The Los Angeles Jewish Home Honors Survivors on Holocaust Remembrance Day
Connections to Care Mobile Hero
Home / News & Events / Newsletter / The Los Angeles Jewish Home Honors Survivors on Holocaust Remembrance Day

The Los Angeles Jewish Home Honors Survivors on Holocaust Remembrance Day

Apr 20, 2021

Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, which took place on Thursday, April 8th, is an occasion for solemn contemplation. To reflect on the horrors of the campaign to kill millions of Jews and others is to acknowledge mankind’s ability to do evil. And yet, says Holocaust survivor and Los Angeles Jewish Home resident Joseph Neustadt, it is also a time for hope.

Joseph Neustadt. Photo taken prior to COVID-19 pandemic.
Joseph Neustadt. Photo taken prior to COVID-19 pandemic.


"When we talk about our memories of the war, we make sure that, when we die, the stories will stay alive—and that means we can stop the same thing from happening again" he says.

Born in Latvia, Joseph, who is 93, still remembers his experience vividly. "In 1941, the Nazis killed most of the women and children in Riga (the Latvian capital); that’s when they took my mother and my sisters. But there was a small ghetto for working men, and I joined my father and my brother there. I was about 13 years old," he says. "Two years later, they liquidated the ghetto and sent us to Stutthof, a concentration camp in Germany."

While they were in the camp, Joseph, his brother, and his dad noticed the Nazis would often look over the Jewish prisoners, sending some to the left and others to the right. During one such review, Joseph’s father was sent to the left—and Joseph never saw him again.

As time dragged on, Joseph was shuttled off to various camps until his liberation in 1945—coincidentally, from a camp located in a town with the same name as his: Neustadt. "My brother died 13 days after the liberation, from typhus," he recalls. "That left me as the only survivor in my family."

Joseph’s journey took him from Germany, to Holland, to Canada, and eventually to Los Angeles. He settled in West Hills, where he raised a family with his wife, Arlene, and worked for 30 years as an electrician at McDonnell Douglas.

Today, Joseph, who is twice widowed, is happily settled in at the Jewish Home, where he has lived for the past four years. When he arrived at the Home, he found himself in the company of other survivors like fellow resident, 93 year-old Joshua Kaufman.

Like Joseph, Joshua readily shares his story with all who will listen. A survivor of five concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Dachau, he often thinks back to what his fellow inmates would say to each other during their internment: "If you survive, don't let people forget what the Nazis did." Joshua has stayed true to his word.

When he talks about his past, Joshua is instantly transported back to the day he was liberated in 1945. "I was at Dachau when General Eisenhower came. I saw him from 10 feet away. He was crying as he surveyed the camp, saying, 'If I hadn't seen all the skeletons, I would never have believed something like this could happen,'" Joshua remembers.

From captivity in Germany, he went to Israel, eventually joining the Israeli army. His military career included deployment to the Suez Canal as well as service in the Six-Day War and 1973 Yom Kippur War. Later, in 1975, he took a trip to California with a friend and met the woman who would become his wife.

"Margaret was so beautiful," Joshua says. "We fell in love after three days, and got married in two weeks, and I decided to stay in California."

The couple are now both Jewish Home residents (Margaret for the past nine years; Joshua moved in this year), and Joshua continues to speak the truth of what he lived through in Europe all those years ago. "I believe in educating people—trying to raise this new generation and helping them understand what happened," he says.

Education is also critically important to Frieda Thompson, another survivor who lives at the Jewish Home. For her, learning is a way to overcome the tragedy of the Holocaust and deny the Nazis the victory they sought.

Frieda Thompson. Photo taken prior to COVID-19 pandemic.
Frieda Thompson. Photo taken prior to COVID-19 pandemic.


"Even after the Gestapo came and took my father to Buchenwald, my mother—who stayed with us—was very interested that my brothers still go to school," Frieda says. "When my older brother turned 14, my mother said, 'I want him to be bar mitzvahed before the Nazis take us,' and she made arrangements with the synagogue and the rabbi to have the ceremony. It says how much it meant to her that he become a bar mitzvah even during this time."

To keep her parents' memory alive—and in defiance of the Nazi's Final Solution—Frieda decided to become a Bat Mitzvah herself at the Jewish Home. She is currently studying, preparing, and training for her upcoming Bat Mitzvah. "When I was young, women couldn't do it, but now I think it's a wonderful thing," she says.

