Joyce & Stanley Black - Vista Del Mar

Joyce & Stanley Black 

A Family of Philanthropy, A Legacy of Giving pg.8 

Spring 2012 

www.vistadelmar.org 

Child and Family Services 

Leadership Council: 

The Next Generation pg.15 

Supporter Spotlight 

Dr. Howard Murad pg.16 

Nes Gadol Jewish Life Programs 

Miracles for Children & Families with Autism 

& other Special Needs pg.25

SPRING 2012 

vista del mar is moving forward 

07 | Staff Spotlight 

Rebecca Hatcherson 

15 | Leadership Council 

The Next Generation 

22 | Alumni Spotlight 

Marcos Kerbel 

23 | Volunteer Spotlight 

Bill Foley 

24 | Family Spotlight 

Rebecca Schmidt 

2 The View | Spring 2012 

25 | Program Spotlight 


27 | Donor Spotlight 

Mimi Feldman & Donna Garber 

28 | Oscar Reiss Children’s Workers 

Card Party 

29 | Around Vista 

Arts Enrichment & Board Meeting 

30 | Community Letters 

Judy Mark & Emma Erenmark 

On the cover: Joyce & Stanley Black and the students of Nes Gadol Jewish Life Programs.

features 

06 | L’Dor V’Dor 

The Schaefer Family 

08 | Joyce & Stanley Black 

Family Campus Naming 

16 | Supporter Spotlight 

Dr. Howard Murad 

Mission Statement 

To provide comprehensive, familycentered 

social, educational, and 

behavioral health services that 

encourage children, adolescents, and 

their families to lead self-reliant, stable, 

and productive lives. 

Spring 2012 | VistaDelMar.org 3

oard of directors 

officers 

Lyn Konheim 

Co-Chair, Board of Directors 

Rick Wolf 


Carol Katzman 

Immediate Past Chair 

Lise Applebaum 

Treasurer/Chair, Finance 

Deedy Oberman 

Secretary 

Dee Dee Dorskind 

Assistant Secretary 

Donald J. Alschuler 

Marlene Canter 

Marla Kantor 

Pamela Pacht 

Dana Sigoloff 

Mark Slavkin 

Vice Chairs 


board members 

Margot Bamberger 

Marcia Baron 

Congresswoman Karen Bass 

Terry Bell* 

Irvin Cooper 

Susan Corwin 

Michael Dates 

Betty Deutsch 

Mimi Feldman 

Helene Feuerstein 

Heidi Haddad 

Lois Harwin 

Marcia Hoffer 

Sydney Julien 

Bruce Kates* 

David Konheim 

Jon Konheim 

Jean Leserman 

Lyza Martell-Barahona 

Elliot Megdal 

Julie Miller 

Joel R. Mogy* 

Lynn Pollock 

Gayle Rodgers 

Peekie Schaefer 

Carolyn Siegel 

Betty Sigoloff 

Julie Smooke 

Mitchell Stein 

Philip M. Stein 

Todd Strassman 

Janis Susskind 

Bradley Tabach-Bank* 

Freda Teller 

Steve Wallace 

Janis Black Warner 

Donald S. Wolf* 

Elaine Wolf 

Lori Wolf 

* Past Chair 

board of ambassadors 

officers 

Connie Austin 

Arthur Malin, MD 

Bruce Kates 

Co-Chair 

Roger Behrstock 

Harold Berlfein 

Stacy D. Phillips 

Hugo Rosenstein 

Freda Teller 

Jean Reiss Berlfein 

Mike Rothberg 

Co-Chair 

Ira Bilson 

Richard Schulman 

Al Azus 

Vice Chair 

Stanley Black 

Eli Blumenfeld 

Terri Konheim Cooper 

Butch Schuman 

Larry Schwimmer 

Charles Shuken 

Richard Elzer 

Stephan Tow 

Ira Goldberg 

Alex Urbach 

Gogi Grant 

Robert Waldorf 

Howard M. Hansen, MD Richard Weisdorf 

Anita Hecht 

Sylvia Weisz 

Marvin Hoffenberg 

Roger Lewis, DDS 

Walter Zifkin 

Elias Lefferman, Ph. D. 

President/ 

Chief Executive Officer 

Don McLellan, M.B.A. 

Executive Vice President, 

Business & Finance 

Amy Jaffe, L.C.S.W. 

Senior Vice President, 

Intensive Intervention Programs 

Nancy Tallerino, L.C.S.W. 

Senior Vice President, 

Outpatient Services & 

Professional Training 

Donna Baker, M.A. 

Vice President, Director of Education 

Susan Schmidt-Lackner, M.D. 

Medical Director 

Tim Hayes 

Vice President, 

Human Resources 

Margy Feldman 

Vice President, Development 

Entered as 2nd Class matter at Los 

Angeles, California and at additional 

mailing offices. The View is a publication 

of Vista Del Mar, Reiss-Davis Child 

Study Center, Julia Ann Singer Center, 

Home-SAFE, and Family Service of Santa 

Monica. Vista Del Mar is accredited by 

the Joint Commission on Accreditation 

of Healthcare Organizations, the Western 

Association of Schools & Colleges, and a 

member of California Alliance of Child 

and Family Services. Vista is also affiliated 

with the Los Angeles Jewish Federation 

Council and the American Association of 

Children’s Residential Centers. 

Address all communications to: 

THE VIEW 

3200 Motor Avenue 

Los Angeles, CA 90034 

310.836-1223 phone 

310.839-2820 fax 


Magazine Design & Layout 

by BTS Communications 

Email info@btscomm.org for 

information on BTS Communications

Elias Lefferman, Ph.D. Lyn Konheim 

Dear Friends, 

With some regularity, whether because of the economy or 

because of a pointed question about the children we serve at 

Vista Del Mar, we look at ourselves critically. Do we serve 

a purpose? While much of our support comes from the 

Jewish community, are we still a Jewish agency? How do we 

fulfill our mission and maintain our original Jewish identity as 

we serve a larger non-Jewish community? These questions 

are not unique to Vista but are the questions being asked 

by traditionally Jewish agencies and Boards throughout the 

country. 

Recently, we invited David Suissa, President of the Jewish 

Journal, to address our Board of Directors about how Vista 

fits into the Jewish and non-Jewish community. How do 

we define ourselves as a Jewish agency when serving such a 

diversified community? We cannot recapture his passion but 

we will share his meaningful message. 

Vista is here because we have an important role in the world, 

the whole world. David told the story of when G-d created 

the world; he created vessels into which he put “divine light.” 

So powerful was this light that the vessels shattered and this 

Elias Lefferman, Ph. D. 

President/ Chief Executive Officer 

Richard M. Wolf 

light, which was the light of all mankind, spread throughout 

the world. One of the goals of Tikkun Olam (which means 

repairing the world) is to repair these vessels because they are 

still the holders of the “divine light.” The children at Vista 

come from these shattered vessels, they have come from 

shattered lives and experiences, and rescuing and repairing 

them is doing the work of G-d, the greatest gift that one can 

imagine or do. 

The Board was captured by David’s words and message. 

When they looked at the hundreds of children on our 

campus, they felt a renewed sense of being Jewish and of 

fulfilling their obligation as Jews to make the world a better 

place. They seemed revitalized and clear in their purpose as 

well as Vista’s. 

The role of Vista in our community is clear. As long as there 

are shattered lives, then our work is never done. We should 

never stop when only Jews have been served. We do not 

insulate ourselves, we open ourselves up. Our obligation is to 

make the world a better place, repairing vessels and repairing 

young lives. It’s what we have done and will continue to do. 

Lyn Konheim 


Richard M. Wolf 



Ellen Schaefer Kruger 

and Bib Lushing 

Peekie & Rudy Schaefer 

and Ellen Schaefer Kruger 

Dynamically involved from Vista’s early days, the Schaefer family 

has rolled through each era of Vista Del Mar for the past 70 

years, always energized by changes and challenges. 

The family’s involvement began with Peekie’s mother, Bib Lushing, 

who served for many years as a member of the Board of Directors 

of Vista Del Mar. She was instrumental in bringing Julia Ann Singer 

under Vista’s umbrella as she had been president of that organization 

years before. Her portrait still hangs on the wall in Vista’s board 

room. 

Peekie joined Vista Del Mar’s Junior Associates in the 1950s. A band 

of young people determined to make a difference in the lives of 

Vista’s kids, the Junior Associates sponsored frequent, weekend-long 

fieldtrips to places like Lake Arrowhead. Vista Del Mar Alumni and 

Milt Davis, a well-known football player at the time, would chaperone 

and run the sports. Peekie said, “The kids always had a great time 

waterskiing, hiking, and exploring.” After serving as president of the 

Vista Del Mar Associates, Peekie became a member of the Board of 

Directors of Vista Del Mar. 

Peekie’s husband, Rudy, was born in Germany and came to the 

United States with his family in 1939 at the age of 15. Rudy joined 

the Army in 1943 and served in the infantry in France. He was 

captured in November 1944 and was interned in a prisoner of war 

camp near Munich until near the end of the war when General 

Patton personally arrived. Meanwhile, back home, Vista served as a 

sanctuary for a number of Jewish refugee children who were sent to 

the United States by their parents. Many remained until they could 

be reunited with their families. 


