“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest ...

for residents of the jewish home of san francisco November 2012
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation
is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2012
2 MEMORIES
Time for school
Rudy Hooremans
4 BLACKOUT
Bernice Hunold
6 MY BIG BROTHER
Edie Shaffer
7 DEATH OF A TREE
Esther Marcus, Jewish Home volunteer
7 IN THE FORM OF HAIKU
Bernice Hunold
8 THE ART ROOM
Francine Hament
9 PUNOGRAPHY
Submitted by Edie Sadewitz
10 BRAVO!
Employees of the month November
11 RESIDENTS’ BIRTHDAYS
November celebrants
12 COUNCIL OF RESIDENTS
October meeting minutes
13 WIT & HUMOR
14 SUKKOT IN THE SUKKAH
Photo spread
16 HAPPENINGS AT HOME
Photo spreads
18 ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS
Veterans Day; Thanksgiving;
Sunday concerts
21 EVENTS CALENDAR
November happenings
21 IN MEMORY
at home contents are for the benefit of
residents of the Jewish Home. At Home is based
on the tradition of free expression; submissions
made by residents should be viewed as not
necessarily representing the opinion, position
or policies of the Home.
editing without approval of the author
is a reserved right, due to space and time
constraints. Only content written or submitted
by those connected with the Home will be
accepted.
SUBMIT TO AT HOME!
E-mail submissions by the 15th:
Ilana Glaun:
iglaun@jewishseniorlivinggroup.org
Handwritten submissions to staff or
switchboard by the 15th, or ask recreation staff for
assistance.
staff editor:
designer:
photographers:
Ilana Glaun
Michael Wickler
Daniel Hoebeke
Gary Tanner
Michael Wickler
Jewish Home
1
San Francisco

Residents
Write
Rudy Hooremans
EXCERPTED FROM MEMORIES
By Rudy Hooremans
TIME FOR SCHOOL
When I was six years old, I started “groote”
(big) school. I never went to kindergarten
or preschool; there wasn’t such a thing in
those days, especially since few mothers
worked outside the home. There was
already, however, the Montessori school
that had a kindergarten, but that was
mostly for the elite and very expensive.
My school was located on Galvanie
Street, a two-story, brick, rather somber and
staid building. Meneer Koppelman was the
principal and my teacher was Juffrouw Kramer,
a somewhat stout woman, the archetypal
schoolmarm. Fortunately she was a very nice
lady, because she remained our teacher until
we entered the seventh grade. She always
wore one of those large cloche hats that were
fashionable in the late twenties and early
thirties. She also had a red coat and red skirt,
obviously her favorites, which she wore almost
constantly. There was an assistant teacher,
Juffrouw Rosenbaum, a young woman, recently
graduated from college, whose main purpose in
the class was to observe and learn. Occasionally
Juffrouw Kramer allowed her to teach one of the
lessons.
As we entered the classroom, the teacher
assigned us our seats. The two-person wooden
desks with attached benches were neatly lined
up, and Juffrouw Kramer arranged us with the
small kids sitting in the front and the bigger
ones toward the rear. Each side of the desktop
had a depression to hold our pencils and pens,
and in the top center was an inkwell with a
hinged lid.
There were thirty-one children in the class.
My best friend, Bobbie Bijl, was in it too. Here
I met Keesje Rijers, soon to become one of my
good friends. There was Tillie, who was fat, even
in first grade, and Mimi, who, being one of the
smallest in the class, sat at the first desk, right in
front of the teacher. (Juffrouw Kramer had her
peculiarities; she would regularly lay her feet on
Mimi’s desk, hand her a brush and have Mimi
polish her shoes.) I don’t recall any other names.
There were many Indonesian children in the
school.
Soon we became involved with the business
of learning the proverbial three R’s, and they
took it really seriously in those days. We got
our “leesplankjes,” little wooden planks with
pictures in three rows with rails under them,
At Home 2 November 2012

