Federation Star - April 2024

April brings Power of Community Celebration and Passover

By Rosalee Bogo, 2024 Annual Community Campaign Chair

In April, we will celebrate two important events. On Sunday, April 7, we will have our annual Power of Community Celebration and at sundown on Sunday, April 22, Jews around the world will celebrate Passover. Our Power of Community event is when we celebrate the Annual Community Campaign, the fundraising arm of the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples (JFGN) that meets the needs of local, regional, national and overseas humanitarian organizations and beneficiary agencies. We have a very generous community and are proud that we were able to raise almost $1 million for the Israel Emergency Campaign, and at this event we will hope to announce that we reached the Annual Community Campaign goal of $1,750,000.

Several awards will be presented at the event. The Human Needs Award is an annual monetary award created by the JFGN’s Jewish Community Relations Council to acknowledge positive contributions of small nonprofit organizations serving severely means-limited and disadvantaged populations.

The Stand Up for Justice Award is an educator grant that recognizes school educators who are innovative in bringing

respect for other’s differences into their activities in a transformative, impactful and caring way.

The Power of Community Award recognizes outstanding commitment and support demonstrated by a communal

agency, congregation, community organization or individual in strengthening community partnerships and cooperation.

The Patricia J. Adkins Youth Leadership Award, which honors the achievements

continued on page 2

Rosalee Bogo

Relief provided by your donations to the Israel Emergency Relief Fund

Where are the funds going?

By Rosalee Bogo, 2024 Annual Community Campaign Chair

The war, which started on Oct. 7, 2023, has been devastating. The outpouring of love and funds from the Jewish community here in Naples and throughout the United States has been amazing. At the end of the first week, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) set a goal of $500 million. As of the writing of this article, just under $800 million has been raised. In Naples alone, more than $1 million was raised. But how is this money being used?

For many decades, the Jewish Agency For Israel (JAFI) has had a victims of terrorists fund. Each family receives approximately $1,500 within the first week of the terror attack. Over 8,500 grants have been made from this fund. Obviously, keeping this funded and setting aside money for the possibility of

more attacks has been the very first use of our dollars.

The next immediate use has been helping those who have had unexpected expenses because of the war. At least 140,000 elderly, 4,600 people with disabilities, 69,000 new immigrants (some fleeing the war in Ukraine), 25,000 Holocaust survivors and 61,000 Bedouins have all received assistance in their fight to stay afloat during the distributions that have occurred. These are overwhelming numbers, but so is the support we have received from you!

Medical needs are high. Medical equipment has been purchased from all over the world and shipped into Israel, and 1.7 million individuals have received medical care because of the war! At least 19,000 workers have

power of community...continued from previous page

of Collier County high school seniors demonstrating leadership in their activities at their respective congregation and/or BBYO, the leading pluralistic Jewish Teen Movement. Recipients receive a $2,500 scholarship.

This will be a night of celebration for these special people who have dedicated their time to making life better for others by practicing Tikum Olam. I hope to see everyone there to show their appreciation. Mark your calendars for Sunday, April 7 at 11 a.m. There is a full-page ad outlining the details in this Federation Star issue.

Jews are able to observe this important holiday. Our Federation sends out a Passover plea yearly, which serves as a vital fundraiser channeling resources to support Jewish communities worldwide. This year, combating antisemitism is also of great importance. By standing united against discrimination and prejudice, the Passover plea safeguards the wellbeing of vulnerable populations and reinforces the resilience and solidarity of the Jewish people.

needed extra training in health care and mental health services, and 49,000 individuals have received mental health services. We know that the need for mental health services will continue for many years.

The economy has taken a huge hit. Workers from the U.S. and throughout the world have stepped in to help take the place of people who are fighting and those who are gone. The rebuilding effort has just begun for the economy and a large chunk of money is being used to make interest-free loans to businesses affected by the war.

Israelis in the south and the north have had to evacuate their homes. Of the 240,000 people evacuated, half do not know if, or when, they will be able to return. Those homes, many of them

totally destroyed and some partially destroyed, need to be rebuilt. By Feb. 1, more than 1,000 homes had been rebuilt and another 1,000 were under construction. There is no waiting; there is no hesitation; the Israelis just got to work and started the rebuilding process, thanks to the immediate funds that have been raised. Those who do not want to return to the area are being given money to permanently relocate, with new construction in the lower Negev moving at a breakneck speed. All of this is thanks to the money raised here.

