New Resident-Led Club at LAJHealth Is Helping to Energize Senior Life

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New Resident-Led Club at LAJHealth Is Helping to Energize Senior Life

Nov 5, 2025

Central to Los Angeles Jewish Health’s commitment to caring for seniors is ensuring residents feel heard, respected, socially engaged, and intellectually challenged. With his lively We the Seniors club, resident Jerry Davis accomplishes all this and more, providing his peers with weekly opportunities for social enrichment and dynamic topics for learning, conversation, and even healthy debate.

We the Seniors began as a men’s club—a weekly gathering for male LAJH residents to share ideas and opinions about issues relevant to them and their lives. However, it quickly evolved into something larger and more inclusive.

“We started with about two or three guys, but within the first two weeks, it wasn’t just a men’s club, it was for everybody!” Jerry says. “Today, we get more like 35 people, and there are twice as many women as men who participate, which I think is wonderful.”

The club, which meets weekly on Saturdays in the main dining room of the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center, engages participants in discussions focused on a wide range of topics that interest or affect them personally.

“The idea is to have a forum for seniors, led by seniors, that covers subjects they want to explore,” Jerry says. “So, for instance, we spent about four weeks talking about antisemitism and the way it’s impacting all of us in the world.”

For Jerry, who turns 84 this month, the group has been a highlight of his time at LAJH, where he has spent the past two years. He and his wife of nearly six decades had been living in their home in Westlake Village when Jerry became ill and required a skilled level of daily care.

“I moved into LAJH, and my wife stayed at our house, but she comes and visits just about every day,” Jerry says.

The move was a positive one for Jerry, who credits the people at LAJH for making it such a hospitable environment.

“Living here is great: The staff is incredibly supportive, and the other residents are very social,” he says. “I especially like the activities and the fact that, with clubs like We the Seniors, the staff is so open to helping residents turn their ideas into reality.”

Jerry and his fellow club members have channeled their natural curiosity about the world into activism with impact beyond LAJH’s walls. Recently, We the Seniors invited Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield to come speak at a club meeting.

A Conversation with Councilmember Bob Blumenfield Hosted by the We the Seniors club

“We’re excited to take action and feel like we are contributing to our community,” Jerry says. “It feels extremely rewarding to hear from people like Councilmember Blumenfield—for them to know we’re here, we have a voice, and that our opinions can help make a difference.”

At the meeting, Councilmember Blumenfield answered questions on a range of national, state, and local issues and discussed a recent grant from the California Department of Health Care Services that will support the expansion of inpatient behavior health facilities at LAJH. He also presented Jerry with a certificate of recognition for his outstanding leadership in establishing We the Seniors and advocating for older adults in the community.

In addition to special guest speakers, We the Seniors welcomes other visitors to its gatherings, including family members of LAJH residents.

“We want everyone to know they can contribute to our discussions,” Jerry says. “We believe that, in our community, everyone should be heard.”

Senior Vice President of In-Residence Services Ilana Springer, Jerry Davis, founder of the resident-led *We the Seniors* club, Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, LAJH President and CEO Dale Surowitz

*Members of the We the Seniors club attend a special visit by Councilmember Bob Blumenfield*

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