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Jewish Journal

Connect. Inform. Inspire.

July 29, 2010

Bare-bones Judaism in one easy lesson

Leave a Comment / Culture, Opinion /

A couple of days after Passover, I eavesdropped on the following conversation among three 20-something guys; one was Jewish, the other two were not.

Non-Jewish Guy No. 1: What did you do this weekend?
Jewish Guy: Went to my mom’s house for Passover.

Non-Jewish Guy No. 2: What’s Passover?

Jewish Guy: When you eat matzah instead of bread.

Non-Jewish Guy No. 2: Why? Like, what’s the point of Passover?

Jewish Guy: I don’t actually know.

Non-Jewish Guy No. 1: You don’t know the point of Passover? I know and I’m not even Jewish, dude. Passover is when the Jews were slaves in Egypt, and Moses went to the Pharaoh and said, “Let my people go!” And Pharaoh said, “No way!” How can you be Jewish and not know that, man?

I silently concurred with Non-Jewish Guy No. 1: How can you be Jewish and not know the Exodus story? That is akin to a Christian unwrapping Christmas gifts oblivious to the fact that Dec. 25 marks Jesus Christ’s birthday.

Unfortunately, Jewish Guy may be the new norm instead of an anomaly. I have gone to several bar mitzvahs recently where it was difficult to distinguish Jewish guests from non-Jewish guests. Both groups watched impassively as the rabbi and the bar mitzvah boy went through their respective Jewish moves: blessings before and after the Torah, standing when the ark was opened and the explanation of that week’s Torah portion without registering a flicker of recognition. Jew and non-Jew looked on with the same dumbfounded expression one typically sees at rugby matches and on the faces of California’s legislators discussing the budget.

Let me say right up front that I’m far from a Jewish scholar. My formal Jewish education consists mainly of attending Hebrew/religious school for several years when I was a kid, the occasional adult Jewish education class at my synagogue, a recent week spent at Brandeis University meeting with a Who’s Who of the Jewish world, and cramming with my daughter for her “Jewish text” final at New Community Jewish High School a few months ago. My Hebrew reading, I’m embarrassed to admit, has been on a downhill slide since my bat mitzvah. But, if “Jeopardy!” had a category called “The Least You Need to Know About Judaism,” I’m quite sure I could sweep it.

Are there certain Judaism basics every Jew should know?

Thinking about it another way, if the same question were posed about mathematics, I think we would agree that one should be able to add, subtract, multiply and calculate pi to the seventh digit. American history? That Christopher Columbus discovered America, George Washington was our first president, and the war in Afghanistan was led for a time by a general who thought it was a good idea to tell a Rolling Stone reporter that the vice president of the United States is a moron. Science, in a nutshell, is: What goes up must come down.

While you undoubtedly have your own list of what should appear on a Judaism GED exam, here is my list of what I think every self-respecting Jew should know.

CIRCUMCISION

If you surveyed 100 Jewish men and asked why Jews are traditionally circumcised, 89 percent of them would say, “It was my mother’s way to make sure I didn’t end up with a shiksa.” The other 11 percent would assume it has some connection to Jews’ affinity for head coverings. Neither is correct. The reason that Jews are circumcised on the eighth day is because Abraham (see Jewish Bigwigs below) was commanded by God at the age of 99 to circumcise himself, his son Ishmael and the other men with him as a sign of the covenant between Abraham and God. The eighth day is specified in the Torah.

JEWISH HOLIDAYS

According to HebCal.com, there are 45 holidays or special dates that Jews (theoretically) observe. Don’t panic. You don’t need to be familiar with most of them. The majority of these “holidays” are “special” Shabbats and other random observances that only appear on the rabbinic school exit exam. I think you can proudly wear your Star of David necklace if you know the basics about the following five.

Chanukah
Contrary to popular belief, Chanukah is not a Jewish Christmas, but a completely unrelated holiday that commemorates the battle waged by Judah Maccabee and his brothers against the Syrian King Antiochus, who had ordered all Judeans to worship the Greek gods. Long story short, the Maccabees kicked Antiochus’ Greek-god-worshipping butt. So why eight candles and eight nights? Because when the Jews went to relight the Ner Tamid (the eternal light), a day’s worth of oil miraculously lasted for eight nights. (I’m proud to say I started the rumor that Toyota stole the idea for the Prius from the Maccabees.)

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
I suspect that even Jewish Guy knows that Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, but Yom Kippur sometimes is a stumper because so much of the service is in Hebrew, and it is difficult to pay attention when all you think of is the bagel reward you receive at the end of the day. On your Jewish holiday cheat sheet write: “Yom Kippur — Say you’re sorry, and promise to be good.”

