April 24 L'Chayim

Jewish news published monthly by Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties

9701 Commerce Center Court Fort Myers, FL 33908 (239) 481-4449

www.JewishFederationLCC.org

April 2024

Volume 46, Number 8

President: Marsha Kistler

Board: Lisa Bendetowicz • Karen Fine

Shirley Frank • Helene Glocer

Carolyn Gora • Jerry Greenfield

Elisa Grossman • Andi Horowitz

Doreen Kostel • Michele Laboda

William Reynolds • Sylvia Simko

Brian Simon • Sherri Zucker

Executive Director: Debbie Sanford

Executive Assistant: Lori Ramos

Danielle Bernstein: Special Events and Program Coordinator

Dorothy Waldron: Bookkeeper

Steve Shirey: Facilities Coordinator

Jodi Cohen: JFS Life Enrichment Coordinator

Nancy Klein: Friendly Visitor/JFS Coordinator

Holocaust Educator: Ella Nayor

L’CHAYIM Proofreaders:

Victor Gold • Leni Sack

Editor: Sharon Hood (239) 591-2709

Design: MarketCrank, Inc.

Advertising: Lori Ramos (239) 481-4449 x5

L’CHAYIM invites correspondence on subjects of interest to Jewish people. Partisan political opinions will not be published, but opinions on subjects affecting the Jewish community are welcome. All inquiries regarding copy for L’CHAYIM should be directed to the editor. All news material must be very clearly printed or typed (not in all-capital letters) and double-spaced. Electronic submissions encouraged. The editor reserves the right to edit for space and content.

Photographs should be clear, black-andwhite or color prints. If you wish a photograph returned, include a stamped, self-addressed envelope of appropriate size.

The Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties disclaims responsibility or endorsement of the views expressed by the writers and claims by advertisers.

The Jewish Federation is a 501c3 Non-Profit. #59-2668992

MAY ISSUE EDITORIAL DEADLINE:

Friday, April 5

The Annual Campaign: Where does the money go?

Keeping the Southwest Florida Jewish community vibrant

By Sherri Zucker, Annual Campaign Chair

Why is your Annual Campaign gift to the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties so important? Wow! What a question with a lot of answers, so please, read on…

Cultural programs

When we make an Annual Campaign gift, we’re ensuring that arts and cultural programs designed for the Jewish members of our community can continue for another year. Programs like The Jewish Film Festival, Israel Fest, the Community Challah Bake, the Purim Carnival, Israeli dancing, Jewish Heritage Day at Jet Blue Park, the Shabbat at Sea Cruise, culinary, musical and author events, as well as Holocaust programming, are supported by campaign dollars.

Social experiences and connections

An Annual Campaign donation enhances all our Jewish social experiences and connections. Campaign gifts are applied to community-wide events that help us meet each other and share experiences; events like plays at the Florida Repertory Theatre, Broadway Palm and Barbara B. Mann, Paint and Pour parties, yoga and mahjong. Our campaign gifts also make possible special group events for children (PJ Library), teens (BBYO), young adults (TRIBE), men (Men’s Division), singles over 50 (Shalom Singles) and seniors (Lunch Bunch). Our financial support helps fund these social gatherings, thereby enhancing the lived Jewish experience of all members of our community.

Scholarships

Educational scholarships are one of the things that we enable when we make an Annual Campaign donation. Our Jewish Federation provides financial assistance in the form of scholarships to children attending Jewish camps, to Jewish students pursuing post-secondary education and to young adults traveling to Israel for volunteer or educational opportunities.

OF GREATER NAPLES

OUR MISSION

To strengthen and enrich the Jewish Community by providing and supporting philanthropic, educational and social service programs locally, in Israel and throughout the world.

OUR VISION

A Jewish Community that is based on Jewish values such as Tzedakah (benevolence), Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and K’lal Yisrael (taking responsibility for one another).

Security

When we support the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte counties through the Annual Campaign, we’re bolstering the security of Jewish citizens in our counties. Our federation’s Community Relations Council (CRC) proactively advocates for and ensures the rights, interests and values of our Jewish community. In addition, the board and staff of the Jewish Federation have built a relationship with the Lee County Sheriff’s Department and work closely with them to coordinate an ongoing security plan that includes monitoring antisemitic “chatter” and threats as well as coordinating security initiatives among all the Jewish organizations in our counties.

Jewish Family Services

When we decide to make a donation to our local Jewish Federation’s Annual Campaign, we’re part of a blossoming Jewish Family Services department that works with those in need through our Cadkin Food Pantry, the Friendly Visitor Program, Sharing Shabbat, holiday gift baskets, pet therapy for seniors, case worker referrals, emergency financial assistance, disaster outreach, nutrition classes, the Jewish Nurse Advocacy Program and foreign language interpretation services. Our relationships with United Way, Lee Health, the Harry Chapin Food Bank and others have been valuable not only in expanding the breadth of our assistance but also in developing important community relationships.

Support for Israel

When we make a Jewish Federation Annual Campaign gift, we’re showing our support for Israel. A portion of every Annual Campaign dollar collected goes directly to organizations like the Israel Trauma Coalition, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Jewish Agency for Israel, World ORT and Magen David Adom. We also participate in the relationship building P2G program, where we’re paired with the Hadera-Eiron region. This engagement

happens in times of war as well as in times of peace. Sadly, this is a time of war in Israel. We were in shock after the Hamas invasion, torture, murder and kidnapping of innocent Israelis. Shortly after this horrific event, our Jewish Federation hosted a Community Solidarity Event that was well attended and addressed our shared outrage, fear and sadness. Our campaign gifts provide the Jewish Federation with the resources to react quickly when necessary.

Functioning Federation

Finally, at the most essential level, our Annual Campaign gifts provide for things that are crucial to keeping our Federation open and functioning, like electricity, insurance, staff compensation, security, office supplies, building repairs, maintenance and information technology. Meeting the basic needs of the organization permits us to create and realize the art and cultural events, social gatherings, educational scholarships, security initiatives, Jewish Family Service programs and support to Israel. With a solid campaign foundation, we can develop new programs, new ways of supporting our community and provide additional support to Israel.

As you can see, our Annual Campaign donations go wide and far and that is intentional. The budget that we make each year is carefully thought out. When we consider expenditures, it’s with an eye towards the greatest value for the dollar. We are very aware that everyone is donating their hard-earned money, and we have great respect for that. We’re always conscious to be good stewards of what has been given.

I will once again lead the effort to fund The Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties through the 2024 Annual Campaign with the help of the Federation Board of Directors. Please feel free to contact us with questions or to discuss anything that’s on your mind. We truly appreciate your consideration in making an Annual Campaign gift and joining us to create a vibrant Jewish community in South west Florida.

WDLT – a new Federation initiative for women

By Carolyn Gora, Federation Board member

What does the anacronym WDLT stand for? Women Discovering Local Treasures. Your hometown is loaded with surprising “treasures” waiting to be discovered. It doesn’t matter if you have lived in this area for four months or 44 years, there’s always something new to learn or see.

Starting in May, the Federation will offer a new initiative, which will be participant driven. This is an opportunity to think about places or people whom you consider treasures. It’s an opportunity to make your local dreams come true. All ideas are welcome.

For the first get together, women are invited to join in an adventure to discover the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers. This will be the first of, hopefully, many local adventures.

On Tuesday, May 28 at 1 p.m., Jewish women from the community are invited to meet at the Alliance for the Arts. There, you will discover the treasures found at this nearly 50-year-old organization. Outreach and Membership Coordinator Haley Volcy will tell us the story about the Alliance.

As a board member of both the Alliance and the Federation, I will act as docent, leading you through the main gallery’s show, City of Fort Myers Artists’ Grants Show. In addition, the exhibit in the theater gallery will be my “Birds of Paradise from Paradise,” so I will be giving you a unique tour of my own show!

Please RSVP with Danielle Bernstein at 239 481-4449 x4 or danielleb@ jfedlcc.org.

When: Tuesday, May 28 at 1 p.m.

Where: Alliance for the Arts 10091 McGregor Boulevard (at the corner of Colonial and McGregor, across from Cristof’s) Fort Myers

RSVP: Danielle Bernstein 239 481-4449 x4 or danielleb@jfedlcc.org

Meaningful moments

By Danielle Bernstein, Special Events and Program Coordinator

In early March, our JFED cruise treated us to a mesmerizing sunset before our Shabbat dinner, offering breathtaking views and fostering a profound sense of community. This experience allowed us to forge new connections and share the Jewish essence of our voyage, making it truly special! Where should we go next?

PJ Library fun at Temple Beth El Purim Carnival

Transitioning from our JFed cruise adventure, Temple Beth El Purim

Carnival was next on the agenda, and let me tell you, it was a blast! PJ Library families brought a lively spirit, filling the air with laughter and excitement. Witnessing the kids decked out in their Purim costumes and running around with pure joy was a heartwarming sight. Thank you all again for attending and stay tuned for our next PJ library event!

Love is in the air

In a surprising turn of events, I found

TOGETHER we can make a Difference

INDIGENT FUND PACESETTERS

The Federation expresses special gratitude to our Indigent Fund Pacesetters for the example they set for the rest of us.

Anonymous

Jack Cohen-Marcia Can Help

Naomi Bloom

Barbara & Earl Magdovitz

Toni & Stuart Morgenstein

Karin Fine

Sherri & Ira Zucker

The Cadkin Foundation

Shalom Dancers

Taryn Sasser

The Jewish Federation loves our GENEROUS DONORS

INDIGENT FUND / MARCIA CAN HELP

Temple Judea

Temple Beth El

Temple Bat Yam

Temple Beth Shalom

Henry & Debbie Feinberg

Arthur & Phyllis Ohlstein

FOOD PANTRY

Temple Judea

Temple Beth El

Temple Beth Shalom

Marty Freling

Paul & Sylvia Simko

Lynn & Lory Kirby

Stephanie Levin

Robert Morley

Anne Peiffer

Temple Bat Yam

Shalom Dancers

Victor Gold

Charles Idelson

Carolyn Gora

Anita Freedman

Claire Goldhagen

Rabbi Yossi & Rivky Labkowski

Anne Schwartz

Andy & Debbie Shuping

Hy Tuchman

James & Betty Rubenstein

Lynn & Lory Kirby

myself playing cupid within our Shalom Singles Group, and guess what? It worked! Two community members found a connection, and I had the pleasure of sitting down with them to hear about their blossoming relationship. I got to speak with Keith Cohen, who is now in a committed relationship with Linda Diamond. He shared with me that they felt that instant spark and chatted the whole night at Monarcas, eventually exchanging numbers. Keith made the first move, expressing how much he enjoyed their conversation and propos

On May 6, we invite you to join us for the Holocaust Remembrance Program at Shell Point. This important occasion will feature a moving program with guest speaker Michael Hirsh, local clergy and Holocaust survivors. Gather with us as we respectfully acknowledge the past and pay tribute

Save the date for our annual IsraelFest on May 19. This year’s theme, “A Taste of Israel,” promises a sensory journey into the heart of Israeli culture through its delectable cuisine. Register online and join us for a day filled with flavor, community and celebration. The event is free of charge, and there will be a ton

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to sharing these meaningful moments with you in the

 Danielle Bernstein

Shalom Singles Couple – Linda Diamond and Keith Cohen

A final mitzvah

Jewish Family Services update

By Jodi Cohen, Life Enrichment Coordinator

After what felt like a cold winter here in the southern hemisphere, the sun is back to blaring, making people schvitzy anytime they’re outside. It is time once again to tell the story of Jews traveling in the desert, from slavery to freedom, and passing through “the narrow place.”

Shortly after writing the above paragraph, I saw my neighbor, who has a dog that Morty bit about four years ago. As soon as I saw her, I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. There was a ton o’ judgment and blame about what happened, on both sides. What’s true is the biting incident occurred during the narrow place that I went through when I

first brought Morty home to live with me. Although it felt like 40 years in the desert, it took me and Morty a while to figure out boundaries, if we could trust each other, our roles and how to communicate with kindness instead of snarling and growling (on my end). Seeing my neighbor reminded me that the narrow place we traverse is often internal. I wish you safe travels on your journey getting out of the desert this year, navigating your own narrow place.

Lunch Bunch update

Our new community partner, Seaside

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10

12:00-1:30 PM

ALLIANCE FOR THE ARTS

10091 McGregor Blvd

Fort Myers, FL 33919

RSVP by April 5

Let us know if you need a ride or would like to volunteer!

REGISTER ONLINE - IT’S EASY: jewishfederationlcc.org/calendar

of Fort Myers, hosted Jewish Family Services (JFS) for a seriously delicious Brunch Bunch. Chef Ryan knocked it out of the park with all the flavorful food, which he started cooking at dawn on the day of our event. And for once I’m not exaggerating!

A hearty thank you to Seaside Community Relations Director Tanyah Lockett and new Executive Director Slade Weitz for welcoming JFS so warmly and with an amazing meal. Seaside of Fort Myers was completely renovated post hurricane and it is stunning. The staff was friendly, and they’ve got some fun programs for residents. Thank you also to Sol Awend who led a class about Yiddish after brunch. Everyone enjoyed hearing about the joys of Yiddish.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

10:00-11:30 AM

AMERICAN HOUSE

14001 Metro Pkwy

Fort Myers, FL 33912

RSVP by April 17

Later in February, Temple Beth El hosted the largest Lunch Bunch ever, with over 80 people! Nir and Katie Marciano, owners of McGregor Pizza, delivered three different kinds of pizza pies and crisp tossed salad, creating a whole new fan base. A big shout out to McGregor Pizza for being a generous community partner. Once the group found out that Nir is from Israel, they loved the pizza even more!

At one point during lunch, I couldn’t find my phone and was running around like a cuckoo bird, looking for it. A highlight from all the lunch bunches I’ve attended over these past years is when, during the lunch at Temple Beth El, (the lovely) Mindi Weinstein saw me acting meshugge about my phone and commanded me to, “Sit! Like a person!” and have some lunch. It made me laugh so hard.

place of work or anywhere else you think there are potential food donors. Please give us a ring at 239-481-4449 Ext. 2, if you’re interested.

United Way House at JFS update

Partners in Breast Cancer Care, WeCare program and Family Health Centers held a free breast screening event in February at JFS. While there were not a lot of people who attended, several of the women who came for a free screening ended up needing follow up care, which is provided free to them through the United Way WeCare program.