on which we were to place wooden letters to
match the pictures. I can still remember the
first few words. Aap. Noot. Mies. Wim. Huis.
Monkey. Nut. Mies (a girl’s name). Wim (a boy’s
name). House. The teaching method was strictly
phonetic.
Then came writing. Juffrouw Kramer stood
in front of the class, showing us how to hold
the pencil between the thumb and index finger
of the right hand, with the other fingers neatly
aligned with them and the ball of the thumb
resting on the desk or paper surface. Then she
came around to each of us to adjust our hands.
After having practiced this position for a few
days, we were shown how to move our hand
either up or down. We were given a notebook
with lined pages, four lines to each row, each
row consisting of a pair of lines one whole space
apart, and the other two lines one half space
above and below. Then came weeks of practicing
upstrokes and downstrokes, all supposedly
perfectly aligned, before we could connect them
or even think about letters.
It was several weeks before we were allowed
a giant step – we were given nibs for our pen
holders and were shown how to insert the nibs
into the holders, lick our pen tips and dip them
into the now-filled inkwell.
Arithmetic proved to be no less tedious.
Weeks of chorus-style chanting: One plus one
is two; two plus one is three; Juffrouw Kramer
with a ruler in her hand keeping time as if she
were an orchestra conductor. In later years
the same method was employed to drill the
multiplication tables into our heads. I must
confess it was effective, because to this day I
still instantly know that seven times nine is
sixty-three, or nine times forty-three is 387.
Jewish Home
3
Geography was one of my favorite
subjects. We started with the geography of The
Netherlands, our homeland. We took imaginary
train trips to and from the farthest reaches of
this tiny country and memorized the names of
all the cities, towns, villages and hamlets, the
rivers, lakes, creeks and other notable features
along the routes. In later years I loved to learn
about foreign countries, even though that, too,
consisted mainly of memorizing the names of
cities, rivers and mountains.
History teaching was pretty much in the
same vein, memorizing names and lots and lots
of dates. They soon came out of my ears! Who
cared about the precise dates all those historic
events took place and the related personages
lived and died? Of course, one should have
a sense of time relationships in order to
understand the world’s developments, but the
social and political circumstances related to the
events and how they related to the present were
not part of the curriculum.
Read more of Rudy’s memories in next
month’s issue of AtHome.
San Francisco

BLACKOUT
By Bernice Hunold
My name is Homer. I’m a handsome
German shepherd. I live with my parents,
Bernice and Ray, in New York City.
Sometimes strange things happen there –
like the night the lights went out. If you’re
into dates, it was November 9, 1965.
Where were we when the lights went out?
Bernice and I were in an elevator in a Fifth
Avenue building. Everyone in the elevator
was in the customary pose – 14 pairs of eyes
staring straight ahead – when suddenly we
were plunged into the darkness and the elevator
stopped dead (although my stomach didn’t). In
the dark, a heavy person stepped on my paw.
That was my introduction to Max.
“I guess they didn’t pay their electric bill,”
said Max. He struck a match. A woman, Mrs.
Jacoby, flicked her lighter on.
It was a power failure, we realized. We
didn’t know then that it was not just local, not
just citywide, but the entire northeast coast was
blacked out. We did know we’d be stuck … for a
while.
What caused the power failure? “Maybe
we’re under attack from Russia,” said a man.
“Or from Mars,” said a boy. “Wouldn’t that
be great?”
“Well, if we’re under attack, they picked the
right time,” said a woman. “They won’t be able
to find us in the dark.”
Everyone was scared except me and the
boy. Bobby was his name. The reason we weren’t
Bernice Hunold
scared was because we were with our mothers,
and we knew our mothers wouldn’t let anything
bad happen to us.
The person who was the most scared of
all was Mrs. Jacoby. I could smell her strong
fear and I licked her hand to comfort her. She
kneeled and whispered to me, “I had a shepherd
just like you in Germany. I’ll tell you a secret. I
can’t stand being caged like this.”
She seemed to feel a little better when
people began to sing. That was fine until
Bobby’s mother, Loretta, joined in. Loretta had
a piercing soprano. When she sang, I “sang,”
and everyone laughed. They wanted to howl in
protest, too.
At the other end of the scale was an elderly
man, Eric, whose Old Man River was deep and
rich. We told him so and he was astonished.
“Then I’ll take singing lessons,” he said. “That is,
if we ever get out of here.”
Time went on and we got tired. I sat down,
with Bobby at my tail to protect it from Max,
and my head in Mrs. Jacoby’s lap. I could feel
her trembling, but the others didn’t know it.
They sat down too, leaning against one another,
draping an arm here and there. Max draped a
leg.
Hours passed and I grew hungry. I could
smell where all the goodies were. The best were
in Mrs. Jacoby’s shopping bag. Chocolates.
I sniffed the bag pointedly. Mrs. Jacoby got
the message. She popped a chocolate into my
At Home 4 November 2012

