Los Angeles Jewish Home

The other day, some of the nursing staff at our Eisenberg Village campus planned something really fun for our residents: they organized a luau!


The residents who participated live either at the Goldenberg•Ziman Special Care Center, which cares for seniors with Alzheimer's disease or age-related dementia, or the Max Factor Family Foundation Nursing Building, which provides skilled nursing to seniors who need extra assistance.

When the residents saw their nurses — who are normally in scrubs — enter in hula skirts, their eyes lit up! The entire room was laughing, clapping, and singing along.

In addition to being a fun, entertaining afternoon, events like these serve a profound therapeutic purpose. Happiness is known to have incredible life-lengthening health benefits; and the positive atmosphere, the music, and the dancing promotes both physical and cognitive strength.

Labels: Aging, Alzheimer's, Around the Home, Dementia, Eisenberg Village, Elderly, Factor, Goldenberg-Ziman, Healthy Aging, Hula, Luau, Nursing, Seniors, Skilled Nursing, Staff, Video, YouTube

We have a remarkable legacy here at the Los Angeles Jewish Home: for nearly a century, we have been providing exceptional care for elderly men and women in Los Angeles. It began in 1912 when a small group of caring Angelenos gave shelter and hope to five homeless Jewish men at Passover.

In 2011, Passover continues to have special meaning for the Home. Last week, for the 99th year in a row, we celebrated Passover. On the second night, we opened our home to residents, families, and anyone around the community for our traditional Los Angeles Community Seder. Word of this special Seder spread far enough so that USC graduate student Benjamin Gottlieb decided to cover the event in the USC Annenberg School of Communications blog, Neon Tommy.

Check out the video report he made!


Also, take a look the photo album by Andy Holzman of our Community Seder on the Daily News website!

We'd like to extend a huge thank you to Benjamin for stopping by and producing some great footage, to the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism for including our tradition on their school's blog, and to Rabbi Rita Hertzberg for leading an amazing Seder.

Labels: Andy Holzman, Annenberg, Benjamin Gottlieb, Blog, Community, Cross Post, Daily News, Hertzberg, Media, Neon Tommy, Passover, Pesach, Photos, Report, Seder, Seniors, USC, Video, Vimeo

The quote in the title line was said by Jewish Home resident Ellis Simon. Now 87, he's been living here for around 11 years! Granted, he's been saying that for quite some time now, but we finally caught it on tape.

Labels: Donate, Freedom, Gift, Jewish Home, Online Donation, Philanthropy, Residents, Simon, Social Media, Staff, Support, Video, Volunteer, Why We Give, YouTube

Passover is right around the corner! And what better food is there to eat on Passover than matzah brei? Last year, we made a video of a few Jewish Home residents showcasing their culinary talents to decide which matzah brei recipe was tastier: sweet or savory.

Labels: 2010, Around the Home, Contest, Matzah Brei, Passover, Pesach, Recipe, Residents, Seniors, Video, YouTube

Making his debut appearance on the Los Angeles Jewish Home's Comedy Corner, we present to you Ellis Simon, 87. A resident for 11 years, he was one of the first people to move into our Neighborhood Homes. And after all this time, he still loves it here.

Take a look at the first of many of Ellis's jokes to appear on the Comedy Corner! It's guaranteed to make you laugh.

Enjoy!

Labels: Around the Home, Comedy Corner, Humor, Jokes, Neighborhood Home, Simon, Social Media, Staff, Video, YouTube

Hands down, resident Jerri Kane, 85, has one of the best senses of humor at the Los Angeles Jewish Home. She's been at the Home for about two years now, and brightens every room she walks into.

Labels: Animals, Around the Home, Comedy Corner, Farm, Humor, Jokes, Kane, Staff, Video, YouTube, Zebra

Back in December, we interviewed John Fruge, one of the rising stars from the Annenberg School of Nursing (ASN). He graduated a few weeks ago, fully prepared to take his NCLEX© examination and become a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). In the video below, John opens up about his experience at ASN — his professors, his peers, getting his education at the Los Angeles Jewish Home, etc.


If you, or someone you know, is interested in training to become an LVN at the Annenberg School of Nursing, visit www.jha.org/annenberg.