Purim
I was on the fence about including Purim because it has basically been diluted into a day where Jewish kids show up at synagogue in recycled Halloween costumes. I can accept SpongeBob living in a pineapple under the sea, but attending synagogue is a bit of a stretch. If a non-Jew asks you about Purim and you work “Queen Esther” and “Haman” into the conversation, you will appear fairly knowledgeable. And if you can make an argument to support your case that poppy seed hamantashen are superior to the chocolate version, you will really impress.

Passover
Non-Jewish Guy No. 1 summed up the holiday nicely, but if you want to learn more, read the Book of Exodus or rent “The Ten Commandments” from Netflix.

JEWISH BIGWIGS

For the most part, these are easy to remember because you simply need to think of the names of your great-uncles — Abe (Abraham), Isaac, Aaron — and two of the more popular kids’ names: Noah and Jacob. For some reason, Moses is not a popular name for either great-uncles or kids, so you will just have to write that one on your hand with a Sharpie.

Abraham is the first Jew (if you said Adam, do not pass go and do not collect $200); Isaac was Abraham’s kid with Sarah; Jacob was Isaac’s son; Moses stood up to Pharaoh and received the Ten Commandments from God; Aaron was Moses’ brother and spokesperson; and Noah built the ark. (I highly recommend that you don’t attempt to learn any more about Noah because he really wasn’t that great; basically, he was the best of the worst.)

MISCELLANEOUS STUFF

In addition to the above, it would be nice if every Jew knew the “Shema,” which says that we believe in just one God. (What do Jews for Jesus do during this part of their service?) And in a perfect Jewish world, every Jew would know the blessings, which are sung before and after reading from the Torah. If you don’t know them, download them from iTunes (the 1-minute, 28-second version is the best), and practice when you are on the treadmill at the gym.

Please feel free to copy this article and pass it out to any Jew sitting next to you at a bar mitzvah who is moving his finger from left to right over the Hebrew text, pretending to follow along. And if you find yourself on “Jeopardy!” and the category for the final answer is “Stuff Every Jew Should Know,” bet it all.

Bare-bones Judaism in one easy lesson Read More »

How Jen Levinson makes every mother’s life easier

Leave a Comment / Community, Culture /

Within five minutes of meeting Jen Levinson, she was my best friend. If you are one of the 15,000-plus people who receives Jen’s List — a daily e-mail crammed with everything from Jen’s recommendations on handymen and painters to fun activities to do with your kids — you might want to fight me for the BFF title. But who else besides your best friend would be open enough to talk to you about her history of depression, her numerous miscarriages, a cancer scare, her tummy tuck and her relationship with her husband?

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before Jen Levinson became my best friend, she was just this person who e-mailed me what she describes as “the mom’s guide to what’s hot, new and undiscovered — from baby products to nannies to fun family stuff to do.” I began to count on her list to find summer day camps for my kids, score great deals and discover local events I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. When my computer crashed, I called the fix-it guy — who happened to be on that day’s list — and he was sitting in my desk chair giving CPR to my computer within 30 minutes. Once I started receiving Jen’s List, I began to wonder how I ever lived without it.

As if compiling Jen’s List every single day (weekends, too) wasn’t enough, Jen’s got plenty more on her plate, as I started learning through the mom-to-mom grapevine. She is the mother of five boys — a single (7) and two sets of twins (5 and 2) — and she is a Temple Aliyah sisterhood board member, and she chaired Round Meadow Elementary’s silent auction and was the classroom mom for her first set of twins. So I made the same assumption that everyone who knows pretty, blond-haired Jen Levinson from afar makes: She must be rich, have a minimum of three nannies and two housekeepers, and have led a charmed life. It would make perfect sense, except that none of it is true.

Jen Levinson’s parents divorced when she was 5 years old. She worked two jobs to put herself through San Diego State University and “went to school in my spare time.” Plans to go to law school didn’t materialize; instead, she worked in the fraud unit of an insurance company.

At age 29 she saw her doctor for a routine exam and discovered she had thyroid cancer. Her thyroid was removed; she had radiation and is now considered cancer-free.

A bad breakup when she was 30 sent her into clinical depression. “I always wanted to get married and have kids, and I didn’t think it was going to happen. It didn’t matter how many people I had around me who loved me. I remember being curled up on my bed in a ball and I didn’t want to wake up. My sister-in-law told me there was a light at the end of the tunnel, but I absolutely couldn’t see it.

