Non‐Profit Los Angeles Jewish Home Plans Rapid Expansion to Serve 10,000 Seniors Throughout Los Angeles County by 2025

Jul 6, 2020

Aging in Place in the Rapidly Changing Landscape of Elder Care/Living is Focus of One of the Nation’s Leading Senior Healthcare Systems

LOS ANGELES — July 6, 2020 — For Immediate Release — The Los Angeles Jewish Home, one of the nation’s largest, single‐source providers of comprehensive senior care, plans rapid expansion of services throughout Los Angeles County with a goal of serving 10,000 seniors by 2025. Los Angeles Jewish Health, which has previously offered services primarily in the San Fernando Valley, provides healthcare and living options; community‐based programs; in‐resident services; professional training; and research on frequently overlooked issues that affect senior healthcare and living.

Leading Los Angeles Jewish Health’s expansion will be newly appointed CEO and President Dale Surowitz, who has served as CEO of Providence Cedars‐Sinai Tarzana Medical Center since 1997. Dale brings broad‐based relationships and expertise in furthering partnerships with external healthcare providers.

Molly Forrest, who has led Los Angeles Jewish Health’s dynamic growth and direction as CEO and President for 24 years, will now focus on growing advocacy efforts, community advancement and fundraising as president of the Jewish Home Foundation.

Recognized internationally, Los Angeles Jewish Health has taken a guiding role in the rapidly evolving future of senior healthcare with innovative, broad‐based initiatives to promote aging in place and develop programs for individualized and person-centered senior healthcare/living. During the recent COVID‐19 crisis, the Home led the way with less than .025% of more than 1,200 seniors in residence having been diagnosed with the virus to date.

Founded in 1912 as a haven for five elderly Jewish men in need of shelter during Passover, the non‐profit Los Angeles Jewish Health has evolved into a comprehensive, non‐denominational, senior healthcare system. Today, Los Angeles Jewish Health—with a staff of over 1,600 and annual budget of $160 million—provides nearly 4,000 seniors annually with care in‐residence on five SoCal campuses or through a wide array of in‐home and community services. As a major provider, Los Angeles Jewish Health is a significant contributor to the L.A. economy.

Los Angeles Jewish Health, which has operated primarily through facilities and partnerships in the San Fernando Valley, will continue expansion to serve all of Los Angeles. Its expansion began in 2017 with the opening of its fifth campus, Fountainview at Gonda Healthy Aging Westside Campus in Playa Vista. Additional plans call for the 2021 expansion to the westside of Los Angeles with the opening of the Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE Program, which will provide comprehensive healthcare services to seniors living in the community.

“With 108 years of experience in supporting seniors, it provides insights for a very different approach,” comments Forrest. “These moves will allow us to continue to bridge outside our walls and serve more and more seniors. Community outreach is where senior healthcare is going. We are looking at every opportunity to provide excellence of care at home, with a goal of people aging in place and avoiding, as much as possible, the need to move into a facility. It’s where we see ourselves as a major force. With 12 million baby boomers aging, these needs will continue to increase tremendously. We are positioning ourselves to address those demands in SoCal and as a progressive model for U.S. elder care.”

Says Surowitz, “I join Los Angeles Jewish Health with a background in hospital care and programs and the vision of expanding our institutional relationships throughout the Los Angeles community as we significantly grow our capabilities to serve more seniors. Remaining at home for as long as possible is a goal each of us wants for ourselves, our family and our friends. The Los Angeles Jewish Home is an innovator and cutting‐edge model for best practices. I am excited to lead this outstanding team and work to further the Home’s already stellar accomplishments as we address the rapidly changing landscape of senior healthcare and living. I look forward to working with Molly and the officers, board leadership, staff and volunteers.”