This war has affected every single person in Israel. Rebuilding and rehabilitation are where we can be most helpful. And we are – thanks to you!

Jewish communities globally. Each act of kindness and every gesture of solidarity is a testament to the enduring spirit of our people. Your donation is a guarantee that our traditions and values will be carried forth by those who come after us.

This Passover, we invite you to join hands with fellow supporters and ensure that our generation is remembered for its strength, compassion and unity. Please give generously. No gift touches more lives!

This publication is brought to you each month thanks to the support of our advertisers. Please be sure to use their products and services, and mention that you saw their ad in Federation Star

On the evening of Sunday, April 22, Jewish people all over the world will celebrate Passover. However, not all

Health

Financial

Overall

Through charitable contributions and advocacy initiatives, this effort aims to alleviate suffering and provide essential resources for those in need. This is a heartfelt call to support impoverished

Great opportunity for fun and giving with Beading for Betterment

By Carol Hirsch

The Beading for Betterment project provides custom-made special necklaces to children at the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee so that they have a Mother’s Day gift to give to their mother, grandmother or special woman in their life. In addition to the children at the Guadalupe Center, necklaces have been distributed to children who participate in Jewish Federation of Greater Naples’ Shop with a Sheriff event for Christmas.

Whether you are an experienced “beader” or have never made a beaded necklace, please join the group for a fun beading session. All are welcome.

Join us for the remaining free sessions at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center, 4720 Pine Ridge Road. Sessions will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on:

• Thursday, April 4

• Monday, April 8

If you have your own supplies, please bring them. If not, supplies will be provided and only a donation will be requested so that more supplies may be purchased.

For more information, contact me at chirsch1951@gmail.com. This program is sponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater Naples and Temple Shalom.

Let my people go!

By Dr. Nat Ritter, Board Chair, and Alicia Feldman, Development Director

This Passover, as we gather around our table with family and friends for our seder, we believe that there are still over 100 hostages in captivity unable to join their family for their seder.

This Passover, as we dip our parsley in salt water in symbolism of the tears of our forefathers and others who have suffered unbearable atrocities, we cry for those still held captive.

This Passover, as we ask The Four Questions, our thoughts go to a no more relevant question than a simple “why?” The wise, simple and apathetic sons have no answers … only the wicked one may.

This Passover, we demand freedom for our people being held captive by Hamas.

Arline R. Kaplan, PhD

PSYCHOLOGIST, PRACTICING FOR 45 YEARS

Let our people go!

This Passover, as life is recalled in Egypt, we will do everything possible to bring our hostages to freedom and help support our brothers and sisters in Israel.

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Now more than ever

By Alicia Feldman, Development Director

WAlicia Feldman Development Director

hether it’s the four questions we have our children ask or the subtle traditions meant to inspire curiosity, Passover, more than any other holiday, is about passing our Jewish traditions and stories to the next generation. We are taught that within every generation, a person is obligated to show themself as if they had left Egypt. Each year around the Passover table, we are reminded that it wasn’t just our ancestors who were redeemed but every generation thereafter. Together as a people, we ventured into the unknown

of the desert and trusted each other and in G-d with our fate. It was this faith that allowed us to leave Egypt, and together as one, reach our homeland.

This is our story. The story of our peoplehood and togetherness. The story of what we can accomplish as a community. The story of the power of unity.

It can be felt when we come together to support the needs in Israel — the needs of our people, our brothers and sisters. It can be felt when we unify to support Jewish communities around the world — whether in Ukraine, Morocco or Argentina. It can be felt when we rally to build the security infrastructure necessary to protect our schools and synagogues from antisemitism. And it can be felt when we advocate for the most

pressing and critical needs of our Jewish community here in the Greater Naples area.

This Passover, we ask how you will ensure that in every generation, including ours, the Jewish community remains strong and united. These past few months have shown us that it is up to us, collectively, to ensure the strength and sustainability of our shared Jewish values. It is the time for our generation to ensure that our traditions, morals and values continue for generations to come. No gift is too small. Every gift is meaningful. Now more than ever, no gift touches more lives

If you haven’t made your commitment to the 2024 Annual Community Campaign, please call me today at 239449-8266 or email me at afeldman@ jewishnaples.org. Thank you.