The Jewish Home honors and salutes Frieda, Joshua, and Joseph—and every Holocaust survivor here at the Home and beyond—for their incredible perseverance and for helping all of us make Yom HaShoah a day never to be forgotten.

Sign up for the LAJHealth Newsletter, Connections.

Recent Articles

Sep 6

At Los Angeles Jewish Health, Celebrating the Art (and Craft) of Creative Possibility

Ninety-year-old Los Angeles Jewish Health resident Norma Garber is passionate about her craft. Trained as a dressmaker during her youth in England, Norma has spent a lifetime honing her sewing abilities – skills she deploys with stunning results as one of the most prolific artisans at work in the vibrant Arts and Crafts Room on the Eisenberg Village campus. Norma’s creations take a wide variety of forms. “I’ve made clothing, table runners, placemats, bottle bags for wine or any kind of liquor, challah covers, matzo covers, and more,” she says. “I dedicate about five hours each day to the Arts and Crafts Room, and it is absolutely my happy place.” For Norma, the effort is its own reward. “I do it for love, plain and simple,” she says. “It also allows me to give back to LA Jewish Health because I sell the things I make, and the proceeds get reinvested, so we always have a steady stream of supplies to use.” Radka Falk & Norma Garber All visitors to the campus have access to this wonderful trove of incredible handicrafts, notes Radka Falk, the longtime creative force behind LA Jewish Health’s arts and crafts activities. “Everything we make is available for purchase, and it’s all one-of-a-kind,” she says. Radka emigrated from Bulgaria in 2000 and found her way to employment at Los Angeles Jewish Health six years later. As an expert craftsperson in her native country, the job in the Arts and Crafts Room fits her like a beautifully sewn glove. “I feel blessed to work here and to spend time with our amazing residents; I love them, they love me – and love is always inspirational,” she says. “Doing all this stuff I’m passionate about is such a pleasure. When my daughter came to work with me one day and saw the Arts and Crafts Room, she said, ‘It looks like they created this job just for you!’” Whether it’s sewing, knitting, or designing, “Radka can do anything – you have no idea how talented this woman is!” Norma says. “She’s the number one reason I come to the Arts and Crafts Room every day; she’s what makes it so special.” The feeling, says Radka, is mutual. “Norma gives her heart and soul to this place, and the things that she and the other residents produce are truly extraordinary,” she enthuses. Radka, Norma, and the rest of the Arts and Crafts Room crew often take their show on the road, setting up displays at Los Angeles Jewish Health support group luncheons and other events to advertise their offerings. “Our items sell beautifully,” Norma says. “The most popular items are probably the things we make for babies.” But interested shoppers need not wait for a special event to peruse the Arts and Crafts Room wares. “Especially as people start to think about buying holiday gifts, they should know they can come see us anytime,” Radka says. “I’m here Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4 pm, and I’m always available to show people around!” Norma Garber
Read More
Sep 6

National Rankings Highlight Excellence at Los Angeles Jewish Health

In the world of senior care, there are multiple measures of success. Maintaining seniors’ health and improving their quality of life are the most obvious markers, and in these arenas, Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) is a leading care provider on the national stage. A recently released national report is further testament to LAJH’s commitment to providing the highest levels of care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare program, has published its latest round of data evaluating the quality of care provided by skilled nursing facilities. Among CMS’ findings: When it comes to avoiding hospital readmissions, Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Mark Taper Skilled Nursing Building received a number one ranking out of more than 15,000 skilled nursing facilities in the United States (according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, there are 15,183 such facilities nationwide), and the Joyce Eisenberg Keefer Medical Center is approximately the 80th percentile. These numbers are calculated as part of CMS’ Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program, which examines all-cause hospital readmissions on an annual basis and awards incentive payments to those facilities whose readmission rates remain low. In other words, facilities are recognized and rewarded for providing high level care that keeps readmission to hospitals lower. Those financial rewards can then be reinvested in the facilities to continue enhancing quality of care – and, ultimately, to further reduce readmissions. “We’re incredibly proud of these best-in-class results, which are made possible by the dedication and expertise of our Los Angeles Jewish Health staff,” says Timothy Carlson, chief nursing officer for Los Angeles Jewish Health. “Through the early detection and management of changes in condition, the provision of high-quality care, and strong communication and coordination with community-based physicians, we are able to help Southern California seniors thrive.” LAJH facilities were not the only ones to be recognized by SNF VPB for exceptional performance. “During the CMS evaluation, skilled nursing facilities garner points, between one and 100. All facilities that receive 100 points get the top distinction,” Carlson says, meaning Taper was one of numerous facilities to earn a number one ranking. Still, this achievement places LAJH in rarefied company alongside the nation’s other very best senior healthcare services. “These numbers make it clear that Los Angeles Jewish Health is a central destination for extraordinary senior care,” Carlson says. “We are committed to continuing that excellence in the months and years to come.” Taper Building staff during Staff Appreciation Week Taper Building staff during Staff Appreciation Week Taper Building staff during Staff Appreciation Week
Read More
Aug 1