Ellen Schaefer Kruger and 

Peekie & Rudy Schaefer 

Ellen Schaefer Kruger, Peekie and Rudy’s daughter, remembers Vista 

as always being a part of her life. “My brother and I went along on 

many of the field trips,” Ellen says. Each year, Vista published a 

12-month wall calendar. One year, Ellen and her brother, Randy, 

stood in for the Vista kids in several pictures. Ellen remembers, “We 

were photographed out on the tennis court. We put on pajamas and 

went under the covers in the beds in the infirmary and had the nurse 

take our temperature— it was really fun!” Another year, when Ellen 

was 19, she performed in a fundraising show. With music playing, a 

giant cake was wheeled on stage and Ellen popped out of it, wearing 

an off-white flapper dress and doing the Charleston. Her father likes 

to make the point, though, that this was the only time she jumped 

out of a cake. 

Ellen spent some time away from Vista to raise a family of her own, 

but as soon as her son was grown, she became active again. “It just 

seemed like a natural thing,” she says. Ellen started as a Membership 

Chair on the Associates Board, with outreach breakfasts, fashion 

shows, and boutiques with community-member vendors. Now she 

co-chairs the Fundraising Committee. With new ideas popping up 

all the time, the entire Vista community eagerly awaits what Ellen and 

Vista’s supporters will come up with next. 

For more information, please contact Lisa Barden, MBA, Associate 

Director, Development at 310.836.1223 x 274 or lisabarden@ 

vistadelmar.org

Rebecca Hatcherson’s personal story gives her plenty of perspective 

on the sometimes precarious lives she comes in contact with at 

Vista Del Mar. But in her four years as secretary at Vista’s Joyce 

and Stanley Black Community Treatment Facility (CTF), she has 

done much more than serve as a compelling cautionary tale. 

Her warm personality, calm voice, and even-keeled demeanor portray 

Hatcherson as a woman who naturally found her way by making 

all the right decisions. But there were many lessons to be learned 

along the way. Her mother’s schizophrenia, undiagnosed for years, 

forced young Rebecca to grow up early. She assumed the role of 

primary caregiver for her younger brother by the time she was nine. 

Her parents had divorced, but back then the courts reflexively sided 

with the mother in custody rulings. Lacking adequate guidance and 

boundaries, Rebecca became pregnant and gave birth to her first 

child two days before she turned 15. 

“I don’t think I could have worked here and dealt with all this when 

I was in my 20s,” admits Rebecca. “But after overcoming my mom’s 

situation, then having my own kids and experiencing them, I have a 

certain understanding.” She made peace with her decision to give her 

infant son up for adoption, reasoning that the child would suffer the 

consequences of having a single mother who was still a few years 

away from graduating high school and was still growing up in her 

own right. 

“When I prayed to God about my son, I said ‘I’ll pay you back 

somehow; whatever the signs are, I’d like to give back,’” she says. 

After leaving a first career in the printing business, the opportunity 

to make good on that divine promise came to fruition. “I did get 

emotional when I first started working here,” she recalls. “I felt 

connections, but I also felt sadness for some of these boys.” 

One young man who got her attention early on was Quince. A CTF 

resident, Quince has Sturge-Weber Syndrome, a condition physically 

distinguished by skin discoloration, usually on the face, but which 

staff spotlight 

Rebecca 

Hatcherson 

can also entail learning disabilities. Rebecca would pass Quince in the 

halls occasionally, but then she saw him onstage playing saxophone 

at a Vista Del Mar awards ceremony. “That was the first time I really, 

really saw Quince,” she recalls. “I thought, ‘look at him. He’s so 

brave. I could have never done that, never ever,’” she says, piling on 

the emphasis. “And that amazed me. Being in a locked facility and he 

can do that at the same time?” She shakes her head with admiration 

and wonder. Not long after that, Rebecca became Quince’s mentor, 

friend, and a caring, positive influence in his life. 

Today, Quince attends California State University at Bakersfield, but 

he and Rebecca still maintain a close bond. Her positive influence 

has helped him continue to progress, making the most of his 

opportunities and impressing those around him with his warmth and 

candor. Bruce Joseph, whose sister Marla Kantor is on the Board 

of Directors at Vista Del Mar, has personally experienced Quince’s 

winsome personality. He and his wife, Lynne, live in Bakersfield and 

have assumed the role of “mentors” for the college freshman they 

met last August. 

“Quince is a tremendous compliment to what Vista Del Mar is able 

to do,” says Bruce. “He’s not a victim, he’s a survivor.” Lynne says 

Rebecca’s influence has been a precious gift to Quince. “He told me 

how he started talking to her one day when she was at work. They 

clicked because of music. She has been so good to him.” Vista Del 

Mar is fortunate to have dedicated team members like Rebecca who 

work and give all they have to the children each and every day. 

Although Rebecca misses seeing Quince everyday she is so proud of 

the progress he is making and is thrilled that he is living his life to 

the fullest. 

For more information about Vista’s Residential Services , please 

contact Amy Jaffe, LCSW, Senior Vice President Intensive 

Intervention Programs at 310.836.1223 x 456 or 

amyjaffe@vistadelmar.org 


Joyce & Stanley Black Campus 

“Naming Celebration” 

Vista Del Mar is excited to announce a new name 

for our grounds: The Joyce and Stanley Black 

Family Campus. The Los Angeles City Council 

also declared January 12, 2012 “Joyce and Stanley 

Black Family Day” in Los Angeles to coincide 

with the naming ceremony and the unveiling of 

the sign. The momentous celebration, which 

drew many distinguished guests, was made in 

honor of Joyce and Stanley Black’s recent $5 

million gift to help Vista continue its noble work. 


Vista Del Mar Entrance


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Three generations of the Black family have woven their kindness 

and generosity into Vista. A mainstay on what is now the Joyce and 

Stanley Black Family Campus, The Jack and Victoria Black Parkway 

was named in honor of Stanley’s father and mother and their 

generous contributions. “My father was very involved,” Stanley says. 

“In fact, he got George Konheim involved.” Joyce even has Vista 

alumni in her family. During World War II, Joyce’s father served 

overseas as an army doctor. When her mother became overwhelmed 

taking care of Joyce and her siblings, Vista stepped in and provided 

invaluable support for Joyce’s brother and sister. Joyce and Stanley’s 

three children and six grandchildren are also stalwart supporters of 

Vista Del Mar, with their daughter, Janis Black Warner, currently a 

member of the Board of Directors. 

Stanley Black has supported many causes from the ground up— 

literally. He is in the habit of constructing the buildings in which they 

operate. At 21, Stanley entered the real estate business. He found his 

true passion in real estate, and with keen business sense, he and his 

wife, Joyce, have been blessed with financial success. But to Stanley 

and Joyce, financial success was nothing unless it was shared with 


1. Joyce & Stanley Black & Family 2. Jill Black Zalben & Janis Black Warner 

3. Joyce Black & Grandson, Zach Zalben 

those less fortunate. Today, they have become two of Los Angeles’ 

most generous philanthropists. But Stanley affirms that even with 

the countless other charities he and Joyce support, “Vista has always 

been an important part of our lives.” 

This year, Joyce and Stanley celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary. 

With this fascinating couple, nothing is typical; Joyce tells how she 

and Stanley married each other twice! First, they eloped to Las Vegas 

and then for the sake of family, had a traditional wedding soon after. 

She recalls, “I made a decision— we either get married or we don’t. 

So we did.” And, the Vista Family is grateful that they did. 

Besides their extremely generous financial support, Joyce and Stanley 

Black remain active in the Vista community. On September 10, 

2012, Stanley will once again chair Vista Del Mar’s annual “Sports 

Sweepstakes,” a fundraiser he has chaired for over 35 years. It 

promises to be an event you won’t want to miss. 

For more information on Sports Sweepstakes, please contact Lisa 

Barden, MBA, Associate Director at 310.836.1223 x 274 or email 

lisabarden@vistadelmar.org 

3

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3. Lyn Konheim, Co-Chair, Mimi Feldman, Dr. Leo 

Pomerantz, & Marcia & Henry Baron 

4. Co-Chairs, Lyn Konheim & Rick Wolf, Councilmember 

Paul Koretz, Joyce & Stanley Black, LA County Supervisor, 

Zev Yaroslavsky, & Dr. Elias Lefferman, CEO 

5. Freda Teller, Pam Pacht, Dana Sigoloff, & Marla Kantor 

6. Vista Del Mar entrance 

7. Norm Reicher, Stanley Black, Jack Black & Dizen Shami 

8. Councilmember Paul Koretz, Joyce & Stanley Black 

9. Mark & Patricia Lininger & Stanley Black 

10. Joyce & Stanley Black & Family 

8 9 

10 

4 

5 

6 

7 


11 

12 


14 

15 

16 

16 

11. Janis Black Warner, Stanley & Joyce Black, & 

Douglas Warner 

12. Henry Baron & Stanley Black 

13. Co-Chairs, Lyn Konheim & Rick Wolf with Joyce & Stanley 

Black and Family 

14. Co-Chair Rick Wolf, Dr. Elias Lefferman, CEO, & Co-Chair 

Lyn Konheim 

15. Stanley & Joyce Black & Dr. Elias Lefferman, CEO 

16. Joyce & Stanley Black 

13

17 

22 

18 

17. Irv Cooper & Janis Black Warner 

18. Sydney Julien & Pam Pacht 

19. Maddy & Gene Gordon & Norm Reicher 

20. David Konheim, LA County Supervisor Zev 

Yaroslavsky, & Co-Chair, Lyn Konheim 

21. Carolyn & Jules Siegel 

22. Dr. Elias Lefferman, CEO, Lyn Konheim, 

Co-Chair, Stanley & Joyce Black, & Rick Wolf, Co- 

Chair 

19 21 

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Vista Del Mar’s 

Leadership Council: The Next Generation 

Presents 

Festival of 

Families 

Join us for a Day of Celebration, Jubilation and Festivites at Vista Del Mar! 