Welcome guests to our new center with a brick paver

By Eduardo Avila, Campaign Associate

Would you like to add your name to a brick paver as a welcome to guests visiting our new Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center? Contact me at eavila@jewishnaples.org or 239-263-4205.

4720 Pine Ridge Road

Naples, FL 34119

Phone: 239.263.4205

www.jewishnaples.org

Email: info@jewishnaples.org

Officers

Board Chair: Nathaniel Ritter

Vice chairs: Marc Saperstein, Arlene Sobol, Beth Wolff

Secretary: Rosalee Bogo

Treasurer: Steve Strome

Immediate Past Chair: Jane Schiff

Board of Directors

Frank Baum, Myra Benedikt, Patti Boochever, Harvey Cohen, Marcia Cohodes, Paula Filler, Cheryl Ginsburg, Steve Iser, Larry Israelite, Tammy Katz, Elliot Lerner, Merlin Lickhalter, Robin Mintz, Joel Pittelman, Stuart Price, Michael Rubinstein, Anne Schuchman, Michael Sobol, Jay Weiss, Jeff Zalasky, Board Member Emeritus: Alvin Becker, Emerita, Phyllis Seaman

Past Board Chairs

Gerald Flagel, Dr. William Ettinger, Ann Jacobson (z’’l), Sheldon Starman, Bobbie Katz, Rosalee Bogo, Judge Norman Krivosha (z’’l), Alvin Becker, Jane Schiff

Synagogue Representatives

Stan Alliker, Cantor Donna Azu, Rabbi Ariel Boxman, Rabbi Ammos Chorny, Rabbi Mendel Gordon, Rabbi Mendy Greenberg, Rabbi Mark Gross, Joseph Henson, Rabbi Howard Herman, Rabbi Adam Miller, Charles Flum, Rabbi James Perman, Dr. Arthur Seigel, Len Teitelbaum, Rabbi Fishel Zaklos

Staff

Jeffrey Feld: Federation President & CEO

Eduardo Avila: Campaign Associate

Reneé Bialek: Program Director

Michelle Cunningham: Receptionist

Courtney DeVault: Accounting Manager

Alicia Feldman: Development Director

Amber Ferren: PJ Library Coordinator Communications Manager

Pat Pastorius: Facility Assistant

Linda Sherman: Receptionist

Phil Zoltek: Facility Manager

Federation's mission is to enhance and enrich the quality of Jewish life by recognizing and supporting the charitable, educational, humanitarian and social service needs of the Jewish community locally, nationally, overseas and in the state of Israel.

Programs include:

• Annual Community Campaign

• Celebrate Israel

• Educational & Cultural Programs

• Israel and Overseas Committee

• Israel Scouts

• Jewish Book Festival

• Jewish Community Relations Council

using the grid below for the size brick you are purchasing. Each square is the space for one letter or number. Each row counts as one line of text, only use the amount of lines specified below for your brick.

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• Jewish Young Professionals

• Jewish Russian Cultural Alliance

• Men’s Cultural Alliance

• PJ Library

• Publication of the Federation

Star and Connections magazine

• Singles Social Group

• Women’s Cultural Alliance

• Women’s Philanthropy

• Youth Activities Committee –sponsoring youth education and scholarships for Jewish Summer Camp and Israel Experiences

Tam

Author, journalist J.J. Goldberg explores roots of Israel-Hamas war at annual Day of Learning

By Jewish Federation of Greater Naples

As Israel’s war with Hamas grinds toward the half-year mark, noted journalist and syndicated columnist J.J. Goldberg shared an overview of the conflict’s historic and geopolitical roots before an overflow local crowd at Jewish Federation of Greater Naples’ (JFGN) annual Day of Learning.

More than 250 attendees filled the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center’s Schiff Hall for the ninth annual event, which explores topical issues through a Jewish lens. The session was co-hosted by the Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council and its Israel and Overseas Committee.

Goldberg, a former editor-in-chief of The Forward newspaper, U.S. bureau chief of The Jerusalem Report and managing editor of The Jewish Week, offered a wide-ranging assessment of Arab-Israeli relations in the Middle East, from the Balfour Declaration issued by the British in 1917 in support of a Jewish state to the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack that sparked the current violence.