Goodwill has arranged for Hilda Ortega to be at JFS on the first and third Wednesday afternoons to assist

Cadkin Foundation Food Pantry update

The pantry continues to add many new recipients each month. While we get food from Harry Chapin and Midwest Food Banks, we are still in need of staples: cereal, pasta, canned vegetables, soup, fruit. We have a very user-friendly packet full of information about holding a food drive in your neighborhood,

 Jodi Cohen

any food pantry recipients with applying for SNAP, Medicaid or online jobs. Hilda is bilingual, so she can also help Spanish-speaking clients communicate with pantry volunteers.

If someone is eligible for SNAP benefits, they are usually eligible for other benefits as well, including a free phone/phone plan, pet food and other things. Many food pantry recipients, often non-native English speakers, haven’t applied for SNAP, aren’t sure if they’re eligible, or were turned down without knowing why. Having Hilda onsite is a huge benefit that enables JFS to extend its wingspan in serving the community.

A final mitzvah

Corina Kaufman passed away recently at the age of 38 from Addison’s Disease. She was tough, smart, gorgeous and a true mensch. On the last day of her life outside of the hospital, where she knew her days would be limited once she returned, she insisted that

she and her mom, Toni Goodman, drop off bags of food for the pantry. This breaks my own mortal heart and cracks it wide open at the same time.

Toni and Steve Goodman have asked all their relatives to make donations to the food pantry in honor of Corina. A heartfelt thank you to Corina, Toni and Steve.

2024~2025

Board of Director Slate

Co-President

Karin Fine

Co-President Doreen Kostel

Treasurer

V.P. - Administration

Brian Simon

Michele Laboda

V.P. - Education/Programs Andi Horowitz

Secretary

Campaign Chair

2021 ~ 2022 Boa

Community Relations

Carolyn Gora

Sherri Zucker

Sylvia Simko

Immediate Past President Marsha Kistler

Director at Large Lisa Bendetowicz

Director at Large Shirley Frank

Director at Large Helene Glocer

Director at Large Jerry Greenfield

Director at Large Elisa Grossman

Director at Large Stefanie Levine

9701 Commerce Center Court | Fort Myers, Florida 33908 Jewishfederationlcc.org

These amazing women — Shelley, Valerie and Josie — are interns from FGCU who helped at the Lunch Bunch.

The e Jewish Federaattion Annnuual Camppaign n provides the resources to strengthen and enrich our Jewish community locally, in Israel and around the world.

YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN

This year please consider making an additional campaign contribution in honor or memory of a loved one

Because kindness is contagious, we would like to highlight your generosity in L’CHAYIIM and notify personally those whom you honor. You may choose how your generosity y is noted and how we share your mitzvah with the community.

In memory of Morris & Mary Klein from Mike Klein

In honor of Carol Lovitch from Ruthi & Herb Zaritsky

Honoring a special person through a tribute gift to Jewish Family Services of Lee & Charlotte Counties is a wonderful way to recognize a simcha or remember a loved one. Not only does your gift show your family and friends that you care, it goes to work helping Jews in need and building vibrant communities locally, in Israel and around the world.

Make a Gift jewishfederationlcc.org/tribute-memorials

HOW THE JEWISH FEDERATION SERVES

Local Jewish Education and Culture

 Community wide Jewish Education and Cultural Programs for all ages including the Jewish Film Festival, Jewish author events, Out & About Films, Israel celebration, day trips, Israeli folk dancing ,PJ Library & TRIBE, a young adult group.

 L’CHAYIM published monthly to keep the Jewish community informed about local, national and international Jewish issues.

 New CRC Community Relations Council to address issues of anti Semitism and Interfaith Relations.

 Israel Advocacy and Initiatives to strengthen local Jewish community ties with Israel. Holocaust education for middle and high school students in the community and a college campus Jewish life experience committee.

 Volunteer opportunities for all ages.

Overseas

 Funding to the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) for full spectrum social services to Israel and Jewish communities in 60+ countries around the world.

 Partnership 2Gether relationship with the Hadera Eiron Region in Israel.

Jewish Community Foundation

 An endowment that ensures future social and educational programming and support for our community.

 Needs based college scholarships and study scholarships in Israel.

 Jewish camp scholarships.

 Projects and programs aimed at Jewish community enrichment.

Local Seniors Services

 Lunch Bunch, a monthly gathering with a free lunch for older adults to meet and schmooze.

 Holiday baskets and teen visits to seniors and senior facilities for Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah and Passover.

 Holocaust survivor outreach.

Local Social Services

 Non sectarian, individual and family outreach, information and referral services.

 Friendly Visitor Program.

Local Emergency Services

 Food Pantry and gift cards.

 Emergency financial assistance grants to families and individuals in crisis.

 Local disaster outreach and assistance.

At the Museum

By Susan Suarez, President & CEO

With season in full swing, we have been very busy, with many near-capacity days for both daily admission and our RSVP-only docent-led tours for the public.

Sold-out!

Our annual fundraising event, “Triumph of Resistance,” was a great success, selling out with even more sponsors and tickets sold than last year. Our wonderful special guest speaker, Ruth Bielski Ehrreich, gave a moving presentation, sharing the story of her father, Tuvia Bielski, and his brothers. During World War II, the Bielski brothers built a refuge in the forests of what is now Belarus. For three years, they sheltered 1,200 Jewish men, women and children who were fleeing the Holocaust. Many thanks to Bielski Ehrreich for sharing this very important part of her family’s, and the Holocaust’s, history with us.

Suncoast Credit Union Foundation renews grant

Susan Suarez

in registering for and follow the instructions. You can also make multiple program ticket purchases in one transaction, rather than paying for them separately.

Please note: the first time you use the new system, you’ll be asked to create a secure account with an email address and password. For future purchases, you need only enter the email and password to proceed. Once your transaction is complete, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your ticket to print out, in addition to a simplified ticket to screenshot with your phone and show at check-in.

April exhibits

April 9 – Lawyers without RightsJewish Lawyers in Berlin After 1933

I am grateful to the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation for renewing its $10,000 grant for our “Students and Teacher Holocaust Education Programs.” The Foundation noted in its grant statement, “We believe in the work you are doing and believe it deserves recognition.” We thank the Foundation for its continuing support of our education mission and congratulate Suncoast Credit Union on its 90th anniversary!

The Museum also re-earned its GuideStar “Candid Gold Seal of Transparency” rating. GuideStar assists potential donors and funders to verify a nonprofit’s eligibility to receive grants or tax-deductible contributions.

New ticketing system online

Have you tried our new ticketing system? It’s now easier than ever to purchase tickets for daily admission, docent-led tours, programs and events on our website with your credit card. Simply log onto www.hmcec.org and go to the calendar. Select the admission date or program you’re interested

This new exhibit in the Estelle and Stuart Price Gallery discusses what happened when the pre-Holocaust “just rule of law” was replaced by the “arbitrary rule of law” and discriminatory legislation of the Third Reich government. It resulted in the removal of the rights and dignity of Jewish lawyers in Berlin and throughout Germany. The exhibit will be on display through late June 2024.

April 15 – Special performance of “Remember – The Story of Abe Price.” Gulfshore Playhouse presents a one-night-only performance of “Remember – The Story of Abe Price” on Monday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. “Remember” is the touring educational production based on the life of the late Holocaust survivor and Museum co-founder, Abe Price. Written by Jeffrey Binder and directed by Steven Calakos, “Remember” is performed for middle and high school students learning about the Holocaust and is presented in association with the Museum. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact gulfshoreplayhouse.org or call 239-261-7529.

April 25 – Business After 5 networking event at the Museum

The Museum hosts Business After 5, the monthly networking event

sponsored by the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce. It will take place on Thursday, April 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. This casual networking event for business professionals will include light hors d’oeuvres, beverages and an opportunity to tour the Museum. Tickets are $30 for Chamber members, and $35 for non-members and for tickets purchased at the door. RSVP is requested to the Chamber at naples chamber.org.

April 27 – Annual Spring Teacher Workshop

Our Spring Teacher Workshop is Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free-of-charge workshop is open to all active Southwest Florida educators in grades 5-12 and college/university. A complimentary light breakfast and lunch will be provided.

This year’s program includes a tour of the newly expanded Museum, information about guidelines for teaching the Holocaust, demonstrations of our fifthgrade reader project and an eighthgrade lesson plan focusing on the Nazi Olympics of 1936, a walk around our traveling Pop Up Museum, short Holocaust-themed videos and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum timeline exercise.

Reservations are required as space is limited. Please RSVP to Education Specialist David Nelson at David@ hmcec.org. Teacher workshops are funded by a generous legacy grant from the Merrill Kuller Educator Series.

On behalf of the Museum’s board and staff, I wish you and your families a Happy Passover. We look forward to seeing you soon at the Museum!

Teachers review handout materials at a workshop

Genshoah presents ...

By Shelley Lieb and Ida Margolis

Here is some inside information on GenShoah programs.

An opportunity to learn Sam Varsano shared his story during the March event, Growing Up Sephardic in an Ashkenazi World. Varsano is a 2G, a GenShoah member, and his family’s story is included as one of the “Portraits of Remembrance” on the Museum’s website. His presentation was enlightening and certainly reflected his wonderful sense of humor.

Genealogy workshops

Bring your device and follow the lead of Hank Bitterman, 2G, who takes you to various online resources to find out about you and your family’s past during our next workshop Sunday, April 7 at 1 p.m. Bitterman shares his knowledge from his own family

findings, both in the U.S. and abroad. This session will provide a good starting point for further inquiries. Location TBD. Limited attendance so RSVP is required to attend. Contact Shelley Lieb at liebro@gmail.com.

Noch amul (again)

If you talk to Sol Awend in Yiddish, his eyes light up, and he will probably tell you a story in Yiddish to make you smile. He is the energy behind a monthly get-together for Yiddish speakers at any level. Join him for this season’s last session of Zoog Mir in Yiddish on Sunday, April 21, 3:30-5 p.m. at the Holocaust Museum. Attendance is limited to 20 people, and RSVP is required to attend. Contact hmcec.org.

Yom HaShoah

GenShoah SWFL has been part of the

Marcia Can Help

planning for the Yom HaShoah program in Collier County, which will take place Sunday, May 5, 4 p.m. at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center. Please RSVP at www.jewishnaples. org. There will be a pre-event reception for GenShoah SWFL and survivors at 3 p.m. We encourage you to invite your children and grandchildren to be at your side for this program. It is an opportunity to share your history with your family in a meaningful way.

Possible Book Discussions

Locations/dates/times TBD based

Folks in search of recovery from addiction are invited to experience the 12 steps from a Jewish perspective on Saturdays, 11 a.m. on Zoom.

We are recovering from alcohol, drugs, and other addictions such as food, gambling, sex, shopping, etc.

on interest. Contact Estelle Kafer at ekafer520@gmail.com.

Upcoming conference

The World Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors & Descendants (WFJHS&D) will hold its 2024 Annual Conference Sept. 20-23 in Toronto, Canada. Registration will open, both online and by mail, this Spring. Go to https://www.holocaustchild.org/ conferences/upcoming-conferences/ for more information.

Our guidebook is “Twelve Jewish Steps to Recovery” authored by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky and Stuart Copans, M.D., second edition.

All who might benefit are welcome. Zoom details are available by calling the Temple Beth El office at 239-433-0018.

Jewishfederationlcc.org

Orna Hanison, Hank Bitterman, Cipora Brown, Rene Geist, Bronia Ichel and Rochelle Miller at Genealogy Workshop 2023

Carousel horses

By Arlene Stolnitz

In America, we think of Judaism as a text-oriented culture. Judaism has, in fact, a vibrant visual culture, which also became a great immigrant story. Many young immigrant apprentice carvers, upon immigrating to America, carried on the woodcarving tradition that was well established among Jews in Eastern Europe.

 Arlene Stolnitz

Traveling by bus throughout Poland several years ago, I saw first-hand, the heavily forested countryside. Eastern Europe was, and still is “a land of wood.” The elaborate wooden models of Polish synagogues, as well as those of Belarus and Ukraine, are well known. Built in the 17th and 18th centuries, and destroyed by the Nazis, those beautiful wooden synagogues were replete with tiered roofs, domes and elaborately carved wooden interiors. In 1947, art historian, Louis Lozowick wrote, “these synagogues were built in a unique Jewish style, making them a truly original folk expression.” He points to the beautiful intricate woodcarving of the synagogue interiors.

The same carving skills that Jews learned in the shtetls of Europe were brought to this country and flourished for a short time. According to sources I read, many of the artists were Jewish

woodcarvers who arrived in the United States during the great wave of immigration between 1880 and 1920. Once in America, Ashkenazi woodcarvers found work making furniture, cigar store figures and ladies’ combs. As leisure became “big business,” amusement parks became popular and hand carved wooden horses were in demand. It was a source for the talents of Ashkenazi woodcarvers. As an aside, as paper became cheaper, this was also the case in the rise of papercutting, a subject I have written about in earlier columns.

Jewish artisans frequently used animals in their work, borrowing from written scripture and writings. An example might be the following Hebrew aphorism:

“Be bold as a leopard, swift as an eagle, fleet as a deer, and strong as a lion, to do the will of thy Father who is in Heaven.”

In my past columns, we have seen that animals were used extensively. In carousel horses, however, everything was amplified. Animals became three dimensional, with bared teeth, flying manes, tossed heads and armor lavishly decorated with cutglass jewels. Charles Carmel and Marcus Charles Ilions were individuals

I read about who, working together, were some of the master carvers who fled Europe. Known for their “Coney Island Style,” they were renowned for carousel horses that had elaborate adornments, often including Ameri-

can symbols like stars and stripes. One commentator claimed, “the flick of the tail on a Coney Island lion by Iliions replicates the tail position of lions guarding Torah arks.” The “Coney Island Style” for carousel horses was wildly popular on the merry-go-round

rides of Coney Island. Elsewhere, other styles also became popular.

There were other carvers who were not Jewish, representing many other nationalities and religions. I recall the work of the well-known carver Gustav Denzel. His carousel menagerie in Ontario Park was located in my hometown of Rochester, NY. As a young girl, I often rode that carousel and marveled at the beauty of the menagerie of animals on that unique merry-go-round. I know that my grandmother, Bessie, in her long skirts and parasol, often rode that carousel long before I knew anything of its history.

Today, many carousels in America and elsewhere still exist, but the art of hand-carving those animals is long gone. Modern-day horses are made of molded plastic and are factory finished. But still, there is new inspiration as we see young artists learning the tradition of their forefathers and using their ideas in new and innovative ways.

