Turning Dreams Into Reality at Los Angeles Jewish Health Leads to Prestigious AJAS Award

Home / News & Events / Newsletter

Turning Dreams Into Reality at Los Angeles Jewish Health Leads to Prestigious AJAS Award

Mar 5, 2024

Seniors move to Los Angeles Jewish Health for a wide variety of reasons. Many have specific medical needs; some are isolated and seeking community; others require skilled nursing care. Whatever the reason, members of the compassionate Los Angeles Jewish Health team are dedicated to fostering an environment where older adults don’t simply survive – they thrive.

“Someone might arrive at Los Angeles Jewish Health thinking, ‘I have come here to die,’ but we believe just the opposite: They have come here to live!” says Chief Mission Officer Rabbi Karen Bender. “We challenge residents to think that it’s entirely possible that the most meaningful moment of their life has not yet happened, and, that it’s going to happen here at LAJH. They might also touch someone else’s life, get to know them, and build the closest friendships and relationships they’ve ever had. Los Angeles Jewish Health is a place to find fulfillment and make new memories.”

To that end, last year Rabbi Bender and Ilana Springer, CEO/administrator at Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Joyce Eisenberg Keefer (JEK) Medical Center, launched Achieve a Dream, a pilot program focused on helping residents look forward to a future-oriented goal, inspiring a sense of growth, and enabling them to reach for something beautiful.

“We asked ourselves, ‘What would we want for our residents if they were our own mothers and fathers?’” Ilana says. “The idea was to create experiences that would bring them joy.”

In partnership with an with interdisciplinary staff including Susan Leitch, Claudia Crespo, Katie Abelson, Stacy Orbach, and Julie Lockman-Gold, the two piloted the program in the Joyce Eisenberg Keefer Medical Center, Los Angeles Jewish Health’s 239-bed skilled nursing facility, where the average resident age is 91.

“We felt the greatest need was with residents who require the highest level of care because they may be the least able to make dreams come true for themselves,” Ilana says.

First on the list was Elaine. One morning, Rabbi Bender visited her room and asked whether there was anything she dreamed about doing. Elaine immediately pointed to the photographs of horses hanging on her bedroom wall.

“She said, ‘Every single day of my life I was with horses, until 10 years ago. I haven’t even seen a horse since. I know I can’t ride, but I just want to spend quiet time with a horse.’” Rabbi Bender recalls. “So, we arranged to have a horse brought to one of the beautiful courtyards at Los Angeles Jewish Health, and Elaine enjoyed 90 minutes of one-on-one time. For an hour and a half, this was her horse; she had space to have a beautiful moment with an animal that meant the world to her.”

Since then, many more dreams have come to fruition:

Efraim, a rabbi living in the JEK Medical Center, had a dream of leading one last service. He was able to do so while also providing amazing musical accompaniment. Toward the end of the service, he poignantly said to his congregation of peers, “Look, I’m just like you. I can no longer walk or sing or do many important things I was once able to do, but we make do! And I couldn’t have done it without the encouragement of my best friends Joe and Richard” – friends he made at Los Angeles Jewish Health.

Andy had been in a rock band back when he attended an Ivy League college. He wanted nothing more than to jam on a bass guitar like he once did, though as a stroke survivor he couldn’t fully play anymore. Working with the care team, Rabbi Bender and Ilana found a college student who was a music major. The young man brought several electric instruments and electronic equipment and enabled Andy to experience “playing” the bass while his wife looked on adoringly. She later said it was one of the most meaningful experiences of their marriage.

Harriet, who had a love for chocolate, requested a chocolate tasting for the campus community. The Office of Volunteers went above and beyond arranging for a personal visit by three renowned chocolatiers, including a former White House chef, followed by a demonstration and tasting where the rest of the skilled nursing community was invited to enjoy the sweet treats.

