Federation Star - January 2015 by Jewish Federation of Collier County

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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 6 7 14 20 23 23 25 28 30 30 32 34 35

Men’s Cultural Alliance Women’s Cultural Alliance Community Focus Jewish Interest Israel & the Jewish World Tributes Business Directory Commentary Focus on Youth Rabbinical Reflections Synagogues Organizations Community Calendar Community Directory

6 WCA’s “Season” is off to a resounding start!

8 Subject of Israeli best-seller visits Naples

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January 2015 - Tevet/Shevat 5775

Kiev rabbi makes connections By Carole J Greene

eing a journalist provides me opportunities to connect with fascinating people. When Rabbi Alexander Dukhovny visited Naples on November 12, I enjoyed the privilege and pleasure of chatting with him about the challenges and successes of the Progressive Jewish Congregations (i.e. “Reform”) of Kiev, Ukraine. He is chief rabbi of the present 47 (!) congregations, an impressive increase from the eleven existing when he began. As we talked, the word “connections” came up multiple times. Rabbi Dukhovny came to the U.S. to foster connections with American Jews and forge new ones. Temple Shalom’s Judi Palay is one of the former connections and she opened her home to the rabbi, whom she’d met when traveling in Ukraine. When he spoke that evening at Temple Shalom, he likened his role on this whirlwind “talking tour” (if it’s Wednesday, this must be Naples) to fertilizing seeds of Progressive Judaism sown by others in Ukraine. “American rabbis plowed the soil. I’m the fertilizer because I know the culture, the language.” Although he knew all his life that he was a Jew, he came to the rabbinate

Federation President

28 Naples BBYO teens at Regional Kallah

later in life. First, he became a scientist and worked in the field of ecology. “I would have preferred studying the humanities, but Jews in the former Soviet Union (f.S.U.) weren’t allowed to be historians or philosophers.” Utilizing his fluency in English, he often acted as a tour guide for American ambassadors and members of congress. He took them to Babi Yar, the infamous ravine in Kiev where, in two September days in 1941, German forces and local collaborators massacred nearly 34,000 Jews. As a rabbi, he says, “I get to combine all of these disciplines, because a rabbi is not only a teacher but also a scientist and a tour guide.” In addition to Judi Palay at Temple

Shalom, another local connection is the Jewish Federation of Collier County, which currently provides a grant to a Jewish preschool in Kiev. The rabbi detailed a wish list of ongoing “pockets of need,” for donations from people he meets on this talking tour who desire their own connection to Jews in Ukraine. “We need money for mundane expenses, like rent for premises and salaries for professionals. We also train lay leaders to conduct Shabbat services and do congregational work. We want to sponsor summer and winter camps that provide education promoting Jewish self-identification.” Noting that in Judaism the primary unit is the family,

continued on page 2

Jeffrey Feld, Steven D. Goldberg, Rabbi Alexander Dukhovny, Judi Palay, Rabbi Adam Miller

The case for giving at the beginning of the year…and for giving more Alvin Becker

Israeli artist to exhibit at Estero Fine Art Show

Vol. 24 #5

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number of organizations have as their priority to support the most vulnerable people in our community – children, the aged, and those suffering humanitarian emergencies. Other groups seek to keep Israel safe, strong and prosperous. Still others support Jewish practices and perspectives that enrich our lives and draw us closer to family, friends and community. Finally, some promote advocacy to

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

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ensure that our voices are a prominent force in policy decisions. But ONLY the Jewish Federation of Collier County includes all of these priorities in its work as an important force in our community – creating, building, supporting and strengthening much needed groups here and elsewhere. Please see page 3 for a list of organizations and programs that were supported, in part or in whole, by Federation dollars last year. I am confident that you will find one or more groups or programs that strike a responsive chord

in your supportive thoughts. Note that the list is long – but so are the needs. And those needs are immediate and continue to grow. Don’t wait to make a contribution to the Jewish Federation of Collier County until later in 2015. The beginning of the year is a wonderful time to be part of a caring community that gives back. Donate now. Volunteer now. Make a difference now. You’ll have the whole year to feel good about what you’ve done. Happy New Year!

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Federation Star January 2015

First 90 days Jeffrey Feld Federation Executive ime certainly flies when you’re having a good time. Let me start by telling you how thrilled and excited I am to have become the new Executive of the Jewish Federation of Collier County. I am truly honored to have been chosen for this important leadership role. During these first three months, I have spent time with many members of the Board of Directors, staff, key Jewish community stakeholders, and even members of the greater Collier County community. There are still many more people for me to meet and it is my intention to provide an opportunity to talk with everybody in our community that would like to do so. I believe that by hearing and learning from each of you, we will be better suited to identify our goals as we go forward. The future is full of unlimited possibilities to grow and serve our community. I suggest that the future has great potential based on my observations of what occurs at the present time. I have been thrilled to see the variety of activities and the great attendance at those activities. Of course, this is all due

Kiev rabbi...continued from page 1 to our community members’ desires to participate in a vital and vibrant Jewish community. From my perspective, I get to see dozens of people who commit themselves to planning activities and strategies to engage and involve our community. I also have seen that all of these energies have been utilized and result in the members of our community connecting in social, cultural, educational and other opportunities. The continued success of our community is made possible by the hard work and leadership of the Jewish Federation of Collier County officers and board members. We should also thank all of the committee chairs and committee members for all that they do. It is also important that we express our appreciation to our staff and volunteers. All of you have helped to create this wonderful community. All of you continue to maintain this wonderful community. Together, we will evaluate what steps are necessary in order to grow. In my first months here, I have been impressed and inspired by your desire, passion and commitment to this Jewish community. I thank you for the opportunity to work with you in the best interest of the future of our community. On a personal note, my wife Susan and I want to thank you for welcoming us to this community. We wish each of you and your families a Happy 2015.

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the rabbi told of programs for familyoriented events, such as Shabbaton. He and the other Progressive congregations in f.S.U. hope to start a rabbinic school in Moscow, in conjunction with Potsdam University. Freshly ordained Julia Gris has become the second rabbi in Kiev. The most recent f.S.U. rabbi, she is the direct product of a leadership-development program for promising young people, under the auspices of World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ). [see sidebar below] Through her, Baltimore, Maryland, has undertaken a twinning relationship with Odessa, Ukraine. Rabbi Dukhovny feels he was destined to do this work. “I am a Ukraine patriot who helps Jews in my country honor their parents and other relatives

who perished in the Holocaust.” He sees his mission as one to help these Jews “identify themselves as Jewish, to learn how to be Jewish, to enjoy being Jewish, and to know they have a future.” Further, he hopes to connect his congregations with the world, not just the f.S.U. – one of the reasons for his talking tour. Many American Jews trace their ancestry to Ukraine, which was part of the “Pale of Settlement” established by Russia, where Jews were permitted to dwell. Should you wish to honor that heritage or merely want to support Jews in the f.S.U., you are invited to forge your own connections with Rabbi Dukhovny, through a contribution to the Jewish Federation of Collier County.

World Union for Progressive Judaism By Carole J Greene

hen the Soviet Union broke apart 25 years ago, Jews living there knew nothing about Reform Judaism. They hadn’t had many chances to practice Judaism of any kind under Soviet rule. They envisioned Jews solely as men with sidelocks and black hats. According to Steven D. Goldberg, World Union for Progressive Judaism’s grants director and resource officer, today Jews throughout the f.S.U. have discovered that Judaism has many facets. Goldberg came to Naples on November 12 in support of Kiev Rabbi Alexander Dukhovny’s talking tour to acquaint Jewish audiences with his missions, shared by WUPJ. “We are creating structures to bring in lost Jews,” said Goldberg. They do this not only in the f.S.U. but also in Israel, where they teach Russians who have made aliyah about Progressive Judaism. “The f.S.U. Jewish community does not recognize what a huge change has taken place – from the Russian czar’s pogroms of the 18th century, on through Napoleon, and to today.” During three centuries, any time the local government felt it was in danger of losing control, it

increased efforts to gin up anti-Semitism – to make Jews scapegoats and divert attention from local policy makers. Goldberg sees progress, as today he finds only “mild anti-Semitic views” in Ukraine. “WUPJ has flexed muscle to effect positive change.” This international umbrella for the Reform movement fosters pluralistic beliefs. They purposely chose the word “Progressive” instead of “Reform” because of the connotations “reform” carried after decades of failed Soviet economic policy “reforms.” According to Goldberg, “WUPJ’s goal is to rebuild the Jewish community, so it’s acceptable if some people prefer, for example, Conservative Judaism. We want to bring as many people as possible to the table, to learn from one another, to form strong bonds to other Jews and to Judaism.” Should you want to further these efforts to connect f.S.U. Jews to Judaism and to other Jews throughout the world, donate to WUPJ. Its address is 633 Third Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017-6778. Learn more about WUPJ at www.wupj.org.

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JEWISH FEDERATION

January 2015 Federation Star

Happy New Year! Phyllis Seaman Federation VP & Campaign Chair

s I write this article on Thanksgiving weekend to make my deadline, I cannot post our banner headline yet. My February article will announce our total 2014 campaign numbers. I can happily tell you that we are more than $100,000 ahead as of this date last year. I am confident that in these last four weeks of the campaign we will top last year’s record-breaking $1+ million. That will be thanks to all of you and your generous support. Now we are looking to the start of the 2015 campaign and some changes in our approach to fundraising. We are going to have a Campaign Cabinet rather than a Campaign Chair. Different people will be heading up various levels of giving or groups, like Cardozo and Maimonides Societies for attorneys and physicians. The goal is to reach out to more donors in our community and raise more dollars in a shorter campaign timeframe. I will now be chairing Women’s Philanthropy and Lion of Judah levels of giving. I am looking forward to bringing in the Pomegranate level of giving, which is an annual gift of $1,800-$5,000. We had that level a while ago for a short time. It has become quite popular in many communities again as women are having more say and control of their finances. Our Lions and Women’s Division is almost half of our campaign. I know we can do better and probably will with this additional recognized level of giving. Our Lions have grown to a Pride of 40. Many communities have added the Joshua Society for men making $5,000 or more personal gifts. We will see if our community has an interest in this level of recognition. General Assembly A few weeks ago I attended The Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in Washington, D.C. This year I did not attend as a delegate; I was asked to represent Collier County as a

Trustee. I am so proud and honored to be asked to represent one of nine small city Federations and one of 60 on the National Board. There are 153 Federations in North America. This is proof positive how much our community and Federation have grown. It probably doesn’t hurt that Michael Siegal, JFNA Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and his wife Anita have a second home in Bonita Springs. WE ARE ON THE MAP! At the General Assembly we had a roster of distinguished and inspiring speakers from around the world, including Vice President Joseph Biden, U.S. Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer, Andrea Mitchell, Chuck Todd, Nina Totenberg and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. Unfortunately, I had to leave before the final plenary ended to catch my flight home so I missed the Israeli delegation of Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer; Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel; and via satellite, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As always, I come home from these meetings charged and inspired. I realize it’s not hearing and seeing the powerful and famous, it’s hearing the stories of those who have been helped and saved by the Jewish Federation and its partner agencies – Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC or the Joint). We heard from the Mayor of Sderot, Alon Davidi, who thanked Federation for all the support they received financially and emotionally from the emergency missions to Israel during the 50 Day War, Israel’s longest. Elinor Bariach-Bitton, a resident of Kibbutz Aza, told of living with the constant sirens with two young children, and escaping the tunnels that were under their kibbutz. This was where one of the soldiers, Hadar Goldin, was kidnapped and killed. His brother, Lieutenant Tzur Goldin, told of hearing the news of a soldier being kidnapped and the shock of finding out it was his brother. Jerry Silverman, President and CEO of The Jewish Federations of North America, thanked everyone for raising $55 million dollars for the Stop the Sirens Campaign. Our Federation raised

event, please call the Federation office $65,000 that went directly to National at 239.263.4205. for the emergency effort. Thursday, January 8: Major Donor/ During the three days in Washington, Lion of Judah at the home of Phyllis and what made me the most optimistic and Stephen Strome; Minimum Campaign happy was to see and hear the amount Gift of $5,000 per household of young community leaders from Masa Saturday, January 31: Community High School in Israel programs, Taglit Event at Wyndemere Country Club honBirthright Israel, BBYO, and Young oring David Willens and welcoming Leadership. It was overwhelming and Jeffrey Feld; $150 minimum campaign made me more encouraged about our gift and $125 couvert per person. Jewish future. Our Federation supports all of these programs. We Are The Strength of a People – I hope to encourage some of our The Power of Community young BBYO, Taglit Birthright and Masa program recipients and some Youth Programs & Youth Education board leadership to join ● Beth Tikvah - Adult & Youth Education me next November 8-10 ● BBYO Naples ● Chabad - Camp Gan/Preschool of the Arts/Hebrew School at the GA in Washington, ● Temple Shalom - Preschool & Religious School Scholarships D.C. ● Hillel at Florida State University Again. many thanks Local Humanitarian & Social Services for another successful ● Jewish Family & Community Service year! It’s not too soon to Israel & Overseas Humanitarian & Social Services be considering your 2015 ● JFNA - Overseas Core Assessment gift to Federation. ● Neve Michael Children's Village ● Yad LaKashish - Lifeline for the Old In closing, I want to ● Sapir Community Center - Kfar Saba again wish David Wil● World Union - Preschools in Kiev, Ukraine lens the best in his new ● Taglit-Birthright Israel home and retirement. It’s ● ORT - school transportation in Eastern Europe been a great 15 years. Cultural Programs & Adult Education Especially now, working ● Holocaust Museum & Education Center ● Jewish Congregation of Marco Island - Jewish Film Festival on my article, I would ● Jewish Congregation of Marco Island - Cultural Series immediately send it off National Jewish Advocacy Organizations for his approval, which ● The Israel Project he would edit. I miss you ● Anti-Defamation League already. Thanks for being ● American Friends of Magen David Adom a friend and mentor. ● Jewish National Fund ● American Jewish World Service I also want to thank Federation Committees and Activities Jeffrey Feld for his en● Jewish Community Relations Council couragement and support, ● Fund for Human Needs and diving right into our ● Stand Up for Justice Grant Federation and commu● Catholic-Jewish Dialogue nity. ● Israel Advocacy Committee ● Camp Scholarship Committee We have two fabulous ● Evy Lipp People of the Book Event campaign events com● Women's Cultural Alliance ing up. If you have not ● Men's Cultural Alliance already reserved either

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cordially invites you to its 2015 Community Celebration Event Saturday, January 31 at 6:00 p.m. Wyndemere Country Club Join us as we bid farewell to David Willens and welcome aboard Jeffrey Feld Elegant Cocktail Party With Delicious Fare From Many Ports in the Jewish World ~ Recognition & Honors ~ Dinner & Entertainment ~ Cocktail Attire ~ $125 per person ~ Your Pledge Commitment: $150 per person minimum to the Federation Campaign. This pledge is considered part of your overall Federation gift for the 2015 campaign year. Kindly make your pledge of support at the event.

If you have not received your personal invitation in the mail, please call 239.263.4205.

239.537.3732 or 239.298.3555 visit us on the web at

www.lovingnaples.com

Federation Star January 2015

JEWISH FEDERATION

Israel Advocacy Committee Catholic-Jewish Dialogue presents StandWithUs talk update By Jeff Margolis

By Marv Weisberg, co-Chair

o you have children or grandchildren in college? Do you contribute funds to your alma mater? Are you a former professor or staff member at a college or university? If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, you are most likely aware of the new wave of anti-Semitism that is sweeping across college campuses in an effort to delegitimize the State of Israel. The Israel Advocacy Committee (IAC) of the Jewish Federation of Collier County invites you to attend a very important presentation by StandWithUs. Guest speakers will include Sara Gold Rafel, Director of StandWithUs/Southeast, and Lauren Weissman, Campus Coordinator of StandWithUs/Southeast. This program will take place on Thursday, January 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Shalom. Learn how you can help your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren gain the skills to counter this movement and become

pro-Israel advocates. This event is free and registration is requested. RSVP to israeladvocacycommittee@gmail.com. StandWithUs is a thirteen-year-old non-profit organization whose mission is dedicated to educating students in high school and on college campuses about Israel and combating extremism and anti-Semitism. It’s going to be bigger than HUGE! Circle the date for the IAC’s B.I.G. (Buy Israeli Goods) Bazaar. The entire community is invited to see and buy the many products available that are made in Israel: food products, art, Judaica, cosmetics, clothing, etc. The event will be held at Vineyards Community Park on Sunday March 29 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. If you are a vendor of Israeli products and would like to set up a display at this fabulous event, please contact IAC co-chairs Betty Schwartz (bettyofnaples@gmail.com) or Steve Brazina (sbrazina@aol.com).

WE HAVE A LOT TO SAY Federation Star

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The Jewish Federation of Collier County Cardozo Society is pleased to serve as local host as Tau Epsilon Rho Law Society presents the prestigious Benjamin Nathan Cardozo Memorial Award to United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Members of the Jewish Federation of Collier County are invited to attend this very special event.

s I think back on the Kristallnacht Commemoration that took place in November, one Hebrew sentence keeps passing through my mind - “Hine Mah Tov uMah Nayim, Shevet Achim Gam Yachad.” This is the first sentence of Psalm 133 which translates into “Behold, how Marv Weisberg good and how pleasant it is for brethren to sit (dwell) together in unity!” These are the words that volunteers of the combined BBYO and Barron Collier High School choirs sat together and sang as one; children of all faiths singing IN harmony ABOUT harmony. And as I watched the entire program I saw both Catholic and Jewish clergy and laymen recite passages appropriate to the occasion. I saw an audience of mixed faiths sitting together as one. And during the reception there was no way to tell who was of what faith, everyone was mingling with everyone else – sitting and talking together in unity. The stated purpose of the CatholicJewish Dialogue of Collier County is to engage Catholics and Jews in understanding our history and to advance the cause of mutual understanding and appreciation for our differences, as well

as our commonalities. This program proved to me that our goal is possible. Coming up Reader’s Theater: Tuesday, January 6 at 4:00 p.m. at the Jewish Federation offices – Passages from the book On Heaven and Earth will be presented by Fr. Jim Simko and Rabbi Adam Miller. For years Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Argentina, and Rabbi Abraham Skorka were tenacious promoters of interreligious dialogues on faith and reason. They both sought to build bridges among Catholicism, Judaism and the world at large. On Heaven and Earth brings together a series of these conversations where both men talked about various theological and worldly issues, including God, fundamentalism, atheism, abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, same-sex marriage and globalization. From these personal and accessible talks comes a firsthand view of the man who would become pope to 1.2 billion Catholics around the world. One Book Southwest Florida: Wednesday, January 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom – Presentation by Michael Stolowitzky, a “rescued child” whose story is told in Gertruda’s Oath. Sponsored by GenShoah SWFL, Collier County Library andTemple Shalom, and endorsed by the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County.

Stuart Schweitzer returns to MCA By Jeff Margolis

oted economist and internationally-renowned investment advisor Dr. Stuart Schweitzer will be making a return engagement to the MCA luncheon on Thursday, January 8 at 11:30 a.m. at the Club at Old Cypress. Stu is a retired Vice Chairman and Global Marketing Strategist for JP Morgan Private Banking. He will be sharing his observations about the outlook for the U.S. and global economies and financial markets for 2015. Last year’s luncheon featuring Stu was sold out. Don’t be left out this year. Make your reservations by sending your check for $26 to Meir Kehila at 4751 West Bay Blvd., #804, Estero, FL 33928. January also marks the second in MCA’s newly created lecture series. Please come and hear Bruce Rosenblatt, owner of Senior Housing Solutions, who will be speaking about “I’m not ready for that – Senior Housing in Naples.” This presentation will take place on Friday, January 30 at 10:30 a.m. in the Community Room of the Jewish Federation of Collier County. Seating is limited. For more information, please contact Mark Cohn at mcalectures@ markcohnlaw.com.

MCA will hold its third annual Night at the Everblades on Saturday, February14 at 7:00 p.m. at Germain Arena. Look for more information and cost in upcoming eblasts. If interested, email me at jamcounsel2@gmail.com. Those of you who did not attend the November Welcome Back Luncheon missed a great deal of helpful information about identity theft. Among the many valuable tips, security expert Carrie Kerskie recommended setting up My Social Security Account (MySSA) to monitor your benefits. You can do so by visiting the Social Security website at www.socialsecurity.gov and clicking on My Social Security. Kerskie also recommend visiting www.DMAchoice. org to opt out of junk mail. Those who wish to contact Ms. Kerskie directly can email her at ck@kerskie.com. Finally, now that “season” is officially here, many of the MCA Activity Groups are in full swing. Please visit www.jewishnaples.org/mca to see what is happening and to sign up for activities and events. For more information about MCA membership or any of the activities, email Steve Brazina at sbarzina@ aol.com. A membership form can be found on the following page.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Resort Wine & Cheese Reception 6:00 p.m. Four-course Dinner 7:00 p.m. $150 per person

Justice Scalia will be interviewed by the Honorable Morris Silberman, State of Florida Second District Court of Appeals, and will answer questions from the audience. RSVP by January 21st to Myrna at Yale T. Freeman, P.A., at 239-530-2500 or myrna@ytfreemanlaw.com Make checks payable to “TER Law Society” and remit to Yale Freeman, 7400 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, FL 34108 Seating is limited. There will be no solicitation of funds at this event.

“Serving the Jewish Community for Over 14 Years” Traditional Jewish Services

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January 2015 Federation Star

JEWISH FEDERATION

Men Men 's 's C Cu u ltu ltu ra ra ll A A llia llia nce nce of of Co Co llie llie rr Coun Coun ty ty 22 015 -2 016 Me mb e rsh ip Fo rm 015 -2 016 Me mb e rsh ip Fo rm The membership year is from November 1 until October 31 of the next year. Published by

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 President: Alvin Becker Vice President: Kevin Aizenshtat Vice President: Phyllis Seaman Vice President: Berton Thompson Secretary: Wallie Lenchner Treasurer: Jerry Sobelman Immed. Past President: Judge Norman Krivosha

Board of Trustees Joshua Bialek Harvey Brenner Stephen Coleman Amanda Dorio Michael Feldman Alan Gordon Neil Heuer Ben Peltz Joel Pittelman Dr. Tracey Roth Jane Schiff Arlene Sobol Michael Sobol Dr. Daniel Wasserman Beth Wolff Barry Zvibleman

Past Presidents

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

Board Members Emeritus

The membership yearafter is from November until October 31 ofseason. the next year. Dues received April 30 will be1applied to the next Dues received after April 30 will be applied to the next season.

Please check one: New ☐ Renewal ☐ Please check one: New ☐ Renewal ☐ (PLEASE fill out the form completely and PRINT CLEARLY!) (PLEASE fill out the form completely and PRINT CLEARLY!)

Name: Name: Spouse or Partner Name, if applicable: Spouse or Partner Name, if applicable: Local Address: Local Address: City: State: Zip: City: State: Zip: Email (very important): Email (very important): Florida phone: Cell or alternate phone: Florida phone: Cell or alternate phone: Northern Address: Northern Address: City: State: Zip: City: State: Zip: Northern home phone: Northern home phone: In Southwest Florida: full-time ☐ part-time ☐ (from to ) In Southwest Florida: full-time ☐ part-time ☐ (from to ) Membership fee: $56 (US Funds only, Minimum for the year; includes Federation membership.) Membership fee: $56 (US Funds only, Minimum for the year; includes Federation membership.)