mouth – and what a
surprise. Inside the
chocolate was a cherry!
(How do they do that,
get the cherry inside?)
Then other goodies
surfaced. Peanuts,
cookies, cheesecake.
The cheesecake was in a
doggy bag, but I shared
it.
The food was long
gone before the waiting
was over. We were
trapped in an elevator
for five hours. Waiting
it out was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.
There was a tense moment when Max tried to
light a cigar. No, I didn’t bite him, but Loretta
did, to make him drop the cigar. And Mrs.
Jacoby was crying. I licked her tears away and
she hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe.
Help came eventually. They broke through
the wall of the elevator shaft and lowered a
ladder through the roof panel. They quickly
lifted Mrs. Jacoby up and out. The others
followed. Me they put in a sling. I was dangling
in midair (thoroughly undignified), but in a
moment I was on the landing of the third floor,
with Bernice and the others. Joyfully, we all
walked downstairs.
Boy, was it great to reach the street. But
how strange everything looked. There were no
streetlights or traffic lights or building lights –
only the headlights of cars and the light from
the almost-full moon. There were stars in the
sky! I thought stars were only in the country. I’d
never seen them in the city before.
There were mobs of people in the street.
Bernice asked a man, “Where were you when
the lights went out?”
“I was in the subway,” he said. “We followed
a flashlight leader along a catwalk, hanging
Homer knew his mother
wouldn’t let anything
bad happen to him.
onto the coattail in
front of us, like a line
of elephants trunk to
tail. Now we’re joining
the crowd waiting for
buses.”
Waiting. New
Yorkers, who were
always in a hurry, were
waiting this night. The
people in cars and cabs,
all as full as a teenager’s
jeep, were waiting
too, for without traffic
signals, vehicles were
mostly at a standstill.
Eric bought two flashlights (at outrageous
prices) and directed traffic like a symphony
conductor. We cheered him on as we waited.
Yes, we were still waiting, this time for
Mrs. Jacoby. In about half an hour she was well
enough to start the walk home with us. As we
walked, we got news from people with transistor
radios.
A boy (about Bobby’s age) blamed himself
for the blackout. “I did it. I did it,” he wailed. He
had been walking along, swinging a stick. He
had wacked the stick against a telephone pole –
and the lights went out all over town. The poor
boy ran all the way home.
An airline pilot over Kennedy said, “I saw
the airport. I saw the runway. I looked down
at my instruments, and when I looked up, the
airport was gone.”
A surgeon at Bellevue had to continue a
delicate eye operation for an hour and a half
under the beam of a battery-powered light.
“How was it at Bellevue?” he was asked.
“Great,” he said. “Ordinarily, the patients
can’t even get a bedpan around here. But in this
disaster, everyone is cooperating, everything is
working smoothly.”
continues on next page >>
Jewish Home
5
San Francisco

At this point we were at 59th Street, and
Bernice and I had to turn west and leave the
others. We agreed to start a blackout club, then
kissed them all goodbye and headed home.
On the way, Bernice and I saw parties at
every bar, restaurant and hotel. People were
drinking by the light of candles stuck in bottles.
The atmosphere was like New Year’s Eve.
We finally reached our building, Lincoln
Towers. Ray was waiting for us in the lobby. You
can imagine the kissing and hugging that went
on! We found that neighbors had placed candles
everywhere. They lit the lobby and every landing
of the staircase. Candles lit the party on our
floor, the 10th, where neighbors we had never
met before welcomed us. Everyone took turns
petting me and exchanging “Where were you?”
stories until 3:30 a.m., when suddenly, the lights
came on. Then we all went to bed.
What caused the power failure? A simple
short circuit that led to the cascade effect, like
falling dominoes.
The question is, if a short circuit can cause
such a major power failure, what happens if
one shows up on an electronic war board some
day – the first red flash caused by a simple short
circuit? Only Homer and Bobby aren’t scared.
MY BIG BROTHER
By Edie Shaffer
In September, I was visited by my big
brother, Allen. Al is 91 years old and very
dearly loved. Up until this time, we had not
seen one another for nine years. He lives
in Florida and neither one of us had been
able to travel.
My nephew Paul, who lives with Al now, has
witnessed our weekly phone calls for a long
time. He felt it wasn’t right for a brother and
sister to have to rely on Skype “visits” now and
then, so he convinced Dad (Al) to increase his
physical therapy and exercise, to walk a bit
more, so that he could plan to make the trip to
California.
Needless to say, this was such exciting
news for me. As I waited, I tried not to worry
that something would happen to interfere with
our plans. Thankfully, Al and Paul arrived as
anticipated, and we had the most wonderful
three days together. They were amazed at my
“Home.” Al lives in a beautiful senior facility,
Edie Shaffer
but the size and specialness of the Jewish Home
were more than he expected. I had described
everything to him, but still he was so surprised
at the opportunities here for our residents.
Now comes what I was afraid of, but it
happened after Al’s trip. Two days after he
returned home, he had to go to the hospital
because of an infection in his hip. Surgery
and a total hip replacement followed. As of
my writing, he is in rehab and feeling fine, but
impatient to be up and using his walker and
power wheelchair again.
It’s unbelievable that the timing of events
allowed us our wonderful reunion. Life is good!
At Home 6 November 2012

