Los Angeles Jewish Home's Blog
Friday, October 17, 2014
Touching Lives, Leaving a Legacy
The world stands upon three pillars: Torah, divine service, and acts of loving kindness.
~Pirke Avot 1:2
At
the end of this month, the staff and residents of the Jewish Home will
bid a fond farewell to Rabbi Anthony Elman. Rabbi Elman came to the Home
as an intern in 2004. He became rabbi of Grancell Village in 2006 and
director of spiritual life for the Home in 2012. The impact Rabbi Elman
has had on everyone at the Home is truly remarkable. His intelligence,
kindness and compassion have served us well at every turn, in times of
tremendous grief and sadness, joy and laughter, and teachable moments.
Before beginning life as a spiritual leader, Rabbi Elman had three
very full careers: attorney, social worker, and psychotherapist. “Law
is about being organized and being able to write,” explains Rabbi Elman.
“Psychotherapy taught me how to listen in a way that can bring out what
really may be going on. These skills have been very helpful to me as a
rabbi.”
While there are many memorable moments Rabbi Elman will take with
him, a few really stand out. “My first High Holy Days at the Home I
gave two sermons. The first was formal and carefully prepared, given
from the bimah. The second I went into with a few notes and sat on the
front of the bimah. I talked about how God had opened Hagar’s eyes and
she saw a spring which she hadn’t seen before,” he remembers. “I used
that as an idea of how people may think they see nothing in their lives,
but, if they could just open their eyes, they might see what was always
available for them. Afterwards, a woman who was attending with her
mother, a resident, told me how much those words meant to her and how
she was trying to get her mother to be able to take advantage of what is
here. I was touched to know a sermon could actually have the
possibility of reaching people.”
Another of Rabbi Elman’s fondest memories is of working with three
ladies who lived in the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center (JEKMC).
Despite advanced age and medical issues, all three attended his classes
and services regularly. Together they decided they wanted to be Bat
Mitzvahed. They worked together and helped each other. “One day I was
looking for them, and there they were, in the arts and crafts room,
studying Torah together,” recalls Rabbi. One of the woman completed her
studies and celebrated her Bat Mitzvah with family and friends.
And finally, on the day of Rabbi Elman’s ordination, several of the
Home’s residents were in attendance. “As my turn came to speak, Morris
Steinberg stood up, raised his cane in the air, and exclaimed “That’s my
Rabbi!” That memory still brings a smile to Rabbi Elman’s face.
There are many programs that were created or enhanced by Rabbi. His
monthly letter reaches several hundred people, both here at the Home and
in the community. He put great thought and care into creating a Friday
Night Siddur for our residents. Rabbi was instrumental in our Seder at
the Japanese Home as part of the Jewish Home’s Centennial celebration.
“My most precious repeated event here has been the Friday night
service in JEKMC,” Rabbi Elman confides. “Usually about 40 people are
gathered together closely. As I’m talking and singing — although I’m not
a singer! — I just put all my energy into it. I believe the residents
often feel lifted by that.”
Rabbi Elman also put his special touch on Veteran’s Day and Martin
Luther King Day programs. “My goal is always to lift people to some
sense of awe and to educate. The two go hand-in-hand.” And then there
was Purim, a great day of fun and celebration…and dressing up!
As he prepares to move forward in the next chapter of his life, Rabbi
Elman summarizes his years at the Jewish Home. “This has been the
happiest time of my life. I’ve never found such joy as I have here. It’s
like everything I give comes back to me double. How I will miss the
residents and staff.”
Rabbi Elman, you will be greatly missed here at the Home. You have
touched the lives of so many with your thoughtfulness. As a spiritual
leader, you have lifted many. As a co-worker, you always went above and
beyond and were the ultimate team player. As a man, you are a mensch.
On behalf of the residents and staff of the Jewish Home, we wish you
great happiness, health and peace. You will always be a part of us.