Goldberg shared some uncomfortable truths with the pro-Israel audience, comparing a 1947 United Nations map that initially promised more land to the majority-population Palestinians with the 1949 armistice agreement that provided Israel with more land after it had won its war for independence one year earlier.

“In fact, there were massacres,” Goldberg recounted. “There were a number of cases where the Israeli army came in to capture a village and then large numbers of people in order to scare the other guys ... away. It’s something that happens in wars and international conflicts but it’s not something that Jews like to think of

ourselves as doing. Israel is much more innocent of that sort of behavior than in any other country.”

“Goldberg’s academic outlook, informed by decades of reporting and analysis, was a welcome approach to a complicated, convoluted conflict too often defined by emotion,” said Dr. Nat Ritter, JFGN Board Chair.

“The current war in Israel can only be understood in the context of the region’s history, culture, politics and geography,” he said. “The Day of Learning provides just that opportunity — an afternoon in which we can take a deep dive, as a community, and critically engage with some of our seemingly most intractable conflicts in hopes of forging a better path forward.”

Goldberg, who is based in New York, also offered a more contemporary assessment of Israeli politics, notably a

rightward cultural and political shift in which the prospects of a two-state solution seem less likely than ever.

“The generals have become the voices of opposition to the government,” he said.

A question-and-answer session with audience members followed Goldberg’s presentation, moderated by community members Jeff Margolis and Steve Schreier. Beyond the current war, the conversation ranged from insights into the U.S. evangelical community’s strong support of Israel to the threat of nuclear war posed by Iran.

For his part, Goldberg avoided making predictions on how the war in Israel would unfold. So should most prognosticators, he said.

“If somebody would ask me now what will happen tomorrow, I don’t know that anyone does,” he said.

Charitable giving The gift of time.

By Jeff Zalasky, Jewish Community Relations Council Chair

Members of our Jewish community generously support numerous charitable organizations, including Jewish Federation of Greater Naples (JFGN). The money raised by our Federation is allocated to many well-deserving nonprofit organizations and individuals locally, nationally and internationally. Monetary charitable giving makes an enormous difference in the lives of people worldwide.

Charitable giving is defined as “the act of giving money or property to a nonprofit organization to help it accomplish its goals, for which the donor receives nothing of value in return. Charitable giving can include donations of cash, property, clothes, household items, or even a vehicle” *

While it is extremely important, monetary charitable giving is not the only form of giving. What is missing from this definition is the donation of time.

The amount of time many JFGN members donate to organizations, causes and individuals is significant and impressive. Without that donation of time, our Federation would not be able to serve people in our community and beyond.

Donation of time by JFGN members is seen in numerous ways. Our wonderful new Federation building would not be here today were it not for the effort of Marc Sapperstein, his building committee

team and the people who helped raise money to build it. The time donated by the presidents of WCA and MCA, the book festival chair, the IOC chair and their committee members and volunteers are responsible for an array of programs unparalleled by any Jewish community or organization in the country, including those much larger.

Our Federation would not function without the contribution of time of the Federation president, the executive team, committee chairs and committee volunteers, who selflessly volunteer to create, promote and staff programs and causes that benefit our community culturally, intellectually, socially and recreationally.

The level of charitable giving of time does not stop there. Current community tension resulting in animosity and blatant antisemitism is becoming more prevalent globally and locally. One of the best ways to counter antisemitism is to get involved in our community. The work of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), specifically its subcommittees, has assumed a leading role in institutional community participation.

The Stand Up for Justice Committee identifies educators in the Collier County School District who create and implement innovative teaching techniques and programs to combat hate, racism and antisemitism and to help students with

educational challenges. Those educators that meet the criteria of the committee are awarded grants and are invited to participate in our annual Power of Community Celebration. News of these awards is well known in the Collier County School District.

Our Human Needs Subcommittee identifies 501(c)(3) organizations that work hard to address the needs of our community in a significant way. They are also awarded grants and are invited to attend our annual Power of Community Celebration.

Our Catholic/Jewish Dialogue Committee (CJD), with Jewish and Catholic co-chairs, oversees our annual Kristallnacht program attended by members of the Jewish and Catholic community, including clergy and the local Bishop. The CJD also organizes several programs each year that are attended by Jews and Catholics in significant numbers.