Welcoming Families of ALL Abilities 

Food, Music, Games, Activities, Arts & Crafts, Petting Zoo, Video Game Truck and More! 

Sensory Friendly Area & Activities Included! 


Saturday, May 19, 2012 

1:00-4:00 PM 

3200 Motor Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90034 

To Purchase Your Tickets, Please Call 310.836.1223 x 226 or Visit www.vistadelmar.org/festivaloffamilies

leadership council 

The Next 

Generation 

Long ago, in a sprawling campus off of Motor Avenue, there 

was a group called the Vista Del Mar Junior Associates. For 

many years this support group provided an avenue for young 

volunteers to get involved with Vista Del Mar, while at the same 

time garnering community support for the agency. Members of the 

Junior Associates played softball with the girls, did art projects with 

the boys; in short they fell in love with Vista Del Mar by becoming a 

part of the children’s lives. 

As members of the Junior Associates grew older, one by one they took 

on leadership roles at Vista Del Mar. Young, carefree volunteering 

activities gave way to fundraising and committee meetings; such is 

the rewarding agenda of a member of the Board of Directors. And 

so, for over 10 years now, the Vista Del Mar Junior Associates has 

been a thing of the past. 

Two determined women, however, aim to change all of that. Dana 

Sigoloff and Lori Wolf, both of whom got their start in Vista through 

the Junior Associates, have created a new and revamped version of 

this once vital support group, aptly named ‘Leadership Council: The 

Next Generation.’ This new group of volunteers will be instilled with 

many of the same goals as the original Junior Associates. As Dana 

Sigoloff, Chair of the new Leadership Council, says, “Fundraising is 

a component, but what I really care about is that people fall in love 

with this place the way so many of us did.” 

The first test for this new Leadership Council occurred in early 

February of this year when they hosted a Pancake Breakfast. “We 

had people walking on campus who got hooked in like a magnet,” 

says Lori Wolf, Vice Chair of Leadership Council. Many of the 

attendees were members of the local community who simply didn’t 

know that there was a way for them to be a part of Vista. Dana 

says, “I think it was very successful in that we reached our goal of 

introducing a number of people to Vista.” 

So far, this new group is off to a running start. With one event 

already under its belt, the Council is getting ready for the Festival 

Dana Sigoloff & Lori Wolf 

of Families on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at Vista Del Mar. Dana and 

Lori are hoping for an estimated attendance of around 500 but “we 

could accommodate 1000,” says Dana. The first annual Festival of 

Families will be a day of fun-filled activities for children of all ages 

and abilities and their families. There will be tasty treats, carnival 

games such as basketball throws, a ring toss, a rock wall, a Velcro 

wall, hot new video games on a game truck and much more! 

The Festival of Families on the 19th will boast a sensory-friendly 

atmosphere for children with autism and other special needs and 

their families, including food that is gluten-free and a sensory-friendly 

zone on the site that will include arts & crafts, costumes, a petting 

zoo, face painting, a bubble show and more! Lori Wolf says that the 

real goal for the Festival of Families is to “engage young families in 

the Vista life.” 

It’s easy to see that The Leadership Council: Next Generation is out 

to make a difference. With a committee of dedicated individuals and 

the determined, loving personalities of Dana Sigoloff and Lori Wolf 

at the helm, the dream of rekindling the love that young volunteers 

have for Vista seems to have finally come true. Both these women 

realize that this new support group is their chance to make a lasting, 

substantial contribution to the community of Vista Del Mar. One 

thing is certain: the next generation of Vista volunteers will be in 

good hands. 


Director at 310.836.1223 x 274 or lisabarden@vistadelmar.org 



supporter spotlight 



Dr. Howard Murad eloquently describes the 

largest organ in the body with an encyclopedic flair 

that holds his listeners in rapt attention. Though 

indoctrinated in Western medicine, his words suggest 

a more worldly frame of reference. “If you go to a 

cardiologist, they’re going to look at your heart,” he 

points out. “They’re not going to ask you about your 

emotions and your skin.”

The skin, Dr. Murad’s area of specialty, is an intricate web of 

wonder into which the good doctor has invested his life’s work. 

His pioneering research, clinical studies, and “inclusive health” 

philosophy on wellness have built him a lucrative practice: a six-story, 

quad-tower El Segundo office complex houses the various tentacles 

(health spa, medical group, University of Inclusive Health, national 

and international distribution channels, and the charitable Murad 

Family Foundation) of the business that has grown since he started 

his practice. The skin is but one indicator of overall health, Murad 

explains, and the methods his office uses to help each patient achieve 

an overall healthier lifestyle from the inside out are based on a blend 

of cutting-edge science and decades of research. 

But to the kids at Vista Del Mar, Murad is simply the kind and 

compassionate man who drops in once a month to check on a pesky 

case of eczema or prescribe some acne medication. He’s done this 

on his own time, seeking no renumeration, for almost forty years. In 

1973, Murad had just finished his residency and was living in Cheviot 

Hills. “I wanted to give back to society,” he says simply. By proximity, 

Vista Del Mar was the beneficiary of Murad’s philanthropic urge. 

Over the years, he has foregone, by his estimation, hundreds of 

thousands of dollars in insurance premiums in the name of not only 

providing a valuable service, but connecting with the kids as well. 

There’s a “sixth sense” of intuition that Murad has developed over 

the years to further inform his medical background. “Overseeing so 

many patients, I walk into a room and I get a sense of who that 

person is,” he says. “I can’t explain it exactly.” His observation is that 

today’s youth -- at Vista Del Mar and beyond -- lack an inherent sense 

of optimism that their lives will get progressively better. “Society 

has changed,” he explains. “People are not as vivacious as they once 

were.” Yet this bleak assessment leaves him undaunted. Over the 

years, he has given each of the thousands of children he has seen his 

undivided attention, not only as patients but as people. 

A recent visit to Murad’s office offered a glimpse into the personalized 

care that has become his trademark. I’m handed a piece of paper 

to complete, and the first question cuts to the chase: “Who is the 

most important person in your life?” My answer is admirable but 

misguided. “You’re the most important person in your life, not your 

mother,” he corrects me when reviewing the responses. And so 

begins our consultation. Over the years, Murad has coined a list of 

phrases (more than 300 strong and still growing) that his patients 

have inspired. He plans on one day publishing a coffee table book 

that will also incorporate his paintings. 

As for his artwork, Murad’s lively Jackson Pollock-inspired pieces 

display a formidable secondary talent. Though he took up painting 

just three years ago, the sheer number of pieces populating the halls 

during our visit make it seem more like three decades. 

Another piece of information visitors will glean upon a trip to 

his office: Howard Murad loves ties, but he hates shoes. The stark 

contrast of colorful, floral neckwear and the black knit dress socks 

he pads around his office in will attest to that. His desk chair, a large, 

rubber yoga ball that he sits upon as he poses for a few pictures, takes 

office ergonomics to a new level. 

The prospect of recognition is not what motivates Murad; he gets his 

accolades from his position as an innovator in dermatology, skincare, 

Inclusive Health, and the simple interaction with the students. His 

fourth book, “The Water Secret,” published in 2010, hit the bestseller 

lists at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. 

As we conclude our visit, Dr. Murad loads up his visitors with 

a generous booty of parting gifts: personalized, signed books; a 

generous sampling of specially selected skin products; and a framable, 

card-stock print of the inspirational saying each of us selected from 

his list of coined phrases. I choose “Make your mark but allow the 

canvas of life to direct you,” as a tribute to the man who has made an 

indelible mark on so many young lives. 

For more information on volunteering, please contact Linda 

Karchem, Director of Volunteer Programs at 310.836.1223 x 385 or 

volunteer@vistadelmar.org 


1 

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1. Inspired Teens Group with Susan Corwin, Jennifer Brook, Inspired 

Teens Advisors, and Chef Shanda 2. Brooke Botwinick, Co-President 

serves guests hors d’oeuvres while guests shop in the silent auction 

3. Our gracious hosts, Susan and Scott Corwin 4. Inspired Teen Emma 

Turner and Inspired Teen Advisor and Board Member Susan Corwin 

5. Harlee Davenport, Elena Goldberg, and Steven Felder 

6. Inspired Teens Joshua Corwin, Emma Turner, Kate Frankel, Sarah 

Popelka, Sophia Stewart and Brooke Botwinick 7. Samantha Mannis, 

Co-President and Joshua Corwin 

inspired teens 

holly jolly cooking fest 

The Vista Inspire Program’s Inspired Teens held their first Holly 

Jolly Cooking Fest on December 4, 2011 and it was a fabulous 

success. More than 100 people attended and enjoyed a festive party, 

shopped at the silent auction, and marveled at a cooking show from 

the Pampered Chef, Shanda. 

