Jewish Home for the Aging Will Launch $72-Million Campaign

Elderly women chat over a kosher meal in a dining room. Older men listen to a rabbi during a daily worship service. Aged couples gather in common rooms to celebrate sacred holidays and traditions.

Since 1913, the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging has provided residential care for the city’s elderly Jewish population, a demographic that is expected to double by 2040, officials said.

“There has been tremendous growth in the elderly Jewish population--what we call the whitening of gray hair,” said Molly Forrest, JHA chief executive officer. “We have a very forward-looking board that wants to rebuild and upgrade the home to accommodate them.”

To keep their commitment to elderly Jews, officials will launch an ambitious $72-million capital campaign Sunday for new construction and renovations to existing buildings at JHA’s Eisenberg Village and Grancell Village campuses. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the Eisenberg Village, 18855 Victory Blvd.

At the campaign kickoff, officials plan to break ground for an $8-million building designed specifically for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia, Forrest said.

Hallways would be curved to reduce disorientation. Natural light would filter in from windows and skylights to reduce anxiety and stress. Glass “memory boxes” would be filled with personal mementos and mounted outside room doors to help residents identify where they live.

“I am amazed at all that has gone into this design,” said Earl Greinetz, JHA board president. “This is not just bricks and mortar.”

On Sunday, the community will get its first glimpse of three-dimensional models and artists renderings of a new $27.1-million medical and nursing care building and a $12.3-million renovated medical and nursing care building, both at Grancell Village.

Additionally, officials will unveil plans for a $14.7-million residential building at Eisenberg Village and a $6.5-million plan for a nursing care building in West Los Angeles.

While Jewish senior citizens are given priority for admission to the facility, Forrest said the home accepts residents from all religions and ethnic backgrounds.

Funding for the $72-million project will come from individual and corporate contributions, Greinetz said. So far, $11 million has been donated. Officials expect the entire project to be completed in June 2006.