One of our JCRC members is on the steering committee of the Interfaith Alliance; an organization that includes people from several minorities and religions that strive to fight hate, bigotry and antisemitism.

Our annual Day of Learning program is intended to educate Jews; however, non-Jews are also invited to attend that program. Committee members of JCRC promote attendance at, and participate

in, the Martin Luther King parade every year. Our antisemitism task force tracks incidents of antisemitism and works with the Jewish and non-Jewish community to deal with incidents of antisemitism. Each JCRC subcommittee has a chairperson and a committee to work on initiatives resulting in significant participation in our local community.

One of the best ways to fight antisemitism is to get involved in the community in which we live and to participate in a meaningful way in organizations that are not necessarily tied to the Jewish religion. JCRC has been doing that and will continue to do so.

None of the JCRC programs generate income, but they do generate a tremendous amount of goodwill toward Jews in the community. That goodwill is significant and important given the tough times we are experiencing.

Please consider the charitable gift of time in addition to your monetary charitable donations. While monetary charitable giving fuels our Federation, the donation of time by our members is what drives it.

Please also remember to thank our non-monetary charitable donors for the terrific job they do for our community and the many organizations they support.

*Investopedia.com

April programs

We have a new website! To see our top programs, go to the 4th blue tab near the top of the home page, ‘Calendar and Events,’ to view our new visual calendar, which is below the weekly events list. Click on an event of your choice and register. And for the detailed calendar of all community events, go to the drop-down menu and choose 'Calendar,' which has not changed.

Book festival

Jewish Book Festival concludes with “The Lioness of Boston” by Emily Franklin on Wednesday, April 3 at 10:30 a.m. I want to give a huge thank you to Robin Mintz for chairing the Jewish Book Festival this season. A big thank you goes out to all the JBF Committee members as well. Thank you to all the attendees and all of you who emailed me back after each event. Kudos to all of you for another successful year! The JBC conference is in May, and we look forward to presenting another amazing line-up in the months to come.

Power of Community Celebration

Join us at the Power of Community Celebration on Sunday, April 7 at 11 a.m. There are many people who will receive one of the following awards: Human Needs Award, Stand Up For Justice Award, Patricia J. Adkins Award and a Power of Community Award.

“My Son the Waiter”

The “My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy” show with the actor, Brad Zimmerman, will take place Monday, April 8 beginning with a wine and

this free program, you can choose to view at home or with us in our building.

Senior housing

Come learn about your senior housing solutions with Bruce Rosenblatt on Wednesday, April 17 at 10 a.m. This is a free program.

New classes!

cheese reception at 5:45 p.m. The show is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Purchase your tickets today!

“A Tree of Life”

“A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting” film will be shown at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center on Monday, April 15 at 11 a.m. When registering for

Israel Mission trip highlights

A glimpse at some of the planned activities for our visit.

By Jane Schiff

Last month, I wrote an article explaining why now is an important time to visit Israel and show our support — Am Israel Chai. This month, I want to share a few highlights of our upcoming trip. We will visit a hospital, The Galilee Medical Center, which is the largest hospital in northern Israel. It serves and is served by Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druse. Because it is located so close to the Lebanese border, it is fully prepared for security emergencies and features Israel’s only (mostly likely not

for long) total underground hospital. This security for staff and patients is an exciting new concept that we will explore. We will hear from retired and active IDF (Israel Defense Forces) military about the current situation, how it is different and how it is the same from other times. We will talk with survivors and families who have been affected by the war. And on one Shabbat, we will have Lone Soldiers join us for dinner. The Lone Soldiers come from countries around the globe and have a unique perspective on serving in the IDF. Their experiences are

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, join Fitness Instructor Shari Greenberg for Sit and Stand with Poles and Bands, the fun way to greater strength and better balance. More information can be found on our website.

Weekly free games!

Join us for Scrabble every Monday at 1 p.m. Please email Michelle, mcunningham@ jewishnaples.org, to let her know you will be playing with the group.

The Super Samba card game happens on Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. Please email Leslie at tennislbow 5549@gmail.com. Chess, Rummikub and monthly summer bingo are coming soon!

Jewish singles

We are looking for Jewish singles who are in their 40-50s. Please email Michelle for more information.