NAME BADGES NAME BADGES A name badge will be issued to you at no charge if you are a NEW member. A name badge will be issued to you at no charge if you are a NEW member. I want a replacement name badge: Yes ☐ No ☐ Fee: $8. I want a replacement name badge: Yes ☐ No ☐ Fee: $8. If you checked yes, submit a total fee is $64. If you checked yes, submit a total fee is $64. Name as you want it to appear on the name badge Name as you want it to appear on the name badge Additional donation to the Federation is voluntary and encouraged. Additional donation to the Federation is voluntary and encouraged. Please make your check payable to: Jewish Federation of Collier County and mail with this form to: Please make your check payable to: Jewish Federation of Collier County and mail with this form to: MCA/ Jewish Federation of Collier County MCA/ Jewish Federation of Collier County 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Ste. 2201 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Ste. 2201 Naples, FL 34109 Naples, FL 34109 I would like to volunteer my services/expertise and would be willing to chair or I would like to volunteer my services/expertise and would be willing to chair or co-chair a meeting/outing on the following topic or topics: co-chair a meeting/outing on the following topic or topics:

As a participant in an MCA event that does not take place at the Federation Building located at 2500 Vanderbilt Road Naples, As a participant an MCA event that not take place at the Federation located at 2500 Vanderbilt Road Naples, Florida 34109, I, in acting for myself, my does executors, administrators, heirs, next Building of kin agree as follows: Florida 34109, I, acting for myself, my executors, administrators, heirs, next of kin agree 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 That I waive rights, claims, cause of action, anyor kind thatAlliance, I or my heirs, legal representatives claim to have against eitherallThe Federation of Collier County,ofand thewhatsoever Men’s Cultural their agents, servants, and may or employees, for against The of Collier and or the Men’s their agents, and or any loss,either injury, or Federation damage sustained byCounty, me while participating in Cultural an MCA Alliance, event. This waiver andservants, release shall beemployees, construed for any loss, under injury,the or damage byFlorida. me while participating in an MCA event. This waiver and release shall be construed broadly, Laws of sustained the State of broadly, under the Laws of the State of Florida.

I accept ☐ I accept ☐

Signature Signature

For more information, contact Steve Brazina sbrazina@aol.com. For more information, contact Steve Brazina sbrazina@aol.com.

Hans Levy Shirley Levy

Synagogue Representatives Cantor Donna Azu Roger Blau Rosalee Bogo Rabbi Ammos Chorny Stuart Kaye Rabbi Edward Maline Rabbi Adam Miller Suzanne Paley Rabbi James Perman Dr. Arthur Seigel Neil Shnider Rabbi Sylvin Wolf Rabbi Fishel Zaklos

Federation Executive Jeffrey Feld

Staff

SOUTHEAST

ISRAEL ADVOCACY COMMITTEE Present

Presentsand Delegitimization The New Anti-Semitism What is happening today College on the college campuses of Israel on Today’s Campuses – The New Anti-SemitismtheCan Delegitimization What We Do?of the State of Israel

Jill Saravis, Community Program Coord. Iris Doenias, Administrative Assistant Deborah Vacca, Bookkeeper 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 • Community Relations Committee • Educational & cultural programs • Long Range Planning for expected community growth • Publication of the Federation Star, our monthly newspaper; Connections, our annual resource guide; and Community Directory • 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.

Speakers: Speakers Sara Gold Rafel, Director Sara Gold Rafel, DirectorofofStandWithUs/Southeast StandWithUs/ Southeast Lauren Lauren Weissman, Campus Coordinator StandWithUs/Southeast Weissman, Campus Coordinator StandWithUs/Southeast

Thursday, January 7:30 Thursday, January 15, 15, 7:30 pm p.m. Temple Shalom, 4630 Road, Naples Temple Shalom, 4630 PinePine RidgeRidge Road, Naples, Florida RSVP to RSVP: israeladvocacycommittee@gmail.com Israeladvocacycommittee@gmail.com Learn your children, grandchildren and great Learn howhow youyou can can help help your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren grandchildren counter this movement and become counter this movement and become pro-Israelpro-Israel advocates. advocates. StandWithUs is a 13-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to educating students StandWithUs is aand 13 year old non profit organization to combating educating students in high schools on college campuses aboutdedicated Israel and the in extremism high schoolsand and anti-Semitism on college campuses about Israel andthe combating that often distorts issues.the

extremism and anti-Semitism that often distorts the issues. .

Federation Star January 2015 WOMEN’S CULTURAL ALLIANCE

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

WCA’s “Season” is off to a resounding start! By Susan Pittelman, WCA Publicity Director

ages. Her presentation captivated us! he Women’s Cultural Alliance The luncheon was a sellout with 2014-2015 Season is well under280 women in attendance. A long waitway! As of October, WCA meming list resulted in many disappointed bership exceeded 1,000 members, and women. Next year, be sure to send in large numbers of women are currently your reservation early so you don’t miss enjoying a wide variety of WCA activithis very special event. ties and events. If you are just returning A taste of the to Southwest Florida, we look forward 2014-2015 WCA Season to seeing you at a WCA program and welcoming you “home.” WCA Welcome Back Luncheon The WCA Welcome Back Luncheon was held on Thursday, November 13 at La Playa Beach & Golf Club. Chaired by WCA Director Mary O’Haver, the luncheon was a huge success! Highlights of the luncheon program included WCA President Elaine Soffer’s Volunteering for WCA is enjoyable as shown by special presentation to David Willens, the smiling Diane Greene and Renee Becker former Executive Director of the Jewish (for volunteer opportunities contact Rona Segall) Federation of Collier County (JFCC), thanking him for his invaluable assistance and support of WCA and wishing him well on his recent retirement. Dr. Jaclynn Faffer, President/CEO of Speaker Series presenter Nurse Humorist Carol A. O’Flaherty (with colander Jewish Family & on head) shows Deb Cordell, Priscilla Gerber, Debbie Katz and Jane Podber how to use their “magic wands” and “stress meters” Community Services (JFCS) of Southwest Florida, accepted a significant financial contribution from WCA and graciously thanked the women in attendance. Barbara Suden, WCA’s treasurer, presented JFCC Community Program Coordinator Jill Saravis with a generous contriProfessional photographer Gwen Greenglass took WCA members on a Photography Safari at the Naples Zoo bution from WCA If you are not already a member of for the Federation’s Youth Scholarship WCA, join today so that you can particiProgram. pate in the wonderful array of programs Janina Birtolo, an award-winning planned for the 2014-2015 Season. actress writer and director, was the Don’t wait another day to begin to take featured entertainer. In character as advantage of all that WCA has to offer. Cleopatra, she presented How Sharp Complete the membership form below. the Serpent’s Tooth. Her one-woman For more information about WCA, play explored what is known – and please visit www.womenscultural imagined – about the Egyptian queen alliance.com. who captivated people throughout the

WCA Welcome Back Luncheon Photos courtesy of professional photographer Gwen Greenglass, Portraits by Gwen

2014-2015 WCA Board of Directors

Actress Janina Birtolo portraying Cleopatra

Denise Wind-Koubsky, Luncheon Chair/WCA Board Member Mary O’Haver and Hedy Freedman

Merle Crystal and Gina Cannon

Luncheon Chair/WCA Board Member Mary O’Haver

Dorothy Hansen, Ruth Mutchnik (standing) and Joyce Lempert

Joan Werhane, WCA Board Member Susan Pittelman (standing) and Bobbie Katz

Lenore Greenstein giving the Invocation

JFCC Executive Jeffrey Feld and former Executive Director David Willens

WCA now has a membership gift card. Give the gift of membership in WCA to a friend, relative or as a hostess gift for someone who is not yet a member. For more information, please contact Linda Simon, WCA Membership Chair, at lgsimon2947@yahoo.com.



Women’s Cultural Alliance Membership Form Please check one: r New r Renewal For more information: Linda Simon, lgsimon2947@yahoo.com

Please make your check payable to: Jewish Federation of Collier County and mail with this form to: WCA Jewish Federation of Collier County 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Ste. 2201 Naples, FL 34109

Membership: $60 for the year includes all programming and Federation membership. r My information below contains new items.

In Southwest Florida: r full-time r part-time (from ________ to ________) Name: _________________________________________________________ Spouse or Partner Name, if applicable: ______________________________ Local Address: _________________________________________________ Community: ___________________________________________________ City: _____________________________ State: _____ Zip Code ____________ Email: _________________________________________________________ Florida home phone:____________________________________________ Cell phone: ___________________________________________________ Northern Address: ______________________________________________ City: _____________________________ State: _____ Zip Code ____________ Northern home phone: __________________________________________

Your membership check is your permission for Women’s Cultural Alliance to take and use photographs/videos for appropriate purposes in accordance with WCA’s mission.

COMMUNITY FOCUS

January 2015 Federation Star

www.holocaustmuseumswfl.org / 239-263-9200

HOLOCAUST MUSEUM & ED CTR OF SWFL

Holocaust Museum update Amy Snyder Executive Director

appy New Year! We hope your holidays were filled with fun and family. 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of concentration camps and the end of World War II. The Museum has planned a year of exciting exhibits and events in commemoration, including two major World War II-themed exhibits created from our collections. The first major exhibit, coming in February, will be “Dearest Pauline: a

WWII Healer Writes Home,” created from the Dr. Price Duff collection on loan to the Museum by his family. This exhibit will take an in-depth look at the little-known Medical Officers Regiment of the European Civil Affairs Division established by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. Few are aware of this important Division. It was responsible for restoring order to the chaos in war-torn Europe, assisting concentration camp survivors and displaced persons, and limiting the spread of diseases, which could have been as damaging to soldiers and civilians as the war itself. The exhibit will be on display from February 1 through May 3. On Monday, January 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Museum Docent Elliott Katz begins his 3rd Annual Lecture Series. The topic will be “Ameri-

can Jews and the Holocaust: Myths, Misconceptions and Reality.” Tickets are $15 and include a box lunch. Reservations are required for each lecture. Call the Museum at 239.263.9200 or e-mail danielle@holocaustmuseumswfl. org to RSVP. This year, Mr. Katz will present four lunchtime lectures plus two evening lectures. Please note that only the January 5 lecture will be held at the Museum. Due to the size of the “Dearest Pauline” exhibit, the February, March and April lectures will be held at other locations. Also in January, we will host the 4th Annual Student Art Exhibit, with an evening reception on Tuesday, January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, for the prize winners and their families. Michael Stolowitzky, the young

boy portrayed in the book Gertruda’s Oath, will be speaking at three Southwest Florida locations in early January. In case you are still on the waiting list at the library, the Museum has paperback copies of the book for sale. Mr. Stolowitzky’s presentations are free, but reservations are required. To RSVP, please call the following numbers: Tuesday, January 6 – Lee County Lakes Regional Library at 6:15 p.m., 239.533.4000; Wednesday, January 7 – Temple Shalom in Naples at 7:00 p.m., 239.263.9200 (the Museum is taking these reservations); Thursday, January 8 – South Regional Library in Naples at 1:00 p.m.; call 239.252.7542 to reserve your place. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Michael speak. We look forward to seeing you in 2015!

An opportunity to do a mitzvah for future generations during Temple Shalom’s Mitzvah Day! Did you know that 1 in 4 Jews of Central and European descent is a carrier for at least 1 of 19 preventable genetic diseases? On Mitzvah Day, you can help do something about it!

emple Shalom and The Victor Center for the Prevention of Jewish Genetic Diseases will be offering “What’s in Your Genes? Part 2” on Sunday, February 8 as part of the congregation’s Mitzvah Day programming. And what a mitzvah you can do to help ensure the health of future generations by either being screened yourself or telling your adult children and others about this opportunity. (Individuals with one or more Jewish grandparents are considered at risk.) You do not need to be a member of

Temple Shalom to participate. The opportunity to be screened was scheduled in response to requests following an educational program held last year about the ability to be screened for genetic diseases. Unfortunately, many of these 19 genetic diseases strike in childhood, have no cure, and can lead to an early death. Mitzvah Day starts at 9:00 a.m. with breakfast and a mitzvah rally at 9:30 a.m. At 10:00 a.m., there will be a brief educational program on genetic diseases, with the opportunity to ask

questions about the latest in BRCA testing. From 10:00 through noon, people between the ages of 18 and 44 will have the opportunity to be screened for the panel of 19 Jewish genetic diseases. A simple blood test is all that is required. The Victor Center recommends that all at-risk individuals be screened before having children. This includes people getting pregnant through donor egg/sperm. Interfaith couples should be tested, with the Jewish partner being screened first. Individuals should be screened for new diseases prior to each

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pregnancy, as the list of known genetic diseases is constantly being expanded. Most insurers cover the cost of screening. If you have insurance, the maximum out-of-pocket cost for the screening is $99; the cost for uninsured is $349. (You will need to show both your insurance card and your driver’s license.) To ensure that you have an opportunity to be tested on February 8, or for more information, please contact Karen Ezrine at kezrine@hadassah.org.

Federation Star January 2015

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Jewish Family & Community Services update Dr. Jaclynn Faffer JFCS President/ CEO

s 2015 begins I would like to reflect on what is happening at JFCS of Southwest Florida and what we see on the program and service horizon for the coming year. November 2014 marked the 3 rd anniversary of JFCS as a separately incorporated organization, and March 2015 will mark the 3rd anniversary of our relocation from Vanderbilt Beach Road to our current space at 5025 Castello Drive. So much has happened during that period of time as we have expanded our reach into the community. Here are a few “changes” that have taken place with a look towards the future: ¡ JFCS Mental Health staff has increased from one part-time Floridalicensed clinical social worker

to two full-time Florida-licensed clinical social workers. This certainly enables us to respond to the increasing requests for mental health counseling. We do this in our offices and within the community through our Healthy Socialization program for pre-teens and teens, and our caregiver support programs at Brookdale Center for Healthy Living and Rehabilitation and NCH downtown. ¡ JFCS has responded to the need for increased services for families struggling with dementia and has implemented a weekly “Men’s Club” respite program for men with early memory loss. Programs in the very near future will include a “Women’s Club” and a third program for men and women with more advanced dementia. ¡ JFCS is a training site for two students from the FGCU Department of Social Work. These interns are placed in the mental health counseling and case management program.

¡ The JFCS Senior Center will celebrate its first anniversary on Thursday, January 22. Membership has increased to 475, necessitating the need for increased space for increased programming. We are actively seeking funds to meet the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation challenge grant of $150,000 so that the JFCS Senior Center, and JFCS clinical and administra-

tive offices, can grow to meet the increasing needs of our community. ¡ And last, but by no means least, our list of folks to whom we say “Thank you” has increased as well! This certainly includes our cadre of more than 110 volunteers and all of you! Best wishes from all of us to all of you for a wonderful 2015. And as always, thank you for helping us help so many!

The Naples Jewish Caring Support Group Next meetings: Mondays, Jan. 12 & 26 10:30 a.m. to noon at JFCS, 5025 Castello Road, Naples

Call Donna Levy at 239.325.4444 for more information.

Child survivor and Exodus passenger to speak locally

Jewish Historical Society of SW Florida inaugural event

By Ida Margolis

anuary is Florida Jewish History month. The first recorded Jews in Florida came to Pensacola in 1763. In 1940, there were about 5,000 Jews in Miami. There is no record of Jews in 1940 in Collier County. The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida proudly presents its inaugural event, honoring longtime Naples resident and founding member of Temple Shalom, Helen Weinfeld. The presentation will include the premiere of a half-hour documentary about Helen, introduced by Collier County Curator of Education, Naomi Goren. Learn about the Weinfeld family’s fascinating story of being one of only

he story of Michael Stolowitzky woman that she will make her way to and his nanny Gertruda could Palestine and raise Michael as her own have been a suspense novel. son. This book, a story of extraordinary Instead, author Ram Oren, the “John courage and moral strength in the face of horrific events, pays tribute to GerGrisham of Israel,” wrote a non-fiction book that, if one did not know was true, truda’s relationship between her and would certainly be the child. thought to be a fabuMichael Stolowitzky, lous fictional tale. a charming gentleman now in his 70s, will be in The book, The Oath, was published Southwest Florida, talking about his remarkable in 2007 in Hebrew, journey and the Catholic and was soon on the best-seller list nanny who saved his life. He is scheduled to make in Israel. Since then the book has been three appearances and will sign books at each venue. translated into eight RSVPs are required for languages. The EngMichael Stolowitzky each appearance: lish translation, Gertruda’s Oath: A Child, a Promise, and a ¡ Tuesday, January 6 at 6:15 p.m. Heroic Escape During World War II, is at Lakes Regional Library, 15290 Bass Road, Fort Myers - RSVP to now the selection for the inaugural “One 239.481.4449 x3 Book, Southwest Florida” program. ¡ Wednesday, January 7 at 7:00 This program is based on the very sucp.m. at Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine cessful “One Book, One Community” Ridge Road, Naples - RSVP to the programs that have been done throughHolocaust Museum and Education out the U.S. The goal of this program is to engage the community in dialogue, to Center, 239.263.9200 ¡ Thursday, January 8 at 1:00 p.m. at promote understanding, and to serve as a South Regional Library, 8065 Lely springboard for discussion of universal topics such as loyalty, justice, family Cultural Parkway, Naples - RSVP and faith. to 239.252.7542 This page-turner is the story of For additional information about Michael Stolowitzky, the only son of a the Fort Myers appearance, please wealthy Jewish family in Poland, who email lenibsack@jfedlcc.org; for the was just three years old when WWII Temple Shalom appearance, email ida. broke out. After Michael’s mother has a margolis@gmail.com; and for the South stroke, the dying woman asks Gertruda Regional Library appearance, email Bablinska, the Catholic nanny devoted pdegroot@collier-lib.org. to the family, to promise the dying

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several Jewish families in Naples and the road to formation of what is now the oldest congregation in Collier County. Helen’s story also includes her recollections of the fight against Port Royal’s restrictive and discriminative by-laws. The event will take place on Monday, January 12 at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom. Light refreshments will be served. This is a free community-wide event. Visit www.jhsswf.org, email jhsswf@gmail.com or call 239.566.1771 to order tickets. The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are 100% tax deductible.

YIDDISH CLUB OF NAPLES

meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday 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! Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies Dedicated to educating all sectors of society about Jewish civilization, the Holocaust, and genocide through: • scholarship • outreach • inquiry • sharing knowledge • preserving the record • helping teachers • encouraging students

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Visit www.fgcu.edu/hc/ Dr. Paul Bartrop, Director

COMMUNITY FOCUS

January 2015 Federation Star

The Jewish Federation of eLee and Charlotte Counties . th Annual rpresents the 19 k sJewish Film Festival of SWFL

he 19 th annual Jewish Film Festival of Southwest Florida, sponsored by the Jewish Fedl eration of Lee & Charlotte Counties, s begins Thursday evening, January 15, p and runs every Tuesday and Thursday evening through February 10. It offers the opportunity to view high-caliber, independent movies created by Jewish filmmakers, featuring Jewish themes. All films will be shown at 7:15 p.m. at Regal Bell Tower Cinemas, located at 13499 Bell Tower Drive in Fort Myers. Festival subscriptions cost $70 for the eight films; individual film tickets cost $10.

An additional family film, for children ages nine and older, is being shown on Sunday, February 1 at 10:00 a.m. Children are admitted free and adult tickets cost $5. Seating is open at all films. Order tickets by downloading the form at http://jewishfederationlcc.org/ film-festival or by calling 239.481.4449 x3. The show dates, film titles and descriptions are as follows: Thursday, January 15 The Green Prince Mosab Hassan Yousef, a Palestinian in Ramallah, grows up angry and ready to fight Israel. Arrested for smuggling guns at 17, he’s interrogated by the Shin Bet, Israel’s security service, and sent to prison. But shocked by Hamas’s ruthless tactics in prison and the organization’s escalating campaign of suicide bombings outside, Mosab agrees to spy for Israel. For him there is no greater shame. For his Shin Bet handler, Gonen, there is no greater prize: “operating” the oldest son of a founding member of Hamas. Tuesday, January 20 - Cupcakes When a group of best friends in Tel Aviv gather to watch UniverSong, they are less than impressed by the official Israeli entry. Believing they can do better, they spontaneously create and record their own song on a mobile phone. Little do they know, their performance is seen by the UniverSong judges and soon they are reluctantly thrust into the spotlight as Israel’s next official entry. Though reluctant at first, they decide to go for it and find themselves on the road to international stardom. They embark on a flamboyant journey that brings about hilarious end results. Thursday, January 22 - Run, Boy, Run Run, Boy, Run tells the extraordinary true story of a Polish boy who seeks the kindness of others in his solitary struggle to outlast the Nazi occupation and keep his Jewish faith. Escaping the Warsaw ghetto at the behest of his father, nine-year-old Srulik flees to the woods. There, he learns to hide from SS patrols and scour for food, until loneliness and the harsh onset of winter drive him back to civilization. Tuesday, January 27 Dancing in Jaffa Pierre Dulaine, an internationallyrenowned ballroom dancer, takes his program, Dancing Classrooms, back to his city of birth, Jaffa. Over a tenweek period, Pierre teaches 10-year-old Palestinian-Israeli and Jewish-Israeli

children to dance and compete together. Dancing in Jaffa explores the complex stories of three different children who are forced to confront issues of identity, segregation and racial prejudice as they dance with their enemy. With the guidance of Pierre, the children learn to dance together and trust another. Thursday, January 29 - Mr. Kaplan Jacob Kaplan lives an ordinary life in Uruguay. Like many of his other Jewish friends, Jacob fled Europe for South America because of World War II. But now turning 76, he’s become grumpy, fed up with his community and his family’s lack of interest in its own heritage. One beach bar may, however, provide him with an unexpected opportunity to achieve greatness and recover his family’s respect in the community. Its owner, a quiet, elderly German, raises Mr. Kaplan’s suspicion of being a runaway Nazi. Together with a more loyal than honest police officer, to help him investigate, they will try to repeat the historic capture of Adolf Eichmann by kidnapping the German and secretly taking him to Israel. Tuesday, February 3 - Aftermath Franek and Jozek Kalina, sons of a poor farmer, are brothers from a small village in central Poland. Franek immigrated to the United States in the ’80s, and cut all ties with his family. Only when Jozek’s wife arrives in the U.S. without explanation, does Franek finally return to his homeland. He discovers that Jozek has been ostracized from the community and constantly receives various threats. The two brothers eventually uncover a dark secret that forces them to confront the history of their family and their hometown. Thursday, February 5 The Art Dealer This stylish Parisian thriller takes the form of a modern-day detective story, as it explores the sensitive issue of art stolen during the Second World War. A young journalist, Esther Stegmann, finds herself caught up in a web of betrayal and complicity as she investigates stolen family paintings, and uncovers a story that has been carefully buried for decades by those closest to her. Tuesday, February 10 Zero Motivation The movie is a zany, dark and comedic portrait of everyday life for a unit of young, female Israeli soldiers. The Human Resources Office at a remote desert base serves as the setting for this cast of characters who bide their time pushing paper and battling in computer games, counting down the minutes until they can return to civilian life. Amidst their boredom and clashing personalities, issues of commitment – to friendship, love and country – are handled with humor and sharp-edged wit. (There is some profanity and nudity in the film.) Sunday, February 1 - Igor and the Cranes Journey (family ﬁlm for children ages nine and older) In this touching story for children and adults alike, eleven-year-old Igor is very upset by the absence in his life of his ornithologist father, and by his divorced mother’s decision to emigrate with him from Russia to Israel. His new school feels strange and unfriendly, but he takes solace in tracking a migration of cranes from Eastern Europe to the Middle East, including a special crane from Russia he has named Karl. Just as Igor must learn to face many new challenges, so too does the baby crane as it sets out on its first migration. Both are on journeys that will change them forever.

