A Generation Apart

Connections to Care Mobile Hero
Home / News & Events / Newsletter

A Generation Apart

Jan 27, 2015

In 1983 a documentary was made entitled “A Generation Apart,” which explored the impact of the Holocaust on the survivors’ families. It was described as a “testimony to the power of love.” Over 30 years later, as I walked through the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s Eisenberg Village, I witnessed another testimony to the power of love related to the Shoah. A small group of the Holocaust survivors who live at the Jewish Home were meeting.

The group was led by resident Ernest Braunstein. Although I had only been CMO at the Home for a few weeks, I knew several of the participants. One was even from my mother’s city of Lodz, Poland. He and his wife are now my patients. Their daughter was also participating in the group discussion.

The number of living Holocaust survivors is dropping dramatically. Resident survivors of the Home may number less than 20 in a community of 1000.

The deaths they once barely escaped are now palpably close again, and they react to that in different ways. Some exude their exuberance for just being alive, and a few live in a perpetual fog of fear. In others their paranoia is paramount, and in many the guilt of survival continues to germinate.

Author Jane Gross quoted Rabbi Simon Hirschhorn in an article published Oct. 23, 2014 in The New Old Age. “Some of the elderly survivors cry inconsolably but wordlessly, incapable or unwilling to articulate anything about the past. Others, often dry-eyed, incessantly discuss the terrible things they saw and had to do to save their lives. And they often flip, all but overnight, from one way of coping to the other as the end of life approaches.”

In senior communities around the world that have a significant number of survivors, support groups try to help them cope. One challenge the facilitators face is that many survivors have spent their entire lives not talking about their psychological pain and are not going to “open up” as the facilitators encourage them to do.

Regardless of the town they came from or the camp they were in, Shoah survivors are not like other aged residents in senior living. They are truly a generation apart.

The survivors’ adult children, like myself, are also unlike their generation. We are also a generation apart. In Gross’s article, Rabbi Hirschhorn, who is the son and grandson of survivors and is a nursing home clergy, said survivors’ children struggle more than others with the guilt of placing a parent in an institutional setting.

According to Rabbi Hirschhorn, survivors’ children, often called Second Generation or “2G” for short, “grow up, from the time they are little, with the unconscious wish to make it better, to take away the pain.’’ Both my wife’s parents and my parents were survivors of the Shoah, and we also had the desire not to add any pain to our parents’ lives by our decisions. We, like Charlotte Dell in the article by Gross, always had “an overwhelming feeling of responsibility that there is no additional suffering.’’

Staff that care for survivors and their adult children have a significant task to guide these families through what is likely the most difficult transition of their lives.

Perhaps the most challenging medical issue adult children struggle with is whether or not to consent to a feeding tube when their parent can no longer safely eat. Many encouraged by their clinicians choose to have a feeding tube placed. I once overheard a doctor yell at a daughter of a patient with advanced dementia, “You don’t want your Mother to starve to death, do you?” In addition to the bias of some doctors, survivors and their surrogates typically choose any medical interventions that have the goal to prolong life. Unfortunately, what this daughter was not told, and what many children struggling with this decision are not told, is that placing a feeding tube typically means their parent will not be allowed to eat ever again. In addition, numerous medical studies have shown feeding tubes in patients with advanced dementia may increase pain, and often worsen the quality and length of life.

The struggle around whether or not to place a feeding tube is even more challenging for second generation. They wonder whether their action may actually cause additional suffering to their survivor parent by triggering the painful memories of the starvation they had in the war. Since they are not allowed to eat after placement of the tube, it also takes away the basic physical pleasure of eating that is so important because it had been previously denied to them. Not allowing a survivor to eat also creates tremendous guilt in their children. One of my 2G friends told me when they declined having the feeding tube placed in their dad, it felt like they had put on the black uniform of a SS soldier.