The Singles Social Group offers monthly events for Federation members who are 55 and up. Please email Michelle at mcunningham@jewish naples.org to let her know you are a JFGN member, Jewish, single and ready to meet new friends.

heartwarming, heartwrenching and always interesting. They are young, full of spirit, lonely, grateful for a special Shabbat dinner with visitors and willing to open up about their journey. It has always been a highlight of every trip I’ve taken to have them join us. We will do tourist things — Yad Vashem, the Western Wall, Akko, ANU Museum and Carmel Market, to name

Please register for all events at www.jewishnaples.org, then click on programs. Dates and times of upcoming events are announced on our website homepage. If you aren’t receiving our weekly Monday e-blast, please email me at rbialek@jewishnaples.org. We have a variety of groups and committees at Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, such as PJ Library, Cardozo Legal Society, Catholic-Jewish Dialogue, Israel and Overseas Committee and Jewish Community Relations Council. Please join the group and/or committee that best fits your needs.

just a few. Then, there are the fun things. “Eat With” is an opportunity to have dinner in the home of a chef, where you will enjoy too much incredible food and great stories about their life as a chef. And how about a home hospitality barbecue dinner at Yesod Hama’la, a moshav founded in 1884 with help from Baron de Rothschild? Or a visit to the Naot factory? We will do all this and much, much more.

If you want to hear more details and find out about cost, travel options, etc., we have a scheduled information session on April 15 at 3 p.m. To sign up for this meeting, please contact Jeffrey Feld at Jfeld@jewishnaples.org or call him at 239-263-4205.

Reneé Bialek Program Director

Jane Schiff

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RSVP by May 7th by calling 239-356-0540, visiting MooringsPark.org/Events, or scanning the QR code.

GREATER NAPLES JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL

It takes a village

By Robin Mintz, Jewish Book Festival Chair

The 2023-24 Jewish Book Festival will soon draw to a close. There is only one event left, which will take place on Wednesday, April 3 at 10:30 a.m.

It would not have been the unconditional success it was without our patrons, volunteers and sponsors. Your support has helped Jewish Federation of Greater Naples further carry out its mission.

Putting on this year’s book festival involved many people — one might say that it “took a village.” Each event was meticulously planned and presented by our many, many volunteers, who worked tirelessly both in advance and during each event.

Last spring, our Book Festival Committee met to talk about the upcoming festival, and in May, our volunteer “readers” began to review the four cartons of books we received from the Jewish Book Council. Our “Selection Committee,” comprised of Reneé Bialek, Emily Berkowitz, Jan Goldman, Carol Hirsch and me (with Susan Pittelman’s input), listened to more than 250 authors give a 2-minute pitch about their book over Zoom. Based on the selection committee’s evaluation of the authors’ presentations,

combined with the comments from our readers, recommendations were made regarding which authors to invite to this year’s festival.

In anticipation of each of the presentations, our volunteer moderators did an outstanding job preparing for, and then engaging with, each of our authors. Please see their photos on page 14.

Once the season was underway, Head of Volunteers Carol Hirsch recruited a cadre of dedicated volunteers to make sure that each event went smoothly. Different teams of volunteers greeted guests at the door, checked-in and ushered guests to their seats. I would like to give a shoutout to Spencer Forman, our head usher, for eliminating the need for any seating complaints! Kudos to Forman and his dedicated team of ushers.

continued on page 11

OF GREATER NAPLES

Greeter volunteers Emily Berkowitz, Carol Hirsch, Dina Shein, Phyllis Strome and Suzann Yussen

Volunteer Gayle Dorio assists with the author signing

Book Seller volunteers Carole Greene and Burton Hirsch

Food volunteers Joni Zalasky, Lee Henson, Molly Getnick, Ann Cowen and Susan Pittelman

Usher volunteers Sherry Greenfield, Spencer Forman and Linda Simon

Check-in volunteers

Darlene Muller, Dorothy Schwebel and Jan Goldman

it takes a village...continued from previous page

Susan Pittelman and Joni Zalasky were instrumental in planning and executing the delicious, themed refreshments that you enjoyed at each event. We all agree that food is a very important component of any Jewish gathering, and Susan, Joni and their team of volunteers hit it out of the ballpark this year!

Rounding out our “village” is you, members of our community, for enthusiastically attending and supporting this

year’s highly successful Greater Naples Jewish Book Festival.

I look forward to seeing you at our closing event on Wednesday, April 3 at 10:30 a.m. when Emily Franklin will speak about her book “The Lioness of Boston.” Light refreshments will be served at 10 a.m.