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

An Evening for Better Tomorrows An Evening to Celebrate JFCS of Southwest Florida’s Ever Expanding Impact in Our Community

You are Cordially Invited to join us for our 3rd Annual Fundraising event enjoy an evening of Philanthropy, Music, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Date: Tuesday January 20, 2015 Time: 5:30 PM – 8PM Where: Naples Sailing and Yacht Club 896 River Point Dr, Naples, FL 34102 Cost: $250 per person Music: provided by the Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra Cocktail Attire

EVENT CHAIRS Chair: Susan and Dr. Nathaniel Ritter Co-chair: A. Scott Hansen

An Evening for Better Tomorrows is generously sponsored by

RSVP to Dr. Jaclynn Faffer (239) 325-4444 or jfaffer@jfcsswfl.org

5025 Castello Drive • Suite 101 • Naples, Florida 34103 Telephone (239) 325-4444 • Fax (239) 330-7947

WWW.JFCSSWFL.ORG

Federation Star January 2015

COMMUNITY FOCUS

JCMI’s events open to the community

All events take place at the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island, 991 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island. For more information, call the temple ofﬁce at 239.642.0800. abbi Edward Maline will begin the JCMI Adult Education Series 2015 on Sunday, January 11 with “New Questions of Jewish Law That Could Not be Asked in the Biblical and Talmudic Periods. How do we respond to them?” Some of the questions that will be discussed are: If a widower remarries, does he say Kaddish for his first wife? Are organ transplants permitted? If you keep kosher, do you need four sets of false teeth? Can one conceal one’s Jewish identity to save one’s life? Can a quarreling family abstain from observing shivah? If you would like to submit a question to Rabbi Maline, please email him at remmaline@aol. com. The series continues on Sundays,

February 15 and March 15. Coffee and cake are served at 9:30 a.m. with the lecture and discussions beginning at 10:00 a.m. There is no charge for JCMI members. Nonmembers and guests are $5. To RSVP or if you need additional information, please contact the JCMI office. *** JCMI’s Second Annual Jewish Deli Fest will be held on Sunday, January 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bernie’s Deli and Bubbie’s Bakery will once again amaze and delight. Come and enjoy a New York-style deli sandwich of kosher-style corned beef, pastrami or salami with homemade coleslaw, potato salad and beverage. Perhaps you would prefer a nice bowl of homemade chicken soup with matzo

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balls or beef barley soup. Oh, the memories and tastes of yesteryear! Afterwards, Bubbie’s Bakery awaits with mouthwatering homemade desserts. Enjoy and select scrumptious delights of pastries, cakes and pies. All “made with love” by our own Sisterhood members. You can either eat in or take out your deli delights. So bring your appetites, wear your elastic waist pants, and come and enjoy We gratefully acknowledge our wonderful sponsors: Winn-Dixie, Publix, Walmart and Fresh Market. *** As part of the Jewish Film Festival, the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island in cooperation with the Jewish Federation of Collier County will present The Outrageous Sophie Tucker on Sunday, January 18 at 2:00 p.m. The documentary focuses on the tumultuous early days of this superstar who ruled the 1920s Flapper Era. Before Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Midler, Madonna and Lady Gaga, there was Sophie Tucker, who made her audiences fall in love with her bold, bawdy and brassy style. Born in Russia to a Jewish family, Sophie became the “Last of the Red Hot Mamas,” with a 60-year show business career. You will love the music and the film. There will be a reception following the screening. Tickets are $25. *** The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island opens the 21st year of the Saul I. Stern Cultural Series on Tuesday, January 6 at 7:30 p.m. with a presentation

by Marvin Tokayer, retired Rabbi of Japan. Rabbi Tokayer, a dynamic speaker who has spent a lifetime uncovering the roots of Jews in the Far East, will discuss the history of the Jews in Asia, focusing on “pepper, silk and ivory,” which is the title of his latest book, published in September 2014. Rabbi Tokayer served as Army Chaplain stationed in Japan. After his discharge, he returned with his Israeliborn wife, Mazel, to serve the Jewish Community of Japan. For over a decade he served as Rabbi of Japan and Director of Culture, Religion and Education for the Jewish Communities of the Far East. For many years, he was the only rabbi in the Far East, requiring him to serve the communities that included India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea. He has written many books including the untold story of the historic rescue of Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe by the Japanese. Over 8,000 pages of classified Japanese government documents created between 1934 through 1940 were handed to him. His book, The Fugu Plan: The Untold Story of the Japanese and the Jews during World War II, details the unbelievable plan of the Japanese to create a haven for Jews in Japan. Rabbi Tokayer’s first book, in Japanese, Wisdom of the Talmud, has sold well over half a million copies and has since been translated into Chinese and Korean. A question-and-answer period, book signing and reception to meet the rabbi will follow the program.

Temple Shalom events open to the community

For more information on these events, call 239.455.3030.

he Fault in Our Stars by John Green is the Sisterhood Book Bag’s selection for Thursday, January 15 at 1:30 p.m. in the temple library. The facilitator is Arlene Yedid. This popular book tells the story of Hazel. Despite the cancer-shrinking medical miracle that has brought her a few more years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal. When Augustus Walters appears at the Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. *** Join us the first Shabbat morning of the month for Torah Talk, a volunteerled discussion of the week’s Torah

portion. On January 3, the portion is Va-y’chi. There will be a light breakfast at 8:15 a.m. with the discussion to follow at 8:30 a.m. *** Join us on Wednesday, January 21 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. for an educational screening of The J Street Challenge – The Seductive Allure of Peace in Our Time. Discussion to follow. Cost: $10 for advance open seating ticket, $15 at the door, and $20 for reserve section seating. Call Temple Shalom for credit card reservations or mail your check to Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples, FL 34119.

Temple Shalom thanks the Jewish Federation of Collier County

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The Temple Shalom Board of Trustees, Religious School and Preschool, would like to thank the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federation of Collier County for awarding a grant to both our Religious School and Preschool. Their generous support of, and commitment to, the Jewish education of our youth is very much appreciated. Neil Shnider President, Temple Shalom

Israeli and International Folk Dancing on Thursdays Where:

Fleischmann Community Center, 1900 Fleischmann Road, Naples, opposite Coastland Center Mall When: Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Why: Exercise, relaxation, socializing, learning, good health and fun Teacher: Richard Eddy, member International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO) and Florida Folk Dance Council Cost: Only $5 per session Questions: Richard Eddy at 703.303.4719; Fleischman Community Center at 239.213.3020 Come join our beginners group for dancing to classic music featuring both traditional and new Israeli and international folk dances. Richard has been dancing for about 14 years in Europe and the U.S. He has studied under many international teachers and choreographers, including Meir Shem-Tov, Rafi Ziv, Matti Goldschmidt, Mona Goldstein, Israel Shiker, Roberto Bagnoli, Paola Pagliani, Lucrezia LoBianca and Andi Kapplin.

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Inspiring heroism in extraordinary documentary

he documentary 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and r Mrs. Kraus tells the dramatic, epreviously untold story of Gilbert and sEleanor Kraus, a Jewish couple from gPhiladelphia who followed their conscience, ntraveling to Nazi-controlled Vienna in the spring of 1939 to save a group of children. Amidst -the impending horrors hof the Holocaust, they put themselves in harm’s -way to bring what would nbecome the single largestknown group of children yallowed into the U.S. during that time. o This extraordinarily moving film duses a mix of archival media and nareration to bring the story of the Kraus mission to life, and brings public recog-nition of their heroism for the first time. e Steve Brazina, program chair of

GenShoah SWFL, is presenting the film on Sunday, January 18 at 5:00 p.m. at the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida. Space is very limited and reservations required to ida.margolis2@gmail. com or 239.963.9347. A $5 donation will be requested at the door. On Sunday, February 15, as a follow-up to this film, popular speaker Dr. Phil Jason will be discussing the book “Don’t Wave Goodbye: The Children’s Flight from Nazi Persecution to American Freedom. The book, which was co-edited by Dr. Jason, is the story of 1,000 children brought to the U.S. between 1934 and 1945, and demonstrates what a small group of determined people can do. This discussion will be held at Beth Tikvah, 1459 Pine Ridge Road at 5:00 p.m.

January 2015 Federation Star

HotWorks.org Presents the 15th Bi-Annual

Estero Fine Art Show

™

January 3 & 4, 2015 at Miromar Design Center

Passover Landscapes: Illuminations on the Exodus

eth Tikvah is proud to host a cum laude, at Colgate University. While presentation by Rabbi Matthew in Israel, he studied at Pardes and f Berkowitz on Sunday, January The Schechter Institute of Jewish s18 at 4:00 p.m. The cost for this event Studies. He was ordained from JTS in 1999 and is a Wexner Graduate Fellow is $10 for non-Beth Tikvah members. Tea sandwiches and beverages will be alumnus. served. RSVP to bethtikvahnaples@ An accomplished artist, Matt was saol.com. formally trained in Jewd Rabbi Matthew L. ish scribal art in Jerusa,Berkowitz is the Direclem and completed the etor of Israel Programs writing of Megillat Esfor The Jewish Theologither, the illumination of cal Seminary of America several ketubbot, and a and co-founder of Kol limited edition artist portHa-Ot, a new Jerusalemfolio entitled Passover based venture devoted Landscapes: Illuminations to exploring the arts and on the Exodus, which was Matt Berkowitz Jewish learning. For ten acquired by Yale Univeryears (1999-2009), Matt served as the sity, exhibited at Yeshiva University JTS Senior Rabbinic Fellow, organizing Museum (April 2006), and is on permasubstantive adult learning throughout nent exhibit at The Jewish Theological Florida and beyond. He is a member of Seminary. The Lovell Haggadah (jointly The Wexner Heritage Program Faculty published in 2008 by Schechter Institute and has taught the Atlanta, Houston and Nirtzah Editions) is based on this work. In 2008-2009, he studied illustraand Phoenix groups. He completed his undergraduate work in International Retion and oil painting at The Jerusalem lations and Middle East Studies, summa Studio School.

ZOA Southwest Florida Chapter event update

HotWorks.org

Guiteau Lanoue, Mixed Media

Juried Fine Art & Fine Craft Show

All Art is Original & Personally Handmade by the Artist Saturday, January 3, & Sunday, January 4 ~ 10am-5pm Daily Miromar Design Center ~ I-75 & Exit #123 Corkscrew Road

$5 donation helps support the non-profit Institute for the Arts & Education, Inc. Youth Art Competition for Grades K-8 or Ages 5-12 Sponsored by Monkey Bars Storage Solutions More Info www.HotWorks.org

By Gene Sipe, VP, ZOA Southwest Florida Chapter

he January ZOA SWFL chapter meeting program is a presentation of Israel and the Palestinians: Where Do We Go From Here? by Ambassador Yoram Ettinger (Ret.). Ambassador Ettinger held the rank of Ambassador from 1989-1992 while serving as Minister for Congressional Affairs at Israel’s Embassy in Washington, D.C. He is a trusted consultant to members of the Israeli Cabinet and Knesset. He also regularly briefs U.S. political leaders about U.S.-Israeli politics, bilateral projects, and Middle Eastern affairs. Currently, Ambassador Ettinger is the editor of the Ettinger Report and the Executive Director of “Second Thought – A U.S.-Israel Initiative” dedicated to generating out-of-the-box thinking on U.S.-Israel relations, Middle East politics, Judea and Samaria. The program will be presented on

Wednesday, January 14 at 7:30 p.m. in conjunction with Temple Shalom of Naples, and is open to the public at $20 per person. RSVP by email to info@ zoaswfl.org, or reserve your seats by prepaying with a check (to ZOA SWFL) and sending it to 7550 Mission Hills Drive, Ste. 306 Box 90, Naples, FL 34119-9607. This program will be followed with a lecture by Nonie Darwish on Tuesday, February 17, and Robert Spencer on Tuesday, March 17. Visit www.zoaswfl.org for more information about any of our programs, to read commentaries by local supporters of Zionism, or to check the top headlines of the day with links directly to The Jerusalem Post. The site is interactive and you are invited to register and participate with your thoughts and comments.

Can We Kvell!

Congratulations to Beth-Ellen Povlow, the Jewish Federation of Collier County’s Stand Up for Justice chair, who will be honored at The Education Foundation’s Champions For Learning Night of Champions event on Wednesday, January 28 at The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. This event will celebrate the Foundation’s 25th year and honor 20 community leaders who are connecting students to their future.

Interested in your family’s history?

Do you have a similar photo in your home? Who are these people? Are they related to you? Do you know where your forebears came from? How do you find out? Do your grandchildren know who these people are? Researching your family genealogy can help you find the answers to all these questions. And the answers to questions you don’t even know to ask yet. Want to ﬁnd out how to get started? Come to 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) on Tuesday, January 13 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 Federation Star is a monthly nonprofit newspaper supported by generous readers, committed advertisers and the Jewish Federation of Collier County.

Federation Star January 2015

COMMUNITY FOCUS

GenShoah invites the community to its numerous events By Ida Margolis

here are many special events open to the public being presented by GenShoah of Southwest Florida this season. Here are some for your consideration: Wednesday, January 7 at 7:00 p.m.: Michael Stolowitzky, the rescued child in the international best-seller Gertruda’s Oath, will share his story. See page 8 for more details. Sunday, January 18 at 5:00 p.m.: The documentary 50 Children: The

Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus will be presented. See page 11 for more details. Wednesday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom: The docudrama The Jewish Cardinal is the true story of Jean-Marie Lustiger, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants to France, who found himself as a mediator when nuns want to build a convent in Auschwitz. Sunday, February 15 at 5:00

“A A Dangerous Time: Israel and the New Anti-Semitism” You are invited to an important lecture Featuring

Professor Stephen M. Berk Professor Wednesday, February 4 at 7:30pm Temple Shalom – 4630 Pine Ridge Road No Charge – Open to All Dr. Stephen M. Berk is the Henry and Sally Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies at Union College in Schenectady, New York. He is the former Chair of the Department of History, Director of the Program in Russia and East European Studies, and helps advise the Hillel organization at Union. Professor Berk is considered an absolutely superb lecturer. He is always informative, interesting and entertaining. He is widely known for his expertise on the Holocaust, Russia, the Middle East and a variety of Jewish topics.

Sponsored by generous Patrons and

p.m. at Beth Tikvah: Dr. Phil Jason, co-editor of Don’t Wave Goodbye: The Children’s Flight from Nazi Persecution to American Freedom will talk about this book, a story of 1,000 children brought to the U.S. between 1934 and 1945, which demonstrates what a small group of determined people can accomplish. Sunday, March 15 at 5:00 p.m. at the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida: Helene Gaillet de Neergaard, author of the recently published “I Was a War Child: WWII Memoir of a Little French Catholic Girl, will be the featured speaker. Prior to Ms. de Neergaard’s talk, Zoe VanSlyke, a local March of the Living participant, will talk briefly about her experience. Space is limited and reservations are required for all events. Donations so that GenShoah can continue to present exceptional programming will be

requested and are greatly appreciated. To RSVP, email me at ida.margolis2@ gmail.com. In addition to public events, GenShoah holds meetings that are open not only to children of Holocaust survivors (the Second Generation), but to all those who are interested in the mission of GenShoah: Promotion of Holocaust education, preservation of memories of the Holocaust, connection of members of the Second Generation to one another, and support of the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida. Meetings are generally held at the Museum the third Sunday of each month from October to April, from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. Please call to confirm time and venue. If you are interested in attending any events or meetings, or would like more information about GenShoah, contact me at ida.margolis2@gmail.com or 239.963.9347.

CATHOLIC-JEWISH DIALOGUE UPCOMING EVENTS

Catholic-Jewish Dialogue Upcoming Events

Faith Weekend • Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Naples Jewish Congregation, Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6340 Napa Woods Way • Sunday, December 7 at 5:00 p.m. at St. Agnes, 7775 Vanderbilt Beach Road Reader's Theater Tuesday, January 6 at 4:00 p.m. – based on the book On Heaven and Earth – thoughts of Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) and Rabbi Abraham Skorka – at the Jewish Federation of Collier County, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201 “One Book, Southwest Florida” – Gertruda’s Oath Wednesday, January 7 at 7:00 p.m. – featuring a presentation by Michael Stolowitzky, a “rescued child” – at Temple Shalom. Sponsored by GenShoah SWFL, Collier County Library, Temple Shalom – endorsed by the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue Update on Contemporary Anti-Religious Violence Sunday, February 8 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Agnes – presented by Dr. George Blewitt and followed by a discussion

with the cooperation of

The Jewish Cardinal Wednesday, February 11 at 2:00 p.m. – a GenShoah / Temple Shalom Film Event at Temple Shalom Walking in God's Path Sunday, March 22 at 2:00 p.m. at St. John’s – Movie and Discussion

Catholic-Jewish Dialogue Steering Committee Martin Gauthier George A. Blewitt, MD Robert Brady John T. Conroy, Jr. Ph.D. Rabbi Ammos Chorny Judith Gauthier Delores Donnelly Michael Feldman

Introducing

Co-Chairs Marvin Weisberg

Lenore Greenstein Helene Gordon Jeanine Healey Very Rev. Robert J. Kantor Rabbi Edward Maline Ida Margolis Peter McCabe

Pearl, Freeman & Kuhl

Charlotte Milavsky Rabbi Adam Miller Rev. Timothy M. Navin Isabel B. Price, Ph.D. Jill Saravis Myra Shapiro Rabbi Sylvin Wolf

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COMMUNITY FOCUS

January 2015 Federation Star

Israeli artist to exhibit at Estero Fine Art Show

rna Amrani, an artist from Israel, has gained international acclaim for her innovative, three-dimensional creations. These creations are exhibited in galleries throughout the United States and abroad. Her art, which reflects her Jewish heritage, may be seen in the traditional designs, themes and motifs that echo her love of Jerusalem and Israel. Her creations demonstrate a lifelong interest in the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as the scrolls of the ancient Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews. Born in Haifa, Israel, Orna’s parents encouraged the artistic expressions that were developed early in her life. Orna’s father, an artist in his own right, sculpted with bronze, various metals and hard materials in his spare time. Throughout Orna’s childhood, her mother created beautiful drawings and sketches. With such a rich heritage, Orna was destined to become a well-renowned artist. After attending the University of Haifa and serving in the Israeli Air Force, Orna followed her dream of becoming an artist. Her passion is the signature on the beautiful art she lovingly creates, while the love of traditional Jewish design made her the world-acclaimed artist she has become. Orna Amrani will exhibit at the 15th bi-annual Estero Fine Art Show™ on January 3 & 4, to be held at a new

MARCH 2015 | MONDAYS AT 7:00 PM NORRIS CENTER | 755 8TH AVE SOUTH presented by 03.02.15 location, outdoors at Miromar Design Center. This juried fine art and fine craft show features 150 artists who will be showcasing original and personally handmade art for sale, including paintings, sculpture, clay, glass, wood, fiber, metal, jewelry, photography and more. Event hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. The admission is free but $5 donations are appreciated, which will be used to support and promote the nonprofit 501(c)(3) arm, Institute for the Arts & Education, Inc., and to foster community enrichment. The Institute for the Arts & Education, Inc. works to encourage creative expression and artistic excellence, and to expand public awareness, diversity, appreciation and acquisition of fine art and crafts. We educate the community by providing ongoing art demonstrations by artists who exhibit specialized mediums that are developed into beautiful art. While at the art show, be sure to check out the Youth Art Competition, sponsored by Monkey Bars Storage Solutions and Institute for the Arts & Education, Inc. Original artwork by budding young artists in grades K-8 or ages 5-12 are publicly displayed as they compete for $250 in cash awards. More information can be found at www. hotworks.org. My artwork represents intricately positioned human ﬁgurines and a variety of ancient scrolls. I create unique, three-dimensional art forms, composed of clay, metal powders, and gold leaf, all overlain with handmade parchment, then baked and mounted on a matte board. Such becomes the art I lovingly create that reﬂects the love and pride I have in my Judaic culture, beliefs and customs. – Orna Amrani

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ABOVE & BEYOND

In 1948, a group of WWII pilots volunteered to fight for Israel in the War of Independence. The members of “Machal” – volunteers from abroad – not only turned the tide of the war, they also laid the groundwork for the Israeli Air Force.

03.16.15

G O D ’ S S L AV E

Based on actual events. Trained since childhood as an Islamic terrorist, Ahmed now must suicide-bomb a Buenos Aires synagogue. The investigation by David, the Israeli agent trying to prevent the attack, leads to violent, if unexpected, consequences.

03.23.15

BELLE & SEBASTIAN

In the French Alps during WWII, lonely Sebastian befriends Belle, “the beast” the local farmers think is killing their sheep – an enormous yet gentle sheepdog. With Nazis rooting out resistance fighters, Belle and Sebastian’s loyalties are put to the test.

03.30.15

UNDER THE SAME SUN

In the near future, two businessmen – a Palestinian and an Israeli – struggle to set up a solar energy company. Their attempts to overcome hostility from their families and the people around them ultimately change the political map.

Only 200 seats available! • Tickets mail February 15 Single movie tickets released February 1 if available

2015 SUBSCRIPTION REQUEST Please mail this request with a check made payable to: Naples Jewish Film Festival • c/o Beth Tikvah 1459 Pine Ridge Road • Naples, FL 34109 Subscriber(s) __________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________ City/State/Zip __________________________________________________ Phone ________________________________________________________

Please check the option you would like:

o SUBSCRIBER

$100

• One ticket to each of the 4 movies • Private wine reception opening night • Screen recognition

o FESTIVAL FRIEND

$500

• All Subscriber perks for two guests • Screen recognition

o EXECUTIVE PRODUCER o DIRECTOR

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• All Subscriber perks for four guests • Individual screen ad

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• All Subscriber perks for four guests • Featured sponsor in advertising • Make a live introduction for one movie

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Federation Star January 2015

JEWISH INTEREST

A spellbinding investigation of a terrorist act, its causes, costs and consequences By Philip K. Jason, Special to the Federation Star The Bus on Jaffa Road: A Story of Middle East Terrorism and the Search for Justice, by Mike Kelly. Lyons Press. 320 pages. Hardcover $26.95.

hen two young American Jews living in Israel, Sara Duker and Matthew Eisenfeld, boarded the Number 18 bus in Jerusalem, their immediate plans to visit Petra in Jordan disappeared. Their likely future as husband and wife vanished, as did the careers they were preparing for. Along with twenty-four other passengers, Phil Jason they were killed by a suicide bomber who got on this bus shortly after they did. The tragic, senseless deaths of Sara and Matthew reshaped the lives of their parents and siblings. Loss and reshaping are central themes in journalist Mike Kelly’s brilliant telling of the short-term and longer-term story: what led to this horror,

what were its consequences, what is its meaning, and what hope regarding the possibilities for peace and healing does it destroy or inspire. Using his wide range of resources and interviews superbly, Mike Kelly provides us with a strong sense of what exceptional people Sara and Matthew were. Matt was taking courses at the Schechter Institute as part of his rabbinical studies. Sara was busy working in a microbiology lab and planning to do graduate studies in environmental science. They were both high-level achievers with much to contribute. With fewer, and yet abundant resources, Kelly takes us into the actions and mind of Hassan Salameh, the bomb maker and organizer for this and other suicide bombings. Once arrested, Salameh spoke extensively and matter-of-factly about his activities, and his conversations were recorded. He wished to be sentenced to death – a rarity in Israel – but he had to accept the harsher punishment of a life sentence (technically, many many life sentences). Salameh always claimed his motive was to thwart Israel’s occupa-

The Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County invites you to

Reader’s Theater Tuesday, January 6 at 4:00 p.m. The Jewish Federation of Collier County, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201, Naples The book On Heaven and Earth is a New York Times Bestseller.” It encompasses the exchange of thoughts and opinions on critical challenges of our time between two longstanding friends, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) and Rabbi Abraham Skorka. The discussants for this program are Father Jim Simko of St. John the Evangelist Church in Naples, and Rabbi Adam Miller, of Temple Shalom in Naples. They will focus on selected chapters from the book they believe will be of interest and consequence to the audience. Father Simko and Rabbi Miller will then receive questions from the attendees.

tion of Palestine, not murder individual people. It was just their bad luck to be in the way. He believed his actions to be sanctioned by the Koran and Allah. A major part of the book closely examines the path toward finding some kind of justice for the bereaved. This pursuit was initiated by Stephen Flatow, the father of a young woman who perished in a suicide attack almost a year before the Number 18 bus incident that killed Sara and Matthew. This storyline covers many years, and ends with a victory of sorts in which the absent defendant – Iran – was fined an astronomical sum in a civil trial that tests a very special piece of legislation that came into being during the Clinton administration. The concept: make the funders and advocates of such terrorist acts suffer financially as a way of discouraging further such acts. Provide those awarded the judgments resources to take further political actions. The problem: enforcing payment, an objective undermined by other political goals of the Clinton White House. Sara’s mother Arline (her father had died when Sara was eleven with two younger sisters) and the Eisenfelds were already bonded. Stephen Flatow became part of their emotional family and their mentor and exemplary figure through the years of struggling to shape public opinion and government policy to bring about significant action. After Flatow’s case is successful, Arline and the Eisenfelds initiate a similar one that

is also successful. Kelly’s exploration of the legal personalities, especially the presiding judge and the lawyers making the cases against Iran, is finely crafted and suspenseful. So is his portrayal of the emotional roller coaster the plaintiffs endure. It is inevitable that readers will encounter famous names in a book that uses its key figures to represent important historical dynamics on the bumpy road toward possible peace. Sketches of Yassar Arafat and other Palestinian leaders, Hassan Salameh’s collaborators, and several high-profile Israeli leaders amplify the Bus 18 story. So do the appearances of U. S. government leaders like Senator Frank Lautenberg and multi-task upper echelon Clinton official Stuart Eizenstat. Mike Kelly’s skill, besides digging into so much material and amplifying our knowledge base through his own interviews, is in mastering it all and weaving such a tight fabric of understanding elegantly expressed. One could say that this is just a great book about a suicide bombing. Or one could say this a great book about everything that is touched by a suicide bombing – by all the suicide bombings. 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.

