Los Angeles Jewish Health: Energizing Senior Life

In the Jewish tradition, Passover represents many things: the liberation of the ancient Israelites from Egyptian slavery, the beginning of a long journey to self-determination and freedom in a promised land, and the rebirth and renewal that accompany the start of spring. At Los Angeles Jewish Health, Passover celebrates all of these themes—as well as LAJH’s establishment nearly 115 years ago.In 1912, five older adults experiencing homelessness men in Los Angeles needed a place to observe Seder. They found a welcome home and a willing host in Polish immigrant and Boyle Heights grocery store owner Simon Lewis. He invited them in to share the holiday, thus paving the way for what would soon become the Los Angeles Jewish Home.Lewis and the hard-working women who cooked and prepared for that Seder could never have imagined how their generosity would reverberate for generations of Angelenos. For more than a century, LAJH has served as a vital refuge for seniors, offering critical programs and services that set a national standard for exceptional, high-quality care. Today, the tradition continues, and LAJH reaches seniors throughout the San Fernando Valley, L.A.’s Westside, and beyond.At LAJH, Passover is an opportunity both to celebrate its legacy and to marvel at the institution’s daily impact on thousands of lives. Whether through skilled nursing care, memory care, adult day care, or independent living, LAJH plays a crucial role in strengthening the social fabric of Los Angeles—giving seniors the support they so greatly deserve.Passover is also an occasion for excitement, merriment, and delight at LAJH. Each year, the organization welcomes residents to experience the holiday with a range of hands-on activities including music- and food-filled Seders.“Passover comes alive at Los Angeles Jewish Health, awakening all five senses and inspiring the spirits of our residents,” says Chief Mission Officer Rabbi Karen Bender. “Our goal is to stimulate memories of the past for each of our beloved residents, while also providing Seders that are extraordinarily interactive and memorable themselves.”  As they eat their fill of matzah, sip grape juice, sing traditional melodies, and tell the story of the four children, residents gain strength from—and find meaning in—participating as part of a cohesive community.“When we come together to share happy occasions, all of our lives are enriched,” says Dale Surowitz, Los Angeles Jewish Health’s CEO and president. “It’s amazing to be at the Seder and see our residents sharing this special occasion. The sense of fulfillment and joy on their faces—it’s what LAJH is all about.”

The Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) PACE West Los Angeles achieved a significant milestone by enrolling the program’s 100th participant. “Reaching our 100th participant at BCSC PACE West Los Angeles is more than a milestone, it’s a testament to the trust our community places in our person-centered, comprehensive care," says Jasmine Young, Senior Vice President of BCSC PACE. "We are proud to support seniors in living with dignity, independence, and connection right here in West LA, and we look forward to extending that support to even more older adults and their families.” 

The staff at Los Angeles Jewish Health is the secret ingredient that makes it one of the city’s most sought-after destinations for residential senior care. Among the many teams central to LAJH’s reputation and impact is the Social Services Department, which sets a high bar for professionalism and touches nearly every aspect of residents’ lives.From their very first encounter with LAJH, residents and families look to the Social Services Department for guidance. With dedicated teams at every location, staff provide specialized support tailored to each program. This structure allows staff to build personal connections and address the specific circumstances of everyone in their care.“I help individuals who have been hospitalized navigate the admissions process as they assess options for rehabilitation after discharge,” says Jared Hutchings, a resident services coordinator at the Mark Taper Building on the Grancell Village campus. “It’s my job to hold their hands and answer their questions about everything from the services we provide, to the daily schedule here, to the role insurance will play in covering the cost of their care.”Hutchings, who has worked at LAJH for 13 years, says that allaying prospective residents’ anxieties is a task he takes seriously.“Families come in experiencing a huge mix of emotions, and my colleagues and I reassure them—providing a window into the expert care their loved ones will receive and explaining how their conditions are likely to improve by the time they leave,” he says. “They come away feeling empowered and so much better about the journey ahead, and I love being part of that process.”Thelma Mata is a Social Services case aide in LAJH’s Newman Building, located at the Eisenberg Village campus. She started her career at LAJH in 1991 working in the kitchen, and gradually rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a certified nursing assistant and transitioning to the Social Services team.“I’m responsible for ensuring that our residents’ quality of life is good, which involves things like doing evaluations of their needs, coordinating their care plans, and seeing that their emotional wellbeing is attended to,” Mata says. “I interact with residents and families every day, and I also collaborate with vendors to source equipment like walkers and diabetic shoes, and with doctors’ offices to schedule vision, hearing, podiatry, and dental appointments. I absolutely love my job.”The responsibilities of Social Services staff are vast: They monitor residents’ cognition, mood, and behavior, and they also distribute mail, keep inventories of residents’ belongings, coordinate virtual calls with families who live out of town, and undertake other essential tasks. Their work is integral to LAJH’s success—and it is why Director of Social Services Kimberlee Marsh refers to the department as “the glue that keeps the organization running smoothly.”“We are the conduit between departments at LAJH, facilitating communication to keep everybody on the same page,” Marsh says. “Beyond the logistics, the most important part of our job is the bond, rapport, and trust we build with residents and families.”Based in the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center on the Grancell Village campus, Marsh—a licensed clinical social worker—oversees three full-time social workers and three full-time Social Services case aides. Her team partners with other LAJH colleagues to create an environment that is truly special.“The core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence are all reflected every day here at LAJH, by all staff,” Marsh says. “I am especially proud of our Social Services teams, which excel at providing person-centered care. It’s an approach that fuels our sense of purpose and showcases our deep commitment to serving our community.” 

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