You may ask, were any women involved in these creative endeavors?

Stay tuned as we explore the role of women in Judaic art in my next article.

Arlene Stolnitz, the “Jewish Music” contributor to federation papers the past eight years, started a new series focusing on Judaic folk art. A native of Rochester, NY, Stolnitz is a retired educator and lives in Venice, Florida.

“I can’t say no” — making boundaries as we age Aging Jewishly — What our traditions teach us about growing old.

By Rabbi Barbara Aiello

When the call came, Walter knew it was best to respond somewhere private where his wife, Elaine, wouldn’t hear. Walter chose the patio and quietly closed the sliding door behind him. The call was from their daughter, giddy with plans for another visit. This time, the visit would include their teenage sons — four adults for a 10-day stay in Walter and Elaine’s medium size condo.

Now that airline tickets had been purchased, Walter knew he had to tell Elaine, especially because the daughter’s visit would require canceling the little get-away Walter and Elaine had planned.

Suffice it to say the argument that ensued had Walter sleeping in his lounge chair that night. The next morning, when apologies had been made and hugs and kisses exchanged, Elaine took Walter’s hand and said, “Sweetie, I’ve seen how you can’t say no, not to our daughter, not to anyone. We’ve got to talk about boundaries!”

Walter and Elaine are not the first family to have issues with setting boundaries with family and friends. Indeed, in a series of three articles, (“Building Up Healthy Boundaries, Momentum online journal), psychologist and educator Chaya Lester shares her expertise on the subject and uses Hebrew letters to make her point.

Lester says, “Our sages teach us that the Hebrew letter beit sounds like bayit, the Hebrew word for house or home.”

She asks us to look carefully at the shape of the letter beit ב, which not only sounds like the Hebrew word for house, but it looks like a house as well. “The beit has a wall, a roof a floor and an open door.”

Lester goes on to explain that “The letter beit cannot stand without its wall. And a bayit cannot stand without walls, either. The metaphorical walls of our homes are our boundaries. Without healthy boundaries our families fall to pieces.

Boundaries are our best allies when it comes to building truly joyful homes. Lester quotes author and podcaster, Brené Brown when she says, “Compassionate people are ‘boundaried’ people … They say no when they need to, and when they say yes, they mean it.”

Author Diane Bruno would agree. Thanks to Bruno (“Navigating Family Dynamics Later in Life – Boundaries Are Key” (Feb. 14, 2024, Sixty and Me), we learn that establishing and enforcing boundaries are critically important for older adults, especially when circumstances, such as retirement or health issues, cause physical or emotional lifestyle changes.

For Walter and Elaine, their retirement from a large family home to a modest condominium brought about a change that did not easily accommodate four adult guests for 10 days — even when those guests are family members. Unfortunately, Walter avoided what he anticipated would be a difficult conversation. He and Elaine had not set boundaries and as a result, the “Shalom Bayit,” the “Peace in the Home,” was negatively affected.

Without healthy boundaries our families fall to pieces.

Bruno emphasizes that “enforcing boundaries requires firmness and assertiveness, even in the face of resistance or pushback from family members. Individuals must be willing to uphold their boundaries consistently and without apology, even if it means confronting discomfort or conflict.”

reflect on past experiences to identify patterns where boundaries may be necessary.”

In a subsequent conversation with Elaine, Walter admitted that an inability to say no has plagued him all his life. He recalled many occasions when friends and neighbors asked for favors or just wanted to talk. “I canceled shopping trips, pickleball practice and even my own quiet time. I never said no.”

When our sages taught about Jewish prayer, they focused on a phrase that in modern times has been adopted by the mindfulness community. The phrase is “ hitpalle l,” which means “to inspect ourselves” or, in modern terms, “to practice introspection.” We look inside, say our sages. We are honest and we ask, “What things do I need to change about myself so that I will receive the good things in life?”

Walter has begun the process. He says, “It’s not easy but I’m learning that no is a complete sentence.”

How do families effectively set boundaries? Bruno offers several suggestions: “Start by understanding your own needs, values and limits and

For 10 years Rabbi Barbara Aiello served the Aviva Campus for Senior Life as resident rabbi. Her most popular columns are now published in her new book, “Aging Jewishly,” available on Amazon books. Rabbi Barbara now lives and works in Italy where she is rabbi of Italy’s first Reconstructionist synagogue. Contact her at Rabbi@RabbiBarbara.com

Jewish connections in streaming/ broadcast programs

Stars of David

By Nate Bloom, Stars of David Contributing Columnist

Editor’s Note: Persons in bold are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish for the purpose of this column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jewish parent and were not raised in, or identify with, a faith other than Judaism. Converts to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish.

It’s a thin month for films with a Jewish connection, but it’s a good “Jewish month” for streaming/broadcast programs.

“Don’t Tell Mom, the Babysitter’s Dead”

A remake of the hit 1991 film, “Don’t Tell Mom, the Babysitter’s Dead” is a black comedy that opens in theaters on April 12. The remake cast is mostly African American. An exception is June Squibb , who has a large part. Remarkably, she is 94 and still working. In 2016, she got a best supporting Oscar nomination (“Nebraska”). Squibb converted to Judaism in the ’50s and still identifies as Jewish.

“Sasquatch Sunset”

Opening in theaters on April 19, “Sasquatch Sunset” is a comedy with some poignant moments. It follows four members of a Sasquatch family during a difficult, year-long journey. All the actors wear heavy Sasquatch costumes. Jesse Eisenberg , 40, and Riley Keough, 34, are the “main” family members. (Keough’s father’s mother was Jewish. Her mother’s father was Elvis Presley).

“A Brief History of the Future”

“A Brief History of the Future” is a six-episode PBS documentary which premieres on April 3 (9 p.m.). The series is hosted by Ari Wallach, 49, a prominent academic “futurist.” The series “battles” the dystopian future (“everything will be bad”) constantly depicted in popular culture. The program invites viewers to see possible solutions to our existential threats and paths to a “good future.” Wallach has a very strong family Jewish background and he and his wife are active in the Jewish community. (Look him up online!)

“American Horror Story”

The 12th season of the popular FX/Hulu series “American Horror Story” begins on April 3 and concludes on April 24 (4 episodes). American Horror” is an anthology series. This means each season has a different story, but some actors return season-after-season in different roles. The series was co-created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, 53. Falchuk married Gwyneth Paltrow, 51, in 2018. Leslie Grossman, 52, who was a main cast actor in most seasons, is “just” a guest actor this season. Also appearing in a guest role is Bette Midler’s daughter, Sophie Von Haselberg, 37. Frequent TV program host Andy Cohen “guests” as himself. Tavi Gevinson, 27, appears

in “Horror” for the first time this season. She has a recurring role as “Cora.” She was a co-star of the HBO revival of “Gossip Girl.”

“Star Trek: Discovery”

The series that was co-created by Alex Kurtzman, 50, “Star Trek: Discovery” begins its fifth and final season on April 4 (Paramount+). Famous director David Croenberg, 80, returns as Dr. Kovich, a somewhat mysterious character who began appearing in a few Season 3 episodes. Likewise, Admiral Charles Vance, who “pops-up” now-and-again will reappear this season. He’s played by Oded Fehr, 53. Fehr grew up in Israel and served in the Israeli Navy.

“Franklin”

“Franklin” is an 8-episode biographical drama mini-series that premieres on PBS on Friday, April 12. Michael Douglas, 79, plays Benjamin Franklin. The series depicts the nine years (1776-1785) that Franklin spent in France. Franklin was an emissary to France, and his mission was to convince France to support the fight for American independence by providing arms, money and supporting French troops. It wasn’t easy, but Franklin ultimately got this support.

“Franklin” is based on an acclaimed historical study entitled “A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America” (2005). The author is Stacey Schiff, 62. She’s a former book editor who has written five highly praised biographical studies, including “Vera,” a 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner.

“Finding Your Roots”

On April 2, Michael Douglas and actress/ writer Lena Dunham, 37 (“Girls” on HBO) will appear on “Finding Your Roots,” the celebrity PBS ancestry program. Douglas, of course, is the son of the late Kirk Douglas. His mother wasn’t Jewish. Michael was long secular, but for many reasons, about 10 years ago, he began identifying as a Reform Jew. Dunham’s father isn’t Jewish. Her mother is Jewish. Dunham is a co-star of “Treasure,” a film about the Holocaust, that played at a film festival last month. It opens wide in June. After the festival, Dunham told a reporter that she has been studying with a rabbi. Sadly, “Treasure” got a thumbs-down from most critics who saw the festival showing.

Billy Joel concert

On April 14, CBS will broadcast a Madison Square Garden Billy Joel concert. The program will air from 9 to 11 p.m. It’s entitled “Billy Joel’s 100th Garden.” The title references Joel’s “residency” at the Garden. In 2014, he said he would play the Garden once a month. In 2023, he said the monthly “residency” would end with his 100th “residency” concert (March 2024). Joel is 74 and has earned the right to rest a bit.

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Your favorite Passover recipes

When Chef Dalia indicated she would be taking a break until September, we thought it might be fun to ask our

Minah De Pesach

“This dish has been the hit of the seder dinner every time that I have served it.” ~ Bunny Canter

Ingredients

6-7 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cup chopped onions

2 tsp. minced garlic

1½ cup thinly sliced mushrooms

3 cup cooked chicken (steamed), cut into bite sizes Salt (may be omitted from recipe)

1 cup chopped parsley

Freshly ground pepper

5 eggs (or Eggbeater equivalents) lightly beaten

1 cup chicken stock

5-6 matzohs

Directions

1. Heat 5 Tbsp. oil in large skillet. Slowly sauté onion and garlic until soft and translucent (approx. 10 min.).

2. Add mushrooms to onions and garlic and sauté until soft (approx. 5 min.). Let cool.

members to share their favorites, starting with Passover recipes. Here’s what was submitted. Enjoy!

dish; dimensions approx. 16” x 11” x 3”).

5. Dip matzohs, one at a time, into chicken stock until moist but not falling apart. Lay matzohs in ceramic baking dish until bottom of dish is covered with single layer of matzohs.

6. Spoon half the chicken mixture on top of the layer of matzoh, spreading the chicken mixture out in an even layer.

7. Repeat step No. 5, covering the chicken mixture.

8. Spoon the remaining half of the chicken mixture on top of the second layer of matzoh, in another even layer.

9. Repeat step No. 5, covering the entire second layer of the chicken mixture with soaked matzohs.

3. Stir in chicken, salt*, parsley, pepper, beaten eggs or Eggbeaters.

APRIL 23

6:15 PM

10. Drizzle 2 tsp. vegetable oil on top of the matzohs and bake 15 min. Remove from oven and drizzle remaining vegetable oil over the top. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the top layer of matzoh has turned a rich brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 mins. Cut with sharp knife and serve. *Salt may be omitted for those on sodium restricted diets.

Kosher Pesach food, family-friendly seder, Israeli wine

4. Preheat oven to 375º F. and lightly oil a shallow rectangular ceramic baking dish (or lasagna

“Please share and enjoy my Passover recipes.” ~ Roz Shraiar

Directions

1. Sauté onion in oil.

Passover Lasagna submitted by Roz Shraiar

Ingredients

Plain matzo

Oil for frying

1 large onion, diced Tomato sauce (pasta or marinara) (I use three bottles for two lasagnas)

Oregano

Basil

Garlic (fresh or powder)

Cottage cheese/eggs mixture (I use 24 oz. of cottage cheese plus four eggs. If it doesn’t feel “runny” then add one more egg.)

2. Add tomato sauce, basil, oregano and garlic until bubbly.

3. Using a 12x9 glass baking dish (or you can use anything you want, like an 8x8 size), place layer of sauce on bottom of baking dish. Then place matzo (with 12x9, you may have to break about a 2-inch piece of matzo) into the dish to cover the bottom. Then, add a layer of cottage cheese, egg mix with spices mixed thoroughly.

4. On top of cottage cheese layer, add hard cheese slices, then matzo, then sauce. Repeat, finishing with matzo, sauce and then shredded cheese.

5. Make sure edges of matzo are covered with sauce.

Hard cheese (I use mozzarella and American.)

Shredded mozzarella for top Parsley

Vegetable Kugel

submitted by Jan Klein

Ingredients

1 cup grated raw apple

1 cup grated raw sweet potato

1 cup grated raw carrot

1 cup matzo meal

¼ cup butter. Melted

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

½ cup sugar

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes until bubbly and brown.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Grease a 10-inch casserole baking dish.

3. Mix all ingredients together.

4. Pour into baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.

5. Bake for 45 min.

6. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees and remove foil.

7. Bake an additional 15 min. Note: To bake in a 9”x13”x2” pan, double all ingredients except sugar.

TEMPLE JUDEA PRESENTS

Sylvia Gorback’s “Goof-Proof” Knaidlach (Matzo Balls)

Submitted by Marsha Kistler

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. water

4 Tbsp. oil

4 eggs

1 cup matzo meal

Salt & freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Dash of cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Beat eggs well. For fluffier balls, separate 2 of the 4 eggs, whip the whites and fold whites into beaten eggs and yolks.

2. Add rest of ingredients.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

5. Wet your hands. Shape the batter into balls one inch in diameter.

6. Drop them gently (do not crowd!) into the boiling water.

7. Reduce the heat to medium and cook covered for 45 minutes to an hour.

8. Using a slotted spoon, remove them from the pot to a bowl.

9. Gently place the knaidlach in the soup when it is lukewarm.

Note: Do not make knaidlach in the soup. They may absorb all the soup and you will be left with very little broth.

Yields 8-12 Knaidlach and can be frozen.

Mandel Bread

submitted by Roz Shraiar

Ingredients

½ cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

Juice and rind of one lemon

1¾ cups cake meal

¼ cup potato starch nuts (optional)

cherries (optional)

raisins (optional)

Matzo Farfel Kugel

submitted by Roz Shraiar

Ingredients

2 cup matzo farfel

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

Sugar and cinnamon for topping

1 cup sour cream

1 cup cottage cheese

1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple with juice

Mock Oatmeal Cookies

submitted by Roz Shraiar

Ingredients

2 cups matzo meal

2 cups matzo farfel

1½ cups sugar

1 cup raisins

1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

2/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

Directions

1. Beat first four ingredients.

2. Add next two ingredients.

3. Add nuts, etc.

4. Make roll (or two rolls).

5. Place in greased baking dish.

6. Flatten (with hands because you don’t want the roll too high).

7. Hide raisins (or they may start to burn).

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cut while hot.