“I checked into UCLA as an outpatient for five months and went every single day. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. All of your experiences make you who you are. That experience made me very strong. I went in codependent and came out independent. It taught me a lot about myself that I never knew. I don’t regret anything that happened, but it was a very scary time for my family.

“Depression is a very difficult thing to understand for people who have never been there. My husband has never been through it so he doesn’t really get it. I’m very sensitive to the issue of depression because I know a lot of people just don’t understand it,” Levinson says.

Taking antidepressants helped, and now she says she is a big advocate for doing whatever it takes to get better. She laughs and says, “If more people were on medication, this world would be a better place.”

Shortly after she saw the proverbial light, she met her husband on JDate. (Recognizing a good thing when they saw it, JDate plastered the photogenic blonde and her tall, well-built husband on their promotional materials, including a giant billboard in Times Square.)

“My husband didn’t fit the image of the typical Jewish boy I was going to marry. He is from Texas. Really, are there Jews in Texas? He is very muscular and into working out; he is a registered dietitian. On the other hand, he did have all of the qualities of the person I was looking for. His most important goal was having a family and being the best dad possible. And he is the absolute best dad. Over the years, he has changed half, if not more, of the diapers, and he can take care of all five of them by himself and not flinch. I’m very lucky in that respect.

“My husband is very much my opposite. He doesn’t understand why I have to do so much.”

Jen does not live among multiple nannies and assistants in Hidden Hills, like many people believe, but in a modest, kid-centric house in West Hills. When I stopped by for our interview, she was alone with her 5-year-old twins, a mellow dog and an aloof cat. Her oldest son was at camp, and the 2-year-old twins — “they are the terrible 2s times a million” — were at the park with a babysitter who helps out part time.

I didn’t spot the computer where she receives 300 to 400 e-mails each day. The List, which started out as a hobby to pass the time after her obstetrician relegated her to bed rest when she was pregnant with her first set of twins, now takes approximately three to five hours each day to compile.

So, as a woman with half of the responsibilities, who walks around with chipped fingernail polish for a week because I can’t find a spare hour for a manicure, I wanted to know: How does Jen do it all?

“How do I do it? This is my life. I don’t have a choice. I just do it. People have always told me I have to slow down, but this is just who I am.

“My hope is that I don’t look back in 20 years and regret anything, regardless of what it is … especially if [all of this] affects my health. If only I would have gotten more sleep. If only I hadn’t run around so much. I do think about that a lot, but you can’t predict what will happen in life.

“I’ve always been an open book, maybe to a fault, but I am who I am and I can’t apologize for that. If my past can help someone, then it was worth sharing.”

To sign up for a free subscription to Jen’s List, visit jenslist.com. 

Wendy Jaffe welcomes comments at {encode=”wjaffewrite@aol.com” title=”wjaffewrite@aol.com”}.

How Jen Levinson makes every mother’s life easier Read More »

Hummus bar & grill

Leave a Comment / Culture, Food /

Praised on food blogs from East Hollywood to Long Beach for its hummus, kabobs, array of salads and the irresistible hot laffa, the Hummus Bar & Grill in Tarzana is also celebrated for its welcoming atmosphere. Luckily, when new owners converted the former Hummus Bar to the Bar & Grill in 2008, they expanded seating as well as the menu.

On a recent visit, a pleasant outdoor area and a windowed seating area inside left plenty of room for the flurry of young waitstaff in black T-shirts to efficiently deliver the little bowls of spicy vegetables and pickles that begin each meal. Busy as they are, there is a feeling of camaraderie in the room, with everyone mixing Hebrew and English, offering a particularly Israeli warmth and zest for the moment to a Southern California style of casual dining. “Besides serving good food, what we want most is for people to feel welcome here, to feel comfortable,” manager Irit Bouskila explains. 

A major attraction is the taboon, a conical oven just inside the front door, built into the bar that divides the expanded seating area and visible to all. A cook flattens balls of dough, then drops them onto the hot surface of the oven floor to cook. This is laffa — the soft, unleavened bread that is delivered steamy hot to the table immediately after the veggies. If you are smart, you will have already chosen and ordered at least one of the five kinds of hummus available. The house version, centered with olive oil and tahini, is rich and delicious, but here, the hummus also comes with garbanzo beans, mushrooms, pine nuts or beef, and, on weekends, fava beans, hard-boiled egg, and lemon and garlic sauce. 

It is worth risking a burned finger to tear off a piece of hot laffa right away to scoop up some of the creamy hummus, but beware: You will want to save room for shwarma or a chicken liver, lamb or filet kabob; falafel; or fresh fish — not to mention the assorted house-made salads and side dishes. And when the laffa cools, its crackerlike consistency makes it perfect for sampling the mild, oniony chopped liver or the smoky eggplant salad. 

