Author Page: Nancy Sokoler Steiner

Nancy Sokoler Steiner

Cedars-Sinai studies liver transplants for HIV patients

Published on December 17, 2008

Cedars-Sinai is one of only 11 hospitals in the country and two in the state participating in the study

Cancer gives musician a new song

Published on September 3, 2008

This time, Charlie Lustman hadn't come to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for medical tests or to endure another round of chemotherapy. Despite having lost three-quarters of his jawbone, Lustman had come to celebrate, to inspire -- and to sing.

UCLA’s new hospital takes technology to new frontiers

Published on June 26, 2008

During a procedure, surgeons can use a touch-screen panel or voice commands to display and control images, adjust room lighting, or phone a colleague. They can access patient histories, X-rays and lab results, and use their fingers on the console to draw -- just like a football commentator -- on images displayed on a screen.

Preschool education gets a new Italian accent

Published on June 5, 2008

Teachers and administrators from Jewish preschools in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Israel traveled to Italy to learn about the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education

California kids deserve better

Published on May 21, 2008

The Governator's proposed education budget is inadequate

Not your grandmother’s Alzheimer’s

Published on May 8, 2008

Carol Kirsch is among the 5 percent to 10 percent of individuals with early onset Alzheimer's, those who develop symptoms before the age of 65. And she is one of the growing number who are being diagnosed at an early stage of the disease.

Blood Brothers: How a gift of lifesaving bone marrow united two strangers

Published on April 24, 2008

Although they live more than 12,000 miles apart, Yosef Eliezrie and Moshe Price have a lot in common. In October 2006, Eliezrie received a bone marrow transplant provided by Price. It was his only hope for survival after a recurrence of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. This month, Eliezrie got the chance to meet Price in person, thank him for his lifesaving gift and embark on a unique new friendship.

Chai Lifeline helps families facing life-threatening diseases

Published on April 17, 2008

Last August, Lori Paulsen's 4-year-old son, Aaron, was diagnosed with Wilms' tumor, a rare form of kidney cancer. Soon afterward, a friend offered to call Chai Lifeline on her behalf.

The Arrowsmith program gets results with ‘physical therapy for the brain’

Published on February 28, 2008

The Arrowsmith Program uses cognitive exercises designed to strengthen the underlying brain functions responsible for learning disabilities. While new to the United States, the program has been offered in private schools in Canada for 30 years, among others by the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

Ashkenazi women and ovarian cancer

Published on January 24, 2008

Dr. Beth Y. Karlan is the director of the Cedars-Sinai Women's Cancer Research Institute at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute. Her specialty is ovarian cancer, the deadliest of gynecologic cancers and one that is diagnosed in more than 22,000 women annually.

Solar panels, radio station keep Jewish camps current

Published on January 24, 2008

It was a given that Benjy Rabin, 9, would spend part of his summers at Camp Ramah as soon as he was old enough. His father is a Ramah alum, and so are his older brother and sister.

Local diabetes fighter goes global with Discovery Health Channel documentary

Published on November 15, 2007

Dr. Francine Kaufman has seen the incidence of diabetes skyrocket in the last 30 years. The pediatric endocrinologist is director of the Comprehensive Childhood Diabetes Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and she says the disease's local increase is part of a worldwide phenomenon. Now Kaufman is turning to the small screen to bring attention to this global epidemic in a one-hour, commercial-free Discovery Health documentary narrated by actress Glenn Close, "Diabetes: A Global Epidemic," on Sunday, Nov. 18.

Special needs program puts spotlight on the siblings

Published on November 15, 2007

A collaborative project of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Jewish Family Service and seven other Jewish community agencies, HaMercaz (which means "the center") assists families with children up to age 21 who have developmental and learning disabilities such as autism, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or mental retardation. The two-year-old program serves as a "one-stop-shop" for families, providing guidance, support, education and referrals. Programs include a toll-free warmline; support groups for mothers, fathers and grandparents; and referrals to agencies that can provide assistance, such as interest-free loans or parent respite.