I was thinking about the various challenges of caring for aging Holocaust survivors as I watched the small group gathered around a table in the Zuckerman Board Room at the Jewish Home. Thankfully, those thoughts quickly left and were amazingly replaced by the warmth, love, and friendship that were evident. I saw in their eyes and heard in their strong voices that this group was different than one seen in typical nursing homes. It was full of hope. I am looking forward to the next time I have a chance to sit down with them, listen, and hopefully help bring the generations together.

Sign up for the Los Angeles Jewish Health newsletter, Connections.

Recent Articles

Jul 9

Los Angeles Jewish Health Welcomes New Chief Information Officer

Rey Lopez brings experience and community commitment to improving local seniorsʼ lives (RESEDA, CA – July 8, 2025) Los Angeles Jewish Health announced the appointment of Rey Lopez as its chief information officer. Lopez arrives at LAJH with two decades of experience strengthening information technology (IT) infrastructure in the medical field to enhance the delivery of high-quality patient care. Central to Lopezʼs portfolio at LAJH is building technology and business solutions to help the organization grow, to assist its employees to be more efficient in their jobs, and to safeguard residentsʼ health and wellbeing by protecting their sensitive personal health information and data.“Whether itʼs securing electronic health records, streamlining our payroll systems, or reducing cost and boosting the performance of our data reporting systems, there are so many ways we can harness technology to be more nimble and to provide LAJH stakeholders with new pathways to success,” Lopez said. LAJH Chief Information Officer Rey LopezLopez joins the LAJH leadership team at a critical time in the healthcare industry, as emerging technologies play a growing role in the provision of vital care and as concerns around protecting data privacy continue to require best practices in the field. His knowledge and expertise will help drive LAJHʼs strategic approach to effective data management. “We are pleased to welcome Rey as a member of the LAJH family,” said Dale Surowitz, LAJH CEO and president. “His commitment to safeguarding the health and privacy of our residents makes him a perfect addition to our leadership team.” Lopez arrives at LAJH after a long tenure as CIO at Kern Medical in Bakersfield and, before that, as Director of Information Systems, St. Joseph Medical Center at Providence Health & Services in Burbank. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, he attended California State University, Northridge, graduating with a degree in business administration and management information systems. It was as a small business owner in the late 1990s—based in Encino, he consulted on issues related to workerʼs compensation—that Lopez developed an interest in pursuing a healthcare career. His new position at LAJH further deepens his connection to the San Fernando Valley, where he currently resides. “Iʼm so happy to be working in the Valley again, contributing to the community that I love,” Rey says. “Through LAJH, I look forward to helping make it an even better—and healthier—place to live.” 
Read More
Jul 2

Growing to Meet the Needs of Today’s Seniors, Annenberg School of Nursing Expands Reach Into New Markets