The Inspired Teens are a group of enthusiastic teenagers, ages 13- 

19, who strive to make a difference and enrich the lives of kids 

with special needs. Inspired Teens are a fully inclusive group that 

hosts events and programs intended to connect the lives of teens 

of all abilities. Those who attended this fundraiser left with a greater 

understanding of what autism can look like with teens that are 

empowered to shine and share their talents. 


5 

6 

7 

Now in their third year, it's clear that the Vista Inspired Teens are 

making a difference in our community as they represent eleven high 

schools in the Los Angeles area and volunteer with the students at 

Vista Del Mar. Brooke Botwinick, Co-President of Inspired Teens 

says, “Volunteering with The Vista Inspire Program has been a life 

changing experience for me. The kids have changed my life as well as 

made a huge impact on it.” 

The Vista Inspire Program offers Miracle Theatre and Nes Gadol 

Jewish Life Programs for children with autism and other special 

needs and is founded on the principles of The Miracle Project. 

For more information, please contact Jennifer Brook, Community 

Outreach Coordinator at 310.836.1223 x 225 or email

2 

WOMEN OF 

EXCELLENCE 

save the date 

12-12-12 

please join vista del mar for our first annual women of 

excellence luncheon at the four seasons hotel in beverly hills 

honoring mimi feldman with the ruth shuken legacy award. 

for more information or to reserve your seat today please call marsha gonz alez at 

310.836.1223 x 226 or email marshagonz alez@vistadel mar.org

leadership council: the next generation’s 

Pancake Breakfast 


Co-Chairs, Amy Konheim & 

Melissa Rozansky 

On February 4, 2012, The Leadership Council: The Next Generation, 

debuted with their successful first Pancake Breakfast, Co-Chaired 

by Amy Konheim and Melissa Rozansky. Guests enjoyed a 

performance by the talented Vista Del Mar Arts Enrichment students, 

a tour of Vista Del Mar, and an outdoor pancake breakfast on the 

beautiful Vista Del Mar campus. The Inspired Teens entertained the 

kiddies with a fun Valentines Day Card project and a yummy cookie 

decorating station. 

If you are interested in being part of Leadership Council: The Next 

Generation please call Lisa Barden, MBA, Associate Director at 

310.836.1223 x 274 or email lisabarden@vistadelmar.org.

1 2 

3 

1. Melissa Rozansky & Friends 

2. Nick & Dan Rozansky & Howard Meyers 

3. Jon & Amy Konheim & Autumn & 

David Konheim 4. Jill Friedman, Dr. Elias 

Lefferman, CEO, & Susan Corwin 5. The 

kids working on Valentine’s Day Cards. 

5 

4 


It’s been more than 50 years, but Marcos Kerbel’s memory is still 

sharp as he recalls the path that brought him from his Cuban 

homeland to Vista Del Mar. The circumstances were jarring enough: 

Fidel Castro had recently come to power, and there was fear among 

Cuban Jews that the repressive, fledgling government would assume 

control of passports and even children. The principal of an American 

school in Havana formed a connection with a priest in a clandestine 

operation, Unaccompanied Children, which supplied waiver visas for 

children to the United States. Between September 1960 and October 

1962, the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society (HIAS) secured 14,048 

visas for children to come to America, leaving their parents behind, 

at least temporarily. Marcos Kerbel was one of those children. 

After landing in Miami, Marcos was shuttled onto a succession of 

airlines with connections in New Orleans and Dallas before finally 

ending up in Los Angeles. He was 14 years old at the time, and HIAS 

placed him at Vista Del Mar. Meanwhile, the Cuban Missile Crisis 

had intensified and his parents were still stuck in Cuba. 

Marcos arrived at Vista on May 11, 1961, along with a handful of 

other children who shared his situation, and the next year he attended 

Hamilton High School. Finally, in the spring of 1962, he got word 

that his family had boarded what was to be the next-to-last flight out 

of Cuba during the tumultuous and uncertain time of international 

tension. Marcos wanted to leave immediately to meet them in Miami, 

but he was strongly encouraged to finish out the school year first, 

which he did. 

Once back east, Marcos finished high school, attended college, and 


alumni spotlight 

Marcos Kerbel 

embarked on a banking career in Atlanta, eventually refocusing his 

aspirations on teaching. He currently is an adjunct professor of 

finance at Florida International University. His son, a Harvard law 

grad, is an attorney. 

“Thanks to the help of Vista Del Mar and the support I had here, it 

was a lot better than it could have been, compared to stories I heard 

from other kids,” he says. Of his elementary school class, about 40 to 

50 went to different places when fleeing Cuba, and he still maintains 

those connections. For years, Marcos stayed in touch with Vista staff 

members he met during his time here. Unfortunately, all have now 

passed away. 

“One of the things I was able to do here was become friends with the 

couple who did laundry,” he says. “This other fellow across the street; 

after school they let us help with the car-washing business. They gave 

us soap and rags, and for $1 we would wash the cars of the staff.” 

Marcos also learned how to drive in Los Angeles. He remembers 

Nathan Horowitz who was the house director, and Joseph Bonapart 

who was the superintendent and Rabbi. “It marked a very important 

part of my life,” he says of his transition to the United States that his 

tenure at Vista provided. “Had I not been here, I could’ve probably 

taken the wrong route.” 

For more information, please contact Jennifer Brook, Community 

Outreach Coordinator at 310.836.1223 x 225 or jenniferbrook@ 

vistadelmar.org

volunteer spotlight 

Bill Foley 

He can lock eyes with a kid fresh 

out of juvenile hall and make an 

immediate connection. 

Bill Foley started out his career as a New York Police Detective 

in 1951, working undercover in the toughest areas of Brooklyn. 

After retiring in 1971, he began doing work as a Hollywood set 

decorator. For five years, Bill worked as a classroom volunteer and 

tutor for the Vista School here at Vista Del Mar. This may seem 

like an odd background— it certainly forms a stark contrast when 

compared to other teachers’ resumes. Bill Foley does not have a 

Master’s degree. He was not schooled in education and he did not 

have childhood dreams of social work. But what Bill Foley possesses 

is an essential piece to the Vista puzzle. 

Raised on the streets, he possesses all of the blessings in disguise 

that come with a rough upbringing. He can lock eyes with a kid 

fresh out of juvenile hall and make an immediate connection with 

him or her. On several occasions he was hired by the FBI to read 

body language, a skill that translates to an unparalleled ability to read 

students’ feelings and respond accordingly and helpfully. But most 

importantly, he is doing something he loves, and he is an integral and 

unique asset to the teaching team at Vista. 

Due to the challenging nature of the students at Vista, teachers must 

work as a team, with each teacher playing a unique role in working 

with students in order to help the classroom function and enable 

the kids to learn both as a group and individually. As a part of 

this team, Bill definitely worked best with students that may not be 

approachable by other staff. He provided stability. He provided love. 

He provided motivation. While the classroom environment may 

sometimes be unpredictable, Bill was a rock. His stabilizing force 

was needed in the classroom at Vista School just as much as it was 

once needed in Brooklyn. Bill Foley gets it. It was once his job to 

get it. Now it is his passion. 

For more information to volunteer, please contact Linda Karchem, 

Director of Volunteer Programs, 310.836.1223 x 385 or volunteer@ 

vistadelmar.org. 

Bill Foley 



family spotlight 

Rebecca Schmidt 

Rebecca Schmidt’s first encounter with Vista Del Mar came over 

ten years ago when a court mandated therapy for her and her 

children. Although the ages of her seven children varied widely, 

the amazingly diverse group settings at Vista were able to provide 

unique help to all of them. After the initial support they received 

from group therapy, one of Rebecca’s sons moved into Vista Del 

Mar’s Residential Program. One of her daughters, who is on the 

autism spectrum, participated in early intervention programs and 

also joined the Miracle Theatre. There, her siblings got the chance to 

work with her in the theatre program. 

Rebecca’s children have always been her top priority, and taking care 

of them is her most important value. “I had to do whatever I could 

for my kids,” Rebecca says when reflecting on her time with Vista. “I 

put myself second, I looked for support wherever I could find it, and 

I found it [at Vista].” 

Although having a son in residential treatment was particularly trying, 

Rebecca credits her inner strength with getting her through it. “Since 

I was little, people have said that I was stubborn and I was strong,” 

Rebecca says. The parent support groups led by Phyllis Shapiro, 

Director of Parent Services at Vista, also proved to be an invaluable 

resource in bringing the family through their troubles together. 

Her son now serves his country in the armed forces, and Rebecca 

attributes his productiveness and drive to the time he spent at Vista. 

“Now he’s successful, and I can’t even imagine that he would have 

been that way without what he received at Vista.” 

These days, Rebecca feels very much like a survivor, having found a 

way to thrive without her ex-husband’s support. She has gone back 

to school, become a paralegal, and is successful in providing for her 

children. 

Rebecca’s family also received care from Vista’s Wraparound program, 

which provides an education-based planning process, supportive 

services and flexible use of resources to do whatever it takes to 

return and maintain youth with family in the community. “Vista took 

my family, wrapped us up in their blanket of love and supported and 

guided us,” she says gratefully. Her story is an inspiration and a gem 

that Vista will treasure for many years to come. 