Street smarts safety program helps Orthodox kids combat abuse

Published on August 23, 2007

The Safety Kid program -- its full name is the Aleinu Julis Child Safety Program -- was developed by the Aleinu Family Resource Center, the arm of Jewish Family Service that reaches out to the Orthodox community.

Day school teacher program seeks to improve quality of instruction

Published on August 16, 2007

The Day School Leadership Through Teaching program or DeLeT, which means "door" in Hebrew, is a 13-month fellowship designed to recruit and train high-caliber Jewish day school teachers. The program is offered in Los Angeles and San Francisco through the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) and at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

Her bag of tricks helps patients conquer chemo

Published on June 28, 2007

Shortly after Janet Halbert completed treatment for breast cancer in 2005, a friend was diagnosed with the disease. The friend asked Halbert if she had any tips for easing the chemotherapy experience. "I told her I had some products and some ideas and things that might be helpful," Halbert said.

Academy of Jewish Religion offers alternate path to rabbinate for 16 new grads

Published on June 7, 2007

This year in Los Angeles, the Reform Movement's Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Region ordained 16 new rabbis. The Conservative Movement's Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies ordained 10. And the Academy for Jewish Religion, California (AJR, CA) ordained 11. Never heard of the AJR, CA? You're not alone. Just six years old, it remains unknown to many in the Jewish community, though its impact is growing rapidly.

Healing trumps selling for new Kalsman Institute chief

Published on May 17, 2007

Michele Prince had an epiphany while sitting at a conference table nine years ago. At the time she was an account manager at a prestigious Westside advertising agency with a health insurance company as a client.

Cervical cancer vaccine stirs hope and debate

Published on February 15, 2007

According to the Centers for Disease Control, at least 50 percent of sexually active people contract a genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million new cases are diagnosed each year, the agency reports, and by age 50 at least 80 percent of women will be infected.

Jewish Home’s makeover: yoga at 3, facials at 4

Published on October 26, 2006

The Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center,which will be dedicated Oct. 29 as the newest facility at the Jewish Home for the Aging in Reseda.

Do Day School Health Programs Make the Grade?

Published on August 17, 2006

Twenty parents from the Emek Hebrew Academy in Valley Village have come on a chilly winter evening to hear Dr. Francine Kaufman, a national expert on diabetes and childhood obesity, talk about promoting children's health. Although the school has 455 families, Rabbi Sholom Strajcher, the school's dean, is not discouraged by the modest turnout.

Special Delivery - When Baby Brings More Than Expected

Published on June 22, 2006

Women suffering from PPD often fail to receive help for a number of reasons. They might be ashamed of their feelings, or they simply might not know where to turn. And not all obstetricians and pediatricians are as attuned to the condition as Berger was.

School Risked Fiscal Peril for Its Students

Published on June 8, 2006

Etz Jacob prides itself on accepting children who would not otherwise get a Jewish education. Rabbi Rubin Huttler of Congregation Etz Jacob founded the school in 1989 as a haven for new immigrants flooding into Los Angeles from Russia and Iran.

Substance Abuse a Senior Problem, Too

Published on May 18, 2006

When Amy Kaplan heard about Betty (not her real name), a Jewish Family Service client in her early 70s who said she couldn't afford all of her medications, Kaplan suspected there was more to the story.

PASSOVER: You Say Charoses and I Say Charoset

Published on April 6, 2006

I was so excited when a publishing house in New York accepted my children's book for publication. Geared to preschoolers, it's a short piece that recounts the steps of the Passover seder in simple, upbeat verse. What I didn't realize was that the work would need to be translated.

L.A. Boosts Newborn Screenings in Israel

Published on March 30, 2006

The Israel Center for Newborn Screening will be housed in its own wing at Sheba Medical Center, which is located on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. The government of Israel will incur all operating costs as of 2009. In the meantime, supporters hope to raise $14.6 million in private donations to build and supply the center, and to provide operating costs for the program's first four years.