Easily doubled. Check middle slice; may need to place in warm oven to “dry out.”

Directions

1. Soften and drain matzo farfel.

2. Beat eggs and sugar together.

3. Add sour cream, cottage cheese and crushed pineapple with juice.

4. Fold into farfel.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake an additional 20 minutes.

Enjoy cold, enjoy hot, enjoy room temperature and enjoy all year long.

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients.

2. Beat in eggs and oil (into dry ingredients).

3. Use a greased cookie sheet*.

4. Form cookie shapes.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 2530 minutes.

6. Cool before trying to remove from cookie sheet.

*Can be put into a 12x9 pan for loaf then cut.

Passover Spiced Wine Cake

“This is one of our family favorites for Passover.” ~ Carol Glazer

Ingredients

¾ cup Matzo cake meal

½ cup potato starch

6 tsp. finely ground almonds

¾ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

8 eggs separated

1½ cup sugar

1/3 cup Kosher Red Wine

1/3 cup orange juice

Directions

1. Mix together the first six dry ingredients and set aside.

2. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.

3. Gradually beat in sugar until thick and light.

4. Add wine and orange juice; beat on medium speed for 4 minutes.

5. Fold in dry ingredients.

6. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.

7. Fold egg whites into batter.

8. Turn into a greased 10x4 tube pan and bake for 1½ hours at 325 degrees or until done.

9. Invert on cone over a wire rack to cool.

10. When cold, remove to serving plate.

11. Dust with confectioner’s sugar, if desired, and store in an air-tight container.

In every generation, ensure the Jewish community remains strong and united.

As we approach the time-honored celebration of Passover, we find ourselves reflecting on the profound message that echoes through the ages: "In every generation, a person is obligated to show themselves as if they had left Egypt." This powerful statement from our Passover tradition is not merely a call to remember; it is an invitation to be part of a living story, one that transcends time and space, binding us in unity and purpose

This Passover, as we gather around our Seder tables, we do more than recount the story of liberation from ancient Egypt. We affirm our commitment to the ongoing journey of our people.

It is a commitment that drives us to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Israel, to stand with Jewish communities worldwide, to fortify our institutions against violent threat, and to champion the causes that safeguard our collective wellbeing. Each act of kindness, every gesture of solidarity, is a testament to the enduring spirit of our people.

This Passover, we invite you to join hands with fellow supporters and ensure that our generation is remembered for its strength, compassion, and unity.

Your contribution is more than a donation; it is a bridge to the future, a guarantee that our traditions and values will be carried forth by those who come after us.

Please consider making a gift today. Your support is the lifeline that empowers us to act, to protect, and to nurture the vibrant tapestry of Jewish life.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Debbie Sanford Executive Director

Please

2024 Interfaith Shared Scholar Program “Learnings from A Natural Disaster: Faith Communities Post-Hurricane Ian”

Sunday, April 7, 3 to 4:30pm followed by a reception Sanibel Congregational UCC Sanctuary 2050 Periwinkle Way

Hear from this panel of local spiritual experts how a natural disaster impacts faith communities.

* The Interfaith Shared Scholar Program is made possible by an interfaith coalition of congregations on Sanibel and Captiva, including Bat Yam Temple of the Islands, Captiva Chapel by the Sea, the Christian Science Church, Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, and Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ. Funding for this year’s program is provided by a generous grant of the Leo Rosner Foundation.

Kosher wines today

Not your Zayde’s Mogen David.

By Jerry Greenfield, the Wine Whisperer

Today’s kosher wines, whether made in Israel or elsewhere, are a long way from the Concord-based sweeties we used to drink at Passover. A long way.

In Israel, they’re growing grapes and making modern wines in a modern style. And we’d love them once we get over the whole Manischewitz thing. Up on the Golan Heights, internationally trained winemakers are bottling cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc that are competing for buyers here and in Europe.

 Jerry Greenfield

So, what’s the fuss? And what makes a wine kosher, anyway?

Until recently, the kosher laws governing winemaking pretty much kept anyone from making real worldclass wine. That’s because a kosher wine must meet some very stringent requirements.

1. All equipment, tools and storage facilities must be kosher.

2. Only observant male Jews are allowed to work on the production.

3. Non-observant winemakers can only supervise. They’re not allowed to touch any equipment.

We invite members of the community to showcase their crafts and food at our upcoming Israelfest.

8 Foot Table & 2 Chairs are only $36. Synagogues/Jewish Non-Profits are NO CHARGE!

Let us know if you want to participate and we will save you a space. Contact Danielle Bernstein at Danielleb@jfedlcc.org or 239.481.4449 x4

May 1st.

4. In a process called “fining,” egg whites or gelatin is put into the vat. As it settles to the bottom, it removes fruit solids and leaves the wine clear. Not in kosher wines. No animal products may be used, but other types of fining methods are used.

You must discard 1% of the wine you make. This is symbolic of the tithe paid to the temple in Jerusalem.

All barrels must be cleaned three times.

The vineyard must be allowed to lie fallow for one year out of seven. This is a toughie, because if you neglect a fine-wine vineyard for whole year, you wind up with bubkis. Sometimes, the vineyard is sold to a gentile, then repurchased the next year.

After all that, there’s still two kinds of kosher. Regular kosher wine stops being so if it’s opened and poured by a non-Jew. So-called mevushal wines are kosher no matter what, but to

make them so they must be boiled — not something you want to do to a $30-a-bottle cabernet or merlot. Flashpasteurization is often a solution.

The Israeli wine industry dates back … well, to the dawn of time, as it does in Lebanon, Greece and other Middle Eastern areas. When Noah got off the ark after the flood, he immediately planted a vineyard. In the late 1860s, Baron Edmond de Rothschild donated 60 million gold francs to Israel to develop agricultural production. Since the family had recently purchased Chateau Lafite Rothschild in Bordeaux, he placed particular emphasis on the cultivation of fine wine grapes.

As mentioned above, today’s winemakers in Israel are mostly trained at major winemaking schools in California, France or Italy. The winemaker at Golan Heights Winery has a master’s degree from UC Davis, which is pretty much the center of the wine education world. These days, many Israeli wines stand up just fine next to examples from France and California. Here are a couple of recommendations:

Yarden Sauvignon Blanc 2021 –

The Golan Heights Winery makes several brands. These grapes are grown on cool volcanic soil because the area’s elevation is around 3,000 feet. They don’t call it Golan Heights for nothing. The wine spends two months in oak barrels and will remind you of grapefruit, apricots, green apple and lime.

Galil Mountain Merlot 2021 –

Another Golan Heights brand, this rich red offers flavors of cherry, raspberry, pepper, cranberry and mint. The winery also grows other international varieties like syrah, barbera and sangiovese.

And so, there’s a great world of fine wine to discover in Israel … along with everything else.

L’Chaim!

Jerry Greenfield is “The Wine Whisperer.” Read his blog and order his books at www.winewhisperer.com.

Rev. Dr. Mark Boyea Sanibel Congregational UCC

Rev. Dr. Doug Dortch Chapel by the Sea Mary Miller Christian Science Church

Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer Bat Yam Temple of the Islands

Rev. Bill Van Oss St. Michael & All Angels Church

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Chance encounters

By Brian Simon

My uncle Charles died at the end of February. He was a very nice man. Charles Goodbinder married my father’s sister, Susan, the year I was born, and the two couples spent the next three years alternating pregnancies. My cousin, Lisa, came the year after me. Then came my brother, Dan, followed by my cousin, Todd. A few years later, Charles and Susan added my cousin, Jay, to win the game 3-2.

At the funeral, Todd remembered how his dad would talk to everyone, always quick with a joke. Todd inherited that trait, talking to strangers, and he said it drives his wife crazy. As an homage to my uncle, I decided to try starting a few unnecessary conversations.

I began in the line to board the plane on the way to Kansas City to sit shiva.

I asked the woman behind me if Kansas City was home. It turns out that she lived in Kansas City, but she and her husband just purchased a new house in Naples.

Once on the plane, I sat between two guys. One had his earphones on the whole flight. I didn’t disturb him.

As for the other guy, he was busy on his phone the whole time. About halfway through the flight, I asked how he had internet service. He reluctantly answered a couple of questions before making it clear he wasn’t interested in conversation. Turns out he was a sales manager. You have to appreciate the irony of a sales guy who doesn’t want to talk.

I asked the flight attendant who did the funny pre-flight announcements*

if he wrote his own jokes. He told me some were original, some were borrowed and some were stolen. I asked him which ones were original, but he didn’t say. I guess he was busy.

*My favorites were,“In case this LUV plane become a Love Boat, flotation devices are located underneath the seats,” and “Although we don’t anticipate a drop in cabin pressure — or else Josie wouldn’t have come to work today…”

Once in Kansas City, I chatted with a hostess at First Watch. I learned about the small town in Missouri where her mom was from and that she went to the same high school as my best friend, Andy, and that it floods in Los Angeles because they don’t have good sewer systems.

Author/philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a big proponent of serendipity, chance encounters that lead to life-changing opportunities. In Taleb’s view, the goal is to give yourself as many “free non-lottery tickets” as possible.

Author Nick Petrie worked as a home inspector before he became a full-time novelist. He says his clients would just tell him stuff. He spoke to so many military veterans dealing with demons after returning from service that he was able to create the character Peter Ash, a troubled military veteran turned action hero. Petrie has written eight Peter Ash novels so far.

Maybe Uncle Charles was onto something.

I’d like to tell you that one of my extra conversations led to a life-changing opportunity, but it’s only been a few days.

 Brian Simon

Hope

March 7: Day 153 of the War in Gaza

By Rabbi Marc Sack

Chad Gadya is the latest addition to the Haggadah. It first appears in a Haggadah printed in Prague in 1590. Its melody sounds like a German folk song; its lyrics like a children’s poem.

Why does it appear in the Haggadah? Perhaps, because it is fun to sing. Perhaps, because of its last stanza.

“Along comes the Holy One blessed be He and kills the Angel of Death!” It’s a messianic song, envisioning a time when death itself will be vanquished. The seder, which begins with an earthly vision of a better future, “This year we are slaves, next year we will be free,” ends with a vision of the ultimate redemption of us and all humankind.

Marc Sack

stanza, the song leads to the final redemption. The New American Haggadah says this: “ Chad Gadya teaches us that even a small act of violence can lead all the way to God. So, too, can a small act of love … for, as Franz Rosenzweig explains in ‘The Star of Redemption,’ ‘there is no act of neighborly love that falls in the void … because of the unbroken interconnectedness of all objects.’”

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks taught that hope is the belief that people can make the future better; that acts of goodness by people can point the way to some peace.

road, the servant and the harlot. He is also the Roman official, the Persian and the Arab. He is, above all, the

stranger. Elijah the prophet appears in all of these guises as he wanders the world according to Jewish tradition.” Eliyahu HaNavi represents the Jewish belief that hope can come from the most unexpected of places.

The Pesach Seder is about hope, that there is an “unbroken interconnectedness of all objects,” and that people, meaning we, can find a way to make our future better, to move us closer to next year in Jerusalem. During this time of war, we could use this hope.

Rabbi Marc Sack serves at Temple Judea in Fort Myers.

But Chad Gadya teaches more than that. For the song opens with an act of violence: “And here comes the cat (mountain lion?) that eats up the goat.” Then, step by step, unbeknownst to us and the actors in each

Here we are, five months into war. Hamas has walked away from negotiations that could bring a pause to the war and more hostages home. There is no resolution in sight. But we Jews have hope. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks taught that hope is the belief that people can make the future better; that acts of goodness by people can point the way to some peace.

The Haggadah hints at this too — “He is the beggar on the side of the

Are we free yet?

By Rabbi Lawrence Dermer

HJewish Nurse Advocacy Program

Jewish Nurse Advocacy Program

ave you ever really thought about the meaning of freedom beyond the historical context of the Passover Seder? It’s not by accident that each year during Pesach, we fulfill the commandment, “You shall tell your child on that day, “Because of what G-d did for me when I went out of Egypt.”

 Rabbi Lawrence Dermer

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The story of Passover and the miracles of the Exodus are a powerful reminder that there was and still is a G-d who watches over, protects, loves and cares for and about us, and that we need to join together with Divine purpose in morally perfecting the world.

year at the seder, our children ask, “What is the meaning of all of this?” In the midst of this seemingly endless cycle of violence, why continue with all of this ritual and prayer? The real meaning is not in slavery and murder, it’s found in our response. Over the centuries we could have given up and surrendered our Jewish ideals. We could have abandoned the responsibility of our Divine covenant, but we didn’t, precisely because we have Passover. What we celebrate is not slavery, but freedom. As Jews, we choose life.

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Every year at our seder, we chant “Avadim Hayinu! – We were slaves!” then we move right ahead to our redemption. From the story of the first Passover to this year’s celebration, we’re still moving from slavery to redemption. Just a few months ago on Oct. 7, Hamas brutally murdered innocent Israeli men, women and children and took hundreds of our people hostage under unspeakable conditions in the dark tunnels buried deep below Gaza. As the definition of “hostage” means being held against one’s own will, we could easily equate the taking of hostages to a form of slavery.

What we celebrate is not slavery, but freedom. As Jews, we choose life.

In 1948, after almost 2,000 years in exile, the modern-day state of Israel was reborn, giving the Jewish people freedom to worship and live the ethics of Torah in a real society. The meaning of Pesach reinforces our faith: “It was we ourselves that G-d brought out of there, so that G-d might lead us, and give us the land that G-d swore to our ancestors.”

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What about the rest of the Jewish nation in Israel and in the diaspora? Are Israelis in the north and south of the country free to return to their homes? Are they free to live in peace and security? Are young Jewish Americans attending Universities across the country free to speak their mind without fear of retribution and persecution? Across the globe, are we free to express our faith, to be outwardly and openly Jewish without the threat of physical violence? Sadly, the answer to all these questions is no, not now.

For all these reasons, the message of Pesach takes on a deeper and more profound meaning than ever before. Each

In the story of Passover, Pharoah murdered and enslaved our people but ultimately, we were victorious. Today, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and its proxies are trying desperately to do the same, and with G-d’s help, they will fail.

May we all enjoy a transformative, joyous and meaningful Passover. May this Pesach renew our absolute faith in Hashem, and may we draw strength from the merit of the generations that came before us so that future generations will be free to say Am Yisrael Chai and Chag Pesach Sameach!