Note: Two Individuals whose lives intersect with the Bus 18 drama as related by Mike Kelly will be visiting Naples this winter. One of them is Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz, a Jewish Theological Seminary student friend and roommate of Matthew Eisenfeld. He will be speaking at Beth Tikvah at a 4:00 p.m. program on Sunday, January 18. The other is Rabbi Avinoam Sharon, who served as the Israeli lead prosecutor in the trial of Hassan Salameh. Rabbi Sharon will be Beth Tikvah’s Scholar-in-Residence during the weekend of February 13-15. You can find more about these individuals and their events elsewhere in this issue.

The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island in conjunction with the Jewish Federation of Collier County presents The 2015 Saul I. Stern Cultural Series – now in its 21st year! Tuesday, January 6, 2015, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 28, 2015, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 7:30 p.m.



RABBI MARVIN TOKAYER presents “The Jews of the Far East, Part II - Pepper, Silk & Ivory.” You will hear fantastic stories of Jewish life in the Far East, known to few. Rabbi Tokayer has written 20 books on the subject. A sale and book signing of his latest book, Pepper, Silk and Ivory, will be available following the presentation. THE NAPLES PHILHARMONIC BRASS QUINTET returns with a delightful variety of music – classical and popular – for the ninth consecutive year. A fabulous Viennese table follows the program with a sampling from Starbucks. HARRY ETTLINGER escaped to America from Germany, with his family shortly before the war. He returned as a GI. Because of his knowledge of German, he was sent to Munich to join the Monuments Men. He will tell us how he assisted in rescuing five million works of art and returned them to their rightful owners.

THE 2015 SAUL I. STERN CULTURAL SERIES

For more information, call the Synagogue Office at 239.642.0800. Please send this form and payment to the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island, 991 Winterberry Dr., Marco Island, FL 34145. Please send me tickets for the following Cultural Series programs: ____ $75 Patron, series ____ $50 Series for members ____ $60 Series for non-members ____ $20 Single tickets for members ____ $25 Single tickets for non-members ____ Enclosed is my check payable to JCMI

For those wishing single event tickets: # of tickets:____ Rabbi Marvin Tokayer # of tickets:____ The Naples Philharmonic # of tickets:____ Harry Ettlinger ____ Please charge my credit card: Credit Card #_______________________________________ exp. ____/____

Please mail my tickets to the address below: Name_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip____________________________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________

January 2015 Federation Star

JEWISH INTEREST

FLORIDA JEWISH HISTORY MONTH Friends of the Collier County Library and Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Collier County present the

ANNUAL NAPLES KLEZMER REVIVAL BAND CONCERT With guest artist, renowned accordionist Sergiu Popa

Wednesday, January 14 at 6:00 pm

Volunteer Opportunity Phone/Receptionist Do you enjoy talking to people? Are you outgoing? Volunteer to answer the phones, take messages and direct calls for a couple of hours a week – Monday through Thursday – at the Federation office. Requirements: A desire to help with the Jewish Federation goals; an interest in donating a few hours of free time each week; the obligation to maintain confidentiality.

See You At The Movies

Collier County South Regional Library EWISH CONGREGATION OF MARCO ISLAND 8065JLely Cultural Parkway If you are interested,

IN COOPERATION WITH THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF COLLIER COUNTY or for more informaPRESENTS THE SIDNEY HOFFMAN MEMORIAL tion, call Jill Saravis This free event has always soldR. out, so call today!

To RSVP, call 239.252.7542.

at 239.263.4205.

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL See You At The Movies 2014-2015 J C M I

Opening Day

EWISH ONGREGATION OF ARCO SLAND EDERATION OF COLLIER CFILMS OUNTY ON IN COOPERATIONTHE WITHNEWEST THE JEWISH SHOWCASING ANDFBEST AWARD-WINNING PRESENTS THE JEWISH CIRCUIT THE SIDNEY R. HOFFMAN MEMORIAL

MarcoFILM Premiere FESTIVAL JEWISH Film 2:00 PM Reception 1:30 PM 2014-2015

THE JEWISH CARDINAL Sunday afternoon, December 14, 2014

Our opening day film is the true story of Father Jean-Marie Lustiger, THE JEWISH CARDINAL, born the son of Polish Jews in Paris whose mother died at Auschwitz. Although he converted to Catholicism at age 14, later becoming a priest and then appointed Cardinal, Father Lustiger maintained his cultural identity as a Jew. The film reflects Cardinal Lustiger’s personal conflict and soul searching as an obedient son of the Church yet attached to his Jewish heritage. FATHER TIM NAVIN, SAN MARCO CATHOLIC CHURCH and RABBI EDWARD MALINE, JCMI will lead the SHOWCASING THE NEWEST AND BEST AWARD-WINNING FILMS ON discussion following the film. THE JEWISH CIRCUIT 100 Minutes English and French Opening Day Reception with Cake and Fruit

Opening Day THE OUTRAGEOUS SOPHIE TUCKER JEWISH CARDINAL Marco SundayTHE afternoon, January 18, 2015 Film 2:00 PM Premiere THE OUTRAGEOUS SOPHIE TUCKER14, is a documentary focusing on the tumultuous early days of this1:30 superstar Sunday afternoon, December 2014 Film 2:00 PM Reception PMwho ruled the 1920s Flapper Era.

Before Mae West, Marilyn Midler, MadonnaLustiger, and LadyTHE Gaga, there was Sophie Tucker, made her audiences inwhose love with her Our opening day film is theMonroe, true storyBette of Father Jean-Marie JEWISH CARDINAL, born who the son of Polish Jews in fall Paris mother bold, bawdy and brassy style. Born in Russia to a Jewish family Sophie became the “last of the Red Hot Mamas,” with a 60 year show business died at Auschwitz. Although he converted to Catholicism at age 14, later becoming a priest and then appointed Cardinal, Father Lustiger maintained career. YOU WILLasLOVE ANDCardinal THE FILM. his cultural identity a Jew.THE TheMUSIC film reflects Lustiger’s personal conflict and soul searching as an obedient son of the Church yet attached 96 Minutes English following the Film CHURCH and RABBI EDWARD MALINE, JCMI will lead the to his Jewish heritage. FATHER TIM NAVIN,Reception SAN MARCO CATHOLIC discussion following the film. DISOBEDIENCE 100 Minutes English and French Opening Day Reception with Cake and Fruit

Sunday afternoon, February 8, 2015 Film 2:00 PM THE OUTRAGEOUS SOPHIE In 1940 as France was being overrun by the Nazis, Aristides TUCKER de Sousa Mendes, the Portuguese General Counsel in Bordeaux gave visas to thousands could cross the border into 2:00 neutralPM Spain and Portugal. Sousa Mendes did this knowing he would face severe of refugees, Jews and non-Jews so they Sunday afternoon, January 18, 2015 Film punishment from Antonio Salazar, dictatorisofa Portugal who focusing had forbidden to Jewsearly and days othersofwho could not who return to their country of origin. THE OUTRAGEOUS SOPHIE TUCKER documentary on thevisas tumultuous this superstar ruled the 1920s Flapper Era. Today the survivors and descendants of those he saved have established the Aristides de Sousa Mendes Foundation to tell his story. Before Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Midler, Madonna and Lady Gaga, there was Sophie Tucker, who made her audiences fall in love with her T’S Abawdy SEE BEAUTIFUL STORY. IT’S MUSTand Robertbecame Jacobvitz the of Sousa Mendes bold, brassy style. Born in Russia to a Jewish Speaker: family Sophie the of “last the Red HotFoundation Mamas,” with a 60 year show business 104 Minutes French with English subtitles Reception following the Film career. YOU WILL LOVE THE MUSIC AND THE FILM. 96 Minutes English Reception following the Film

YIDDLE WITH HIS FIDDLE SundayDISOBEDIENCE afternoon, March 8, 2015 Film 2:00 PM This film is a treasure, reflecting the joy of Yiddish life before the Holocaust Sunday afternoon, February 8, 2015 Film 2:00 PMin Poland, home of 3 million Jews.

The story is about an impoverished man, Arye and hiswas daughter Itke, played byNazis, MollyAristides Picon, who decideMendes, to become Klezmorim. That in means they go from shtetl to shtetl In 1940 as France being overrun by the de Sousa the traveling Portuguese General Counsel Bordeaux gave visas to thousands playing music, singing and dancing. This is the most successful of all the Yiddish films and a rare gem because all the film’s extras are ordinary of refugees, Jews and non-Jews so they could cross the border into neutral Spain and Portugal. Sousa Mendes did this knowing he would face severe Jews picked from from Antonio the PolishSalazar, shtetls to show of realPortugal Jewish life Poland. ENTERTAINING, ANDcould JOYOUS! punishment dictator whoinhad forbidden visas to Jews AMUSING and others who not return to their country of origin. Minutesand descendants Yiddishofwith English subtitles Delicious Noshes Film Foundation to tell his story. Today the92 survivors those he saved have established the Aristides de after Sousathe Mendes IT’S A MUST SEE BEAUTIFUL STORY. Speaker: Robert Jacobvitz of the Sousa Mendes Foundation All films will be shown at the Jewish Congregation, 991 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island 104 Minutes French with English subtitles Reception following the Film

Clip and Mail ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------YIDDLE WITH HIS FIDDLE Make checks payable to JCMI Jewish Film Festival, 991 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island, FL 34145-5426 Sunday afternoon, March 8, 2015 Film 2:00 PM

Name___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This film is a treasure, reflecting the joy of Yiddish life before the Holocaust in Poland, home of 3 million Jews. The story is about an impoverished man, Arye and his daughter Itke, played by Molly Picon, who decide to become traveling Klezmorim. That means they go from shtetl to shtetl Address_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ playing music, singing and dancing. This is the most successful of all the Yiddish films and a rare gem because all the film’s extras are ordinary Jews picked from the Polish shtetls to show real Jewish life in Poland. ENTERTAINING, AMUSING AND JOYOUS! City/State/Zip ________________________________________________________________________ Phone 92 Minutes Yiddish with English subtitles Delicious Noshes after the Film

SERIES TICKETS: _____________ Patron @ $85 _____________ Regular @ $70 All films will be shown at the Jewish Congregation, 991 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island Individual Films: _____________ @ $25 each ___________________________________________________ (please specify film) Clip and Mail ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A LL PRO GRA MS S U B J EC T TO C HA N G E WI T HO U T N O T I C E Make checks payable to JCMI Jewish Film Festival, 991 Winterberry Marco Island, 34145-5426 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT Drive, THE JCMI OFFICE ATFL (239) 642-0800

Name___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

Address_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip ________________________________________________________________________ Phone

Federation Star January 2015

JEWISH INTEREST

International Holocaust Remembrance Day By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD

nternational Holocaust Remembrance Day, which will be observed around the world on Tuesday, January 27, is a memorial day for the victims of the Holocaust. It was designated by UN General Assembly Resolution 60/7 on November 1, 2005, after a special session was held earlier that year during which Dr. Paul Bartrop the General Assembly marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps and the end of the Holocaust. Resolution 60/7 urges every UN member state to honor the memory of Holocaust victims, and encourages the development of educational initiatives to help prevent future acts of genocide. It condemns all manifestations of religious and racial intolerance, incitement, harassment or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief, and rejects all aspects of Holocaust denial. The core of the Resolution’s meaning is to be found in the twin approaches of memory and education: As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated on January 19, 2008, “The International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is thus a day on which we must reassert our commitment to human rights.” He continued that “We must also go beyond remembrance, and make sure that new generations know this history” in order to be able

to “apply the lessons of the Holocaust to today’s world.” For Jews, it is not inappropriate to ask why, when we have Yom HaShoah in April as a day to commemorate the Holocaust, there is a need for this additional day. My response has always been that Yom HaShoah is a day of Jewish mourning, while International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a day of world commemoration and, hopefully, of a reaffirmation of the commitment expressed in 1945: Never Again. Tragically, of course, that hope has been dashed all too many times, as the cases of Biafra, Cambodia, East Timor, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur and many other places testify. Moreover, a further question can be asked: Why nominate January 27 as the date for such a commemoration? It is fitting that we ask the question this month in particular, as it was 70 years ago, in January 1945, that Auschwitz, the largest Nazi death camp, was liberated by Soviet troops. The symbolic meaning is clear, with nothing less than the defeat of the anti-human ideology of Nazism and, hopefully, the start of a new international regime of respect for humanity. In September 1944, SS leader Heinrich Himmler had already ordered the Auschwitz commandant, Rudolf Hoess, to oversee the camp’s liquidation. When delay threatened and the Soviets drew nearer, Himmler issued another order on November 26 relating to the destruction of Auschwitz. After considerable delays, the complete

The Holocaust: How Could It Have Happened?

International Holocaust Remembrance Day event at FGCU

o commemorate United Nadate of the day by incorporating both tions International Holocaust remembrance and education. Remembrance Day this year, a The forum will take place on panel of students at Florida Gulf Coast Tuesday, February 3 in the Cohen University will have the Center, room 247, from 1:00 opportunity to explore the to 2:30 p.m. question “The Holocaust: All FGCU students, faculty How Could It Have Hapand staff are welcome to attend. pened?” with Professor Outside guests are also inAlex Alvarez, an intervited to attend, to join with the nationally-renowned and FGCU community in helping award-winning Holocaust to contribute to our understandand Genocide scholar ing of how the Holocaust could from Northern Arizona have happened. Please note Dr. Alex Alvarez that those coming from outside University. should obtain a parking permit from The event will be moderated by Professor Paul Bartrop, Director of the Information Booth at the university entrance off Ben Hill Griffin Parkway. FGCU’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust, FGCU is located at 10501 FGCU Blvd. and Genocide Studies. S., Fort Myers. By scheduling the forum on the For more information, email Dr. FGCU campus during the teaching day, we will be fulfilling the UN manPaul Bartrop at pbartrop@fgcu.edu.

To Life!

evacuation of the complex was ordered for January 17, 1945. On the 18th, some 22,000 men and women left the camp, and the next day a further 3,500 were evacuated. The earliest date of free contact with Soviet forces was January 22, 1945. When Auschwitz was formally occupied a few days later, there were only 2,819 survivors left. They were about all that remained of a camp complex which at one time could boast a population of possibly two hundred thousand. Sylvia Salvesen, a Norwegian resister who had been incarcerated at Auschwitz, left a graphic testimony of her departure: When the camp was evacuated, “All had to go. Thousands of prisoners were driven along the snow-covered roads by German SS soldiers. There were no doctors, no nurses, no medicine. Those who could not walk were shot. The prisoners walked for three and a half days. Many froze to death, or had their hands and feet frostbitten. Many died from exhaustion.” A Jewish doctor from Hungary, Gisella Perl, expressed her despair at leaving under these circumstances by writing later that “This was not how I imagined it! During the interminable months, waiting for the day of liberation, I had seen myself again and again, leading my fellow-sufferers to freedom. I had seen myself walking ahead of them, laughing, singing songs of freedom, a human being going to meet other human beings with gratitude and dignity, to thank them for our liberation.” That this was not the way she left Auschwitz was a source of disappointment bordering on anguish. The prisoners had been evacuated in the face of Soviet progress;

the Russians were so close while the prisoners were marching away that the sounds of battle could be clearly distinguished. They suffered terribly during the forced marches that took them toward the west, and countless numbers perished. Earlier, the gas chambers of Birkenau had been blown up by the SS in an attempt to hide the Nazi crime of mass murder. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a national event in the United Kingdom, where a day of commemoration had already been in effect since January 27, 2001, well before UN General Assembly Resolution 60/7. In Germany, a “Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism” had been observed since it was proclaimed on January 3, 1996. It is important to recall that the specific experience of the Jewish people at the hands of Nazism is remembered each January 27 in order to send a universal message: that, despite the horrors of that experience, and despite all that has transpired since then, the ideal of Never Again is still one that is worth pursuing, and that the past and the present are brought together on this day. As seventeenth-century Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza wrote, “If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past.” That is the charge being handed to the nations of the world on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is incumbent on us all to play our part in helping it along. 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.

JEWISH INTEREST

January 2015 Federation Star

Jerusalem Post Crossword Puzzle

By David Benkof, DavidBenkof@gmail.com Across 1. Acts the schnorrer 5. Author Uris 9. Like wine during the seder’s Ten Plagues 14. First word of a magic phrase adapted from Hebrew 15. Put it in an uzi 16. Place to build a sukkah 17. Koestler’s “Darkness at ___” 18. Moses Montefiore and Isaiah Berlin 19. Cause of death for Sartre (author of “Anti-Semite and Jew”) 20. Name in the news on August 8, 2000 23. Gives a blessing to 24. “Today” in Ladino 25. Kind of drink a “limonana” is 26. Word after “hamotzi lechem”

Solution on page 32

27. Something to do while shuckling 29. Bar mitzvah boy, the next day 32. Shallow part of the Kinneret 35. Wise Wiesel 36. Material for Jewish caskets 37. One of them refers to murder 40. Green and Garfunkel 41. “Faith ___ Darkness” (Holocaust book) 42. Bancroft and Roiphe 43. It modifies Orthodox or Nazi 44. “Less ___ Zero” (Jami Gertz film) 45. Shabbat observers sometimes get a special one for their hot water 46. “___-Devil” (1989 film starring 59-Across) 47. Judean town with a palindromic name 48. Org. for Arafat

51. Each one comes from the Prophets 57. Palmach commander Yigal 58. When doubled, sound Mel Blanc made for the Road Runner 59. See 46-Across 60. “Sababa,” e.g. 61. Shekel alternative, once 62. Comedian Kaufman or Samberg 63. Promotes, like an anti-Semitic rumor 64. L.A. Republican congressional candidate Carr who lost Nov. 4 65. “Gypsy” role Down 1. Instrument for bluegrass musician Eric Weissberg 2. One version of a JPS title 3. Quality that might make you say “Blech” 4. Successful Freud patient 5. ___ Hara (evil speech) 6. Gilda Radner character Litella 7. Casspi of the NBA 8. Schnozz 9. Warner Brothers mouse Gonzales voiced by Mel Blanc 10. Abba in Acapulco 11. Something sold at Sears 12. “Glee” city in Ohio 13. “___ extent” (a bissel) 21. Jewish philosopher from Alexandria 22. Echoed David’s flock 26. Many Facebook employees use them

27. Bagel choice 28. An etrog’s is thick 29. Home st. for Al Franken 30. Join a game of dreidel 31. Suffix for Jewish 32. Getz with a saxophone 33. “Wish You Were ___” (Jewish Museum program) 34. Gershwin’s “Hang ___ Me” 35. Lazarus of “The New Colossus” 36. Milk portrayer in a biopic 38. He argued with Affleck about Islam 39. Seder substance 44. Footwear for Eilat 45. Something to do to the ark to let people sit down 46. Implement for some Biblical capital punishments 47. “Klinghoffer” is a controversial one 48. Billy Joel plays it 49. Jonathan Sacks and others 50. One way to order pastrami 51. Latke alternative in potato preparation 52. Iran is Hezbollah’s 53. Where you can find Faye Kellerman’s photo on her hardback books 54. “What is crooked will not be ___ to be straightened...” (Ecclesiastes 1:15) 55. Third Reich greeting 56. Way up Mt. Hermon

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JEWISH INTEREST

Federation Star January 2015

The footprint of Florida and the creativity of Jews By Jill Saravis

uring the month of January, Florida Jewish History Month, people are especially conscientious about their health after the many family gatherings and parties they have attended during the holiday season. Luckily, we have many farmers’ markets in our area to help us reach our goals, enabling us to buy locally-grown goods and get fresh air and exercise while walking around. As we learn about Jews who have been involved in enriching the lives and dreams of all Floridians, and their amazing contributions which developed our Sunshine State, make sure you incorporate serving up some of our local goodies. My sister, Lisa Joy, stays in fantastic shape by sneaking in plenty of veggies: tossing them in salads, featuring them in main dishes, as well as presenting

them as appetizers and snacks. She still indulges in rich and decadent goodies as most of us do, but this definitely helps keep the body fit. One of my favorites is her famous Spinach-Ceci-Sausage Dip, served with fresh cut vegetables and toasted pita chips. This is a satisfying dip and a healthy alternative for when you start getting bored with the usual dips and hummus, perfect to serve when planning on attending the “One Book, Southwest Florida” presentation, the popular Klezmer Concert, and the Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida Inaugural Event. Lisa Joy’s Spinach-Ceci-Sausage Dip Ingredients: • 2 pounds baby spinach • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided • 1 19-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

(Garbanzo beans) • 1 package of apple chicken sausage or chorizo • 8 oz. of shredded mild cheese (I also occasionally use soft herb cheese spread.) • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika • 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth Directions: X Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Cook the spinach, starting with a handful, tossing with tongs and adding the remaining spinach by the handful until all is added and wilted, 6 to 8 minutes. Place in an ovenproof casserole dish. X Heat another tablespoon of oil

over medium heat. Add chickpeas,E thyme, oregano, cumin, salt andf paprika and cook until slightlyi browned or roasted (about threew minutes). Add it to the spinach. i

X Carefully wipe out the pan, then heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and brown the sausage. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Gently combine with the spinach and chickpeas and top with cheese. Bake in a 375-degree oven until cheese melts. Have fun and guiltlessly enjoy!

Hadassah continuing education conference By Karen M. Ezrine, MD

rom November 2-6, I was with a group of physicians and nurses who attended “From Concept to Cure: A Second Century of Healing,” a continuing education conference in Jerusalem, offered by the Hadassah Physicians Council and National Center for Nurses Councils, Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem, and Emory University School of Medicine. Physicians attended sessions with worldrenowned clinicians and researchers on groundbreaking topics in a wide variety of medical and surgical disciplines. The faculty emphasized their “bench to bedside” approach to healthcare. The sight of Hadassah’s new Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower on a hill overlooking Jerusalem is inspiring. We toured the four-story underground operating rooms currently under con-

struction, designed to be explosion as well as chemical, biological and radiation proof .The ORs themselves are state of the art, with the latest equipment and computer controls. In keeping with “Every Beat Counts,” Hadassah’s cardiology initiative, the first day of lectures featured research, treatment and outreach to reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease. Issues in gender and cultural disparity in symptoms and in seeking care for heart disease were presented by Hadassah faculty. Dr. Nanette Wenger of Emory University spoke specifically about gender differences in cardiovascular disease. We heard firsthand about research on treatment of ALS and MS with stem cells. We saw dramatic videos of bedridden patients with ALS ultimately

walking after receiving treatments developed at Hadassah. In addition, several ophthalmology lectures discussed

a spectrum of healthcare providers and patients – Jewish and Arab Israelis alike. The Henrietta Szold Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Nursing reflects the diversity in its students. Pediatric AIDS specialist Dr. Dan Engelhard described the lifesaving work he and his team have done around the world: setting up field hospitals after disasters and working in orphanages in Ethiopia and Uganda, just to mention a few. We also learned of other global health initiatives, including hygiene, A visit to an operating room infectious disease control, CPR and first gene therapy and stem cell research in aid, circumcision, and family planning. eye diseases. In other sessions, we heard about Another highlight was immuthe latest in breast imaging, trauma notherapy in cancer with heretofore surgery, robotic surgery, brain tumor unheard-of responses in patients with treatment, rehabilitation after traumatic advanced melanoma. brain injury, as well as medical ethics. Medical and nursing professionIn the words of Dr. Osnat Korach, als from Hadassah’s hospitals at Ein Director of Hadassah University HosKerem and Mt. Scopus (which is on pital Mt. Scopus, Hadassah is truly “a the frontlines of terrorist attacks in Jebridge to peace in the Middle East,” WORLD CLASS rusalem) described their recent experiwith health professionals who make an ENTERTAINMENT ~ SOUND &and LIGHTING ences. At Mt. Scopus Hospital, we saw impact in Israel worldwide.