In recognition of the program’s success, the Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS) announced Achieve a Dream as this year’s recipient of its prestigious Programming Award. Rabbi Bender and Ilana accepted the honor in person at AJAS’ national conference, which took place in late February in San Diego. Los Angeles Jewish Health Chief Executive Officer and President, Dale Surowitz, Board Member, Judy Friedman-Rudzki and Board Chair, Andrew Berman joined in the celebration.

“We are proud of this award but even more proud that Los Angeles Jewish Health is empowering seniors to come here and live with as much – if not more – fullness and purpose as they had before,” Rabbi Bender says. “This is a place where dreams really can come true.”

The Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS) awards Los Angeles Jewish Health's Achieve a Dream initiative as this year’s recipient of its prestigious Programming Award.

Prev Page Next Page

Share

Sign up for the Los Angeles Jewish Health newsletter, Connections.

First Name

Last Name

Email

Recent Articles

Sep 3

Celebrating Independence and Excellence at BCSC PACE

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!”

LAJH Resident and Restauranteur Helps Celebrate National Waffle Day

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.”

Los Angeles Jewish Health Welcomes Rabbi Marc Kraus

For new Los Angeles Jewish Health rabbi Marc Kraus, there’s something special about working in a residential community.“So many rabbis only have a chance to engage with their communities weekly, monthly, or even annually when they come to synagogue. But, at Los Angeles Jewish Health, I get to see people every day and to develop deep pastoral connections with them,” he says. “Finding this job was a dream come true.”Rabbi Kraus arrived at LAJH this summer as campus rabbi for Eisenberg Village, joining Rabbi Karen Bender, who serves as the organization’s chief mission officer. In his brief tenure, he has already gotten the flavor of what makes LAJH’s community unique.“It’s so wonderful to be part of this huge village in the middle of Reseda,” he says. “I’ve been breaking bread with residents at every meal, getting to know them and seeing just how beautiful Jewish life here really is. I feel so incredibly welcomed.”Rabbi Marc KrausA native of London, Rabbi Kraus has been in the U.S. since 2010. After completing his undergraduate degree in Hebrew literature at Oxford, he received his rabbinic ordination from American Jewish University and a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from William & Mary. Over the course of his professional career, Rabbi Kraus has served as both a pulpit rabbi and a licensed marriage and family therapist.“I’m a spiritual seeker, an academic, and a therapist,” he says. “I believe my diverse experience—whether it was facilitating Orthodox Jewish holiday services in England as a teenager, spending time at an egalitarian yeshiva in Jerusalem, tending to a Conservative synagogue congregation in Virginia, or logging thousands of hours as a marriage and family counselor—has prepared me well to provide LAJH residents with pastoral services that help them find meaning in their everyday lives.”Avoiding denominational labels is central to Rabbi Kraus’ rabbinic approach. “I see myself as a facilitator of people’s Jewish journeys, no matter where they’re coming from,” he says. “I think there is a lot of wisdom in every denomination, and my goal is to meet LAJH residents where they are—recognizing where they’re coming from and adapting accordingly. Ultimately, I want to help people connect with their spirituality in whatever way is most resonant for them.”Singing is another of Rabbi Kraus’ key areas of focus. “Music is such a powerful way to bring people together. As a vocalist, I feel being able to sing is a gift—and being able to share that gift with others is blessing,” he says.Rabbi Bender notes that the many blessings Rabbi Kraus brings are being felt by LAJH residents far and wide. “It is a mitzvah to ‘find yourself a rabbi,’ and we feel truly blessed to have found Rabbi Kraus—and even more so that he has chosen to join the LAJH family,” she says. “He is a gifted scholar, a soulful singer, and a deeply compassionate pastoral presence. In just his first month, he has already inspired minds and touched hearts across our community. We are profoundly grateful to welcome him as the rabbi for both Eisenberg Village and Fountainview at Eisenberg Village.”In the coming weeks and months, Rabbi Kraus looks forward to meeting as many members of the LAJH family as possible. His energy and enthusiasm are nothing short of infectious.“I was overjoyed on the day I started at LAJH,” he says, “and my excitement has only grown every day since.”Rabbi Kraus speaks to residents of the Newman Building