Adds Andrew Berman, chairman of the Los Angeles Jewish Health Board of Directors, “I am thrilled that we have been able to hire someone of Dale’s caliber with the depth of experience and knowledge he brings with him. Molly has been an amazing leader and visionary and I know will accomplish extraordinary things as president of the Jewish Home Foundation. Under the leadership of Dale Surowitz and with Molly in her new role, we can be assured that we will not only maintain but expand our standing as one of the leading and innovative senior health‐care providers in the country.”

About Dale Surowitz: As CEO of Providence Cedars‐Sinai Tarzana Medical Center, Surowitz led the respected hospital’s transition from an investor‐owned, for‐profit institution, to a not‐for‐profit, faith‐based facility. He piloted the launch of a $600 million campus replacement project to be completed in 2022. Additionally, he was instrumental in establishing a joint venture relationship with Cedars‐Sinai Medical Center for the Tarzana campus. Under Dale’s leadership, the medical center has received national recognition for overall quality and a variety of clinical services.

About Molly Forrest: Under Forrest’s exceptional leadership, Los Angeles Jewish Health underwent the most ambitious expansion in its history, becoming a nationally recognized leader and innovator in all aspects of senior health care and living. In July, Forrest became President of the California Chapter of Leading Age. She is a frequent guest speaker.

Full bios, headshots and other artwork available at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hwqp3ydv5d7dp9i/AAAlrVphTdn7LGWutXjT5YWDa?dl=0

Los Angeles Jewish Health programs and services include:

Connections to Care Program (C2C): Through C2C, seniors and their families gain timely referrals to services tailored to meet their specific needs, regardless of religion, ethnicity or ability to pay.
Home/Community Care: Each year, thousands of seniors benefit from Los Angeles Jewish Health’s community‐based services. Services include, hospice; home health; palliative medicine; community clinics; short‐term rehabilitation; acute psychiatric care, through its Brandman Centers for Senior Care, a Program of All‐inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); Skirball Hospice; and Care Transitions program.
Senior Housing: As the largest, single‐source provider of senior housing in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Jewish Health is home to more than 1,200 women and men who live on four campuses covering 21 acres. Housing options include independent living, residential care, skilled nursing care, short‐term rehabilitation and Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care. Locations include the Reseda‐based Eisenberg Village; Grancell Village; Fountainview at Eisenberg Village; and Fountainview at Gonda Healthy Aging Westside Campus in Playa Vista.
Best Practices Research: Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Brandman Research Institute, under the leadership of Chief Medical Officer and Executive Director Dr. Noah Marco, focuses on research on effective models for post‐acute care which improve and enhance medical, social, psychiatric and psychological services for seniors. The institute was founded in March 2019 to fill the gap in clinical studies, which often exclude older people.
Annenberg School of Nursing: An intimate center of learning on Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Hirsch Family Campus, preparing vocational nursing students for the state licensing exam, the NCLEX‐PN®. The School also trains home health aides, medication technicians and nurse assistant students to earn certification through the California Department of Public Health.
Philanthropy: The home’s dedication to serving needy seniors is reflected in its annual commitment of philanthropic support to serve those dependent upon the state Medi‐Cal (welfare) program, with 75% of those served in‐residence rely upon the Medi‐Cal program and social security.

