Federation Star - April 2016 by Jewish Federation of Collier County

Annual Meeting

Tuesday, April 12 at 7:00 pm • Jewish Federation of Collier County

2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201 • David G. Willens Community Room – 2nd Floor See page 3 for more details

Celebrating Jewish Life in Collier County, Israel and the World

Federation Star Published by the Jewish Federation of Collier County serving Naples, Marco Island and the surrounding communities

www.JewishNaples.org INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 4 Women’s Cultural Alliance 7 Men’s Cultural Alliance 11 Community Focus 16 Business Directory 18 Tributes 19 Jewish Interest 20 Jewish Book Festival 29 Israel & the Jewish World 31 Commentary 32 Focus on Youth 34 Synagogues 36 Organizations 38 Community Calendar 39 Community Directory

11 Holocaust Museum & Education Center of SWFL

15 Hadassah fundraiser honors Ida & Jeff Margolis

20 Collier County Jewish Book Festival

31 Syrian refugee creates website to thank Israelis

April 2016 - Adar/Nisan 5776

Vol. 25 #8

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin draws 700 to Evy Lipp People of the Book event

ur community held another signature event, marking the twelfth anniversary of the Jewish Federation of Collier County’s Evy Lipp People of the Book program. Kudos go to Stan Lipp and Teri Kampmeyer for their efforts as cochairs and for all of their planning of this special event. Our thanks go to Temple Shalom for once again hosting the Federation for the evening. Special thanks go to the generous underwriting support for this program from the Patron Donors listed below. This season’s distinguished guest speaker, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, was outstanding, keeping the capacity crowd of 700 enthralled during his talk and the question-and-answer session.

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin addressed a capacity crowd at Temple Shalom

Evy Lipp People of the Book Patron Donors: Rosalee & Jerry Bogo Rhonda & Steven Brazina Linda & Dan Carp Myra & Dr. Mort Friedman Susie & Ron Goldsmith Jane Schiff & Lon Gratz Dr. Paula Brody & Merrill Hassenfeld Eloise & Elliot Kaplan Jay & Stuart Kaye Lin & Ron Klein Helene & Judge Norman Krivosha Teri Kampmeyer & Stan Lipp Fran & Robert Nossen Judi Palay Debbie Laites & Ben Post Betty & Les Schwartz Phyllis & Michael Seaman Myra Shapiro Arlene & Michael Sobol Stuart Warshauer

For additional photos from the Evy Lipp People of the Book event and Patrons Dinner, visit www.facebook.com/ JewishFederationofCollierCounty

Co-Chair Stan Lipp with Rabbi Joseph Telushkin at the Patrons Dinner before the event

Rabbi Adam Miller, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Jeffrey Feld

(photos courtesy Ted Epstein)

Jewish Federation of Collier County Inc. 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Ste. 2201 Naples, FL 34109

Prsrt Std US Postage Paid Permit #419 Ft Myers FL

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin signed dozens of books for the attendees

Federation Star April 2016

JEWISH FEDERATION

Renee’s community Thanks program & events corner Jeffrey Mercato from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Renee’ Backgammon on Thursdays Bialek at the Jewish Federation: Contact Dena for reservations: dena_ Community robbins@me.com Program April 7, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. April 14, noon to 3:00 p.m. Coordinator April 21, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. n February, the Evy Lipp People of April 28, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. the Book Cultural Event featured Chess on Wednesdays Rabbi Joseph Telushkin and was a at the Jewish Federation: huge success with 700 people in attenAll levels are welcome to attend these dance. Thank you to the 25 volunteers free events. who made this event run smoothly. If April 6, 13, 20 and 27 from 2:00 to you would like to volunteer at future 4:00 p.m. events or volunteer in the Jewish FedRSVP to rbialek@jewishnaples.org eration office by answering phones and Kids Korner: greeting people, please contact me. Thursday, April 14. Children in Pre-k to Please save these grade 5 are invited to the Jewish Fedimportant upcoming dates: eration to play games and put puzzles Wednesday, May 4: Yom HaShoah at together from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free Temple Shalom at 5:00 p.m. event. RSVP by April 12 to rbialek@ Sunday, May 15: Celebrate Israel at jewishnaples.org. Adults Korner: Monday, April 11: Stop Aging AND Prevent Deadly Diseases with Dr. Jerry Kumin. Free education discussion at the Jewish Federation from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. RSVP by April 8 to rbialek@ jewishnaples.org. Monday, April 18: Coloring for Adults. Relax and color with us at this free event from Federation members enjoyed a free dance lesson at Fred Astaire 10:30 a.m. to noon. Limit 12 Dance Studio. Pictured along with the professional dancers are people. RSVP by April 15 to Lee Kaye, Phil Ferrara, Edythe Cohen, Jan Silver Fristenberg, Monica Goodwin, Susan Ferrara and Richard Fristenberg. rbialek@jewishnaples.org.

For a continuously updated community calendar, visit www.jewishnaples.org.

Feld Federation President/ CEO

he Annual Meeting of the Jewish Federation of Collier County will be convened on Tuesday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the David G. Willens Community Room at the Federation office. At that time, we will elect officers and board members to help lead our Federation in our community for the coming year. Basically, we think of this as a time when our leaders become renewed and rededicated for the mission of working in the best interest of our Jewish community. In fact, that does happen. The Annual Meeting is also an opportunity for us to express our appreciation to the officers and board members who have given so much of themselves for our community. I thank each officer and board member for everything that they do for all of us. There have been

The importance of saying “Thank You” Alvin Becker Federation Board Chair

recall the story of the admonition to the six-year-old who was reminded that, “Alvin, if you don’t thank Nana for your birthday present, don’t expect a Hanukkah gift.” The Jewish Federation of Collier County appreciates every donor who supports our efforts to enhance and enrich the quality of Jewish life in Collier County through their contributions to our General Campaign. We realize the importance of saying “Thank You” to each and every one of them. (It is the first thing we remind members of our Campaign Cabinet to say when they contact a potential donor.) After an absence of several years, a Jewish Federation of Collier County Donor Appreciation publication is

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countless hours of meetings, conversations, emails, letters and more that each of these leaders has given to our community. Thank you very much. In addition, we should also thank the myriad of committee chair people and committee members. They also have given of themselves for our community. In some cases, it has been about policy, on other occasions it has been specific programs. All of these things put together make us a better community. Thank you very much for all that each of you do to make this a vital, vibrant Jewish community. While we are at it, let’s remember to thank the leaders and workers of all of our partner agencies and organizations who truly make up the fabric of this Jewish community. I thank your leadership, your volunteers and your staff for everything that you do. This month, we will also celebrate Passover. On behalf of the officers, board members and staff of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, I wish each of you and your families a very meaningful and joyous Pesach!

planned to be distributed at the conclusion of this year’s General Campaign. It will be yet another way for us to say “Thank You” to our donors. At the conclusion of this year’s General Campaign, a tiered listing of all contributors to the Campaign by range of gift will be made available to our community. During the Campaign, a listing of donors (without amounts) will appear in issues of the Federation Star. Of course, we recognize that some contributors will not want to be recognized in this manner and would prefer their gifts to be anonymous. We will provide a method by which donors can opt out of the Federation’s donor appreciation program. (We appreciate them nevertheless.) Through this donor appreciation program and publication, the Jewish Federation of Collier County seeks to acknowledge the support of each donor whose gift makes the important work of the Federation possible.

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April 2016 Federation Star

JEWISH FEDERATION

2016 Campaign – Where your money goes Yad LaKashish (Lifeline for the Old) in Jerusalem By Harvey Brenner, Campaign Chairman

s part of our fundraising campaign, each month I will tell you about one of our overseas agencies which receives grant monies from your generous donations to our Annual Campaign. Yad LaKashish (Lifeline for the Old) in Jerusalem was founded in 1962 by a school teacher as a small bookbindery to employ eight elderly indigent men. Today there are eight workshops where almost 300 elderly Jerusalemites spend each weekday morning not merely socializing, eating and participating in recreational activities, but doing valuable work. Yad LaKashish is a unique artisans’ workshop and gift store. The artisans mainly are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia and other parts of the world with little financial or familial support in Israel. They were not crafters in their younger days. They learn the skills on site from instructors who are graduates of Israel’s art schools, including the renowned Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. Sixty percent are female and most of them live alone. . The average age of the workers at this y unique social project is 78; the oldest is 94. All receive the same stipend, a free public transportation pass which f our Jewish Federation helps to subsidize through our grant program, dental o coverage, eyeglass subsidies, a mida morning snack and a hot and nutritious l lunch (also partially subsidized through . our grant program), which for some e is the only hot meal received for an entire day. r What they are given fills in the gaps from welfare ($600/month from the s Israeli government) but doesn’t make r them feel they are getting charity. They e are making things that people buy, and they’re getting paid ($200/ month), just n like in a regular workplace. They also receive holiday gifts. As a non-profit, o Yad LaKashish’s main purpose is not r to put them to work but to allow disf advantaged seniors to remain active, productive members of society for as long as possible. They focus on each person’s ability – what they can still do – to make an item that will really

be used and they can feel proud about. Some of the workers have been a part of Yad LaKashish for 20 years. The most important thing is that everybody feels they have something to contribute. The many crafts that are done simultaneously in different workshops include bookbinding, metal work, ceramics, silk painting, sewing, embroidery, lamination and decoupage. At the recycling workshop, for example, paper from offices and local businesses is used to create photo albums, picture frames, invitations, greeting cards and other attractive and marketable products. On a trip to Israel last May, my wife Maxine and I, plus several of our friends on the tour, visited Yad LaKashish and did some mitzvah shopping. It’s an amazing place that really encourages and assures dignity for the elderly. There should be a Yad LaKashish in every community. I don’t know why there isn’t. The products made by the elderly are beautiful. It’s as good Judaica as anywhere in Israel, if not better. It’s the best kept secret in Jerusalem. If you go to Jerusalem, don’t go shopping until you’ve been there first. It’s a part of Israel that tourists have yet to discover. It’s also in a convenient location right between the Old City and the city center. According to Executive Director Nava Ein-Mor, “Yad LaKashish repaints the image of the elderly in Israeli society and how we take care of them. There’s a saying that if you want to know what a society is all about, you should look at how it treats its elderly.” The Jewish Federation of Collier County’s support of Yad LaKashish is a blessing that their elderly accept with heartfelt gratitude. If you go to the beautiful city of Jerusalem, make sure that you visit Yad LaKashish at 14 Shivtei Israel Street. You will have stumbled on a truly remarkable place. Donate, shop and learn more: www.lifeline.org.il. For more information, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=-4jC9H-I3jA

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Challenge Grant received for 2016 Campaign By Harvey Brenner, Campaign Chairman

n February 26, Alvin Becker, Jeffrey Feld and I met with one of our major donors whose contributions are made anonymously. After some discussion and updating him about last year’s Campaign and the current one, I asked him if he would consider funding a challenge grant this year. After much consideration, he said he would match dollar for dollar any first-time contributions and increased contributions from last year. We need your help to secure it. We are hoping to attain this challenge before the end of April. As of March 11, our annual campaign is at $668,119. We have a lot of momentum and need your help to continue.

$1,100,000 $900,000 $668,119* $500,000 $300,000 $100,000 *as of 3/11

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE ANNUAL M EETING YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE OFM THE EETING A NNUAL ANNUAL MEETING ANNUALOFM EETING THE OF THE

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THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.

OF COLLIER COUNTY

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016 7:00 PM TUESDAY UESDAY,, A APRIL 12, 2016 T JEWISH FEDERATIONPRIL OF COLLIER COUNTY T UESDAY,7:00 A PRILPM 12, 2016 7:00 PM 2500 VANDERBILT BEACH ROAD, SUITE 2201 PM EWISH EDERATION OF C COLLIER OLLIER AVID G.FF W ILLENS7:00 COMMUNITY ROOM – C 2 OUNTY FLOOR EDERATION OF C OUNTY JDJEWISH 2500 VANDERBILT ANDERBILTB BEACH EACH OAD 2201 JEWISH FVEDERATION OF C OLLIER COUNTY 2500 RROAD ,, SSUITE UITE 2201 ELECTION OF BDDOARD OF DIRECTORS AND O FFICERS FOR 2016-2017 AVIDG. G. WILLENS ILLENS –– 22201 AVID CCOMMUNITY RROOM 2 FFLOOR LOOR 2500 VW ANDERBILT BOMMUNITY EACH ROAD ,OOM SUITE AVID G. WILLENS COMMUNITY ROOM – 2 FLOOR 2016-2017 ESSERT RECEPTION LECTIONOF OFD OARDOF OFD IRECTORS AND OFFICERS EELECTION BBOARD DDIRECTORS AND O FFICERS FOR FOR 2016-2017 ELECTION OF BOARD OF DDDIRECTORS AND O FFICERS FOR 2016-2017 ESSERT R ECEPTION ESSERT RECEPTION JOIN US FORDESSERT SPECIALR2016 PRESENTATIONS: ECEPTION ND

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“VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION”

JOIN US FORappreciates SPECIAL the 2016 PRESENTATIONS The Jewish Federation of Collier County volunteers who take the :time to come in to answer JOIN USFOR FORS SPECIAL 2016PPRESENTATIONS RESENTATIONS:: phones, file papers and toJhelp at events and programs. OIN USvarious PECIAL “V OLUNTEER2016 APPRECIATION”

“VOLUNTEERthe APPRECIATION The Jewish Federation of Collier County“V appreciates volunteers””who take the time to come in to answer OLUNTEER APPRECIATION The Jewish Federation ofJhelp Collier County appreciates the volunteers who take the time to come in to answer EWISH COMMUNITY Rand ELATIONS COMMITTEE PRESENTS : to phones, fileFederation papers andofto at various events programs. The Jewish Collier County appreciates the volunteers who take the time come in to answer phones, ﬁle papers and to help at various events and programs. phones, file papers and to help at various events and programs. “HUMAN NEEDS AWARD” The Human Needs AwardJEWISH is to recognize organizations their generous spirit :and service to the Collier COMMUNITY RELATIONSforCOMMITTEE PRESENTS JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE PRESENTS : County Community. They must effectively demonstrate towardPRESENTS alleviating JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS C : problems of real need in “H UMAN NEEDSworking AOMMITTEE WARD” “H UMAN NEEDS AWARD” our community. The Human Needs Award is to recognize for their” generous spirit and service to the Collier “Horganizations UMAN NEEDS A WARD The Human Needs Award is to“S recognize organizations for their generous spirit and service to the Collier TAND UPdemonstrate FOR JUSTICE”working EDUCATOR AWARD County Community. They is must effectively toward alleviating problems real need in The Human Needs Award to recognize organizations for their towards generous spirit and serviceofof toreal theneed Collier County Community. They must eﬀectively demonstrate working alleviating in To deserving teachers in our community, in recognition for their outstanding, uniqueproblems and replicable education our community. County Community. They must effectively demonstrate working toward alleviating problems of real need in our community. initiative created to counter bigotry andUbullying, teaching students to stand up for justice no matter what “STAND P FOR JUSTICE” EDUCATOR AWARD our community. religious, racial, cultural or other differences exist. To deserving teachers in our community, in recognition their outstanding, “STAND UP FOR JUSTICE”for EDUCATOR AWARD unique and replicable education initiative created to counter bigotry andinbullying, teaching students to stand up for justice no matter what To deserving teachers in our community, recognition for their outstanding, unique and replicable education religious,created racial, cultural or other differences exist. teaching students to stand up for justice no matter what initiative to counter bigotry and bullying,

byexist. APRIL 5 to religious, racial, cultural or otherRSVP differences

Renee’ Bialek RSVP by APRIL 5, 2016 to Renee’ Bialek at 239-263-4205 or rbialek@jewishnaples.org at 239-263-4205 or rbialek@jewishnaples.org RSVP by APRIL 5 to Renee’ Bialek RSVP by A PRIL 5 to Renee’ Bialek at 239-263-4205 or rbialek@jewishnaples.org at 239-263-4205 or rbialek@jewishnaples.org

Federation Star April 2016 WOMEN’S CULTURAL ALLIANCE

JEWISH FEDERATION www.WomensCulturalAlliance.com / 215-820-6697

Reading is a popular passion among WCA members By Susan Pittelman, WCA Publicity Director

CA members are still talking about the success of the First Annual Collier County Jewish Book Festival! WCA members are avid readers. In response to this passion, WCA offers twelve different special interest groups that provide WCA members with the opportunity to read a piece of literature and then participate in a group discussion about what they have read. Last month I wrote about the eight special interest groups that focused on reading books – both fiction and nonfiction. This article will focus on

known historical and contemporary literary and philosophical writers. At its first meeting in December, Donald Pomerantz, Professor Emeritus of Central Connecticut State University, presented the philosophical and literary background to Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author before discussing this thought-provoking and complex play. In January the group discussed Stephen Crane’s The Open Boat, in February they examined Sherwood Anderson’s short story Death in the Woods, and in March the group read and discussed Jorge Luis Borges’s The

Jewish Book Festival committee members Susan Pittelman, Robin Mintz and Sue Bookbinder with author Susan Jane Gilman at the WCA-sponsored book festival event

four other WCA interest groups: Great Books, the New Yorker, Contemporary Short Stories, and Modern Plays. While each interest group focuses on a different genre, all the groups provide WCA members with an intellectually stimulating experience. (Each of these groups is listed in the WCA Program Guide. You must register with the liaison in order to receive information about the meetings.) The Great Books group chooses its selections from anthologies from the Great Books Foundation. This year the group is continuing with the third book in the series, Great Conversations 3, which contains works by many well-

of the Story: An international anthology of contemporary short stories edited by Daniel Halpern. The members bring their ideas and thoughts together for a lively and stimulating afternoon. So far this season the group has read: The Free Radio by Salman Rushdie, Africa Kills her Sun by Ken Saro-Wiwa, The Ring by Ingo Schulze, Learning to Swim by Graham Swift, A Riddle by Antonio Tabucchi, and Minutes of Glory by Ngugi wa Thiong’o. In April the group will read and discuss On the Golden Porch by Tatyana Tolstaya, and John-Jin by Rose Tremain. Liaison Linda Hertzberg

WCA President Elaine Soffer with author Julia Dahl at the WCA-sponsored book festival event

Garden of Forking Paths. During the remainder of the season, they will study Simone de Beauvoir’s Introduction to The Second Sex. The focus of this group is a shared inquiry approach where everyone comes prepared to offer ideas. Liaison Irene Pomerantz commented, “I love this group of women who enjoy reading and tackling intellectually-challenging texts and helping each other understand them.” The Contemporary Short Stories group meets January through April, discussing two short stories each month that are chosen from the book The Art

commented, “Lively discussions and analysis always follow each story.” Participants in the New Yorker interest group are active contributors who select, read and discuss fiction and non-fiction works from this timely magazine. Each month two articles are discussed (one fiction and one nonfiction), with two members facilitating the discussion and preparing relevant

questions for the group. Liaison Linda Smith remarked, “Because we select both fiction and non-fiction articles, the discussions include many diverse topics.” Many of the non-fiction articles deal with topics that are current and in the news. December’s non-fiction article was “The Gene Hackers” about CRISPR geneediting technology to treat disease. The fiction articles include a diverse range of short stories by great writers like Isaac Bashevis Singer, Raymond Carver and Margaret Atwood. Linda said, “It is a lively and invigorating time. One, always at the end, comes away more enlightened and informed.” One of the interesting aspects of the Modern Playwrights group is that the women read aloud selected parts of the play to enhance their understanding of it. Co-Liaison Carole Soling (who leads the group with Co-Liaison Bobbi Bassewitz) explained, “The readings give a better sense of what the play sounds like – plays are meant to be seen and heard. We only read selected scenes.” Each meeting, the leader talks about the play and the author, and then the participants discuss it. Meeting monthly, between December and April, the group will read and analyze five plays. The meetings December through March featured Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar, The Commons of Pensacola by Amanda Peet, Skylight by David Hare, and Outside Mullingar by John Patrick Shanley. The play for April is The Country House by Donald Margulies. Did you find a group of interest to you? Renew your membership in WCA today – and be all set to sign up to participate when the WCA Program Guide is mailed this summer. Don’t delay, join or renew your WCA membership today! You will be glad that you did! Simply fill out the membership form below or visit www.womens culturalalliance.com.

Women’s Cultural Alliance: 1,250 members strong and growing!

Women’s Cultural Alliance Membership Form Our Membership year runs from September 1 to August 31. Dues for members who join after March 1st will cover the next season.

Men's Cultural Alliance of Collier County Men's Cultural Alliance of Collier County 2016-2017 Membership Form 2016-2017 Membership Form

New Member____ Renewal____ Is there a change in your information from last year? YES___ NO___

The membership yearyear is from July June3030 of the The membership is from July11 to to June of the nextnext year. year. Dues Dues received afterafter April 1 will next season. received April 1 willbe be applied applied toto thethe next season.

___________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

Name

Spouse/Partner Name

___________________________________________________________________ Email Address (very important)

___________________________________________________________________

(PLEASE fill fill out form completely and PRINT Please check one:☐ NewRenewal ☐ Renewal outthe the form completely andCLEARLY!) PRINT CLEA Please check one: New ☐☐ (PLEASE

Name:

Name: Spouse or Partner Name, if applicable: _________________________________ _______________________________ Community in which you live FL Home Phone Spouse or Partner Name, if applicable: Local Address: ______________________________ ____________________________________ City: State: Zip: Local Address: Cell Phone Northern Phone Email (very important): ___________________________________________________________________ City: State: Zip: Northern Street Address, City, State or Province, Zip Florida phone: Cell or alternate phone: Email (veryNorthern important): Address: In FL: Full Time______ OR Part Time______ From _________________________ to _______________________ Florida phone: Cell or alternate phone: Zip: City: State: Membership Dues are $90.00 (US Funds), which includes a $36.00 donation to Federation $90.00 In Southwest Florida: full-time ☐ part-time ☐ (from to ) Northern Address: I am also including a voluntary donation to the Federation in the amount of $_________________ Membership fee: $70 (US Funds only, Minimum for the year; includesZip: Federation membership.) City: State: FL Street Address, City, Zip

Total enclosed or authorized $__________________ ____I will be paying by check. (Please make your check payable to JFCC/WCA.)

NAME BADGES

In Southwest Florida: full-time to ☐ if(from A name badge will be issued☐ to part-time you at no charge you are a NEW member.

)

I want a replacement name badge: Yes ☐ No ☐ Fee: $8. If you checked yes, submit a total fee is $78. ____I will be paying by credit card: Card Number_________________________________________________________ Membership fee: only, Minimum Name as you$70 want(US it to Funds appear on the name badge for the year; includes Federation members NAMEand BADGES Exp. Date_______________ Name on Card________________________________________________________ Additional donation to the Federation is voluntary encouraged.

A name badge will be issued to you at no charge if you are a NEW member. Please make your check payable to: JFCC/MCA and mail with this form to: I want a replacement name badge: Yes ☐ No ☐ Fee: $8. If you checked yes, submit a total fee is MCA/ Jewish Federation of Collier County Name as you want it to appear onSte. the name badge ____I would like to volunteer for WCA by Chairing or Co-Chairing a program. 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, 2201 ____I would like to be a speaker or lead a workshop on these topics: If checked, list topic(s)_______________________ Additional donation to the Federation is voluntary and encouraged. Naples, FL 34109 You must sign the waiver below, and return this completed form with your check or credit card information. To be included in the WCA Directory, we must have this information by August 1.

____I would like to volunteer in some capacity, but I am not yet sure what.

Please makeI would your like check payablemy to:services/expertise JFCC/MCA and this to form to volunteer andmail wouldwith be willing chairto: or co-chair a meeting/outing Please sign Event Participation Waiver: As a participant in a WCA event, I, acting for myself, my executors, on the following topic or topics: administrators, heirs, next of kin agree as follows: I waive all rights, claims, courses of action, of any kind whatsoever that MCA/ Jewish Federation of Collier County I or my heirs or my legal representatives may claim to have against The Jewish Federation of Collier County, The EVENT PARTICIPATION WAIVER Women’s Cultural Alliance, or their agents, servants, and/or employees, for any loss, injury, or damage sustained by me 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Ste. 2201 By signing below, I accept the terms of this waiver. while participating in a WCA event. This waiver and release shall be construed broadly, under the laws of the State of Florida. Your membership payment is your permission for Women’s Cultural Alliance to take and use photographs/videos As a participant in an MCA event, I , acting for myself, my executors, administrators, heirs, next of kin agree Naples, FL 34109 for appropriate purposes in accordance with WCA’s mission as follows: That I waive all rights, claims, cause of action, of any kind whatsoever that I or my heirs, legal

representatives may claim to have against either The Jewish Federation of Collier County, and or the Men’s Signature_________________________________________________ Date__________________________ I would likeCultural to volunteer my services/expertise and would be willing to chair or co-chair a meeting/o Alliance of Collier County, their members, agents, servants, and or employees, for any loss, injury, on the following topic or topics: or damage sustained by me while participating in an MCA event. This waiver and release shall be construed Please mail this form (with the signed waiver) and your check or credit card number to: broadly, under the Laws of the State of Florida. Jewish Federation of Collier County, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd. #2201, Naples FL 34109.

