RESEDA, Wash., June 18, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- One is
never too old to make dreams happen, including the dreams of three
women living together at the Los Angeles Jewish Home (LAJH). Known
as a destination for Los
Angeles-area seniors, LAJH has an environment offering
warmth, caring, compassion, and safety. For many seniors, including
Edith Frankie, Linda Frankes, and Mildred Moccio, it is also a point of
embarkation: a place from which to set out on exciting journeys of
growth, self-discovery and making dreams come true. Recently all
three women celebrated their adult bat mitzvahs at the Home,
culminating a period of intensive preparation and personal
exploration.
For these three seniors, who live in one of the Home's skilled
nursing facilities, life is full of meaning, learning and
celebrating. For the first time in their long lives, they were able
to wrap themselves in a tallit, recite the blessings and perform
the customary rituals. By engaging in the deeply spiritual Jewish
practice of learning Torah, they moved closer to G-d and Judaism in
a most profound way. Linking the past of ancient Jewish text with
their peers and how it applies to life today, it brought Torah
alive for them and made it relevant to daily life at the Jewish
Home.
Edith, Linda, and Mildred's admirers extend well beyond their
immediate families. "It was a privilege to attend the b'not mitzvah
of these very special Jewish Home residents," says Andrew Berman, chair of the Home's board of
directors. "I'm thrilled they were able to experience the joy and
fulfillment of this monumental event at this stage of their
extraordinary lives."
Working together with the residents to make this mitzvah
possible was Rabbi Karen Bender, the
Jewish Home's Skirball Director of Spiritual Life; Ilana Springer, CEO/Administrator for the Joyce
Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center; and James
Mackay, Administrator for the Mark Taper Skilled Nursing
Building.
It was Edith, recalls Rabbi Bender, who provided the initial
inspiration for the bat mitzvah event. "Edith is a Holocaust
survivor, and she had sponsored an honorary bat mitzvah for her
six-year-old sister, who never made it out of the camps," Rabbi
Bender says. "One day, I suggested she consider having her own bat
mitzvah, and she quickly embraced the idea."
From there, Edith picks up the narrative. "I was worried at
first because I don't read Hebrew, but Rabbi Bender was very
encouraging about how I could learn," she says. "I thought, 'What a
terrific way to get revenge on Hitler: to deepen my understanding
of Jewish history and culture!'"
Once Edith was on board, Rabbi Bender extended the offer to her
Jewish Home congregants at large. Linda and Mildred stepped up
immediately.
As the women worked towards becoming a bat mitzvah, they
realized:
1. Achieved something they had never done
before
2. Learned something brand new
3. Acquired skills they previously did not
have
4. Held a leadership role with their
peers
5. And can teach others
Overcoming a variety of physical challenges and health issues,
these remarkable women did all of the above through studying to
celebrate their B'not Mitzvah. Their joy and excitement in learning
is palpable. The camaraderie that has developed is as strong as it
is unexpected and an inspiration to others around them.
For each, the experience had a different and very significant
meaning. In their own words, here are excerpts from the remarks
they read during the Shabbat service about what it means to have a
bat mitzvah
- Edith Frankie – "For me, it is
therefore an honor to become a Bat Mitzvah today, due to that I
survived the Holocaust….But, it is an even bigger honor for me to
be doing this for me and my little sister, Lilike, who never had a
chance to become a Bat Mitzvah."
- Mildred Moccio – "From just
converting to Judaism, it brings me closer to G-d. I just feel so
proud that I am able to hold the Torah today. And I just feel it
makes my children and my friends really proud of me, prouder than
they already are!"
- Linda Frankes – "When I was a
little girl, Bat Mitzvahs weren't often held. I didn't even know
there were Bat Mitzvahs. … Not having had the opportunity to do it
when I was young, it means so much to me to have learned a portion
of the Torah now."
Rabbi Bender points out that, in addition to engaging in a
life-affirming act for themselves, Edith, Linda, and Mildred have
also helped blaze a trail for other seniors like them. "The moral
of this story is that you can keep stretching and growing at any
age," she says. "It's never too late to learn something new."
About the Los Angeles Jewish Home
Founded in 1912, the non-profit Los Angeles Jewish Home (LAJH) is
among the largest providers of senior healthcare services in
Los Angeles. Through its
innovative Connections to Care ® program, each year thousands of
seniors benefit from the Home's community-based and in-residence
programs. Community-based programs include: A Program of
All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); hospice; home health;
palliative medicine; community clinics; short-term rehabilitation;
and acute psychiatric care. Three Home campuses serve seniors with
options for independent living, residential care, skilled nursing
care, short-term rehabilitation, and Alzheimer's disease and
dementia care. The Home has two Continuing Care Retirement
Communities (CCRC), the Gonda Healthy Aging Westside Campus, in
Playa Vista, CA and Fountainview
at Eisenberg Village in Reseda,
CA. . Further information regarding the Jewish Home can be
found online at http://www.lajh.org or by calling 855.227.3745.
SOURCE Los Angeles Jewish Home