DEATH OF A TREE
By Esther Marcus, Jewish Home
volunteer
There were no trees around the house, except
for one big old tree in the garden belonging to
the church next door. Two elderly ladies tended
to the garden, which I enjoyed looking at since I
did not have one of my own. There was a grassy
area in the center with flowers all around it. I
remember roses, impatiens, and some daisies.
The tree was close to our yard, which is a
carport, and sometimes, when it was windy, the
leaves would end up among the cars.
I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the tree
and the flowers; lots of birds did, too. I couldn’t
see them because the foliage was so thick, but
I could hear them all right and their different
songs.
Then one day, something changed. I had
been away on vacation, and the first thing I
always do when I return is look at my plants
in my indoor garden and then look outside.
Something was different. There was an ugly
old house I had never seen before, and then I
realized the tree was gone. It had completely
obliterated the view of that house, and now it
was gone. Why?
When I asked around, I was told that our
manager had complained about having to
rake all the leaves, and so I guess the church
administration had it cut down. Can you
imagine cutting down a tree because of the
falling leaves? (By the by, the garden also went
the way of all things, because the church needed
it for a children’s center.)
All there is now is an artificial green turf
and, at times, a lot of screaming. Fortunately,
the birds have not deserted. They have found
homes in the surrounding gardens and I still
hear their songs.
Esther Marcus
IN THE FORM OF
HAIKU
By Bernice Hunold
neat as a beetle
sloppy as a mosquito
what a pair
***
pillow contoured
mattress firm
wooing the goddess of sleep
***
the child saw
not the puddles
but the rainbows in them
***
muddle
poodle in a
puddle
***
ivy circling the room
from the base of a small pot
Brooklyn girl
Jewish Home
7
San Francisco

THE ART ROOM
By Francine Hament
So you think the art room is a place
exclusively devoted to the pursuit of
making beautiful images and creating
untold masterpieces? So it is, but it’s so
much more than that.
There is music. Creative arts director
Gray Tanner has tapes to please every musical
“palette” (so to speak). There is conversation
about every subject. There are comments on
why certain paintings are being modeled in one
fashion and not another. We “artists” always
feel our finished products are better than
the originals that are sometimes used as an
example from which to get ideas. This is often,
if not always, the case.
And all this under the guidance of Gary –
teacher, mentor, friend, specialist in helping us
see other possibilities maybe hidden from us.
When it comes to patience and knowledge, no
one exists better than Gary, who knows just
what to do to help us create, where before we
may have been blocked to different styles and
ideas. He opens up new artistic arenas with
such caring patience.
Put all this together, and we have an art
room and gallery unsurpassed.
Our recent art show and sale gave everyone
a chance to see how much talent lies within the
walls of the Jewish Home.
Comments from new residents confirm
that something special takes place here on a
regular basis.
Kudos to Gary for making all this possible.
It certainly makes my day, every day!
FAMILY CONNECTION
Stylish Fran Hament (and doting
grandmother) thoroughly enjoyed
celebrating Grandparents Day with her
granddaughter, Zoe Kamil (16), at Zoe’s
school, the Jewish Community High School
of the Bay. “It was a great day for both of
us,” enthused Fran.
At Home 8 November 2012