Center’s Studies Aid Care for Frail Elderly

Published on March 9, 2006

Weight-loss prevention is one of the principal areas of investigation at the Borun Center, a joint venture between JHA and UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. Housed on the JHA campus in Reseda, the center was established in 1989 to identify and test nonmedical measures that could improve daily care and quality of life for nursing home residents.

Robot Dances Off With Award

Published on February 23, 2006

Don't have time to shlep to a museum? Too tired to remember if the free museum day is the first or second Tuesday of the month? Want to conquer a large, overwhelming exhibit in small, 15-minute intervals? Then bring the museum to your desktop and browse at your own pace.

Where the Boys Aren’t

Published on January 26, 2006

"Looking at what's happening locally and nationally, we've found that fewer teen boys enroll in informal Jewish activities than they did in previous years," said Lori Harrison Port, senior associate director for planning and allocations at The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

Transplant Recipient Will Parade Success

Published on December 29, 2005

Like many native Angelenos, Ilene Feder has never been to the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena. However, the Studio City resident not only will be attending the New Year's day festivities on Monday, Jan. 2, for the 118th Rose Parade, but will have a vantage point few get to experience: She'll be riding on a float.

Hearing Loss Helps Writer Find Voice

Published on December 29, 2005

Michael Chorost climbs the flight of stairs to a room filled with metal file cabinets. He's never been to this place before, but he's greeted like a long lost relative. A smiling woman hands him what he has come to see: file No. 27392.
Hearing Loss Helps Writer Find Voice

Community Briefs

Published on December 8, 2005

A lively, heartfelt tribute to former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin brought more than 400 people to the University of Judaism to mark the 10th year since an assassin took his life.
When California voters passed a $3 billion stem cell research initiative, they not only opened the door to medical advances but also to a collaboration with scientists from Israel, which is an established leader in the field.

To seed that partnership, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center recently hosted a two-day symposium that attracted more than 300 physicians, scientists, bioethicists and entrepreneurs.

Synagogues Weigh Defibrillator Benefits

Published on November 24, 2005

In the five years since Priddy's father passed away, portable defibrillators (also called automated external defibrillators) have become increasingly common in public venues.

Inclusive Education

Published on October 20, 2005

In the summer of 2002, Liza Wohlberg had no idea that her life was about to irrevocably change. The 7-year-old, who loved to dance and play with her dog, was enjoying the summer vacation between first and second grade. On a family trip to Canada, Liza's mother, Terry, noticed that her daughter couldn't seem to get enough to drink. When the problem persisted, Terry took Liza to the pediatrician. She was immediately diagnosed with juvenile-onset (type 1) diabetes.

Shticking It to the Classics

Published on September 29, 2005

This is not your grandmother's Jewish music. Like other recent Jewish parody CDs, "Meshugeneh Mambo" carries on the tradition of Jewish humor popularized by such forbearers as Mickey Katz and Allan Sherman.

A Father’s Drive to Save His Daughter

Published on September 15, 2005

George Smith hates to lose. A Harvard Business School graduate, Smith founded one of Southern California's largest, most prominent real estate investment banking firms and will receive an honorary doctorate from Tel Aviv University next week. Still, he smarts a little from a grievance endured at Hamilton High more than 50 years ago.

"I graduated second in my class to a home economics major," said the 70-year-old real estate guru and father of four. "She had one B in three years and I had two. My physics teacher graded me at a different level than anyone else because she knew I was going on to Cal Tech."

He holds no grudge. And this small injustice would help to fuel rather than blunt his drive to succeed, which has served Smith well in building a firm that exceeded $2 billion in commercial financing last year. He never imagined that he'd also apply this indomitable will another way: in a fight to save his daughter's life.

Becca Smith was 5 years old in 1983 when she was diagnosed with Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T), a rare, progressively degenerative neurological disease for which there is no cure. Children with A-T have difficulty walking and with balance, and are more susceptible to infection and certain cancers. Smith and his wife, Pam, were told that Becca was unlikely to reach her 20th birthday.

New Year Rings in New Role for Rabbi

Published on September 8, 2005

Rabbi Toba August likes to accentuate the positive, and the new year is no exception.

