Kosher Konnection, Ruth Rales JFS, circa 1980
Federation campus under construction, 1991
“Burning of the Mortgage” on Siemens Campus, 1996
Plans unveiled for Federation’s “North Campus,” 1999
Dedication of Sandler Center at Levis JCC, 2001
Federation’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, 2005
A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Most would agree that completing
In fact, Bobick’s experience only confirmed
They didn’t stay at “scratch” for long.
Then came a major land donation by
a quarter century of history, as the
a trend. Although the Jewish community
First came what is now Ruth Rales Jewish
real estate developer Richard Siemens
Federation did in 2004-2005, is a
in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland
Family Service, then a fledgling day
and his partners, in west Boca, which
major accomplishment. Yet few know
Beach was small... only 15,000 compared
school was built into today’s award-winning
was mostly farmland. Siemens’ foresight
that all that’s been done in those years...
to almost 140,000 today... growth was
Donna Klein Jewish Academy. The
has been evident as a thriving Jewish
the programs, the agencies, the building
beginning, and the existing organization
Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community
community grew precisely as he thought
projects and more... started with things
wasn’t serving it.
Center came next, and other programs,
it would in the pastoral wilderness.
as mundane as a refusal to send a minibus to take children to day camp.
including the Jewish Association for “A group of us determined that we could
Residential Care (JARC), followed. In
raise more money if we were independent,”
time, the Jewish Education Commission
This fact became clear when six founders
said Al Gortz. “But West Palm Beach
and Jewish Community Relations Council
“When you look back at the fact that
of the Federation gathered to talk about
was against our ‘seceding from the
were established. Senior housing went
there was nothing, it’s mind boggling,”
the organization’s beginnings. The group
union.’” Then, he recalled, came a
up. Russian Jewish immigrants were
Nobil said, “thirty shuls with their own
included past presidents Jim Nobil and
tumultuous meeting, highlighted by “an
resettled. And, each year, substantial aid
facilities, plus this campus with programs
Marianne Bobick, along with Betty
interesting discussion.” When the smoke
went to Israel.
from preschool to seniors. We’ve been
and Norman Stone, Al Gortz and Abby
cleared, a new Federation was born.
Jim Nobil summed things up:
privileged to be a part of it.” Feeding this growth were the Annual
Levine, who have all served on the “We looked for a place to celebrate,”
Campaigns, with goals set each year,
“We’d do it all again,” added Gortz,
said Gortz, “and wound up in a
which were regularly exceeded. The
“in a heartbeat.”
Bobick explained that, in 1979, there
Howard Johnson’s, having coffee and
Jewish Community Foundation was
was only one Jewish Federation in the
pie.” Norman Stone picked up the tab,
established in 1984 to add to that total.
county, headquartered in West Palm
marking the Federation’s first contribution.
Board of Directors.
Beach, with a tiny office in the south.
The need for more space was a con-
FEDERATION PRESIDENTS, LISTED ON COVER:
South county mothers asked for help in
The leaders noted that the new group
stant. The Federation moved from a
sending their children to a Federation
followed a very different growth path than
storefront to a strip mall to a former
James B. Baer 1979-1983
Richard Okonow 1992-1995
day camp. “We can’t underwrite you,”
the usual, in which individual agencies
church. “We called a rabbi to ‘kosher’
Marianne Bobick 1983-1986
Herbert Gimelstob 1995-1998
was the reply, said Bobick. “We can’t
precede an umbrella organization.
the place,” Bobick recalled, but she was
even send a minibus. That’s when,” she
“Think back to the Lower East Side of
told no special steps were necessary.
James H. Nobil 1986-1988, 1999-2001
Ralph Solomon 1998-1999
continued, “the women decided to hold
New York,” said Betty Stone. “We were
Marvin Zale 1988-1991
Andrew S. Robins 2001-2003
their own yearly campaign.”
like immigrants starting from scratch.”
Allan Solomon 1991-1992
Lawrence D. Altschul 2003-2005
From generation to generation... to generation!