PUNOGRAPHY
Submitted by Edie Sadewitz,
compliments of her childhood friend
Selma Cornet of Santa Barbara
When chemists die, they barium.
Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.
I stayed up all night to see where the sun went.
Then it dawned on me.
Edie Sadewitz
This girl said she recognized me from the
vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore.
I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I can’t put
it down.
I did a theatrical performance about puns. It
was a play on words.
Energizer bunny arrested. Charged with
battery.
Broken pencils are pointless.
What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive
vocabulary? A thesaurus.
All the toilets in New York’s police stations
have been stolen. Police have nothing to go on.
Velcro – what a rip off !
Cartoonist found dead in home. Details are
sketchy.
Earthquake in Washington obviously
government’s fault.
I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not
so sure.
Be kind to your dentist. He has fillings, too.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS –
AND THE STAKES?
At one of last month’s regular Tuesday
poker games, resident Bernice Hunold
held a natural straight flush.
Said Arthur Hofmayer, social worker
and poker dealer: “This’ll give you good
luck, Bernice; 25 years more of life.”
Bernice, ever quick off the mark,
quipped: “Then I’ll give it back.”
Arthur informed Bernice that this
is the second-highest hand one can get.
He suggested she have it photographed
(done!) and framed.
Jewish Home
9
San Francisco

BRAVO! EMPLOYEE OF THE
MONTH NOMINATION FORM
I, ,
nominate
for the Bravo! Employee of the
Month Award for the month of
CUT HERE
Performs “beyond the call of duty” to
improve service to the residents, or the
quality of the Jewish Home’s image.
Exemplifies professionalism and
dedication to excellent service by
putting forth the extra effort.
Makes outstanding contributions of
significance to the Jewish Home to
fulfill its mission/vision.
I feel he/she should receive the award
because:
Submit this form to your recreation
coordinator by the 1st of the month for the
following month’s award consideration. Or you
can place it in the nomination box located at
the self-service area in the H.R. department, 1st
floor, B-building, or hand-deliver it to the H.R.
department, or e-mail it to mdeguzman@jhsf.org.
.
Bravo!
EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH
NOVEMBER
WHAT YOU WROTE IN YOUR
NOMINATIONS:
RODOLFO (RUDY) CABUS, RELIEF COOK
Rudy exemplifies
professionalism and dedication
to excellent service by putting
forth the extra effort. He
is industrious and a team
player, and is always willing
to accommodate special
requests. With his excellent sense of humor
and friendliness, he has both residents and
visitors feeling comfortable and at ease. Rudy is
a great person and an awesome cook. He makes
wonderful matzo ball soup!
AIDA GONZALES, CNA
Caring, responsible,
dedicated, understanding
and sensitive to residents’
needs, Aida goes beyond her
regular duties to provide
compassionate care. When
Aida filled in as the clinic’s
medical assistant, she quickly learned all the
associated duties and did her work accurately.
The medical team with whom she worked gave
her a five-star evaluation. All the residents
scheduled for clinic appointments were treated
with respect and dignity. Aida did a similar
excellent job when it came to employees’
physicals and volunteers’ TB screenings.
Bravo! is generously underwritten
by Jewish Home supporters Dana
Corvin and Harris Weinberg.
At Home 10 November 2012

Happy Birthday!
RESIDENTS’ BIRTHDAYS NOVEMBER
7 Maryana Kleyn
10 Lev Davydov
11 Robert O’Connor
11 Edie Shaffer
11 Kim Bich To
12 Rowena Cooper
12 Lee Sitko
15 Rakhil Nasilevich
17 William Schwartzman
19 Lillian Barer
22 Norman Schneider
22 Yelizaveta Spasskaya
24 Liza Golmyan
25 Faina Rabinovich
27 Shera Bolotovskaya
27 Anne Gale
27 Olga Konshina
30 Basya Gofman
With a hand from family, Shirly Sterling cuts the
luscious cake at October’s birthday luncheon.
Jewish Home
11
San Francisco