EVENT PARTICIPATION WAIVER Date_______________ By signing below, I accept the terms of this waiver. If you prefer, you may complete this form online at www.WomensCulturalAlliance.com and then print off the form, sign the waiver, and mail it to the Jewish Federation (at the above address) with your payment. As a participant in an MCA event, I , acting for myself, my executors, administrators, heirs, next of ki For more information: Contact Les Nizin, mcanaples@aol.com Signature

April 2016 Federation Star

JEWISH FEDERATION

Published by

Israel Scouts coming to Naples for two days – June 22-23 By Ted Epstein, Editor Federation Star et ready! The Tzofim (Israel Scouts) Friendship Caravan is coming to Naples! And this year, they will be in our community for two days and performing at multiple venues. Look for complete details in the May and June issues of the Federation Star. The Caravan is made up of five girls, five boys and two Caravan leaders from all over Israel. In order to be in the Caravan, these teenagers went through a highly competitive selection process and were chosen based on their maturity, fluency in English, and performance skills. Scouting is big in Israel, with over 60,000 members, and those chosen to participate here are selected for their ability to best represent the State of Israel. As shlichim, or Israeli delegates, these teens have a love for Israel and a desire to share that with North Americans. The Scouts are bright and dynamic

2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201 Naples, Florida 34109-0613 Phone: (239) 263-4205 Fax: (239) 263-3813 www.jewishnaples.org Email: info@jewishnaples.org Officers Board Chair: Alvin Becker Vice Chair: Kevin Aizenshtat Vice Chair: Phyllis Seaman Secretary: Wallie Lenchner Treasurer: Jerry Sobelman Immed. Past Chair: Judge Norman Krivosha

Board of Directors Joshua Bialek Rosalee Bogo David Braverman Harvey Brenner Dan Carp Stephen Coleman Karen Deutsch Michael Feldman Alan Gordon Neil Heuer Joel Pittelman Jane Schiff Arlene Sobol Michael Sobol Steve Strome Dr. Daniel Wasserman Beth Wolff Edward Wollman Barry Zvibleman

Past Presidents Gerald Flagel, Dr. William Ettinger, Ann Jacobson, Sheldon Starman, Bobbie Katz, Rosalee Bogo

Board Members Emeritus Hans Levy Shirley Levy

Synagogue Representatives Cantor Donna Azu Sue Baum Rabbi Ammos Chorny Rabbi Mark Gross Phil Jason Rabbi Adam Miller Suzanne Paley Rabbi James Perman Dr. Arthur Seigel Neil Shnider Rabbi Sylvin Wolf Rabbi Fishel Zaklos

performers. Their singing, dancing and storytelling are highenergy and upbeat. They will have you singing and dancing in your seat or, if you are lucky, dancing with them. The Scouts spend the 10 weeks of summer performing in synagogues and churches, schools and summer camps, even nursing homes The 2015 Israel Scouts have stayed in touch with many of their host families – wherever people want to share their Caravan’s visit. Community members love for Israel. are responsible for hosting the twelve The Scouts events in Naples are Caravan members. The hosting relationsponsored by the Jewish Federation of ship goes far beyond providing food Collier County. and a bed – the host families become Hosting the Scouts true surrogate families during their stay. The hosting experience is often the most Families love bringing the Caravan exciting and meaningful part of the into their homes, getting to know the teens and learning more about Israel. It is a valuable and unforgettable experience. This year, responsibilities include meals and sleeping arrangements on Wednesday and Thursday nights, June 22-23 and transportation to/from the events on both days. If you have youngsters or teens at home, this would be a real treat for them. If you are interested in hosting one or more of the Scouts or team leaders, contact me at fedstar18@gmail.com or The 2015 Israel Scouts sang, danced and entertained community members at Temple Shalom 239.249.0699 for more information.

CELEBRATE ISRAEL ITS CULTURE, PEOPLE & INNOVATION

Sponsored by the Israel Advocacy Committee of the Jewish Federation of Collier County

Federation President/CEO Jeffrey Feld

Staff Renee’ Bialek, Community Prog. Coord. Stacy Hersha, Business Oper. Mgr. Julie Hartline, Donor Relations Coord. Federation is the central Jewish community-building organization for Collier County, providing a social service network that helps Jewish people in Collier County, in Israel and around the world. As the central fundraising organization for Jewish communal life in our area, strength is drawn from organized committees of dedicated volunteers. Programs include: • Annual Campaign & Endowment fund • Educational & cultural programs • Israel Advocacy Committee • Jewish Book Festival • Jewish Community Relations Council • Jewish Russian-American Cultural Alliance • Men’s Cultural Alliance • Publication of the Federation Star, Connections and Community Directory • Strategic Planning • Women’s Cultural Alliance • Women’s Division • YAD – Young Adult Division • Youth Activities Committee – sponsoring youth education and scholarships for Jewish Summer Camp and the Israel Experience

The work of the Jewish Federation of Collier County represents both our community and our community’s most generous tradition – to give to others even in the most difficult times.

Sunday, May 15 ~ 1-4 pm on the lawn at the Mercato FREE admission

Join our community in this multi-cultural event celebrating Israel on the 68th anniversary of its independence. Enjoy Israeli dancing, music by Simcha, games, speakers, crafts, art, food by Stage Deli, and a Mount Masada climbing wall. Visit 20 Israel-themed booths covering travel insights, science, medicine, communications and more.

George Rubin, Photographer

For more information, email jeffreymrandall@gmail.com

Federation Star April 2016

JEWISH FEDERATION

Our heart and soul: Women’s Division Phyllis Seaman Federation Vice Chair

ur Lions of Judah Chapter of Collier County has really grown these last few years. We have 53 wonderful philanthropic women annually giving gifts of $5,000+ per person. These ladies are the heart of our Federation. Their gifts to the Federation comprise more than a quarter of our annual campaign. Most have been leaders in their former communities and are philanthropic in many other organizations in our community, both Jewish and non-sectarian. When you need something done… ask a woman. I’m so happy and proud to be a part of this fabulous group of women. We welcome anyone considering transferring their gifts from former communities or anyone interested in becoming a Lion of Judah here. Last year the National Lions of Judah raised $27 million dollars. We really do ROAR! To our Collier County Lions: Matthew Skis of Mattis Jewelers (3627 Tamiami Trail N, Park Shore Plaza), has generously agreed to provide our Collier County Lions with one annual diamond chip per lion per year free of charge. Our many thanks to Mattis Jewelers for its generous support of our Jewish Federation. Now that I have told you about the heart of our Jewish Federation campaign, the soul is every other gift to the campaign. The women of our Jewish community are committed and caring. Many of you are heeding the call and generously supporting our Federation in addition to your summer communities,

realizing that you are spending more time here and have made true friendships and lives in Naples. I would like to bring another Women’s Division level of giving to our community – the Pomegranate. It is quite popular with over 7,000 women in 125 communities participating nationally. The Pomegranate is symbolically important in Judaism. The 613 seeds in the pomegranate correspond with the number of mitzvot or commandments in the Torah. The Pomegranate level is a woman’s gift of $1,800 or more annually. There is a lovely silver pomegranate pin; each year the donor may add a ruby stone. The pin and level of giving is recognized nationally. Each increase in an annual gift becomes a step closer to becoming a Lion. If anyone was a Pomegranate level donor in another community, or those of you interested in participating in and helping get this program started, please call the Federation office at 239.263.4205. Next season I would like to have a Women’s Division Luncheon, but that can only happen with volunteers. Again I ask all of you caring, generous and talented ladies to please come forward and help make this a reality. The Lion of Judah General Assembly is September 11-13 in Washington, D.C. I’m calling on all our Lions to join me. Go online to JFNA.org for registration and information. Our Campaign Cabinet and volunteers are working to bring in a major percentage of committed gifts prior to May 1 to help facilitate our allocations and grants to our many recipients. When you make your pledge, remember it doesn’t have to be paid until December 31. Soliciting our donors is not always an easy job. Our board and committee members are really committed, caring and generously giving of their time to

Community-wide Yom HaShoah Commemoration Wednesday, May 4 at 5:00 p.m. Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Road Yom HaShoah is the internationally-recognized date for Holocaust Remembrance Day. It corresponds to the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, and marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

The community-wide commemoration is collaboratively sponsored by: Jewish Federation of Collier County Holocaust Museum & Education Center of SWFL Temple Shalom Naples Jewish Congregation Beth Tikvah Chabad Naples Jewish Congregation of Marco Island GenShoah SWFL (children of Holocaust survivors)

do a very important part of the campaign. Please remember this when you answer the phone and consider your gift thoughtfully. Please consider an increase over your 2015 gift. As you take care of yourself with annual check-ups, please consider the health and well-being of our Jewish community.

That can be easily done by planning to leave a legacy gift to Federation in your will. A legacy gift to Federation, as with any gift to Federation, goes farther and helps more people here, in Israel and in more than 60 countries around the world. Lions, consider endowing your gift in perpetuity.

We Are the Strength of a People – The Power of Community

WHERE YOUR DOLLARS GO Youth Programs & Youth Education ÎÎ Beth Tikvah Youth Education ÎÎ BBYO Naples ÎÎ Camp Scholarships ÎÎ Chabad - Camp Gan Israel/Preschool of the Arts/Hebrew School ÎÎ Jewish War Veterans Post #202 ÎÎ Temple Shalom - Preschool & Religious School Scholarships ÎÎ Hillel at Florida Gulf Coast University Israel & Overseas Humanitarian & Social Services ÎÎ American Jewish World Service ÎÎ JFNA - Overseas Core Assessment ÎÎ JFNA - Israel Action Network ÎÎ JFNA - Stop the Sirens Campaign ÎÎ JNF - Sderot Emergency Fund ÎÎ JNF - Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center ÎÎ Neve Michael Children’s Village ÎÎ Yad LaKashish ÎÎ Sapir Community Center, Kfar Saba ÎÎ WUPJ - HaTikvah Preschool in Ukraine ÎÎ Birthright Israel ÎÎ ORT (World ORT/ORT America) Local Humanitarian & Social Services ÎÎ Jewish Family & Community Services XX Senior Outreach & Support XX Developing Healthy Socialization Skills XX Counseling & Mental Health Support Cultural Programs & Adult Education ÎÎ Anti-Defamation League ÎÎ Beth Tikvah Scholar-in-Residence ÎÎ Catholic-Jewish Dialogue ÎÎ Evy Lipp People of the Book Event ÎÎ Fund for Human Needs ÎÎ Holocaust Museum & Education Center of SWFL ÎÎ Israel Advocacy Committee Programs ÎÎ Jewish Community Relations Council ÎÎ Men’s Cultural Alliance ÎÎ Naples Jewish Congregation Cultural Program ÎÎ Stand Up for Justice Grant ÎÎ Temple Shalom Men’s Club ÎÎ Jewish Cong. of Marco Island - Jewish Film Festival ÎÎ Jewish Cong. of Marco Island - Cultural Series ÎÎ Women’s Cultural Alliance

Heading North? If you’re heading north at the end of the season, we’ll miss you! So let’s stay in touch. Please help us update our files by providing us with your northern address.

Please choose one of the following methods to provide us with the information below:

• call us at 239.263.4205 • email your information to info@jewishnaples.org • complete this form and fax it to 239.263.3813 • complete and mail this form to: Thank you! Jewish Federation of Collier County 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Ste. 2201, Naples, FL 34109 Name: ____________________________________________________

All members of the community are invited to attend this program, which is suitable for anyone above middle-school age.

Northern Address: _________________________________________

Reservations are not needed.

Northern Phone: __________________________________________

For more information, call the Jewish Federation at 239.263.4205.

Email: ____________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Leaving SW Florida: _______________________________________ Returning to SW Florida: ____________________________________

JEWISH FEDERATION

CBS News correspondent to address MCA Luncheon

By Jeff Margolis

t’s hard to believe that the end of season is upon us. This has been a fantastic year for MCA. Our membership has now exceeded 400 and r continues to grow. The number of activity groups has also expanded, as has the level of participation. The first ever MCA “Sweetheart” dance was a sell-out and a rousing success. We should point out that many of the activity groups continue throughout the summer and some are ongoing year-round. Please check the weekly eblasts for updates. Please join your fellow MCA members for our next luncheon meeting on Thursday, April 14 at 11:30 a.m. at the Kensington Country Club. Our keynote speaker will be former CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. His presentation will be “My Years with CBS News.”

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The cost of the luncheon is $28. Please send checks, payable to JFCC, to Meir Kehila, 4751 West Bay Blvd., #804, Estero, FL 33928. For more information, please contact Meir at meirkehila@ me.com. Are you interested in starting a new activity group next season? Do you have an idea for a program that you believe our members will enjoy? If so, please contact MCA president Les Nizin at mcanaples@aol.com. If you are new to Collier County and would like to join MCA for next season, please complete the membership form on page 4. For those members who are leaving the area for the season, we wish you safe travels and look forward to having you rejoin us next season.

Dr. Ed. Ezrine named chair of Israel Advocacy Committee By Jeff Margolis

effrey Feld, President/CEO of the Jewish Federation of Collier County and Alvin Becker, Federation President, are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ed Ezrine as the new chairman of the Israel Advocacy Committee. Dr. Ezrine will assume the reigns from outgoing chair Steve Brazina. Dr. Ezrine had previously served as vice chair of the board of JFCS of Southwest Florida. As a multi-faceted community leader, Steve Brazina brought excellent speakers and thought-provoking films to Collier County, and sought to

engage the community in dialogue and develop a greater awareness of the current economic and political situation in Israel. The Federation, as well as the community at large, thanks Steve for his dedication, passion and efforts for IAC. Due to an overwhelming response, Steve Brazina will be presenting an encore performance of The Prime Ministers, Part 2 on Thursday, April 21 at 4:00 p.m. in the David G. Willens Community Room at the Federation office. For information and reservations, please email iacnaples@gmail.com.

Program on “Nostra Aetate” “Nostra Aetate” with Jack Conroy, PhD Presented by GenShoah and Catholic-Jewish Dialogue Sunday, April 17 at 4:00 p.m. The Holocaust Museum & Education Center of SWFL 4760 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 7, Naples RSVP: genshoahswfl@icloud.com

bout two thousand years ago, a poor Galilean preacher introduced a new interpretation of the religion into which he was born, Judaism. Shortly after his death by crucifixion (a Roman punishment for sedition), a group of his followers organized themselves around his teachings, and identified themselves as “Christians.” By about 100 CE, some of the ideas espoused by these Christians were seen to be so variant with Judaism that worship in common became impossible. Hence, a cultural “divorce” occurred, and Christianity and Judaism went their separate ways. As with many divorces, animosity developed, and continued for 2,000 years. One of the most significant actions of the Catholic Church brought about by Pope St. John XXIII was the convening of the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965. Thousands of bishops came together in Rome to reflect upon the mission of the Church and to revise and adjust various elements as needed in order to thrive in the next hundred years. One of its documents dealt with

the Catholic Church’s relationship with non-Christian religions. It was titled in Latin, Nostra Aetate, after the first words of the document, “In our time.” The PowerPoint presentation by Jack Conroy, PhD, will deal with the history of the animosity that was experienced by both Catholics and Jews, and will describe the remarkable phenomenon of the Catholic Church’s conscious recognition of the evil that such animosity brought about in history, and the framework for overcoming 2,000 years of cultural attitudes that are inconsistent with Christianity’s rootedness in Judaism. Jack Conroy, Ph.D. is a Naples resident whose doctoral work at the University of Notre Dame focused on Hellenistic Judaism and Christian Origins. He taught Theology at the Blessed Edmund Rice School of Pastoral Ministry, affiliated with Barry University. His latest literary work is a novel of formative Christianity and Judaism entitled The Sign of the Cross: A Story of Peter and Paul, published by Amazon.com.

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April 2016 Federation Star

Federation Star April 2016

JEWISH FEDERATION

Anticipation builds for “Celebrate Israel – a Nation of Innovation” event By Jeff Margolis

f you have been reading the Federation Star or have seen the posters or heard the buzz, then you are aware of the exciting celebration that is headed to Naples. The Israel Advocacy Committee of the Jewish Federation of Collier County is pleased to present a festive multi-cultural event celebrating the 68th anniversary of Israel’s independence on Sunday, May 15 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the lawn at the Mercato.

This special event, which has been in the planning stages for many months, will feature, to name only a few, Israeli dancing, music by Simcha, children’s activities, food by Stage 62 Deli, tastings of kosher vinegar on melon from Vom Fass, Israeli salad making, an ambulance from Magen David Adom, a 14-panel Israel Matters Display from StandWithUs, a Mount Masada climbing wall, local clergy and organizations,

and other interesting booths featuring innovations from Israel in the fields of communications, medicine and technology. Keynote speakers scheduled to attend are U.S. Congressman Mario Diaz- Balart, and Pastor Gaspar Anastasi, a representative of the Evangelical Ministers of Southwest Florida speaking about its Stand with Israel Movement. We are waiting for other speakers to

confirm their attendance. Admission is free and open to the public. Please join us and help celebrate the wonders of Israel as we commemorate the nation’s 68th year of independence. For more information, please contact Jeffrey Randall, project chair, at jeffreymrandall@gmail.com.

First Annual Collier County Jewish Book Festival a resounding success By Susan Pittelman, Jewish Book Festival commitee member

hank you to the Jewish Federation of Collier County for bringing the First Annual Collier County Jewish Book Festival to Southwest Florida. It provided all of us with an amazing opportunity to hear celebrated authors from throughout the U.S. With the wide range of themes,

there was something for everyone – Russia, Family, Food, Spirituality, the Holocaust, Israel, Fiction, Memoirs, Powerful Women, and Inspiration. The Jewish Book Festival also helped to further create a sense of community, as together we shared the experiences of listening to these authors speak. The events were intellectually stimulating – and many of the programs also gave us the chance to connect with others in our community who love to read as much as we do! Special thanks to volunteers Ted Epstein and Phil Jason, who co-chaired the Festival. Ted, who is the editor of the Federation Star, brought the idea of a Jewish Book Festival to the Federation, and Lisa Green, author of On Your Case, with Susan Pittelman at the “Powerful Women” event at the Hilton Naples “screened” all 200 po-

tential authors. With his incredible organizational and marketing skills, Ted attended to each and every detail of the festival, ensuring that all of the events ran smoothly and that the authors felt welcomed (and that they left loving Naples). Phil shared his professional expertise with us, and among his responsibilities, he oversaw the reviews of each of the Festival books that appeared in the Federation Star. I was honored to be part of the 16-member Jewish Book Festival

Committee, and to work alongside this dedicated and hard-working team that offered our community 11 different events featuring 23 authors. If you didn’t attend one of the Jewish Book Festival events, you really missed out on something special. I urge the Jewish Federation to begin planning for the Second Annual Collier County Jewish Book Festival! Thank you, Jewish Federation of Collier County for this fabulous Festival.

See pages 20-21 for more on the Collier County Jewish Book Festival

JCMI Fundraiser – March 3

Phyllis Seaman, Joan Thompson, Sorley Sheinberg, Wallie Lechner

A few of the attendees at the JCMI fundraiser

Community Passover Seder Naples Jewish Congregation

Saturday, April 23 – 5:00pm Second night of Passover

Longshore Lake Clubhouse 11399 Phoenix Way, Naples

• Seder service conducted by Rabbi Sylvin Wolf • Featuring the 30 Minute Hagaddah (you’ll love it!) • Complete Seder meal – chicken or brisket • $75 per person Reservations required

Call Iris at 239-431-7944

NAPLES JEWISH CONGREGATION WAR M • R EF OR M • AF F OR DABLE • A DULT

Harvey Brenner, Nan Suffian, Bert Thompson, George Karpman

BUYING • SELLING RELOCATING Call Debbie Z for all your Real Estate needs

(239) 272-8878 DZvibleman@JohnRWood.com www.debbiesellsyourhome4you.com

Search for Southwest Florida properties at http://dzvibleman.listingbook.com 10% of my net commission will be donated to the charity of your choice

The current and previous editions of the Federation Star, as well as the 2016 edition of Connections, are now available on your iPad, tablet and mobile! Go to issuu.com and search for “Collier Federation”.

April 2016 Federation Star

JEWISH FEDERATION

Welcome to Pinnacle Class Cruising ms Koningsdam arriving April 2016

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Lincoln Center Stage

Introducing Music Walk

Entertainment has always been the heart and soul of evenings aboard Holland America Line, and on ms Koningsdam that promise takes a new dimension with Music Walk, three stages presenting a variety of live music nightly.

Savor the Possibilities

The marquee dining venues are all here — many, reimagined with stylish new designs — along with the freedom as always to dine “As You Wish.” The Culinary Arts Center, presented by Food & Wine ® Magazine

Holland America’s signature show kitchen for demonstrations and hands-on cooking classes during the day now transforms to a dinner venue at night.

Sophisticated and Serene

Step into a private haven with welcome modern touches such as bedside USB ports, frameless shower doors and luxe appointments like customized wooden cabinetry. New Family Staterooms

Unique aboard ms Koningsdam: new Family Ocean-view Staterooms that make traveling together more convenient and pleasurable with two separate shower facilities, additional closet space and accommodations for up to five guests. Family Ocean-view Stateroom

New Single Staterooms

Solo travelers are beautifully accommodated on ms Koningsdam, thanks to elegant new staterooms tailored just for one.

Neptune Suite Neptune Suite

Roundtrip Rome April 2016 • Rome to Amsterdam May 2016 • Roundtrip Amsterdam May thru September 2016 Amsterdam to Rome September 2016 • Roundtrip Rome September thru October 2016 • Rome to Ft. Lauderdale October 2016 Roundtrip Ft. Lauderdale December 2016 thru March 2017

BOOK TODAY AND ENJOY EXCEPTIONAL SAVINGS.