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JEWISH INTEREST

January 2015 Federation Star

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. Father Time People magazine had some egg on its face when it posted (November 30) an obituary of actor KIRK DOUGLAS on its website. Douglas, who turned 98 on December 9, quoted Mark Twain when he spoke to a USA Today reporter on December 1: “The announcement of my death is premature.” The false report created some fairly amusing web chatter. New York Daily News readers’ web comments included, “I am not dead, and I am Spartacus!” and “Hey, Kirk, say hello to Abe Vigoda!” You may recall that ABE VIGODA (The Godfather and Barney Miller) was reported as dead in a 1982 People article and that a TV reporter repeated the mistake in 1987. Vigoda, now 93, has often joked about his “death” with TV hosts. Meanwhile, hitting the century mark in 2014 were Professor IRWIN COREY, the comedian, (last June) and actor NORMAN LLOYD (last November). Just before a big 100th birthday party at a New York actors’ club, Corey told the Daily News: “I hope they give me an 18-year-old girl.” Lloyd, who appeared in several Hitchcock films, is probably best known for playing Dr. Auschlander on the TV show St. Elsewhere. He still plays tennis twice a week and has a biggish supporting role in Trainwreck, a JUDD APATOW film that will open in July 2015. HOWIE MANDEL, 59, a St. Elsewhere co-star, said: “I love Norman Lloyd. He is a legend. I have spent hours like a little kid while

he regaled us with stories of Hitchcock. He teaches, he entertains. He is a legend!” Robert Klein on Jewish Funerals Last October, Jay Leno was given the prestigious Mark Twain Award for his comedy career and most PBS stations showed the ceremony in late November. No doubt, it will be repeated several times in 2015 and the ceremony is viewable online. ROBERT KLEIN, 72, worked in some stand-up shtick as he praised Leno. This bit tickled me: “Jay will never retire. You’ll never see him in Florida with an aluminum thing under his chin. Anyway, I have a beef with Florida. I sent two vital 65-year-old parents to South Florida and 30 years later they were dead! What the hell is going on down there? Anyway, I am feeling my mortality. And I am a few years older than you, Jay, about seven or eight. One thing I am hopeful about. Jews bury quickly. We don’t fool around. No wakes or anything – five showings like in vaudeville. A Jew dies, ‘Zoom! Into the Ground! ‘What the hell happened to Irving?’ ‘He was here a second ago!’ I mean there’s no wasted time. A Jew dies at noon – ‘Call the relatives in Phoenix! The funeral is at 2!’ There could be some Talmudic philosophic reason. I don’t know. Maybe it’s get on with life. Maybe let’s remember you as you were. To tell you the truth, the older I get, around my relatives I’m afraid to take a nap lest I be buried prematurely. PJB – Premature Jewish Burial – is a real epidemic thing in America. As a

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Interested in Your Family’s History? Ten years of doing a Jewish celebrities column has turned Nate Bloom (see column at left) into something of an expert on finding basic family history records and articles mentioning a “searched-for” person. During these 10 years, he has put together a small team of “mavens” who aid his research. Most professional family history experts charge at least $1,000 for a full family tree. However, many people just want to get “started” by tracing one particular family branch.

So here’s the deal: Email Nate 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. matter of fact, 60 Minutes was going to do a story on it. But MIKE WALLACE died and disappeared quickly. Couldn’t find him.” Family Fare These two new movies should be in theaters when you read this: Annie is a “re-imagining” of the hit stage musical, and most of the original (1976) Broadway show’s songs are in the re-make. They were penned by MARTIN CHARNIN, 80, and CHARLES STROUSE, 86. The new version features three new songs which were co-written by GREG KURSTIN, 47. The screenplay was written by Emma Thompson, ALINE BROSH McKENNA, 47 (The Devil Wears Prada), and Annie director WILL GLUCK, 42. Long a TV comedy writer, Gluck broke out of this niche as the director of two “rom-com” hits: Easy A (2010) and Friends with Beneﬁts (2011), which Gluck also co-wrote.

His father, PETER GLUCK, 73, is a famous architect, and his mother, CAROL N. GLUCK, also 73, is a Columbia University history professor who has written about the Holocaust. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb was directed by SHAWN LEVY, 46. Here’s part of the ‘official’ description of the third and final pic in this series: “When the magic powers of The Tablet of Ahkmenrah begin to die out, Larry Daley (BEN STILLER, 49) spans the globe, uniting his son Nicky (SKYLER GISONDO, 18), Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Jedadiah (Owen Wilson)...and a new Neanderthal named Laa (Stiller)…while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic.” By the way, Gisondo’s last name comes from his paternal Italian grandfather, who wasn’t Jewish. His other grandparents were Jewish. Gisondo replaced JAKE CHERRY, 18, as Nicky.

Federation Star January 2015

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

12 hot apps from Israel

Want to be better organized, make music with distant friends, avoid your ex, socialize your shopping experience? Israelis have made an app for that. By Abigail Klein Leichman, ISRAEL21c, www.israel21c.org

ade-in-Israel mobile applications have been changing radically how we get from one place to another (Waze, GetTaxi), share videos and photos (Glide, for example), monitor our health, edu-tain our children, and many other areas of our lives. New apps are popping up all the time. Here are some of the newest blue-and-white apps for business and pleasure. 24me Forbes recently named 24me as one of “7 Great Apps to Simplify Your Life.” This iOS 8-ready app is touted as a next-generation personal assistant because it not only keeps you on top of your to-do list but also has cool features such as task-management and bill-paying components. (https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=8PE1KUD_ hZg#t=11) Any.do Any.do is a suite of integrated mobile productivity apps. Its original timemanagement app made the App Store’s “Best Apps of 2012″ list and also won Android’s Best App status. Now used by an estimated 10 million people, Any.do allows users to manage daily tasks through voice command or touchscreen. Any.do Moment prompts users to do a daily productivity ritual, while Cal assigns tasks to calendar events and merges to-do items with specific meetings. A reward feature lets users win prizes and coupons for completing tasks. (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=gPpHp4Yfs_M#t=43) VocalReferences This Android and iOS app offers merchants a set of tools to capture, display and share video and text testimonials

from customers to display on their website and on social media, among other platforms. VocalReferences is also available via Yahoo Commerce Central, the Yahoo Small Business Center and Yahoo’s Web Hosting product. Customers giving the testimonials can use the app to share feedback with friends. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= 7Wj25lKpVf4) Slidely SHOW Billed as a “next-generation personal movie creator,” Slidely’s iOS app allows users to create movies from photos and videos taken directly from their social-media networks and mobile devices. The HD video is created instantly and can be shared via email, SMS, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp, or saved to the mobile device. Features include slow motion or fast motion effects, “shake to shuffle” and a movie feed enabling other users’ creations to be viewed, liked and shared. Intimate City “Having a great time, wish you were here” has just gotten updated with this mobile app for iOS and Android. Intimate City is a social-media platform for travelers to send personalized virtual postcards and stamps – to be shared publicly or only to select recipients – as well as photo albums and videos. Its proprietary Request for Information function is an algorithm that allows members to pose travel-related questions to anyone else using the application. NokNok This app has been evolving since it was introduced a couple of years ago as a way to make free calls and then to identify callers visually. Its newest function enables Android or iOS users

to see how callers identify them in their contact lists, initiate an anonymous chat with that person and “manage their reputation” by requesting to be named in a different way. Last summer, NokNok reached the No. 1 spot in Apple’s App Store in Israel and No. 3 in the Google Play Store. Now it also has an “incognito” button for group chats. Split Call it the antisocial app. The free iOS and Android app Split uses data gathered from social-network updates and check-ins to help users avoid anyone they don’t want to bump into. Users log on to Facebook and select people from their social network they

Split - An antisocial app

prefer not to meet (exes, bosses, etc.). The app sends an alert when the selected people are nearby and shows a route on a map to avoid them. Split also allows users to hide their location from others. Camera51 This camera app for Android devices guides users to take better photos with the help of a complex algorithm that identifies and analyzes objects, faces, shapes, lines and scenes, and provides real-time directions for camera position, focus and exposure. It takes the traditional rules of composition into account, and offers features such as auto framing/auto composition, selfie guidance, and manual and multi object selection. (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=pqaTlxUSRYw)

THE CHOSEN:

PanStage This social recording app lets users create, record and play music together. Meant for singers and instrumentalists alike, PanStage also allows you to choose who joins your recording. Play it, change it or decide it’s ready and share it. Travee When you’re traveling abroad, this free mobile VoIP app for Android lets you make local or international calls at low cost and receive calls for free on your regular phone number, using any type of data connection. Travee works even if the other person does not have the app installed. (https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=S3oLAYK4VqI) GOTit This shopping app seeks to socialize the experience by letting users discover, buy and share products or services with friends and finding the best deals for those things for one buyer or for a group of buyers. Businesses can use this free app to send offers, respond to reviews or organize customer clubs. Askem Can’t decide which shoes to buy? Need fast advice about a relationship? Looking for a restaurant recommendation or a statistic? Askem lets you upload photos or create real-time short videos asking interactive questions – textual or numeric – to share with friends. You can receive up to five pop-up answers. Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and associate editor at ISRAEL21c. Prior to moving to Israel in 2007, she was a specialty writer and copy editor at a daily newspaper in New Jersey and has freelanced for a variety of newspapers and periodicals since 1984.

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January 2015 Federation Star

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ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

Federation Star January 2015

ISRAEL SEES SHARP RISE IN TOURISTS FROM ARAB STATES Since 2009, more than 250,000 Muslim and Arab tourists have visited Israel for religious reasons, business and shopping. 124,000 tourists came from Indonesia, 81,000 from Jordan, 23,483 from Malaysia, 6,440 from Morocco, 38 from Saudi Arabia, 168 from the UAE, 73 from Qatar and 73 from Oman. 13,333 tourists arrived from Egypt, including 4,368 since the beginning of 2014. Kuwait announced last month that it would allow its citizens to visit Israel and the PA as part of a tour package with the government’s approval. (Itamar Eichner, Ynet News)

AT ISRAEL’S MIT, ARAB WOMEN (AND MEN) ARE THRIVING Israeli Arabs, women in particular, have made huge strides over the past decade at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Arabs accounted for 21% of undergraduates at the Technion in 2014, which is the same as their share of the population of Israel. Of those students, 48% are female. (Peter Coy, Business Week)

MODI REVIVES INDIAISRAEL TIES AS TERRORISM THREAT GROWS Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is openly boosting ties with Israel, strengthening a relationship that has

BRIEFS largely grown outside of the public spotlight over the past two decades. Modi’s public overtures to Israel since his Bharatiya Janata Party won a landslide election in May are bolstering a defense relationship as both countries face threats from Islamic terrorists. The previous Congress-led government kept ties with Israel quiet, partly over concerns it would antagonize Muslim voters. “The relationship is coming out of the closet,” said Sadanand Dhume, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. “This is unquestionably the most pro-Israel government in India’s history. It’s one of the many signals of a more assertive India and one that takes terrorism very seriously.” India has bought $662 million of Israeli arms since Modi took power six months ago. While the U.S., Russia and European nations are likely to remain India’s top suppliers of ships or aircraft, Israel’s missile systems, surveillance and ordnance systems are designed for the kind of threats posed by hostile neighbors and terrorists, according to Jon Grevatt, Asia-Pacific defense industry analyst for IHS Jane’s. (Bloomberg)

POLL: 77% OF ISRAELI ARABS PREFER TO LIVE UNDER ISRAELI RULE RATHER THAN PALESTINIAN Seventy-seven percent of Israeli Arabs prefer to live under Israeli rule rather than Palestinian, according to a recent poll by the Statnet research institute headed by Israeli Arab statistician

Yousef Makladeh. Of those Arabs who prefer to live under Israeli rule, 70% were Druse, 57% Christian and 49% Muslim. Of those that preferred to live under the PA, 2% were Druse, 5% Christian, and 18% Muslim. (Ariel Ben Solomon, Jerusalem Post)

CHINESE, RUSSIAN LENDERS TO BACK ISRAELI ONLINE TRADING COMPANY

Chinese financial powerhouse Ping An and Russia’s largest lender Sberbank are in advanced discussions to back Israeli online trading company eToro. As part of the move, eToro is expected to expand operations into China and Russia. Ping An Ventures, the venture investment arm of China’s largest financial conglomerates, last November launched a $100 million fund dedicated to investing in U.S.-Israel technology companies. eToro, founded in 2007, enables retail traders to invest and share information about their trades, performance and strategies online, as on Twitter. The company has four million users in 170 countries. (Anna Irrera and Orr Hirschauge, Wall Street Journal)

JEWS BEAR THE BRUNT FOR NAIVE HATRED OF ISRAEL The attack at a Jerusalem synagogue was the latest in a series of attacks on Jews by Palestinians in recent weeks, the same blood fever that has led hundreds of young men, and some young

women, to travel from throughout the Muslim diaspora to join the butchery of the Islamic State. The core basis of hostility to Israel is a lack of acknowledgement that most of the constrictive actions Israel has taken in the Palestinian territories – the walls, roadblocks, security restrictions – have been in reaction to an intransigent Palestinian political culture. When the Western media reports about Israel’s continued building of Jewish settlements on the West Bank, it rarely presents Israel’s position that no new settlements have been allowed since 1999 and that all construction since 2004 has been within pre-existing settlement boundaries. Israel’s arguments are routinely greeted with eye-rolling cynicism, as if the Israelis are the bullies of the Middle East, rather than the only functional democracy in the region, the only place in the Middle East where Jews can live in safety. This moral relativism extends to endless rationalizations for the missteps by the Palestinians, the corruption, the internecine conflict, the state-sponsored racism, and the rocket attacks. (Paul Sheehan, Sydney Morning Herald-Australia)

SINO-ISRAELI ECONOMIC TIES BLOSSOMING

The People’s Republic of China and the State of Israel are developing an increasingly integrated bilateral economic partnership that is poised to flourish over the next decade. Bilateral trade surged to $10 billion in 2013, with plans to double that

continued on page 24

TRIBUTES / BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Tributes

Tributes to the Federation Campaign To:

Irving Litt Wishing you a speedy recovery From: Sheila & Alvin Becker To:

Susan & Alvin Wichard In appreciation of friendship and warm hospitality From: Rosalee & Jerry Bogo

January 2015 Federation Star

Tributes require a minimum donation of $18.

To:

Yale Freeman Wishing you a full and speedy recovery From: David Willens Phyllis & Michael Seaman

To:

Jeffrey Feld In your honor. Welcome and thank you for your presentation. From: The Sisterhood of Temple Shalom

To:

Beth & Irv Povlow In honor of your 50th Wedding Anniversary From: David Willens Phyllis & Michael Seaman

To:

Pauline Hendel Get well wishes From: Rosalee & Jerry Bogo Phyllis & Michael Seaman

To:

Ida & Jeff Margolis In memory of Jeff’s beloved father, Alex Margolis From: Linda & Marc Simon Carol Kimmel Dr. Martin & Gayle Dorio Luba & Dr. Alberto Rotsztain Elaine & Lee Soffer David B. Goldstein Ted Epstein

Ruth & Marty Barber In your appreciation From: David Willens

To:

Anne & Peter Klein & Family In memory of Peter’s beloved mother, Dorothy Klein From: Helen & Dr. Edward Rosenthal Pauline & Murray Hendel To:

David Willens In your honor From: Sharyn & Dr. Larry Harris Nancy & Paul D. Slater Jean Morrison

David Isaacson Wishing you the very best of everything on your very special birthday From: Gracia Kuller Judy & Dr. Robert Sommerfeld In honor of your beloved granddaughter Olivia’s Bat Mitzvah From: Susan & Morton Shane JoEllen & Leonard Rubenstein & Family In memory of JoEllen’s beloved mother, Muriel (Cissy) Brody From: Helen & Dr. Edward Rosenthal Delores & Corky Levin Louise & Derrick Novis To:

Susan & Joel Pittelman In memory of your beloved brother-in-law, Richard Bootzin From: Susan & Phil Dean

To:

Phyllis Seaman In your honor From: Pearl & Gerry Sugarman

To:

Rolla Engler & Family In memory of your beloved husband, Marvin Engler From: Lorie Mayer David Willens

To:

Jeffrey Feld In your honor From: Pearl & Gerry Sugarman

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

JoEllen & Leonard Rubenstein & Family on the passing of JoEllen’s beloved mother, Muriel (Cissy) Brody Linda Hamburger & Family on the passing of her beloved partner, Paul Ouellette Florette Kahn & Family on the passing of her beloved husband, Jack Kahn Anne & Peter Klein & Family on the passing of Peter’s beloved mother, Dorothy Klein Janet & Howard Solot & Family on the passing of Janet’s brother-in-law Susan & Joel Pittelman & Family on the passing of your beloved brother-in-law, Richard Bootzin Rolla Engler & Family on the passing of her beloved husband, Marvin Engler

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Federation Star January 2015

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

AMCHA Initiative reveals internal SJP document calling for illegal action 15 groups call on 100 presidents of universities with SJP chapters to prevent behavior and protect Jewish students

Source: Proclaiming Justice to the Nations (PJTN), www.pjtn.org, via the Israel Advocacy Committee of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, October 28, 2014

ifteen Jewish and education advocacy groups, today, wrote to the presidents of more than 100 universities with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters to warn them of an internal SJP document containing a strategy for disrupting pro-Israel student events, conduct subject to prosecution under state criminal laws. In 2010, ten students were convicted for disrupting Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren’s speech at the University of California, Irvine. The foundational document of the SJP group at Binghamton University (SUNY), entitled “Declaration of Principles and Strategies,” describes itself as “a collection and elucidation of several resolutions and collective decisions formulated and approved by the membership of Binghamton University Students for Justice in Palestine.” In the “With Regards to Tactics and Strategies Used to Counter Zionist Normalization” section, the document spells out a strategy for disrupting pro-Israel events. According to the document, “...it was decided via general consensus that, depending on the attendance levels of individual SJP members at such events, the following tactics would be most appropriate...[If more than six SJP members are present, these tactics include] engaging in a non-violent disruption of the event in question.” The disruption of on-campus events violates New York State law. Sec. 240.20 of the New York Penal Law outlaws “disorderly conduct,” which includes “without lawful authority...

disturb(ing) any lawful assembly or meeting of persons.” All U.S. states have similar laws restricting the disruption of public events if this same tactic were to be employed by other SJP chapters. “The document is extremely troubling in that it outlines a clear strategy for targeting, ostracizing, harassing and silencing students...,” wrote the groups. “...it advocates behavior consistent with ‘anti-Zionist normalization’ campaigns being waged by SJP groups across the country, whose explicit purpose, according to the Anti-Defamation League, is to delegitimize all pro-Israel perspectives and actively suppress their expression on college campuses. These campaigns have resulted in dozens of Jewish and pro-Israel students’ events being disrupted, and Jewish and pro-Israel students feeling harassed, intimidated, and stripped of their constitutionallyprotected freedom of expression and association.” The document also prohibits SJP leaders and members from collaborating with specifically-named Jewish and proIsrael student organizations. According to the groups, “...the SJP group’s a priori rejection of any interaction with Jewish and pro-Israel student groups – or with any other group that is deemed to have collaborated with them – bespeaks of prejudice, bigotry and a lack of tolerance and civility, behavior that should not be tolerated from a registered student group on any campus.” Earlier this fall, many of these same groups wrote to more than 2,500 U.S.

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colleges and universities urging them to protect Jewish students on campus in light of rising anti-Semitism in America and abroad. In particular, the letter raised concerns over SJP, which the signatories note has a history of “harassing and intimidating Jewish students.” The letter cited several recent incidents, including one at Temple University in which a pro-Israel student was physically and verbally assaulted by SJP members, as well as SJP’s planting of anti-Israel mock eviction notices under students’ dorm rooms on multiple campuses. About the AMCHA Initiative The AMCHA Initiative is a non-profit organization, based in California, dedicated to investigating, documenting, educating about, and combating anti-Semitism at institutions of higher education in America. AMCHA Initia-

tive’s efforts are bolstered by a network of more than 5,000 members and supporters of the Jewish community – including university alumni, parents and grandparents, rabbis, religious school principals, and synagogue members – who have joined together to speak in one voice to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Jewish students on college and university campuses across the country. About PJTN PJTN is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. PJTN was established to educate Christians about their Biblical responsibility to stand with their Jewish brethren and Israel, utilizing powerful film and video presentations, a variety of grassroots rallies, events and speaking engagements to facilitate dialogue between the Christian and Jewish communities in support of Israel.