OCTOBER 23, 2012 MEETING MINUTES
Council of Residents
Council president Edie Sadewitz called
the meeting to order at 2:40 p.m. and
introduced the officers in attendance.
Council secretary Anna Stepp read the
minutes of the previous meeting, which were
approved as read.
Edie read the names of residents who had
passed away within the last month.
Edie read the names of new residents who
were admitted to the Home within the last
month.
Treasurer Claire Shor gave the financial
report. There were no deposits and no
withdrawals, leaving the balance at $152.13 in
the checking account and $10 in petty cash.
Anna reminded the membership that
copies of the Residents’ Bill of Rights as well as
the Theft and Loss Prevention Procedures are
always available to residents, and that copies
are on hand at all Council meetings. Residents
were reminded that their social worker will
follow up with them on the status of all missing
item reports. Residents should also feel free to
contact their social worker for follow-up issues.
FOOD FORUM
Last month’s open Food Forum meeting
minutes were distributed.
OLD BUSINESS
Residents on F1 request that the nurses’ stations
be equipped with cordless phones. Completed.
Residents discussed the new hours for the
laundry (located on 2W): Open from 9:00 a.m. –
4:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.
Edie Sadewitz mentioned the recent resident art
show and thanked creative arts director Gary
Tanner for organizing it.
Edie reminded attendees of the new sportsthemed
group starting on Friday, September 14,
with volunteer Thomas Bookwalter (the son of
our pharmacy director, Tom Bookwalter). The
group meets at 3:30 p.m. in the cultural center.
NEW BUSINESS
Residents reported that two hummingbirds
were sighted in the Rosenberg Garden area.
Residents suggested that announcements be
made on all units regarding the Menu Planning
Committee meetings in order to increase
attendance and participation.
K2 residents are concerned about the shower on
this floor. They would like it to be more pleasing
in appearance and more comfortable for use.
RAFFLE WINNER
Gloria Houtenbrink was the lucky winner of
this month’s raffle.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:05 p.m.
Recorded by Anna Stepp, Council Secretary
At Home 12 November 2012

Wit & Humor
Leo Rosten, the great Jewish writer and
authority on Jewish humor, listed as one
of the characteristics of Jewish humor
revenge over the oppressor by the use of
guile or circumstance. This is such a story:
Moshe was sitting at the bar, staring at
his drink, when a large, trouble-making biker
steps up next to him, grabs his drink and gulps
it down in one swig, and menacingly says,
“Thanks. Whatcha going to do about it?”
Moshe bursts into tears.
“Come on, man,” the biker says, “I didn’t
think you’d cry. I can’t stand to see a man
crying. What’s your problem?”
“This is the worst day of my life,” Moshe
says. “I’m a complete failure. I was late to a
meeting and my boss fired me. When I went to
the parking lot, I found my car had been stolen
and I don’t have any insurance. I left my wallet
in the cab I took home. I found my wife in bed
with the postman, and then my dog bit me.
“So I came to this bar to work up the
courage to put an end to it all. I buy a drink,
drop a poison capsule in it, and sit here
watching it dissolve. Then you show up and
drink the whole thing!
“But enough about me, how’s your day
going?”
Officers of the Council of
Residents 2012-2014
Clockwise L. to R.: Claire Shor,
Edie Sadewitz, Edie Shaffer, Sylvia Korn
Edie Sadewitz
President
Sylvia Korn
Co-Vice President
Edie Shaffer
Co-Vice President
Claire Shor
Treasurer
Jewish Home
13
San Francisco

Sukkot in the Sukkah
Jewish Home residents, staff and family members gathered in the Home’s
beautifully decorated sukkah to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot. The prayers
and songs provided spiritual sustenance, the delicious luncheon offered physical
nourishment, shared reminiscences of Sukkot meals past answered the call for
community. All in all, it was a true celebration of this eight-day fall festival.
With the sukkah’s decorations
providing a beautiful backdrop,
pictured enjoying the first course of
soup are, top left, Sarah Edwards,
with Betty Speigel alongside. At
right (from the top) are Anna Stepp,
resident services coordinator, Edie
Sadewitz and Gloria Houtenbrink.
Looking forward
to the Sukkot meal
are Sarah Edwards
(in front) and
Bernice Hunold.
It’s a harvest festival, so of course there were
gourds as table decorations. Showing off some
specimens (and smiles) are Dulce Martinez
(left) and Marion Levenberg.
Recreational programs director Mediatrix
Valera (on guitar) leads Frances Schwartz in a
rousing rendition of Hava Nagila. Everyone was
in fine voice and excellent spirits.
At Home 14 November 2012