Rabbi Lawrence Dermer serves Shalom Life Center in Fort Myers

 Rabbi

By Rabbi Nicole Luna

Hanging in my closet, I have old 1950s party dresses. I do not wear them, and my daughters do not use them for dress up, but I can’t get rid of them. They were my grandma’s dresses. They remind me of how much she liked music, socializing and going out. Many of us have a garment of clothing or an accessory from a deceased loved one, and many are aware that our children may not want our old clothes. Still, the tradition of passing on clothes and accessories begins in the Torah, which insists, “the holy garments of Aaron shall pass on to his sons after him, for them to be anointed and ordained in.” (Exodus 29: 29).

emeralds, sapphires, turquoise, amethyst, and more, all framed in gold. He had a headpiece of pure gold, inscribed with the words “Holy to the Eternal” that he would wear across his forehead.

We aren’t talking about ordinary clothes though. Aaron was a priest, commanded to serve God in the mishkan, the portable desert sanctuary. Aaron had hanging up in his closet, an ephod, which is like an apron, made of gold, blue, purple and crimson yarn with stones of the names of the tribes of Israel attached to big shoulder pieces. He wore a jeweled breastplate with

On one hand, Aaron passing down these clothes to his sons is more like passing down a special ritual object, like a tallit, or an object of value, like a watch or wedding ring. Or perhaps it’s like passing down deeply sentimental garments, a hat with a favorite team logo worn by a relative with whom you used to attend sporting events, or someone’s favorite cashmere sweater that fills you with warmth and memories when you wear it.

Aaron’s priestly clothing is certainly not a wardrobe of musty suit jackets and creased blouses. Yet, on the other hand, there is also something special about ordinary clothes. The very first mention of clothing in the Torah is when Adam and Eve discover they are naked. In Genesis, God

makes garments of skin for them and clothes them. What are garments of skin? Perhaps it’s a leather tunic or a warm robe of rabbit fur. All we know is that even regular clothing is special enough that God Godself makes it for human beings.

Once God is in the picture, clothes take on an entirely deeper meaning. Moving away from literal shirts and shorts, our tradition understands putting on clothes as a metaphor for robing oneself with good moral qualities. The Book of Psalms talks about God, saying, “you are clothed in glory and majesty, wrapped in a robe of light.”

When we pass down our wardrobes and accessories, when we receive them from our own relatives, they aren’t simply objects of linen and cotton, cashmere and wool, gold and fine jewels, they are the values and memories they represent. The watch is a token of the hours of hard work a parent put in to take care of our family. The apron is a symbol of the nourishment, care and love that went into every meal. The jewelry of our great-grandparents is a reminder to honor our ancestors and traditions. Each piece of clothing and jewelry is infused with meaning and memory, worth much more than the materials from which it’s made. What garments have you received and what garments do you want to pass down? What do they represent to you?

I never saw my grandmother wear the pale-yellow linen dress that hangs in my closet. But I imagine her in it, and I’m reminded of her beauty and joy. May the clothes that hang in our closet be a testament to the life we’ve lived, and the values and memories we wish to pass on.

Rabbi Nicole Luna serves at Temple Beth El in Fort Myers.

 Rabbi

Nicole Luna

Getting the chametz out of our lives

By Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer

Do you remember what it was like to be idealistic? Do you recall holding the belief that if people would just sit down and talk with one another, reason with one another, love one another, we could create solutions to the most daunting problems facing humanity?

That marching in the streets against war, or attending a concert to end hunger would make a difference?

 Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer

There was a reason for that feeling deep within our souls, lost somewhere in the memories of youth. Deep down inside we are all born idealists.

When pondering the creation of Adam, the Talmud asks the question, “Why was the first human created alone?” To which it replies, “So that each person should say: The world was created just for me.”

Far from justifying any and every abuse (“Hey, if it was created for me, I can do whatever I want with it!”), this supremely Jewish idea says it is your world and you are responsible for it; therefore, go out and fix it.

Between youth and maturity, life’s lessons teach us that that you’ve got to be “realistic” about life. That the best you can hope for is to have a secure career, raise a nice family, take nice vacations and play a little golf or tennis.

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But removing our dreams from our lives leaves a hole we cannot truly fill.

The filler has a name. It is a name that resonates as we enter the Season of our Freedom – Zeman Cheiruteinu, this Festival of Pesach. We call the filler chametz.

When we give up on idealism for the sake of material gain, we acquire chametz. When we ignore the passion for achievements of enduring value and opt for the vicarious pleasure of watching others pursue victory, we acquire chametz. When we say to our-

Our Pesach story has the power to rekindle our optimism, our idealism and restore our freedom.

selves, my life is good and that’s all that matters, we acquire chametz.

And this is what cleaning out chametz for Passover is all about.

As Passover approaches, we are commanded to rid our homes of the

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dough that became bread in favor of the dough that becomes matzah. But beyond seeking out the crumbs in our homes, we are also instructed to seek the selves that we have lost. We are invited to rediscover the basic ingredients of life with no fillers and no additives. The purity of what was. Our Pesach story has the power to rekindle our optimism, our idealism and restore our freedom.

But can we internalize and hold onto the teachings of this season?

After eight days, will we run to put chametz back in our lives, or will we take the lessons of Pesach into

our hearts? Can we live a leaner lifestyle instead of filling ourselves with the yeast and sugar that soothes our guilt over not fulfilling our promises to ourselves?

This year let’s get lean and fit, happy and free. Identify the place where you think you might make a difference and move forward with the resolve to make a difference. Then you will have fulfilled the promise our people made at Mt. Sinai to the Holy One who makes us free.

Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer serves Bat Yam Temple of the Islands

Don’t take it personally

By Rabbi Bruce Diamond

Like you, I’ve met some wonderful people, but also a number of shtunks. All-in-all, the really good folks have far outnumbered the notso-good ones. I hope that’s been your experience too. Except for the occasional vants (which I will get to in a moment), my impression is that most people try to be nice, sincere and put the best face forward.

 Rabbi Bruce Diamond

poorly, it often has little to do with you and everything to do with them. If they weren’t abusing you, they would be abusing someone else. They don’t really know you and what is in your heart, and they don’t care. They are simply doing what they do, and it happens to be your turn now.

No doubt there are times when we have unintentionally provoked these paskudnyaks by hitting one of their many hot buttons, but more often than not, we’re simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, which is to say, anywhere and anytime in their vicinity.

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Of course, we have all had our moments when we’ve been unkind, petty or thoughtless, usually when we have allowed ourselves to become stressed or anxious. But mostly, like every normal person, we try to be good and do what we think is the right thing. Even when we’ve made wrong choices, we honestly believed we meant well. Everything seems like a good idea at the time.

But let’s be honest, whether we know it or not, we’re mostly groping in the fog with all the interpersonal problems that entails. However, it seems unavoidable that every now and then we find ourselves in a collision with someone who’s not normal, doesn’t care about being good, and for whom the “right thing” is selfish ego gratification. Here we are, trying to stay in our lane and follow the rules of the road while they’re driving bumper cars and enjoying all the collisions they’ve intentionally caused.

It is also possible that at certain unenlightened times in our lives, we’ve been that person, but we’ve been willing to learn, mostly the hard way. What about those people who delude themselves into thinking there’s nothing new they need to learn; they are perfectly fine just the way they are even as they consistently leave destruction in their wake? How are we to deal with them?

For me, the answer is contained in the wisdom of the ages and can be summed up with the mantra, “don’t take things personally.” I’ve come to see that when someone treats you

When that happens, we do what we can to disengage, repair what can be fixed, and move on with more dents and door dings. But it is essential that we don’t let this into our kishkes and

…when someone treats you poorly, it often has little to do with you and everything to do with them.

excessively blame ourselves as if we are the prime movers in everything that is happening to us and around us. That would be egotism masquerading as humility.

By understanding this and not taking things personally, it’s a lot easier to cope. The proper answer to “why me, Lord?” is “why not?” We might think we are special, but we really are not, at least when it comes to avoiding collisions with bad people.

Rabbi Bruce Diamond serves at Community Free Synagogue in Fort Myers.

A Jewish custom is Torah!

By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz

According to the Chabad tradition, the four questions at the Passover Seder are asked in the following order:

1. On all nights we need not dip even once, and on this night we do so twice.

2. On all nights we eat chametz (leavened bread) or matza, and on this night only matza.

3. On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, and on this night maror (bitter herbs).

 Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz

4. On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, and on this night we all recline.

It is specifically our

Jewish customs that distinguish us from our non-Jewish surroundings.

What is the reason for this particular sequence?

We cannot say that the questions are ordered according to importance, for if they were, the obligation to eat matza on Passover — a mitzva explicitly stated in the Torah — would have been first. By extension, eating maror, which in our times is a mitzva decreed by our

rabbis, would have been second. Reclining, symbolic of freedom, would have been third, and the question as to why we dip twice would have been last, as it is only a custom.

Are the questions arranged according to the chronological progression of the seder?

Again, the answer is no, for the first thing we do is to make kiddush, which is then drunk in a reclining position. If the questions were asked sequentially, “reclining” would have preceded “dipping,” for the vegetable is dipped in salt water only after kiddush.

“Dipping,” however, is the first question that is asked by the Jewish child. The “dipping” is what initially attracts his attention and catches his eye, despite the fact that it is not a mitzva explicitly mentioned in the Torah nor one even decreed by our rabbis. The child’s curiosity is aroused precisely by a Jewish custom.

There are some who contend that every effort must be made to observe the Torah’s mitzvot no matter how difficult the circumstances, even demonstrating self-sacrifice when necessary. But in their opinion, Jewish customs are not so important. If it is hard to keep a custom, they are willing to forgo it and downplay its significance.

The order of the questions at the Pesach Seder, however, teaches that one

must never belittle the importance of a minhag Yisrael, a Jewish custom. It is precisely the custom that is mentioned first in the Hagada. The custom stimulates the child to go on to ask the other questions.

It is specifically our Jewish customs that distinguish us from our non-Jewish

surroundings. For it is only when a Jew observes these customs that his uniqueness is apparent. As we say, “You have chosen us from among the nations.”

“A Jewish custom is Torah!”

Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz serves at Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida.

Passover — is it redemption or salvation?

By Cantor Barry Butensky

We are reaching the special time of year when spring is upon us, and we are blessed with the holiday of Passover. During this yearly season, we connect deeply to the energy of hope, envisioning and anticipating the positive, transformative influence of G-d, an effect often called “redemption” or “salvation.” We express gratitude with the blessing “shehekheyanu v’kiyemanu v’higiyanu la’zman ha’zeh.” We thank G-d for giving us life, sustaining us and bringing us to this special time.

 Cantor Barry Butensky

Annually, we are given the opportunity to tap into the inner well of our soul and awaken our connection with G-d, recognizing these resources as ever-present in our lives. Because we are souls in physical form, we live in a world of contradictions, paradoxes and challenges, which may, at times, shake us to our core.

G-d has placed us in this realm to arouse hope in the face of despair, to shine our light in the murky dimness of this world. During Passover, the festival of freedom, we experience the story of our people through the reading of the Haggadah. We relive the physical and emotional depths of slavery from which we rise and reach spiritual freedom as a liberated people.

in our present lives. Passover and its mitzvot helps us achieve an individual mindset of free choice and ethical responsibility, while collectively experiencing spiritual liberation and renewal as a community.

Cleaning for hametz reminds us of the constant inner labor of refining ourselves, searching our inner lives and scrubbing and polishing our coarse character traits. Eating matzah, a simple food, is one of the main commandments of the holiday. It reminds us to stay humble and to place our trust in G-d who will sustain us, infusing us with faith and inner healing in the process. When we are stronger in our core, we live our lives in a more spiritually graceful, elegant manner, with clear purpose and focused energy.

We thank G-d for giving us life, sustaining us and bringing us to this special time.

Similarly, other mitzvot we engage in during the seder, such as drinking wine and reclining on cushions, remind us that we are kings and queens, princes and princesses, regal souls containing divine sparks here on this earth to serve a higher purpose.

Reexperiencing this journey and applying its lessons, we are strengthened and elevated to a higher level of existence

May we continue to be blessed with good health and good fortune, insha’ala “Hag kasher ve’sameah” — wishing you a kosher, healthy and happy Passover Cantor Barry Butensky serves at Temple Beth Shalom in Cape Coral.



As the spring days start to roll in, so do many fun Jewish holidays and traditions. March brought so much entertainment, including Hamantaschen baking with the students, our religious school Shabbat service where the students got to sing prayers, Purim songs to get everyone ready for the holiday, our joint Purim Carnival with Temple Judea and PJ Library and our Purim spiel called the “Sounds of Shushan.

Our first session of Mazel Tots was amazing, with many families and little ones participating each Sunday morning. They start with circle time songs welcoming each little child,

then read a story followed by working on a craft related to Jewish studies or an upcoming holiday. When we have nice weather, they get to go outside on the playground or play with toys in the Dubin Center. It is so special seeing so many families with young children forming bonds together. Jennifer has been instrumental in coming up with fantastic ideas to make this program a success. Our next session will begin the first weekend of April and registration is open on the Temple Beth El website.

The students in our 3rd to 5th grade continued working on the Hakarat Hatov lesson. The foundation of

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Choosing the right photographer is an important decision. Michael Shapiro has more than 30 years experience in media and journalism. He is able to capture images that are unique, unexpected and spontaneous.

Bar / Bat Mitzvah Specialist

Choosing the right photographer is an important decision. Michael Shapiro has more than 30 years experience in media and journalism. He is able to capture images that are unique,

239.770.6860

a good friendship and community includes trusting each other, recognizing the good in each other and showing appreciation for each other. Students learned to look for good in every situation, practiced judging favorably,

and to consider which characteristics to look for in a friend. These lessons are super important in all these children’s lives, and they help each one of them grow to be good strong kids in the future. Aside from all the learning, students had so much fun making Hamantaschen for Purim, making courage catchers and then celebrating Purim at our carnival.

courageous and put them inside their catcher. Some of the examples they gave were, “I am strong,” “I can stand up for myself and others,” and “I can say no when things don’t feel right.” When the students made their hamantaschen cookies, they had fun filling them with Nutella, which seemed to be the winning flavor. As we wind down toward the end of the school year, students are constantly working on their Hebrew letters and reciting prayers.