Los Angeles Jewish Health Empowers Extraordinary Recovery

Life is a joy for Marilyn Poliskin. The 88-year-old Los Angeles Jewish Health resident delights in diverse activities (jewelry making, painting, playing bingo, exercise), advocating for her peers (she serves as Fifth Floor Ambassador for the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer building), and spending quality time with friends. But Marilyn didn’t always see things through such rose-colored glasses; just 18 months ago, she was fighting for her very survival. When asked about the dramatic turnaround, she credits the “incredible people and environment” she found at Los Angeles Jewish Health. Born and raised in Patterson, New Jersey, Marilyn moved west with her husband and three children in the early 1970s. After the kids graduated from Beverly Hills High School, she and her husband separated, and she put down roots on her own in Santa Monica. It was then that she began a fulfilling, multi-decade career as an accounting supervisor for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a “dream job” that allowed her to be part of an organization that was making a tangible difference in sick children’s lives. Unexpectedly, one of Marilyn’s own (now adult) children, her daughter Amy, fell ill herself, with breast cancer. In order to be as present as possible for Amy – a single mother to a young son, Elias – Marilyn retired from Make-A-Wish after 23 years and focused on trying to help Amy heal. Tragically, the cancer ultimately took Amy’s life, and Marilyn became a full-time caregiver to eight-year-old Elias. “I lost my daughter, my mother, and my husband (we separated but never divorced) in the same year, and suddenly I was raising my grandson all alone,” she says. “It was obviously a difficult time, but I was determined to be there for Elias and to give him everything he needed.” It was after Elias had grown up and left the house that Marilyn developed a serious health issue. It took months to diagnose the problem (pneumonia, and a cascading series of complications that resulted from it), during which her son, Scott, who lives and runs a business in Indiana, took up temporary residence with her for eight months and tirelessly advocated for her as she underwent countless tests across multiple medical facilities. In the interim, Marilyn lost 86 pounds, and her blood pressure began to dip dangerously low. “My blood pressure kept going down, and I would pass out,” she says. “It got so bad I couldn’t even stand up, and eventually I was bedridden.” As time passed, Marilyn sunk into a devastating depression. “Honestly, it began to feel like I couldn’t go on,” she recalls. “What was the point if I wasn’t ever able to get out of bed and walk again?” But Scott refused to let her give up, and through his determination they secured an open spot at Los Angeles Jewish Health. When she arrived, a switch inside her flipped. “My son and the therapy department at LAJH saved my life, no question,” she says. “I didn’t think I was capable of recovering, but Scott got me here, and the therapists, certified nurse assistants, licensed vocational nurses, and everyone else encouraged me in the most remarkable way and encouraged me to push myself. I kept thinking of Elias, and how he had already suffered so much loss, and how much I wanted to continue to be a presence for him. So, I took a deep breath, and decided to try.” A year and a half later, the results are nothing short of astonishing. Marilyn is up and about every day, chatting with friends (“There isn’t any floor here where people don’t know me,” she laughs), decorating her room, and investing her energy in making life brighter for those around her. “My main wish now is to be healthy for other people,” she says. “I don’t like to see them depressed because I was there, and it makes me so happy when I can make someone else happy.” Marilyn also attributes her recovery to the love and assistance of family: Scott, her other son, Tuvia, and her grandchildren (Sara, Erez, Isaiah, Elias, and his wife, Lily, whom she considers a fifth grandchild), who motivated her to find the will to keep on going. “I’m so proud of all of my grandchildren, who have been successful at such a young age,” she says. “They inspire me every day.” She says having the privilege of waking up at Los Angeles Jewish Health is another big motivator. “Living here is the most positive turn of my entire life,” she enthuses. “When I look out my window, I can see the sunrise, the moon, and the stars, and it’s all so beautiful.”
Read More