(239) 261-1177 (800) 523-3716 www.preferrednaples.com SunTrust Building at Pelican Bay 801 Laurel Oak Drive • Suite

Wilma Boyd - CEO

Federation Star April 2016

We share this piece of paradise with other smart individuals who may or may not be Jewish. We cannot ignore their lives, their issues and their place in our world. Since virtually every one of us, except some lucky youngsters, has found this corner of paradise coming from somewhere else, you may or may not have been exposed to a CRC (Community Relations Council). Here in sunny Florida, like where you came from, we Jews are part of the larger community. Thus, the Jewish Federation of Collier County, like 124

other North American Federations, has a Community Relations Council which interacts with the large community on various topics. Joel Pittelman, the chair of our JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council), and the entire committee have asked me to share with you an article written by David Bernstein, the President and CEO of JCPA (Jewish Council for Public Affairs) – the national body to which all Community Relations Councils belong – which explains this better than I am able. – Jane Schiff

The Jewish Community Relations Imperative

JEWISH FEDERATION

tions of America, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism. Each year at its annual conference, JCPA tackles the tough national issues of the day. There is much discussion, dissent, arguing and, in the end, consensus about these issues. In the fall of 2015, one of the tough issues that JCPA discussed and created a resolution on was the topic of immigration. Your local JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council) wants to share it with you and ask for your input. See below. Please send your comments to Renee Bialek at rbialek@jewishnaples. org or Joel Pittelman at jpittleman@ icloud.com. – Jane Schiff

At left is an article explaining The Jewish Community Relations Imperative, written by the David Bernstein, President of the JCPA (Jewish Council for Public Affairs). The JCPA is a “big tent” organization which brings together the 125 JCRCs (Jewish Community Relations Councils), JFNA (The Jewish Federations of North America), and 16 national organizations: American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League, B’nai B’rith International, Hadassah, Jewish Labor Committee, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., Jewish Women International, National Council of Jewish Women, The Rabbinical Assembly, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congrega-

By David Bernstein

uring the civil rights era and in the years in its immediate wake, Jewish community relations was widely considered very high priority work. Jewish leaders and funders believed that the fate of the Jewish community was inextricably tied to the ascendency of other minorities and a more just American society. Buoyed by the promise of full equality, Jews set out to build connections and advocate for full equality. Beginning in the 1990s, with waning discrimination against American Jews, Soviet Jewry set free, and Israel seemingly on the verge of peace, many Jewish communities scaled back their community relations operations. The community had bigger fish to fry, such as addressing the decline in affiliation. But times have changed, necessitating that the Jewish community reconsider its priorities. Here are seven reasons Jewish community relations work is crucial to the wellbeing of the Jewish community and the broader society. This part of the article was crowd sourced to and received input from Jewish community relations professionals from across America. #1 We are getting smaller The Jewish community is small – about two percent of the country – and shrinking relative to a growing population. We cannot adequately address critical issues – from Israel to equality – without partnering with other faith communities, ethnic groups and civic leaders. This work becomes even more important as waves of immigrants continually transform the political and cultural landscape. #2 There is growing economic and social disparity The world is changing rapidly. Computers, robots and lower-paid workers abroad are increasingly performing work once done by Americans. Such trends might eventually render large swaths of Americans unemployable, exacerbating the already staggering gap between rich and poor. The Jewish commitment to repairing the world, borne out of our prophetic sense of justice, must become even more central to our collective identity and community agenda. Leading the way, among others, will be Jewish community relations councils across the country. Social justice efforts also serve as a magnet for younger Jews. #3 Israel is becoming more isolated As BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions of Israel) pops up seemingly out of nowhere in community after community, building connections to key segments of civic society, particularly progressives, takes on a new sense of urgency. In order to engender true allegiance among other groups, the Jewish community must engage them on their core issues as well as ours. The Jewish community relations field is uniquely poised to do such outreach as it is wellversed on the perspectives of diverse communal groups, conversant with discussing Israel in a nuanced and constructive manner, and well-positioned to follow up and build long-term ties. Done right, community relations is, without a doubt, the most potent antidote to dele-

gitimization of Israel. #4 American civil society is more fractured As Robert Putnam compellingly argued in Bowling Alone more than 15 years ago, America has experienced a decline in social capital. Americans are spending less time in face-to-face engagements, civic involvement and, of course, bowling leagues. Aggravating this sense of isolation and alienation is the impact of the Internet. People can now cherry pick their news, reading and listening to only those they already agree with. Armed with big email lists and Twitter, the most extreme forces have often seized the day, pressuring elected officials and candidates to fall in line. Community relations plays an integral role in stitching together this tattered communal fabric and polarized discourse, setting a powerful example for the rest of society. #5 Jews are more polarized If it wasn’t already apparent that Jews, too, are increasingly polarized, the noxious discord over the Iran deal in Jewish communities across the country was a painful reminder. The consensus model used by many community relations councils can mitigate if not alleviate tensions. Numerous JCRCs are comprised of a varied array of Jewish organizations, providing a forum for internal dialogue. Efforts promoting civil dialogue, such as “Resetting the Table,” can also bridge the gaps. #6 There are threats to pluralism While America has undoubtedly made strides in the battle for equality, our country still has, as we’ve seen in Ferguson, Staten Island, Cleveland and Baltimore, a long way to go. Moreover, as America becomes more ethnically diverse, some, insecure in their own place in society, are lashing out. The Presidential primaries have laid bare the ugly nativism that still exists in the American body politic. A calling card of the community relations movement, fighting against discrimination and hatred of all forms, benefits society and protects American Jews. #7 It’s becoming harder to be heard Amid all the turbulence generated by hundreds of TV channels and social media, we will be heard by those with whom we have a relationship. One JCRC director related that a prominent Christian minister friend reached out to her after the Pastor participated in a onesided trip to the West Bank. The Pastor wanted to hear another narrative. The JCRC director helped the Pastor arrange a series of meetings, leading to a trip to Israel and a much more balanced view of the Jewish state. That only happens when we make relationship building a priority. With these challenges and opportunities before us, it’s time that the Jewish community redouble its commitment to community relations. David Bernstein is the President and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the representative voice of the Jewish community relations movement. Follow him on Twitter @DavidL Bernstein

Resolution on Refugee Crisis Adopted October 2015 Guided by our own history as refugees as well as our shared biblical and prophetic mandate to protect and welcome the stranger, the American Jewish community has always been a stakeholder in refugee resettlement and protection, both in the U.S. and in other countries— offering new beginnings, including helping to welcome more than three million refugees who have arrived in the U.S. for resettlement since the enactment of the Refugee Act of 1980. By definition, refugees are persons who cannot return to their countries of origin due to a wellfounded fear of persecution on the basis of who they are or what they believe. The 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol (the Refugee Convention) prohibits returning a refugee to his or her country of persecution; requires access to fair and humane asylum procedures for all asylum seekers; and states that countries shall not penalize refugees for illegal entry or presence. There are 148 countries that have signed either one or both of these international legal instruments, including the United States, Israel, and all European Union member states. The most staggering refugee situation today is the crisis stemming from Syria’s civil war—now in its fifth year. There are an estimated four million Syrian refugees who have fled their country and eight million people internally displaced within the country. These people have faced horrific violence and persecution, many risking their lives in an effort to reach a country that will provide refuge. Over the last five years, conditions have gone from bad to worse in Syria and for those fleeing from the conflict. Refugees in host countries, whether in camps or in urban environments, face inadequate housing and food, limited access to medical and psychological care, lack of educational opportunities, and limited resources. The United States has provided significant funding to assist Syrian refugees, but it is nowhere near enough to meet the growing needs. The countries bordering Syria—primarily Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey—are struggling with the challenges of hosting large numbers of refugees and are preventing many refugees from entering. The scope of the crisis is so vast that it threatens to destabilize the entire region, and deteriorating conditions in countries of first asylum are causing secondary mass displacements. For many of the refugees who have fled their homes in Syria, resettlement to a third country is, for the foreseeable future, the best opportunity for them to restart their lives in safety. With the largest and most sophisticated resettlement program in the world, the U.S. can and should increase the number of refugees it resettles from Syria and enhance efficiency of the 1 resettlement program. This leadership will encourage other countries to step up their efforts as well. In addition to saving lives in this crisis, we take note that resettled refugees have a historical track record of enhancing diversity and boosting the economy in communities around the country. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is built on a model of self-sufficiency— refugees receive employment authorization upon arrival, and they are encouraged to become employed as soon as possible. Most refugees begin working in entry-level jobs at first, and before long they start businesses, pay taxes, and purchase goods and services. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs believes:  The international community must respond to the Syrian refugee crisis. This must include contributing significant aid and utilizing refugee resettlement to save lives and share responsibility with countries of first asylum.  Refugees must be treated with dignity and respect. This includes providing access to protection, livelihoods, medical services, and education. The community relations field should:  Urge the international community to significantly increase humanitarian aid funding to ensure that Syrian refugees’ basic needs are met in countries of first asylum.  Call on the international community and Syrian refugee-hosting countries to strengthen the infrastructure of refugee-hosting communities to ensure that proper resources are allocated to provide services both to their citizens and to refugees.  Encourage the international community, led by the United States and Europe—and in alignment with the principles of international customary law and the generous humanitarian intent behind the Refugee Convention of 1951 and its 1967 Protocol— to share responsibility with host countries, particularly Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, and resettle meaningful numbers of Syrian refugees. In the case of the United States, with the most sophisticated resettlement program in the world, we urge the Administration to increase annual admissions of Syrian refugees while maintaining the rigorous security screenings that are integral to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.  Strive to create a welcoming environment for Syrian refugees and speak out when others— including community, religious, and political leaders—label them with hateful or xenophobic invective, or conflate them with terrorists, particularly given that many Syrian refugees are themselves victims of terror.

The Cardozo Society The Cardozo Society was formed as a way to network the many Jewish attorneys in our legal community. The Jewish Federation of Collier County continues to reach out to raise awareness through this association of Jewish attorneys, promoting professionalism, cooperation and identification with our Jewish community. For more information, please contact Yale Freeman at ytfreeman@ytfreemanlaw.com. 2

COMMUNITY FOCUS

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HOLOCAUST MUSEUM & ED CTR OF SWFL

April 2016 Federation Star

www.holocaustmuseumswfl.org / 239-263-9200

Holocaust Remembrance/Yom HaShoah

Amy Snyder Executive Director

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ach year as we commemorate Yom HaShoah, we reflect upon the lives lost in the Holocaust, as well those who survived that horror to share their stories with the world. In the final months of war in Europe, Allied and Soviet armies uncovered disturbing evidence in newly captured territories. As the advancing armies came upon concentration and slave labor camps, they struggled to comprehend what they saw. These battle-hardened veterans were shocked at man’s inhumanity to man. When Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower was alerted to this, he took his commanders with him to inspect the scenes. He

ordered the local townspeople rounded up and marched through the camps to see just what their government and fellow citizens were capable of doing. Eisenhower, in an effort to counter future Holocaust deniers, ordered photographs and newsreels to record the atrocities he saw. This visual documentation of evidence would reinforce to future generations that the Holocaust did indeed happen. We treasure the survivors and liberators who have so courageously shared their experiences with our local communities. They have enriched our lives in many different ways – participating in our Oral Visual History project, working with our education programs and speaking in the Museum. Each time their personal stories are shared with an audience, the memories of those who perished are honored. The stories powerfully impact all involved – those who share their experiences and those who listen. The audience members,

Sidney & Patti Price and Patti & Herb Price at an Edwin Black presentation

whatever their age or circumstances, leave with a powerful message to share with others. We are grateful to our local survivors and liberators for helping carry out the mission of the Museum: to teach the lessons of the Holocaust to inspire action against bigotry, hatred and violence. We recently honored New York Times bestselling author Edwin Black with the inaugural “Abe Price Moral Compass” award. As many of you know, the late Abe Price was the Holocaust survivor involved with the original student project “Out of the Ashes” at Golden Gate Middle School in Naples. Mr. Black spoke at numerous events while here in Collier and Lee counties. Triumph Fundraiser On Wednesday, April 13, the annual Triumph Fundraiser will be held at Naples Yacht Club to celebrate our 15 years of service to the community. Special Honorees at “Our Triumph” are

Edwin Black with Abe Price Moral Compass Award

Jack and F.E Nortman and the Nortman Family. They are being recognized for their gracious loan of the iconic boxcar artifact to the Museum’s Boxcar Project. The Project is a major component of the Museum’s education programs, and has traveled to over 90 locations. Thousands of Southwest Florida students, parents and communities have been impacted since the Project’s inception in 2008. For information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please contact me at Amy@HolocaustMuseumSWFL.org or 239.263.9200. Thank you to all whose support and good wishes have made our first 15 years possible. You have allowed us to share the stories of the Holocaust with over 145,000 students and thousands of visitors. With your help, we can keep alive the memory of those who perished, and work toward the prevention of future genocides around the world.

Federation Star April 2016

COMMUNITY FOCUS

“Seder in a Box” and “Easter in a Basket” Dr. Jaclynn Faffer JFCS President/ CEO

an it really be that I am writing this for the April issue of the Federation Star? As we always say, “Where did the time go?” Of course, as I meet with our staff and get ready for our special spring holiday initiatives – “Seder in a Box” and “Easter in a Basket” – I have no doubt that it will soon be April. As you probably recall from past years, JFCS of Southwest Florida provides additional assistance during Passover and Easter for our clients who are part of our financial assistance and

food pantry programs. Seder in a Box was established in 2011 as a partnership with our local Jewish congregations to raise funds to make sure that every Jewish individual has what they need to celebrate Passover. Seder in a Box won an award from our national association, the Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies (AJFCA) in 2012 as an example of innovative community collaboration. Volunteers from the congregations join with staff and volunteers from JFCS to put together the special Kosher for Passover foods for the holidays. Among the items our Passover bags include are matzah, gefilte fish, matzah ball soup mix, grape juice and sweets for the holiday. A Haggadah, Shabbat candles and a Publix gift card complete this special gift from JFCS and our community to those who need assistance.

On February 15 at the Colony Golf Club in Pelican Landing, Anita Siegal, Cheryl Alifield and Shirley Besikof hosted “Open Your Hearts” to benefit the JFCS food pantry. Guests were treated to lunch and then stayed to play cards or mahjong. Guests were asked to donate items for the food pantry as admittance to the event. Sixtythree ladies were in attendance. It was a great success!

In 2013, after becoming non-sectarian and serving the entire community in the true spirit of tikkun olam, we began offering a special meal to those JFCS clients who celebrate Easter. Easter in a Basket includes a fully-cooked turkey meal from Publix, complete with a chocolate bunny and, of course, Peeps! This year we project that we will serve 50 households with 102 individuals. On Tuesday, March 29, JFCS will install new board members Paul Huber, Neil Lapidus and Jane Perman to our

board of trustees, as well as officers David Rutstein, Board Chair; Edward Anchel and Scott Hansen, Vice Chairs; Susan Ritter, Treasurer; and Prentiss Higgins, Secretary. We look forward to working together to make sure JFCS of Southwest Florida continues to meet the needs of our growing community. On behalf of the JFCS Board of Trustees and staff we wish everyone a sweet Passover, and as always, thank you for your support!

The Naples Jewish Caring Support Group Next meetings: Mondays, April 11 & 25 10:30 a.m. to noon at JFCS, 5025 Castello Road, Naples

Call Donna Levy at 239.325.4444 for more information.

Jewish Genealogy Group Meeting

Anita Siegal, Cheryl Alifield and Shirley Besikof next to the sundries the attendees brought to the event

The next meeting of the Jewish Genealogy SIG (Shared Interest Group) at the Jewish Federation of Collier County offices (2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201, Naples) is on Tuesday, April 12 at 10:00 a.m. Seating is limited. RSVP to genresearch13@yahoo.com. You will receive an acknowledgement that you have a reservation. Bring a notebook and pen with you to the meeting.

The Board of Directors of Jewish Family and Community Services of Southwest Florida is pleased to congratulate our President and CEO

Dr. Jaclynn FaFFer

whose talent, vision and impact have been recognized by the as they honor her as one of their

2016 Class of 25 over 50 David W. Rutstein, Chair

Nancy Colodny

Barbara Levine

Edward Anchel, Vice-Chair

Myra Friedman

Jeff Lytle

A. Scott Hansen, Vice-Chair

Michael R. Greenberg

John M. Passidomo

Susan Ritter, Treasurer

Prentiss C. Higgins

Jane E. Perman

Stuart E. Price, Secretary

Alan S. Jaffe

Millie Sernovitz

Richard A. Goldblatt, Imm. Past Chair

Bobbie Katz

Howard Solot

Phyllis Barolsky

Marvin Lader

Leda Zbar

Henry C. Cohen

Neil N. Lapidus

Judith Zickler

COMMUNITY FOCUS

April 2016 Federation Star

Please join us at the 9th PFLAG Interfaith Convocation By David Goldstein

s n Sunday, April 10, PFLAG d Naples will hold its 9th Annual ; Interfaith Convocation. More s than twenty religious organizations, o fincluding clergy and congregants, will gather together at 3:00 p.m. at The Current Ecumenical Center to pray, sing, listen and learn. Although I have been involved in a the Convocation since its inception, I k am looking forward to this event when our speakers will be: ¡¡ Rabbi Javier Cattapan of Congregation Achduth Vesholom in Fort Wayne, an openly gay, married rabbi, who was born and raised as a Catholic in Argentina. This congregation was Stan Lipp’s family congregation when the Lipps lived

in Fort Wayne. ¡¡ Arlene Goldberg of Fort Myers, who has at long-last qualified to receive the Social Security survivor’s benefits to which she was entitled as the surviving spouse of her late wife Carol Goldwasser. Arlene was one of seventeen people represented by the ACLU in a federal lawsuit that challenged Florida’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples; ¡¡ Last and least, I will at long last talk about how (badly) I handled the situation many years ago when my daughter Debbie came out to me, which was long before I evolved into the activist I have become. The Convocation is a special opportunity for people of faith to gather

Clergy and speakers at the 8th Annual PFLAG Interfaith Convocation (photo by Bob Kelly)

Mix & Mingle – Jewish senior singles update

e are now 76 members and growing! If the success of our newly formed Mix & Mingle group can be measured by the response to our events, then it is evident that a need for Jewish senior singles is being filled. Sharing your interests will increase the diversity of our activities. We need and want your participation and feedback as we continue to grow. It is a way to improve our social lives as well as to become involved in community service projects. Beginning in 2016, our members and guests have already enjoyed a docent guided tour at the Baker Museum, celebrated Chinese New Year with dinner at the Golden Leaf, joined together to hear Chef Rossi speak at the Jewish Book Festival, sampled European wines and cheeses at Decanted, attended a concert by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and traveled to the Laboratory Theater in Fort Myers for the play Bad Jews. Please watch for eblasts from the Jewish Federation. They will serve as a reminder as event deadlines approach or new events are forthcoming. Be sure that we have your email address, and an alternate contact if you are a seasonal member. Update your information by contacting Judi Palay at 239.513.9141 or judipalay@aol.com. Reminder: M&M dues are only $10. Please make your check payable to JFCC and send it to the attention of Renee Bialek at the Jewish Federation of Collier County, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, #2201, Naples, FL 34109. Mix & Minglers, let’s get together at Federation on Sunday, April 3 for pizza and a cold beverage while enjoying a presentation by Trendy Tours of Naples. Bring your ideas for future trips and hear what Trendy Tours already has on its calendar for 2016 and 2017. Where

would you like to visit? As always your check payable to JFCC is your reservation. Send it to Chris Frank, 5870 Charlton Way, Naples, FL 34119. The cost is $10 ($15 for nonmembers). Join M&M for a return to the Baker Museum on Sunday, May 1 to view a spectacular exhibit of art work collected by Naples residents! Eight of the collectors are Jewish. The exhibit is comprised of 111 works by 89 artists. Docents will lead the tour and offer insight into the works. Your check for $10 payable to

JFCC is your reservation. Please send it to Bill Kaye, 670 Lalique Circle, #104, Naples, FL 34119. The deadline to receive checks is Sunday, April 24. Be sure to watch for an eblast flier with additional information about this WOW exhibit. Looking for a place to celebrate Passover this year? Area Seder information: XX Beth Tikvah: for information, call 239.434.1818 XX Chabad: Friday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m.; cost: $100; RSVP to Londa at 239.262.4474 by April 14 XX Jewish Congregation of Marco Island: for information, call 239.642.0800 XX Naples Jewish Congregation: Saturday, April 23 at 5:00 p.m. at Longshore Lake Clubhouse; cost: $75; RSVP to Iris Weissman at 239.431.7944 by April 11 XX Temple Shalom: Saturday, April 23 at 6:00 p.m.; cost: $60; RSVP to 239.455.3030 XX The Carlisle of Naples: Friday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m.; cost: $32; RSVP to Main Reception at 239.591.2200 by April 18

Are you looking for delicious kosher food? Chabad of Naples has partnered with the well-known Aroma Kosher Market and Catering of Cooper City, Florida, to bring kosher food to you. Please call the Chabad office at 239.262.4474 for an order form and instructions. Aroma Market delivers orders to the Chabad of Naples, 1789 Mandarin Road, once a week.

together to wish for peace, for understanding, to think about the world and all of the people who inhabit it. It is an opportunity to get know “the others” and to recognize that we are more “alike” than we are “different.” Perhaps you will be surprised, perhaps you will be inspired, but, if nothing else, you will have taken one small step toward improving interpersonal, inter-human relationships. PFLAG is an international organization and PFLAG Naples is our local chapter, and I am honored to serve as its president. The mission of PFLAG, which originally stood for Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, is to provide support for individuals and families that may be struggling with LGBTQ issues.

PFLAG also works to protect the civil rights of LGBTQ people and eliminate discrimination that they face in their daily lives. In June 2015, Marriage Equality became the law of the land. Since then, Rabbi Adam Miller has officiated at the first same-sex wedding at Temple Shalom in Naples. However, despite attaining marriage equality, in most states including Florida, an LGBTQ person can be married one day and fired the next day simply for being LGBTQ. And in some states local officials still try to block same-sex marriage. We hope that you will join with us on Sunday, April 10 at The Current, which is located at 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd. in North Naples, to celebrate our Interfaith Convocation. For more information, call 239.206.3267.

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Federation Star April 2016

COMMUNITY FOCUS

The Road to Rio2016 leads through Naples By Marina Berkovich

s I started writing this article, the U.S. was watching the results of the super Tuesday elections, but to me, the day was all about Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. No, I am not into the carnival. I am in constant contact with a group of four very brave Israeli women on the battleground at the 2016 Olympics Swimming Pool. Tatiana Tsym, Head Coach of Israeli Synchronized Swimming, and her three students are in the qualifying round this week. One of the students, Tatiana’s daughter, Anastasia Gloushkov-Leventhal, had already qualified four times in the past and competed in three Olympics: London, Great Britain, 2012; Beijing, China, 2008; and Athens, Greece, 2004. She also qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but Israeli Synchronized Swimming Federation was only emerging then and not yet financially set up to send a contender. Despite outright ridicule that synchronized swimmers are subjected to

in the U.S. by overzealous newscasters who understand little of this demanding sport, synchronized swimming is appreciated, as it should be, for its superior athleticism, its grace, its impossible at times coordination, and – oh yes, the spectacular theatrics, glittery costumes, shiny hair, and the ever irresistibly sexy nose clips. Just a few weeks ago the Israeli synchro swimmers were in Paris at the

Anat Lisman, Anastasia Gloushkov-Leventhal, Coach Tatiana Tsym and Evgenia Tetelbaum after qualifying for the Rio2016 Olympics

YIDDISH CLUB OF NAPLES

meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of December, January, February, March and April at 10:00am at Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Road, Naples You don’t have to speak Yiddish to enjoy. You just have to enjoy hearing it spoken, read or sung.

Come Schmooze and Enjoy!

“MakeUp Forever” competition, where Anastasia placed first in Solo Short. This is a program she will not be able to bring to the Rio Olympics – only duets and teams are allowed at The Games, so Anastasia is hoping to qualify in a duet with one of her two steady synchro partners – Evgenia Tetelbaum or Anat Lisman. The four Israelis arrived in Rio on February 28 to Southern Hemisphere summertime air temperatures of 90F and water temperatures of 83F, impossible to breathe or swim weather for ladies who train at the Wingate Institute National Center for Physical Education and Sports in Netanya, Israel, where it’s winter now and water in the pool is cool. “Poverty, dire poverty,” was Tatiana’s response to “What was your first impression of Rio?” “I never saw the kind of poverty in all my travels, as what I saw on our ride from the airport,” she said, “but the city is like all modern cities – tall and beautiful.” They will be fighting off more than the Olympic-

bound competition at this qualification – there are also the Zika virus and influenza going strong in South America. The instructions for her team the from Israel Olympic Committee: Stay in the hotel when not at the events. “People are often jealous of our traveling, but we rarely get to see life outside of our hotel. Mostly, for security reasons,” adds Anastasia, who left her eighteen-month-old son at home with his dad. Again. After 2012, she thought she was done, but resumed training only several weeks after having a baby. “I still want it,” she said. “I love my sport and I can still do it for my country.” March 6 update It is now official! Israel’s Olympians qualified and will be training in Naples in July 2016 by invitation of Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida. They will put on an exhibition for all of us before leaving to Rio to represent Israel in the Games of the XXXI Olympiad. Stay tuned for more information!

Temple Shalom Sisterhood Judaica Shop

BROWNSTEIN JUDAICA GIFT SHOP AT JCMI

Are you ready for Passover??

Looking for the perfect gift? Choose from our many items: Mezuzahs Menorahs Travel bags Jewelry Gifts for pets Novelty aprons Designer Hand Bags Silk and Handmade Kippot Mah Jongg Jewelry, Cards & Supplies

We are the ONLY Judaica Shop in Naples & we have all your holiday needs! seder plates, 30 minute haggadahs, matzah trays, boxes & covers, toys, games & books for the kids Credit cards accepted! Store hours: Sunday 9:30AM to 12:15PM Tuesday - Friday 10:00AM to 12:30PM Wednesday afternoons during Religious School 4:00PM to 6:15PM Temple Shalom 4630 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples, FL 34119 239-455-3030

991 Winterberry Drive Marco Island (239) 642-0800 Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:30 - 1:30 Friday Evening: Before & After Shabbat Service

DID YOU KNOW?

Tourism from the U.S. to Israel in 2015 was actually up over the previous year.

See page 29 Rising Young Stars sought for “Focus on Youth” feature

The Federation Star has featured about 15 local teens in its pages over the last two years. Below are just a few. And we’re looking for more “Rising Young Stars.”

Jason Randall

Victoria Meyer

Ben Klausner

Rachel Waltzer

Max Johnson

Cloe Feldman

Want to see your “Rising Young Star” featured in the Federation Star? Send an email to jeanamodea@gmail.com with the details.

April 2016 Federation Star

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Hadassah fundraiser honors Ida and Jeff Margolis By Arlene Yedid

was blown away from the moment I entered Heritage Bay Country Club on May 1 for “Sail Away,” the Collier/Lee Chapter of Hadassah’s 2016 fundraising event. A classy display of prizes displayed in baskets beckoned attendees to join in the delightful raffle. I wondered how many prizes were gathered and who was responsible. I discovered that Barbara Kronenfeld was “Wonder Woman.” During the course of the evening, the event was very organized. Paige Reddick played island music, setting the tropical flair for the evening. Craig

Price was captain and MC, steering the evening’s tides and keeping everything on an even keel. Dinner was served in stations, eliminating long lines. The food, reflecting different cultures, was excellent. I journeyed from Chinese to Jewish, eggrolls to blintzes. I was impressed with how calm and organized our Hadassah volunteers were. This was a large fundraiser, yet they seemed to sail in the breeze. No hysteria; no nerves. Everyone, volunteers to attendees, was smiling and happy. There was smooth sailing on

Jamibeth Margolis honored her parents with a touching and fun slide show

calm seas, a feat for an event that was so packed with a great number of differing events. Ida and Jeff’s daughter, Jamibeth, assembled singers from New York City for a spectacular Broadway review. Mark Sanders, who starred in Hadassah’s 2014 fundraiser, Warsaw a Story in Song, returned to Naples for another brilliant performance. The review was awesome. In fact, this was the high point

of the evening. Jamibeth also presented a video commentary on Ida and Jeff’s journey to, and life in, Naples. For those of us who work with and know Ida and Jeff, we are aware that their community involvement and commitment are huge and unique. These are the reasons why Hadassah honored Ida and Jeff Margolis. They are a class act, and so was “Sail Away with Hadassah.”

