Purim Brings Joy—and Relief—to the Los Angeles Jewish Home
Connections to Care Mobile Hero
Home / News & Events / Newsletter / Purim Brings Joy—and Relief—to the Los Angeles Jewish Home

Purim Brings Joy—and Relief—to the Los Angeles Jewish Home

Mar 3, 2021

The holiday of Purim began at sundown on February 25th—but at the Los Angeles Jewish Home, the festivities had already started. "Purim comes midway through the Jewish month of Adar, and our tradition says it's a month for increasing joy," says Rabbi Karen Bender, Skirball director of spiritual life at the Jewish Home. "It's a mitzvah [good deed] to bring levity and happiness for the entire month, so I make it my goal to bring laughter to our residents throughout."

Purim tells the story of Mordechai and Esther, who work together in ancient Persia to stop the evil Haman [a central advisor to the king] from murdering all of the country's Jews. Their successful campaign results in the Jews being saved—and in Haman dying on the very gallows he has constructed for their killing.

"To celebrate the foiling of Haman's plan, we dress up in costume and engage in merrymaking," Rabbi Bender says. "Of course, with COVID, we've had to improvise our celebrations at the Jewish Home—like when I walked around the halls wearing an N-95 mask with a Groucho nose and glasses on top. It looked pretty silly; residents kept asking me if I needed a second mask for the second nose!"

Getting Jewish Home residents ready for the holiday did more than just spread happiness, Rabbi Bender says. "We connected our seniors with the calendar by reminding them of upcoming festivities. It gives them a sense of rootedness, and it allows them to have something to look forward to."

At the Jewish Home, Purim itself—which coincides with Adar's full moon—brought a flurry of activity. "On the eve of Purim, thanks to our amazing dietary staff, residents were treated to a delicious Persian meal, in honor of where the story takes place, along with a hamantaschen [a special cookie in the shape of Haman's hat] for dessert," Rabbi Bender says. "The next morning, we distributed dress-up masks and noisemakers to residents, which they used during our holiday broadcast on the Jewish Home's in-house TV station."

The broadcast featured videos and songs, as well as a reading of the entire Megillah [the Book of Esther, which relates the Purim tale]. "Residents were able to participate and follow along, knowing our entire community is doing it together," Rabbi Bender says. "What's also great is that you don't have to be Jewish to join in. Who doesn't love an uplifting story told through food and song?"

The fun continued throughout the day with programs like a Shushan-themed Nosh & Nibble—a biweekly event where staff dress up in costumes and liven up the hallways of the Jewish Home with snacks and music. In keeping with strict safety protocols mandated by the pandemic, residents stayed in their rooms to maintain social distance. Staff also planned a hallway serenade and a program called "Cookie, Kibbitz, and Joke-Telling," which invited residents to join a conference call to share their favorite jokes with friends. At Eisenberg Village, campus Rabbi Ronald Goldberg helped spread the cheer by walking around dressed as a baseball player.

Behind all the frivolity, Rabbi Bender sees a deeper, more significant meaning. "With the arrival of the vaccine, there's a real sense of relief at the Jewish Home right now, and the Purim story also ends with relief: Haman is gone, and the Jews will be okay," she says. "Now that cases of coronavirus are dropping, and with 99 percent of our residents vaccinated, it almost feels like the ‘Haman' from this year is gone."

Although holding the virus at bay still requires Jewish Home residents and staff to be extremely cautious, Rabbi Bender says Purim brings welcome winds of change. "We've all had so much sorrow," she notes. "This year, Adar came just in time."

Sign up for the LAJHealth Newsletter, Connections.

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
Read More
Nov 15

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
Read More
Oct 31

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
Read More