandman Health Plan will help support the seniors who enroll," says Jewish Home CEO-President Dale Surowitz. "Our goal is to uplift and empower them so they can stay healthy and thrive." Though the plan is open to any Los Angeles County resident who is eligible for Medicare and has one of the four chronic conditions, Stephen thinks it will have particular resonance for residents of the Jewish Home. "I think they’ll be especially pleased with what we’re offering because it speaks directly to their situations," he says. The Brandman Health Plan will go live on January 1, 2021. Enrollment is now open and will continue year-round. For more information, contact Maria Carreon, the plan’s manager of sales and broker relations, at (818) 457-7608, or visit us online at www.brandmanhealthplan.com.

This past January 17th played witness to a unique confluence of events: the simultaneous observation of Tu B'Shvat—the birthday of the trees—and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Los Angeles Jewish Home ushered in both holidays with a spirited and soulful celebration broadcast to all residents via closed circuit TV and YouTube. Hosted by Rabbi Karen Bender, the Home's chief mission officer, and Rabbi Ron Goldberg, Eisenberg Village campus rabbi, the event also featured special guest Pastor Kenneth Davis. The clergy members gathered virtually to discuss the meaning of the two holidays and to engage Jewish Home residents in reflecting on these two distinct, but in some ways complementary, legacies. To kick off the festivities, Pastor Kenneth offered insight into Martin Luther King Jr. Day, noting that, "it's really a celebration of a movement of people of goodwill to stand in the face of evil." Rabbi Bender related Dr. King's work to our society's present-day challenges around social justice, suggesting that, as we confront those challenges, each of us has an obligation not to stay silent. "We can't just hope things will get better," she said, "we have to see ourselves as participants" in building the world we want. Linking Tu B'Shvat and Martin Luther King Jr. Day together, Rabbi Ron said that, "MLK Day reminds us of how we're supposed to treat our fellow human beings, and Tu B'Shvat reminds us of how we have a responsibility to treat the physical environment and the earth around us."In preparation for the event, the Jewish Home's dietary department prepared a beautiful plate of fruit for clergy and residents alike; the fruit was delivered to residents in advance so they could engage in a tasting simultaneously with the rabbis during the broadcast. To mark the occasion, Rabbi Bender led all those participating in a shehecheyanu, the traditional Jewish prayer thanking God for keeping us alive, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this occasion.

On Thursday, July 14th, 2016, the Jewish Home’s Annenberg School of Nursing (ASN) celebrated its eighth graduating class of vocational nursing students. The Class of 2016 proudly took the stage in the Grancell Village Activities Center as their families, friends, and co-workers cheered them on. Graduate Laura Faridi welcomed the audience. “This day seemed so far away when we began. Quiz by quiz, test by test, and final by final (and there were many), the conclusion of our journey is finally here. We’ve built friendships, supported each other through the trials, tribulations and triumphs, and made it to graduation together.” She also extended thanks to the ASN faculty and staff, donors who support the school, and, of course, all the families and friends who helped make the students’ success possible. Monien Ibarra, Class President, spoke on behalf of the students. “We will continue to be strong advocates for those we will care for and whose lives will be entrusted to us.” She also shared a quote from one of her favorite doctors, Dr. Seuss: “To the world you may be one person; but to that one person you may be the world.” Valedictorian Lizbeth Lopez expressed thanks to her mother for her support. “While going to school full-time, I also worked a few days each week at the Home. My mother, who worked two jobs, helped out with my four-year-old daughter so I could have the time I needed to study.” Her mother’s support helped Lizbeth earn a gold cord for having the highest grade point average in the class. Laura Faridi and Cassandra Candia received blue cords signifying perfect attendance throughout the 12-month program. Laura also earned a red cord for the prestigious Florence Nightingale award. The recipient of this award is selected by the class and honors the individual who best exemplified the ideals of nursing: knowledge, integrity, flexibility, strong work ethic, leadership, honesty, and humor. “It’s an honor to be recognized by my classmates,” said Laura. “This says a lot about the relationships we built and how well we worked together as a team.” After receiving their certificates, the graduates received their class pins and took part in the lamp lighting ceremony in honor of Florence Nightingale. The lamps signify providing comfort and light in a place of darkness and passing the light of knowledge to others; represent the light and enlightenment that comes with knowledge; and affirm the student’s decision to pursue a career in nursing. Thank you to the dedicated ASN faculty and staff for their commitment to providing excellence in education for their students: Marie Cordeiro, director; Dr. David Cooper, instructor; Barbara Bridges, clinical instructor; Myrna clinical instructor; Barbara Noblet, financial aid coordinator; and Cindy Thomas, admissions coordinator. The Annenberg School of Nursing will welcome the vocational nurse Class of 2017 with classes beginning this month. Nurse assistant and home health aide programs are ongoing. For more information, please contact Cindy Thomas at (818) 757-4460 or visit the ASN website at www.asn.edu.