Photos courtesy Ted Epstein

Emcee (Captain) Craig Price and Rhonda Brazina

Ida and Jeff Margolis (seated) with Hélène Gaillet de Neergaard and Jennifer Babiak

Jamibeth Margolis brought Broadway actors, singers and musicians to the event to perform a spectacular Broadway review

save a life? By supporting our Jerusalem hospitals, which deliver world-class care to every patient. By sustaining medical research that can change the world.

Do what needs to be done, with Hadassah. Find out at 727.799.0618 or hadassah.org. HADASSAH THE WOMEN’S ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA, INC. ©2016 Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. Hadassah is a registered trademark of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.

Federation Star April 2016

COMMUNITY FOCUS

50th anniversary celebration Temple Shalom events of Fiddler on the Roof open to the community

n February 28, Ellen Katz wowed the crowd with her 50th anniversary celebration of Fiddler on the Roof. Nearly 300 people packed the sanctuary at Temple Shalom to watch Ellen entertain and educate the audience on this enduring and much loved classic. Performances by Ellen, Cantor Azu and

the Naples Klezmer Revival Band had everyone tapping their feet and singing along. Made possible by Cantor Azu’s Discretionary Fund, this program hit all the right notes and brought the audience to their feet for a standing ovation. Thank you, Ellen for an outstanding performance!

For more information on these events, call 239.455.3030.

orah Talk Join us the first Shabbat morning of the month for a volunteer-led discussion of the week’s Torah portion. On April 2, the portion is Sh’mini. There will be a light breakfast at 8:15 a.m. with discussion to follow at 8:30 a.m. There is no charge and all are welcome. 16th Annual Women’s Seder Hosted by the Temple Shalom Sisterhood, led by Cantor Azu and Caren Plotkin, and accompanied by Lori Cohen and Jane Galler, the Seder takes place on Monday, April 11 at 6:00 p.m. Together we will pass on the stories and history of our matriarchs, the women of the Bible. The Women’s Seder is a wonderful opportunity for you to develop and share the mother/daughter, aunt/niece, grandmother/granddaughter bonds and learn about the strengths and character of the women who came before us as we tell the story of Passover. Please bring your favorite Passover dish to share at the tasting table. The cost is $36 for a

sponsorship, $18 for Temple members and guests, and $10 for daughters under 18. Please call the temple office to make reservations. Sisterhood Book Bag On Thursday, April 21 at 1:30 p.m. we will discuss All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. The facilitator will be Arlene Yedid. The 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction is about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. All are welcome! Congregational Seder Why is this night different from all other nights? Come find out at Temple Shalom. The Second Night of Passover Family Seder takes place on Saturday, April 23 at 6:00 p.m. Cost: $50 for members, $60 for nonmembers, free for children 13 and under. You must RSVP. See the ad on page 11 in this issue of the Federation Star.

2nd Night Community Passover Seder at NJC

Stu Warshauer, Jane Galler, Marty Cohn, Ellen Katz, Cantor Donna Azu, Perry Switzen, Jason Flegel

aples Jewish Congregation will hold its annual Naples Community Passover Seder, on the second night, at the beautiful Longshore Lake Clubhouse on Saturday, April 23 at 5:00 p.m. The Seder will be conducted by Rabbi Sylvin Wolf using the new, upbeat 30 Minute Haggadah (you’ll love

it). Jane Galler and Alla Gorelik will provide the musical accompaniment. A delicious traditional Seder meal will be served with a choice of chicken breast or brisket. Cost: $75. For reservations and additional information, please call Iris Weissman at 239.431.7944.

Get the latest information on upcoming community events and cultural activities, news from Israel and lots more.

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COMMUNITY FOCUS

April 2016 Federation Star

Program on Nostra Aetate presented by GenShoah and Catholic-Jewish Dialogue

s r

Ida Margolis GenShoah President

r r d

n Sunday, April 17 at 4:00 p.m. there will be a special program on Nostra Aetate, the revolutionary document that marked h an unprecedented turnaround in interd religious relations. From 1965 to 1968, the Catholic Church held what is called “the second Vatican Council.” In this Council, over 2,000 bishops reflected e upon whether the life of the church was r consistent with the principles on which , it was founded. The results of these reflections were published in a number of r documents. One of the documents that was produced was fairly short, but was f remarkable in terms of the relationship of the church to Muslims and Jews. This document’s first words are “In Our Time” or, in the Latin, Nostra Aetate. This document acknowledged the fact that historically, the Catholic Church

dealt improperly with Jews. Nostra Aetate teaches that the Jews are not collectively responsible for the death of Jesus, anti-Semitism is unequivocally forbidden, and the roots of Christianity are in Judaism. Dr. Jack Conroy, a member of the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, will make this presentation. His talk will focus on systemic injustices which the church dealt Judaism, and also describe Nostra

At the Holocaust Museum, Maud Dahme (with Ida Margolis) told a capacity crowd about her experiences as a “hidden child” during World War II

Aetate itself and its consequences. Conroy is a local author and has a Ph.D. in theology with a specialty in Hellenistic Judaism and Christian origins. There will be no GenShoah steering committee meeting in April because of this very important program. Space is very limited for this presentation and RSVPs to genshoahswfl@icloud.com are absolutely required. This year, the Yom HaShoah Commemoration will be held on Wednesday, May 4 at 5:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Road, Naples. We hope that many GenShoah and community members will be able to attend this community Holocaust Remembrance Day event. Additional information about Gen-

Shoah meetings and events are now emailed in a monthly newsletter. To receive emails, to RSVP for events, for additional information, or to make a tax-deductible donation to GenShoah, please email genshoahswfl@icloud.com or call me at 239.963.9347. GenShoah SWFL is a group open not only to children of Holocaust survivors (the Second Generation), but to all those who are interested in the mission of GenShoah: Preservation of the history and memories of the Holocaust, promotion of Holocaust education and human rights, connection of members of the Second Generation with one another, and support of the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida.

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Federation Star April 2016

Tributes

Tributes to the Jewish Federation Campaign To: Alan Kaplan Hope you’re feeling better each day From: Delores & Corky Levin To: Dorothy Litt In memory of your husband, Irv From: Louise & Bill Warshauer To: Michael Feldman & Family In memory of Hilary Feldman From: Harrilee & Ken Shevin

COMMUNITY FOCUS Tributes require a minimum donation of $18.

To: Phyllis Seaman In honor of receiving the Kipnis-Wilson/ Friedland Award From: Janet & Howard Solot

To: Barbara & Ed Cohen In memory of your beloved daughter, Hilary From: Ellen & Gary Gersh

The Jewish Federation of Collier County extends condolences to: • • • • •

Tami Schmidt on the passing of your husband, Richard Barbara Druckman on the passing of your husband, Stephen Anthony Zeiger on the passing of your wife, Mona The Weiner Family on the passing of Barbara Weiner, WCA member The Binders on Shirley Binder’s passing, former JCMI member

To place a Tribute in the Federation Star in honor or memory of someone, please contact Julie Hartline at the Federation office at 239.263.4205 or jhartline@jewishnaples.org. Tributes require a minimum donation of $18. A note will be sent to the person you are honoring. Tributes help further the work of the Jewish Federation of Collier County.

A season of memories with Men’s Cultural Alliance (MCA)

For information about MCA, contact Les Nizin at mcanaples@aol.com.

April 2016 Federation Star

JEWISH INTEREST

“Rabbi USA” explored in ambitious, penetrating biography Book review by Philip K. Jason, Special to the Federation Star Pillar of Fire: A Biography of Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, by A. James Rudin. Texas Tech University Press. 416 pages. Trade paperback $39.95. hrough the first half of the twentieth century, no one dominated the American Jewish cultural landscape like Rabbi Stephen S. Wise. Another rabbi with a distinguished career, A. James Rudin, has taken it upon himself to explain this phenomenon. He does so with abundant energy, exquisite detail, and a balanced view of his conPhil Jason troversial subject. Hungarian-born Wise (the family name originally spelled differently) was a rabbi’s son and something of a prodigy. His family moved to the United States when he was very young, imbued with the spirit of the European Jewish Haskalah (enlightenment movement), a spirit that informed young Stephen and sent him into the orbit of Reform Judaism in the United States. However, it was an uneasy fit. Though allied broadly with a liberal Jewish orientation, Wise attained his rabbinic ordination at a yeshiva in Vienna. He added to this a doctorate from Columbia University, where he had already earned his bachelor’s degree. Handsome, strongminded, and with a powerful and engaging voice, as well as sterling oratorical skills, Rabbi Stephen (as Rudin frequently calls him) was soon recognized as a committed leader. His twin passions were social/

political action and Zionism. Reform New York, and Herbert Judaism’s negative stance toward ZiLehman for Lieutenantonism (which was eventually reversed) Governor of New York; was the main factor in Wise’s need to Rabbi Rudin elaborates the build his own brand of liberal Judaism. circumstances surroundFor himself he sought influential puling Wise’s role with abunpits and institutional roles that would dant detail. allow him to make a difference in U.S. Some will say too social policy, in Jewish life, and in a much detail. And that’s just future for the Jewish people in its own to get us through the 1920s. land. As Rabbi Wise’s celebrity grew Author Rudin meticulously takes (and his acquaintanceships with other us through the stepping stones of Wise’s celebrities), so did the demands on his ascent to power and influence over sevtime. Writes author Rudin, “During eral decades. And he does much more his career of fifty-six years, Stephen than this. In fact, an alternative title for exhibited a zest for all things religious Rabbi Rudin’s book could be “Stephen and political. Because he broadly deS. Wise in His Time.” Just fined those terms, his about every major episode enthusiasm allowed in Wise’s life is set into the him to become inlarger context of national volved in almost every and international events in aspect of American sowhich he played a role or ciety. He was a human had a stake. version of today’s 911 Whether it’s the drama emergency number: if of Wise’s initial meeting there was a crisis, conwith Theodore Herzl at the flict, confrontation or second Zionist Congress in controversy, individuBasel in 1898; his support als and groups conRabbi A. James Rudin for Woodrow Wilson and tacted Rabbi Stephen for the president’s call for a League of Wise for help.” Rabbi Rudin illustrates Nations; two decades later, his work as Wise’s responses by quoting from a founder and senior rabbi at New York’s wide range of letters. Free Synagogue (which stressed freeThe 1930s and early to mid-1940s dom of the pulpit); his conflicts with were extremely busy, strenuous years the Reform establishment; his foundfor Rabbi Wise: the Great Depression, ing of the American Jewish Congress World War II and the Holocaust, and and later the World Jewish Congress; the effort to create the modern Jewish his founding of the Jewish Institute State occupied his time and drained his of Religion (a seminary in his own stamina. Though he remained a major image); his fierce outrage against force, he was no longer a young man. Henry Ford’s anti-Semitism; or his enThe central thread of these years ergetic support in 1928 for Al Smith was Wise’s troubled relationship with for president, FDR for governor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt – a man

whom he praised early and often, but whose decisions and behavior Wise often found disappointing. Social activist Wise applauded the New Deal, but the president’s lack of leadership in blunting the growing horror of the Holocaust was more than merely perplexing. Rabbi Rudin’s nuanced treatment of the many interactions between these two giant figures is one of the book’s most engaging achievements. Rabbi Rudin does not neglect to explore Stephen Wise the private citizen: the son, the husband, the father, the friend. However, in some ways, the fellow who would inevitably receive any letter addressed to “Rabbi USA” remains a mystery. It’s as if his private and inner life was subsumed into his outer life. Rabbi Rudin is aware of his subject’s faults, and doesn’t hesitate to reveal them. However, he doesn’t dwell on them. Rather, he keeps them in the perspective of Wise’s accomplishments. This biography is a splendid achievement both as a work of scholarship and as a piece of storytelling. Rudin, the author of many books and a Reform rabbi, lives in busy retirement on Sanibel Island. Philip K. Jason is Professor Emeritus of English from the United States Naval Academy. He reviews regularly for Florida Weekly, Jewish Book World, Southern Literary Review, and other publications. Please visit Phil’s website at www.philjason.wordpress.com.

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Federation Star April 2016

JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL

Events

Authors

Sponsors

Talia Carner David Greene David Bernstein Dani Klein Modisett Chef Rossi B.A. Shapiro Marc Simon Bob Mandell Jerry Greenfield Sarah Kaufman Jay Michaelson Steven Pressman Daniel Cohen Jessamyn Hope Mike Kelly Susan Jane Gilman Julia Dahl Sally Fingerett Dafna Michaelson Jenet Lisa Green Julia Pimsleur Megan Feldman Bettencourt Goldie Milgram

Event Volunteers

Committee Members

29 Patrons

Barbara Meek Belle Agronin Carole Greene Dina Shein Elaine Soffer Estelle Price Helen Paulin Helene Blinder Ida Margolis Irene Pomerantz Iris Shur Jane Schiff & Lon Gratz Judith Peltz Judy Zahn Lee Henson Linda Grusin Linda Smith Lourene Rapport Madeline Foster Myra Friedman Nancy Garfien Patti Boochever Phil & Ruth Jason Rita Fleischmajer Sue Bookbinder Susan Garelick Susan Pittelman

11 6

Ted Epstein, co-chair Phil Jason, co-chair Carole Greene Dina Shein Harrilee Shevin Ida Margolis Irene Pomerantz Iris Shur Judy Peltz Lee Henson Linda Smith Marc Simon Patti Boochever Robin Mintz Steve Brazina Sue Bookbinder Susan Pittelman

Centerpieces

Venues

Beth Tikvah Chabad Naples Hilton Naples Naples Daily News Temple Shalom Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples

Patron Receptions with Authors

250 150

Potential Authors

Dixie Cups

1239 318

Thursday, February 18 ~ 1:00pm Beth Tikvah (1459 Pine Ridge Road)

Presents the First Annual Presents Presents the the First First Annual Annual

Tickets sold

Topic: Russia Talia Carner ~ Hotel Moscow David Greene ~ Midnight in Siberia

ADMIT ONE

February 18 - March 14, 2016 February 18 14, February 18 --~March March 14, 2016 2016 11 events 23 authors 11 ~ 23 11 events events 23 authors authors All events take~place in Naples All All events events take take place place in in Naples Naples These are just a few of the books These aa few books These are just just few of the the books you’ll are hear about at of the Festival: you’ll you’ll hear hear about about at at the the Festival: Festival:

Books sold

For more information on the 23 authors, For more information on For more information on the the 23 23 authors, their books, tickets, venues andauthors, more: their their books, books, tickets, tickets, venues venues and and more: more:

www.JewishBookFestival.org www.JewishBookFestival.org www.JewishBookFestival.org Thank You to Our Sponsors Thank Thank You You to to Our Our Sponsors Sponsors

Women’s Cultural Women’s Women’s Alliance Cultural Cultural Alliance Alliance

April 2016 Federation Star

JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL

Author David Greene and Festival committee member Irene Pomerantz

Festival committee member Dina Shein and author Mike Kelly

Author Talia Carner and Marina Berkovich (Photos courtesy Ted Epstein)

Festival committee member Carole Greene and author David Bernstein

Author Lisa Green at the “Powerful Women” event at the Hilton Naples

Author Julia Pimsleur

Volunteer Lorel Martens and author Sally Fingerett

Elaine Soffer, Festival committee members Susan Pittelman and Ida Margolis, author Julia Dahl (seated at right)

Author Dani Klein Modisett and Festival committee member and local author Marc Simon

Representatives of U.S. Bank, sponsor of the Chef Rossi event at the Hilton Naples, with Chef Rossi (third from right)

Festival committee member Ida Margolis (hostess of the Patron Reception with Chef Rossi), Elaine Soffer, Chef Rossi, Festival committee member Susan Pittelman, Lydia DeLisi

Author Susan Jane Gilman, Festival committee member Susan Pittelman, Mae Riefberg (crowned “Ice Cream Queen of Naples”), Festival committee member Robin Mintz

Author Jessamyn Hope and Festival committee member Lee Henson

Attendees enjoy chocolate strawberries at the “Powerful Women” event at the Hilton Naples

Gayle Dorio and author Dafna Michaelson Jenet

Festival Patrons and committee members at the reception for Sally Fingerett, hosted by Sue Bookbinder

Federation Star April 2016

JEWISH INTEREST

Stars of David

By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist Editor’s note: Persons in BOLD CAPS are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish for the purpose of the column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jewish parent and were not raised in a faith other than Judaism – and don’t identify with a faith other than Judaism as an adult. Converts to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish. Outrageous Casting of Biblical Proportions Of Kings and Prophets, an ABC biblical series, started airing on Tuesday, March 8. The main characters include King SAUL and King DAVID. The producers say that it will have as much sex and violence as broadcast TV allows (but will be – their words – “tasteful”), and maybe some of the especially “hot” scenes will be in the online version only. No doubt, many will object to the sex and violence, especially if, as in most biblical epics, it’s invented and not in the text of anyone’s Bible. What I object to more is that there isn’t a single lead Jewish actor in the series and it wasn’t filmed in Israel. Modern non-Jewish Brits didn’t look like ancient Hebrews, but six of the eleven big roles are played by non-Jewish English actors. “White-washing” is the term black actors have recently applied to roles that blacks should have or could have gotten that were given to white actors, instead. I would call the Of Kings and Prophets casting “WASP-washing.” If there were any Jews in the cast, I wouldn’t quibble with the fact that a Muslim Lebanese actor plays JONATHAN, Saul’s son. I have much more serious objection about the casting of Mohammed Bakri, an Israeli Muslim actor. He plays the prophet SAMUEL. Yes, Jewish actors have played Muslims, but I don’t recall a Jew playing a Muslim after falsely accusing Muslims of massacring Jews. Bakri directed the so-called documentary Jenin, Jenin (2002). He procured demonstra-

bly false interviews to support the claim that the Israeli army slaughtered hundreds of Palestinians living in the Jenin refugee camp. Even the hardly pro-Israel Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International concurred with the Israeli finding that about 53 residents were killed, two thirds of whom were combatants. Twenty-three Israeli soldiers died in the raid, which followed Palestinian attacks on Israelis that originated in Jenin. (The Israeli Supreme Court struck down an attempt to ban the showing of the film on free speech grounds. But they, too, labeled Bakri a liar.) Catching-Up with Other New TV Series Jorma Taccone, AKIVA SCHAFFER, 38, and ANDY SAMBERG, 37, three guys that met as teens, often work together under the collective name “Lonely Island.” Under this name, they created and are producing Party Over Here, a Fox comedy series that debuted on Saturday, March 12, at 11:00 p.m. It skewers everything from pop culture to politics. It combines video comedy shorts along with sketches filmed before a live audience. The cast for the new season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars includes Fox News journalist GERALDO RIVERA, 72 (begins on Monday, March 21 at 8:00 p.m.). Rivera, the son of a Jewish mother and a Puerto Rican father, was raised Jewish and had a bar mitzvah. In recent years, he has identified more strongly as Jewish, and his wife since 2003, ERICA MICHELLE LEVY, 40, is Jewish. They have a daughter, SOL LILIANA,

The

Who& What the

by Pulitzer Prize-Winner Ayad

So here’s the deal:

Send Nate an email at nteibloom@aol.com, tell him you saw this ad in the Federation Star, and include your phone number (area code, too). Nate will then contact you about doing a “limited” family history for you at a modest cost (no more than $100). No upfront payment. 10. (Geraldo’s late mother was named Lillian.) Also dancing is Marla Maples, “the Donald’s” ex-wife. Her presence in the cast, in light of recent events, should skyrocket ratings for awhile. The TBS weekly series Separation Anxiety started on Tuesday, March 8 at 10:00 p.m. It’s a game show in which host ILIZA SHLESINGER, 33, tests couples on how well their partner knows trivia in different subjects. Shlesinger began doing improv comedy in college. In 2008, she became the first woman, and the youngest contestant, to win NBC’s Last Comic Standing stand-up competition. Over on YouTube, you can see her tell three Jewish jokes, submitted by visitors to a popular website – it’s entitled “Laugh Out Loud Jewish Jokes.” Nancy Reagan (Jewish) Footnote Actress ALLA NAZIMOVA (18791945) was born Adelaida Leventon in the Crimea. She was a Russian theater star before moving to the States in 1905 and becoming an American star, too. She toured the country until about

1930 and she made some silent films. She was very kind to an aspiring actress, Edith Luckett, when they were in a stage play together and, in 1921, when Nancy was born, Edith asked Nazimova to be her godmother. Until her death, Nazimova remained close to Edith, to Edith’s second husband, Dr. Loyal Davis (a far-right Republican who adopted Nancy), and to Nancy. The backstory: Nazimova was openly lesbian and famous for her many intimate relationships with famous women. It goes to show that personal kindness and friendship can often trump so-called family-values views of gay people, and that the Reagans, including the late President, were not as rigid as often depicted.

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JEWISH INTEREST

April 2016 Federation Star

The Holocaust comes to Yugoslavia By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD

azi Germany invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 75 years ago this month, on April 6, 1941. Initially Yugoslavia had tried to remain neutral after the outbreak of World War II, but the wider strategic situation drew the country more and more deeply into the German orbit. German dictator Adolf Hitler, having made Dr. Paul Bartrop military alliances with Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, next put pressure on Yugoslavia to join Germany’s Tripartite Pact, and on March 25, 1941, a deal was struck with Yugoslavia’s regent, Prince Paul. The alliance prompted widespread popular discontent and public protest, and a contingent of military officers moved quickly to overthrow the regency in a coup d’état on March 27, 1941. Prince Peter, who was still a minor, was declared to be of age, and proclaimed King Peter II. In his name, the newly-installed government repudiated the German alliance. Upon hearing the news, Hitler flew into a rage and by way of response issued Führer Directive 25. This declared that henceforth Yugoslavia was to be treated as a hostile state, to be slated for destruction. On April 6, German, Italian and Hungarian troops invaded, and within two weeks the country was occupied. Two rival resistance groups rose up to oppose the Nazi occupation: the Chetniks (Serbian nationalists) and the Partisans, communists led by Josip Broz Tito. While both groups fought the Nazis, they ultimately had different ideas regarding what a reconstituted Yugoslav state would look like. The Chetniks sought a resumption of Ser-

bian dominance, while the Partisans wanted to establish a communist federation in states divided along ethnic lines. Yugoslavia’s entry into World War II provided a breakaway Croatian movement, the Ustashe, with the opportunity to establish an independent Croatia, and after the Axis invasion of April 1941, they came to power and formed a fascist puppet state ruled by Ante Pavelic. The Ustashe pursued a policy of ethnic cleansing against Jews, Roma, Muslims and Serbs in the territories under its control. Chetnik and Partisan resistance to the Nazis, followed by brutal forms of repression in response, would lead to violence on a genocidal scale. While the Germans rounded up Jews and Roma for extermination at Auschwitz, the Ustashe murdered their victims in a network of locally constructed concentration camps. The most notorious of these was at a place whose name is infamous in the Balkans to this day: Jasenovac, about 60 miles south of the Croatian capital of Zagreb. A location in central Croatia, Jasenovac was not established by the Nazis, but was, instead, set up in August 1941 by the Ustashe. Over time, it grew to become a complex of five subcamps and three smaller compounds, including a camp for children at Sisak, and a pitiless camp for women at Stara Gradiska, east of the main Jasenovac complex. Jasenovac would ultimately see the murder of over 100,000 victims, mainly Serbs, Jews and Roma. The Nazis were not to be denied their contribution to the suppression of Yugoslavia. Other camps were established at Zemun, Sajmiste and Donja Gradina. Sajmiste was run by the Nazis as an extermination camp for Serbian Jews, and it has been es-

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timated that between 4,000 and 8,000 Jews were murdered there, in addition to Serbian resisters and Roma. In total, the Ustashe’s extermination policies, implemented with merciless brutality, were responsible for the deaths of more than 500,000 Serbs, 20,000 Roma, most of the country’s Jews, and untold thousands of political opponents. By August 1942, the Yugoslavian heartland in Serbia became the first state declared by the Nazis to be “Free of Jews” (Judenfrei). By the time Yugoslavia was liberated in 1945, most of Serbian Jewry had been murdered. At the outset of the German invasion in April 1941, the country’s Jewish population was estimated at 82,500; at the liberation, only 14,000 survived. Within Serbia, the figures were even starker, with the Nazis having murdered some 14,500 of the pre-war Serbian Jewish population of 16,000. Serbia, moreover, was the only country outside of Poland or the Soviet Union where all Jewish victims were killed on the spot without undergoing the traumatic experience of deportation. Ultimately, by the time Tito’s Partisans had gained the upper hand and effectively driven the Nazis out of Yugoslavia, their numbers had swollen to over half a million fighting men and women – the foundation of what would be a communist state in a reconstituted Yugoslavia. The anti-Semitic and fascist Ustashe, on the other hand, was effectively destroyed as a force within Yugoslavia. Many of the leaders managed to flee to safety in Spain or South America. Ante Pavelic himself fled to Argentina, where he reorganized the Ustashe in exile. Against this background, it is indeed ironic that half a century later, during the Bosnian War of 1992-1995,

the Jews were considered by all sides (Orthodox Serbs, Catholic Croats and Muslim Bosniaks) to be neutral – one of the very few occasions in the history of European warfare that Jews were left alone and unmolested. Some very brave Jewish leaders, such as Zoran Mandlbaum, were aware of what the Jewish past had been during World War II, and turned their attention to saving lives in this new conflict. It was a most remarkable set of circumstances, practically unprecedented over the past millennium of Jewish history – and a fitting coda to the Holocaust years that began in April 1941. Dr. Paul Bartrop is Professor of History and the Director of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. He can be reached at pbartrop@fgcu.edu.

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Federation Star April 2016

JEWISH INTEREST

In a world of Jewish composers

Jerusalem Post Crossword Puzzle “Working Out” By Yoni Glatt

Difficulty Level: Manageable

By Alexander Goldstein, Composer

he Jewish Diaspora planted Jews in practically every place on Earth, and many of those destinations gave birth to hundreds of Jewish musicians, conductors and composers. Music is a universal language. Yet many Jewish American classical composers traveled a long, hard and tangled road to success. Their Old World counterparts, famously suffered as well. The Mendelssohns – Felix and Fanny – were the grandchildren of well-known German-Jewish philosopher Moses Ben Mendel Dessau, who adopted the name Mendelssohn after his pursuits turned from rabbinical to creation of a respectable Jewish Jesus. Felix, therefore, may have been the first Jews for Jesus composer. Russia’s Anton and Nikolai Rubinstein, the sons of a Jewish factory owner, later friends of P.I. Tchaikovsky

ing one of Hitler’s favorite composers. George Gershwin was Jacob Gershwine in Brooklyn, New York, son of Ukrainian Jewish shoemaker Moise Gershowitz, before composing that quintessential American classic, Rhapsody in Blue. Aaron Copland or Dean of American Composers, was never told by his Conservative Jewish family that they changed their last name from Kaplan after escaping from Lithuania, whilst working in Scotland to earn passage to America, where he was born. Nearly blacklisted for his support of the Communist Party, Copeland was a Zionist who always credited klezmer music as the influencer of his fresh musical aesthetic, and described himself as “agnostic.” Another composer with the Pale of Settlement origins was Leonard

Editor: YoniGlatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com

Sergey Dogadin, Alexander Goldstein and Julian Milkis at Capella Saint Petersburg Russia greenroom, December 31, 2015

and founders of the Moscow Conservatory, are always referred to as “Russian” composers, even though the entire family converted to Christianity only in response to a brutal Odessa pogrom. A Bohemian Jew, Gustav Mahler, became the director of the Vienna Court Opera at thirty-eight, shocking the purists at least as much as his music mesmerized them. He went on to conduct the Metropolitan Opera, his last performance there being Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades in 1910. Ludwig Minkus, the Don Quixote ballet composer, was born Aloysius Bernhard Philipp Minkus to Jewish parents who converted to Catholicism shortly before moving to Vienna from Brno, Moravia, presently the Czech Republic. Another Jewish boy from Brno, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, grew up to receive the first ever Composer Oscar for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). Before he was Jacques Offenbach, the French composer of over 100 operettas and the unfinished opera The Tales of Hoffman, he was Jakob, a child of a Jewish cantor from Cologne, Prussia, now Germany. Emmerich Kalman was born Imre Koppstein in Austria-Hungary to a Jewish family. He created the Jewish half of “Silver Age” Viennese operettas and had to flee to New York in 1930s, despite be-

Bernstein. Born in Massachusetts, he became one of the first Americaneducated composers to break onto the international scene. Known for countless accomplishments as the conductor, he is revered for his scores of West Side Story (musical, 1957; film 1961). Lalo Shifrin, born Boris Claudio Shifrin in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a son of a Jewish violinist, is most audibly known for The Theme from Mission: Impossible. Jerry Herman, born in New York City as Gerald Sheldon Herman to Russian Jewish parents, is well-known for Hello, Dolly, Mame and La Cage aux Folles, and not well-known for his decorator achievements, yet featured by Architectural Digest. I interviewed him in his Palm Springs, California, home some years ago for the TV program I was producing at that time. There are many more Jewish composers of significant achievements whom I cannot fit into constraints of this space. I am humbled to read my name alongside theirs in concert programs. Alexander Goldstein’s In the Jewish Mood was performed at Carnegie Hall by Siberian Virtuosi and Julian Milkis in December 2015. On New Year’s Eve 2015 and January 7, 2016, his Rotissimo was performed by State Academic Capella Orchestra in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Read the Federation Star on your tablet! Visit www.issuu.com Enter “Federation Star” in the search box and click on the cover image of the issue you’d like to read. Then simply scroll through the pages. It’s that simple!

Evy Lipp People of the Book Cultural Event Wednesday, February 17, 2016

This event is sold out! If you need to cancel your reservation, please contact Renee’ ASAP at rbialek@jewishnaples.org or 239.263.4205 so we can allow those on the waiting list to attend. If you are attending, please be sure to bring your ticket with you.

Celebrating Jewish Life in Collier County, Israel and the World

Federation Star Published by the Jewish Federation of Collier County serving Naples, Marco Island and the surrounding communities

www.JewishNaples.org INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

9A Men’s Cultural Alliance 4A Women’s Cultural Alliance 10A Community Focus 14A Tributes 18A Jewish Interest 23A Business Directory 24A Israel & the Jewish World 27A Commentary 29A Focus on Youth 31A Synagogues 32A Organizations 34A Community Calendar 35A Community Directory 1B Jewish Happenings 6B Jewish Book Festival

February 2016 - Shevat/Adar 5776

Vol. 25 #6

“Shop with a Sheriff”

The Jewish Federation and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office partner to make the holidays brighter for 90 deserving children and their families. By Joel Kessler

member of the Jewish Federation of Collier County who wishes to remain anonymous made a generous $9,000 donation so that children could team up with Collier County deputies and shop for their parents and siblings. The donor’s goal was two-pronged: to help families in need enjoy the season and to give children an opportunity to interact and spend quality time with deputies. Federation President/CEO Jeffrey Feld and Federation Board Chair Alvin Becker were in attendance on Monday, December 14, when 45 Golden Gate

students shopped with deputies. Each child was given $100 to spend at a local Kmart. The children and deputies then enjoyed snow cones and popcorn at the Golden Gate Community Center where volunteers wrapped the gifts. A simultaneous shopping trip had an additional 45 deserving East Naples students accompanied by deputies who serve the East Naples community. Jeffrey Feld was quoted as saying that the anonymous donor was looking forward to continuing “Shop with a Sheriff” each year during the holiday season as an ongoing program.

4A “Dining Out” – a favorite WCA pastime

Across 1. Ginger cookies bubbi might make 6. Magen David Adom letters 9. Zion and Acadia 14. Dip for the new year 15. Output from the Timnah mine 16. Wilpon, e.g. 17. Dress a kallah 18. Pareve Twizzler bite 19. They should be uninteresting from Jew to Jew? 20. Workout device for Jonas Salk and Maimonides? 23. Play for a yutz 24. Schnozzes 25. “Aladdin” prince voiced by Scott Weinger 28. Sadducee, e.g. 30. Makes like a really boring rabbi 33. Matzo exercises? 37. Fleet Israel never had 38. Relating to a “cholent bean” organ 39. Title for Rabbi Israel Brodie 41. Uncle of Hur 42. Crowned girl’s name 44. Lifting weights after a meal? 46. Device used on David Simon’s lauded HBO show 48. The least anti-Semitic country, apparently 49. “Solaris” author Stanislaw 50. Develop, like a citron 52. King before Jehoshapat 55. Exercises over Black and Klugman? 59. Biblical fruit 62. Benji, e.g. 63. NFL star Foster with a very un-Jewish sounding name 64. The Witch of Endor might have cast one 65. Diamond District “rocks” 66. He encountered no Jews in “Inferno” 67. Like fresh babka 68. Flanders who visited King David’s tomb 69. Tool used at the Baha’i Gardens Down 1. The biggest star in the world (who is neither a Jew nor a Gentile) 2. Lymph masses 3. “___ to Himself,” Ben Jonson poem

Solution on page 31

that mentions Japhet 4. “Frasier” actress Gilpin 5. In ___, sing like the Miami Boys Choir 6. Implies, as the written Torah often does 7. Acts like a Yenta 8. Hassidic leaders 9. Barometer for Sanders 10. Missing from Sayeret Matkal, say 11. It’s passed down in the mishpacha 12. Yes 13. Many Jews in Fl. 21. Ilan Rubin, drummer for Nine ___ Nails 22. Like Jonah, when he runs 25. Israel’s Gali (with a video game last name) 26. What Madoff did to many investors 27. “What would you do if ___...,” words at the start of Savage’s “The Wonder Years” 28. Set part for Ilan Rubin 29. Brilliant display, like a Chagall show 31. Foe of Harry 32. Talmud lengths (in English vernacular) 33. Go through a Bar Kokhba cave 34. String a tallit again 35. Take an uzi from 36. Levi to Dan 40. What Pharaoh did after each plague 43. ISIS inflicts it 45. Da ___ (city in Vietnam) 47. 1972 Bob Fosse musical 51. One Reese’s in “E.T.” 52. Pitching like Sandy Koufax 53. Make like Sarah Hughes 54. Actor Ed 55. What a moving service can give to the soul 56. Gehazi after he becomes a leper 57. Woody Allen’s “The Curse of the ___Scorpion” 58. City in Southern Israel 59. Time Zone in Boro Park 60. Resort that might have Ahava products 61. ___ judicata

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6A Major Gifts and Lion of Judah event

At the “Shop with a Sheriff” event at the Kmart in Golden Gate: Joel Kessler, Federation President/CEO Jeffrey Feld, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Lt. J.J. Carroll, Stephanie Spell (Chief of Community Engagement Collier County Sheriff’s Office), Federation Board Chair Alvin Becker (photos courtesy Ted Epstein)

Phyllis Seaman to receive Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award 16A 20th Annual Women’s Hanukkah Tea

24A 15 Israeli wearable techs that will disrupt our lives

he Jewish Federation of Collier County is proud to recognize Phyllis Seaman as the first Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award recipient from our community. The award, a prestigious, internationally-recognized honor to a Lion of Judah, is given to a woman who demonstrates the highest ideals of women’s leadership and involvement. The award was established in recognition of Norma Kipnis-Wilson and Toby Friedland (z’l), co-founders of The Jewish Federation of North America’s Lion of Judah Program. Phyllis more than exemplifies the

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spirit of the Lion of Judah, far exceedmany board leadership positions including the recommended criterion considing Vice President. erations for the prestigious During the last 22 years, award. Phyllis has chaired or co-chaired When Phyllis Seaman Jewish Federation of Collier relocated with her husband, County campaign events – the Michael, from New York to annual Community Dinner and Naples in 1992, she started Major Gifts/Lion of Judah – volunteering on social funcmany times and has sat on nutions at the Jewish Federamerous committees. tion. In 1994, her family went Phyllis was Campaign Chair on a Federation community from 2010 to 2014, and started Phyllis Seaman family mission to Israel, which sparked writing a monthly article in the Federaher desire to join the Federation board tion Star to keep donors informed as to and her commitment to Federation in continued on page 2A

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The U.S. Supreme Court & its Jewish Justices By Herbert Herman

e in the Jewish community take great pride in the fact that eight Supreme Court Justices of the United States have been Jews. In the future, as a new Justice may be considered, confirmed or rejected, there is great interest in reviewing who the Jewish Justices have been and who they are currently. It has been noted that every one of the seven who has served has been classified as liberal interpreters of the Constitution. Consider the mood of the country. The likelihood of anyone with liberal credentials being nominated or able to pass confirmation by the Congress is problematic. There is speculation that there may not be an appointee to fill the vacancy for eighteen to twenty-four months. The majority of recent court decisions has been decided by judges who are definitely conservative in approaching almost every issue. Recent decisions have not only enhanced the conservative position, but also built and defined conservative politics and economics. One of the decisions, Citizens United, has changed the law in favor of corporate financial funding of elections. In the case of Burwell v Hobby Lobby, the conservative majority voted that the Affordable Care Act violated the religious freedom rights of corporations. In District of Columbia v. Heller, the decision invalidated key parts of the District of Columbia’s strict gun ban which had prohibited the possession of nearly all hand guns in the District. These are but a few of the cases that have set the conservative direction of the court. Over the last quarter century, the United States has moved to the right politically, economically and cultur-

ally by many Supreme Court decisions. Nevertheless, many liberal decisions have influenced and affected American society. Recent decisions, in which each of the Jewish Justices has participated in, endorsed the Affordable Care Act, affirmed Roe vs. Wade, struck down sodomy prohibitions, recognized samesex marriage, supported affirmative action, and invalidated the death penalty for juveniles. What impact have Jewish Justices made and how is each Jewish Justice now remembered and for what? Louis Brandeis was the first Jew appointed to the Supreme Court in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. He opposed powerful corporations and the trend toward monopoly in industry and finance. He is remembered as progressive, a social reformer, legal innovator, champion of the rights of labor, and to many of us was one of the great leaders in the Zionist movement. He is also cited in modern decisions for his dissents against the conviction of anti-war protesters for their speech during World War 1. The second Jew appointed was Benjamin Cardozo in 1932 by President Herbert Hoover. He is remembered for his influence on American Common Law in the twentieth century. Along with Brandeis, he was considered to be part of the liberal team on the court. He served on the court for only six years before his death in 1938. He established the principle that there is a safety warrant between a manufacturer and the consumer. His decisions defined criminal negligence in corporations. He believed that social security had roots in the Constitution. He protected farmers from foreclosure by the banks and was considered one of

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the best friends small farmers ever had. Felix Frankfurter was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt filling the seat of Benjamin Cardozo. He was appointed to support the legislative program of the New Deal. Early in his career on the court he was considered an outspoken liberal. However, during his tenure he became a proponent of the doctrine of Judicial Restraint. He held the view that the court should not interpret the Constitution in such a way as to limit the authority of the States and executive branch. His ideas about Judicial restraint were counter to the Warren Court’s efforts to end racial discrimination. He frequently dissented in cases on behalf of civil rights. His support of ending school segregation came as a surprise to the court because of his previous reluctance to consider civil right cases as a federal matter. He also is remembered for turning down Ruth Bader Ginsburg for a clerkship because of her gender. He was often accused of creating acrimony among his fellow Justices. He died of a stroke in 1962. History has not been kind to Frankfurter. An example is when Roosevelt asked him to investigate accusations that the Holocaust was occurring. Frankfurter interviewed a Polish Diplomat, Jan Karski, who had seen several concentration camps and told Frankfurter of the murder and torture of thousands of Jews. Frankfurter did not believe him. Later he expressed his remorse at failing to recognize or believe what was happening to the Jews. Arthur Goldberg was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy. Goldberg served until 1965, when at the behest of President Johnson, he resigned to serve as UN Ambassador with instructions by Johnson to end the Vietnam War. Despite his short term on the court, he played a significant role in the court’s jurisprudence. His opposition to the death penalty has impacted the court to this day in various decisions. Abe Fortas was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. It is now widely believed that Johnson plotted to remove Goldberg to appoint Fortas and wanted to eventually appoint him as Chief Justice. Johnson believed he was the best man to protect Great Society legislation. Fortas was highly respected for his knowledge and understanding of psychiatry in applying the law to issues. His decisions on the Juvenile Justice system changed the direction of thinking of the court. His decisions on First Amendment rights for juveniles have been landmark decisions including rights of free speech in high schools. Fortas’ decision on banning religious creationism narratives in public school science curriculum has been a foundation for other court decisions dealing with efforts to promote creationism in public education. In 1969, Fortas was forced to resign in what was then considered scandalous for taking funds from private supporters. Recently the practice has been accepted and ignored for several conservative Justices who have been more flagrant. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, who made it clear he wanted someone to counter the conservatives on the court. Today, she is the oldest member on the court. Even during the time of undergoing cancer treatment she never missed a session of the court. She is known as a protector of women’s rights and the rights of the poor and

disenfranchised. The Chief Justice has often stated that she is asked to write opinions on questions of complex civil procedures. Her decisions have been noted for their support of gender equality, rights of workers, and separation of church and state. Recently she wrote the decision for the majority which upheld the Affordable Care Act and same-sex marriage. Many believe she will go down in history as one of the greatest Justices who has ever served on the court. Steven Breyer was appointed by President Clinton in 1994. He has brought to the court a pragmatic approach to the law. Before being appointed to the court he was considered an expert on Administrative Law. He authored several textbooks on the law which are still in use in law schools. His pragmatic approach to the Constitution has been to consider cases brought to the court in their purpose and consequences. His philosophy of the law is considered the intellectual counterweight to the conservative philosophy of originalism. His decisions have often been in conflict with the strict originalists. Breyer frequently lectures on interpreting the Constitution based on text, history, tradition, precedent, purpose and consequence. He continues on the court as a leading liberal proponent. Elena Kagan was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010. She is considered one of the most brilliant lawyers to ever serve on the Supreme Court. She is one of the few Justices who was not a judge when appointed. She had been appointed by President Clinton as Solicitor General of the U.S., the first woman to hold that position. When President Obama selected her for Justice of the Supreme Court, one of her strongest supporters to the court was the late Justice Scalia. Justice Kagan along with Ruth Ginsburg were his closest personal friends. She is a prolific writer and has authored more unanimous opinions than any other Justice. She has dissented along with the other liberal Justices on several cases and is considered a moderate liberal. Because of her former government service and involvement on policy decisions, she has frequently recused herself from participating in decisions reaching the Supreme Court. In conclusion, each one of the above is noted for applying evolving modern standards to the Constitution. Each appears to emphasize reason and science over dogma and creed. Each identifies him-herself as a Jew, but none ever pronounced the belief that public policy should be based on personal theological views. Herbert Herman holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in the Humanities, a Maser’s Degree in Education, and a Doctor Degree in Divinity. He has enjoyed a long career in education, social welfare, and public service. He has been a member of B’nai B’rith for over 55 years, serving as president of one of the largest lodges in Chicago. He is currently on the Jewish Federation Community Relations Council representing the Naples Branch of the NAACP of which he is a Life Member. He has lived and traveled in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. as well as South Africa, India, and every Province in Canada. He served as a consultant in Gaza City in 1997 on the establishment of vocational services for a proposed technical institute. He was a docent for seven years at the Holocaust Museum. He describes himself as a free thinking, humanist Jew.

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At the seder table we recline. Many have no bed. We taste bitter herbs. Others face grim hardships. The Jewish Federation is the safety net for our community

The Jewish Federation is the safety net for our community here at here at home, in Israel and in over 70 countries around the home, in Israel and in over 70 countries Through world.around Throughthe ourworld. efforts and with your help, a hungry child our efforts and with your help, a hungry in Kiev receives hot gets delivered to a in Kievchild receives hot meals. Medicine meals. Medicine gets delivered to a fragile Holocaust survivor in Shelter is provided for fragile Holocaust survivor in Haifa. Haifa. Food and services are provided for a struggling family in a homeless family in <<name of your community>>. And Collier County. And much more. Change hardship into hope today. much more. Change hardship into hope today. Give now at <<JewishFederation.org>>

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ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

April 2016 Federation Star

From Kaifeng to the Kotel: Five women from ancient Chinese Jewish community arrive in Israel to make Aliyah

erusalem, February 29 – For the first time in nearly seven years, five twenty-something women from the ancient Chinese Jewish community of Kaifeng arrived in Israel this morning to fulfill their dreams of making Aliyah thanks to the Jerusalem-based nonprofit Shavei Israel. The women – Gao Yichen (“Weiwei”), Yue Ting, Li Jing, Li Yuan, and Li Chengjin (“Lulu”) – have been studying Hebrew and Judaism intensively for several years in Kaifeng. Upon arrival in Israel, they were greeted by Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund, who took them straight from Ben Gurion Airport to the Western Wall (the Kotel) so they could thank God for helping them return to the land of their ancestors. “Kaifeng’s Jewish descendants are a living link between China and the Jewish people,” said Freund, who succeeded in obtaining the requisite permission to bring the Chinese Jews on Aliyah after several years of struggling with the Israeli bureaucracy. “After centuries of assimilation, a growing number of the Kaifeng Jews in recent years have be-

gun seeking to return to their roots and embrace their Jewish identity,” Freund said, adding that, “These five young women are determined to rejoin the Jewish people and become proud citizens of the Jewish state, and we are delighted to help them realize their dreams.” “Being part of the Jewish people is an honor, because of the heritage and wisdom,” said Li Jing, who on a brief previous visit to Israel put a note of prayer in the Kotel asking to return and live in Israel. “Now, my prayer has been answered,” she said. The last time Shavei Israel was able to bring a group of Chinese Jews from Kaifeng on Aliyah was in October 2009, when seven young men from the community arrived in the Jewish state. The organization has brought a total of 19 members of the Kaifeng Jewish community to Israel. The five women plan to continue their Jewish studies at Jerusalem’s Midreshet Nishmat – The Jeanie Schottenstein Center For Advanced Torah Study For Women, with the support of Shavei Israel, which will also cover their

living expenses and support them as they prepare to undergo formal conversion by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. Upon completion of the conversion process, they will receive Israeli citizenship. About the Chinese Jews of Kaifeng, China: Believed to have been founded by Iraqi or Persian Jewish merchants in the 8th or 9th century, Kaifeng’s Jewish community built a large and beautiful synagogue in 1163, which was renovated throughout the years. At its peak, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Kaifeng Jewish community may have numbered up to 5,000 people. But widespread intermarriage and assimilation, and the death of the community’s last rabbi, brought about its demise by the early 19th century. Today the community claims between 500 to 1,000 members. Despite the pressure to assimilate, many of the Kaifeng Jews sought to preserve their Jewish identity and pass it down to their descendants, who continue

to observe Jewish customs. Today the community is experiencing a revived interest in its roots, and Shavei Israel has been providing support while helping some immigrate to Israel. About Shavei Israel: Shavei Israel is a nonprofit organization founded by Michael Freund, who immigrated to Israel from the United States, with the aim of strengthening the ties between the Jewish people, the State of Israel and the descendants of Jews around the world. The organization is currently active in nine countries and provides assistance to a variety of different communities such as the Bnei Menashe of India, the Bnei Anousim (referred to as the derogatory “Marranos” by historians) in Spain, Portugal and South America, the Subbotnik Jews of Russia, the Jewish community of Kaifeng in China, descendants of Jews living in Poland, and others. For more information, visit www.shavei.org.

BRIEFS ISRAELI VOLUNTEERS PASSING CRITICAL HUMANITARIAN SUPPLIES TO SYRIANS Several times a year, Doreen Gold, an Israeli Jew, goes undercover to organize a mission of humanitarian aid for Syrian NGOs. Some 200 Israeli volunteers are working for her nonprofit, iL4Syrians. Doreen (not her real name) has signed a form that says that if she is captured, the government will not negotiate for her release. iL4Syrians began operating in April 2011. “We were probably the first international NGO operating in the area,” she says. The first mission brought in sanitation kits, baby powder, food and medical supplies. Since then the organization has passed along survival kits, medical devices and even 3,000 chemical suits to protect the doctors working with patients who had been victims of chemical attacks. The group supports 17 field hospitals and surgery rooms in Syria. Doreen’s team keeps them stocked with everything they need. It has also provided four 3D printers to Syria and trained 22 orthopaedic doctors to print out prosthetic limbs. Two years ago Doreen admitted to one of the large Syrian NGOs she works with where she comes from. “They understood for the first time that...Israeli volunteers were risking their own lives in order to save their women and children. Their world was shaken to the core. After a month they came back to the table and made an agreement with us.” (Nicky Blackburn, Israel21c)

ISRAEL TO LAUNCH ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD, WITH U.S. HELP When it is complete, Israel’s multibillion-dollar missile defense system will rival, and in some ways surpass, in speed and targeting, air defenses deployed by Europe and the U.S. The U.S. has provided $3.3 billion over the past 10 years to support the defensive system, which will be able to knock down not only ballistic missiles but also orbiting satellites. The Israeli defense establishment and its American partners have designed a layered system that can respond to simultaneous attacks from multiple fronts – rockets lobbed by Hamas from Gaza, mid-range rock-

ets fired by Hizbullah from Lebanon, and long-range ballistic missiles being developed by Iran. In addition, Israel’s new X-Band radar will allow it to detect incoming missiles 500 or 600 miles out. “I define the system as pioneering,” said Uzi Rubin, former director of Israel’s missile defense program. “Even the United States doesn’t have anything as complex, as sophisticated.” (Ruth Eglash and William Booth, Washington Post)

TOURISM TO ISRAEL REMAINS STRONG According to Anat Aronson of Israel’s Tourism Ministry, “Tourism in 2015 was more or less what it was in 2014 – about 3% lower – and most of that was due to a falloff in tourism from Russia and Eastern Europe, due to severe economic problems in those regions. Tourism from the United States in 2015 was actually up over the year previously.” Altogether, 3.1 million tourists arrived in Israel in 2015. (David Shamah, Times of Israel)

Li Yuan, Yue Ting, Li Jing, Li Chengjin and Gao Yichen standing in front of the Kotel in Jerusalem (Photo Credit: Laura Ben-David / Courtesy of Shavei Israel)

It’s not manna from heaven, but this Passover, provide something just as crucial to the survival of the Israeli people.