Labels: Annenberg, Fruge, Graduation, Licensed Vocational Nurse, LVN, Nursing, Nursing School, Staff, Video, YouTube

Labels: Around the Home, Humor, Love, Romance, Sexuality, Staff, Valentine's Day, Video, YouTube

Cross posted from The Jewish Journal's Keeping the Faith blog


By Ilana Angel


As Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s easy for a single gal to feel a little sad. It’s the day of love, and even though my life is full of people that I love, and who love me, the one thing that will be missing from Valentine’s Day is sex.  According to countless medical journals, a woman reaches her sexual prime in her 40’s, but if you’re single, there is nobody to have sex with.
Sex is the one thing that separates a relationship from all others.  It is special, important, required and the single greatest thing about being a grown up.  At 44, I have reached a level of comfort when it comes to sex.  I have no hang ups talking about it, or embracing my body so I can enjoy it. Sex is a great thing, and it took me a long time to get to this place.
There is no longer a need to suck in my stomach, or wear lingerie that covers parts that have relocated to new positions.  I may not have the greatest body, but it’s mine, I know it, and I am an expert at operating it.  Who would have thought that at 44 I would feel sexier than I did when I was 24?  It’s a beautiful thing, and it’s being wasted by my lack of sex.
Just when I was about to pour myself a glass of wine, and enjoy an afternoon pity party, I was sent a video that has changed my perspective.  It turns out there is no need to panic.  Even if it takes me a little longer to meet someone worthy of having sex with, I will still be able to have and enjoy sex.  Whether I’m 45, God willing, or 100, God willing, sex is going to be great.
The Los Angeles Jewish Home has created a special video about finding love.  It introduces us to Dorothy and Harry, Jeanette and Ira.  These love birds are in their 80’s, 90’s and yes 100 years old, and they are having sex!  God Bless these crazy kids, and bravo to them for openly talking about their sex lives.  I think they are adorable.
I could still have a pity party because there are people in their 100’s having more sex than me, but instead, I am going to think positive and take comfort in knowing each day I get older does not mean I am one day closer to never having sex, because sex is coming.  Eventually. I will impale myself if my next sexual encounter happens when I’m 100, but it’s coming.
According to the Los Angeles Jewish Home, “being in love can boost self-esteem and decrease depression and anxiety. Being happy in a committed relationship can improve your immune system, leading to fewer colds and visits to the doctor, and can even lower blood pressure.“  Sex is a great thing that also happens to be great for you.  Whoo hoo!!!
Story continued after the video. ED. NOTE: This video really gets cooking at the 2 minute mark.
 
I hope that everyone has love on Valentine’s Day.  Whether you believe in the holiday or not, it’s a day to embrace love.  I embrace love every day, which is both a blessing and a curse.  Maybe I need to focus less on love and more on sex?  Maybe instead of dating online, or getting set up by my friends, I need to hang out at the Los Angeles Jewish Home.
I’m not going to date a resident, but perhaps I could meet a son, grandson, or doctor, who is also inspired to find love by these love stories.  Mazel Tov to these lovely couples, and congratulations to The Jewish Home for this brilliant piece of marketing.  I’m still having wine, but instead of a pity party, I am toasting to finding love, and knowing it will come if I keep the faith.


Read the original blog post here.

Labels: Couples, Cross Post, Ilana Angel, Jewish Journal, Love, Residents, Romance, Sexuality, Staff, Valentine's Day, Video

If the Los Angeles Jewish Home were a high school, Jerri Kane, 85, would've been voted "Most Funny". She's always coming up with new jokes — both tame and risqué — and making people laugh. For your enjoyment, here is one of her jokes, "The Gorilla"...

Labels: Around the Home, Comedy Corner, Gorilla, Humor, Jokes, Kane, Residents, Staff, Video, YouTube

Recently, we shot a video with Annenberg School of Nursing alumna Jennifer Imbag. In 2009, she graduated as her class's valedictorian and winner of the Florence Nightingale Award. One major theme she took out of her experience here: be bold.

Labels: Annenberg, Imbag, Licensed Vocational Nurse, LVN, Nursing, Nursing School, Staff, Video

On January 23, 2011 the Home celebrated the dedication of its first ever new Torah scroll (Bible) hand written by a holy scribe. It took over a year to create the scroll, and many of our residents participated during the course of the year in the writing of the letters of the scroll. If you click here you will see a short presentation of the ceremony held that day. On the same day we also dedicated a beautiful crown for the Torah which was donated by the family of Phyliss Marell. Please enjoy and thank you to all who participated in this joyous event.

Labels: Around the Home, For the Spirit, Pennes, Torah, Video, YouTube