Ed Ben-Eliezer proffers a l’chaim.
Rabbi Marder shakes the lulav (made up of
palm branches, myrtle and willow branches)
three times in each direction, front, right
back, left, up and down, these six directions
indicating the surrounding presence of G-d.
Edie Sadewitz (left) and Gloria Houtenbrink.
Rabbi Marder explains that the sukkah, the
nonpermanent outdoor hut, is meant to recall
the time the Israelites spent wandering in
the desert. Sukkot was also once a holiday of
agricultural thanksgiving, and this is celebrated
with the holiday’s other ritual items, the lulav
and etrog (citron).
Rabbi Shelly Marder stands alongside Doris
Sperber. Carol Friedman and her mother, Anita
Danab, make a meaningful family connection.
Jewish Home
15
San Francisco

Happenings at Home
KLEZMANIA! IS “A MUSICAL PEP PILL”
Under the leadership of Ben Brussell,
the marvelously musical members
of Klezmania! used voice and
instrumentation such as the saxophone,
guitar, mandolin and violin to deliver
a range of klezmer, Yiddish, Israeli and
world music. The result was a joyous
Simchat Torah concert that had the
audience clapping, singing, and dancing
along. We certainly hope they return for
another performance.
Benjamin Tarrant
gets a grip on one
of the plush Torah
scrolls.
Simultaneously celebrating the actual day of
her birth and Simchat Torah, Shirly Sterling
poses with her daughters Janice (right) and
Barbara (rear).
Recreation coordinator Alla Surkis and Genya
Rykova each hold a plush Torah scroll. A former
violinist, Genya’s love of music is ongoing.
At Home 16 November 2012

Eugenia Nimtsova waves and smiles for
the camera.
Irina Brusalovskaya had a grand time!
TALENT RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Bringing their distinctive bluegrass, old-time and acoustic music to our Home were three of the
four members of the Roe Family Band. (Dad Mitch was the missing element.) Band leader Brian (23)
plays guitar, mandolin, banjo and fiddle, and sings. Younger brother Ethan (21) plays the mountain
dulcimer, while Mom Vickie adds her solid bass playing to the repertoire.
Jewish Home
17
San Francisco

Activity Highlights NOVEMBER
Compiled by Mediatrix Valera, recreational programs director
VETERANS DAY
This year, Veterans Day, November 11, falls
on a Sunday, so it will be observed as a public
holiday on Monday, November 12. Here at the
Home, we will honor our veterans with a special
program on November 12, 2:00 p.m. in the
lobby of the Goodman Building. Music will be
provided by John Capobianco.
THANKSGIVING DAY
We celebrate Thanksgiving Day on November 22,
the fourth Thursday of the month. Everyone is
invited to play bonus bingo with Edie Sadewitz
at 10:30 a.m. in the Frank Family Lounge.
DISCUSSION GROUP WITH
BARBARA ANDERSON
On Monday, November 19, volunteer Barbara
Anderson leads a discussion on Thanksgiving
Day. Join the group at 10:30 a.m. in the cultural
center to get to know the history of this
American holiday and share your gratitude with
others. The following Monday, November 26,
the topic of the discussion is Origin of Famous
Products. Ever wonder about the invention
of Wonder Bread, Ivory Soap, Keds sneakers?
Come find out about the beginnings of these,
and many other products.
CONCERTS OF THE MONTH
We have lined up a series of special concerts
for everyone’s listening pleasure. On Sunday,
November 4, the students of Alexander String
Quartet give a classical music recital. The
following Sunday, November 11, Elizabeth
Matthews and Diane Merlino entertain
residents with songs of the 1940s and ’50s.
Another classical concert will be held on Sunday,
November 18 by talented musicians from the
San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Vocalist
Linda Bernstein returns for Lady Legends of
Music Theater on Sunday, November 25. All
these concerts take place in the Frank Family
Lounge, beginning at 2:00 p.m.
On Wednesday, November 28, 11:00 a.m. in
the F1 rose atrium, the Urban School Orchestra
plays holiday music, a performance sponsored
by Bread & Roses.
COUNCIL MEETINGS
The Council of Residents holds their regular
monthly meeting in the Frank Family Lounge
at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 14,
following the Open Food Forum. Russianlanguage
residents have their monthly meeting
at 2:00 p.m. on G5, Tuesday, November 27.
At Home 18 November 2012