KENYA-ISRAEL PARTNERSHIP WILL MAKE THE COUNTRY WATER SECURE Israel changed its water and food fortunes after realizing that rain-fed agriculture was not sustainable and turned to irrigated agriculture. Israel stopped waiting for rain and water from the Sea of Galilee and sent salt water from the Mediterranean Sea through desalination plants and practiced waste-water recycling to give its citizens millions of cubic meters of water in excess of their needs. Through irrigation, Israel has turned the desert green and produced enough food for its national consumption as well as export. Israel is a water and irrigation superpower and No. 1 in the world in waste-water recycling. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta promised to bring about a paradigm shift from rain-fed agriculture to irrigated agriculture that will remove Kenya from the yoke of food and water insecurity by rapidly increasing the acreage under irrigation to over a million acres, while building local capacity through technical training in collaboration with Israel. Israel has promised to double the number of Kenyans training in Israel and to establish the Irrigation and

continued on next page

In a country where knifings and other terrorist attacks are an all-too-frequent occurrence, your gift to Magen David Adom ensures Israel’s national paramedic organization has the medical supplies and blood it needs to save lives. So this year, while you recount the story of the Jews’ redemption from slavery, your gift will help modern-day Israelis survive the threats they face today. Make a gift today at www.afmda.org/donate. Or call 561.835.0510 to learn about sponsoring a laboratory or other facility at Israel’s soon-to-be constructed Marcus National Blood Services Center. Pesach kasher v’sameach. AFMDA Southeast Region 3300 PGA Blvd., Suite 970 Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 Toll Free 561.835.0510 • info@afmda.org www.afmda.org

Federation Star April 2016

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

Syrian refugee creates website to thank Israelis Aboud Dandachi says the world should know about the assistance given to Syrian refugees by Israeli and Jewish organizations and individuals. By Viva Sarah Press, ISRAEL21c, www.israel21c.org, February 21, 2016

boud Dandachi, a Sunni Muslim from the city of Homs now living in Istanbul, has created a website dedicated to the Israeli and Jewish organizations and people helping Syrian refugees. The website, Thank You Am Israel, highlights the humanitarian aid being given to displaced Syrians and also refutes any reasons why Israelis and Syrians should be enemies. “As a Syrian, I am morally obligated to ensure that the goodwill that Israelis and Jews have displayed toward my people will not be overlooked nor forgotten. The day will come when the conflict in Syria will come to an end, as all things come to an end. On that day, it is imperative that Syrians reciprocate the enormous goodwill shown toward us by Israelis and the Jewish people. Whatever supposed reasons we may have had to be adversaries is dwarfed by the compassion shown to us during our darkest days, a time when we have nothing to give back except our gratitude,” writes Dandachi in a January opinion article on his site. Dandachi, a 39-year-old high-tech project manager, says he never imagined the civil war in Syria would last five years. Dandachi left his hometown of Homs in September 2013 for Lebanon and then made his way to Turkey. In December 2015, he created a blog, Twitter account and Facebook page “in appreciation of the assistance given to Syrian refugees by Israeli and Jewish organizations and individuals.” “I wanted to start this blog a while ago, but I was a little wary of the political climate in Turkey. But now it seems the Turks are reconciling with Israel so that gives me an opening, so to speak,” Dandachi tells ISRAEL21c on a Skype call from Istanbul. “When you’re a refugee you have to be very careful about what you say and what you do. When you’re a refugee you’re on your best behavior in your host country. You never want to offend your host country.” The site includes news stories and opinion pieces on the global humanitarian aid being offered by Israeli and Jewish people to the Syrian people. (Am Yisrael is Hebrew for “Nation of Israel.”)

“There are new stories of Israelis helping Syrians every day. As far as I’m concerned, because we as Syrians cannot give back to Jews what they give to us, we should at least thank them,” Dandachi told Ynetnews. He says this “one-man operation” is a personal mission and that he had no idea what feedback he’d get, if any. “I’ve been getting tremendous feedback and messages of support,” Dandachi tells ISRAEL21c. “What

Israeli and Jewish organizations are, despite considerable personal risk, on the ground in Greece and the Balkans, providing aid and assistance to the seemingly endless wave of refugees fleeing the mayhem of the Middle East. “No one could have faulted Israelis and Jews had they taken a strictly hands-off approach to the humanitarian catastrophe created by the Syrian conflict. Indeed, with six Arab societies tearing themselves apart and in different stages of failed statehood, the sensible thing for Israelis to do would have been to hunker down, and wait until the mayhem beyond had burned itself out.” Dandachi calls himself “a displaced Syrian refugee currently living in Istanbul.” His site chronicles aid, assistance and medical care to Syrian

“I grew up with statements like ‘These people are your enemies. The Jews are evil.’ And then I saw that the Jews are the most humane and generous people of this era.”

surprised me is the feedback from Arabs. I was expecting hostility from Arabs and instead a surprising number have told me that I’m saying what they can’t say and that I should keep saying what I’m saying. It surprised me the number of Arabs and refugees like me who say that.” Dandachi tells ISRAEL21c that his site has also prompted great interest from Israel. He says he gives talks via Skype to groups in Israel and is regularly interviewed by local media here. While he would love to visit Israel, he says: “I’m a Aboud Dandachi at the 12th century Krak des Chevaliers in Homs. Syrian. Visiting Israel In 2013, the Syrian government bombed this site, destroying what had been the world’s best preserved Crusader Castle. is not even remotely possible. I would love to visit Israel refugees from 2011 to the present. when it becomes possible.” Dandachi told Ynetnews about his A displaced Syrian refugee childhood anti-Israel education. “I Dandachi blogs: “Turned away from grew up with statements like ‘These Arab countries, increasingly unwelpeople are your enemies. The Jews are come in Europe, Syrian refugees have evil.’ And then I saw that the Jews are found support, aid and assistance from the most humane and generous people the last place they could have expected: Israeli and Jewish organizations and individuals. “While thousands of Syrians languish on the borders of neighboring continued from previous page countries, Israeli medical teams and Water Engineering Institute in Kenya to hospitals have been tireless and ungive the country technical capability as stinting in treating Syrians in need... it increases its acreage under irrigation. Other initiatives include partnering with Kenya in developing desalination along Kenya’s 500 km. coast along the Indian Ocean, and supporting Kenya’s new Water for Schools Program to Sponsored by the Israel Advocacy Committee connect all our public schools to water. of the Jewish Federation of Collier County (Eugene Wamalwa, Standard Digital Kenya)

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64 American citizens have been murdered by Palestinian terrorists in Israel since the signing of the 1993 Oslo accords, yet the U.S. has not prosecuted even one of the killers. The Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Overseas Terrorism (OVT) was established in 2005 after years of protests over the failure of the U.S. to take action against Palestinian Arab killers of Americans. A total of 138 U.S. citizens have been murdered, and 193 wounded, since the 1960s. The OVT is required to help bring about the prosecution of the terrorists. But according to testimony at a February 2 hearing at the national security subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee, the OVT has not brought about a single prosecution for attacks in Israel or the Palestinian Authority areas. The record of the OVT is “an affront to the victims of terror,” according to a

H D

I of this era. When I see that Hezbollahb and the Iranians are coming to kill meI and I’m forced from my home by Syr-i ians, and then I hear that Israelis andI Jews are helping Syrians, my view ofe the world changes.” E “Why are we the Jews’ enemies?”c he asks. “At a time when Donaldp Trump is defaming us, when Denmarkb and Switzerland confiscate Syrian refugees’ belongings, when all these coun-c tries are against us – we have the Jewsl who even endanger themselves to helpO us. So why should I be an enemy ofp the Jews? They have proven that theyd want to be my friends. They held outi their hand, so why should I turn againsts them?” t This is why he created the Thankf You Am Israel portal. p “For what it is worth, you have the thanks of at least this Syrian. I myselfb am not a media mogul, or a well-placeda columnist. I am at heart a simple Syr-g ian village boy caught up in events fard bigger than himself, trying to muddleu through as best as can be expected. Myb powers of persuasion are limited. Hecke I can’t even convince one of my ownb brothers to stop being such a Russo-r phile,” he writes. F “But by chronicling and acknowledging the numerous acts of compas-H sion and generosity shown by theG Jewish people to my own people, I canN try to ensure that Syrians, Arabs andG the world at large never be allowede to forget what you have offered andh provided to Syrian refugees, at a timea when you had every historical andt practical reason not to. t “Thank you Am Israel, and mayl you always be safe and blessed.” s Viva Sarah Press reports on the cre-G ativity, innovation and ingenuity taking place in Israel. Her work has been published by international media outlets including Israel Television, CNN, Reuters, Time Out and The Jerusalem Post.

statement submitted to the committee by Sherri Mandell, mother of 13-year-old Koby Mandell, who was murdered by terrorists near Tekoa in 2003. (Stephen M. Flatow, Times of Israel)

ISRAEL’S YAEL NAIM IS “SINGER OF THE YEAR” IN FRANCE

Israeli-French singer-songwriter Yael Naim, 38, a French-born, Israeli-raised soul singer, won Female Artist of the Year at the 2016 Victoires de la Musique (France’s Grammys). Her new album, “Older,” was nominated for Album of the Year. Naim won album of the year in 2008 and French singer of the year in 2011. (Viva Sarah Press, Israel21c)

EUROPEAN REGIONS THAT EXPELLED JEWS HAVE LOWER GDP THAN THOSE THAT DIDN’T

Jewish communities were instrumental in the establishment of some of the early banks during the Renaissance and the effects are still noticeable in modern economies. “Cities in which the local Jewish community in 1500 caused an early development of the banking sector, have more banks today and, because of this, are more developed today,” said Professor Luigi Pascali, an economist at the University of Warwick and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. In a paper in The Review of Economics and Statistics, Pascali examined the presence of Jewish communities in Italian cities during the Renaissance. He estimates that if the Jews had not been expelled from southern Italy by its

continued on page 36

April 2016 Federation Star

COMMENTARY

BRIEFS

HEALTHY INSTITUTIONS DON’T BOYCOTT ISRAEL In terms of convincing institutions to boycott, divest from, or legally sanction Israel, successes are meager. Global industries are uninterested in excluding Israel. Investment in Israel is rising, especially from Asia. Even trade with Europe is unimpeded. No university or corporation has sold its stock in companies like Intel or Caterpillar for doing business in Israel. Moreover, backlash against boycotts is growing, particularly at the state level. Legislators in Florida, California, Ohio, Illinois and South Carolina have proposed laws to prohibit anti-Israel discrimination by state agencies, including pension funds. In Britain, the Conservative Party has proposed to restrict the ability of local councils and pension funds to discriminate against Israel on political grounds. Even at universities, where proboycott activists have occasionally managed to manipulate or coerce student governments into passing boycott and divestment resolutions, in no case have university administrations, much less boards of trustees or investment managers, followed suit. To the contrary: Israel boycott and divestment resolutions are regularly denounced. (Alex Joffe, The Federalist)

HAMAS IS TO BLAME FOR GAZA’S TERRIBLE STATE, NOT ISRAEL Gaza has a 40% unemployment rate, no electricity during most of the daylight hours, and polluted water that does not always flow. The only relief comes in the form of hundreds of supply trucks that arrive daily from Israel. This is the last barrier that prevents hunger. Don’t say it’s Israel’s fault. The day Israel left Gaza was supposed to be a turning point.

For the first time in history, the Palestinians got independence and sovereignty over territory. Egypt and Jordan, which controlled Gaza and the West Bank, respectively, from 1949 to 1967, never dreamed of giving the Palestinians independence. An independent Gaza could have become a model of welfare and prosperity. They could have sent a message to the whole world – and particularly Israel – that they can be trusted. This did not happen. They chose the industry of death and hate. Anywhere an Islamic organization takes over, the result is destruction and ruin. It has nothing to do with Israel. It has to do with the essence of political Islam. It does not know how to build. It knows how to destroy. The same is happening in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, the Sinai and Libya. (Ben-Dror Yemini, Ynetnews)

ISRAELIS ARE BAD AT APARTHEID Despite all the credit people around the world give Israel for being an apartheid state, we are really bad at it. When my family took a vacation in Eilat just after Hanukah and spent a week in a popular resort on an Israeli kibbutz, the majority of the guests in the hotel were Arab. We even shared a jeep with an Arab couple on our desert jeep tour. After our vacation, I went back to work at Hadassah hospital, taking care of Muslim and Christian Arabs side-byside with the Jewish patients. Some of my fellow nurses are also Arabs, some of whom live in the dorms with Jewish nurses. And we have both Arab and Jewish doctors, all working together and even smiling and laughing and getting along. The rest of the world insists on calling us an apartheid state, but when it comes to doing apartheid, we fail miserably. (Nancy Chayn Fogelman, Times of Israel)

Susan Miller: Testament in Stone On View Through September 11, 2016

Susan Miller “sees” through stone. She has the ability to perceive and reveal, through the density of weighty blocks of marble, a form that communicates human dignity and energy. Miller’s sculptures express her spirit and the beauty of the human body. The subjects of the pieces are connected to names from history, mythology and the Old Testament. Biblical passages, poetry, and prose accompany the works.

Israel calling? Positively! Rabbi Fishel Zaklos

recently returned from a trip to our beloved Holy Land. It was my honor and privilege to officiate at the bar mitzvah of Jake Masters, the son of dear friends. This memorable event took place at the Western Wall, one of Judaism’s holiest sites. Although a short trip, it afforded me an opportunity to connect with the land so near and dear to our hearts. I utilized some time to bring regards and support from our Chabad Naples community to the military men and women who sacrifice their lives daily to protect our land and our people. My goal was to inspire them: I left inspired. In spite of the horrors of terror attacks, they remain dedicated to their mission and goal. In spite of threats they remain faithful, optimistic and joyful. It is truly uplifting to witness. On one hand there is an awareness that threats lurk not only on borders but also within the country; on the other hand, one goes about daily life working, celebrating, singing and dancing as if there isn’t a worry in the world. So I ask: What is their secret? How do they maintain this joy for life? Actually, it’s our heritage. We have survived a history of close calls and being under attack. We have just celebrated the holiday of Purim, when once again the Jewish people were threatened by an evil tyrant who had been close to achieving his goal of their total annihilation. Then he met some school children and asked them, “What have you learned today?” They responded, “Do not fear… their schemes will be foiled because G-d is with us!” Spoiler alert! We know the end of the story: the tables are turned on the evil Haman and Mordechai wins. The greatest miracle of Purim is that facing threats on their lives, the children did not waver in their faith. My father had an oft-repeated Yiddish expression, especially when things

didn’t seem to go the right way: Tracht gut vet zein gut. It means, “Think positively, and it will turn out well!” It may sound like a platitude or banal, but we have learned that positive thinking and optimistic attitudes can affect the outcome of a situation. The children knew: the end of that movie had not been written. We are the authors of this production, and with our positive attitudes, we can create a happy and positive outcome! The Megillah states the Purim story must not just be remembered but also re-enacted. This tells us to apply this optimistic lifestyle to our daily lives as well. In Israel, I observed this ideal being put into practice. Amazingly, not only are they thinking positively, they are living positively. “Positive thinking generates positive feelings and attracts positive life experiences.” A recent report listed Naples at the top of the list as the happiest and healthiest community out of 190 U.S. cities polled. “Residents there have the lowest levels of stress in the country... Many of them like their daily activities and enjoy an intellectually lively culture…” the report states. As a proud Neapolitan I challenge you: Let’s live up to our reputation while learning from our heritage and our brethren in Israel to have a positive attitude and create positive results with happiness, peace and prosperity for all. Rabbi Fishel Zaklos serves at Chabad Jewish Center of Naples.

Jerusalem Post Crossword Puzzle Solution to puzzle on page 24

Susan Miller, Leah Rejected, 20 x 15 x14”

Cinema Judaica: The Epic Cycle (1947-1971) On View Through October 23, 2016

Hollywood films in the three decades after WWII portrayed 4,000 years of Jewish historical identity and, in some of the biggest box office hits of all times, transformed the image of the Jew from embattled to triumphant. Flamboyant posters and bold advertising materials for films are featured in this blockbuster exhibition. Sins of Jezebel (1953), 16 x 38”

Exhibition sponsored by the Robert Arthur Segall Foundation. On loan from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Curated by Laura Kruger.

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Federation Star April 2016

FOCUS ON YOUTH

Indie bands and intellectuals at the ‘Woodstock of Jewish identity’ With teen attendance tripling since 2012, the BBYO International Convention is now among the largest events on the Jewish communal calendar. By Ami Eden, February 23, 2016 Editor’s note: This article is reprinted with permission from JTA, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, www.jta.org ALTIMORE (JTA) — My teenage years were pretty Jewy. Back in high school, I happily attended Jewish day school, spent summers at a Jewish camp, went on a group Israel trip and took part in a few youth group events. So it was a strange feeling I experienced over President’s Day weekend when I found myself looking back and suddenly feeling Jewishly deprived. Sounds corny. But that was my gut reaction standing among 2,500 spirited teens from around the world at the energized opening ceremonies of this year’s BBYO International Convention. IC, as it is known in BBYO world, has been around for decades. But in the past few years it has evolved into a highenergy event rivaling any conference or convention on the Jewish calendar. Teen attendance has nearly tripled since 2012 – this year’s total attendance was about 4,000, including adults. Depending on how you count, that’s bigger than the annual General Assembly of The Jewish Federations of North America. Yes, AIPAC’s annual policy conference wins on the numbers, drawing more than 15,000 – including more than half of Congress – and it features a first-rate program packed with big-time plenary speakers and dozens of interesting panel discussions. But the AIPAC event’s focus is relatively narrow compared to the annual BBYO gathering (and slightly less fun). This year’s IC boasted its own mega-program, with a diverse set of

headline speakers, including welcome videos from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and in-person talks from NAACP president, Cornell Brooks; Kind Snacks founder and CEO Daniel Lubetzky; transgender advocate and model Geena Rocero; Nordstrom executive (and BBYO alumnus) Jeffrey Kalinsky; refugee activist Erin Shrode; and Gideon Lichtman, a founding pilot in the Israeli Air Force. Teens took part in 30 offsite “Leadership Labs” with a wide range of leaders in the realms of advocacy, philanthropy, marketing, social entrepreneurship, political engagement, civic leadership, Israel, Jewish communal affairs, education and environmental protection. Throughout, there was also live music, including electronic from the dance music group Cash Cash, the alternative rock band The Mowgli’s, and hip hop/ pop singer-songwriter Jason Derulo. Shabbat included 23 pluralistic teen-led services, a Friday night meal billed by organizers as breaking the Guinness World Record for largest Shabbat dinner ever, and multiple learning sessions (including a talk moderated by this journalist between Matt Nosanchuk, the Obama administration’s Jewish liaison, and Noam Neusner, who served in the same capacity during the administration of President George W. Bush). There was even a New York Times columnist on hand to sum it all up. “What you see here is like a Woodstock of Jewish identity,” David Brooks of the Times told a group of philanthropists who had gathered for their summit

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on the eve of IC to discuss the need for more funding for teen programs. “You see all these people coming together and their identity as Jews is inflamed by the presence of each other.” Just as Woodstock was a cultural moment that reverberated for decades, it is not hard to imagine a few more epic ICs could create and inspire a cohort of thousands of Jewish activists-for-life capable of maintaining and reinvigorating Jewish communities and institutions for years to come. For some philanthropists, that alone might justify the $1.1 million funders are putting up to keep the cost to each teen under $1,000. But for BBYO’s CEO, Matt Grossman, the supersized IC is about the here and now. The growing numbers at IC are partially the product of recent BBYO membership growth (17 percent over past five years), Grossman said during an interview. More importantly, he added, the convention is an important tool for inspiring teens to connect their friends to BBYO. “Nothing is more powerful than an older teen putting their arm around a younger teen and inviting them into the movement,” Grossman said. “Teen leadership and, specifically, peer-to-peer recruitment is key to our growth.” And they’re going to need a ton of it. According to an analysis of the 2013 Pew survey of American Jews done by Rosov Consulting, there are about 446,000 Jewish teens with some claim to being Jewish. Filter out 19-year-olds, the Orthodox and those most disconnected from Jewish life, and you’re looking at a target audience of about 210,000. According to Grossman, BBYO is undergoing a capacity-building study to determine “the resources and strategies needed to capture even greater market share.” Currently the organization has about 19,000 paid members, and about 32,000 take part in a BBYO event each year. The organization’s database of reachable teens is about 80,000. Tripling the number of paid members would get about a quarter of the 210,000 target audience. If we’re simply talking participation in an event, BBYO would still need to more than double its current number of annual touches to reach all those teens. BBYO’s annual budget is about $28 million – a 33 percent increase over the past five years. The organization boasts an impressive group of lead funders – including the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the Jim Joseph Foundation, the David and Inez Myers Foundation, and the Marcus Foundation – though it says its fastest growing source of revenue is smaller gifts from parents and alumni ($2.35 million in 2015). The organization employs 100 paid full-time and 30 part-time staff. About 30 staffers in total are based at the

national headquarters in Washington, D.C., with the remaining employees working with teens in the field. “BBYO is enabling tens of thousands of Jewish teens to create and participate in fun, joyous and meaningful experiences that allow them to develop as leaders, serve others and connect with Israel and to a larger purpose, all within a Jewish wrapping,” said Stacy Schusterman, co-chair of the Schusterman Foundation. “I have seen firsthand, both as a parent and a funder, the enduring power and importance of this work, as did all of those who participated in BBYO IC and the Teen Summit. I hope more people will invest in the currently underfunded Jewish teen space.” The stakes are about more than BBYO – most of those 210,000 teens aren’t involved in any Jewish activities. Grossman isn’t prepared yet to say how much it would cost to hit sky-high numbers. But he believes one thing BBYO already has is a successful formula for engaging the bulk of today’s Jewish teens. It starts with a bedrock first principle of being a teen-led movement rather than advancing a particular ideology – a huge advantage at a time when Jews of all ages are steering clear of institutions and synagogue movements and formulating their own definitions of Jewish identity. The IC program, say BBYO’s staffers and several members of the youth group, was the product of planning by the teens themselves and hence a reflection of their eclectic interests and passions. Judging from the speaker lineup and the crowd response, the average BBYOer is unapologetically excited about being Jewish, connecting with other Jews and supportive of Israel – and equally dedicated to working together to advance more universal causes, from minority and LGBQT rights to the plight of international refugees. Which creates the seemingly incongruous sight (at least in today’s political climate) of a raucous convention hall crowd cheering a founding Israeli Air Force pilot’s talk of shooting down Arab fighter planes and less than an hour later applauding just as strongly for the NAACP leader’s calls for Jewish teens to take advantage of their privilege to join with African-American activists in today’s battles for racial justice. While a willingness to let today’s teens point the way forward is critical to BBYO’s success, so is the organization’s simultaneous ability to foster enthusiasm for its 90-year history and leverage an alumni base of 400,000. The result is a potent combination of historical gravitas and a wide-open future. How high a future is the question. Ami Eden is the CEO & Executive Editor of JTA and its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

See Jason Randall’s article on the next page about his experience at the BBYO International Convention

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April 2016 Federation Star

FOCUS ON YOUTH

Naples BBYO update By Jason Randall, 11th Grader in Negev AZA #2560

ecently I attended BBYO’s International Convention (IC) in Baltimore, Maryland, along with two of my AZA brothers, Eli Melnick and Zack Schiller. At this convention, 2,500 teens from 27 countries sacross the world came together to serve the community, advocate for civil and human injustices, improve their leaderships, communication and song leading skills, elect the new international boards, pand celebrate our Jewish connection. t From the moment I walked through lthe doors of the Hilton I knew that this yconvention and this experience would be unlike any other. This year, I was ,involved in a lot of the behind the scenes planning of the convention through the Teen Band and the IC steering comnmittee. e Before the convention even started I ywas immersed in strategizing success in my region and ideas for fixing our areas in need of improvement. That night I sparticipated in a cross region meeting . y h g

with the Miami Region and in opening ceremonies infused with ruach, passion, leadership, Judaism and enthusiasm that felt so powerful that it appeared tangible. The next day I woke up bright and early to lead a community service and advocacy “Leadership Lab” centered around education. Then we went to a middle school specializing in expe-

n my very first night in Israel, I found myself walking around a kibbutz in the Upper Galilee. I t felt a little confused – this is not what I thought Israel would look like. Everything was green – green grass and green f olive trees everywhere – with a mouns tainous, muddy terrain. Maybe it was the f jetlag, but Sunday School taught me that Israel was a desert, and that was why we had to support the JNF’s Tu B’Shevat h tree planting initiative. This was no desy ert, and just like that, less than two hours after I landed in Ben Gurion Airport, I had my first opportunity to realize that p Israel is so much more dimensional and e vibrant than its depiction in American d Sunday schools or media. h After a brief tour of the compound, we filed into the kibbutz’s bomb shelr ter turned classroom. There were no m windows in the room, and the heavy t metal doors looked like they belonged

on a submarine. It had a utilitarian feel, which matched my presumption of what a kibbutz would be like. Despite the jetlag, there was an excitement in the room. I was joined by thirty-four other Americans plus three educators, and the only thing we had in common in that moment was we were all Jewish. Our tour guide began our very ﬁrst workshop with only two sentences. First, he instructed us to “question everything.” Next, he presented us with a much more challenging proposition: “Judaism is NOT a religion,” he said. I struggled with this. If not a religion, then what? A culture? An ethnicity? Maybe religion is just the most salient part of Judaism for non-Jews? Who do we let determine what it means for us – as a collective and as individuals – to be Jewish? For the rest of our ﬁrst night, we shared our questions as a group. There were no real answers, and these

riential learning, helped the students with science projects, and had a meaningful talk with the principal about how education needs to change. That night, my friends and I went to a Shabbat service centered around rock and roll. On Saturday, I went to a Shabbat service about how the tabernacle was created, a session on Jewish dating, a session on creating a call to action video with Adobe, and a session on finding your dreams with filmmaker Casey Neistat. I ended the day with an inspirational speech by the outgoing BBYO leaders of this great movement that motivated me to work harder to give “more Jewish teens Jason Randall (wearing cap) at the BBYO International Convention in Baltimore more meaningful

experiences.” On the second to last day, I participated in international elections that was followed by an extraordinary concert by alternative rock band The Mowgli’s, pop artist Jason Derulo, and electronic dance music artist Cash Cash. This by far had been the best experience of my life so far, and when it was time go I had made up my mind that I was never going to leave. But when the time came after the tears had been shed, hugs had been given, good-byes had been said, and phone numbers had been exchanged, the feeling I had was one of great content. After days of sharing laughs, stories and experiences, I had been left feeling at peace. All the things that I craved had been fulfilled and more, and I felt more of a connection with my Judaism and my brother Alephs than ever before. So when it came time to close this impactful journey, I did so with a mighty heart and a loving hand.

