Los Angeles Jewish Home

The Jewish Home and our upcoming centennial celebration are on the cover of this week's issue of the Jewish Journal!


The Journal's Ryan Smith wrote an incredible article chronicling the Los Angeles Jewish Home's growth and evolution, and it's impact on LA's Jewish community. Smith also reports how recent state and federal budget cuts influence the Jewish Home's plans to care for 5,000 seniors within the next five years.


We're absolutely delighted to receive this excellent coverage from such a respected publication. As the Jewish Home begins celebrating its 100th birthday, we'll continue moving forward — providing world class senior healthcare for another century.


Read the full article, Turning 100: Los Angeles Jewish Home has ambitious growth plans.

Labels: 100, Budget Cuts, Centennial, Cover Story, Elderly, History, Jewish Home Services, Jewish Journal, Los Angeles Jewish Home, Ryan Smith, Seniors, Staff

Cross posted from the Daily News.


By Al Martinez, Columnist

The came like an army of saints, sometimes in multiples and sometimes one at a time.

Their mission was simple but compelling: to get us through a time of grief and anxiety.

I sing today of the Skirball Hospice program, medical personnel and volunteers working out of Encino to bring comfort to the dying and their families, in their homes, in rest homes or in hospitals.

They came to our house when doctors and chemo and machines could do no more for our daughter Cindy, who died last week of cancer.

Their job wasn't to keep her alive but to ease her gently into heaven without pain or the discomforts that often attend a person's last days. They bathed her, medicated her, prayed for her and held her hand.

One can imagine that kind of caring on a battlefield where a solder lay dying of his wounds in the blood and dust of combat, and being cared for by a medic or a hospital corpsman, because cancer too is a ruthless and mighty enemy with killing fields of its own.

The concept of hospice care is rooted in the 11th century as an element of moral compulsion to tend the terminally ill. Skirball Hospice began in Los Angeles in 2001 as a program for the Jewish Home funded in part by the Skirball Foundation. Its services are offered to the terminally ill and families 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Caring never sleeps.

We knew of them from Cindy's doctor, who recommended that she be placed under home hospice care, which is what she wanted, close to the things she loved, including three cats, Tigger, Sarah and Star, who rarely left her side.

A social worker came first, explained the insurance-covered, nondenominational program and then was followed by a multicultural army of nurses, assistant medical personnel, bathers, various other attendants and a rabbi. They were African-American, Asian, Latino, Russian and Caucasian. It didn't matter to them what our ethnic mix was. It never matters at Skirball.

Then came the drugs at various times, the morphine and tranquilizers and whatever else was required to sedate our daughter in her final weeks and to keep her free from pain. There came a hospital bed, too, a portable toilet, oxygen and items I've probably missed in the bustle of the process.

Some staff members appeared in person periodically and others as needed, responding to telephone calls deep into the night. They were there for us all in the final days of Cindy's life, holding our hand as well as hers.

When it became clear that the final moment was approaching, they sent a woman to bathe her and sit by her side until the night and the essence of Cindy merged at 1:35 a.m. I will be ever grateful to the hospice group members for the grace and gentility they displayed in guiding her into eternity. They are special.

Al Martinez writes a column on Mondays and Fridays. He can be reached at almtz13@aol.com.


Read the original column here.

Labels: Al Martinez, Cancer, Caregiving, Cross Post, Daily News, For the Spirit, Hospice Care, Jewish Home Services, medical staff, nurses, Palliative Care, Skirball Hospice, Staff, Volunteer

From the Winter 2011 edition of The Chai Journal


By Nettie Freeman


In 1986, I sold my art gallery and picture framing business. My first inclination was what meaningful volunteer task would I wish to venture into. Without hesitation I found myself at the Jewish Home volunteer office. My first assignment was visiting the residents who did not have any friends or family nearby. I spent many hours enjoying the company of so many itneresting people, sharing their life experience and family histories.


After some time, I was to become the buyer of apparel for the gift shop. Because of my personal contacts at the California Mart downtown, I was very happy to be helpful in that capactiy. After three years of volunteering in these very fulfilling tasks, I took on a new volunteering hat at my temple, Valley Beth Shalom. I became a counselor at our counseling office. I spent 20 years in that capacity, and must admit it was a most gratifying experience, helping my clients in their troubled situations.


Now let's fast forward to September 2009. Due to medical challenges, I had to relinquish my driving privileges. My first consideration was applying to the Jewish Home, my familiar landmark. So here I am, back at the Home, in a neighborhood home at Eisenberg Village with three fabulous roommates...and I couldn't be happier. What a great journey I have had with my wonderful experiences at the Home, and yes, I am volunteering again and a new member of the Chai Journal committee.

Labels: Admission, Aging, Around the Home, Chai Journal, Eisenberg Village, Freeman, Jewish Home Services, Neighborhood Home, Residents, Senior Living, Staff, Volunteer

(From an email sent on January 27, 2011, shortly after the Annenberg School of Nursing Class of 2011 graduation ceremony.)

Last evening I was truly honored to be present to give an opening blessing for the graduation of our 2011 class of the Annenberg School of Nursing. It was a wonderful celebration of dedication, hard work and of the Jewish Home itself, that makes it all possible.

I was reminded of a verse from Genesis, one of the first things God says to Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people.

"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

I began to think about how this applies to the Jewish Home, how many residents of Southern California are blessed because of the work of the Home and it's many programs. The Home is open to people of all faiths to come and live safely and securely, free to grow intellectually and spiritually. We have rehabilitation facilities to help anyone needing temporary help after a hospitalization, to get back home. We are providing education in nursing skills through our CNA programs and Annenberg School of nursing to qualified applicants of any background. We serve a multitude of patients through our Skirball Hospice Program and will help even more in our community based PACE program.

I am unable to think of a more powerful ambassador of good will for the Jewish people than the Los Angeles Jewish Home. The Los Angeles Jewish community is one of the world's largest, and we have many fine Jewish institutions: schools, museums, hospitals, temples, restaurants etc. However, I believe the Home is the finest example of an institution whose prime directive is to do good, healing the sick and comforting those in pain. The Jewish Community should be proud of the work we do and we deserve to express pride in the Home for all we do.

May all people be blessed because of our never ending commitment to the beliefs and values we have treasured for all these years.

Rabbi Sheldon Pennes is the Jack H. Skirball Director of Spiritual Life at the Los Angeles Jewish Home, where he oversees the many services and activities that educate, illuminate, and enrich the spiritual life and needs of those living in, or served by, the Home.

Labels: Annenberg, For the Spirit, Genesis, Graduation, Jewish Home Services, Pennes