For more information, please contact Phyllis Shapiro, Director 

of Parent Services at 310.836.1223 x 151 or parentadvisory@ 

vistadelmar.org

program spotlight 


Inside an Autistic mind, colors and emotions blend, music produces 

visible waves, and a single glint of light between tree branches 

becomes a sparkling city. 

But it’s not always so pretty. The challenge associated with Autism 

is often characterized by painful sensory inundation— enough to 

inhibit a traditional childhood. Nes Gadol Jewish 

Life Programs at Vista Del Mar aims to bridge the 

gap between children with Autism and the practices 

and traditions of the Jewish community; too often 

only geared towards “typically developing” children. 

“A lot of kids with Autism have a profound spiritual 

life because of their sensitivity,” says Vista Del 

Mar’s Rabbi Jackie Redner. She goes on to explain, 

“The typical Jewish 

community may not 

easily and naturally 

welcome children 

with Autism and 

their families. 

You become Bar 

Mitzvah,” Rabbi 

Jackie says, “and 

for a lot of the 

kids, it hasn’t been 

meaningful enough. 

Most synagogues 

struggle with this 

challenge for all 

children.” Though 

well meaning, many 

synagogues may Rabbi Jackie Redner & Elaine Hall 

feel ill-equipped to 

accommodate the 

needs of the sensitive spiritual child with Autism. 

That’s why renowned Autism activist Elaine Hall originally created 

Nes Gadol, a part of the Vista Inspire Program, which also houses 

other programs for children on the Autism Spectrum. Nes Gadol, 

which is Hebrew for “Great Miracle,” now led by Rabbi Redner, 

provides a structured path for Jewish children and teens with Autism 

to learn about Jewish Holidays, to prepare for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah 

as well as continue their Jewish education with a confirmation studies 

class. On Memorial Day weekend, 2007, Elaine’s son, Neal, became 

Nes Gadol’s inaugural Bar Mitzvah. Neal— tall, compassionate, and 

non-verbal— found mediums of creative expression such as gesture 

and dance to lead the congregation in prayers, and when the time 

came for him to recite the ceremonial Torah blessings, Neal’s “voice” 

came from a keyboard that spoke as he typed. 

From the success of its sensory-friendly Bar Mitzvah ceremonies, 

Nes Gadol has expanded into other Jewish holiday celebrations, 

including their Purim carnival earlier this year which featured a 

bubble show, face painting, and, in place of graggers, hand fans 

printed with “thumbs up” and “thumbs down”. Vista Del Mar also 

hosts fully inclusive High Holiday Services, with Rosh Hashanah Day 

specifically dedicated to families with special needs. 

In a relatively recent 

development, Rabbi 

Jackie Redner 

has organized a 

partnership with Sinai 

Temple, championed 

by Sinai’s Rabbi Nicole 

Guzik, in hopes 

of changing public 

apprehension of “the 

other.” Elaine Hall has 

led intensive trainings 

in the method set 

forth in her book Seven 

Keys to Unlock Autism, 

(co-authored with 

Diane Isaacs) for Sinai 

Temple’s “SiHi Teen” 

program. Nes Gadol 

is also hosting Shabbat 

Neal Katz, Elaine Hall’s son 

services at Sinai 

Temple and at Temple 

Akiba which include Nes Gadol’s confirmation students leading 

parts of the service. “Inclusion is not about a list of outside to-dos,” 

Elaine says. “It’s about an internal shift in psyche and consciousness 

of the entire congregation.” 

Nes Gadol’s newer project, The Moses-Aaron Cooperative, draws 

on how Aaron served as the mouthpiece for his brother Moses 

who, according to legend, spoke with a lisp. At The Moses-Aaron 

Cooperative, verbal teens give their non-verbal brothers and sisters 

a chance to be heard by reading their inspiring speeches, sermons, 

and poems. 

With innovation constantly being implemented at Nes Gadol, its 

message, simple and pure, continues to reach an ever-expanding 

audience. As Rabbi Jackie puts it, “Jewish life is something that 

needs to be celebrated. The essence is to find something inherently 

beautiful in the tradition and bring that out in an atmosphere of love 

and celebration and acceptance; to really see the image of G-d in 

each child. It’s not up to us to decide who fits that image and who 

doesn’t. All of us do.” 

For more information, please contact Naomi Salamon, Program 

Manager at the Vista Inspire Program at 310.836.1223 x 322 or 

naomisalamon@vistadelmar.org 


professional spotlight 

Dr. Wendy M. Schwartz 

Because You Listen & Because 

You Care; My Time at Vista 

When I think of my relationship with Vista Del Mar, I think 

of a very special and magical place. More than fifteen years 

ago, I began as a trainee in the Julia Ann Singer Center Family 

Therapy Program. After a short time, I transitioned from intern to 

a Contract Therapist. Over the years, I was trained by a multitude 

of knowledgeable and experienced professionals that have become 

incredible mentors. They showed me how to connect with others, 

find amazing resources in the community and hold on to life stories 

with the utmost trust and respect. They taught me how to interact, 

guide and support the many special families who they entrusted in 

my care. 

After several years as a Contract Therapist at Vista’s Julia Ann Singer 

Center, I was given another wonderful opportunity and became part 

of School Based Services Program at Vista. This program offered 

me many more years of experience and training, where I provided 

therapy for children and teens in various elementary, middle and 

high schools across the Los Angeles area. Once again, during my 

years working with this program, I was humbled by my experiences. 

I continued to build long lasting, trusting relationships with my 

mentors. I also witnessed life changes and observed progress with 

many of these courageous children who came to our center. 

My journey at Vista Del Mar continued, as I transitioned from 

School Based Services to being offered an important position as the 

Admissions Coordinator for Vista Del Mar’s residential program. 

This position was especially challenging, as I was not prepared for 

the many intense life stories that I would hear over the intervening 

years. As I interviewed teens from all over Los Angeles who came 

from schools, psychiatric hospitals, and Juvenile Hall, I was able to 

offer many of them a wonderful opportunity to receive impressive 

higher-level care in our Intensive Residential Program. As part of 

the Vista family for some time and part of an amazing and strong 

clinical team, it was an easy job to provide these teens an opportunity 

for change. I am grateful to have the chance to see so many positive 

life transformations. From the moment I meet these teens at the start 

of their program until the day they graduate, it is truly inspirational. 

As time would have it, once more, I was offered another incredible 

opportunity to work in yet another interesting and diverse department 

that I had not been familiar with, Vista Del Mar’s Non Public School. 

During this time, I worked with all of the elementary, middle and 

high school students who struggle with social, emotional, behavioral, 

and academic challenges. 

Throughout these years, my experiences at Vista Del Mar have been 


Dr. Wendy M. Schwartz 

so precious to me. It has been a privilege to be a part of a strong 

clinical team, working together to help others. My days have been full 

of truly inspirational and empowering moments. As a child, I wanted 

to make an impact on other’s lives, to do something meaningful and 

important, and to somehow create positive change. I feel Vista gave 

me a gift to help others and I am very honored to share that gift. 

Vista Del Mar has put words to those feelings. 

Over the years, many of the clients I had the opportunity to work with 

have maintained their connections to Vista Del Mar. It is gratifying 

to become reacquainted with those who came to Vista as young 

children or teens with major life struggles who are now productive 

young adults. Many have returned to say “thank you” and have let me 

know that they have created meaningful lives in the community. I am 

so honored to be a part of that change, as I gained as much or more 

knowledge from them as they say they gained and learned from me. 

In the words of a very special young person in my past, who would 

pick flowers and bring them to my office, “I come, because you listen 

& because you care.” That, I feel is Vista, and that is what we are best 

at. Listening & Caring. 

For more information, please contact Dr. Wendy M. Schwartz LMFT, 

PsyD at 310.836.1223 x 364 or wendyschwartz@vistadelmar.org.

donor spotlight 

Mimi Feldman & Donna Garber 

Donna Garber Mimi Feldman 

“If you had your wish, what would you wish for 

that would make a difference?” 

“If you had your wish, what would you wish for that would make a 

difference?” This question was posed to the students and faculty of 

Vista’s Baron Elementary School by Donna Garber, former Mayor 

of Beverly Hills. It may seem like a small thing—asking children 

what they need—but it has led to vast technological improvements 

in the classrooms at Vista Del Mar. A few months after that initial 

tour of the campus, Donna Garber made a donation of iPads 

and a Smart Board for the children of Vista’s Baron Elementary 

School. Catering to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and 

other developmental challenges, the Baron School is already putting 

those iPads to good use and the Smart Board will soon be installed. 

Children with severe non-verbal Autism now have a new method of 

communicating and interacting with the world. 

This is not the only technological leap that Vista will make this year. 

A donation has also been made by Mimi Feldman, a member of the 

Board of Directors and organizer of the Residents Annual Holiday 

Party, to purchase an entire computer lab for the students of the Vista 

High School. Mimi was already looking for an avenue to contribute 

when she had a conversation with the President and CEO of Vista 

Del Mar, Dr. Elias Lefferman, who assured her that a computer lab 

was a worthwhile undertaking. From there, the idea snowballed into 

the renovation of the computer lab and the donation of 14 PCs, 

touch screen monitors, 4 Macs, a color printer, a 50” TV, a scanner, 

and additional software for the computers. Some of this equipment 

has already been installed, and plans are continuing for additional 

computers. “[I] wanted to bring people into modern times,” says 

Mimi. 