Pictured here are photos of the volunteers that were part of the “village” that made the March 1 event featuring “The Golden Doves” so successful.

Naples adopts IHRA definition of antisemitism

By Allen Menkin, MD, CAMERA/Naples Christians and Jews United

Mayor Theresa Heitmann’s proclamation adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as official policy was unanimously approved by the Naples City Council at its regularly scheduled meeting on March 6. The proclamation augments the council’s previous declaration of support for Israel and the Jewish community of Naples following Oct. 7. Naples is the first city in Southwest Florida to take this step.

According to the proclamation, this is “a symbol of our stance against religious intolerance and persecution…” and acknowledgment that “antisemitism is an expression of hatred which uniquely targets Jews and warrants specific attention.”

Descriptions, “IHRA” included, are seldom perfect, but this provides an international, consensus definition of antisemitism that has been accepted by a plurality of states, including Florida, where it was adopted by three counties and over 15 municipalities.

Critically, it goes beyond a core discussion of antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities” to incorporate examples of antizionism.

You can’t hit what you can’t see, and IHRA lets us “see” antisemitism more clearly.

Moderator volunteer Steve Yussen with author Martha Hall Kelly and Book Festival Chair Robin Mintz

Volunteers-at-large Andy Mintz and Ken Getnick

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Wednesday, April 3, 2024 9:30 am – 11:30 am

Sit and stand with poles and bands

By Shari Greenberg, Fitness Instructor

Join me for these 45-minute classes designed to safely guide you through a total body movement experience. Each session, held at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center, includes fun activities to build and enhance strength, endurance, balance, agility and posture. While targeted to all levels, those who engage in racquet sports, golf or other activities will also benefit.

Each class begins with a warm-up while seated or standing. With a strong focus on balance, I integrate both static and dynamic exercises throughout each class session.

Resistance bands are a great way to target upper and lower body to improve strength, flexibility and overall conditioning. Walking poles are introduced in creative ways, using all directions of movement to allow for increased range of motion. Walking poles help to improve posture, which promotes better balance in motion.

In order to stay functional with less pain and stiffness, we need to move and challenge our heart, muscles, bones and brains. To remain steady on our

feet, it is imperative to do something active every day. Each week, you will learn a new movement pattern to practice at home to support and enhance skills learned in class.

After several class sessions, you will begin to notice less pain and stiffness, resulting in greater ease of movement, along with a greater sense of confidence and a bonus of more smiles!

April sessions

Pole Walking on Tuesdays from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. All sessions $56.

Pole Walking on Wednesdays from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. All sessions $32.

Sit, Stand, Poles & Bands on Wednesdays from 2 to 3 p.m. All sessions $48. Register at https://jfgn.regfox.com/ sit-and-stand-with-poles-and-bands.

Wear sneakers and bring your poles. To encourage good grip and stability, I recommend special Urban Poling poles, different from trekking poles, which I will bring for purchase (prices range from $106-$132)

The

Jewish Federation of Greater Naples is co-sponsoring these classes, and a portion of the tuition will benefit the organization.

Understanding senior housing in Southwest Florida

By Bruce B. Rosenblatt, CDP, Owner/Senior Housing Advisor

Back by popular demand is my presentation, “Understanding Senior Housing in Southwest Florida.” Please join me for this interactive discussion on these topics:

• When is the right time to consider a senior living community?

• What are the types and costs of options in our area?

• The pros/cons of hiring home care

• What do you do if senior living is not for you?

• How to plan ahead

• Important questions to ask when touring

Bruce B. Rosenblatt

• What is the role of a senior housing advisor? And much more… This event was standing room only in January. Come to the next event

Wednesday, April 17, 10 a.m. at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center. RSVP required for this free program at https://JFGN.regfox.com/ senior-housing-solutions.

As “The Matchmaker of Senior Housing,” I have more than 30 years of experience in senior housing having overseen 75 senior living communities in 14 states, including three in Naples. I am a lecturer with FGCU and am considered the foremost expert on senior housing in Southwest Florida. Additionally, I’m a member of MCA, a Federation Star advertiser and a longstanding supporter of the Federation. I look forward to sharing my knowledge with you.