Our youngest students are truly adorable. They are eager to learn and work hard during each class. Every one of them loves doing crafts and can always relate the new things they learn to things they have already learned. Curious minds are what we love to see! The students read the story of Esther and got to use finger puppets. They created their own story characters by coloring them in a paper doll coloring page, making them look however they thought the characters looked. The kids were very eager to get into the kitchen and make their hamantaschen cookies with fillings of Nutella, raspberry and apricot.

We look forward to our next upcoming holiday of Passover. Our students will participate in a school-wide seder that will be themed Around the World. The kids always enjoy learning about Pesach and what each item on the seder plate stands for. Lots of food and songs to be sung.

If you are interested in our upcoming events or in joining our religious school, please feel free to contact

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In Morah Lindsay’s class, students also worked with the older students on their courage catchers. The project was to teach the children about the story of Purim and how Queen Esther had the “courage” to stand up for the Jews and tell her King that Haman wanted to kill them all. While making them, the kids wrote ways to show being

or call the office. Our school is continuously growing and if you or someone you know would be interested in joining as an educator, please let us know.

Allison Fego at religiousschool@ templebethel.com

Fort Myers

Allison Fego, Religious School Coordinator

Emily Raab, Cyrus Katx and Dexter Medlock make extra hamantaschen with yummy fillings.

Asher Moon, Cyrus Katz and Madison Keren fill the hamantaschen

Pre-Kindergarteners make Hamantashcen with Morah Aliza.

Our 1st through 6th grade classes made courage catchers.

TEMPLE JUDEA PRESCHOOL

Fort Myers

Suki Kelly, Preschool Director

March was a fun month for our preschool students — we started it off by celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday. The children had a great time dressing up each day, but the favorite day was Pajama and Crazy Sock Day! We also celebrated Purim by decorating bags and filling them with goodies to give to friends as

a Mishloach Manos. We then went for a Purim Parade around the school.

After spring break, the Pre-K class had a fantastic trip to the Broadway Palm Theater to see “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.” The book is a Pre-K favorite, and they were delighted to see the book come to life as a show. After the show, children

TEMPLE JUDEA RELIGIOUS SCHOOL

Fort Myers

Abbie Grossman, Religious School Coordinator

As Purim nears, our students have been enthusiastically learning Purim songs, infusing our celebrations with joyous melodies that echo through our halls. From traditional favorites to lively tunes, these songs have become the soundtrack to our Purim festivities, uniting us in harmony and spirit. Moreover, students have taken on the delicious challenge of crafting

hamantaschen from scratch, delving into the rich tradition of baking these triangular treats. With flour-dusted hands and hearts full of anticipation, they have embraced the culinary arts, filling each hamantaschen with sweet fillings and the spirit of the holiday. These homemade delicacies not only tantalize our taste buds but also serve as a tangible expression of our connection to the traditions and customs

had an opportunity to ask questions about the play.

In April, we will begin to practice for our graduation! The children will work hard to practice their graduation songs. The Pre-K class will go back to their classroom as the renovations will be completed. We are so happy and grateful to all our friends and family that helped in getting the building restored. We will have a building reopening celebration!

The children will make creative matzah and fruit-inspired snacks as we celebrate Passover. We will also

that make Purim such a cherished time in our community.

For those eager to stay informed about upcoming events or to explore opportunities for involvement in our programs, we encourage reaching out to Abbie Grossman at 239-770-4546 or tjswfledu@gmail.com. Together, let us continue to cultivate a community rooted in tradition and enriched by the diverse contributions of each member as we embark on the next chapter of our collective journey.

make beautiful Afikoman bags and will decorate the cup of Elijah in art! Temple Judea Preschool is currently accepting new enrollments for the 2024-2025 school year! We have an exciting year planned for our current and new families. If you are interested in joining our school, please contact us at 239-482-1121 or email templejudeapreschool@gmail. com. Children enrolled for the school year will have the opportunity to enroll in our summer camp program as well.

FORT MYERS BBYO FROZEN YOGURT SOCIAL

SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2024

12 PM- 2PM

MENCHIES FROZEN YOGURT 5100 DANIELS PKWY #500, FORT MYERS, FL 33912

COME CHILL AND ENJOY SOME FROZEN YOGURT WITH YOUR FORT MYERS BBYO FRIENDS!

FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO CSCHREIER@BBYO.ORG

JOSEPH HOROWITZ ISRAEL TRAVEL GRANT

is available through TOP Jewish Foundation of Lee & Charlotte Counties and may be used for travel to Israel to participate in programs that are volunteer or educational in nature.

OUR HOPE

BBYO

Naples/Fort Myers

Cayla Schreier, BBYO Southwest Coordinator

BBYO Naples and Fort Myers

By Cayla Schreier, BBYO Southwest Coordinator

February may be the shortest month of the year, but our BBYO teens made the most of it. At the cookie decorating activity and orientation in the BBYO Lounge, our N’Siah (president), Bella Schaab, explained BBYO’s mission, core values, learning and leadership opportunities as well as details on upcoming events to new members, prospects and current members. Afterwards, the teens created their own icing colors and decorated their sugar cookies.

The Mishpacha B’nai B’rith girls hosted a Galentine’s Day party, and the Negev AZA boys held a Pre-Superbowl Game party. The girls painted candles, ate chocolate desserts, wrote Valentine’s Day notes and watched a romantic comedy. The boys played spike ball, football, corn hole, Superbowl Squares and ate snacks out of the snackadium.

In addition to attending the North Florida Region’s Spring Regional Convention in Orlando April 19-21, the teens are planning another event for April. Details to follow.

We hope you all have a nice and easy Passover holiday with your friends and family.

What is BBYO?

BBYO is a diverse and inclusive Jewish youth group to encourage Jewish teens to become more immersed and interested in meaningful Jewish activities and programs. This organization accepts Jewish teens attending 8th through 12th grades of all backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender, race, denominational affiliation or socioeconomic status. BBYO currently reaches over 70,000 teens worldwide, with participants in over 60 countries.

THIS GRANT

is for Jewish residents of either county who are 25 years old or younger and can demonstrate a financial need. Academic standing and community involvement may also be considered.

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is that these programs will enhance Jewish knowledge and identity in preparation for participation in American Jewish life. 1 3 2

is proud to offer the Stevan & Marilyn Simon Family Scholarship. This scholarship is open to those at least high school age who demonstrate leadership qualities and will be participating in a 2week or longer program in Israel. A short essay is required.

Three of our teens attended BBYO’s International Convention in Orlando as did some of our Naples BBYO board members. The teens had a great time hanging out with their friends from throughout Florida, listening to different influential figures and meeting new friends.

March has also been busy. Our teens were excited to return to Cone06 Pottery in Naples. They also volunteered with the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte County to distribute Purim Shalach Manos to Jewish residents at different assisted living facilities in Bonita Springs, Estero and Fort Myers. The teens were excited to make others feel special on such a joyous holiday.

A challah bake in conjunction with the Chabad of Florida Gulf Coast University is set for Sunday, March 31 at 1:30 p.m. The teens will see the FGCU campus, get to know some Jewish FGCU students, learn about opportunities to continue their involvement in Jewish clubs and organizations posthigh school and, most importantly, make a challah.

It is crucial to engage teens postB’nai Mitzvah age in Jewish activities. Having teens get involved in BBYO and be eager to create and confidently continue their own Jewish is critical to our future.

The BBYO chapter of Naples has entered its 11th year of partnership with Southwest Florida Jewish organizations. We thank each and every one of our BBYO alums, friends and other supporters for making this a safe and positive environment for the teens of BBYO Naples and Fort Myers.

If you know of someone who has a teen who might like to join BBYO Naples or Fort Myers or someone who may want to be an advisor, please email me at cschreier@bbyo.org. You can also follow us on Instagram at Mishpacha_BBG and Negevaza.

Scholarships to attend BBYO conventions and summer programs are available. Please contact me for more information on scholarships. If you are a BBYO alumn and would like to be included in our Friends and Alumni of BBYO mailing list, please email us at mjs0821@aol.com.

CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

Fort Myers

(239) 433-7708 • www.Chabadswf.org

Please feel free to join Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida, 5620 Winkler Rd., Fort Myers for these Passover services:

Sunday, April 21

Search for Chametz after 8:20 p.m.

Monday, April 22

• Eat Chometz until 11:11 a.m.

• Burn Chometz until 12:11 p.m.

• Light candles at 7:37 p.m.

• Evening service at 7:30 p.m.

• First Passover Community Seder at 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 23

• Passover Day 1

• No Kabbalah Class

• Prayer service at 10 a.m.

• Evening service at 7:30 p.m.

• Light candles after 8:31 p.m.

• Second Passover Seder at 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday April 24

• Passover Day 2

• No Kabbalah Class

• Prayer service at 10 a.m.

• Evening service at 7:30 p.m.

• Evening service at 7:30 p.m.

• Yom Tov ends at 8:32 p.m.

Friday April 26

• Candle lighting at 7:39 p.m.

• Prayer service at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday April 27

• Prayer service at 10 a.m.

• Kiddush at 12:15 p.m.

• Evening service at 7:30 p.m.

• Shabbas ends at 8:34 p.m.

Sunday April 28

• Prayer service at 7:30 p.m.

• Candle lighting at 7:40 p.m.

Monday April 29

• Passover Day 7

We went to inspire and we were inspired

By Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz

Representing Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida, Meir Simcha Minkowicz and I, together with Bob and Taryn from our community, went on a solidarity mission to Israel to inspire. We came back inspired.

Our visit to Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan Israel, the largest and leading Israeli hospital, which has also won wide recognition in the international medical arena, was very moving and inspiring.

We visited the wounded soldiers in the rehabilitation part of the hospital.

They were wounded to the point that all you can do is cry as you witness soldiers with the loss of legs, hands and other huge wounds.

You listen to their stories and the way they look at what happened as they see themselves as a surviving miracle and are grateful to Hashem to be alive.

You are there to inspire, and you just want to cry. The beyond amazing part is that every wounded soldier is happy and full of faith.

As we know, music reaches places where words cannot, so we sang with the soldiers, gave them some presents and walked away inspired that no matter what happens to us Am Yisroel Chai!

• No Kabbalah Class

• Prayer service at 10 a.m.

• Evening service at 7:30 p.m.

• Light candles after 8:35 p.m.

Tuesday April 30

• Passover Day 8 (last)

• No Kabbalah Class

• Prayer service at 10 a.m.

• Yizkor at 11 a.m.

• Evening service at 7 p.m.

• Moshiachs Feast at 7:30 p.m.

• Yom Tov ends at 8:36 p.m.

For more information and seder reservations, please visit Chabadswf.org.

Happy Passover.

BAT YAM TEMPLE OF THE ISLANDS Sanibel

(773) 251-8862 • www.batyam.org

After several extraordinarily memorable events in late February and March, Bat Yam Temple of the Islands is sponsoring four significant events in the month of April.

Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer teaches a “lunch and learn” Adult Education Class on the first Wednesday of the month, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall of the Sanibel Congregational UCC (SCUCC). The next class will take place on Wednesday, April 3. The class is also simultaneously held on Zoom, the link for which may be obtained by writing to batyamsanibel@gmail.com. All are welcome!

The temple’s Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 4, 4 p.m. in Fellowship Hall of the SCUCC, with an election of temple officers and directors for the 2024-2025 season and a vote on the temple’s operating budget as well as changes to the temple’s bylaws. A light dinner will be served. This event is open to all Bat Yam members.

Three days later, on Sunday, April 7, the 2024 Interfaith Shared Scholars’ program will take place, beginning at 3 p.m. in Fellowship Hall of the SCUCC. This year’s program is entitled “Learnings from a Natural Disaster: Faith Communities Post-Hurricane Ian” and features the spiritual leaders

of five local religious organizations. The program is funded by a generous grant of the Leo Rosner Foundation and represents an interfaith coalition of congregations on Sanibel and Captiva, including Bat Yam Temple of the Islands, Chapel by the Sea, the Christian Science Church, Saint Michael, All Angels Episcopal Church and the SCUCC. There will be a reception afterwards. All are welcome to attend this event.

On Monday, April 22, Bat Yam will hold its annual Community Passover Seder at 5 p.m. in Fellowship Hall of the SCUCC. Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer will lead the seder service using the special Haggadah he put together for Bat Yam last year. Seating for members and non-members will be available on a first-reserved basis; reservations are required. This traditional meal is collectively and elegantly prepared and served in accordance with the best observances of this holiday.

Bat Yam members and friends continue to feel energized by several special events held in late February and March. Rabbi Schnitzer’s joyous formal installation as Bat Yam’s spiritual leader was held on Feb. 23 in the newly renovated main sanctuary of SCUCC. Over 100 Bat Yam members and friends attended, and it was a Shabbat like no other. Members and guests were privileged to be part of the warmth and melodies emanating from the pulpit as well as from the sumptuous reception held in Fellowship Hall after the service.

The magnificent buffet prepared by Bat Yam members was befitting the very special evening. Our musical

Rabbi/Cantor Sunny was his usual erudite, humble and talented spiritual self, with added ingredients being the musical accompaniments for the evening of Rabbi Shohama Wiener and Rabbi David Evan Markus, both friends and colleagues of Rabbi Schnitzer, on guitars; Abbey Allison on the piano; and Natalia Rosen on the violin.

Bat Yam and the SCUCC continued their tradition of an annual “Pulpit Exchange” on the weekend of March 15-17. On Friday evening, Rev. Dr. Mark Boyea delivered the sermon at Bat Yam’s Shabbat Service. Then, on Sunday morning, Rabbi Schnitzer delivered his sermon at the SCUCC’s Worship celebration in SCUCC Sanctuary.

Immediately following the pulpit exchange worship celebration on March 17, “The Green Team” sponsored a joint SCUCC and Bat Yam lunch-and-learn program about solar energy in Fellowship Hall. The Green Team is an official committee of Sanibel Congregational UCC dedicated to helping keep the covenant, which says in part, “We will serve and support each other and do all we can to protect — the birds, animals and plants as well — on this fragile barrier island.” Bat Yam members work on Green Team programs and engage in its educational and advocacy efforts.

Finally, on Saturday evening, March 23, in the main sanctuary of SCUCC, Bat Yam celebrated Purim with a Havdalah service and the musical play, “The Megillah of Oz.” It was a melodious evening followed by a reception with delicious hamantaschen in Fellowship Hall.

Bat Yam's officers hold the tallit over Rabbi Schnitzer during his formal installation

Bat Yam members joyously dance during the installation service of Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer.