Mimi and Donna’s wonderful contributions are symbolic of their 

deep affection for Vista Del Mar and the children it serves. Both 

have a long history with Vista Del Mar: Donna became a member 

of The Associates in 1978, and Mimi started creating her Holiday 

Party with the help of A & M and her brother, acclaimed musician 

and artist, Herb Alpert, in the early 1960’s. The common thread for 

them was their desire to contribute something beyond the “average” 

donation. They wanted to give something useful and lasting to 

actually change the lives of these children. 

Donations of this nature keep Vista Del Mar a growing, cutting edge 

facility. For many children with developmental challenges such as 

Autism it can be nearly impossible to communicate their feelings to 

others. Donna fondly recalls hearing a story of one such child who 

was able to tell his parents “I love you” for the first time through 

an iPad. This type of profound impact has been made possible to 

the children of Vista Del Mar thanks to Donna Garber and Mimi 

Feldman’s generosity. These two outstanding women have been 

crucial to the history of Vista Del Mar; now they are also architects 

of its future. 

For more information, please contact Margy Feldman, Vice President 

of Development at 310.836.1223 x 270 or margyfeldman@ 

vistadelmar.org 


2 

3 

oscar reiss children’s workers 

1 


Annual Card Party 

Reiss Davis Child Study Center’s Support Group, Oscar Reiss 

Children’s Workers, held their Annual Card Party on January 13, 

2012, Co-Chaired by Ruthe Newmann and Freda Teller. 

Each year avid game players attend this enjoyable afternoon. The 

Card Party featured Mahjong, Bridge, Pan, Gin Rummy and a lovely sit 

down lunch with lots of laughs. 

Guests were entered in a chance to win fun door prizes and all received 

nice goodie bags. The Oscar Reiss Children’s Workers Annual Card 

Party continues to attract dedicated donors who show their continued 

support for the children with their tremendous attendance and 

donations. 


Director at 310.836.1223 x 274 or email lisabarden@vistadelmar.org 

1. Event Co-Chairs Ruthe Newmann 

& Freda Teller 

2. Dana Sigoloff ’s table engaged in a 

competive game of Mahjong 

3. Oscar Reiss Children’s Workers 

dedicated supporters 

4. Guests enjoying a lovely lunch 

with lots of laughter 

4

around vista 

Arts Enrichment 

Vista Del Mar Arts Enrichment Program produced, Tales of the Drum. 

Audiences put their imagination caps on and gathered round the fire 

for an afternoon of traditional folk tales and cross-cultural music 

with skits performed from Latin, Israeli, and African Folktales. 

David Suissa, President of the Jewish Journal, speaking on Defining 

our Jewishness through helping others at a recent Vista Del Mar 

Board meeting. 

David Suissa 


letters from the community 

When my son Joshua was born 15 years ago, my husband Allen and 

I were very active members of a Reconstructionist congregation in 

the Washington, DC area. Joshua’s bris was filled with hopes and 

dreams for his Jewish future. But within two years that hope turned 

to despair as we received the news that our little boy had autism. 

Our friends in our congregation were incredibly supportive, but that 

is not that same as family, and we relocated to Los Angeles where my 

parents and sister could help us with Josh and his baby sister Emma. 

Joshua’s Jewish future would become very unimportant as we 

struggled with Joshua’s behaviors and finding an appropriate 

preschool and good doctors and therapists in our new hometown. 

We didn’t even think about a synagogue for a couple of years. So 

when we finally set out to find a temple, we knew it would have to be 

a place that embraced Joshua for his strengths, passion, and humor 

– and took on the challenges.You see, Joshua is a wonderful kid – 

he loves to travel, eat out in restaurants, go to the movies with his 

friends, and especially he LOVES to go to Disneyland and Disney 

World. But mostly, he loves to be with his family. 

But Josh has struggled with controlling his body and behaviors 

because of his autism. Autism is a neurological movement 

disorder that scientists believe start at the earliest stages of brain 

development. It impacts communication, social skills, motor 

planning, and organization. Autism is a spectrum disorder meaning 

that individuals with autism vary greatly. Some may be nonverbal yet 

highly gifted. Others can be highly verbal with Asperger’s Syndrome 

yet lack social graces. Autism is growing at astronomical rates – the 

rate has doubled in the past decade. A recent Centers for Disease 

Control study found that one out of 88 children in the U.S. have 

autism. The rate is five times higher for boys, with autism affecting 1 

out of 54 males. In the next five years we will see a massive increase 

in the number of adults with autism. And no, we don’t know what 

causes it or why it has increased, and we don’t have a cure. 

So would we be able to find a temple that would be able to meet 

Josh’s needs, as well as Emma’s and ours? That proved to be a very 

difficult task. Just bringing Josh into the very quiet of a Shabbat 

service produced stares and shushes. No temple could handle 

Joshua’s behaviors in their religious schools. And they had no idea 

how to teach him Jewish concepts. Although several temples did try, 

nothing really worked for Josh and we resigned ourselves to the fact 

that he would remain outside of the Jewish community. 

Five years later, we were invited to the Bar Mitzvah of a young man 

with autism. He was trained for his Bar Mitzvah by Rabbi Jackie 

Redner at the Nes Gadol program at Vista Del Mar. It was a beautiful 

service and, despite the fact that the Bar Mitzvah boy had limited 

language, he did an incredible job. Allen and I realized that perhaps 

our son could have a day like that. Soon after, we enrolled Joshua 

in Nes Gadol. He lacked focus and exhibited some challenging 

behaviors, but the wonderful staff never gave up on him. And two 

years later, Joshua had a glorious Bar Mitzvah, thanks to the loving 

guidance of Rabbi Jackie who believed that he could do more than 

we could imagine. And, in fact, he surprised us all. It was one of 


the greatest days of our family’s life. All parents deserve to have a 

day like that. And all children deserve to feel inspired – and to inspire 

others – by taking their place in the community of Jewish adulthood. 

I believe that the right to a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is even more 

imperative for a child with developmental disabilities. For many of 

these individuals, the milestones of their future – college, marriage, 

children – will be much harder to achieve. But at his Bar Mitzvah, 

a child will be able to relish in his accomplishments, regardless of 

how much of the service he led. There should be no judgment 

about whether a child can read Hebrew, or can even read for that 

matter. There should be no opinion on whether a child chanted the 

Haftorah, or whether she can even speak. 

So is the Los Angeles Jewish community becoming more accepting 

of individuals with special needs? There is good news. More 

children with autism and intellectual disabilities are having Bar and 

Bat Mitzvahs, whether in special programs, like at Vista Del Mar, 

or in their own synagogues. The Jewish Federation has planned 

this Inclusion Awareness Month to raise the consciousness of and 

set high expectations for the entire community. And Temple Akiba 

has received a grant to train its staff on how to teach children with 

learning, behavior, and sensory differences as well as educate the 

students and congregants about how to welcome individuals with 

developmental disabilities. We still have a ways to go, but I am 

optimistic that the future will bring all of us together. 

-Judy Mark, Parent of Student in Nes Gadol Jewish Life 

Programs 

Having a brother with Autism is different in many ways. There are 

some good things associated with it, and some challenges. Some 

good things are that Josh doesn’t tease me and make fun of me like 

a lot of other siblings of my friends do. We don’t fight a lot. And 

we can’t forget how me and my family get to have a free pass to the 

front of the line at Disneyland. But there are some difficult things 

about having a brother with special needs. Like when Josh gets upset 

in public, and the cold stares by the people around us saying, “Who 

is this kid? And why is he so weird?” I wanted Josh to be in a place 

where no one would stare at him that way. Where they would look at 

him with interest and understanding. Where they understood what 

he was going through. And once he stepped foot in Nes Gadol I 

knew that he would belong there. Everyone was so understanding to 

him, treating him like he was family. I told myself, “This was what 

Josh was looking for.” Vista Del Mar is an amazing place, but there 

should be more places like it. Where Josh could be accepted while 

learning about Judaism and having fun. That’s what I want for me 

too. Where we could all be accepted together. 