Hummus Bar & Grill co-owner Tommy Telio is particularly proud of the shwarma, a typical Israeli combination of roast turkey threaded with lamb, sliced thin and piled high. Wrapped in torn pieces of soft laffa, drizzled with tahini, it is delicious. (A helping of crunchy, well-seasoned Israeli salad balances the richness.)

It’s a good idea to visit the restaurant with a friend or two — or five. My mother, who was a teenager during the Great Depression, not only loved the restaurant’s cumin-flavored beef soup, but was ecstatic when the waitress brought us an array of containers to take home what was almost enough for another meal. (If you are not so lucky as to have leftovers, you can now purchase Hummus Bar & Grill-made hummus and salads pre-packaged at the Whole Foods across the street.)

During the World Cup, while serious fans opted for the back room for an up-close view of the big screen TV, my husband and I enjoyed a late, leisurely lunch in the main room, watching the heart-stopping end of the Uruguay-Ghana game on the smaller screen above the bar. We cheered and gasped along with the companionable crowd of customers and staff, unable to leave the game or give up our plates of shwarma and chicken livers. 

We made it to the shoot-out and Turkish coffee, but not to dessert — although desserts, too, are a specialty here. The amazing selection includes Bavarian cream pie with chocolate sauce; mallabi, a pudding with rosewater syrup; kadaif with crème and dried-fig filling; chocolate mousse; sorbet; and watermelon. 

In addition to the business-lunch crowd, Hummus Bar & Grill customers are a mix of neighborhood Israelis, L.A. foodies in search of laffa, construction workers who want beef skewers, vegetarians who appreciate the salads and everyone else who wants generous portions of these bright, clean Middle Eastern flavors.

Dinner, however, is more of a family affair, with a special menu for kids that includes schnitzel. And on weekends, there are crowds all day. The restaurant is in a strip mall where above-ground parking is limited to just 30 minutes, but there is lots of free underground parking where you can stay as long as you like. Maybe even until you have found room again for dessert.

Hummus bar & grill Read More »

The Joys of Summer Fruit [RECIPES]

Leave a Comment / Culture, Food, Recipes /

Whether you are taking a picnic to the beach, a local park or the Hollywood Bowl, desserts made from fresh fruits — peaches, apricots, plums, cherries and all kinds of berries — are a refreshing complement to your summer menu.

One of the places to find the best summer fruit is at an open-air farmers market. I love standing in the middle of a crowd of shoppers at our local farmers market trying to decide between buying nectarines or a box of ripe figs to complement a family meal.

A selection of fruit can be turned into a simple salad; in Italy, this is referred to as Macedonia. There is no recipe necessary — just cut up your favorite fruits and add whole or sliced berries. Although the fruit makes its own juices, the secret to creating a great fruit salad is the addition of sugar syrup, and maybe a small amount of orange juice.

Another easy fruit dessert that needs no recipe is simply cutting a ripe cantaloupe in half, scooping out the seeds, and filling it with a sweet wine; Port is a perfect addition.

A little more time consuming, but worth the effort, is a Raspberry Crostata, bursting with fragrant juices (if peaches or plums are your favorite, then by all means replace the raspberries with either).

If working with pastry is not your favorite thing, then the Fresh Peach Crisp is a perfect dessert. The combination of sweet, soft, juicy fruit with a crunchy, buttery brown sugar toping is irresistible.

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake is a crowd favorite, and you can experiment with the different varieties of strawberry available. If your family likes fresh blueberries, add a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream to Blueberry-Buttermilk Coffee Cake for a special treat.

And if you have never made gelato (ice cream), you are going to love Strawberry Gelato. Although you can use an electric ice cream machine, the hand-crank kind is more fun; just add ice and salt and have all the children take turns until it is ready.

OLD-FASHIONED STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Buy strawberries just before you want to eat them; store the berries on your kitchen counter or a cool place, and give them a quick rinse just before eating. When shopping for strawberries, try to taste when you can, and discover your own favorite varieties. Very red berries tend to be the sweetest.

3 pints fresh strawberries
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter or nondairy margarine
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup milk
2 cups whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Grease and flour one 8-inch round cake pan.

Slice strawberries and toss them with 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and butter or margarine. Blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg and milk and blend. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined.

Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool partially in pan on wire rack.

Slice in half, making two layers. Place half of the strawberries on one layer and top with the second layer. Top second layer with remaining strawberries and cover with the whipped cream.

Makes 8 servings.