Temple Beth Shalom (TBS) is thrilled to be hosting the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties’ Taste of Israel this year. We can’t wait to welcome the community into our beloved synagogue so everyone can enjoy the improvements we have made over the past couple of years and get a taste of our special TBS hospitality.

So much has happened since our last article, and there is so much going on that it is hard to know where to start. We are grieving the loss of our long-time member, Bob Morris, and are saddened at Bob and Peri Pantazes’ decision to move to North Carolina. They will be sorely missed.

We welcome new member Melissa Fryer and her beautiful son, who is bringing us into the 21st century by streaming our services on YouTube. Check it out and subscribe at https://www.youtube. com/@TempleBethShalomCapeCoral. While it is not interactive, like Zoom, the quality of the sound and picture are much better. We will continue to hold services in person and via Zoom as well as streaming on YouTube.

Temple Beth Shalom is participating in several activities with other congregations. Our children enjoyed Purim

together with children from Temple Beth-El and Temple Judea. The reading of the Megillah by Cantor Butensky was tons of fun, and we hope to have many more activities together.

The TBS book club joined the other synagogues at the community Meet the Author, with Benyamin Cohen discussing his book “My Jesus Year.” We also had large groups going out to dinner, then to the Jewish Federation Film Festival movies. Speaking of Jewish Federation, TBS was part of a big group on the Federation’s Shabbat at Sea.

Our members are planning a Passover Seder, open to the community on the second night of Passover, Tues. April 22, 6 p.m. in our social hall. We welcome guests to celebrate with us. The cost will be $40 for non-member adults and $20 for children 5-12. Call us at 239772-5815 or contact us at office@temple bethshalomcc.org if you would like to make a reservation.

There is much more going on at TBS, and we would love to have you join us. For a complete list of activities, please visit our website, www.templebethshalomcc.org, to check out our events calendar and subscribe to our weekly newsletter. We welcome you with open arms.

Members enjoy Shabbat at Sea

Members enjoy Shabbat at Sea

TEMPLE BETH EL

(239) 433-0018 • www.templebethel.com

Sisterhood is holding a Women’s Seder on Tuesday, April 9, 4 p.m. in the Dubin Center. Please join this “Celebration of Jewish Women.” Dinner is a potluck event, which is coordinated when you register online. Watch for the email.

Sisterhood’s next Ladies who Lunch is planned for April 18 at 12:30 p.m. Can April top our secret March guest? It just gets better and better. Remember, Sisterhood or Temple membership is not required to join in the fun. Please register on the Temple Beth El (TBE) calendar. Any questions, email sister hood@templebethel.com.

Mazel tov to the Bronson family. Serenity Bronson will be called to the Bima for her bat mitzvah on Saturday, April 13 at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome to share in this lifecycle event.

Wouldn’t you like to have “Peace of Mind?” Temple Beth El will hold an informative funeral pre-planning seminar for the entire Lee County community, sponsored by the Garden of Memories Ceme-

from his newly published anthology. The anthology may be purchased in advance at https://www.transcontinental music.com/PDS-Marshall-PortnoyAnthology-79938. The Temple’s High Holiday services will be graced with Cantor Portnoy on the Bima in the fall.

Passover arrives the end of April and Sisterhood will hold the Second Night Seder in the Dubin Center on Tuesday, April 23 at 5:30 p.m. Our rabbi will lead as in prior years, and it will be a delicious and spiritual community gathering. Registration will be through the Temple website.

Welcome to the family! Mazel tov to the Pezzi family who will celebrate a baby naming during the April 26 services.

Have a nice voice? Love to sing? Our choir has openings. Email your interest to info@templebethel.com.

Temple Beth El’s vibrant Israel Committee meets the first Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. via Zoom. We have a commitment to the Lone Soldier Program and the committee works to

• Torah Study led by Rabbi Luna Saturday mornings, 9 a.m. via Zoom

• Book Club: April 3 will be “Signal Fires” by Dani Shapiro

• Tot Shabbat, a kid-friendly service, is April 5 and May 3 at 6 p.m. Bring your kids and grandkids. Come for fellowship, fun and pizza. RSVP at 239-433-0018.

• History & Heritage of Our People is the third Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m. via Zoom.

• Shabbat services: Fridays at 7:30 p.m., live in the sanctuary, via Zoom and on Facebook

• 12-Step Recovery Group: 11 a.m. Saturdays via Zoom. We are seeking a path to recovery via Judaic spiritual principles and the Twelve Steps.

There’s always something happening at TBE, and our members make it happen. Follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram: @TempleBethElofFortMyers. You can always contact the office at 239-433-0018. Let’s pray for peace around the world.

Temple Beth El … where everyone matters

TEMPLE JUDEA

April is a month of celebrations at Temple Judea.

Rabbi Marc Sack’s introduction to Judaism class continues. This class is a must for anyone interested in conversion to Judaism but is open to all who have an interest in learning. Please call the office with questions.

Temple Judea Religious School continues Sundays, 9:30 a.m.-noon, and Tuesdays, 4:30-6 p.m. Tot Shabbat will be Friday, April 12 at 3:30 p.m., with

Contact Joyce Rosinger at 239-4371566 or gjrosinger@gmail.com for other events and activities.

Chaverot continues to look for event ideas of all kinds. Please email Rivkah Katz at rsk5041@comcast.net with suggestions. For details of April events, contact Rivkah Katz at rsk5041@ comcast.net or 770-891-0101.

Temple Judea continues to accept food donations to the Cadkin Foundation Food Pantry at Jewish Federation. There are collection envelopes near the front door for contactless monetary or gift contributions. Contributions may be mailed. Please call the office to ensure your contribution has been received.

Temple Judea is conducting in person services with an online Zoom option. Synagogue members can use the Zoom ID and password as published in our weekly megillah. Non-local residents may contact the synagogue for information.

Regularly scheduled events

Friday evening Shabbat services preceded by wine and cheese at 6:15 p.m.; services at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday morning Shabbat services at 9:30 a.m. Kiddush luncheons served every Shabbat. To sponsor, contact JoAnn Lewin.

Morning minyan every Monday at 9 a.m., followed by breakfast and Jewish current events with Rabbi Sack at First Watch, 13211 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers.

Every Monday, Temple President Jan Klein will be at Temple Judea from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to meet, listen and discuss ideas, suggestions or concerns. We would love to see you in person

SHALOM LIFE CENTER

Fort Myers

(239) 218-3433 • www.shalomlifecenter.org

Shalom Life Center is Southwest Florida’s premier warm and welcoming home for contemporary Jewish life with a passionate commitment to Israel, community and spiritual growth. Everyone is always welcome to be a part of a spiritual community, a warm and welcoming Shalom Life Center family!

Every Saturday morning at 10 a.m., SLC offers an interactive and participatory Torah study led by Rabbi Lawrence Dermer with a focus on the relevance of our timeless traditions and bringing the ancient wisdom of Torah into our daily lives.

Shalom Life Center offers many other opportunities to enhance your Jewish life and learning and further your involvement in community service while making friends in a warm and welcoming Jewish spiritual community without the financial commitment of membership dues.

Let your spirit soar at Shalom Life Center where community is family and prayer is always inspirational, meaningful and musical. For more information, visit www.shalomlifecenter.org.

We offer individualized learning and spiritual guidance, including bar/bat mitzvah preparation as well as special needs bar/bat mitzvah preparation. We also offer Pop Up Shabbat experiences that are open to the whole community as well as weekly Torah study, Café Kabbalah, book club and so much more. If you’d like to learn more, please send us an email or give us a call.

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Heartfelt condolences are extended to Joe Cramer and family on the death of Sheila, beloved wife of nearly 50 years. Sheila was loved by all who knew her for her peaceful, positive spirit and the genuine, selfless interest she took in those around her.

Dorothy Aszkenas’ headstone unveiling is Friday, March 29, 11:30 a.m. at the Fort Myers Memorial Gardens.

Thanks go out to our “holy rollers” who baked scores of hamantaschen before Purim, to our generous bingo prize donors, to Colette Ott for her creative gift baskets, to Broadway Palm Theatre for the two tickets, to The Pampered Soul spa for the gift certificate, and to The Summit of Fort Myers Senior Living for the loan of their bingo equipment.

The bingo games between the reading of the megillah chapters calls to mind the lots (as in lottery) that the villainous Haman cast to determine the most auspicious day to begin his pogrom against us throughout the Achaemenid Persian Empire.

In keeping with the Purim tradition of “matanot l’avyounim” (gifts to the needy), a collection was taken to help the people of Ahavat Yisrael Congregation in Itonko Uganda buy two plough oxen, a plough and other farming supplies needed to begin cultivating melons, tomatoes and peppers.

The Community Free Synagogue (CFS) funded Ahavat Yisrael’s now successful self-sustaining chicken raising project (for the sale of eggs and chicks), helping expand it from 50 chickens to nearly 1,000. Some of the proceeds were used to lease the five acres of land to be put under cultivation.

The 1st and 2nd Night Community Sedarim will be held in CFS’s home on the Unity campus. The ritual meals are free and open to all, but reservations are required on a first-come, firstserved basis as seating is limited. To receive your invite, email your street address to synfree@comcast.net or call 239-247-4556.

The rabbi’s Adult Basic Hebrew classes continue through April on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 3:30-4 p.m. Adult bnot/bnai mitzvah classes are every Thursday, 4-5 p.m. Both programs are via Zoom. Go to www.fort myerssynagogue.com.

Shabbat Eve begins each week at 6:30 p.m. with a Shabbat meal, followed by worship at 7:30 p.m., followed by a social hour. If you plan to attend dinner, consider bringing a non-dairy dish, side dish, salad, wine or dessert. The rabbi makes the hallah and CFS Coordinator Natalie Fulton prepares the soup. There is no charge, but we do collect a tip for Lucy, who sets up and cleans up. Please keep the influx of several new participants in mind when you prepare for our qabbalat Shabbat meal.

Our worship generally follows a traditional format; however, the Torah is often read, and the rabbi gives a short talk. The service is highly participatory, egalitarian and in keeping with the positive, joyous spirit of the Shabbat.

The rabbi teaches Torah via Zoom every Shabbat morning starting at 9:30 a.m. Logon information is at www. fortmyerssynagogue.com. If you do not operate a computer, the rabbi will make arrangements for you.

Everything is free and open to all. Memberships are not for sale. There are no fundraising solicitations. The synagogue is an “intentional community” designed to create a peaceful, stable and harmonious setting for our prayer, study and benevolent acts under the rabbi’s guidance.

MAHJ NG

TUESDAYS 12 ~ 3 P.M.

Jewish Federation Community Room 9701 Commerce Center Court * Fort Myers

NEW & experienced players welcome!

Demonstration & lessons for beginners can be available upon interest.

For more information, contact Mindi Weinstein at mindiweinstein@yahoo.com

We have started an outreach program with Jewish inmates at The Charlotte Correctional Institution in Punta Gorda. The rabbi volunteers for weekly Zoom meetings with the prisoners and will be joined by volunteers for in-person holiday visits. If you are interested, email the rabbi at synfree@comcast.net.

The Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties is creating a Holocaust Education department in response to growing antisemitism and a need for education and remembrance. The new department will sponsor outreach programs in the schools and community as well as host speaking, author and film events. We are also in the process of creating a remembrance wall that will highlight local loved ones lost in the Shoah. For naming and other donor opportunities, or to share stories, please contact JFED Holocaust Education Director Ella Nayor at 239-281-7874 or via email at jfedholocaustdirector@gmail.com

Chavurat Shalom programs and updates

By Cheryl Fulmer, Ellen Feingold and Marcia Rudin

April is that special month of the year, corresponding to the Hebrew month of Nissan, when Jews celebrate their ancient holiday of Pesach. When we say ‘ancient,’ we are talking more than 4,000 years ago! Every year that we read the Haggadah Exodus story, we are in awe of the courage and fortitude that the ragtag bunch of former slaves displayed at the crossing of the Sea of Reeds, not to mention schlepping through the wilderness for 40 years.

This year, our Passover begins on Monday evening, April 22, the 15th day of Nissan. The week of Passover will end on Tuesday evening, April 30.

Chavurat Shalom wishes all of you a ‘zissen Pesach,’ a sweet Pesach. And may Israel find peace.

April 2024 Tuesday program schedule

• April 2, 7:30 p.m. – Informal “Schmooze” session hosted by Marcia Rudin

• April 9, 7:30 p.m. – Ask the Doctors, Part II – Chavurat Shalom member doctors Mark Peppercorn, Marge Peppercorn, Hy Kempler, Sheila Kempler, Don Bachman, Karen Back, Ellen Feingold and Kathy Zoss will discuss DNR’s and health care directives.

• April 16, 7:30 p.m. – Chavurat Shalom Board Meeting – all are invited.

• April 23 – no program; Passover break

• April 30, 7:30 p.m. – Dr. Michael Raab will discuss his recent experiences as a volunteer physician in Israel.

Chavurat Shalom members were treated to a last-minute addition to the February program schedule when Dr. Eric D. Skolnick, an anesthesiologist who had recently returned from volunteering his services in Israel, shared his experiences and observations in a presentation titled “Israel at War as Seen Through the Eyes of a Volunteer Doctor.”

Eric, the son of Chavurat Shalom Secretary Irene Skolnick and her radiologist husband, Leon, took a leave of absence from his hospital practice to spend two weeks at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, replacing anesthesiologists from there who were called up for the war in Gaza.

The Tuesday night lecture programs in March were presented by the Reverend Margaret L. Beard, who spoke about “What You Might Want to Know About Unitarian-Universalism” on March 12 and by Jennifer Mittelstadt, a Rutgers University professor, who discussed “The Real Fight for Academic Freedom” on March 26.

The holiday of Purim provided an opportunity for members in the area to gather for an outdoor party Sunday, March 24 on Sanibel. After enjoying delicious Hamentashen as well as other desserts, many participated in a lively Purimspiell. It was wonderful to be together in person.

In March, the Tzedakah Committee sent out its annual appeal. We

thank those of you who answered our request for funds to be allocated by the Tzedakah Committee to help Israelis harmed by the invasion of Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7. If you wish to donate to this fund, send your checks, made out to Chavurat Shalom with “Tzedakah Fund” on the memo line, to Chavurat Shalom, PO Box 722, Sanibel, FL 33957.

Chavurat Shalom continues Shabbat services every Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. The informal Schmooze is the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. Torah Talk is the first Saturday at 10 a.m. Len Minsky Jewish Current Events occurs the second, third and fourth Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. Lectures are on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.