-Emma Erenmark, Sister of Student in Nes Gadol Jewish Life 

Programs 

If you want to write us a letter please address all communications to: 

THE VIEW 

3200 Motor Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034 

310.836-1223 phone 310.839-2820 fax 

www.vistadelmar.org margyfeldman@vistadelmar.org

Donor 

Lynne & Don 

Alschuler 

Beverly Berkowitz 

Sheri & Les Biller 

Foundation 

Mona Brandler 

Irvin Cooper 

Mr. & Mrs. Gerald 

Doren 

Seth H. Gabel 

Justin L. Goldner 

Miriam Groman 

Stewart & Jody Gross 

Mark Gross 

Barbara Haines 

Mitchell H. Hersch 

Sharon R. Hersch 

Brian Hersch 

Mark A. Kadzielski 

Marilyn J. Katz 

Carol Katzman 

Kathryn Kita 

Laurie & Lyn Konheim 

Laurene Lehman 

Sheldon H. Levy 

Melvin Plutsky 

Joe Rothkop 

L. Sher 

David A. Siegel 

Robert Singer 

Vista Del Mar Tributes 

October 1, 2011- March 1, 2012* 

Mildred Starr 

Harold E. Sussman 

Eric Teltscher 

Rebecca & Len 

Tweten 

David Weisshar 

George Winard 

Donor 

Louise Adler 

Bernard Barsky 

Lanie Bernhard 

Saundra Borie 

Lynn Bowers 

James F. Brown 

Janice Chernoff 

Irvin S. Cooper 

Terri A. Cooper 

In Honor of 

Suzie Marks, Happy Birthday 

Joel Mogy 

Lori Wolf 

Charlotte Rosenberg 

Jeffra Marcus 

Bruce Kates 

Birth of Dar & Lindsay’s Daughter 

Korney, Thank You 

Colin James Shanedling 

Bruce Kates’ 70th birthday 

Bruce Kates 

Ron Lushing 

Rick Wolf, Congratulations for 

Installation as Co-Chair 





Robert Dawson 

Sylvia Kopel, Get Well 

Adrienne & Be Siegel 

Gail Buchalter 

Sherry Weinman 

Michael Umansky 

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Smooke’s 

40th Anniversary 

Margot Bamberger 

Loren & Candi Levi 

Brad Tabach-Bank 

Lise Applebaum 

Mackey Revitz, Happy 90th Birthday 

Bruce Konheim, Happy Birthday 

Jules & Carolyn Siegel 

Ira Gottfried 

Michael Kaplan 

Helen Meyerson 

Marvin Rosenberg 

Harry Wurmbrand, Get Well 

Carol Katzman 

Jerry Weintraub 

Pamela Weisshar 

Joan Cherno 

In Memory of 

Shirley Levine 

Stuart Bowden 

Irving Gronsky 

Sharon Shapiro 

Shirley & Steve Roseman 

Marv Holzman 

Brian Lanfeld 

Ruth Shuken 

Alice Gardner 

Eva Konheim 

Howard Smuckler 

*Tributes received from October 1, 2011- March 1, 2012 

Donor 

Jo O. Davis 

Betty Deutsch 

Alan Epstein 

Sandra Erenbaum 

Glen Friedman 

Bucky Hazan 

James P. Herzog 

Sheila Holincheck 

Burt M. Holstein 

Louise Horvitz 

Dana & Bruce Kates 

Lynn & Bruce 

Kaufman 

Mr. & Mrs. Ron 

Kaufman 

KB Home 

Laurie & Lyn 

Konheim 

Wendy Krieger 

Aaron Kumetz 

Moses Levy 

Jerome M. Myerson 

Gayle S. Rodgers 

Gerald M. Sallus 

Loretta Siciliano 

Charles D. Silverberg 

James Steinberg 

Susan L. Stutz 

Jacob Tracht 

Stephen Weiner 

Sanford Weiner 

Allen H. Weiss 

George Winard 

Elinor Winokur 

Sandra Zwirn 

In Memory of Jane Berzer 

Nathan W. Berinstein 

Harold S. Cosel 

Samuel Eiduson 

Daniel Feldman 

Jean Leserman 

In Memory of John Lear 

Lynne & Don Alschuler 

Beatrice Breslow 

Selma Cowan 

Betty Deutsch 

Leona Fallas 

Jeanne K. Gerson 

Dana & Bruce Kates 

Elinor L. Kaufman 

Ellis M. Landsbaum 

In Memory of 

Jess & Estelle Oppenheimer 

Charles Curland 

Chester Gerber 

Michael Lipkin 

Herbert Melton 

Sol Grayson 

Marilyn & Hubie Walkan’s Son 

Florence Ruth Solomon 

Irwin Frankel 

Joshua Levy 

John Morfit 

Tristan Sayre 

Ruth Shuken 

Shirley Levine 

Nathan Kates 

Stanley Richards 

Eric Freedman 

Sanford Sigoloff 

Arnold Smith 

Lola Jameson 

Vera Traub 


Fannie Kaufer 

Monte Krimston 

Loraine 

Edna Gyepes 

Gail Glick’s Brother 

David Scanlon’s Mother 


Daniel Silverberg 

Eva Konheim 

Sanford Sigoloff 

Annette Baran 

Jack Gubiner’s Brother 

Mike Sterling 

Milton “Mickey” Weiss 

David Kline 

Analy Jamison’s Mother & 

Grandmother 

David Zwirn 

Sarah Karmes 

Mike Gaber 

Meyer Luskin 


Jerry Spector 

Natalie Spector 

Susan R. Stockel 

Joseph D. Tekulsky 

Jean Leserman 

Arnold B. Luster 

Doris Luster & Family 

Jennifer Moran 

Pam Pacht 

Karl Reisman 


T. L. Snitzer 

Louis & Patty Snitzer 

Freda & Bill Teller 


Donor 

Bill & Sally Cole 


& Family 


Jackie & Stan Gottlieb 

Lois Harwin 

Lynn Kreinman 

Jean Leserman 

Peekie & Rudy 

Schaefer 


Dana & Stephen 

Sigoloff 

Donor 

The Associates 

Bobbie & Mike Baar 

Barbara & Tom Card 

Sally & Bill Cole 


Helene Feuerstein & 

Family 

The Gluck Family 

Marilynn & Howard 

Gluck 

Audrey Gronsky 

Lynn Kreinman 

Ellen Schaefer Kruger 

Jean Leserman 

Pamela Pacht 

Peekie & Rudy 

Schaefer 

Rosalie & Steve 

Tenenbaum 

Bud & Betty Zucker 



In Honor of 

Ron Lopez’s Big Birthday 

Annie Lehrer’s Special Birthday 

Paul Greenman, Happy 90th 

Birthday 

Candace Rollin’s, Congratulations 

on your Baby Granddaughter 

Jeanne Friedman 

Thank you, Ruth Colman 

Corrine Kempinsky’s Birthday 

Lori Wolf, Congratulations on 

Joining the Board of Directors 

Sari & Bunny Eshman 

Lois Harwin, Speedy Recovery 

Jill Friedman, Speedy Recovery 

Joe Mogy, Speedy Recovery 

Lois Harwin, Thank You for the 

Lovely Time 

Sharlene’s Feeling Better 

Candy Susnow 

Marla & Michael Kantor, Thanks 

for a Lovely Evening 

In Memory of 

Chris Robinson 

Milton Thomas 

Martha Sabourin’s Mother 

Robert Heller’s Mother 

Norman Epstein’s Brother 

Ilene Fischer’s Father 

Amy Daniels 

Chris Robinson 

Meta Elizabeth Loudon 

Milton Thomas 

The Haas Family’s Mother 

Mother 

Shirley Norkin’s Mother, Claire 

Martha Sabourin’s Mother 

Brian Lanfeld 

Chuck Miunce 

Jeri Cole 

Sonia Ann Engilman 

Miltie Thomas 

Norkin & Brock Families’ Mother 

Marlene Port 

Mrs. Rose Steinberg’s Father 

Mrs. Rayna Katz’s Husband, 

Lester 

Marlene Port 

In Memory of Robert Susnow 


Barbara & Tom Card 


Doug & Jill Friedman 

Gary Gleicher 

Donor 

Susan Corwin 

Lisa Edelstein 

Sandra Erenbaum 

In Honor of Eli Slavkin 

Ronald S. Mito 

Robin Moshonov 

Arden Nagler 

Lynn Kreinman 

Jean Leserman 

Pamela Pacht 


Rosalie & Stephen Tenenbaum 

Vista Inspire Program 

Thomas Klein 

Barry Lutzky 

Shomrei Torah 

Synagogue 

Jon & Beth Johnston 

Tracosas 

Art Wolf 

Donor 

Phyllis Foltz 

In Honor of 

Naomi & Mark Salamon 

Mark Slavkin 

Josh Erenbaum’s Speech at Yom 

Kippur 

Elaine & Don Wolf 

Daniel Wolf 

Rabbi Jackie Redner 

Rachel Tracosas 

Elena Goldberg 

David J. Schindler 

Jerald Wenker 

Reiss Davis 

In Honor of 

Charlotte Klaskin’s 90th Birthday 

Oscar Reiss Children’s Workers 

Donor 

Ruthe Newmann 

Sherri Pine 

Milli Salter 

Shirlee Sevin 


Freda Teller 

Fran White 

Fran & Mort White 

In Honor of 

Arline & Ronald Miller, 

Thank you 

Dr. & Mrs. Harry Aronowitz, Thank 

you for a Wonderful Birthday 

Stephanie Kay’s Speedy Recovery 

Sylvia Trust’s Birthday 

Charles Franklin’s 85th Birthday 

Mr. & Mrs. William Teller, 

Congratulations on Birth of 

Great Grandchild, Elliot 

Ruthe Newmann, Congratulations 

on a Special Birthday 

Mr. & Mrs. Henry Slamovich’s 

30th Anniversary 

Mrs. Merry Margolin, Congratulations 

on your 70th Birthday 

Stephanie Kay’s Speedy Recovery 

Joan Flack’s Speedy Recovery 

Mr. & Mrs. William Teller, Congratulations 

on Birth of Great Grandchild 

Elaine Robinson’s Speedy Recovery

Donor 

Alvin G. Greenwald 

Thomas Greenwald 

Arline Harris 

Arline Herbert 

Ruthe Newmann 

Mr. & Mrs. Harry 

Salter 

Milli Salter 

Shirlee Sevin 


Sylvia Trust 

Fran White 

In Memory of Lucille Fuhrman 

(Tributes since last View) 

Stewart Bowdan 

Laurence Cohn 

Helen Devor 

Erna Lou Friedman 

Shirley Green 

In Memory of Milli Salter 

Vera Biheller 

Stanley Eisenberg 

Charles L. Franklin 

Kerry Karp 

Meri Marion 

Jodi Mitchell 

In Honor of Jeanne Gerson’s Special Birthday 

Robert S. Ellison 

Sari & Aaron Eshman 

Gene Geller 

Anne Kuhn 

Deedy Oberman 

In Memory of 

Audree Greenwald 

Audree Greenwald 


Betty Okun 

Bob Blore 

June Sacks 

David Karp’s Father 

Chickie Feldman’s Brother 

Irving Gelden 

Jack Root 


June Sacks 


Sue Bass’ Husband 

Gilbert Cates 

Arline Harris 

James Incorvaia 

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Misrach 

UBS Financial Services, Inc. 