BRIEFS

bulk of their funding from European governments.  I’ve been following NGO Monitor for years, and have yet to see the organization tell any lies or make any significant errors, which is much more than one can say for, e.g., Human Rights Watch and other anti-Israel organizations routinely relied upon by the media as objective sources. (David Bernstein, professor at George Mason University School of Law, Washington Post)

continued from page 22 figure in the next few years. Bloomberg named Israel the world’s leading country for R&D intensity and placed China first for manufacturing. Avi Hasson, Israel’s Chief Scientist, noted, “What China needs, we have to offer. We are good at innovation and technology transfer, and they can scale up manufacturing and beyond.” Increasingly, China has turned to Israel to acquire the technology necessary to maximize agricultural output and efficiency, as well as to develop a proficient water purification and reclamation apparatus that can sustain China’s urbanization and economic expansion. (Gregory Noddin Poulin, Diplomat-Japan)

BLACKLISTING OF PRO-ISRAEL WATCHDOG NGO MONITOR BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 Former AP journalist Matti Friedman’s article for Tablet this past summer about how the media frames the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians provides a rare insider perspective from someone who actually worked for a major media company’s Jerusalem bureau. Friedman is back with an even more revealing article in The Atlantic. He ruminates about how many Israel correspondents act not as objective journalists, but as part of a class of mostly foreign elites who have taken up the Palestinian cause.  The Associated Press, according to Friedman, actually banned its journalists from interviewing Gerald Steinberg, an American-Israeli professor who runs the watchdog organization NGO Monitor out of Jerusalem. “In my time as an AP writer moving through the local conflict, with its myriad lunatics, bigots and killers, the only person I ever saw subjected to an interview ban was this professor.”  Steinberg and NGO Monitor are huge players in the debate over the role NGOs play in the IsraelPalestinian conflict, and have been particularly effective in revealing how many NGOs in both Israel and the territories that are hostile to Israel’s existence receive the

U.S. CONGRESS PASSES ISRAEL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BILL

U.S. lawmakers voted Wednesday, December 3, to make Israel a “major strategic partner.” The House unanimously approved the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014, which expands cooperation in defense and security, energy, research and development, business, agriculture, water management and academics. The measure declares Washington’s “unwavering support” for Israel as a Jewish state. The bill passed the Senate unanimously in September. The legislation would expand the U.S. weapons stockpile in Israel by some $200 million in value. It also allows Israel to use the weapons in the event of an emergency, as it did this summer in Gaza. (AFP)

CHINA TO SEND PANDAS TO HAIFA ZOO

The Chinese government has agreed to send a pair of pandas to the Haifa Educational Zoo in Israel. Haifa zoo staff will fly to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to learn about the optimal living conditions and special diets of the pandas, which live almost exclusively on bamboo. The zoo will construct a special compound for the bears before their arrival. (Daniel Siryoti, Israel Hayom)

ISRAELI SATELLITES SEE EVERYTHING AT ANY TIME

Israel’s Ofek-10 satellite, launched into orbit in April, is the second generation (TecSAR-2) of radar pay-load satellites manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). SAR satellites can produce images during the day or night under any weather and visibility conditions. (Ami Rojkes Dombe, Israel Defense)

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

January 2015 Federation Star

COMMENTARY

Defining Israel as a Jewish state By Moshe Phillips and Benyamin Korn, November 26, 2014

srael’s cabinet has approved legislation to officially define the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people. This timely measure accomplishes several important goals. It will facilitate peace by encouraging the Arab world to accept Israel’s permanence. It will help forge a sense of unity among the famously diverse and contentious Israeli public. And it will not in any way infringe on the rights of Israel’s Arab citizens and other minorities. The core obstacle to Arab-Israeli peace has always been the refusal of both Arab regimes and the Palestinian Arab leadership to sincerely accept the permanent existence of a Jewish state. The classic study “Arab Attitudes to Israel” by Prof. Yeshoshafat Harkabi (1921-1994) of Hebrew University, has an entire section called “The Artificiality of Israel.” It describes the widespread conviction among Arab leaders, intellectuals and journalists that the existence of Israel is an aberration, a violation of the natural order of the world, and a contravention of the will of Allah. Harkabi (who, incidentally, was from the political left) sums up the Arab view: “Israel cannot endure, for justice will win in the end…Israel is fated to disintegrate and disappear.” That is why formally defining Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people will send an important message to the Arab world that Israel, the Jewish state is here to stay. If and when the Arabs finally accept this reality, peace will be possible. The new legislation will also contribute to Israel’s own sense of national cohesion. Forged of immigrants from every corner of the globe and from every political and religious orientation, this “ingathering of exiles” is also notorious for the vehement po-

litical, cultural and religious arguments among its citizens. While maintaining a vibrant democracy and a free and robust press, so fierce are some of these disputes that doomsayers occasionally issue dire warnings of the danger of social violence, or even of an all-out civil war. Especially in difficult times such as now, when Israel is under incessant attack – whether from rockets in Gaza or guns, knives and firebombs in Jerusalem – it is more important than ever that Israelis reaffirm their common ground. A basic issue on which the overwhelming majority of Israelis can agree is that modern Israel was established to be the nation-state of the Jewish people. Israel, after all, was not created in order to be a purely secular Western state. It has uniquely Jewish features, and most of its citizens want it that way. The Jewish Sabbath is the official day of rest. The national language is Hebrew. The national culture is permeated with Jewish symbols, history and

memories. An official definition of Israel as a Jewish state is the natural corollary of this national consensus. It will help bind Israel’s people together in a sense of kinship, fraternity and common national purpose. None of this will in any way impinge on the rights of Arabs and other minorities who are Israeli citizens. Beginning in the 1970s, some Jewish peace activists began urging Israel to take steps to tone down its Jewish identity. They said it was necessary in order to make Israeli Arabs feel truly equal. They said, for example, that the national anthem, “Hatikvah (The Hope),” should be changed because its lyrics speak of “the Jewish soul yearning” for the Land of Israel. They said that the Law of Return should be abolished, because it gives Jews alone the privilege of receiving automatic citizenship upon immigrating to Israel. Well, those who predicted the ever-increasing alienation of Israel’s minorities have been proven wrong.

Israeli minorities have made enormous strides in real, practical ways that are far more significant than the anthem or the citizenship law. Today, an Israeli Arab sits on the Supreme Court, Israeli Arabs and Druze serve as Israeli diplomats abroad, a Druze colonel commands an elite division of the Israeli army, and a Bedouin Arab is slated to become one of its tank commanders, another first. An Israeli Arab woman was named Miss Israel – and that was back in 1999. “Hatikvah” and the Law of Return did not hold them back. And neither will defining Israel as a Jewish state. To facilitate the chances for peace and to advance the cause of national unity – while continuing to respect the equal rights of non-Jewish Israelis – it’s time to call Israel what it really is, and was always meant to be: the nation-state of the Jewish people. Moshe Phillips and Benyamin Korn are members of the board of the Religious Zionists of America.

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Federation Star January 2015

COMMENTARY

Israel – the world’s mistake By Justin Amler, November 29, 2014

srael does not have a right to defend itself. It has no right to protect its people. It has no right to freedom and it has no right to peace. It has no right to build houses. It has no right to use its water resources, and it has no right to grow crops. It also has no right to allow Jews to immigrate there. It has no right to take part in international organisations. And it has no right to be a part of the international community. Now, you might not see that statement from the international community, but it’s what many of them feel. And the reason is simple. The world believes Israel is a mistake. Have you ever wondered why Israel gets treated differently from every other country in the world? It’s not double standards by the way – it’s triple standards. There’s Israel: Everything they do is wrong. There’s the Arab world: Everything they do is ignored. There’s the West: Everything they do is right. But why is that? What is so different about Israel, compared to other countries? For much of the world, the story goes like this: Israel was created in 1948, as a result of the Holocaust, and by pushing out the indigenous people of the country of Palestine. That is what they believe, irrespective of what the truth is. And this is the story the Palestinian merchants of fiction peddle, despite the fact that in 1948 the Arabs of the area were not known as Palestinians. But if this is so – and the world body believed there was a country already existing there, how did it even get to the point where it was even accepted and voted on by the UN? The reason is that in the aftermath of the Holocaust, a temporary worldwide sympathy for the Jewish people existed, as well as an understanding they needed a homeland. And despite the best efforts of the British to thwart this attempt, it was declared a state by David Ben-Gurion, in spite of American efforts to get him not to. Many western countries then grad-

ually accepted this newly formed state, called Israel. But it seems this occurred only in a brief moment of international quasi compassion. It didn’t take long for the coldness of international reality to set back in. For example, America had an international arms embargo against selling weapons to Israel from the end of December 1947. Although it wasn’t specifically against Israel, it was against the region, but the only problem with that is that the British had no such embargo against the Arabs and even Jordan’s Arab Legion was armed and trained by the British. So while the Arabs were supplied with weapons, the Jews were forced to smuggle them in, mainly from Czechoslovakia where many of those weapons were old World War II relics as well. The reality is that the world doesn’t like to see a strong Israel, because they don’t like to see Jews with too much power. For some reason, they have a problem with Jews defending themselves too vigorously. Perhaps it’s because they had been the whipping boys for so long that the sudden change in fortunes was a bit too jarring to accept. When this was combined with the Arab fairy tales of how everything was some kind of nirvana before the Jews came along, the attitude of much of the world became sealed. o this combination of influences has formulated an opinion that Israel is a mistake. The Arabs were living wonderfully and harmoniously in the state of Palestine before the evil European Jews, with no connection to the land, came along to take it away. And it was only given to them because of the Holocaust, which much of the Arab world denies happened anyway or at least thinks it was grossly exaggerated, including the “moderate” leader, Abbas. The practical effect of this is that Israel can do no right, because it doesn’t deserve to be there anyway. It’s like if a criminal broke into your house and beat up your wife or husband – and you, in turn, defended your family against that criminal by hitting him. No one is going to blame you, right? And that is how Israel is seen – as

that criminal. Whatever Israel does, it will always be seen as wrong. If they defend themselves, they’ll say: Well, they shouldn’t have been there in the first place. If an Arab deliberately steers his car into innocent bystanders, they’ll say: Well, you shouldn’t have been there in the first place. If they argue against world bias, they’ll say: Well, you shouldn’t have been there in the first place. If they ask the world, why are you only condemning us and no one else, the response will be: Well, you shouldn’t have been there in the first place. If they get condemned for building houses in areas that are Jewish anyway, the response will be: Well, you shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Now, they may not say this publicly, but it is a thought that occupies their minds and formulates their policy.

hroughout history the world has had a bias against Jews – it’s the reason that Israel, as the national symbol of the Jews, is always treated differently. It’s the reason that somehow countries like Saudi Arabia, which beheads peoples as a matter of routine, and has no human rights to speak of, is treated with respect, while Israel is treated with disdain. It is the reason that 200,000 people have been killed in Syria without much international interest, but if an Arab gets killed attacking Israeli civilians, there’s an international outcry. It’s the reason CNN runs headlines like “Deadly attack on Jerusalem mosque” without waiting for any verification – their mind was already made up. It’s the reason that in the so-called peace process, the only country being pressured to compromise is Israel. Certainly not the Palestinians, who have shown, even more so in recent times, how they celebrate the murdered Jewish rabbis by handing out sweets in the streets, or how they compose songs about running over babies in their cars. Yet somehow, the world continues in their ridiculous attempt at trying to

apply what they call “moral equivalency,” although I’m still trying to work out how a democracy with equal rights for all can even be spoken about in the same breath as a racist regime that has kids’ television shows with cartoon characters preaching death to Jews. The laws of gravity must obviously not apply in the policy rooms of the international community when weighing Israel and its enemies. Each time the world succeeds in forcing more concessions out of Israel – concessions that genuinely endanger the country – it is a victory, as it somehow goes one step further into reversing what they perceive as their mistake. And that is why I doubt there will ever be a time when the world community will genuinely take Israel’s side in an unequivalent and fair manner. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what Israel does – it will always be perceived as wrong. These are the challenges that Israel faces. It’s not about land, or refugees, or moral equivalency, or proportional response. It is their very legitimacy to even be there in the first place. The Palestinians don’t accept it, nor does much of the Arab world, or if they do, it is with a forced reluctance, tempered only by American aid. And as far as the greater world goes, the legitimacy of Israel is something that many are still grappling with – 66 years after the state was formed. The Jewish connection to the land for the last four thousand years is simply ignored. In international politics, truth seldom plays a role. What formulates policy is not history, or facts, or morality. Instead, it is myth, fairy tales and whoever has the most enticing catch phrases. And at the moment, because of the massive bias against the Jews, it is the Palestinian viewpoint that is the most engaging. Justin Amler is a South African-born, Melbourne-based writer. Reprinted by permission of the author. Originally published as a blog November 29, 2014, in The Times of Israel. http:// blogs.timesofisrael.com/israel-theworlds-mistake/

Suicide Nation: Competing pathologies in the State of Israel By Brandon Marlon, November 11, 2014

ith this Third Intifada (2014-?) overtly underway, the bleeding season is once again in full swing in Israel. Jews are being murdered in increasingly resourceful ways by Palestinian Arabs manifesting their insatiable bloodlust. But it is Israel’s own pathology that enables the Arabs’ pathology. Truth be told, Israel is reaping what it repeatedly sows. Through its pathologically suicidal altruism, Israel became a Lemming Nation, a state that self-immolates. Common sense is seemingly unknown, and the slow bleed ensues. What is normal in Israel is patently abnormal elsewhere. The real tragedy is Israel’s evident resignation and complacency in the face of avoidable horrors – horrors that are not and would not be tolerated in any other civilized country on earth. Superficially, it is mighty tempting to throw up one’s arms and surrender to fatalism. After all, death-obsessed Arabs are taking advantage of lifeobsessed Jews. Same old story for the millionth time. They know and exploit our Achilles heel. They will never change, and we never should. “It is what it is.” All that remains is to join the growing ranks of the resigned. Yet resignation to the situation must be fervently resisted for the con-

temporary reality to ever improve. Jews are not helpless, and need not be pathetic. For the first time in almost two millennia, the Jewish people have a nation-state, the Middle East’s strongest military, internal and external security services, a border police force, and a national police service. If we are incompetent, impotent, and inept in spite of all this… then undoubtedly we are the masters of our own demise. Looking at the current measures against terrorists reveals a nonsensical strain in Israeli cognition. Actions result from an aberration in critical thinking. Presently, terrorists’ houses are demolished, but houses do not commit acts of terror; terrorists are released by the hundreds to seduce the Palestinian Arabs into “peace” negotiations, an absurd and lethal initiative to any sane mind; and wounded terrorists are treated in Israeli hospitals by the same people the terrorists were in the process of murdering, a farcical proposition stranger than fiction. Startlingly, Israel aids and abets its own piecemeal dismantling, and this is due to a dearth of clearheaded thinking and a surplus of misapplied good intentions. What can be done to cure Israel’s lame-duck pathology and heal the seeping flesh wounds? Are there concrete measures that might stem the

tide, or even reverse the trend? With a touch of common sense, much can be achieved. Anything would be better than the status quo. Here are just a few policy changes that might have a tremendous impact: 1) The Death Penalty for Terrorists: If they elude summary justice on site, terrorists who survive their missions ought to be held to account and made to pay the ultimate price. Only in Palestinian Arab culture, where murderers are “martyrs,” would this be no deterrent, but justice would be served, there would be no chance of released terrorists terrorizing anew, and hosting terrorists in jails on the taxpayer’s shekel would be a thing of the past. 2) A Law against Releasing Terrorists: The Knesset should pass a law without delay stipulating that no Israeli government or court can effect the release of convicted terrorists, with or without blood on their hands. Surprising as it may be, terrorists sprung from their cells in “goodwill gestures” do not go into real estate or embark on teaching careers. They terrorize at their soonest possible convenience, undeterred by capture, confident in the likelihood of being released in the near future. Stopping the revolving door for terrorists is basic; allowing it to whirl is imbecilic.

3) Draconian Laws against Arab Incitement to Violence: Any Arab television channel, radio station, school, organization or individual fomenting unrest and inflaming others with calls for terrorism, murder, rock-throwing or violence of any kind ought to be subjected to stiff laws designed to counteract such incitement. The promoters and promulgators of terrorism need to feel the full brunt of the law: media outlets should be shuttered, school curricula rigorously monitored, and those advocating violence sentenced to harsh penalties involving long prison terms and stringent prison conditions. 4) Defensive Training for All Citizens and Residents: The frequent helplessness of civilians can be combated by instituting compulsory self-defense training for all Israeli citizens and residents beginning in adolescence with unarmed martial arts and progressing to training in weapons use in early adulthood. Group courses in responding to simulated terror attacks could realistically save lives. All women and men who do National Service instead of enlisting in the IDF or Border Police should still possess the rudimentary skills necessary to defend their lives. 5) A Major Plan to Annihilate Terror Armies: Hamas, Islamic Jihad,

continued on next page

January 2015 Federation Star

COMMENTARY

Growing levels of anti-Semitism – Part II By Gene Sipe, VP, ZOA Southwest Florida Chapter

“

hy, why, why do they hate us?” asked one of the most genial women I have ever had the privilege to know. This question came after a recent discussion on growing levels of anti-Semitism and from a member of our own community. I was at a loss to provide an answer to this question that would console her and it has discomforted me since. Theories as to why anti-Semitism exists and is currently on the increase are numerous. My take is that the very discomfort of not being able to provide that woman with an adequate answer provides a good basis to begin to explain the problem. It is the very nature of the Jewish spirit to crave to help others; to lessen their burden whether it is emotionally or materially. Of course we are human, with all of the idiosyncrasies that go with it, but that soul or neshamah, while sometimes deeply buried, is there within us. How can it be that any person could

premeditatively derive pleasure from waiting until the most opportune time while the largest possible gathering of holy men are deeply engaged in prayer to pounce on them with not the most efficient weapons available, but the most brutal, vicious and violent implements of murder? That is just the point. If you are reading this, you most likely just can’t fathom it. As people go about the business of their normal daily lives, they do not want to be told that they are not perfect; particularly when it comes to being responsible for their actions and the little idiosyncrasies we mentioned earlier. The problem arises with this Jewish concept that professes a person is responsible for their own actions. This precept gets in the way of rationalizing away any act, whether horrendous or minor. In our example above, those rabbis, sitting in a synagogue praying, are rationalized to be enemies of all Islam. They are defined

by Islamist preacher Minazur Rahman as combatants under Sharia law – “any adult, mature, capable kafﬁr (infidel) man.” He goes even farther to say: “If he has no covenant of security with the Muslims, he is called a combatant. It’s not ‘did he fight,’ it’s about ‘is he capable to fight?’” This type of rationalization allegedly justifies outright barbarism and attempts to erase any trace of remaining morality. The mere existence of Jews is a reminder that maybe, just maybe, you can’t rationalize away your actions whether minor or major matters. Eliminate the Jews; eliminate the conflict of internal turmoil. As long as societies’ values coincide with the moral precepts of Judaism, and the law of the land enforces civilized treatment of its people, anti-Semitism appears to be held in check. While

Opinions and letters printed in the Federation Star do not necessarily reflect those of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, its Board of Directors or staff, or its advertisers.

Suicide Nation...continued from previous page Hezbollah and other murder syndicates are perched on Israel’s borders, armed to the teeth, and ready to unleash at their pleasure. Terrorists need to have the earth quake beneath their feet, to be forever unsure of their footing. As a priority, the IDF must conceive of and execute a strategic plan for eradicating, root and branch, the terrorist thugs sitting pretty on Israel’s borders. Targeted killings of terror leaders only lead to promotions in terrorist ranks. Instead, the entire organizations must be methodically uprooted, not merely decimated but destroyed to a man, topto-bottom, inside out. No more bandaid “operations” to restore “quiet” are needed; they do not do the job of ending terrorism and fall woefully short of any meaningful change. Only whole-

sale obliteration of terrorist gangs, Sri Lanka-style, will bring long-term results. Such a prolonged campaign should not be televised or broadcast in any way, shape or form, and UN ticking clocks or resolutions must be resolutely ignored. Only when the job is done decisively and with finality should Israel’s defenders stand down. Palestinian Arabs regularly clear their schedules for a satisfying Day of Rage; Israelis should regularly clear their heads for a salutary Moment of Clarity. It would be a historic tragedy for the Jewish people to squander the miracle of the State of Israel. With the way things are going, though, Israel is fixedly on course toward garnering the inglorious epitaph of “Death by Excessive Restraint.”

there may be anti-Semitic sentiments below the surface, outright displays are uncommon. Unfortunately, as the Islamization of the world population grows, those who once were held in check no longer are, as they see open and violent displays of anti-Semitic activity from the Muslim community. The pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the UK and France have generated spiked levels of antiSemitic violence. The headlines testify that the rate is on the increase here in the U.S. and Canada as well. The Jewish response must be to hold fast to Jewish values and to bond with your community. Jews must display solidarity in purpose and help others who are in need. This has been, and will continue to be, the way Jews have endured whatever form of anti-Semitism the world spawns.

By holding Palestinian Arabs to no standard, let alone low standards, the world infantilizes them. But the hypocritical world can afford to do so, because its nations do not have to experience Palestinian Arabs as neighbors and suffer from their murderous psychosis. Israel cannot afford the luxury of holding the Palestinian Arabs unaccountable. Meekness in the face of aggressive terrorism kills. It is immoderate and unreasonable to assist your enemies in their work of destroying you, to understate. An active and determined approach to counter-terrorism must resurface amid Israel’s polity and society; the bleeding season will otherwise become a permanent period. Besides, the State of Israel has more than enough admirals of ap-

peasement, captains of capitulation, and sergeants of surrender. What it desperately needs are mature leaders who understand the necessity of a firm hand in times of terror, and who are unafraid to act accordingly. If Israel’s leaders cannot protect Jews, then who can? Brandon Marlon is a Canadian-Israeli author, whose writing has appeared variously in Canada, the U.S., Israel, England and India. His script The Bleeding Season won the 2007 Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition, and he is the author of Inspirations of Israel: Poetry for a Land and People and Judean Dreams. He holds an M.A. in English and is presently an English doctoral candidate. Visit his website at www.brandonmarlon.com.

Temple Shalom of Naples and the ZOA of Southwest Florida Appearing for the Þrst time in our community Proudly Present:

Israeli Ambassador (Ret.)

Yoram Ettinger Wednesday, January 14, 2015

7:30 P.M. Temple Shalom of Naples 4630 Pine Ridge Road, Naples, FL (Bet. Logan and Collier Blvd.)

Admission:

$20.00

Israel the Palestinians: Where Do We Go From Here? Seats for this event will be sold out quickly, Prepayment is advised

ZOASWFL

7550 Mission Hills Drive STE 306 Box 90 Naples, Fl. 34119 please R.S.V.P. Visit our Website:

914-329-1024

www.ZOASWFL.org

FOCUS ON YOUTH

Federation Star January 2015

Temple Shalom Preschool update By Seyla Cohen, Preschool Director

t is that time of the year again. Children love the holidays and our Temple Shalom Preschool students are as enthusiastic as ever. Plans are in the works for a very active and fun-filled month ahead. With the arrival of December, we celebrate the joyous holiday of Chanukah. The month will be filled with a variety of entertaining activities beginning with an afterschool Holiday Workshop on December 8. Children will be able to create special gifts for family members which will be beautifully wrapped and help teach our children the joy of giving. Beginning December 15, TSP children will be traveling the globe during our Chanukah Around the World Week. They will be cruising, flying and traveling across world continents. They will be visiting North America and Antarc-

tica on Monday, Africa on Tuesday, Europe on Wednesday, and South America on Thursday. On Friday, December 19, they will complete their journey in Asia by joining their families for a Chanukah Sing-Along followed by a fun Family Festival in which, together with their parents, they will participate in Chanukah activities and games, design holiday art projects, and indulge in delicious latkes, sufganiyot and chocolate gelt. On December 18, we will be celebrating the 3rd night of Chanukah on the Lawn at Mercato at a Community Chanukah Celebration sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Collier County. Temple Shalom Preschool children will be performing and singing Chanukah songs and our TSP family will be participating in the fun activities. Once again, TSP will be opening

its doors for our Winter Camp when the regular preschool is closed for vacation. Children ages 2-6 can come for the day or week to play with their friends, sing, cook, and enjoy science and arts and crafts. Our Little Cubs Program with Miss Jane will begin on Monday, January 12 for children who have just turned 2 years old. The class has just a few more openings for some precious little angels who are ready to play and socialize in a warm and loving environment. For further information on any

of these programs, please call me at 239.455.3227. Wishing a Happy and Healthy New Year to all from Temple Shalom Preschool.

Naples BBYO teens head to International Convention

n February 12-16 thousands of Aleph Zadik Alephs (AZA) and B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG) leaders, alumni, advisors, professional staff and top Jewish philanthropists from around the world will convene at BBYO’s International Convention (IC) in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the largest pluralistic annual gathering of Jewish

Taylor Bollt and Cloe Feldman help raise hunger awareness at BBYO’s pre-screening of Mockingjay: Part 1 at Regal Hollywood 20 Naples

teens working to strengthen the Jewish future. At IC, members of BBYO’s highschool leadership fraternity and sorority, AZA and BBG, have the unique opportunity to take part in exemplary BBYO programming such as hearing from prominent speakers, participating in large-scale service learning opportunities, and celebrating an inspiring Shabbat like most have never experienced before. In addition to showcasing spirit and community pride, IC participants take part in the democratic process of furthering the organization’s business agenda and electing AZA & BBG’s next international executive teen leadership. Opportunities to experience IC’s host city, engage with the host community, and build lifelong global friendships are constants of every IC. IC offers participants the largest-

ever collection of incredible presenters and experiences. The convention is a great opportunity for teens to hear from experts in their respective fields who can give them tools to take home in recruit-

ment, service, fundraising, community organizing and more. To learn more about International Convention and Naples BBYO, contact Skylar Haas at shaas@bbyo.org.

