Dear Friend,

Given the subject matter of the items in this month’s e-newsletter, I think we can plausibly call it the food issue!

In keeping with this theme, the first week of April saw us eating special foods unique to Passover as we continued to observe this holiday. We are reminded of our bitter experiences through the saltwater and bitter herbs, and our happier ones, with parsley and eggs for spring and renewal. The mixture of apples, nuts and wine reminds us of the brick mortar we had to use as slaves, while through the eating of matzah we know what it means to be free because, at the same time, we remember what it means to be slaves.

It is also a holiday when family and friends come together to share our history, our connection to our ancestors, our commitment to freedom, and the passing of rituals and traditions.

As our Jewish Home family – residents, volunteers, friends from the community, lay leaders and staff – gathered to celebrate the Passover Seder in the Home’s Lynne & Roy Frank Family Lounge, I was reminded once more of how significant the Home is. For over 138 years, the Home has been here, from generation to generation, continuing to share these occasions with our resident elders, many of them frail, and including some of our most vulnerable and needy. It is always a particularly moving experience to hear the chorus of Dayeinu being sung in a range of accents and by our culturally diverse staff.

Passover is a time to renew commitments. It is a time to be grateful and to help the less fortunate. Our community, who give their support; our board of trustees and our volunteers, who devote their time and talents; and our staff, who deliver their skills and expertise, are doing that now and, we trust and deeply appreciate, well into the future.

Best wishes,

Daniel Ruth
President & Chief Executive Officer

In his latest book – a slim and simple to follow work outlining 64 principles called Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual – Michael Pollan, a professor of science journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of two highly praised books on food and nutrition, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, points out two fundamental reasons why Americans and other Westerners need to make dietary changes.

Populations who rely on what seems to constitute the Western diet – processed foods, added fat, sugar and refined grains – “invariably suffer from high rates of the so-called Western diseases: obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.” Conversely, people who consume traditional diets experience these diseases at much lower rates, while those who have given up Western eating habits often experience a rapid and significant improvement in their health indicators.

The following are a taste of Pollan’s rules:

• Avoid “processed concoctions.” A processed food stripped of its natural goodness to which nutrients are then added is not going to do anyone’s body much good.
• Stop eating before you’re full. There is a difference between satiation and fullness.
• Cooking is the sure way to take back control of your diet from the food scientists and food processors.
• Do all your eating at a table, not while working, watching television or driving. If you’re not paying attention to what you’re eating, you’re likely to eat more than you realize.
• There is nothing wrong with special occasion foods, as long as every day is not a special occasion. You may want to follow what is referred to as the S policy: “No snacks, no seconds, no sweets – except on days that begin with the letter S.”

More than 500,000 meals are served annually to the Jewish Home’s 420 long-term residents. Add to that meals for our STARS (short-term and rehabilitation services) patients, the stocking of the staff cafeteria, catering for the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco and Jewish Family and Children’s Services as part of the Home’s kosher nutrition program, or various on-site events, and it’s guaranteed that a great deal of chopping, sautéing, stirring, and baking is going on every day in the Home’s modern and well-equipped kitchen.

Being able to provide fresh, tasty, nutritious food has the Home’s Nutritional Services’ crew turning to any one of three huge walk-in refrigerators – one for meat, one for dairy (kosher food laws require the use of separate equipment) and one for produce – a gigantic skillet known as a brassier and large stockpots, so that everything can be cooked from scratch. Hot carts are used to transport meals to the Home’s 11 dining rooms.

On-staff registered dietitians and food production and dietary managers ensure that both residents’ special dietary needs and their preferences are catered to, by providing many alternate menu items as a complement to the set menu.

A monthly food forum meeting is one way residents can state their preferences. And what do residents want? According to recent meetings, the following were particularly enjoyed: soups, Cornish game hen, spaghetti and meat sauce, matzah brei, bagels with lox and cream cheese, bread pudding. On the list of suggestions or requests: caramelize the onions in the kasha and offer coffee-flavored ice cream.

Bon appétit!

The conversation went something like this:

Patsy Levinson, Jewish Home resident: “Do you know what a schnecken is?”

Arthur Hofmayer, Jewish Home social worker: “Actually, I don’t. Let’s Google it. Do you know how to Google?”

Patsy: “No.”

Arthur: “Well, this would be a good way for me to learn what a schnecken is and for you to learn how to Google.”

Along with Arthur, discover what a schnecken is and why it is beckoning to Patsy.