All Chavurat Shalom activities are held via Zoom unless otherwise noted. All times are Eastern Standard Time. Everyone is welcome to attend. If you want to get more information about these events or to obtain a Zoom link, send an email request to chavurat shalom@gmail.com.

Chavurat Shalom (Fellowship of Peace) is an informal group from every Jewish religious tradition that meets to worship and learn together. We welcome people of all faiths from Sanibel, Fort Myers, other Southwest Florida locations and from all over the country. We are not affiliated with any Jewish organized movement. Our group is community-led. Each person has an equal voice in it and may participate to whatever extent desired.

For more information about our group and its activities, email chavuratshalom@gmail.com or visit our website chavuratshalomofsouth westflorida.org.

Happy

How Hadassah helps to heal

By Nancy Wiadro, President’s Council for Collier/Lee Chapter

Hadassah’s new $137 million, multi-story rehabilitation center was scheduled to open in May 2024 on the medical organization’s Mount Scopus campus, overlooking the Temple Mount. But on the night of Oct. 7, seeing the devastation from the Hamas attacks and fearing an even greater conflict, Hadassah Medical Organization’s director-general, Dr. Yoram Weiss, made two decisions: to construct a fortified hospital on the campus that could operate even under heavy attack and to open the rehabilitation facility to patients by January 2024.

Since Oct. 7, Hadassah has raised more than $16 million for the rehabilitation center, a fortified facility with the supplies that Hadassah hospitals need. Those funds also enrich the residential youth villages that Hadassah supports. More than $8 million of that has already been transferred to the hospitals, with $5.5 million going specifically to expedite work on the Gandel Center. More than $400,000 was

allocated to the youth villages, housing displaced and traumatized teens.

Unlike Hadassah Hospital at Ein Kerem and other major medical centers in Israel, the older Mount Scopus campus did not have a fortified area that could function as a hospital if the area came under rocket and missile fire. To address this, Hadassah directed workers to convert an under-construction underground parking garage with the infrastructure necessary to operate a fully functional five-ward, 130-bed hospital.

Protected by a steel door several inches thick, it was completed within a few short weeks, with specialty equipment shipped in from abroad. When the hospital bed manufacturer complained of staffing shortages to fill the order quickly, Hadassah sent volunteers to the factory to help with the final stages of production.

Even before the Oct. 7 terror attacks and ensuing war, in which over 10,000

people have so far been injured, Israel lacked the rehabilitation facilities and staff to sufficiently treat all those in need of care. According to The Times of Israel, Israel has only 0.3 rehab beds per 1,000 people, below the OECD average of 0.5 beds. Jerusalem, in particular, was also in need of a large rehabilitation center. Hadassah Medical Organization Board Chair Dalia Itzik prompted the hospital to open the rehabilitation center after she heard there was nothing available in Jerusalem.

Hadassah’s American organization and Hadassah International set out to raise the money for the center. The largest donation, over $20 million, came from the Gandel family of Australia, representing the largest-ever gift from Australia to Israel, according to The Australian Jewish News. The Israeli government has also given approximately $27 million (NIS 100 million) toward the project.

Once completed, the Gandel

Rehabilitation Center will be able to provide treatments to 10,000 patients annually with four in-patient units and a total of 132 beds. By October 2024, the hospital plans to open its outpatient floor, which will be able to provide treatments to some 140 people each day. The center has six floors in total — four above ground and two below.

To help heal the minds of those affected with PTSD and horrific sexual violence, Hadassah also maintains the Bat Ami Center for the growing number of victims of sexual abuse. To help the women and men of Hadassah to heal Israelis, Arabs and all who need our special care, please consider supporting Hadassah by donating at hadas sah.org/donate.

Join us to #EndtheSilence (global physical and sexual abuse) on social media or at hadassah.org/endthesilence.

To join our local Collier/Lee summer activities or to receive email notices, CollierLeeHadassah@gmail.com

Wishing all Hag Pesach Sameach — a happy, meaningful Passover!

Holocaust denial documentary in the works

By Marina Berkovich, JHSSWF President

Ido not take the April birthdates of two of the most tyrannical dictators of the 20th century lightly — Adolf Hitler was born April 20, 1889, and Vladimir Lenin was born April 22, 1871. Between these two men, most of European and world civilization was distorted beyond recognition. Their ideology was so rooted in the removal of God from society, it never returned to the place it was prior to their takeovers. The impact of the evil they brought on still affects the population of the world.

enemies of their movements, expropriating their wealth, interning them in concentration camps while nationalizing resources, expanding territorial and dictatorial domination through wars and terror, and establishing instant gratification programs where each citizen willingly denounced their undesirable neighbors.

Their workings and legacies are the foundation of what properly manipulated masses can be brought to. How the originally seemingly innocent and poorly informed people, who expected idealistic outcomes, allowed themselves to be prolifically controlled is a fairly recent historical study case that no one really bothers to study.

Both Lenin and Hitler, though of different prongs of theoretical socialism, practiced it in eerily similar ways, by extermination of perceived

The list of such and other preventative and re-educational measures for the proliferation of what they each deemed ‘social justice’ is long. Their biographers study their personas, often focusing on the cause and effect of their philosophies and values.

One such biographer is the notorious Holocaust denier David Irving. You know of him largely in connection with Deborah Lipstadt’s lawsuit and the Hollywood movie, “Denial.”

This April also marks 10 years since I interviewed him face-to-face and had him authenticate our rendezvous by having him sell me his book, “A Hitler’s War,” and take a photo of the two of us with it.

I since came to consider that interview day to be the most important workday of my life. You can hear my account of it in the WGCU program I did back then. After surviving my initial shell-shock reaction of the proximity to and interactions with Irving, having spoken about it and shown some clips at various presentations, we put together an idea for a documentary film, but never pursued it because Holocaust denial is a harsh, draining material to work with and I hesitated in fear.

Then, the Oct. 7 massacre and resultant surge in worldwide antisemitism moved this project up my personal and Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida (JHSSWF) priority lists. On Jan. 27, after decades of delaying, I finally sat down to watch the 9-hourlong documentary, “Shoah,” and it empowered my resolve. If Claude Lanzmann did it, so can I — and so can you, and all of us. Together, we are strong.

Please help us fund the denier documentary project so we can expose why seemingly ordinary people choose to be vile antisemites.

Stay historically informed through us

Our second local Jewish History Film Festival continues at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center on Friday, April 5 at 11 a.m. and Thursday, April 9 at 2 p.m. It is free for members, but you must register. Non-members can buy film tickets for only $9 at jhsswf.org.

Your generosity helps us in our research, future films and presentations. Donate online, by mail or contact us at office@jhsswf.org. Sign up for a membership to receive announcements, reminders and news. To sponsor Goldstein’s new composition recording, please reach out to us directly. We can be reached at The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida, 8805 Tamiami Trail North, Suite # 255, Naples FL 34108, 833-547-7935 (833-JHS-SWFL) www.jhsswf.org, office@jhsswf.org.

The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Contributions are deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Nancy Wiadro

Marina Berkovich

BAT YAM TEMPLE OF THE ISLAN DS REFORM

Friday evening services at 7pm at the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ,

2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Spiritual Leader and Cantor:

Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer

President: Janice Block Chaddock

Vice Presidents:

Sandra Teger, Annette Pacyga

Email: batyamsanibel@gmail.com

Website: batyam.org

Services: October through April

For more information on our service times and programs, please write to batyamsanibel@gmail.com or PO Box 84, Sanibel, FL 33957

CHAB AD OF BONITA SP RINGS/ESTERO ORTHODOX

24611 S. Tamiami Trail Bonita Springs, FL 34135-7024

Rabbi Mendy Greenberg

Phone: 239-949-6900

Web site: JewishBonita.com

Services: Saturday at 10:00 a.m. followed by a Kiddush

CHAB AD JE WISH CENTER OF C APE CORAL ORTHODOX

1716 Cape Coral Pkwy. W. Cape Coral, FL 33914

Rabbi Yossi Labkowski

Phone: 239-963-4770

E-mail: info@chabadcape.com

Web site: chabadcape.com

Sunday - Friday 8:00 A.M Shacharit

Friday Evening 5:30 P.M.

Saturday Kabbalah Class 9:00 A.M.

Shabbat Services 9:30 A.M.

Kiddush Luncheon 12:00 P.M.

Hebrew School of the Arts Sunday 10:00

A.M - 12:30 P.M

JLI Classes Monday 7:00 P.M.

Torah Study Tuesday 7:30 P.M.

Women's Weekly Class Wednesday 11:30 A.M.

CHAB AD OF CHARL OTTE COUNTY ORTHODOX

204 E Mckenzie St Unit B, Punta Gorda, FL 33950

Rabbi Simon Jacobson

Phone: 941-833-3381

E-mail: chabadpg@yahoo.com

Web site: chabadofcharlottecounty.com

Services: Saturday at 10:00 a.m. followed by a kiddush

Torah study: Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.

CHAB AD L UBAVITCH OF S OUTHWES T FLORIDA ORTHODOX

5620 Winkler Road

Fort Myers, FL 33919

Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz

Phone: 239-433-7708 • Fax: 481-9109

E-mail: rabbi@chabadswf.org

Web site: chabadswf.org

Services: Friday 5:15 p.m.; Saturday Kabbalah

class 9:00 a.m.; Shacharit 10:00 a.m.; Kiddush at noon

Minyan: Monday & Thursday 7:00 a.m.

SYNAGOGUES & JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS IN LEE & CHARLOTTE COUNTIES

www.JewishFederationLCC.org

COMMUNITY FREE SYNAGOGUE

CONTEMPORARY TRADITIONAL

The Unity Campus 11120 Ranchette Road Fort Myers, FL 33966

Phone: 239-247-4556

E-mail: synfree@comcast.net

Web site: fortmyerssynagogue.com

Sabbath Eve Dinner every Friday at 6:30 followed by worship at 7:30 PM

Torah Study on Zoom every Sabbath morning from 9:30-11:00

Meeting Room ID 527 117 7864 passcode

435419

Rabbi Bruce Diamond, D.D. cantoral soloist Traci Pavel

CHAVURAT SHALOM OF SWFL CHAVURA

PO Box 722

Sanibel, FL 33957

Chavuratshalom@gmail.com

Web site:

chavuratshalomofsouthwestflorida.org

Cheryl Fulmer, President Shabbat services - 7:30 p.m. Friday Jewish current events - Saturday morning

TEMPLE BETH EL REFORM

16225 Winkler Road, Fort Myers, FL 33908

Rabbi Nicole Luna

E-mail:rabbiluna@templebethel.com

Learning Tree Preschool Director: Amy Amon

Email: learningtreefortmyers@gmail.com

President: Reina Schlager

Email: tbeboard@templebethel.com

Phone: 239-433-0018 • Fax: 239-433-3235

Office Manager: Karen Kagan

Email: manager@templebethel.com

Web site: templebethel.com

Shabbat services: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Torah study 9:00 a.m. Saturday

Religious & Hebrew School: 9:30 a.m.- Noon Sunday

Judaica Gift Gallery

Affiliated: Union for Reform Judaism;

TEMPLE JUDEA

CONSERVATIVE

14486 A&W Bulb Road Fort Myers, FL 33908

Rabbi Marc Sack

E-mail: rabbi@tjswfl.org

President: Jan Klein

Religious School Coordinator: Abbie Grossman

Preschool Director: Suki Kelly templejudeapreschool@gmail.com

Phone: 239-433-0201 • Fax: 239-433-3371

E-mail: tjswfl@gmail.com

Web site: tjswfl.org

Services: 6:15 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m.

Saturday Minyan: 9:00 a.m. Monday

Religious School: Sun. 9:30 a.m. - noon; Wed. 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.

Early childhood education: Preschool, M-F, ages 18 months-5 years; “Mommy & Me,” 12 months-2 years

Affiliated: United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

TEMPLE SHALOM CHARLOTTE HARBOR AND THE GULF ISLANDS

REFORM

23190 Utica Ave., P.O. Box 494675

Port Charlotte, FL 33949-4675

Rabbi Solomon Agin

President: Judith Migdol

Phone: 941-625-2116

E-mail: shalom06@netzero.com

Web site: templeshalomfl.com

Beginning Hebrew:

Tuesday 4:15 - 5:15 p.m.

Advanced Hebrew:

Thursday 4:15 - 5:15 p.m.

Organizations: Sisterhood Affiliated: Union for Reform Judaism

SHALOM LIFE CENTER

TRANS DENOMINATIONAL

Rabbi Lawrence Dermer

Phone: 239-218-3433

Email: info@shalomlifecenter.org

Web site: shalomlifecenter.org

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATI ONS

• AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee): Jacki Waksman - 954-653- 9053

• AJC (American Jewish Committee): Brian Lipton - 941-365-4955

• Anti-Defamation League: 561-988-2900

• B’Nai B’rith International: 941-302-4500

• Chabad Jewish Student Life at FGCU Rabbi Mendel Gordon - 347-452-0489 mendelgordon@gmail.com

• Chevra Kadisha: Taryn Sasser

• Generations of the Shoah SWFL: 263-9200

• Hadassah - Collier/Lee Chapter: Joyce Toub - 518-330-1559

• Hadassah-Sharon Chapter (Charlotte County): Odette Port - 941-505-1409

TEMPLE BETH SHALOM

REFORM

702 S.E. 24th Ave., Cape Coral, FL 33990

President: Helene Glocer

Phone: 239-772-4555

Spiritual leader: Cantor Barry Butensky

Email: templebethshalomcommunications

@gmail.com

Web site: templebethshalomcc.org

Services: 7:30 p.m. Friday Saturday morning Torah Service/Torah study twice monthly at 10:00 am Enrichment night every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Shabbat 10:30 a.m.

• Hazak 55+ Chapter: Joyce Rosinger - 239-437-1566

• Israel Bonds: Regional Headquarters: 800-622-8017

• Jewish Community Services: 239-481-4449

• Jewish National Fund: Joshua Mellits, Director, Western Florida 941-462-1330 ext. 865

Memorial Tree Planting in Israel 1-800-542-8733

• Jewish War Veterans:

Post 400: Commander Harvey Charter - 239-246-3151

• Mikvah Bashka of Southwest Florida: Nechamie Minkowicz - 239-822-2784

Get ready to prepare the feast and share in the seder. And don’t forget the matzo ball soup!

Start planning your Passover meal with recipes for traditional favorites.