Teens from throughout Naples, Sarasota and Orlando at Regional Kallah at Dayspring Camp

FOCUS ON YOUTH

January 2015 Federation Star

Rising young star: Max Johnson By Jean L. Amodea

escribed by his mother as quiet and not given to many words, Max Johnson, a freshman at Barron Collier High School, has a lot ygoing on under the surface. Exceling in math, this year, the m 14-year-old is studying geometry and hopes to advance to pre-calculus in his sophomore year. Max also has an affinity for learning Spanish with the pointed goal of becoming conversational. Involved in sports and music, the teen is well-rounded. Max names tennis, basketball, swimming, skiing and snowboarding as favorite sports. Musically inclined, he plays the clarinet in the school’s marching band. “We play at the varsity football games and parades. Recently, we marched at Disney’s Magic Kingdom,” he said. In his leisure time, Max also plays the guitar and listens to all types of music, and spends time with friends and family. A member of the Naples BBYO program, he has attended many of the organization’s social functions and

enjoys socializing with other Jewish teens as “a great way for us to be together and meet new members.” In tune with his Jewish heritage, Max attended Hebrew School until age of 13, followed by his Bar Mitzvah. He also attends Temple Shalom with his family. “I attend Friday night services on occasion, and I enjoy listening to the rabbi’s speeches,” he added. Actively participating in the observance of his faith, the holidays afford him the unique opportunity to continue following its tenets. “I like the feeling of being connected with other Jewish people, especially through the traditions and the holidays. I also attend a Jewish camp, and it’s a great way for me to connect with my friends who live in other parts of Florida.” Focusing on continuing his education after high school, Max said it is a little early to make a decision regarding a career choice, but he is considering dental medicine as an orthodontist. “Right now, my studies in school

are important to me so that I can further my education and make the best career choice. My parents are also important in my life as they are teaching me the ways of the world and how to make proper decisions,” he said. Reaffirming the positive influence that his parents, Gregg and Cari, have in his life, Max cites them as his inspiration. “My dad was in the Navy for eight years and now is a pilot for a major airline. He shares his experiences with me and teaches me right from wrong and how to choose the proper paths in my life. My mom inspires me to do my best and how to make proper choices every day,” Max said. Max has a 12-year-old brother, Jakob, who is a seventh-grade student at Pine Ridge Middle School. As for his personal secret to success thus far in his young life, Max said that while he really doesn’t have one, he is “just trying to be a good person and succeed in life.” “To others of my age, I would say to stay focused, pay attention to what

Max Johnson in his Barron Collier High School marching band uniform

you are doing, help others and just be a good person.” Well said, Max. Jean Amodea is a freelance writer for the Naples Daily News and its community publications as well as director of Peter Duchin Music of Naples/Entertainment Direct. She also performs with her husband Ron’s dance band, jazz ensemble and Caribbean quartet. Reach Jean at jeanamodea@earthlink.net.

Want to see your “rising young star” featured in the Federation Star? Send an email to jeanamodea@earthlink.net with the details.

Preschool of the Arts update By Ettie Zaklos, Preschool Director 2015 Summer of the Arts Registration It’s not too early to sign up your child for our dynamic six-week Summer of the Arts program for 2015. Our program offers an opportunity to develop skills and interests in sports (outdoor sports and water play) and culture (arts, music, culture, food, games, crafts and activities from countries around the world, including Friday challah-baking workshop and Shabbat celebration) under the guidance of experienced teachers. Summer of the Arts 2015 begins on Monday, June 8 and runs through Friday, July 17. Camp begins daily at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. Precare is available from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., and after-care is available from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. You can sign up your child for all six weeks or for selected weeks. The Minors Program is for children ages 18 months to 4 years; the Majors Program is for children ages 5 to 9 years. To sign up, call 239.262.4474. 2015-2016 Preschool of the Arts Registration Registration for our Preschool of the Arts 2015-2016 school year opened to existing families in mid-December 2014; registration for new families is now open. Preschool of the Arts is committed to creating a safe, happy and healthy learning environment both indoors and out. We are guided by the Emilio Reggio philosophy, which, at its heart, is a learning collaboration between children, parents and teachers. Integral

to this learning process is the layout of the physical space of our preschool. We believe a well-planned environment (placement of structures, objects and activities) encourages positive and healthy interactions, communication and relationships. Your child will be a part of our unique early learning programming, which includes our Art & About Program that focuses on local guest artists who visit our preschool to talk about their art and do hands-on activities with our preschool children, and our everexpanding Visual Arts Program, Performing Arts Program and Culinary Arts Program, where our children are taught new skills and develop new interests in the arts – from learning new songs and musical techniques, to basic cooking skills and healthy eating habits through hands-on food preparation, to learning about different artists and their artistic styles. In keeping with our healthy body, healthy mind approach, we also offer yoga, ballet and My Gym, a blend of gymnastics, dance and sports. Space is limited. Call 239.262.4474 to register. (We are a peanut-free campus.) New snack menu Dr. David Perlmutter, an internationally-recognized leader in the field of nutritional influences in neurological disorders, recently shared his insights about his principles of preventive medicine (gluten-free, low-carbohydrate, higher-fat diet coupled with exercise) with our Preschool of the Arts parents.

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 Jewish Family & Community Services of Southwest Florida, Inc. For more information, call 239.325.4444.

Photo courtesy of The PJ Library

As a follow-up to Dr. Perlmutter’s talk, Preschool of the Arts now offers a snack menu that includes homemade banana and apple chips, vegetables and hummus, hard-boiled eggs, and many more delicious healthy snack choices. Parent-teacher conferences Our mid-year parent-teacher conferences gave our parents another opportunity to see why Preschool of the Arts is a leader in early learning in our community. Parents met with their child’s teacher and received a detailed assessment and narrative of the social, emotional, academic and language growth of their child. These are not cookie-cutter

assessments – our experienced teachers know and understand each child in the classroom, and each child is nurtured in a warm, caring manner accordingly. Our teachers are part of a highly-trained teaching team at our state-of-the-art education center for early learning – not a daycare, babysitting service or childcare facility. At Preschool of the Arts we believe the early years of childhood are the formative years that shape the future success of our children. For more information, contact me at 239.263.2620 or naplespreschool ofthearts@gmail.com, or visit www. naplespreschoolofthearts.com.

Preschool of the Arts annual Thanksgiving lunch and performance

Federation Star January 2015

RABBINICAL REFLECTIONS

Living a one-armed life Rabbi Adam F. Miller

have never been one to buy lottery tickets, yet I understand what it is that draws people to the game. It is in our nature, as humans, to seek opportunities that offer significant reward, with minimal risk. This explains the allure of lottery tickets, the promise of a life-changing payout for the risk of a few dollars. It also explains games like the slot machine, the famed one-armed bandit. At the risk of a few coins, one pulls the lever hoping for the golden reward. Despite repeated failures, we continue to play, over and over again, each time believing that this will be the one time we find success – as if we are afraid that by not playing we will miss something great. A similar risk-reward calculation seems to govern the relationship we have with electronic devices. Every vibration, beep and ringtone offers the promise of a rewarding new insight or interaction. The result is that a new onearmed bandit rules our lives: one-armed parenting, with one hand on the swing and the other checking a text; one-armed hugging, greeting friends while reading an email over their shoulder; one-armed dining, putting food in our mouths, while surfing the web; and the very

dangerous one-hand driving. We risk experiencing life around us, for the tantalizing reward of something different. This month we start a new secular calendar year – 2015. In looking back, how much time did we spend in 2014 living with only one arm? How many minutes spent learning about the status of those miles away, while ignoring individuals who stood within the same room? How many minutes watching the latest viral YouTube clip, while the movie of life played all around? Living a one-armed life, we are never really present in the moment. This means that we are not completely committed to any one endeavor, event or person. In the short term, those losses may seem small – a risk worth taking. But added up over the course of the year – how many hours, if not days, have we missed? How have we slowly chipped away at the relationships with those around us, questing after the reward offered by our digital devices? The risks are greater than we realize, and too much of life is passing us by. In the end, no momentary reward gained from an email, text or tweet outweighs the value of engaging with the person actually in front of us. This year, go all in – wrapping both arms around the tasks and people who are before us. Create times when flesh and blood comes before silicon and plastic. Consider adopting the idea of a technology Shabbat – endeavoring to have at least some time each week when you are really hands-free, and by that I

mean phone-free. And for everyone’s safety, let the text or email you receive while driving wait until your trip is over. Surely the sender of that message would rather have you respond a few minutes later, yet still in one piece.

In life, there are no rollover minutes. We cannot bank our time from month to month, nor recover time spent living a one-armed life. Make the most of every minute by embracing life with both arms and a full heart.

My hopes and prayers for the New Year 2015 Rabbi Edward M. Maline, D.D.

ay the threat of nuclear confrontation with Iran be lessened – a bad deal is no better than no deal. May future negotiations with the Iranians include the release of Americans held hostage and imprisoned there. May discussions include the requirement that Iran cease supporting terrorism through aid to Hezbollah, Syria and Hamas – the enemies of Israel. May they cease their derogation of the Jewish people and of the land of Israel. May the Egyptian people experience the democracy toward which they aspired and for which they sacrificed so much. May the members of the United States Congress recognize their responsibility to work for the American

people more than for their own reelection. May the government of Syria acknowledge that they have lost legitimacy in their violent repression of protesters and dissidents. May the “Palestinians” ultimately come to understand that it is only through negotiations with Israel and acceptance of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation that statehood will be achieved. May the leader of North Korea begin engagement and dialogue with the West to better the plight of his people and reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the world. May our nation acknowledge that racism is still a reality and the decisions of the judicial system must not be based on threats of violence. These are my hopes and prayers to make the New Year 2015 truly “new” and a year of peace, tranquility and serenity for America and for all the world. “Ken yehee ratzon” - Thus may it be.

SYNAGOGUES TEMPLE SHALOM

www.naplestemple.org / 239-455-3030

Temple Shalom update

hir Joy early Shabbat service Our Shir Joy Shabbat Service, held on the first Friday of every month, is an inter-generational, fun and lively way to welcome Shabbat. At the service, one or two of the temple’s Religious School classes is responsible for helping to lead a prayer, and tambourines, drums, castanets and other assorted instruments are available for all to use during the livelier portions of the service. If you have not yet experienced our Shir Joy, please come and try it out on Friday, January 2 at 6:30 p.m. It is sure to put a smile on your face. Community Shabbat dinner Prior to Shir Joy, all are welcome to join us for Shabbat dinner for the community. Catered by Stage 62 Deli, the dinner is a wonderful opportunity to

end the workweek with friends, family, good food and laughter. Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. on January 2. The cost for temple members is $12 for adults and $5 for children ten and under; the nonmember cost is $20 for adults and $13 for children. RSVP to the Religious School office at 239.455.2233 or ReligiousSchool@naplestemple.org. Healing service Jewish tradition teaches that we should pray for ourselves and others during a time of illness. On Sunday, January 11 at 2:00 p.m., Rabbi Miller and Cantor Azu will lead an inspirational service where we will join together to pray for healing of both spirit and body. The service will include a discussion of Jewish texts which focus on healing, and meditation, music, prayer and guided visualization.

JEWISH CONGREGATION OF MARCO ISLAND

Sisterhood celebrates its Golden Anniversary Did you know that Sisterhood of Temple Shalom has funded over $500,000 in donations, gifts and scholarships for the temple’s children and programs? Sisterhood is 50 years old in 2015, and we will begin celebrating all that it has accomplished with The Golden Event on the evening of Saturday, January 24. It will be a special evening, beginning with intimate dinners in several of our members’ private homes, and culminating in a fantastic celebration at the temple with dessert, champagne, music, dancing, a fabulous raffle and more. All proceeds of the evening go to Sisterhood. If you would like more information, please call the temple office at 239.455.3030.

www.marcojcmi.com / 239-642-0800

Jewish Congregation of Marco Island update

Roger Blau JCMI President

he Jewish Congregation of Marco Island is enjoying another season of entertaining and culturally enriching programs. The JCMI Jewish Film Festival in cooperation with The Jewish Federation of Collier County opened its 14th season with The Jewish Cardinal with rave reviews. The second film will be The Outrageous Sophie Tucker on Sunday, January 18 at 2:00 p.m. with a reception to follow the film. JCMI celebrated Chanukah with a community candle lighting and a delicious holiday dinner prepared by our

own fantastic chefs, Bernie Seidman, Bert Thompson and George Karpman. The Saul I. Stern Cultural Series in cooperation with The Jewish Federation of Collier County opens the season on Tuesday, January 6 with an interesting and fascinating program with Rabbi Tokayer’s, “The Jews of the Far East, Part II – Pepper, Silk and Ivory.” JCMI will hold its Second Annual Jewish Deli Fest on Sunday, January 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bernie’s Deli and Bubbie’s Bakery will once again amaze and delight. This is a community event and open to all. Eat in or take out. Look for our flyers with a $1-off deli sandwich coupon. Rabbi Maline’s Adult Education Series 2015 will begin on Sunday, January 11 with “New Questions of Jewish Law That Could Not be Asked in the Biblical and Talmudic Periods.” Questions

covered include: If a widower remarries, does he say Kaddish for his first wife? Is cosmetic surgery allowed? If you keep kosher, do you need four sets of false teeth? Can one conceal one’s Jewish identity to save one’s life? Coffee and cake will be served at 9:30 a.m. with the lecture at 10:00 a.m. There is no charge for JCMI members; $5 for nonmembers and guests. Bingo is on Monday nights at 5:30 p.m., duplicate bridge on Tuesday afternoons at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday bridge is at 1:00 p.m.; and Mah Jong is on Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. Please visit www.marcojcmi.com for details on all of these and other upcoming films and events. For more information and to reserve tickets, call the JCMI office at 239.642.0800.

BROWNSTEIN JUDAICA GIFT SHOP AT JCMI 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

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

January 2015 Federation Star

SYNAGOGUES CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF NAPLES

www.chabadnaples.com / 239-262-4474

Chabad Jewish Center of Naples update

habbat Dinner Sign up now! Our famous Shabbat dinners have become so popular with their warm and welcoming camaraderie that we sell out quickly. The whole family is welcome to attend. The next dinner will be held on Friday, January 9. Good food, good company, and a joyful atmosphere. Services begin at 5:30 p.m.; dinner is at 6:00 p.m. Call the office for reservations or visit www. chabadnaples.com. See Israel as you never have! Chabad Naples is currently compiling a list of people interested in a trip to Israel in March 2016. Led by Rabbi Fishel Zaklos, we plan on visiting sites of religious, geographical and political impact. More details and information will be available at a later date, but as this first-class tour will have limited availability, we ask those who are seriously interested to call the office at 239.262.4474.

Phenomenal speaker - Dan Alon Dan Alon’s fencing career began at age 12, and continued through his teen years until he reached his peak at age 27. In 1972 he joined the Israeli fencing team at the Olympic Games in Munich. But Alon’s world was shattered on September 5 of that year when a group of terrorists called Black September invaded the building in which he and his 15 fellow athletes were staying. Eleven were murdered in cold blood; only five managed to escape. Dan Alon was one of them. Alon, now 68, will share his story in Naples on Wednesday, March 18. Join us for this unique event and hear Dan’s story of survival, the high cost of picking up the pieces, and the strength to go on. We all face challenges. Learn how Dan found the strength to lean on his memories for the courage to live with his loss. We are expanding! We are expanding by adding another

BETH TIKVAH

wing with more classrooms for our ever-popular Preschool of the Arts, and to accommodate our popular camp and Summer of the Arts. It will be a central hub for the constantly growing and enhanced Chabad children’s events, and feature a new multi-media library and a children’s mini-market. This past year, as we celebrated our 10th anniversary and looked forward to our blossoming bright future, we made the exciting announcement of naming the Chabad Center “The Alex & Carol Glassman Chabad Jewish Community Center.” We are available to meet at your convenience, in person or on the phone, to discuss your personal involvement in this project in further detail. Special Talmud classes Rabbi Fishel invites everyone to share the brilliant and fascinating wisdom of our sages in a special Talmud class to be held once a month.

Hebrew School There are still some openings available for Hebrew School. What a change, when your children can’t wait to go to Hebrew School and don’t want to miss a day! Monday Minyan We hold a regular Monday Morning Minyan in the Herstein Library at 8:30 a.m. 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 10:00 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 follow services.

www.bethtikvahnaples.org / 239-434-1818

Beth Tikvah update By Stuart Kaye and Rosalee Bogo, co-Presidents

n the entertainment and socializing front, we bring back one of last year’s biggest successes – “Yiddishkeit Night” – on Sunday, February 8 at7:30 p.m. This event presents Canadian raconteur-comedian Alf Kwinter. Sharing the bill will be a performance of Russian-Jewish music by Boris Sandler and Bella Gutshtein. If time permits, we will fit in a bit of “Adult Show and Tell.” The idea is to tell a brief (five-minute) story about yourself based on an object that you bring with you: a family heirloom, photograph, award, part of a special collection, etc. Then there are the fantastic desserts. The cost is $25 per person (advance payment requested). To RSVP, call Bob or Shelley at 239.793.6286 or email shelleygoodman@rogers.com. Mark your calendars for “Arlene Levin’s Cooking Journey.” Arlene S. Levin, the author of My Cooking Journey, Arlene’s Simple to Lavish, will have a launch event for her kosher cookbook on Thursday, February 19 at Beth Tikvah. Our Rosh Hodesh Group holds its next meeting on Sunday, January 25 at

10:00 a.m. The leader of this session will be Fran Alpert, co-author of Archaeology and the Biblical Record. Book Group On Monday, January 26 at 7:30 p.m. we will explore The Bus on Jaffa Road by Mike Kelly. After their children are killed in a terrorist bombing in Israel, three American families attempt to find out who was responsible. After winning a judgment in a U.S. court, the families encountered an unforeseen enemy – their own government. The book is reviewed in the Jewish Interest section of this issue. January lectures On Thursday, January 8 at 7:30 p.m., popular lecturer Gerald Ziedenberg presents: “A Day in the Life of a Polish Shtetl Between the Wars.” This is the first in a 3-part series. On Sunday. January 18 at 4:00 p.m., Rabbi and artist Matthew Berkowitz will speak on “Passover Landscapes: Illuminations on the Exodus.” Details can be found in the Community Focus section of this issue. On Thursday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m., Dr. June Sochen and Joyce

NAPLES JEWISH CONGREGATION

Schrager will present their annual political update “Current Events – The World in an Hour” and invite questions from the audience. Dr. June Sochen, Distinguished Professor Emerita of History from Northeastern Illinois University is the author of many books, including Consecrate Every Day: The Public Lives of Jewish American Women (18801980) and From Mae to Madonna: Woman Entertainers in 20th Century America. Joyce Schrager is a popular Chicago-area lecturer on politics, current events and literature. She is also a renowned tour guide for group trips to points of Jewish interest in North American and Cuba. There is no charge, but donations are welcome. For more information or to RSVP, call Phil Jason at 239.287.8921 or send an email to bethtikvahnaples@ aol.com. News about our February 13-15 Scholar-in-Residence weekend with Rabbi Avinoam Sharon and other events will appear in our next column. Artis–Naples events Join these group experiences at Artis–Naples to see two terrific comedy

performers: • Saturday, February 7 at 9:30 p.m. – Jerry Seinfeld. 30 tickets available at $109 each. • Thursday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m. – The comedy of Steve Solomon - Cannoli, Latkes & GUILT! 30 tickets available at $39 each. Call Phil at 239.287.8921 to check on availability before sending in your check to Beth Tikvah. 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 runs from December through March at 9:00 a.m. We regularly convene Yahrzeit minyanim upon request. Our participatory worship services and most other events are held at 1459 Pine Ridge Road just west of Mission Square Plaza. For more information, please call 239.434.1818, email bethtikvah naples@aol.com or visit www.bethtik vahnaples.org. You can reach Rabbi Chorny directly at 239.537.5257.

www.naplesjewishcongregation.org / 239-234-6366

Naples Jewish Congregation update By Suzanne L. Paley, President

unday at the Movies Our monthly film series has become very popular. Once again we had a full house for the delightful movie, Crossing Delancey, which was enjoyed by all. The theme of the series, “The Jewish Experience of Becoming American,” appeals to a broad audience and is something every generation can relate to whether from stories told by our grandparents or from personal experiences. Visit www.naplesjewishcongregation.org for the next film to be shown on Sunday, January 25. Activities and events NJC celebrated its 15th year of providing services to the greater Naples area. We marked this event at a combination Chanukah and Anniversary Party on December 17. A delicious buffet meal, complete with potato latkes, was held at the Olde Cypress Country Club. About 80 people enjoyed the food, the com-

pany, and the entertainment provided by our Cantorial Soloist, Jane Galler, and our choir, under the direction of Alla Stadnik. Anecdotes, photographs and memories of the past 15 years were shared by all. Our Sisterhood and Men’s Club keep everyone busy with activities and meetings. On Wednesday, January 7, the women will tour Shangri-La, even if it’s only a spa and resort in Bonita Beach. This promises to be a fun day for all who attend. The Sisterhood Book Club meets every third Monday of the month, year round. In January, the book to be reviewed is All the Light We Cannot See. The Men’s Club, in addition to its service on Friday, January 9, will be touring and tasting at the Naples Beach Brewery on Saturday, January 17! Our Adult Enrichment classes, led by Rabbi Sylvin Wolf, are underway on the second and fourth Sunday mornings

from 10:30 a.m. to noon. These classes are held in the Federation’s board room. NJC Sisterhood Game Day NJC Sisterhood is having its 4th annual Game Day on Friday, March 13. It will be held at Cypress Woods Country Club, 3525 Northbrooke Drive, Naples. There will be a buffet brunch, silent raffle, and a 50/50. Doors open at 10:00 a.m. and a buffet lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. Reservations must be received by February 27 at a cost of $30 per person. RSVP for your entire table in one envelope. Write the names of your group with an email address for one of your members. Include the game your group will be playing. Make checks payable to NJC Sisterhood and mail with your response to NJC, Att: Elaine Rapoport, Box 111994, Naples, FL 34108. Parking is limited, so please carpool. For more information, call Pat Levy at 239.597.3124.

Shabbat services From September through April, Shabbat services are held every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Usually, the first service of the month is a Torah service. For the month of January, however, the Torah service will be held on the second Friday, January 9, and will be conducted by the NJC Men’s Club. An Oneg always follows our services, which gives everyone a chance to greet, meet and chat. Because we do not have our own facility, we gather at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples at 6340 Napa Woods Way. For further information about Naples Jewish Congregation, please call 239.431.3858. Better yet, come on a Friday night for a Shabbat service or join us for Sunday at the Movies. Wishing everyone a very healthy, peaceful and happy 2015.

