Ceremony enables 10 elderly residents to explore their Jewish tradition.(RESEDA, CA – September 19, 2025) This September, 10 Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) residents celebrated their bar and bat mitzvah, the largest cohort of skilled nursing residents in LAJH history to do so. The seniors, ranging in age from 76 to 98, participated in the centuries- old tradition, which is typically celebrated by 12- or 13-year-olds.Held at LAJH’s Grancell Village campus, the event drew a capacity crowd of several hundred people—friends, relatives, loved ones, and staff who came to support the seniors as they chanted in Hebrew and reflected on their Jewish roots. In addition to reading from the Torah, the residents spoke about their Jewish journeys and about the meaning of their lives over the decades.“I was born into a family that had very conservative Jewish ideas, and girls could not be batmitzvahed,” said Cherie Goodman, one of the participants. “I am proud of who I am and glad today I could enjoy that experience.” Phyllis Gottlieb, another participant, concurred. “My grandfather was a rabbi in Russia, and my father was quite religious, too,” she said. “Judaism has always been central to my upbringing and family identity. My children were bar and bat mitzvahed, and I thought, ‘Why shouldn’t I do it, too?’ They’re all proud of me, and being a bat mitzvah feels very special.”For Robert Orgen, having a bar mitzvah required overcoming significant obstacles. “Judaism means the world to me, but after my stroke, nobody had the time or patience to try to teach me Hebrew until I met with LAJH Chief Mission Officer Rabbi Bender,” he said. “I’ve wanted this more and more every day, and it has fulfilled my dream.”The residents studied with Rabbi Bender for a full year to prepare for the bar and bat mitzvah ceremony. Under her tutelage, they learned to read sacred text, lead prayers, and gain a deeper understanding regarding the significance of the day.“For most of these residents, this was their first time being called to the Torah,” Rabbi Bender said. “At LAJH, not only do we cultivate physical health, we also inspire residents to pursue their dreams and lives filled with purpose and meaning.”Once the residents had read from the Torah and completed their remarks, Ilana Springer, LAJH’s senior vice president of in-residence services, commended them on their extraordinary achievement. “Thank you for inspiring us, and for showing us that there are goals and dreams we all can reach for in our own lives,” she said. “Mazel tov, and we wish you luck in fulfilling your next dream!” Also on hand at the event was LAJH Board Chair Judy Friedman-Rudzki, who presented the new bar and bat mitzvahs with an engraved kiddush cup. The residents received photographs of themselves and a special certificate to commemorate the day, as well. Following the ceremony, residents and guests were treated to a festive reception. But before they broke bread, LAJH CEO and President Dale Surowitz expressed his admiration of the bar and bat mitzvahs’ resilience, strength, and positivity.“What you have accomplished is absolutely amazing and demonstrates to all of us that age is only a number,” he said. “You are an inspiration to all of us.”###About Los Angeles Jewish Health: Founded in 1912, non-profit Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJHealth) is the largest single-source provider of comprehensive senior healthcare services in the Los Angeles area, serving nearly 4,000 people each year. Thousands of seniors benefit from our community-based and in- residence care and services. Programs include: Independent Living; Assisted Living; Senior Behavioral Health; Short-Term Rehabilitation; Skilled Nursing; PACE; Hospice & Palliative Care; Geriatric Health; Memory Care. In addition, LAJHealth is home to the Annenberg School of Nursing.