The Joys of Summer Fruit [RECIPES] Read More »

Tribe Calendar: August 2010

Leave a Comment / Culture, What's Happening /

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1

Jewish Genealogy
The Red Star Line transported 2.7 million people from Antwerp to American ports from 1873 to 1934, and it is estimated that half of its emigrant passengers were Jewish. Antwerp artist Eugeen Van Mieghem made a cycle of works about these Jewish emigrants. Erwin Joos, curator of the Eugeen Van Mieghem Museum, will discuss “One Foot in America: Eugeen Van Mieghem (1875-1930) and the Jewish Emigrants of the Red Star Line.” Light refreshments will be served. Free. 1:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Conejo Valley and Ventura County. Temple Adat Elohim, 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. (818) 889-6616. ” title=”simi-arts.org” target=”_blank”>simi-arts.org.

MONDAY, AUGUST 2

Swing Nights
Go “retro” with David and the High Spirits, and learn how to swing dance. Other bands and singers throughout the summer. Free. Mondays. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Center Plaza, Sherman Oaks Galleria, 15301 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. ” title=”jnetonline.org” target=”_blank”>jnetonline.org.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5

Lisa Loeb
Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb comes to the Conejo Valley to perform hits, including “Stay (I Miss You),” “I Do,” “How” and more. 6 p.m. (doors open), 8 p.m. (show). $20-plus. The Canyon Club, 28912 Roadside Drive, Agoura Hills. (818) 879-5016. ” title=”congregationbnaiemet.org/sisterhood.php” target=”_blank”>congregationbnaiemet.org/sisterhood.php.

The Music of ABBA
Become a “Dancing Queen” and “Take a Chance” on Sweden’s Arrival, one of the world’s most popular ABBA tribute bands, currently touring with ABBA’s original musicians. Sponsored by Valley Cultural Center. 6 p.m. Free. Also, Dave Mason, Aug. 1; Blue Öyster Cult, Aug. 15; Ticket to Ride (a Beatles tribute), Aug. 22; Micky Dolenz, Aug. 29. Warner Center Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills. (818) 704-1358. ” title=”templejudea.com” target=”_blank”>templejudea.com.

“Menopause: The Musical”
Four women at a Bloomingdale’s lingerie sale sing about memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats and chocolate cravings. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Runs through Aug. 15. $39-$49. Fred Kavli Theatre, Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. (805) 449-2787. ” title=”valleyruach.org” target=”_blank”>valleyruach.org.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19

Camp Jewlicious
Jewlicious is organizing its first four-day summer festival for young adults, 18-36. And it’s at camp. They also want you to know it’s NOT dorky. Seriously.  In addition to the usual camp activities — horseback riding, ropes course, Israeli dancing, bonfire — and Jewlicious concerts, learn how to build support for your cause during the Grassroots Organizing Summit, and enjoy acoustic concerts as well as a Saturday night concert. $99-$280. Scholarships available. Aug. 19-22. Brandeis-Bardin Campus of American Jewish University, 1101 Pepper Tree Lane, Simi Valley. (310) 277-5544. ” title=”jewishjournal.com/congregations” target=”_blank”>jewishjournal.com/congregations.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6: Temple Etz Chaim. Open House and Shabbat Services. 7 p.m. 1080 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. (805) 497-6891. ” title=”orami.org” target=”_blank”>orami.org.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 29: Temple Aliyah. Welcome Bash. 4-6 p.m. 6025 Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills. (818) 346-3545. ” title=”adatelohim.com” target=”_blank”>adatelohim.com.

To get your September event in Tribe, please e-mail {encode=”tribecal@jewishjournal.com” title=”tribecal@jewishjournal.com”} by Friday, JULY 30.

Tribe Calendar: August 2010 Read More »

Jewish War Vets Push for West L.A. Veterans’ Home

Leave a Comment / Culture, Health /

Steve Rosmarin, a long-time Valley resident, recently gave up his Sherman Oaks home of 12 years for a temporary relocation to Lancaster. Within the next few months, he plans to move again to West Los Angeles.

But the 82-year-old veteran of World War II and the Korean War isn’t daunted by the changes. In fact, it was in part through his long-term efforts and the efforts of the Jewish War Veterans (JWV), for which he has twice served as state commander, that his next home, the Veterans Homes of California—West Los Angeles, exists at all.

The facility, which opened in June, is housed on a 19-acre plot of land on the VA’s Westside medical campus. With 396 beds — 84 dedicated to residential care, 252 to a skilled nursing facility and 60 for veterans with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease -— it is one of the largest veterans’ homes in the country.

Deeded to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the late 1880s, the plot of land on which the home now stands was designated for the care of the country’s veterans. But some community members didn’t want to let it go without a fight, so the JWV stepped in.

“The hospital is expensive and valuable property, and there were always different groups of people trying to get the property to be handed over to commercial use,” Rosmarin said.

So he and the JWV, a national organization established in 1896 to assist all veterans in need of support, lobbied local and national officials to ensure that the land was preserved for those who had served in the country’s armed forces, and to get construction going on the much-needed home.

“It took a lot of lobbying on behalf of the JWV,” he said of the group’s nearly 20-year effort, “and we were very successful.”

Construction for the $253 million project began in July 2007, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on June 14, Flag Day.

The new home is greatly needed. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, there are between 380,000 and 411,000 veterans in the Los Angeles Area, making it one of the largest veteran populations in the country. And while there are veterans’ homes in Yountville, Barstow, Lancaster, Ventura and Chula Vista, there was nothing available for vets in the Los Angeles area unless they were willing to relocate. 

According to Louis Koff, administrator for the Veterans Homes of California — West Los Angeles, the Westside facility is the first of its kind. 

“We are the first home to be built on the [VA] site, and to be delivering services through the VA and the state together,” he said.

Those services will include everything from mental-health care to dental care. Residents will have access to the VA’s medical staff as well as staff of the nearby UCLA hospital system.

“Many of our medical positions will be staffed by the VA,” Koff said. “The medical care will be some of the finest possible.”

Funding for the construction of the building was split between federal and state dollars, Koff said. Once residents begin moving in, the state of California will cover the cost of services. Residents who have an income will pay for about 50 percent of their own care, Rosmarin said.

Veterans looking to move into the home must meet a few minimum requirements: They must be residents of California, either 62 years old or disabled, and have received an honorary discharge from the military.

According to Koff, the staff of the home hope Rosmarin and other residents will be able to begin moving in by August.

Once there, they’ll find that they still have access to some of their favorite activities — members of the JWV and the American Legion, which was also a champion of the West L.A. home, both plan to establish posts on site.

That way, Koff said, “Members can join and participate, so we can continue to have members working with their groups on common issues.”

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A Guide to Your Next Hospitalization

Leave a Comment / Blogs /

No matter what the circumstances for hospitalization — from something as eagerly anticipated as childbirth to something as scary as a serious illness — it can be distressing for patients and their families. Here are some ideas to help prepare for what can be a trying and chaotic time.

Know Your Doctor; Have a Doctor

It is not just because I am a primary care physician (PCP) that I believe that everyone needs one. There needs to be someone you can identify as the person in charge of your general health, the one point-person who is keeping track of what is going on with you from coordination of routine preventive health care to life-threatening situations.

Having a PCP who knows you before your next hospitalization can make a big difference. First, it means that the person caring for you in the hospital isn’t a stranger. Second, it means that the person trying to diagnose what’s wrong has a general sense of what you’re like normally. The emergency room physician may not know if you usually slur your Rs, giggle hysterically or walk with a limp, but your own PCP will.

Once you find a PCP with whom you are comfortable, find out whether she takes care of her patients when they are hospitalized. An increasing number of PCPs limit their practice to the office and have a doctor who specializes in hospital medicine (a hospitalist) care for the inpatients. There are clear advantages to this model — it is more efficient with the physician’s time, and it allows greater expertise in a more focused field. But there are also disadvantages to this model — the biggest being that you should expect the doctor who knows you best to care for you when you are sickest.

Know Your Medicines

If you take multiple prescription medications, the names and doses of those medications will be one of the most important pieces of information for the emergency room physicians caring for you. Always carry an updated list of your medications (as well as over-the-counter medicines and supplements), including dose and frequency. The list will make your nurse’s job a lot easier and will immediately alert the emergency physician to your medical problems. It can also help prevent you from receiving medications that could interact with medicines you are already taking.

Know Your Hospital

Find out to which hospital your doctor has admission privileges. For some patients, an affiliation with a well-reputed hospital is an important criterion for choosing a PCP. Is the hospital a teaching institution? Some patients prefer the world-class specialists and excellent reputation of academic institutions; others prefer to avoid the loss of privacy and the large care teams that can result when trainee physicians are involved. If possible, try to be hospitalized where your own doctor can care for you. Obviously, in an unexpected life-threatening emergency, all this planning is discarded. Just call 911 and try to make the best of it.