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Oct 3

Furry Friends Bring Warmth and Love to Los Angeles Jewish Health

Providing residents with robust opportunities for enrichment is a hallmark of life at Los Angeles Jewish Health. From music appreciation to bingo to arts and crafts and beyond, our activities empower seniors to find joy in community and to make the most of every day. Among the most popular pastimes at LAJH is participating in our Pet Therapy Program—a chance for residents to love, hug, and play with the dogs that regularly visit both our Grancell Village and Eisenberg Village campuses. Generously sponsored by the Steven Ohren Foundation, the Pet Therapy Program is the largest of its kind in Los Angeles. Each week, trained dog handlers and their highly-trained therapy dogs stroll the halls of LAJH buildings, offering residents a chance to receive canine cuddles as they reminisce about their own cherished former pets and animal experiences. It is, notes LAJH’s Director of Volunteer Services Stacy Orbach, a program that delights residents and has important therapeutic benefits, as well. “There’s data out there about the positive health impact of programs like ours, including lowering blood pressure and anxiety,” Stacy says. “In addition, seeing the therapy dogs reminds residents about beloved pets from their childhood—activating their memories and getting them telling stories, which is hugely beneficial, especially for people experiencing memory loss.” Steven Zonis, a certified therapy dog handler, has been volunteering weekly at LAJH for years. He and his dogs, standard poodles Rudy and Ella, work together to engage residents and fill their days with joy. “The residents brighten up and smile when Rudy and Ella walk into a room. What they’re responding to is how genuine the dogs are; they just love to give love and get love with no ulterior motives or underlying agendas,” he says. “It’s wonderful to watch.” Rudy and Ella are pros at their work: Both have certifications through the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Los Angeles Police Department, and Rudy is the winner of AKC’s 15 th annual Award for Canine Excellence and a semi-finalist for the American Humane Society’s 2025 Hero Dog Award. They are celebrated members of LAJH’s pet therapy team. With stars like Rudy, Ella, and many others, LAJH’s Pet Therapy Program has a dedicated fan base of residents who look forward to the visits and even prepare for them. One resident has a special bond with a therapy dog named Andrew; she has graham crackers waiting for him when he arrives every Wednesday. On the days she is not there, Andrew goes into her room and waits for her to return. This year, for the fourth year running, LAJH will produce a pet therapy calendar featuring all the dogs from the program. Also made possible by the Steven Ohren Foundation, the calendar is a highly anticipated publication that adorns many residents’ walls and staff work stations.“We’re grateful to the Steven Ohren Foundation for its support, which this year is enabling us to provide copies of the calendar not just to residents and staff, but also to any interested member of the community,” says Corey Slavin, senior vice president of the Los Angeles Jewish Health Foundation. “By sustaining our Pet Therapy Program, as well as our intergenerational music programming, the Steven Ohren Foundation brings meaning, liveliness, and fun to our residents on a daily basis, and we’re thrilled to have their ongoing partnership.” Included in the calendar are photos of the therapy dogs visiting LAJH residents and selected quotes from residents expressing gratitude for their canine friends. “They make us feel alive and useful,” one resident quote says. “They make a lot of people happy and are such a blessing. I can’t get enough of the therapy dogs.” We hope you are as inspired by the Ohren Foundation’s support as we are! If you are interested in receiving a calendar or are interested in supporting LAJH, please email Corey Slavin at [email protected].

Los Angeles Jewish Health Celebrates Largest Bar and Bat Mitzvah of Skilled Nursing Residents in Its History

A bar or bat mitzvah is a Jewish rite of passage—a coming-of-age ceremony that welcomes young Jews into adulthood and signifies their commitment to taking on new responsibilities. Last month, a joyous and meaningful group adult b’nai mitzvah at Los Angeles Jewish Health marked a different kind of passage, celebrating the wisdom, tenacity, and resilience of 10 seniors as they embrace opportunities for learning and growth in older age. Held at LAJH’s Grancell Village campus, the b’nai mitzvah event, the largest bar and bat mitzvah of skilled nursing residents in LAJH’s history, 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. The residents, who ranged in age from 76-98, were Lois Schindel, Selma Schwartz, Cherie Goodman, Harriet Golden, David Lander, Phyllis Gottlieb, Robert Orgen, Richard Zelle, Jack Schlaifer, and Ilene Cohen. In addition to reading from the Torah, the b’nai mitzvah 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 bat mitzvahed,” Cherie said. “I am proud of who I am and glad today I could enjoy that experience.” Phyllis 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, 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’ 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.”

Los Angeles Jewish Health Celebrates Largest Bar and Bat Mitzvah of Skilled Nursing Residents In Its History

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.