Up To The Minute Podcast

Jay Sanderson, President, and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles talks about how the organization tries to help neighboring synagogues work together in the wake of the pandemic to grow their respective congregations--without merging---and by embracing new technologies such as 'zoom'. . . to appeal to a greater number of jews--both affiliated and unaffiliated.

Our houses may have become stinky because we’re all at home during the pandemic…and for some of us….it’s been worse…smoke from our wildfires. We talk with Juan Carlos “J-C” Baselli…the inventor of Biocide Systems’ top-selling line of odor-eliminating products…including the Room Shocker. (https://www.biocidesystems.com)

Eating out for Rosh Hashonna. Alain Cohen is the owner of Got Kosher deli and bakery (gotkosherinc.com) …in LA’s Pico-Robertson district. It’s a French-kosher Tunisian restaurant with Ashkanazi food. He notes that people don’t have much money to spend during the pandemic...so he says he’s designed a menu to please the palate and the pocketbook. He says they’re doing outdoor dining, takeout and delivery. He talks about tough times for the restaurant industry….and how he’s coping. Prayer…he says...helps him get through. And a bit about his backround: He came to LA hoping to be a filmmaker. But now he creates dishes--instead of films.

An LA synagogue re-thinks its dues structure…while ‘zooming’ High Holiday services and carefully reopening its preschool.

Rabbi Jason Van Leeuwen, the cantor of Temple B’nai Hayim in Sherman Oaks (www.bnaihayim.org) says the dues model is designed to be more welcoming and less burdensome on families.
He says holding services online only for now is the safest method possible….because holding them outdoors was not feasible. And he adds the preschool has opened up as carefully as possible (to take care of the kids of ‘essential workers’)…with social distancing top-of-mind.

John Novaria…a spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau’s LA Region says there’s a 30 percent increase in consumer complaints during the stay-at-home orders…because scammers know people are at home…and can be scammed via telephone and the internet more easily.
They also know that more people are lonely these days and yearn for someone to talk to. That’s why there’s an increase in ‘romance’ and ‘puppy’ scams. (They’ll promise you a cute dog..in exchange for cash…and the dog doesn’t materialize).

There are also RENTAL scams...especially in LA.

If a website has lots of misspellings it probably isn’t legit.

Don’t give out your credit card number or…social security number.

Look for brands accredited by the BBB.

More info at https://www.bbb.org/

(The BBB is also urging people to shine blue lights in their windows to support health care workers…and to make a donation to directrelief.org (https://www.directrelief.org/) and/or to Heart to Heart International (https://www.hearttoheart.org/) to ship more PPEs to health care workers.)

It’s the "H2O e3 Natural Cleaning System" (https://h2oe3.com) that uses salt...water...and electrolysis. It’s an ‘add-on’ to the "H2O Mop" from Thane Direct. Thane spokesman Beau Rials says it kills 99 percent of certain germs, viruses, and bacteria…utilizing "lab-proven cleaning technology that sanitizes as well as breaks down and neutralizes odors in seconds."

LA school nurse Stephanie Yellin-Mednick (@nursemednov) describes the frustration felt by her elderly father who drove her elderly mother to the ER at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Downey…but couldn’t go in with her after she was admitted with congestive heart failure and shortness of breath. She does NOT have COVID…but the lack of information and her mother’s hearing problems made things worse. Stephanie says you have to advocate for your ailing parents…and push doctors and nurses for as much information as they can give you.

Esmeralda Camerana….a Southern California District Leader for Kindercare….says her staff has been retrained…on health and safety practices….including proper hand-washing…and sanitation.

There have health stations in front of each center…to take the temperature of each kid as they come in…family access is limited.

Kids and families can also connect vid the kindercare app.

The parents are advised to tell their kid(s) that their teachers will be wearing masks…so the kids won’t get scared.

Kids and teachers will be practicing "social distancing”

There are no more than ten kids per classroom (those classrooms are licensed for 24-plus).

LA Psychotherapist John Tsilimparis says it's tough for doctors and nurses who are on the frontlines to care for themselves--in addition to their COVID patients. He says those medical professionals who come to him for treatment are frustrated...worn out and depressed. Some tell him they'll retire when the pandemic ends. He advises them (and caregivers who are treating spouses and 'significant others' with COVID) to take short breaks whenever possible....take walks (socially-distant and outside if possible) and to try to stay in touch as frequently as possible with family and friends.

In the second part of our interview, Molly Forrest, CEO and President of the Los Angeles Jewish Home details the Home’s disaster plans, as well as the difficulty in "forcing" residents with dementia to wear masks. The Home needs donations of money, as well as donations of protective gear, and continues to fight FEMA. Finally, nursing homes need a “seat at the table” with the County Department of Public Health.