Happenings at Home
Teams made up of residents from F2
and G2 gave it their all at the balloon
volleyball contest, held on October 23
in the cultural center. A great time was
had by everyone. (The result was a tie.
The balloons didn’t stand a chance!)
Jewish Home
19
San Francisco

Events Calendar NOVEMBER 2012
Thursday 1
10:30 Jewish art and poetry with Rabbi
Shelly Marder; synagogue
5:30 Sing-along with Rob Grant; G2
Friday 2
1:45 Kabbalat Shabbat; synagogue
Sunday 4
2:00 Alexander String Quartet students
perform classical music; FFL
Tuesday 6
***Election Day***
10:45 Torah Talk with Rabbi Shelly
Marder; synagogue
5:45 Popular songs with Precy Ramos; G3
6.30 Evening bingo; F1
Wednesday 7
2:00 Resident Menu Planning
Committee; small boardroom
3:30 Play reading with Dee; CC
Friday 9
1:45 Kabbalat Shabbat; synagogue
Sunday 11
2:00 Songs of the 1940s and ’50s
with Elizabeth Matthews
and Diane Merlino; FFL
Monday 12
***Veterans Day***
10:00 Shopping trip to Serramonte;
leave from K-building lobby
2:00 Celebrating Veterans Day with music
by John Capobianco; G-building lobby
3:30 Sports roundup with Thomas
Bookwalter; CC
Tuesday 13
6:30 Comedy Clinic with Mick Laugs; F1
Wednesday 14
2:00 Open Food Forum; FFL
2:30 Council of Residents meeting; FFL
3:15 Cocktail hour; FFL
3:30 Play reading with Dee; CC
Thursday 15
Noon Birthday luncheon; FFL
Friday 16
1:45 Kabbalat Shabbat; synagogue
Sunday 18
2:00 San Francisco Conservatory of Music
performs classical music; FFL
Monday 19
10:30 Barbara Anderson discusses
Thanksgiving Day; CC
Tuesday 20
6.30 Evening bingo; F1
Thursday 22
***Thanksgiving Day ***
10:30 Bonus bingo with Edie Sadewitz; FFL
Friday 23
1:45 Kabbalat Shabbat; synagogue
At Home 20 November 2012

Sunday 25
2:00 Linda Bernstein presents Lady
Legends of Music Theater; FFL
Monday 26
10:30 Barbara Anderson discusses
Origin of Famous Products; CC
3:30 Sports roundup with Thomas
Bookwalter; CC
Tuesday 27
10:45 Torah Talk with Rabbi Shelly
Marder; synagogue
1:30 Open Food Forum for Russianlanguage
residents; G5
2:00 Russian-language Residents
Council meeting; G5
2:00 This Week in Israel with Rabbi
Shelly Marder; synagogue
6:30 Comedy Clinic with Mick Laugs; F1
Wednesday 28
11:00 Special classical music concert
by Urban School Orchestra,
sponsored by Bread & Roses; F1
3:30 Play reading with Dee; CC
Thursday 29
10:30 Jewish art and poetry with Rabbi
Shelly Marder; synagogue
1:30 Jewish art and poetry with Rabbi
Shelly Marder for Russianlanguage
residents; G5
Friday 30
1:45 Kabbalat Shabbat; synagogue
For a complete listing of events and
activities please refer to your yellow
activity calendars and unit boards.
IN MEMORY
Eleanor Berman
June 17, 1918 to October 1, 2012
Frances Fejes
May 20, 1910 to October 23, 2012
Klara Gleyzer
January 15, 1915 to October 14, 2012
Ida Goodstein
April 22, 1914 to September 30, 2012
Velva Perieff
October 15, 1938 to October 8, 2012
Miron Postolov
August 20, 1923 to October 6, 2012
Esfir Rozhenko
November 14, 1921 to October 8, 2012
Lillian Sher
September 14, 1911 to October 22, 2012
Ella Simina
September 15, 1922 to September 27, 2012
Bella Starikovskaya
May 1, 1917 to September 29, 2012
RELIGIOUS / SPIRITUAL SERVICES
WITH RABBI MARDER
Fridays
1:45 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat
Saturdays
9:15 a.m. Synagogue service
11:15 a.m. Kiddush; FFL
ONEG SHABBAT GATHERINGS
2:00 p.m. Garden café
Jewish Home
21
San Francisco