Reflections from a recent Birthright Trip to Israel by Rabbi Sylvin & Sandy Wolf’s granddaughter, Chloe Furfine s

questions instead became our tools for critically examining our experiences throughout the next nine days. As we talked, our different personalities and backgrounds began to emerge. There were two converts, two dual citizens, one Jewish day school alumna, seventeen b’nai mitzvah, ﬁve self-described non-observant Jews, one individual who was raised Episcopalian, and the rest grew up in self-described agnostic homes with mixed-faith parents. We were from all across the United States – from West Palm Beach to San Francisco – and we came from varying academic backgrounds, from archaeology to speech pathology. None of us knew what to expect, but each of us came with an open mind. Even more importantly, we each genuinely wanted this program to be meaningful. It was this commitment to each other that made my experience so personally enriching.

Participating in Taglit-Birthright Israel was one of the best decisions I have made. This trip challenged me and changed me. Working with a fabulous educational staff as well as my peers, I grappled with Jewish identity. From my new friends who had converted to Judaism, I learned that Judaism is a choice, and should not come from a place of guilt or family obligation. I got to experience Shabbat through the new eyes of participants who had never celebrated it with their families before. I experienced ﬁrsthand what it felt like to be a Jewish majority from our Israeli mifgash. We cried together at Yad Vashem and on Mount Herzl. And yes, we rode camels together and got covered in Dead Sea mud. We sang Hatikvah together in Independence Hall, and we left ten days later with a deeper connection to each other, to Israel, and to Judaism than I would have thought possible.

Preschool of the Arts update

l rBy Ettie Zaklos, Preschool Director ducation is not merely the acquisition of skills and knowledge. A real education builds character, and provides children with the whereowithal to continue to develop. One of nthe most essential ways to achieve that is through developing a strong community. Studies have shown that the lquality of a child’s early relationships directly affects their success later on. At rPreschool of the Arts, children, teachers dand parents collaborate and support each other to create a vibrant community. Our nstaff are passionate about what they do, nand our parents and community friends eagerly participate through various programs such as our yearlong Art and About: Visiting Artists Program or our 0Community Helpers Month. As a community, we continue to learn and grow together. We are proud that our community extends well past the families who participate in our programming, and has a ripple effect on the greater Naples Jewish community. Our Preschool of the Arts and Summer of the Arts programs receive support from the Jewish Federation of Collier County, which has partnered with us in helping shape our community children’s Judaic childhood experiences. The Jewish Federation, and many like-minded friends and supporters who believe in our vision for excellence, has increased our ability to succeed in this arena and enabled us to raise the bar for Jewish education

throughout our community. We are so grateful for the Federation’s support. Our preschool loves to bring the community we have built to life for our students by welcoming our families and community members into our classrooms. This past month we got to do that in an even more impactful way with one of our yearly highlights: Grandparents Day! At Preschool of the Arts we have a tradition of celebrating family and we particularly love to nurture the magical bond between our students and their beloved grandparents. In early March, dozens of our students’ grandparents joined us for a wonderful interactive day of fun and inspiring activities to

nurture the special intergenerational bond. It was a wonderful day of family bonding and a celebration of the special connection between our students and their grandparents, who are personal stakeholders in our school’s success. This past month we also enjoyed one very special visit from a celebrated Naples artist – who also happens to be a POTA dad! We love to surprise our students with fascinating new experiences, especially in any field related to the arts. In a very special event, Conrad Williams, Naples’ only glassblowing artist, brought his magnificent glassblowing techniques and artistry to our school and shared it with some of our students.

Preschool of the Arts celebrated the magical bond between the students and their beloved grandparents at the annual Grandparents Day

Conrad brought all of his intricate tools and equipment to our campus, and set up a makeshift workshop where he demonstrated his incredible skills, thrilling students and teachers alike. The interactive demonstration of a relatively rare art form was incredibly enlightening for our young artists, who watched in awe as Conrad quite literally blew art into beautiful shapes and sculptures. It was inspiring to watch as their imaginations expanded before our eyes, and to listen in as they discussed their newfound possibilities of art in glass. Preschool of the Arts’ one-of-a-kind programming has made us Naples’ premiere early childhood program – and is reflected in our registration for next year which is quickly nearing capacity. Join our community by trying out Summer of the Arts, a unique and fun summer camp experience for children ages 18 months to 11 years with an emphasis on exploration. Our hands-on approach to learning offers a daily opportunity for creative expression, scientific investigation, lots of time in our magical playscape, and working with different art mediums. We have an outstanding summer planned for your child(ren) and can’t wait to see how their ideas unfold! Sign up your child today! For more information, contact me at 239.263.2620 or naplespreschool ofthearts@gmail.com, or visit www. naplespreschoolofthearts.com.

Read the current and previous editions of the Federation Star online at www.jewishnaples.org.

Federation Star April 2016

FOCUS ON YOUTH / SYNAGOGUES

Temple Shalom Preschool update By Seyla Cohen, Preschool Director

e are pleased to announce that the annual Temple Shalom Preschool Art Show is scheduled to be held Thursday, May 5 at 6:00 p.m. As the students put finishing touches on their incredible masterpieces, the Art Show Committee is working hard and promises that this will be the most incredible Art Show thus far, filled with wine, refreshments, silent auctions, and entertainment. Each year, pieces crafted by children at the preschool adorn the walls of the social hall where parents gather to view artwork created by their children under the guidance of Art Director Linda Ginsberg. Such an exhibition gives the children a sense of pride and confidence, so important to the self-esteem of our preschool students. The Annual Art Show is an opportunity for parents, relatives, congregants and friends to mingle and enjoy a pleasant evening of wine, refreshments and music. At the same time, they are given the opportunity to purchase students’ creations, participate in the silent auction, and bid on many items and services auctioned and raffled. As in the past, the evening will provide a welcoming, warm and attentive fundraiser from which students, families and the preschool benefit. In addition to providing funds for our enrichment program, moneys raised during this event, along with Jewish Federation of Collier County grants, provide funds to support scholarships for Temple Shalom Preschool families in need of aid with tuition.

Camp Shalom and Camp Einstein As the summer quickly approaches and parents are looking for quality programs and adventures for their little ones, Temple Shalom Preschool has begun its planning for Camp Shalom and Camp Einstein. We offer a wonderful way to occupy and enrich their lives during these months. Camp Shalom is for children ages 2-4, and Camp Einstein is for boys and girls ages 5-8. Both camps offer seven weekly sessions beginning June 8. As in the past, Camp Shalom provides a fun-filled program for the younger crew including music, art, water play, science, technology, storyland and dance. New friendships are formed and social interaction, so important at this age, is sustained. A weekly theme entertains little ones, making each week a new and exciting experience. For older kids, Camp Einstein provides a wonderful link between a carefree atmosphere and maintaining a stimulating educational environment. Parents concerned about keeping learning alive and inquisitive minds active have come to welcome this wonderful program. Literature, science, math, reading, technology and art are provided in a relaxed and engaging climate, helping to provide continuity in education during the long summer holidays. For a tour or information about TSP, please contact the preschool office at 239.455.3227 or preschool@naples temple.org.

it takes a village to raise a child, so please join us at the

2016 ART SHOW

to celebrate

TEMPLE SHALOM PRESCHOOL

p l G & N o N D e c g w e

thursday

MAY 5TH 6:00PM temple shalom social hall naples, florida wine hors d’oeuvres silent auction classroom baskets raffle prizes ...and more!

2016

ART SH W

adults only please

s i a

We are grateful to Dr. Singer and his staff who came to our school and explained to the children how they should be caring for their teeth. Pictured is our Lions class with Dr. Singer.

Every year the students anticipate the 100th day of school. It is a day filled with counting, parties and fun. Ms. Christy’s Lions class practice their counting of groups of 10.

Sign up for The PJ Library and you’ll receive a FREE, high-quality children’s book or CD each month. The PJ Library will enrich your family’s life with Jewish stories and songs – and it’s absolutely FREE for families with children from six months up to eight years of age in Collier County.

The PJ Library is brought to the Collier County community by JFCS of Southwest Florida. For more information, please call 239.325.4444.

Photo courtesy of The PJ Library

SYNAGOGUES JEWISH CONGREGATION OF MARCO ISLAND

www.marcojcmi.com / 239-642-0800

JCMI update By Sue R. Baum, President

pril is an important month for JCMI. We begin to think in terms of many congregants preparing to “GO,” leaving to celebrate Passover with family and friends in their Northern homes. The season flew by too fast, and we will miss these congregants

very much. Each year, however, more and more of our congregants are becoming fulltime residents. Friday evening services continue and the Onegs follow services. Saturday morning Torah Study and services continue. Bridge, Mah Jong, the

Literary Club and Monday Night Bingo also continue. We think “GO.” Family Passover Seder Friday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a traditional Seder service, with Rabbi Mark Gross and Cantorial Soloist Hari Jacobsen, and a wonderful Pass-

over meal. Visitors and guests welcome. For more information, reservations and pricing, please call 239.642.0800 or visit www.marcojcmi.com.

April 2016 Federation Star

SYNAGOGUES BETH TIKVAH

www.bethtikvahnaples.org / 239-434-1818

Beth Tikvah update Phil Jason President

he frantic pace of the Fall-Winter Season has subsided. What a season! We must thank our parade of fine lecturers: Jeff Margolis, Lee Spielman and his colleagues, Gerald Ziedenberg, Dr. June Sochen & Joyce Schrager, Odette Masliyah, Neil Adelman and Sam Geist. Also, our very special teacher-visitors Cantor Neil Newman and Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Sandra Lilienthal. Another superb educational event was our Veterans Day commemoration with film subject and guest Robert Hilliard. And yet another was the recent “Unravelling Your DNA” event organized by Dr. Karin Ezrine. “The Season” also contained many social-entertainment events. These included our Latke Dinner, Deli Night and Yiddishkeit Night. The planning and execution of this

superb calendar of events was made possible by the efforts of our event cochairs, Shelley Goodman and Jeff Margolis. With regard to Cantor Newman’s visit, we thank sponsors Mark and Sue Wasserman. Paulette Margulies worked with guest scholar Dr. Lilienthal on her SIR program. Of course, we have others helping with great regularity. There are too many to mention, but I will mention Linda Scheinberg and Roberta Miller. These and others volunteered their time for three Collier County Jewish Book Festival events held at Beth Tikvah. Time for a rest! Passover Our First Seder is on Friday, April 22. The holiday observance will begin with Friday night services at 6:15 p.m. followed promptly at 7:30 p.m. by the Kosher Seder. Cost: $75 for members, $85 for nonmembers, $45 for children 12 and under. The deadline for reservations and payment is April 5 with members’ priority ending March 23. Information is available from Sue Brown. You can reach her at suebrown80@comcast.net or 239.398.5485. Yom Tov service will

CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF NAPLES

begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 23. April activities The Naples Jewish Film Festival continues to be officially sold out. However, you can email info@naplesjewishfilmfestival.org or call 239.434.1818 to see if tickets to the final film, The Last Mensch, on Sunday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m., have become available. Congratulations and thanks to Jay Kaye and her NJFF committee for a superb third year. Sunday, April 10: Rosh Chodesh Women’s Study Group meets at 10:00 a.m. The facilitator is Rene Geist. For information, contact Elaine Kamin at elaine_kamin@hotmail.com. Thursday, April 21: Our annual Hametz Bash begins at 6:00 p.m. Contact Sue Hammerman at hammersmans@aol.com. Monday, April 25: The Book Discussion Group returns after stepping aside during the spectacular Collier County Jewish Book Festival. Our selection is The Sea Beach Line by Ben Nadler. Set in post-Giuliani New York City, The Sea Beach Line melds mid20th-century pulp fiction and traditional Jewish folklore as it updates the classic

story of a young man trying to find his place in the world. After being expelled from Oberlin for hallucinogenic drug use, Izzy Edel seeks out his estranged father – a Polish Jew turned Israeli soldier turned New York street vendor named Alojzy, who is reported to be missing, possibly dead. To learn about Alojzy’s life and discover the truth behind his disappearance, Izzy takes over his father’s outdoor bookselling business and meets the hustlers, gangsters, and members of a religious sect who peopled his father’s world. He also falls in love. Religious services schedule Friday services begin at 6:15 p.m.; Saturday services begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude with a Kiddush luncheon. Sunday morning minyan is at 9:00 a.m. Yahrzeit minyanim upon request. Please join us at any service. Our participatory worship services and most other events are held at 1459 Pine Ridge Road, just west of Mission Square Plaza. For more information, call 239.434.1818, email bethtikvahnaples@aol.com or visit www.bethtikvahnaples.org. You can reach Rabbi Chorny directly at 239.537.5257.

www.chabadnaples.com / 239-262-4474

Chabad Jewish Center of Naples update

n Evening With Rena Finder We were honored to welcome guest speaker Rena Finder to a sell-out evening of inspiration and courage. We regret we were unable to accommodate everyone who expressed an interest in hearing her speak of her experiences as the youngest survivor on Schindler’s List, and we are making every effort to bring her back in January 2017. Just returning from Israel, witnessing the indomitable spirit of the people there and the land alive, well and flourishing, where its people almost daily face bullying and challenges to their very existence, made Rena’s message all the more relevant to our lives. Israel

stands as a testimony to her and to the indestructible spirit of our people. Passover Chabad’s famous Passover Seder will be held on Friday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. This event is always a sell-out with limited seating, so be sure to reserve early. RSVP by April 14. Adults: $100, children 12-18: $36, children 5-11: $18. For reservations, call 239.262.4474, email office@chabadnaples.com or reserve online. Celebrate Pesach with the Chabad extended family at an inspirational Seder with a gourmet Kosher for Passover dinner. Want Shmurah Matzah for your home? You can order it and other Kosher for Passover foods through Chabad.

NAPLES JEWISH CONGREGATION

Chabad Men’s Club The Men’s Club meets every Wednesday with conversation and learning by Rabbi Fishel. Partner Project We are always so grateful for our evergrowing group of generous partners, benefactors and supporters. It’s never too late to join this elite group of people and enjoy a special Partners Project Evening when we honor, celebrate and entertain members. Call now for information on how to participate. With joy and gratitude, we invite you to attend the annual celebration of the Chabad of Naples Partner Project on Thursday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m. for a special evening.

Flying Challahs Here is your chance to bring a smile to someone’s face! If you know people who need a visit or just a little caring attention, your suggestion via a phone call will bring a freshly-baked challah flying to their doorstep. Weekly Services and Children’s Program Join us every Shabbat at 10:30 a.m. for weekly uplifting services, and bring the kids to the incredible children’s program at the same time. A Kiddush and social gathering for the family follow services. Thursday Minyan We hold a regular Thursday morning Minyan in the Herstein Library at 8:00 a.m.

www.naplesjewishcongregation.org / 239-234-6366

Naples Jewish Congregation update By Suzanne L. Paley, President

ewish Book Festival Naples Jewish Congregation was honored to be a sponsor of the first annual Collier County Jewish Book Festival. On March 14, Rabbi Goldie Milgram presented her book New Mitzvah Stories, and author Megan Feldman Bettencourt presented her book Triumph of the Heart. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples (where we gather for services) donated its facility as the venue for the evening. A dessert reception followed the inspirational evening and was a lovely way to end the festival. Purim & Passover As of press time, on Friday night, March 25, we will celebrate Purim with a delicious deli supper followed by our Shabbat service featuring the story of Esther, highlighted with a humorous Purim Schpiel written by Cantorial Soloist Jane Galler and directed by Music Director Alla Gorelik Stadnik. Our Community Passover Seder is scheduled for the second night of Passover and will be held at the Longshore Lake Clubhouse. The Seder is led by Rabbi Sylvin Wolf and features The 30 Minute Haggadah. The price

for community guests is $75 and includes a sumptuous meal with your choice of brisket or chicken. If you are interested in joining us, and we hope you are, please contact Iris Weissman at 239.431.7944 to make your reservation. NJC Board of Directors Congratulations to the newly elected members of Naples Jewish Congregation’s Board of Directors: Marv Weisberg as Vice President; Dick Lechtner as Treasurer; and Carolyn Greenberg, Chuck Naumoff, Cynthia Nayer and Barry Weissman as Directors. Stepping down were Hal Fogelson as Vice President, Elaine Rapoport as Treasurer and Directors Bill Greenberg and Richard Jacobus. I am very proud of our Board of Directors and thankful for their dedication and hard work. Saturday morning Shabbat service NJC has always held Shabbat services on Friday night. There are a number of congregants who either choose not to, or are no longer able to drive at night, and therefore are not attending services as regularly as they wanted. At the suggestion of our Care Connection Committee, the Board of Directors decided

to plan a couple of Saturday morning Shabbat services in lieu of the preceding Friday night. The first Saturday morning Shabbat service was held at the end of January and was very successful. Those who attended expressed joy. Sitting together outside for lunch seemed to extend the spirituality of the service. A second Saturday morning Shabbat service will be held on April 16 at 10:30 a.m. You are welcome to join us for the service and for a simple Kiddush lunch that will follow. Please remember that

there will be no service on Friday night, April 15. Please join us for a Shabbat service and find out why “NJC is where you should belong!” We gather at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Napa Woods Way in Naples. An Oneg always follows our services, which gives everyone a chance to greet, meet and chat. For further information about Naples Jewish Congregation, please call 239.431.3858 or visit www.naples jewishcongregation.org.

Passover begins at sundown on Friday, April 22. Many of the area’s temples will hold firstand second-night Seders open to the community. Contact the temples for more information.

Federation Star April 2016 COLLIER/LEE CHAPTER OF HADASSAH

ORGANIZATIONS www.hadassah.org / 239-370-6220

What Hadassah is up to Karen Cohn Collier/Lee Hadassah Co-President

Hadassah Medical Center physician along with graduate students from Hebrew University developed a machine-washable sock that when paired with a Smartphone application can warn diabetic patients of developing foot ulcers. Ulcers can lead to diabetic amputations if not treated. The sock has dozens of micro fabricated pressure sensors which collects and relays the information to the phone. It warns the patient about too much pres-

sure on their feet due to incorrect posture or possible ill-fitting shoes. The sock registers changes and shows up on the phone’s app. It lets the patient and the physician know of the problem. Diabetic Neuropathy is the leading cause of amputations. SenseGo is a product of BioDesign: Medical Innovation – a multi-disciplinary team-based collaboration between Hadassah and Hebrew University. Hadassah is always on the cutting edge. This season has really whizzed by. I cannot believe people are beginning to think of going back north for the summer. Gayle Dorio and I have tried to go to as many functions as possible, even with our busy schedules. I guess busy people are always able to take on just one more thing.

ORT AMERICA – GULF BEACHES CHAPTER

February 25 was our last big luncheon of the season with a presentation by the dynamic Dr. Caroline Cederquist. She is a physician specializing in Nutrition and Metabolism. She spoke about changing eating habits for a healthier way of life. The season is not totally over since there are more Knowledge and Nosh lunches and speakers. Elyse Morande is in charge and she always attracts wonderful speakers. Lauren Becker still has her Evening Group, meeting on the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. until the end of May. The Book Club meets monthly and Hadassah members are hard at work planning, planning, planning for more. We had two successful New Mem-

ber Brunches at Donna Goldblatt’s with 12 new members at each brunch. Thank you to Donna and her team, Roberta Ury and Carol Hirsch. Another successful event was the Pizza with a Purpose at California Pizza Kitchen. Ruth Barber was the head of this undertaking with flyers given to anyone who wanted one. The flyer allowed CPK to donate 20% of the charges to Hadassah. I know I gave out many flyers and people were very enthusiastic about this event. Thank you to Ruth for an excellent job. The First Annual Collier County Jewish Book Festival was well attended and Hadassah is proud to have been the sponsor of the March 9 event at Beth Tikvah.

www.ort.org / 239-649-4000

ORT to eternity Marina Berkovich ORT Gulf Beaches President RT has influenced the Jews and the World since 1880 in many unheralded ways. Part V. Dr. Aron Syngalowski (continued from the March issue) Dr. Aron Syngalowski’s legacy is that he succeeded in converting ORT from a parochial Russian organization to an international movement with the concept of providing economic independence for Jews wherever they lived. Through him, ORT was inaugurated in the U.S. in 1922, with Judge Jacob Panken as its first president, Louis Boudin as vice president, and Dr. Henry Moskowitz and Joseph Baskin among its founders. Syngalowski is often credited for the reconstruction of the ORT network after World War II and the establishment of its activities in Israel in 1948. He died in Paris in 1956 and was buried in Geneva. The ORT school in Tel Aviv was named after him. Part VI. Women’s American ORT Women’s American ORT (WAO) was founded October 12, 1927. Most of the founders were wives of American ORT leaders. Their marital connections were critical factors in creating an auxiliary

BRIEFS continued from page 30 Spanish rulers after 1503, the GDP there would have been 7% higher and that the expulsion of the Jews may explain at least 10% of the income gap currently seen between northern and southern Italy. He added that similar trends likely happened in other countries in Europe when Jewish communities were expelled in the Middle Ages. (Richard Gray, Daily Mail - UK)

ISRAELI DEVICE SLOWS PROGRESSION OF ALZHEIMER’S Based on a just-completed study involving 131 patients, Israel’s Neuronix medical device company will apply for U.S. FDA approval for its neuroAD system to slow and even reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s. The novel technology combines transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and cognitive training of specific brain regions to slow the

organization to assist their husbands’ work. First Honorary President: Mrs. Albert Einstein Second Honorary President: Baroness Pierre de Gunzbourg A glamorous recital by Efrem Zimbalist at Carnegie Hall in 1928 to help the Jews in Eastern Europe launched their activities as a women’s auxiliary. Patrons were some of the leading American Jewish women of German origin, Eastern European Jewish wives, and leaders of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. Women’s support of ORT reflected Jewish women’s emergence into public life by creating their own organizations to meet community needs. By 1933, WAO was large enough to put on a pageant, Activities of ORT, at the 44th Street Theater in New York City, demonstrating the various skills taught by ORT in different countries. A Women’s ORT was organized in Poland in 1935. In the U.S., WAO created study groups to educate women on the situation in Eastern Europe. WAO strongly supported ORT’s work in Germany and Eastern Europe, as it precariously maintained training schools after the Nazi anschluss and invasion of Poland in 1938. During this period in Germany, for example, ORT opened a vocational high school in Berlin that survived until 1943.