"Too often for the High Holidays, we're told about our shortcomings," August said. "I want to concentrate on what we're doing right.... We don't recognize the things we do that matter. I want us to walk out of services feeling elevated and validated and renewed."

August has reason to focus on the positive, because this summer she was made the principal spiritual leader of Adat Shalom, a Conservative synagogue in West Los Angeles. Currently, August is one of only two women to head a longstanding Conservative congregation in Los Angeles. (The other is Rabbi Sally Olins of Temple Bnai Hayim in Sherman Oaks.) Her appointment comes just as the Conservative movement is grappling with the disparity of women rabbis in the movement.

Preschool Teaching Methods Stir Debate

Published on August 25, 2005

Once upon a time, children didn't step into a classroom until kindergarten. There, 5-year-olds got their first real introduction to ABCs and 123s, colors and shapes and how to share and take turns.

Health - Pursuing America’s No. 1 Killer

Published on August 4, 2005

For more times than he can recall, Ken Bouchard has journeyed from Los Angeles to his hometown of Framingham, Mass. There, Bouchard willingly provides blood samples, dons heart monitors and details his eating habits.

Who Will Care for the Caregivers?

Published on June 23, 2005

The Los Angeles Fearless Family Caregiver Conference is in Carson on June 28 It is sponsored by Today's Caregiver magazine along with the City of L.A. Department of Aging and the L.A. County Area Agency on Aging.

Nachas From Noggins

Published on June 16, 2005

El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills has once again given Los Angeles something to kvell about. The school claimed top honors at this year's national Academic Decathlon, the annual contest of intellectual prowess.

Three of the nine team members generated special pride for the Jewish community: Lindsey Cohen and Linsday Gibbs are both affiliated with Shomrei Torah, while Kevin Rosenberg attends Temple Aliyah.

"I got enormous support from my parents, from my temple [Shomrei Torah] and from my friends," Gibbs said. "After we won state, the rabbi sent me a letter and the cantor called me.... They didn't know what I got on each test or how I did medal-wise, and yet, they were all so supportive and welcoming and congratulatory when I got back."

Surgery Offers Hope to Dystonia Victims

Published on June 9, 2005

By the time he had reached the fourth grade, Josh's dystonia caused his right hand to involuntarily clench into a fist so tight that he could only open it by force. His feet turned inward, requiring him to wear braces. The symptoms had forced Josh to quit his baseball and basketball teams after six years of playing, leaving him depressed and angry.

Rare Ailment Occurs More in Ashkenazis

Published on June 9, 2005

After David Rudolph sprained his ankle during a basketball game, his father noticed that the second-grader couldn't seem to keep his left heel flat on the ground. The problem persisted, sidelining David from his position as catcher on his Little League team, and preventing him from progressing beyond his blue belt in karate.

Local Writers Recall Times of Tyranny

Published on April 28, 2005

In a tale rooted in personal experience, Dr. John Menkes explores the themes of loss and recovery in his novel “After the Tempest” (Daniel & Daniel, 2003). A Holocaust survivor, Menkes returned to his hometown of Vienna after the war and found that not only was his family and his home gone, but his very identity had been irrevocably lost.

Tragedy and Triumph Comes Alive for Teens

Published on April 28, 2005

As 14-year-old Lisa Jura said goodbye to her mother at a Vienna train station in 1938, Jura’s mother spoke words that would inspire her for a lifetime: “Hold on to your music. It will be your best friend.”
Jura didn’t imagine that these words — and how her life came to embody them — would inspire subsequent generations of teenagers, even 70 years later.

Q and A With Dr. Francine R. Kaufman

Published on April 7, 2005

Obesity has reached record rates among children and adults, bringing with it increased risk for developing diabetes and related health problems. In addition to the more than 18 million Americans currently living with diabetes, another 41 million are considered prediabetic, and are likely to develop the disease unless they take action.

In her new book, "Diabesity: The Obesity-Diabetes Epidemic That Threatens America -- And What We Must Do to Stop It" (Bantam), Dr. Francine R. Kaufman describes how reversing these trends requires efforts from all levels of society.