September marks National PACE Month, an opportunity to celebrate Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and its ability to keep seniors living in their own homes as long as possible. Here in our community, Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) PACE program is making a tangible difference in improving local seniors’ health by giving them the critical resources and support they need to thrive.BCSC PACE helps coordinate care for seniors by providing them with all-inclusive primary care services, specialty healthcare services, adult day healthcare, transportation and meals. It’s a total gamechanger for program participants, says Paige Yaffe, director of rehabilitation at BCSC PACE.“It can be a challenge for anybody, but especially for older adults, to navigate the current healthcare system, and at BCSC PACE, we take care of all of that for them—making their appointments, driving them to the doctor, and ensuring they receive proper nutrition and medical management,” Paige says. “Our program is wonderful because it removes seniors’ stress about having to take care of their basic needs and allows them instead to start enjoying this phase of their lives.”A central component of BCSC PACE is offering seniors essential tools to help them live independently. This hands-on, in-home service distinguishes BCSC PACE from most other healthcare programs.“We do home safety assessments—something Medicare and HMOs typically don’t do—evaluating people in their own environments and figuring out what will help keep them safe and independent,” Paige says. “That could mean installing grab bars in their showers, putting ramps on their steps so they can get in and out of their homes with the use of a wheelchair or walker, or putting in adaptive equipment to make it easier for them to turn on the stove or open their doors. It’s very gratifying for me as an occupational therapist because I get to see what’s important to our seniors and then figure out how to help them accomplish it.”BCSC PACE has been an indispensable ally and advocate for so many seniors across Los Angeles, including:Guadalupe, an 88-year-old woman who fell in her apartment and broke her hip. After weeks in the hospital, where she underwent both complex hip repair and heart surgery, she was unable to walk or stand for several months. The BCSC PACE team provided vital therapy, and with patience and hard work, Guadalupe can now walk for short distances with a walker and use the bathroom instead of being bedbound for her self-care. She is also able to come to BCSC PACE to participate in activities and socialize with friends.Daniel, a 63-year-old man who built a celebrated career as a chef. He suffered a severe stroke but received very little after care, which left him unable to walk, speak or take care of his basic needs. With extensive physical, occupational, and speech therapies at BCSC PACE, Daniel can now walk with a cane and uses a white board to express his thoughts and desires. Today, he is even starting to participate in cooking activities at BCSC PACE, which allows him to reconnect with a core part of his identity.“BCSC PACE does so much good for so many people that it’s hard to capture it all in just a couple of stories,” Paige says. “I think what makes it so successful is that we evaluate seniors from top to bottom, not just treating one diagnosis or issue, but instead trying to figure out holistically how we can help secure their safety and improve their quality of life.”In honor of National PACE Month, this September BCSC PACE will host special events at its Reseda and West Los Angeles locations featuring musical entertainment, games, dancing, and a special menu.“We’re so excited to celebrate our program, the people who make it possible, and the seniors who benefit every day,” Paige says. “BCSC PACE is a place where people can come to be connected with services that help them find joy. Everybody deserves to find happiness, no matter their age!”

August 24th is National Waffle Day, though if you ask Los Angeles Jewish Health resident Joe Levoff, 95, every day is a great day for waffles. Joe, who opened iconic San Fernando Valley restaurant More Than Waffles 50 years ago, was in attendance this past August 24th as LAJH hosted a special event to celebrate the beloved breakfast food and toast to Joe’s enduring L.A. legacy.When Joe first opened the restaurant’s doors in 1975 in the Encino Town Center—the first shopping center on Ventura Boulevard— it was known as Belgian Waffle Chalet. The name was changed a decade later, and More Than Waffles became a Valley institution and must-visit breakfast destination. In 1998, Joe sold More Than Waffles to his long-time waitress and manager, Ika Taft, and her husband, Greg, who met at the restaurant and began their lives together there.Joe LevoffWith proceeds from the sale, Joe moved to Israel, where he had lived during his late teen years and 20s working as a farmer and serving in the country’s army. He stayed there for about 10 years before returning to the U.S. and retiring to LAJH’s Eisenberg Village in 2013.“I loved living at Eisenberg!” Joe recalls. “It’s such an amazing place.”Today, Joe and his partner, Marilyn Poliskin, live in the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center, located on LAJH’s Grancell Village campus. It was there that LAJH decided to honor Joe—and to share a little breakfast love with his fellow residents—by throwing its National Waffle Day celebration.The event was part of LAJH’s Achieve a Dream program—an opportunity for residents to find joy and fulfillment and make new memories.“We brought Ika to LAJH for a reunion with Joe, so she could catch him up on the latest More Than Waffles news and share with him how his beloved restaurant is still having an impact after half a century,” says Stacy Orbach, LAJH’s director of volunteer services. “It was wonderful: They were able to reminisce, and Joe got a chance to speak to the assembled residents about his life as a restaurant entrepreneur.”LAJH residents at the celebration also learned about how More Than Waffles continues to make a difference in people’s lives.“It’s still such a popular place. If you go during the weekend, you’ll have to wait for an hour!” Joe exclaims. They come for the food, the atmosphere—and perhaps for bit of More Than Waffles’ matchmaking magic: Ika and Greg’s daughter, Henny, helps them run the restaurant, and she met her husband there, too.Ika brought 50 jars of More Than Waffles’ homemade strawberry jam to the event, and LAJH’s Dietary Department brought out waffles for everyone in attendance.“It was a fantastic celebration with a delicious ending,” Stacy says. “At LAJH, we endeavor to make every day that sweet for the incredible seniors in our care.”