Enhancing wellness and expanding impact are critical components of the work at Los Angeles Jewish Health. Through the highly acclaimed Annenberg School of Nursing (ASN), progress is occurring on both fronts, most recently with the opening of an additional location that is broadening the ability for ASN to prepare the next generation of nurses to serve seniors and others in need of quality healthcare.This new location, currently identified as ASN-LA, is part of a collaborative partnership between Los Angeles Jewish Health and AltaMed, one of the country’s largest community health networks. Based at AltaMed’s headquarters in City of Commerce, the new location will offer the Annenberg School of Nursing’s signature fast-paced, 12-month licensed vocational nursing (LVN) program. ASN-LA’s inaugural LVN class is scheduled to launch this August, with 24 students selected from among more than 200 applicants who applied for the chance to attend.“The demand for a nursing education—and for Annenberg-level training—is extremely high, and we’re thrilled to be increasing our capacity to reach more students than ever before,” says Amandeep Kaur (who has served as executive director of the Annenberg School of Nursing for more than seven years and logged nearly two decades of experience as a nursing instructor). “Combining our expertise and AltaMed’s footprint, ASN-LA will extend the pipeline of talented nurses even further across Southern California.”(Left to Right) LAJH CEO & President Dale Surowitz, ASN Executive Director Amandeep Kaur, ASN Board Member Armida Colmenares‐Stafford, and ASN Board Chair Sheldon Steier)The opening of ASN-LA is just one of many exciting developments underway at the Annenberg School of Nursing. Later this summer, the location of the school will be moving from its current location, on the corner of Sherman Way and Tampa, just across from LAJH’s Grancell Village Campus, to the Max Factor Building on the Eisenberg Village campus, located on the corner of Victory and Wilbur. The move marks a tremendous stride forward for the school, which will now occupy a much more clinically-aligned space, and paves the way for many future healthcare training initiatives to come.“This new space opens the door to so many opportunities for us, as we identify innovative ways to ensure nurses are ready for emerging challenges in healthcare,” Amandeep says. “It’s a new chapter full of possibility and progress!”That progress includes a simulation lab designed to bring clinical training to life. Equipped with four mid-to-high fidelity manikins, the lab replicates real-life patient scenarios, enabling students to practice critical thinking, clinical decision-making, and hands-on skills, all in a challenging yet quality-controlled immersive environment.“The lab is a dynamic space that mirrors a real-world healthcare setting and provides an engaging, interactive learning experience that prepares students for success in the field,” Amandeep says.LAJH CEO and President Dale Surowitz notes that these and other groundbreaking advances are helping the Annenberg School of Nursing continuously redefine excellence in nursing education.“We’re incredibly proud of the role we play in preparing the next generation of nurses to meet the growing demand for healthcare professionals,” he says. “The Annenberg School of Nursing is an unparalleled asset, not only for our students, but for the entire community, as it helps ensure more people receive high-quality care from these outstanding future nurses.” 
Read More
Jul 2

Los Angeles Jewish Health Welcomes New Chief Information Officer Rey Lopez

One secret to the success of Los Angeles Jewish Health has always been the talent and dedication of their leaders. This spring, LAJH added yet another outstanding staff professional to its administrative roster: Chief Information Officer Rey Lopez.Rey arrived at LAJH after a long tenure as CIO at Kern Medical Hospital in Bakersfield and, before that, as Director of Information Systems for St. Joseph Medical Center at Providence Health & Services in Burbank. For over two decades in the healthcare field, he has played a vital role in enhancing IT infrastructure, which in today’s medical field is critical in the delivery of high-quality patient care.“I love being part of this industry. The value of the work you put in makes such a difference to patients and others,” Rey says. “That was a huge part of what attracted me to LAJH: knowing I could provide critical support to residents, employees, and the entire community.”Central to his portfolio is building technology and business solutions to help LAJH grow, to assist its employees to be more efficient in their jobs, and to safeguard residents’ health and wellbeing by protecting their sensitive personal health information and data.“Whether it’s securing electronic health records, streamlining our payroll systems, or reducing cost and enhancing the performance of our data reporting systems, there are so many ways we can harness technology to be more nimble and to provide LAJH stakeholders with new pathways to success,” Rey says.Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Rey attended California State University, Northridge, graduating with a degree in business administration and management information systems. It was as a small business owner in the late 1990s—based in Encino, he consulted on issues related to worker’s compensation—that he developed an interest in pursuing a healthcare career.“As I began encountering issues related to employee injuries and the need for retraining, my eyes were opened to what a positive impact working in healthcare could have,” Rey says. “The people I was serving were getting a real, tangible benefit that could seriously improve their lives.”During his tenure at Providence, Rey got to know LAJH CEO and President Dale Surowitz, who was Providence’s CEO at the time. For Rey, having an opportunity to team up with Dale again was an important factor in his decision to accept the LAJH position.“I’d already had a front-row seat watching Dale run an organization,” Rey says. “Knowing what he’s done for the community, and getting another chance to collaborate with him, was a really big draw for me.”Rey’s new position at LAJH further deepens his connection to the San Fernando Valley, where he lives with his wife and two children, who are 11 and 14. He also has two older kids and is a proud grandfather of three.“I’m so happy to be working in the Valley again, contributing to the community that I love,” Rey says. “Through LAJH, I look forward to helping make it an even better—and healthier—place to live.” 
Read More