Have an Advocate

Your thinking and decision-making are compromised when you’re sick, scared or in pain. You can’t remember the important information you received from the physician caring for you. You can’t figure out what questions you should ask. That’s why it’s important to have someone whom you trust and who knows you well at your side. That doesn’t mean your loved one has to be with you 24/7 during your hospitalization, but he or she should be there when doctors are telling you test results, discussing your plan and making important decisions about your care. This should be the one person you would trust to make decisions on your behalf. Doctors and ethicists call this person your surrogate decision maker. It’s important that your doctor know who that person is. There are various legal documents for identifying your surrogate decision maker, but far more important than the document is just telling your doctor, “If I’m ever too sick to make decisions for myself, I want my brother Joe to make decisions for me.”

Know When to Say When

The ugly truth is that not all diseases are treatable, not every injury heals, and none of us has unlimited time. Modern medicine is good at saving lives, but our ability to restore functionality and quality of life is lagging. This all too frequently results in months of invasive treatments that prolong life long after the patient can no longer enjoy its benefits. Some patients want everything possible done to prolong their lives regardless of its quality, and their wishes should be honored. But other patients at some point say “enough” and refuse further life-saving care, opting instead for measures that provide comfort. If you haven’t thought about the circumstances under which you would not want further care, you are not avoiding those circumstances; you are simply shifting the burden to your family to make gut-wrenching decisions when those circumstances arrive. Choosing not to think about this does not make it less likely to happen. Unfortunately, many doctors are uncomfortable broaching this issue, so take the initiative.

Know When to Go Home

Hospitals can be dangerous places that expose patients to risks. Occasional medication errors, highly resistant bacteria and frequent sleep disruption make the hospital a place you should want to leave as soon as possible. If you can walk, care for yourself and take oral medications, and if you don’t have an immediately life-threatening problem, you should probably be at home. Unfortunately, insurance companies and hospital administrators are so eager to discharge patients promptly that patients often reflexively dig in their heels and believe that it’s in their interests to stay as long as possible. Don’t make that mistake.

Your discharge from the hospital is packed with critical information. Before you go home, make sure you understand which medications you should be taking after discharge (and update your medication list), what warning symptoms to look out for and when you should follow up with your doctor.

Hospitals are great places for healing but are terrible places for the healthy. I only hang out at hospitals because it’s my job. Get well, and get out. 

Dr. Albert Fuchs practices internal medicine in Beverly Hills (” title=”jewishjournal.com/nicejewishdoctor” target=”_blank”>jewishjournal.com/nicejewishdoctor.

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Select the Perfect Scent for Your Wedding Day

Leave a Comment / Culture, Weddings /

Perfume can allure or it can overpower. But on your wedding day, your perfume should be as perfect as the rest of the day.

Sarah Horowitz, founder of Sarah Horowitz Parfums in Westlake Village, has worked in the perfume industry for nearly 20 years, and she knows how to select a scent. At her boutique, she creates custom fragrances for clients and develops her own perfume collections. But there’s more to smelling good than meets the eye, Horowitz said.

“Fragrance uses built-in notes, like music,” she said; like a three-part chord, a scent consists of a bottom, middle and top note. “As a perfumer, you’re trying to create harmony.”

That harmony comes from blending different smells while working at what’s called a fragrance organ. With shelves that hold upward of 300 oils and fragrances, a fragrance organ looks like a large desk with tiny bottles in place of papers and files. To develop something new, the perfumer mixes, matches and smells until the scent comes out right.

Oils and fragrances are two different things, Horowitz said. “Fragrance is developed in a lab, and oil is natural,” she explained.

Creating fragrances allows the perfumer to work with scents that are found in nature but don’t yield an essential oil — gardenias are an example.

“Florals are popular,” she said, adding that “fragrance gives you” the ability to work with them.

To create a custom fragrance, Horowitz offers a two-hour Fragrance Journey. When working with a bride, Horowitz begins by asking about her history, her relationship and special memories she may have.

“Everything [the customer says] will trigger a scent, it will trigger notes. As she’s talking, I start pulling oils.”

Horowitz then whittles the oils and fragrances down to about five or 10 and, from there, creates a customized scent.

With or without a professional perfumer on hand, it’s important to focus on the feelings a scent evokes. Perfume may be one of the few things that will help a bride feel grounded and calm. A clean, fresh scent can offer a moment of relaxation, and a scent that is reminiscent of happy times can be centering.

Most importantly, though, the scent should feel personal. “On your wedding day, you want something that will make you feel like you,” Horowitz said.

And as much as perfume can be used to conjure up memories, it can also be used to create new ones.

Smell is the only sense that connects directly to the part of the brain that houses memory, Horowitz said.

“All other senses go through the neocortex,” she said, which means that the sense of smell has the most direct line to the brain. The connection between smell and memory, therefore, happens more immediately than with any of the other four senses. 