Louis Wolff 

Ruthe Newmann 

Cathy Rogers 

Bill Rouse 

Joan Schroeder 


Mort & Fran White 

Friends of Julia Ann Singer 

Donor 

Lois Abramson 



Carolyn & Jules Siegel 

Donor 

Gary & Barbara 

Ceazan 



In Honor of 

Lee Siegel’s 80th Birthday 


Dorothy Gould’s Birthday 

Jeanne Gerson 

Alice Penn 

Carolyn J. Siegel 

Joseph Steinfeld 

Joan & Jerry Steinfeld 

In Memory of 

Bernie & Anne Ceazan 

Elaine Baum’s Son 

Gloria & Al Lanfeld’s Son, Brian 

Debbie Grossman 

James A. Lazerwitz 

In Memory of Fay Kozberg 

Lynne & Don Alschuler Jeanne K. Gerson 

Sari & Aaron Eshman Helen Kozberg 

Steven & Diane Feldon Morton Leviloff 

Gary J. Freedman Deedy Oberman 

Friends of Julia Ann Singer 

Donor 

Mr. & Mrs. Henry L. 

Baron 

Mr. & Mrs. Seth 

Franklin 

Mr. & Mrs. Charles 

Franklin 

Ann Magid 

Donor 

Mr. & Mrs. Henry L. 

Baron 

The Baron School 

In Honor of 

Jerry Steinbaum’s Birthday 

Mae Goodson 

Henry Baron 

Henry Baron 

Henry Baron’s Birthday 

In Memory of 

Charles Kurland 

Howard Rubinstein Memorial Trust 

Donor 

Estelle Baron 

Sandy & Gene 

Dworsky 

Roberta Gendel 

Joan & Ron Johnston 

Mark R. Silverman 

Donor 

Jeri Berger 

Linda & Julius Bernet 

Gerrie & Lou 

Gussman 

Bonnie M. Lewis 

Pat & Lennie 

Rubinstein 

Mark R. Silverman 

In Honor of 

Arnold Price’s Birthday 

Lee Siegel’s Special Birthday 

Pat & Lennie Rubinstein, Happy 

Holidays 

Pat & Lennie Rubinstein 

Pat & Leonard Rubinstein 

In Memory of 

Howard Rubinstein’s Mother 

Howard Rubinstein 

Joy Simons 




Saul Grayson 

Tully Joel Friedman 


Pat & Leonard Rubinstein- 

Wishing a Healthy, Happy 2012 to: 

Mr. & Mrs. Gary Abrams & Family 

Greg Abrams & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Rene Altervain 

George Bane 

Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Bane & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Bane & Family 

Denise Banks & Rick Oxman 

Mr. & Mrs. Mike Barnet 

Estelle Baron & Jack Reichler 

The Beer-Dietz Family 

Jeri Berger 

Mr. & Mrs. Julius Bernet 

Hal Bishop 

Mr. & Mrs. L. Bogatz 

Paolo Bortesi & Christine Neilson 

Mr. & Mrs. Alex Chaplan & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Earl Cohen 

Toni Colvin 

Mr. & Mrs. S. Darling & Family 

Sunny Deutschman & Ronnie Wright 

Mr. & Mrs. Ron Dexter 

Mr. & Mrs. Gene Dworsky 

Mr. & Mrs. Alec Feinstein & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Feinstein 

Alan Fields 

Barry Fields 

Mr. & Mrs. Lionel Freeman 

Mr. & Mrs. Bob Friedman 

Jimmy Friedman 

Rick Friedman 

Denise & Alex Galpin & Family 

Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Galpin 

Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Gayle 

Bobbe Gendel 


Rhoda Goodman & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Gene Gordon 

Judy Grant 

Joyce Green 

Mr. & Mrs. Julian Green & Family 

Cathy Greene & Family 

Joan Grossblatt 

Gerrie Gussman & Lou 

Nancy Gussman 

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Hafner & Family 

Hedy & Ross Hale 

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Hall 

Honey Halter & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Joel Harris & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Ron Johnston & Family 

Beverly Jubas & Family 

Denise & Sarah Jurick 

Rose Kolodkin & Family 

Ron Krajian 

Mr. & Mrs. Rodney Lester & Family 

Dr. & Mrs. Martin Levine 

Mr. & Mrs. Barry Levitt & Family 

Bonnie Lewis 

Drs. Lane & Sally Lopez & Family 

Dr. Bracha Loren & Family 

Joni Lowe 

Mr. & Mrs. Martin Lutin & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Mahdesian & Family 

Richard Mahdesian & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Norman Marcus & Family 

Robert Meyers 

Elaine Miller 

Marilyn Mohr 

Mr. & Mrs. Gene Monkarsh 

Sherri, Sam & Mason Montano 

The Mooney Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Dan Morrissey & Sons 

Renee Neiberg 

Roberta & Martin 

Mr. & Mrs. Martin Rabinovitch & 

Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Sam Rubin & Family 

Alec Rubinstein 

Mr. & Mrs. Meyer Sach 

Mr. & Mrs. Alan Sedley 

Irene Shuffman & Family 

Ali & Zach Shuman 

Barbara Silverman & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Silverman 

Mr. & Mrs. Edward Simonian 

Marion Simonian & Family 

Julie & Duane Simshauser 

Sidney Soffer & Rachelle Mark 

Mr. & Mrs. Jack Soll 

Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy Spitz 

Fred Stone 

Sari Swig & Sons 

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Takakjian & Family 

Mr. & Mrs. Wendall Tate 

Mr. & Mrs. P. Tobyansen 

Mr. & Mrs. Danny Warner 

Ginny & Julia Weinrott 

Dr. & Mrs. Dana Weinstein 

Hannah Weinstein 

Molly Wilson & Sons 

Judy Wolfson 

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Zigman 

To make your own tribute, please call Marsha Gonzalez at 

310.836.1223 x 226 or email marshagonzalez@vistadelmar.org

Development Corner 

Thank you to the Foundations that have given us their support this year 

Ahmanson Foundation 

Anita Boden Foundation 

Barbara and Bud Hellman Foundation 

Boeckman Charitable Foundation 

California Community Foundation 

CAS Foundation 

Cedars-Sinai 

Community College Foundation 

Conrad Hilton Foundation 

David Saul Birnbaum Foundation 

David Vickter Foundation 

Dinah Shore Foundation 

Dorskind Family Foundation 

Forest Family Foundation 

Goldsmith Family Foundation 

In-N-Out Burger Foundation 

J.L. Foundation 

Jewish Community Foundation 

Jewish Family Service LA 

Kaiser Permanente Foundation 

Lily Pearl Foundation 

Lon V. Smith Foundation 

Milken Family Foundation 

On Shore Foundation 

We acknowledge and thank our many donors with 

gratitude and appreciation! 

Ornest Family Foundation 

R.L. Schaefer Family Foundation 

Rifkin Foundation 

Ring Foundation 

Rosaline and Arthur Gilbert Foundation 

S & A Agate Foundation 

Saidner Family Foundation 

Sheila Gold Foundation 

Taproot Foundation 

Three Sisters Foundation 

Wilbur May Foundation 

William Sloane Jelin Foundation 

For more information please contact The Development Department at 310.836.1223 x 226

3200 Motor Avenue 

Los Angeles, CA 90034 

Visit our website: 


flickr.com/vista_del_mar 

facebook.com/ 

VistaDelMarServices 

facebook.com/ 

VistaInspireProgram 

@VistaDelMarOrg 

@VistaInspire 

May 19, 2012 

Leadership Council: The Next 

Generation Festival of Families 

May 23, 2012 

Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon 

July 9th- 13th, 2012 


Jump into Hebrew Letters Camp 

September 10, 2012 

Sports Sweepstakes 

Non-Profit Org. 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

Los Angeles, CA 

Permit No. 691 

Stanley Black & Bob Barth’s Vista Del Mar 

Sports Sweepstakes is Back! Join Us September 10, 2012 

Call 310.836.1223 x 226 For More Information! 

Leadership Council: The Next Generation invites you 

to our Festival of Families on May 19, 2012 

To buy tickets please visit: 

www.vistadelmar.org/festivaloffamilies 

December 12, 2012 

Women of Excellence Luncheon 

For more information contact the 

Development Department 

310-836-1223 ext.226

Joyce & Stanley Black - Vista Del Mar

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