There is a reason Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Annenberg School of Nursing (ASN) is one of the city’s leading licensed vocational nursing (LVN) programs—and, according to ASN Executive Director Amandeep Kaur, that reason was on full display at the school’s recent graduation ceremony.“The people who are part of our community—the students, the faculty, and the staff—really make this place special,” Kaur says. “Everyone works together toward a common goal: increasing knowledge, skill, and professionalism in the nursing world to improve quality of care and make a real difference in people’s lives.”The current crop of LVN graduates—17 in total—demonstrated their commitment to service over the course of the 12-month program, which included long days and nights of study, classroom instruction, and hands-on clinical work.“Our program demanded sacrifices, but the consistent effort we put in didn’t just build knowledge, it built nurses,” said graduation speaker Sidney McCullers, who received the coveted Florence Nightingale Award. “Now, we will be able to carry forward the lessons we have learned: to show up for our patients, to trust the discipline we’ve built, and to set goals and know we have what it takes to achieve them.”This year marked a transition for ASN, which moved from its original location on LAJH’s Hirsch Family Campus to new facilities on the Eisenberg Village Campus.In her graduation remarks, Class Vice President Melody Campbell noted that the move was seamless—and that it was both instructive and inspirational for her and her peers.“We started in the old school building and transitioned into this beautiful, campus-style space without a single lecture being interrupted,” she said. “We witnessed growth in real time, and we also saw leadership up close, walking into a new building and finding not just a construction crew, but also our director and her two helpers moving cleaning supplies themselves just to keep our lectures on schedule.”Graduates Sergio Fuentes-Rivas and Isaac Covarrubias were honored with the Best Clinical Performance award in recognition of their hard work, which was roundly praised by both the floor nurses who helped train them and the patients in their care.“They were so good that people wanted to recruit them immediately!” Kaur says.For Fuentes-Rivas, graduation was the culmination of a journey that began nearly six years ago. He initially enrolled at ASN in 2020 and was just four weeks shy of completing the program when crippling anxiety and panic forced him to withdraw.“I worked hard with a therapist to learn how to cope and to believe in myself,” he said. “If anyone out there in the crowd doubts their ability to do anything in their life, I encourage you to change the way you think into a positive mindset; to be kind to yourself and love yourself.”Fuentes-Rivas also had some advice for future students: “Remember this about our director, Ms. Kaur—her office is a safe space. You can cry, vent, and open your heart—our secrets are safe. Not even a speck of dust will know.”Handing out diplomas at the event were Kaur and LAJH CEO and President Dale Surowitz, who says the annual ceremony is always a personal highlight for him.“These young professionals work so hard, and it is a joy to see them reap the benefits of that hard work,” Surowitz says. “It is also a point of pride for all of us at LA Jewish Health to be contributing to the future of nursing and to be enhancing the expert care of seniors throughout our community.”The graduates were celebrated by a crowd of 250, including LAJH Board Chair Judy Friedman-Rudzki, outgoing ASN Board Chair Shelly Steier, and incoming ASN Board Chair Armida Colmenares-Stafford.“It was an amazing event, and by the end, half of the audience was crying because they were so moved,” Kaur says. “It was the signature Annenberg School of Nursing magic.”    FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM GRADUATION CLICK HERE

Across Los Angeles Jewish Health campuses, residents and staff came together for a glorious day of celebration for Purim.On Purim, Jews read from the Megillah, the Scroll of Esther, to tell her story. Esther is a biblical heroine who risks her life to save the Jewish people from annihilation. Her husband, King Ahasuerus, is served by a scheming vizier named Haman who, fueled by a personal vendetta, hatches a plot to kill the kingdom's Jews. When Esther reveals herself as a Jew to the king, he upends Haman's plan and instead has Haman hanged on the very gallows the evil advisor had built for the Jews.At Grancell Village, Orthodox Rabbi Dovid Junik, dressed as a superhero, read the Megillah while residents used graggers (noisemakers) and booed every time Haman's name appeared in the narrative. Rabbi Marc Kraus, dressed ready for battle, led the Megillah reading in the Synagogue along with residents from both Newman and Fountainview. He assigned readings from the ten chapters of the Megillah to residents from each community.Grancell Village residents enjoyed a Purim concert by well-known singer-songwriter Cindy Paley, who also performed a skit about the story of Esther with an assist from Ed Bender. Cindy and Ed also entertained residents of the Newman Building and Fountainview at Eisenberg Village in the Synagogue with song and a Dr. Seuss–inspired Purim spiel (play). The Synagogue was filled to capacity for the joyful celebration.Eisenberg Village staff performed a Purim spiel for the Newman residents in the main dining room.Grancell Village residents participated in a Purim Extravaganza featuring Nature Gan Preschool. Students and their parents arrived in costumes to parade for the resident community, bringing a festive spirit to the campus. The celebration included singing and dancing, and students sat among the residents to create Purim crowns together.Fountainview residents celebrated the Purim holiday with an Arabian-themed night in the beautifully decorated dining room. Entertainers Lisa, Nick, and Ed belted out Yiddish songs, along with some other familiar favorites from “Fiddler on the Roof” to get everyone singing or clapping along.   FOR MORE PHOTOS OF PURIM CLICK HERE