That said, perfume can be a powerful tool in jogging wedding-day memories for years to come. Horowitz suggests waiting to wear the bridal perfume until the big day, and then wearing it throughout the honeymoon and possibly again on an anniversary.

“You are basically programming yourself to remember,” she said.

To keep the scent fresh over the course of the day, Horowitz suggests bringing along a purse spray. In order to keep the fragrance intact for as long as possible before reapplication becomes necessary, apply it to pulse points: behind the ears, on the wrists, behind the knees, on the small of the back and, most importantly, in the cleavage.

“It’s by your heart,” Horowitz said.

Fragrance should also be applied to your hair. If the perfume is in the form of a pure oil, just a drop worked through the hair will do. If it’s a spray, Horowitz suggests spraying it on the hands, clapping to get rid of the alcohol, then running your hands through your hair. 

For brides who want to create a custom scent, Horowitz’s Fragrance Journey runs $350 to $1,000. If that’s out of your price range, Horowitz offers an online Fragrance Journey in which customers fill out a questionnaire and can purchase three samples of the resulting custom scent for $45.

Among her fragrance collections, one of Horowitz’s most popular perfumes is called Perfect Veil, which she describes as “sheer, soft, uncomplicated and unobtrusive.”

The most important piece of advice Horowitz offers for selecting the right perfume is simple: “It should be something that smells really good and makes you happy.”

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Shul Shopping

Leave a Comment / Culture, First Person /

It’s that time of year again: When many Jews realize they need to find a synagogue — and fast.

As the High Holy Days approach, synagogues host open houses, hold innovative Shabbat services and run ads hoping to attract prospective members.

But what really matters most when you’re selecting a shul?

“It’s like a marriage. You want to find your spiritual home,” says Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-Miller of Temple Beth Torah in Ventura, who stresses that finding a connection with the people at a synagogue is one of the most important things to consider.

“Every place is going to have someone who is warm and welcoming when you first walk in,” she says. “But do you feel that the clergy are approachable? Are there people who will talk to you during the oneg? Are there people who are friendly, other than the membership committee? You don’t want to join and then find there is no one to connect with.”

At Shomrei Torah Synagogue in West Hills, Executive Director Jessica Green agrees: “When looking for a synagogue, go to a service and see how things are when you are a stranger in the room. Are the people friendly? Do they have smiles on their faces? Do they make an effort to welcome the new person in the room?”

Green suggests attending a synagogue-sponsored event or service in addition to an open house, and making an appointment to meet the rabbi. “Look to see if the personality and style of the rabbi is what you are looking for. Many people join a synagogue for a relationship with a rabbi,” she says.

When it comes to selecting a synagogue, many people fall into the habit trap. If you grew up attending a Conservative shul, chances are you’ll gravitate to a Conservative shul. The trick these days, both Green and Hochberg-Miller say, is to be open-minded when shul shopping.

Today, the line between levels of observance may be a bit more blurred than in years past. Interfaith families, who at one time may have felt unwelcome at a Conservative shul, are finding new programs and services that reach out to them. And some people who grew up in a Conservative environment may find that a particular Reform congregation meets their needs.

Finances come into play at this time of year, as well. Many synagogues find their cash flow lacking before the big membership pushes of late summer, while many potential members are trying to decide if a temple membership is worth the money.

“People look at synagogues as service organizations: ‘What do I get?’ ‘How much is membership worth?’ ” Hochberg-Miller says, adding that it’s important to take perceived financial value out of the equation. “It’s not like a gym membership,” she says.

Instead, Hochberg-Miller says the financial commitment should be looked upon as helping to create and sustain your local Jewish community.

“There is nothing more affirming in your Jewish identity than [helping to] sustain a synagogue,” she says.

Before you visit synagogues, develop a checklist:

  • If you have young children, does the congregation offer a preschool?

  • If you are dating, do they have singles activities?

  • How many days a week would the children attend Hebrew school? Some temples offer two-day- or three-day-a-week programs.

  • If you are an interfaith family, is the non-Jewish spouse able to participate in temple life?

  • Does the synagogue feature a youth group affiliated with NCSY (Orthodox), USY (Conservative ) or NFTY (Reform)?

Once you have your list, start calling temples in your area and make appointments to visit. Better yet, drop by a Shabbat service and see first-hand how the congregants interact and how the services flow. Check out a couple of temples and decide which one fits your family best.

Still not ready to commit? Some synagogues allow you to apply the cost of High Holy Days tickets to the price of membership if you decide to join later.

Find your connection: “L’Dor V’Dor,” Hochberg-Miller says. “You want a synagogue where you and your family can stay for life.”

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