In 1940, WAO was created as an independent organization at American ORT’s first annual convention in thirteen years, with the theme “A Trade is a Refugee’s Passport.” As the Nazis conquered Europe, WAO funded ORT accommodations for refugees in various ORT installations in France, vocational courses in Swiss camps and internment homes, and maintenance of ORT workshops in Polish ghettos that managed to be kept alive until the ghettos were destroyed. By the end of World War II, ORT had transformed itself into an emergency organization primarily serving adult displaced persons (DPs) about to migrate or in transit. (to be continued

rate of mental deterioration in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders. The treatment is commercially available in Europe and Asia, including in Israel. Neuronix CEO Eyal Baror said, “Our previous successful six clinical trials have shown that neuroAD is safe and effective in treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer patients, significantly improving their cognitive performance and day-to-day activities, and slowing down their mental deterioration for about one year.” In 2015, Korean researchers said a clinical trial showed that neuroAD “was remarkable in the memory and language domains, which are severely affected by Alzheimer’s disease.” (Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21c)

Apple Watch and Apple TV. Srouji is a Christian Arab born in Haifa, Israel, who learned at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, one of the world’s top engineering schools. After graduating, Srouji got a job with IBM, which had placed its largest non-U.S. research facility in Haifa, then moved to Intel, and joined Apple in 2008. (Brad Stone, Bloomberg)

APPLE’S CHIEF CHIPMAKER IS AN ISRAELI ARAB Johny Srouji, 51, is the senior vice president for hardware technologies at Apple. He runs the division that makes processor chips for the iPhone, iPad,

in the May issue) *** ORT provides scholarships to 300,000 students annually in over 60 countries. GulfBeaches ORT Chapter 2016 fundraising efforts benefit ORT in Israel. Please help us with our financial challenge by mailing your renewal or donation check, payable to ORT America, to Hella Amelkin, 3200 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., #307, Naples, FL 34103.

ORT America (Organization for Rehabilitation through Training) Did you know that: ¡¡ ORT supports 300,000 students annually in 59 countries by providing technical education that emphasizes employable skills? ¡¡ ORT’s most famous (and least publicized) mission was to educate Holocaust victims in DP camps so they were able to move on with their lives? ¡¡ ORT America has four college campuses in the U.S., including two in New York, one in Chicago and one in Los Angeles, that serve the most vulnerable communities? ¡¡ ORT America is active in Southwest Florida? Please attend Gulf Beaches Chapter events and support ORT’s educational mission. Help ORT raise funds to save lives through education. To join/renew/transfer, please contact ORT America Gulf Beaches Chapter President Marina Berkovich at 239.566.1771, or Membership Chair Marebe Crouse at 239.263.4959. Please visit www.ortamerica.org for a virtual ORT experience.

WHAT ISRAEL IS GIVING ME: THE VOICE OF AN ARAB DOCTOR Faiza is the head of the intensive care unit at a major private hospital in Israel. She lives in Shuafat, an Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem where there are frequent disturbances. She comes from a family of eleven, most of them gradu-

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ates of Israeli universities. “I love my life. I love living in Israel. I thank Allah every day for having given me the opportunity to grow up here,” she says. “I know that if it was not for this country, I would never be what I am.” “Here you can choose,” she says. She turns her head toward the Arab doctors and nurses. “Israel gives you the opportunity to express your human potential.” In all Israeli universities there are guaranteed places for Arab-Israeli citizens. “Have you seen how Israeli soldiers are helping Syrians? Have you seen how they are putting their own lives in danger crossing the border in order to take the wounded Syrians to Israeli hospitals?” (Gheula Canarutto Nemni, Times of Israel)

For daily news stories related to Israel & the Jewish world, visit www.jewishnaples.org.

April 2016 Federation Star

ORGANIZATIONS

www.hjhswfl.org / 239-495-8484

HUMANISTIC JEWISH HAVURAH

Humanistic Jewish Havurah celebrates Carl Sagan and Passover Paula Creed HJH President

n Friday, April 1, the Humanistic Jewish Havurah celebrates Shabbat with a potluck dinner in the Pelican Marsh Community Room (1504 Pelican Marsh Blvd., Naples) starting at 5:30 p.m. After dinner, Carl Sagan’s New York Times bestseller, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, will be discussed. Because of his adherence to humanist principles, Carl Sagan has been chosen as “Humanist of the Year” by the Society for Humanistic Judaism. Early in this book, Sagan writes, “Scripture is said to be divinely inspired – a phrase with many meanings. But what if it’s simply made up by fallible humans? It is certainly conceivable that doctrines and

ethics that may have worked fairly well in patriarchal or patristic or medieval times might be thoroughly invalid in the very different world we inhabit today.” To attend, contact Dena Sklaroff at 239.591.0101, and find out what to bring to the dinner. A $10 per person charge enables us to cover the costs of this event. On Saturday, April 23 at the Bonita Bay Club (26660 Club Drive, Bonita Springs), beginning promptly at 5:00 p.m., we invite you, your family and friends to attend our Seder. We celebrate by the reading our Humanist Haggadah followed by a traditional Passover menu. Completing the reservation form, available on our website, www.hjhswfl. org, and mailing it with proper payment, will secure your seat at the Seder table. The cost is $67 per person. Contact Dena Sklaroff for further information. Picking up on Sagan’s premise, the Exodus tale everyone believed and celebrated at traditional Seders is now seen

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SWFL

differently. Archeological surveys failed to uncover any possibility that there had been Israelite slaves in Egypt who fled in mass and later invaded the land of Canaan (Israel). In fact, evidence strongly suggests that the Israelites were actually natives of that land. Today some believe the Torah’s story was created as an allegory about how Egypt had dominated and exploited the people of Canaan. Ultimately, regional upheavals led to great changes including Egypt’s withdrawal from Canaan and the emergence of the Israelite nation. We have growing confirmation that this occurred beginning in the thirteenth century B.C.E. These surprising revelations about the entirely fictitious nature of the story are quite new. Previously, even those who rejected the supernatural parts of the story accepted its underlying narrative of Israelite bondage in Egypt. With the knowledge that the Exodus story is a complete invention, how can we possibly go on telling it? We might begin by examining the inner core of the narrative

and putting our emphasis there. The Exodus story reminds us that every human being desires to live freely and with dignity. Modern people understand that release from formal servitude in not the same as true freedom. In the traditional story, the Hebrews pass from one authoritarian situation into another. Moses is no less dictatorial than Pharaoh. Moses issues laws in the name of a divine authority and this neither provides for individual liberty nor allows public challenge. Conformity, humility and obedience are the virtues of the theocratic system. Passover presents us with an opportunity to explore evolving ideas of freedom. What constitutes true freedom in our day? How can we balance it with responsibility? How might we work to bring liberty to the millions of people who do not enjoy the right to pursue their own paths to meaning and happiness? These are some of the questions that are raised when the Exodus story is told.

www.jhsswf.org / 239-566-1771

Southwest Florida, your help is needed now! Marina Berkovich JHSSWF President

ollecting and preserving Southwest Florida Jewish history is substantially more than interviewing eyewitnesses, organizing events, writing articles or enjoying early successes. The bulk of the effort is for the would-be-sleuths, the historians in you, the restless “I will get to the bottom of it” seed in you. It is for those of you who are willing to go to county archives and libraries of all Southwest Florida counties and do some research. Or for those of you who think that history will be uncovered by visiting graves of early settlers. Or for those of you who know how to make calls, or to plan or

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to impart your knowledge onto others. History may be hiding in every corner, dormant, waiting to be discovered. Or maybe you just like to fund the effort and stay at home, waiting to watch the films later in the air-conditioned comfort of your living room. There is no wrong or right way to get involved in this community-wide effort. All you need to do is make the first step – contact us. And please do it as soon as you have finished reading this article, otherwise you will forget, or something else will come up, or you will misplace the article you clipped and lose your enthusiasm. And we very much want you to keep your enthusiasm fresh. Our activities to date prove that there is widespread interest in what we set out to accomplish from the southernmost tip of Collier to the northern border of Sarasota and Manatee counties. So wherever this reaches you – in Captiva, Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers, Everglades, Immo-

Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida Membership Form

Please send your check (payable to JHSSWF) and this form to: Jewish Historical Society of SWFL 899 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 116 Naples, FL 34108 Phone: 239.566.1771 Email: jhsswf@gmail.com Online: www.JHSSWF.org

kalee, Siesta Key, Venice Beach, Port Charlotte, and everywhere in between and around – please let us know how you would like to become part of our Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida volunteer ranks. History is sometimes revealed in odd circumstances by the most uninvolved, unsuspecting people. How? Wasn’t that what you are asking just about now? Well, quite recently, while I was on 5th Avenue in Naples, an attendee of our January event at the Collier Museum stopped to chitchat. She was accompanied by visitors from Sarasota, who eagerly shared some exciting information: “Van Wezel is named after a Jew!” Indeed, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall of Sarasota bears the name of the Jewish philanthropists who funded the project’s initial capital of $400,000 – Lewis van Wezel (pronounced Wayzel), a diamond-cutting magnate from Holland, who smoked too much and drove a very fancy Cadillac, and his

Russian-born wife Eugenia (Jeanie), who was from Moscow and, together with her parents, ran away to the U.S. after the Bolshevik Revolution. The couple, regrettably, died shortly before the 1969 completion of the hall that beautifully bears their name – a symbol to their philanthropy and inspiration for the wonderful future. To become a member of JHSSWF, a sponsor, business associate and/or donor: The Jewish Historical Society of SWFL 899 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 116, Naples, FL 34108 239.566.1771 www.jhsswf.org Today is the right day to opt-in for the Jewish Historical Society’s mailing list. The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida is a section 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Membership Application 2016 Membership Level: r Student - $18 r Individual - $36

r Family - $54 r Sponsor - $180

Name(s): _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Company (if applicable): _________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________ City: _____________________________ State: _____ Zip Code ____________ Florida home phone:____________________________________________ Cell phone: ___________________________________________________ Email: _________________________________________________________

The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida, Inc. is a Section 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

For a continuously updated community calendar, visit the Federation’s website at www.jewishnaples.org.

Federation Star April 2016

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

April 2016 – 5776Get the Service you Deserve Candle lighting times: SUNDAY

MONDAY

10:00am BBYO Board Mtg 10:00am TS - Yiddish Club 12:15pm BT Torah Study 1:30pm CJD Committee Mtg 4:00pm JFCC Exec Comm Mtg

1:00pm HDH Board Mtg 9:00am BT Sunday School 5:30pm JCMI Bingo 9:30am TS Sunday School 10:00am TS-S Board Mtg 3:00pm JFCC Mix & Mingle 7:00pm Naples Jewish Film Fst

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Due to space considerations, not all events have been included in this printed calendar. Please check the calendar on www.jewishnaples.org for an updated and complete list of events.

April 1: 7:26 April 8: 7:30 April 15: 7:33 April 22: 7:37 April 29: 7:40 3

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

SATURDAY

5:30pm TS Table Shabbat 6:15pm BT Services 6:30pm TS Shir Joy Shabbat 7:30pm NJC Services 7:30pm TS Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

8:30am TS Torah Talk 9:30am BT Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services 10:30am JCMI Services

1:00pm JCMI Bridge 2:00pm JFCC Chess 4:30pm BT-CHA-TS Hebrew Sch 7:30pm BT Torah Study

11:00am JCMI Mah Jongg 11:30am CHA Men’s Club 1:00pm JFCC Backgammon 5:30pm TS Rosh Chodesh 6:00pm HM Elliott Katz Lect 6:30pm BBYO Youth Activity

6:15pm BT Services 7:30pm NJC Services 7:30pm TS Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

9:30am BT Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services 10:30am JCMI Services

9:00am BT Sunday School 9:30am TS Sunday School 10:00am BT Rosh Chodesh 10:30am NJC Adult Enrichment 11:00am TS Chocolate Seder

10:30am JFCS Naples Jewish Caring Support Group 12:00pm NJC-S Luncheon 1:00pm JFCC Stop Aging 5:30pm JCMI Bingo 6:00pm TS Women’s Seder

10:00am Jewish Genealogy 11:30am TS-S Luncheon 12:15pm BT Torah Study 7:00pm JFCC Annual Meeting 7:30pm JFCC Board Meeting

11:30am HDH Knowl & Brunch 1:00pm JCMI Bridge 1:30pm IAC Committee Mtg 2:00pm JFCC Chess 4:30pm BT-CHA-TS Hebrew Sch 6:00pm HM Triumph 2016 7:30pm BT Torah Study

11:30am CHA Men’s Club 1:00pm JFCC Backgammon 2:00pm NJC Board Meeting 3:00pm HM Exec Comm Mtg 3:30pm JFCC Kids Korner 6:30pm BBYO Youth Activity 6:30pm HDH Evening Group

8:30am TS PS Camp Day 9:00am WCA Board Meeting 6:15pm BT Services 7:30pm NJC Services 7:30pm TS Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

9:30am BT Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services 10:30am JCMI Services

23 PASSOVER

10:30 JFCC Adult Coloring 12:00pm NJC-S Book Club 1:00pm HDH Daytime Study 5:30pm JCMI Bingo

10:00am TS - Yiddish Club 11:00am JCMI Book Club 12:15pm BT Torah Study 7:00pm TS Exec Comm Mtg

9:30am HJH Board Meeting 1:00pm JCMI Bridge 2:00pm JFCC Chess 4:30pm BT-CHA-TS Hebrew Sch 7:30pm BT Torah Study

11:30am CHA Men’s Club 12:00pm NJC-M Meeting 1:00pm JFCC Backgammon 1:30pm TS-S Book Bag 4:00pm BT Board Meeting 4:00pm IAC - Film 6:30pm BBYO Youth Activity

7:00pm Pesach Service & Seder 8:00pm JCMI Services

9:30am BT Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services 10:30am JCMI Services 5:30pm HJH Seder 6:00pm TS Seder

24 PASSOVER

29 PASSOVER

30 PASSOVER

9:30am TS Sunday School 10:00am CHA Pesach Services 3:00pm NJC Sunday Movie

10:30am JFCS Naples Jewish 12:15pm BT Torah Study Caring Support Group 7:00pm TS Board Meeting 11:30am JCRC Comm Meeting 5:30pm JCMI Bingo 7:30pm BT Book Group

9:30am TS Preschool Sede 1:00pm JCMI Bridge 2:00pm JFCC Chess 4:30pm BT-CHA-TS Hebrew Sch 7:30pm BT Torah Study

1:00pm JFCC Backgammon 3:00pm HM Board Meeting 6:30pm BBYO Youth Activity 7:00pm JCMI Board Meeting

9:30am BT Services w/Yizkor 10:00am TS Yizkor Service 6:15pm BT Services 6:30pm TS Shabbat at Beach 7:30pm NJC Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

9:30am BT Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Shabbat at Beach 10:30am JCMI Services 11:15am CHA Yizkor

9:00am BT Sunday School 9:30am JWV Meeting 9:30am TS Sunday School 1:30pm HJH Meeting 2:00pm CJD Nostra Aetate 4:30pm GS Meeting & Film 5:00pm GS Film Presentation

Throughout the year, some holidays fall within the normal work week. The Federation office will be closed in observance of those holidays which are listed in all CAPITAL LETTERS.

Key: • AJC: American Jewish Committee • ATS: American Technion Society • BT: Beth Tikvah • CHA: Chabad Jewish Center of Naples • CHA-M: Chabad Men’s Club • CJD: Catholic-Jewish Dialogue • GS: GenShoah of SWFL • HDH: Hadassah • HJH: Humanistic Jewish Havurah • HM: Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida

Federation Star Publication Policy The Federation Star is a subsidized arm of the Jewish Federation of Collier County (JFCC). Its purpose and function is to publicize the activities and programs of the Federation, and to publicize the ongoing activities of the established and recognized Jewish organizations within Collier County. The mission of the JFCC is to reach out and unite all Jews of the greater Collier County area. While offering opinions and points of view do, and will continue to, exist about many issues of importance to Jews, the Federation Star will confine itself to publishing ONLY items that report the facts of actual events of concern to Jews and will only offer commentary that clearly intends to unite all Jews in a common purpose or purposes. Critical or derogatory comments directed at individuals or organizations will NOT be published in the Federation Star.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO HELP MAKE THE FEDERATION STAR POSSIBLE. Be sure to mention you saw their ad in the Federation Star.

• JCMI: Jewish Congregation of Marco Island • JCMI-M: JCMI Men’s Club • JCMI-S: JCMI Sisterhood • JCRC: Jewish Community Relations Council • JFCC: Jewish Federation of Collier County • JFCS: Jewish Family & Community Services • JHSSWF: Jewish Historical Society of SWFL • JNF: Jewish National Fund • JRCA: Jewish Russian-American Cultural Alliance • JWV: Jewish War Veterans (Adopted by the Officers and Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federation of Collier County 1/98) To avoid misunderstandings, controversies and destructive divisions among our people, the Officers and Board of Trustees of the “Federation” have adopted the following publication policy: Advertisements: All advertisements, regardless of their sponsor, shall be paid for in full, at the established rates, prior to publication. The contents of all advertisements shall be subject to review and approval of the Federation Board or its designee. Commercial advertisers may make credit arrangements with the advertising manager, subject to the approval of the Federation Board. Regular Columns: Regular columns shall be accepted only from leaders (Rabbis, Presidents, Chairpersons) of established and recognized Jewish organizations within Collier County and the designated Chairpersons of the regular committees of the Jewish Federation of Collier County.

Create a Jewish Legacy I give, devise and bequeath… Create a legacy to benefit the Jewish Federation of Collier County and our overall Jewish community in your will or trust. Call 239.263.4205. "I did not find the world desolate when I entered it. And as my parents planted for me before I was born, so do I plant for those who will come after me." -The Talmud

• MCA: Men’s Cultural Alliance • NJC: Naples Jewish Congregation • NJC-M: Naples Jewish Congregation Men’s Club • NJC-S: Naples Jewish Congregation Sisterhood • ORT: Organization for Rehabilitation/Training • TS: Temple Shalom • TS-M: Temple Shalom Men’s Club • TS-S: Temple Shalom Sisterhood • WCA: Women’s Cultural Alliance • ZOA: Zionist Organization of America

Special Announcements: Special announcements shall be accepted from established Jewish organizations within Collier County and may, at the discretion of the Federation Board, be subject to the conditions applicable to paid advertisements, as set forth above. News Items: Only those news items pertaining to matters of general interest to the broadest cross-section of the Jewish Community will be accepted for publication. Note: Items of controversial opinions and points of view, about political issues, will not be accepted for publication without prior approval of a majority of the Federation Officers and Trustees. All persons and organizations objecting to the actions and rulings of the Editor or Publications Committee Chairman shall have the right to appeal those rulings to the Officers and Board of Trustees of the JFCC.

April 2016 Federation Star

COMMUNITY DIRECTORY TEMPLE SHALOM OF NAPLES (Reform) 4630 Pine Ridge Road, Naples, FL 34119 Phone: 455-3030  Fax: 455-4361 Email: info@naplestemple.org www.naplestemple.org Rabbi Adam Miller Cantor Donna Azu James H. Perman, D.D., Rabbi Emeritus Neil Shnider, President Eli Montague, Executive Director Dr. Anna Solomon, Dir. of Cong. Ed. Seyla Cohen, Preschool Director Peter Lewis, Organist/Choir Director Shabbat Services: Shabbat Eve - Friday 7:30 p.m. Shabbat - Saturday 10:00 a.m. Sisterhood • Men’s Club • Adult Education Havurot • Youth Groups • Religious School Judaic Library • Hebrew School • Pre-School Adult Choir • Social Action • Outreach Naples’ only Judaica Shop

CHABAD NAPLES JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER serving Naples and Marco Island 1789 Mandarin Road, Naples, FL 34102 Phone: 262-4474 Email: info@chabadnaples.com Website: www.chabadnaples.com Rabbi Fishel Zaklos Dr. Arthur Seigel, President Ettie Zaklos, Education Director Shabbat Services Shabbat - Saturday 10am • Camp Gan Israel • Hebrew School • Preschool of the Arts • Jewish Women’s Circle • Adult Education • Bat Mitzvah Club • Friendship Circle • Smile on Seniors • Flying Challah • Kosher food delivery

The Federation Star is published monthly, September through July, by the Jewish Federation of Collier County. 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road Suite 2201 Naples, FL 34109-0613 Phone: 239-263-4205 Fax: 239-263-3813 E-mail: info@jewishnaples.org Website: www.jewishnaples.org Volume 25, No. 8 April 2016 40 pages USPS Permit No. 419 Publisher: Jewish Federation of Collier County Editor: Ted Epstein, 239-249-0699 fedstar18@gmail.com Design: Federation Media Group, Inc. Advertising: Melody Klein 239-633-2895 May Issue Deadlines: Editorial: April 1 Advertising: April 7 Send news stories to: fedstar18@gmail.com

JEWISH CONGREGATION OF MARCO ISLAND

NAPLES JEWISH CONGREGATION

BETH TIKVAH

(Reform)

(Conservative)

991 Winterberry Drive Marco Island, FL 34145 Phone: 642-0800  Fax: 642-1031 Email: mgr.jcmioffice@embarqmail.com Website: www.marcojcmi.com

Services are held at: The Unitarian Congregation 6340 Napa Woods Way Rabbi Sylvin Wolf Ph.D, DD 431-3858 Email: rabbi@naplesjewishcongregation.org www.naplesjewishcongregation.org

1459 Pine Ridge Road Naples, FL 34109

Rabbi Mark Gross Hari Jacobsen, Cantorial Soloist Sue Baum, President Shabbat Services Friday 8:00 p.m. Saturday Talmud-Torah at 9:30 a.m. and Shachrit at 10:30 a.m.

(just west of Mission Square Plaza)

Phone: 434-1818 Email: bethtikvahnaples@aol.com Website: www.bethtikvahnaples.org

Suzanne Paley, President Jane Galler, Cantorial Soloist

Rabbi Ammos Chorny Phil Jason, President Sue Hammerman, Secretary

Shabbat Services Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m. May - August: services once a month

Shabbat Services Friday evenings at 6:15 p.m. Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m.

Sisterhood • Men’s Club Adult Education • Adult Choir Social Action • Community Events

Youth Education Adult Education Community Events

Sisterhood • Men’s Club Brownstein Judaica Gift Shop

Step up to the Plate On this Passover… make a gift that unites our heritage and our hopes for a bright and secure future.

Jewish Organizations to Serve You in Collier County (All area codes are 239 unless otherwise noted.)

Jewish Federation of Collier County Phone: 263-4205  Fax: 263-3813 Website: www.jewishnaples.org Email: info@jewishnaples.org • Federation Board Chair: Alvin Becker • Federation President/CEO: Jeffrey Feld

American Jewish Committee • Regional Dir: Brian Lipton, 941-365-4955

Your gift can make a world of difference in the lives of many. The Jewish Federation Annual Campaign is a grassroots enterprise designed to strengthen and support our Jewish community from the ground up. It is America’s most trusted name in charitable giving.

For information, call Jeffrey Feld, Federation President/CEO, at 239.263.4205.

American Technion Society • Chapter Dir: Kelley Whiter, 561-395-7206

Collier-Lee Chapter of Hadassah • Co-President: Karen Cohn, 370-6220 • Co-President: Gayle Dorio, 530-8992

Friends of the IDF • Exec. Dir.: Dina Ben Ari, 305-354-8233

Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida • President: Joshua Bialek, 263-9200

Humanistic Jewish Havurah of Southwest Florida • Paula Creed, 495-8484

Israel Bonds • Reva Pearlstein, 800-622-8017

JFCS of Southwest Florida

Please note our email addresses: Jeffrey Feld, Federation President/CEO – jfeld@jewishnaples.org Renee’ Bialek, Community Program Coordinator – rbialek@jewishnaples.org Stacy Hersha, Business Operations Manager – shersha@jewishnaples.org Julie Hartline, Donor Relations Coordinator – jhartline@jewishnaples.org General information requests – info@jewishnaples.org Melody Klein, Advertising Account Rep – mklein@jewishnaples.org Ted Epstein, Editor, Federation Star – fedstar18@gmail.com

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Phone: 325-4444 • Chairperson: David Rutstein • President/CEO: Dr. Jaclynn Faffer

Jewish National Fund • West/Central FL Office, 800-211-1502 Uri ext 8910, Beth ext 8911

Jewish War Veterans Post 202,Collier Co. Chapter • Commander, Gil Block, 304-5953 • Senior Vice Commander, M/Gen. Bernard L. Weiss, USAF Ret. 594-7772

Men’s Cultural Alliance • President: Steve Brazina, 325-8694

Naples Friends of American Magen David Adom (MDA) • SE Reg Dir: Joel Silberman, 954-457-9766

ORT - Gulf Beaches Chapter • President: Marina Berkovich, 566-1771

Women’s Cultural Alliance • President: Elaine Soffer, 431-7905

Zionist Organization of America • President: Jerry Sobel, 914-329-1024

Federation membership

According to the By-Laws of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, members are those individuals who make an annual gift of $36 or more to the Annual Federation Campaign in our community. For more information, call the Federation office at 239.263.4205.

Federation Star April 2016

Have a joyous Passover. And share what it means to you. #PassoverPublix