Federation Star January 2015

ORGANIZATIONS

COLLIER/LEE CHAPTER OF HADASSAH

www.hadassah.org / 239-598-1009

Hadassah update Lynn Weiner President

adassah Medical Organization is doing groundbreaking research that benefits people around the globe. Here’s another example of what is happening currently at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. According to Dr. Michal Lotem, head of Hadassah’s Center for Melanoma and Cancer Immunotherapy, “Today we are seeing a revolution in the treatment of melanoma, and the Hadassah Medical Center is among the world leaders because we always believed that the immune system can combat cancer.” The strategy involved in Hadassah’s work is to use the patient’s own immune system to fight advanced melanoma. Dr. Lotem developed a melanoma vaccine that she has been using to treat advanced cases of the disease for 16 years. Using the patient’s own tumor to create the vaccine, Dr. Lotem has found that vaccinated patients have a higher survival rate than those who are not vaccinated. To date over 200 patients have been treated with highly satisfactory results. The 2014 version of her vaccine is genetically engineered to produce a stronger immune response to the tumor. Thirty patients are in the current treatment group for the first year of this vaccine. Dr. Lotem reports that the vaccine produces stronger immunity

and she is hoping it will translate into improved survival rates for her patients. Medical advances like this are the reason we need and appreciate your support for Hadassah and Hadassah Medical Organization! On Sunday, January 11 at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom we are having a Benefit Evening with Psychic Karen Deutsch, sponsored by Hadassah and Hadassah Associates (male affiliates of Hadassah). Karen has appeared on TV and radio shows, and worked with law enforcement. She has provided Psychic/ Medium Aura consulting services for over twenty years. She will speak about how she came to develop her gift of clairvoyance and explain the concept of auras. The cost is $25 in advance or $30 at the door. This event is open to the community. For more information, contact Iris Shur at 239.593.9328 or irisjimshur@aol.com. Proceeds will benefit Hadassah Medical Organization. Our Annual Installation Luncheon will be on Tuesday, January 27 at 10:45 a.m. at The Country Club of Naples, where we will install our 2015 Officers. Our exciting program includes Victoria Jolson, daughter-in-law of Al Jolson and author of the book Beneath the Laughter, which won “Entertainment Book of the Year.” She also spent the last years of Red Buttons’ life as his partner. She will share her experiences with us “interview style.” Victoria will be interviewed by Chuck Prentiss, referred to as “Broadway’s Ambassador to the World,” who is the current host of a Broadway TV series and frequent lecturer on Broadway and Hollywood

HUMANISTIC JEWISH HAVURAH

musicals. This will be a one of a kind opportunity! For more information, contact Leda Lubin at 239.970.0422 or leda.lubin@gmail.com. Back By Popular Demand! The Collier/Lee Chapter of Hadassah proudly presents the Second Annual Epicurean Adventure! Drawing tickets are once again available for your chance to win multiple dining experiences at many of the fine restaurants in this area. The winning ticket holders will receive complimentary meals that they can savor as they go on their very own epicurean adventure! A drawing will be held at a place and time to be determined. Winning ticket holders need not be present to win. Tickets are $20 each or 3 for $50. For questions or to purchase drawing

tickets, please contact Rhonda Brazina at 239.325.8694 or Barbara Kronenfeld at 661.304.5240. Hadassah’s annual fundraiser will be on Sunday, March 8 at 5:30 p.m. We are planning a unique and hilarious evening for everyone! Watch for details. Would you like to be part of our Daytime Study Group, Evening Activity Group or Book Clubs? Please contact Arlene Yedid at arleney2001@ embarqmail.com for the Daytime Study Group, Lauren Becker at 239.592.5304 for the Evening Activity Group, and me at 239.598.1009 or lynninaples@ yahoo.com for the Book Clubs. To join Hadassah or become a Life Member or Associate, contact Donna Goldblatt at 239.597.3441 or mom443@aol.com.

Save these dates: January: X 6 - One Book, Southwest Florida Speaker - 6:15 p.m. - Lakes Regional Library, Fort Myers X 7 - One Book, Southwest Florida Speaker - 7:00 p.m. - Temple Shalom, Naples X 8 - One Book, Southwest Florida Speaker - 1:00 p.m. - South Regional Library, Naples X 11 - Hadassah Benefit Evening with Karen Deutsch: Your Psychic Connection 7:00 p.m. - Temple Shalom X 27 - Hadassah Installation Luncheon - 10:45 a.m. - Country Club of Naples February: X 2 - Hadassah Mahj and Card Party - 11:30 a.m. - Cypress Woods Country Club, Naples X 19 - Holiday Cooking Demonstration with Arlene Levin - 7:00 p.m. Beth Tikvah, Naples X 20 - Hadassah Shabbat - Temple Shalom, Naples X 25 - Knowledge & Nosh @ Noon - 11:30 a.m. March: X 8 - Hadassah Annual Fundraiser - 5:30 p.m. X 24 - Hadassah Meeting and Luncheon - 10:45 a.m. - Kensington Country Club, Naples April: X 22 - Knowledge & Nosh @Noon - 11:30 a.m.

www.humanisticjewishhavurahswfl.org / 239-398-3935

Humanistic Jewish Havurah hosts Jeffrey Feld Paula Creed President

ome meet Jeffrey Feld, the new Executive of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, who will enlighten members of the Humanistic Jewish Havurah about the mission of Federation, the role it plays in North America, and its activities in Southwest Florida. The meeting begins at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 18 in the Federation’s Community Room, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201, Naples. To RSVP, contact Dena Sklaroff at denas27@aol.com or 239.591.0101. You may recall that the Federation Star included a New Year’s greeting last September that used an illustration of eight honey jars, each bearing a distinctive label for the variety of Jews included in the Jewish Federation of Collier County’s family. Although “Humanistic Judaism” was absent as a specifically labeled jar, we certainly fell under the classification of “The Cultural Jew” pictured in the top row. This display clearly expressed Federation’s strong commitment to pluralism. Feld will give further details about this

aspect of the organization. Federation has supported the Humanistic Jewish Havurah from its inception. Seven years ago, former Federation Executive Director David Willens enthusiastically welcomed our presence in the Southwest Florida community and quickly made us part of the Federation family. He directed me to folks who could assist in finding a location for our first meeting. He appointed me liaison to Federation as the representative of our new organization and instructed me to get our activities listed on the Community Calendar. He helped link us to Editor Ted Epstein so we could get information published each month in the Federation Star. When Federation moved to its location on Vanderbilt Beach Road, we were able to hold our monthly board meetings in the Federation offices and use the Community Room on Sundays. In return, the Humanistic Jewish Havurah co-sponsors the annual Federation Chanukah celebration, has a seat on the Community Relations Committee, and has provided financial support for Federation’s community events. Each month we submit an article to the Federation Star, and also to L’CHAYIM, the monthly newspaper of the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties. Our members identify strongly as Jews and participate in many local Jew-

SIGN UP FOR THE FEDERATION’S WEEKLY COMMUNITY eNEWSLETTER! Get the latest information on upcoming community events and cultural activities, news from Israel and lots more.

Send an email to info@jewishnaples.org.

ish organizations, including Hadassah, ORT, NCJW, Jewish War Veterans and others. At the same time, the Humanistic Jewish Havurah and our national organization, the Society for Humanistic Judaism (SHJ), maintain associations with scores of atheist, agnostic, skeptical, freethinking and Humanist organizations. The Havurah is an affiliate of the Florida Humanist Association. We align ourselves, through SHJ, with the Secular Coalition for America but also find agreement with positions of the AntiDefamation League. Does our identity with Judaism contradict our connection to these secular organizations? Does our identification with Federation contradict the universalism that Humanistic organizations define as among their highest goals? Is it possible to express commitments to both Humanism and Judaism? There is a Yiddish maxim that says, “You cannot dance at two weddings with one tuches.” Yet for over 50 years this is precisely what Humanistic Jews have been doing. We are not the first generation of

Jews who have dealt with what it means to belong to two worlds. Such efforts can be traced back to the very beginning of European Jewish emancipation when Jews first experienced secular citizenship and found themselves with an invitation to participate in the wider world. Today, Humanistic Judaism has situated the two weddings as close to each other as possible. We can’t dance at both with one tuches, so we’ll just have to keep moving our tuches from one to the other, doing the best that we can to honor our commitments to both Judaism and Humanism.

Jewish War Veterans meeting

Jerusalem Post Crossword Puzzle

Solution to puzzle on page 17

Please join us at our next meeting, Sunday, January 18 at 9:30 a.m. at the Federation offices, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Ste. 2201, Naples.

January 2015 Federation Star

ORGANIZATIONS ORT AMERICA – GULF BEACHES CHAPTER

www.ort.org / 239-649-4000

Art is in the air and dessert is on the table By Helene Dorfman Fuchs

“

ust Desserts,” the ORT-sponsored series starring art historian Dottie Magen, will feature “The Nude in Art” in three installments: Ancient, Renaissance and Modern. (The Thursday afternoon series began December 18 with a presentation titled “Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas: Friends or Lovers?”) All programs are held at the Jewish Federation of Collier County, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201, Naples, with dessert at 1:00 p.m. followed by the lecture as follows: • February 26: “The Nude in Art Ancient Period” • March 26: “The Nude in Art Renaissance Period” • April 23: “The Nude in Art Modern Period” The cost is $20 per lecture. Proceeds benefit ORT schools in Israel. For reservations, send a check (payable to ORT America) to Marebe Crouse, 3200 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., #108, Naples, FL 34103. More fabulous art is on Gulf Beaches’ schedule on Wednesday, January 14, when the third annual Home Art Tour kicks off at “Casananas” or “House of Pineapples.” The 1951-built home of Richard Tooke and Charles L. Marshall, Jr. is furnished in mid-century modern

(think Knoll, Eero Saarinen, and Charles and Ray Eames) and filled with paintings and sculpture by modern masters from Henri Matisse to Keith Haring. Richard and Charles are graciously opening their home to ORT members who contribute $100. Proceeds will benefit ORT schools in Israel. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Club Pelican Bay, 707 Gulf Park Drive, Naples, where lunch will be served. Then directions to the home will be announced then. To reserve your place, contact Midge Rauch at 239.676.7674 or Milloyd@juno.com. *** It is no secret that Gulf Beaches ORT brings out the generous spirit in people. Case in point: Jill Goode, the chapter’s area adviser, sponsored her third annual brunch on November 16 at the Arbor Trace Colonnade Room. Thirty contributors who had given at least $100 this year attended, including “such dignitaries as Rabbi Sylvin Wolf and his wife Sandy, and Jeffrey Feld, the new Executive of the Jewish Federation of Collier County,” Jill said. “I received many letters thanking me for the beautiful brunch,” Jill wrote via email, “but my biggest reward was honoring those people who have

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN

given $100 or more during the year to help ORT schoolchildren get out of harm’s way in Israel and Ukraine. For example, the money went toward safe transportation to and from ORT schools, as well as counseling for those children traumatized by the constant barrage of rocket fire.” Another thrill was the surprise visit of Jill’s baby brother, Warren Kurtz, who was in Naples from Daytona Beach and joined her as co-host. Jill said many attendees praised the fabulous food, elegant ambience, and shared conviviality. “This was the largest and best ever Goode Brunch in honor of Gulf Beaches chapter.”

Jill Goode and Warren Kurtz

ORT America (Organization for Rehabilitation through Training) Did you know that: ¡ ORT supports 300,000 students annually in 56 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.

239-353-5963 / 239-354-9117

National Council of Jewish Women update By Linda Wainick, co-President

e were honored to have Jeff Lytle as our guest at our November meeting. Jeff retired in June after 35 years at the Naples Daily News, including the last 25 years as Editorial Page and Sunday Perspective section editor. He continues to write one Sunday column per month and hosts “Naples Daily News Makers with Jeff Lytle” Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. on ABC7. Jeff spoke about the changes he has seen in the past 35 years. He recalled when Livingston Road was a new road, and admired the view outside our meeting room at the Vineyards Country Club, which was, at one time, a tomato field. Jeff became editor of the Editorial Page in 1988, and worked to build the

Letters to the Editor into a real forum. He spoke about the recent election and pointed out that the fire district consolidation, which was approved by the voters, has been discussed for many years. Jeff said that now that he is retired, he has the opportunity to get out into the community and see for himself all the good things that are being done. He spoke about Jewish Family & Community Services, which provides an opportunity for folks 65 to 95 to come together for a simple lunch where they share interaction and camaraderie. Friendships are made when people would otherwise be sitting home alone. Jeff referred to JFCS as a “ray of light.” Jeff is working with others on the

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SWFL

completion of the revival of the Freedom Memorial in Freedom Park, which will include a billowing American flag in granite. This memorial will honor September 11 heroes, other patriots and first responders. Jeff also touched on the following: ¡ The Gordon River Greenway Boardwalk extends from Golden Gate and goes two miles in back of the Zoo and Conservancy and will eventually be extended to the new Baker Park being built downtown. ¡ The Naples Botanical Garden is now open after the completion of its extension. ¡ Naples Square, the former Grand Central Square property, is being built.

¡ The Arlington, a new senior living center, is being built near the Florida SouthWestern State College - Naples Campus. Jeff said we are blessed to have so many members of the community supporting these wonderful programs and projects that make Naples such a special place. Our special thanks to Jeff Lytle for a fabulous presentation! *** Please join us on Tuesday, January 20 at 11:30 a.m. at the Vineyards Country Club. Our program will be about the Technion in Israel. To RSVP, send your check (members $25, nonmembers $28) to Muriel Hurwich, 11030 Gulf Shore Drive, Naples, FL 34108.

www.jhsswf.org / 239-566-1771

Jewish Historical Society of SWFL launches By Marina Berkovich, President

hen the first Jewish deli opened in Naples, everyone who loves Jewish deli food came out to sample its latkes. Or was it the matzo balls? We were comparing and contrasting it to the delis we knew back home, wherever home is or was. Food is history as much as religion, tradition and culture are. And Jewish history has traveled wherever Jews brought it, as they dispersed and migrated. Most people who follow Judaism and Christianity are students of ancient Jewish history. Those who study modern Jewish history divert their attention to the State of Israel and the Holocaust. As present day Jewish history develops and the Jewish migration continues, local Jewish history becomes a subject of study and interest. We ARE the Southwest Florida Jewish settlers. Cities and counties are

changing around us, and many positive transformations are taking shape. During such rapid growth periods, regretfully, much of the earliest life has been bulldozed. It is up to us to preserve the facts of events and their participants and our heritage. Not all change is positive. There are circumstances when a turn of events warrants an exodus and a startover. When I lived in New York City, I witnessed the decline of its once thriving garment district. It was a long and painful descent as many family-owned and seemingly established Jewish businesses were folding one by one. There are books written and films out to remember some of these “good ol’ days,” which just happened a decade or two ago. By comparison, most Jews who are now living in or planning to move to Southwest Florida did not even think

of it as a Jewish destination a decade or two ago. Yet Jews were here since the 19th century. I made many “discoveries” about Jews in Southwest Florida. Did you know that Fort Myers was named after a Jewish man? A Jewish family built Cape Coral? Farming in Collier County was largely due to the efforts of the Lipman family? The diverse cultural experiences were brought into Collier County by a Jewish woman named Myra Daniels? Other important – and perhaps not-soon-the-surface – facts about the early Jewish settlers of this region are out there, and I feel we have an obligation to discover, record, protect and transfer them to the future as it is happening as we witness it. What we did, what we do now, and how we do it is the foundation of the history of Jews in our community,

from religion to tradition to culture. Our migration and our interaction with other people – their religions, traditions and cultures – will define our future just as the Jewish history of other parts of the world has been defined since the Diaspora. That may sound like a heavy and challenging call to action, but we are Jews! We love heavy and challenging calls to action. They stimulate the best in us and force us to apply our learned experiences for the greater good of our own people. January is Jewish History Month in Florida. Let’s celebrate and experience it together on Monday, January 12 at 7:00 p.m. for our special inaugural event at Temple Shalom. See the article on page 8 for full details.

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

Federation Star January 2015

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Get the Service you Deserve January 2015 – 5775 SUNDAY lighting MONDAY Candle times:

January January January January January

2: 9: 16: 23: 30:

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

1 2 NEW YEAR’S DAY 11:30am ORT Board Mtg

5:29 5:34 5:40 5:45 5:50

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

SATURDAY 3 8:30am TS Torah Talk 9:30am BT Services 9:30am JCMI Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services

9:00am BT Minyan 9:00am BT Religious School

10:00am NCJW Board Mtg 11:00am HM Coffee Talk 1:30pm HDH Board Mtg 5:30pm JCMI Bingo

10:00am TS-S Board Mtg 12:15pm BT Torah Study 1:00pm JCMI Duplicate Bridge 1:30pm CJD Steering Cmte 4:00pm CJD Reader’s Theater 4:00pm JFCC Exec Cmte 7:30pm JCMI Cultural Event

1:00pm JCMI Bridge 1:30pm JCRC Mtg 4:30pm BT Youth Ed Program 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 5:00pm TS Hebrew School 7:00pm GenShoah One Book 8:00pm BT Adult Ed

11:00am JCMI Mah Jongg 1:00pm GenShoah One Book 1:00pm NJC Board Mtg 3:00pm HM Exec Cmte Mtg 6:00pm JFCC Major Gifts 7:30pm BT Lecture

5:30pm HJH Shabbat Dinner 6:00pm CHA Shabbat Dinner 6:15pm BT Services 6:30pm CHA Services 7:30pm NJC Services 7:30pm TS Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

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

9:00am BT Minyan 9:00am BT Religious School 9:30am JCMI Rabbi’s Adult Ed 9:30am TS Sunday School 10:30am NJC Adult Ed 2:00pm TS Healing Service 7:00pm HDH Benefit

10:30am JFCS Naples Jewish Caring Support Group 5:30pm JCMI Bingo 7:00pm Jewish Historical Soc Inaugural Event

10:00am Jewish Genealogy 11:30am TS-S Luncheon 12:15pm BT Torah Study 1:00pm JCMI Duplicate Bridge 6:00pm TS Senior Study 7:30pm JFCC Board Meeting

9:30am HJH Board Mtg 11:30am ORT Luncheon 1:00pm JCMI Bridge 4:30pm BT Youth Ed Program 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 5:00pm TS Hebrew School 6:00pm Klezmer Concert 7:30pm TS/ZOA Speaker

11:00am JCMI Mah Jongg 12:00pm NJC Men’s Mtg 1:30pm TS-S Book Bag 4:00pm BT Board Mtg

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

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

19 MLK DAY

12:00pm NJC-S Book Club 5:30pm JCMI Bingo

11:00am JCMI Book Club 12:15pm BT Torah Study 1:00pm JCMI Duplicate Bridge 1:30pm NCJW Lunchoen 5:30pm JFCS Fundraiser 7:00pm TS Exec Cmte Mtg

1:00pm JCMI Bridge 4:30pm BT Youth Ed Program 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 5:00pm TS Hebrew School 7:30pm TS Film 8:00pm BT Adult Ed

11:00am CHA Women’s Circle 11:00am JCMI Mah Jongg 5:30pm TS Rosh Chodesh 6:30pm JCMI Board Mtg 7:00pm HDH Evening Group 7:30pm BT Lecture

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

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

9:00am BT Minyan 9:00am BT Religious School 9:30am JCMI Rabbi’s Adult Ed 9:30am TS Sunday School 10:00am BT Rosh Chodesh 10:30am NJC Adult Ed 11:00am JCMI Deli Fest 3:30pm NJC Movie 4:00pm BBYO FAN event

10:30am JFCS Naples Jewish Caring Support Group 1:00pm HDH Study Group 5:30pm JCMI Bingo 7:30pm BT Book Group

10:00am HM Intl Hol Rem Evt 10:45am HDH Luncheon 12:15pm BT Torah Study 1:00pm JCMI Duplicate Bridge 7:00pm TS Board Mtg

1:00pm JCMI Bridge 4:30pm BT Youth Ed Program 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 5:00pm TS Hebrew School 6:30pm TS B’nai Mitzvah Class

11:00am JCMI Mah Jongg 1:00pm TS/WCA The Salon 3:00pm HM Board Mtg 7:00pm NJC Art Salon

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

9:30am BT Services 9:30am JCMI Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services 6:00pm JFCC Community Celebration

9:00am BT Minyan 9:00am BT Religious School 9:30am JCMI Rabbi’s Adult Ed 9:30am JWV meeting 2:00pm HJH Comm Mtg 2:00pm JCMI Film Festival 4:30pm HM GenShoah Mtg

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 • HDH: Hadassah • HJH: Humanistic Jewish Havurah • HM: Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida • JCMI: Jewish Congregation of Marco Island

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-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 • JNF: Jewish National Fund • JWV: Jewish War Veterans • MCA: Men’s Cultural Alliance • MDA: Magen David Adom • NCJW: National Council of Jewish Women (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

• NJC: Naples Jewish Congregation • NJC-M: Naples Jewish Congregation Men’s Club • NJC-S: Naples Jewish Congregation Sisterhood • NJSC: Naples Jewish Social Club • 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.

January 2015 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 Caren Plotkin, Religious School Dir. Seyla Cohen, Preschool Director Peter Lewis, Organist/Choir Director

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 Edward M. Maline, DD Hari Jacobsen, Cantorial Soloist Roger Blau, President Shabbat Services Friday 8:00 p.m. Torah Study and Saturday Services

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 24, No. 5 January 2015 36 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: Jacqui Aizenshtat 239-777-2889 February Issue Deadlines: Editorial: January 5 Advertising: January 7 Send news stories to: fedstar18@gmail.com

• Sisterhood • Men’s Club • Brownstein Judaica Gift Shop

Suzanne Paley, President Jane Galler, Cantorial Soloist Shabbat Services Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m. May - August: services once a month Sisterhood • Men’s Club Adult Education • Adult Choir Social Action • Community Events

Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Doc, Sleepy and Happy

(just west of Mission Square Plaza)

Phone: 434-1818 Email: bethtikvahnaples@aol.com Website: www.bethtikvahnaples.org Rabbi Ammos Chorny Stuart Kaye & Rosalee Bogo, co-Presidents Phil Jason, Vice President Sue Hammerman, Secretary Shabbat Services Friday evenings at 6:15pm Saturday mornings at 9:30am Youth Education - Adult Education Community Events

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

Jewish Federation of Collier County

And you thought there were seven? Well there are. We’ve been called a lot of the above, but number seven we’re not.

Phone: 263-4205  Fax: 263-3813 Website: www.jewishnaples.org Email: info@jewishnaples.org • Federation President: Alvin Becker • Federation Executive: Jeffrey Feld

American Technion Society

Bashful.

• Chapter Dir: Jennifer Singer, 941-378-1500

Collier-Lee Chapter of Hadassah

We’d like you to make a lifetime gift or bequest to the Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Collier County that will beneﬁt the Jewish community. Happy? It will dwarf anything else you do. Snow joke.

For more information on gift planning, call Jeffrey Feld at the Federation at 239.263.4205.

Please note our email addresses: Jeffrey Feld, Federation Executive – jfeld@jewishnaples.org Jill Saravis, Community Program Coord. – jill@jewishnaples.org Iris Doenias, Administrative Assistant – iris@jewishnaples.org Deborah Vacca, Bookkeeper – deborah@jewishnaples.org General information requests – info@jewishnaples.org Federation Star advertising – jacqui1818@gmail.com Ted Epstein, Editor, Federation Star – fedstar18@gmail.com

• President: Lynn Weiner, 598-1009

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 • Tyler Korn, 354-4300

Jewish Family and Community Services of Southwest Florida Phone: 325-4444 • Chairperson: Richard A. Goldblatt • 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

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• President: Steve Brazina, 325-8694

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

National Council of Jewish Women • Co-President: Bobbie Katz, 353-5963 • Co-President: Linda Wainick, 354-9117

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

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

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 January 2015

We’re restoring Jewish life where it was lost .

In places where Jews haven’t shared a Sabbath in decades, Federation is reviving the Jewish soul. Supporting Jewish cultural festivals in Bulgaria. School programs in Ukraine. And thousands of our elderly in the former Soviet Union. At home, in Israel and around the globe we’re strengthening Jewish life. Seeking innovative approaches to nurturing and rescuing our people wherever they’re in need.

Your Federation Federation gift gift enables us to to Your enables us accomplishall allthis thisand andmore. more.You’re You’rean an accomplish

integral part of of all all we we do. do. Give integral part Give to to the the Annual Annual Campaign today. us at www.or Campaign today. Visit us Visit at website.org jewishnaples.org, call (xxx) xxx-xxxx.call 239.263.4205 or complete and mail the form below.

Donate. Volunteer. Get involved. www.jewishnaples.org • 239.263.4205

YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLE!

Everything Federation does is made possible through the generous donations from members of the community. Please consider making a gift today!

FS0115

 I hereby pledge and promise to pay my Federation for the 2015 JFCC/UJA Annual Campaign a contribution of:  $36  $72  $180  $540  other $_________  Contribution enclosed (Check #__________)  Please charge my:

 MasterCard

 Visa

 Please bill me  American Express

Jewish Federation may add a 3% donation to my payment to offset credit card service fee _____ (initials or √ denote authorization)

Account #___________________________________________________ Exp. Date____________ ccv#__________ Name: ____________________________________________________ Signature:__________________________________________ Billing Address:______________________________________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________ ST: ______ Zip: _______________ Phone: __________________________________ Please send to: Jewish Federation of Collier County, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Suite 2201, Naples, FL 34109-0613 JFCC/UJA CAMPAIGN OF JEWISH FEDERATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA