A Milestone for the Ages

Jul 16, 2019

The Jewish Home is a destination for Los Angeles-area seniors—an environment offering warmth, caring, compassion, and safety. For many seniors, including Edith Frankie, Linda Frankes, and Mildred Moccio, it is also a point of embarkation: a place from which to set out on exciting journeys of growth and self-discovery. In June, all three women celebrated their adult bat mitzvahs at the Home, culminating a period of intensive preparation and personal exploration.

It was Edith, recalls Rabbi Karen Bender, the Home's Skirball Director of Spiritual Life for the Home's Grancell Village campus, who provided the initial inspiration for the bat mitzvah event. "Edith is a Holocaust survivor, and she had sponsored an honorary bat mitzvah for her six-year-old sister, who never made it out of the camps," Rabbi Bender says. "One day, I suggested she consider having her own bat mitzvah, and she quickly embraced the idea."

From there, Edith picks up the narrative. "I was worried at first because I don't read Hebrew, but Rabbi Bender was very encouraging about how I could learn," she says. "I thought, ‘What a terrific way to get revenge on Hitler: to deepen my understanding of Jewish history and culture!'"

Once Edith was on board, Rabbi Bender extended the offer to her Jewish Home congregants at large. Linda and Mildred stepped up immediately.

"I've always had a deep interest in Judaism, but I grew up during a time when girls were less involved in Jewish religious life, plus my family lived far away from the closest Jewish community," Linda notes. "Now that I'm at the Home, I have time to do what I want to do, and I decided to join Rabbi Bender, Edith, and Mildred every week to learn. It was absolutely wonderful."

Mildred's path to the bimah was different. Earlier this year, at 82 years old, she converted to Judaism from her native Catholic faith in a Jewish Home ceremony led by Rabbi Bender. Her daughter had converted decades earlier, and Mildred ultimately felt the same call. "It took me 82 years to move closer to God, but Judaism has changed my life and way of thinking," she says. With the conversion behind her, she set her sights on a new horizon: gaining something else in common with her 22-year-old granddaughter Payton, who was raised Jewish and had a bat mitzvah at the age of 13.

"My mom and my daughter share an incredible connection, and my mom actually took Payton's Hebrew name during her conversion," says Debbie Doll Breindel, Mildred's daughter. "Now with the bat mitzvah, this whole set of experiences has been so amazing for both of them. I'm incredibly grateful to the Jewish Home for making it possible. My mom living there has been the best thing that's happened to our family."

Edith's son Richard is equally effusive. "My mom has a smile that is always shining, both on her face and in her heart," he says. "Even though she moved into the Home right when she lost my dad—the love of her life for 65 years—and didn't know anyone else, she quickly embraced her life there and started attending services every Friday night and Saturday morning. Her bat mitzvah at the Home is a remarkable accomplishment my wife and I will always treasure, and one that I know my dad would have loved to see."

Edith, Linda, and Mildred's admirers extend well beyond their immediate families. "It was a privilege to attend the b'not mitzvah of these very special Jewish Home residents," says Andrew Berman, chair of the Home's board of directors. "I'm thrilled they were able to experience the joy and fulfillment of this monumental event at this stage of their extraordinary lives."

The women each received a tallit for the occasion, and they wrote divrei torahs (brief commentaries on the weekly Torah portion) to give during the service. Their speeches reflected the insights they gleaned during five months of dedicated study with Rabbi Bender.

"The learning process was so rewarding for these women, and for me," Rabbi Bender says. "It was very touching, and a great honor, to shepherd them through this process. These are people who would probably never have done this in any other setting, but because they're at the Jewish Home, they had the opportunity. It's just incredible."

Rabbi Bender points out that, in addition to engaging in a life-affirming act for themselves, Edith, Linda, and Mildred have also helped blaze a trail for other seniors like them. "The moral of this story is that you can keep stretching and growing at any age," she says. "It's never too late to learn something new."

Prev Page Next Page

Share

Recent Articles

Nov 29

Grand Opening of Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE Program West Los Angeles Location

Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly), a program of Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH), held an opening celebration for its new facility located at 9800 Pico Boulevard in West L.A. The day included well wishes from dignitaries, a ribbon cutting, and an open house offering tours of the new facility to more than 150 guests in attendance. Formerly the site of a Chase Bank branch, the building has undergone a comprehensive transformation and is now a state-of-the-art social center for older adults. The facility includes medical and dental clinics, and inviting activities rooms. Poised to enroll its first participants on December 1, 2023, the new BCSC location will provide adult day health care services to hundreds of local seniors, 55 and older, who can take advantage of door-to-door shuttle service to and from the center. This is the second Brandman Centers for Senior Care facility; the first is located on the Grancell Village campus of Los Angeles Jewish Health in Reseda. PACE is a vital program of Los Angeles Jewish Health, a non-profit health system that cares for 4,000 seniors each year. Program participants receive medical care onsite from doctors, dentists, nurses, and therapists whose specialties include primary and specialty care; medications; nutritional counseling, state-of-the-art medical equipment and supplies; optometry; hearing aids; podiatry; and mental health counseling. Brandman Centers are a safe and enjoyable place to come and participate in stimulating activities, enjoy delicious and nutritious meals, and receive medical care. Brandman Centers for Senior Care Vice President Susie Fishenfeld said that opening the latest BCSC facility “has been a dream, a long time in the making as we worked to find the perfect location that will benefit the most seniors from the local community. We understand that today more seniors want to stay in their own homes, but they may be frail and need extra help and support to do so. Our PACE centers empower seniors to continue living independently at home while receiving vital services at thriving activity centers located near them. We even provide comfortable, sterilized shuttle transportation to and from the centers.” Joining in the celebration was Los Angeles Jewish Health Chief Executive Officer and President Dale Surowitz, who shared that, “Today is a very special day for all of us at Los Angeles Jewish Health. We are immensely grateful to Joyce Brandman and the Saul and Joyce Brandman Foundation for funding this second Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE location. Joyce’s unwavering support of our work over the past decades has ensured the health of the older adults in our care, while enhancing the quality of life for each and every participant and their families. Support from donors like Joyce is what makes days like today possible.” The PACE Program accepts Medicare, Medi-Cal, and private pay. To find out more, call (855) 774-8444, or visit brandmanseniorcare.org. You can see event photos at our photo gallery

Los Angeles Jewish Health Celebrates Opening of Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE Program, Offering Care to Seniors on Los Angeles’ Westside

BCSC PACE West Los Angeles Location Opens Program enables seniors to live independently in their homes while receiving vital health and social services in their local community (November 15, 2023, Los Angeles) Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly), a program of Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH), held an opening celebration for its new facility located at 9800 Pico Boulevard in West L.A. The day included well wishes from dignitaries, a ribbon cutting, and an open house offering tours of the new facility to more than 150 guests in attendance. Formerly the site of a Chase Bank branch, the building has undergone a comprehensive transformation and is now a state-of-the-art social center for older adults. The facility includes medical and dental clinics, and inviting activities rooms. Poised to enroll its first participants on December 1, 2023, the new BCSC location will provide adult day health care services to hundreds of local seniors, 55 and older, who can take advantage of door-to-door shuttle service to and from the center. This is the second Brandman Centers for Senior Care facility; the first is located on the Grancell Village campus of Los Angeles Jewish Health in Reseda. PACE is a vital program of Los Angeles Jewish Health, a non-profit health system that cares for 4,000 seniors each year. Program participants receive medical care onsite from doctors, dentists, nurses, and therapists whose specialties include primary and specialty care; medications; nutritional counseling, state-of-the-art medical equipment and supplies; optometry; hearing aids; podiatry; and mental health counseling. Brandman Centers are a safe and enjoyable place to come and participate in stimulating activities, enjoy delicious and nutritious meals, and receive medical care. Brandman Centers for Senior Care Vice President Susie Fishenfeld said that opening the latest BCSC facility “has been a dream, a long time in the making as we worked to find the perfect location that will benefit the most seniors from the local community. We understand that today more seniors want to stay in their own homes, but they may be frail and need extra help and support to do so. Our PACE centers empower seniors to continue living independently at home while receiving vital services at thriving activity centers located near them. We even provide comfortable, sterilized shuttle transportation to and from the centers.” Joining in the celebration was Los Angeles Jewish Health Chief Executive Officer and President Dale Surowitz, who shared that, “Today is a very special day for all of us at Los Angeles Jewish Health. We are immensely grateful to Joyce Brandman and the Saul and Joyce Brandman Foundation for funding this second Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE location. Joyce’s unwavering support of our work over the past decades has ensured the health of the older adults in our care, while enhancing the quality of life for each and every participant and their families. Support from donors like Joyce is what makes days like today possible.” The PACE Program accepts Medicare, Medi-Cal, and private pay. To find out more, call (855) 774-8444, or visit brandmanseniorcare.org. You can see event photos at our photo gallery

When It Comes to Providing Expert Care for Veterans, Los Angeles Jewish Health Is Proud to Serve

In December 2022, when Navy veteran Ed Vibar, 72, first came to Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC), a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), he rolled his wheelchair through the doors. Ed had been unable to walk for four years, following an ankle injury. He had begun to lose hope that he would ever recover his mobility and had turned to LA Jewish Health and BCSC PACE as a last resort. For Ed, the road to Los Angeles Jewish Health had been a winding one. He immigrated to the United States from the Philippines as a young man and enlisted to serve his adopted country, spending 12 years on active duty and another five in the Naval Reserve. He loved his work, which included stints on a guided missile destroyer in Vietnam and a project management position that had him collaborating with the Army Corps of Engineers to oversee a $300 million budget. During the course of his career, Ed was married three times and had four children, bringing him the attendant joys and heartaches that can accompany domestic life. Ed Vibar Retirement brought an end to Ed’s health insurance, so when he injured his ankle in his late 60s, he sought care at his local Veteran’s Affairs Hospital. Though imaging showed damage to nerve tissue and tendons, at that time Ed was told the VA lacked the resources to provide appropriate therapy, and doctors informed him he was unlikely to recover the ability to walk. Meanwhile, the longer he remained confined to a wheelchair, the more his health declined, and he began to suffer from gout, high blood pressure, and depression. Being unable to drive made it hard to buy groceries and cook nutritious meals, and eventually, he lost all his teeth. When he saw a brochure for BCSC PACE, Ed decided to investigate. “I went online and realized BCSC PACE was exactly what I needed,” he recalls. “In addition to offering state-of-the-art physical therapy, they would also coordinate all of my care and provide transportation, which was becoming increasingly difficult for me to access. And the costs were all taken care of thanks to my Medicare and Medi-Cal coverage!” At BCSC PACE, Ed was paired up with Jensen De La Luna, an expert physical therapist who went to work creating a rigorous treatment plan. “Ed was clearly depressed, and initially, his drive to get better was fairly low. But we dove into therapy twice each week, and his motivation picked up. After three months, he started walking again,” Jensen says. For Ed, being able to get up and around with a walker was transformational. “Jensen inspired me to try, which really gave me a boost,” he says. “I kept thinking, if I work a little harder, I can travel to see my grandchildren.” Soon, he was able to stand on his feet to cook, do dishes, and clean up after his dog. “It really changed my life, and I did end up taking the train to Texas, all on my own, to see my grandkids,” he says. “I owe it all to LA Jewish Health’s BCSC PACE program!” Today, Jensen says Ed’s mobility has increased by more than 50 percent – and his pain has decreased by an equal amount. “I’m so happy for him,” Jensen says. “It’s amazing to see that someone who used to require a wheelchair to come see me can now walk right through the door!” In addition to physical therapy, Ed also received occupational therapy (to help improve his performance of daily tasks) at the BCSC PACE program – and he had a team of professionals helping meet his other medical issues, as well. “I didn’t have proper teeth, and BCSC PACE got full dentures for me right away. Now, I can eat everything, including a full steak dinner. They were so amazing at anticipating my needs,” he says. “I used to be afraid to smile, but now I want to open my mouth wide and say, ‘Come to the BCSC PACE program and Los Angeles Jewish Health!’ I would recommend it to any veterans, and to all seniors who want to get better healthcare and improve their life situation.” The Brandman Centers for Senior Care’s PACE program continues to expand to meet the needs of the community. The newest site – on Pico Boulevard, in West Los Angeles – is scheduled to open this November. For more information call (818) 774-8444 or go to BrandmanSeniorCare.org. Ed Vibar and Physical Therapist Jensen De La Luna