Shari Greenberg

Federation Launches Silver Circle to Honor Long-Time Donors

The Silver Circle Society honors and recognizes a very special group of loyal, long-time supporters who have given to the Jewish Federation, here or in any other community, for twenty-five years or more. Members of this esteemed group have consistently supported the Jewish community, locally and around the world. Your gift reflects a shining example of tzedakah in action

Have you, or someone you know, been giving to Federation for 25 years or more?

Please proudly let us know so we can celebrate you and your commitment to Jewish philanthropy. Contact Alicia Feldman, Development Director, at (239) 449-8266 or email at afeldman@jewishnaples.org to fi nd out more.

November

December

December

January

February

March

Book Festival Events

All events take place at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center

January

January

February

Don't miss your this year's Jewish JEWISHBOOKFESTIVAL.ORG a

As we conclude this year's Greater Naples Jewish Book Festival, we are pleased to present the final author for your in-person enjoyment. Please visit jewishbookfestival.org to learn about becoming a patron or to purchase an individual ticket.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 • 10:30 AM

Come at 10:10 AM for light refreshments

The Lioness of Boston

by

Emily Franklin

A deeply evocative novel of the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner, a daring visionary who created an inimitable legacy in American art and transformed the city of Boston itself.

"The Lioness of Boston" is a portrait of what society expected a woman’s life to be, shattered by a courageous soul who rebelled and was determined to live on her own terms.

Jewish Book Festival Committee Members and Readers:

Emily Berkowitz

Patti Boochever

Gayle Dorio

Judith Finer-Freedman

Spencer Forman

Louise Forman

Jan Goldman

Carole Greene

Sherry Greenfield

Lenore Greenstein

Carol Hirsch

Bobbie Katz

Ida Margolis

Jeff Margolis

Robin Mintz, Chair

Susan Pittelman

Dina Shein

Iris Shur

Marc Simon

Linda Simon

Elaine Soffer

Phyllis Strome

Leslie Wasserman

Nancy Wiadro

Steve Yussen

READERS:

Larry DuKatz

Linda DuKatz

Linda Denning

Carolyn Kimmel

Howard Margolis

Marci Margolis

Steve Strome Moderator for The Little Liar

Cantor Donna Azu Moderator for Kantika

Steve Yussen Moderator for The Golden Doves

Emily Berkowitz Moderator for The Escape Artist

Lea Bendes Moderator for The Jewish Deli

Ellaine Rosen Moderator for The Lioness of Boston

Carole Greene Moderator for Madam

Spencer Forman Moderator for Because the World is Round

Rabbi Frank Muller Moderator for The Einstein Effect

NOT TOO LATE!

your opportunity to enjoy Jewish Book Festival. Visit JEWISHBOOKFESTIVAL.ORG to become purchase individual tickets.

JBF Patrons

PLATINUM

Susan Ain

Vera Bergermann

Patti Bloom

Sue Bookbinder

Shelley Einhorn

Jeremy Freedman

Judith Finer

Freedman

Ellen Frankel

Myra Friedman

Lisa Gorman

Larry Israelite

Merrylee Kandel

Laurie Keegan

Anna Levin

Leda Lubin

Robin Mintz

Annette Pakula

Lew Paper

Jackie Paulson

Susan Pittelman

Estelle Price

Stuart Price

Nat Ritter

Susan Ritter

Elaine Rosen

Ellaine Rosen

Judy Roth

Marc Saperstein

Jane Schiff

Gale Schulman

Ilana Seligman

Arlene Shapiro

Donald Shapiro

Phyllis Strome

Deborah Waranch

Marcy Aizenshtat

Emily Berkowitz

Harriet Berneman

Louis Berneman

Mark Blaskey

Penni Blaskey

Rosalee Bogo

Cipora Brown

Norma Carl

Ann Cowen

Terri David

Arnan Finkelstein

Marlene Finkelstein

Spencer Forman

Louise Forman

Patricia Gage

Susan Garelick

Nancy Garfien

Nancy Garfinkel

Jan Goldman

Diane Goldstein

Carole Greene

Sherry Greenfield

Lenore Greenstein

Ronna Hain

Linda Hamburger

Carol Hirsch

Susan Horowitz

Wendy Israelite

Judy Isserlis

Arline Kaplan

Bobbie Katz

BRONZE

Leslie Aderson

Lynda Adler

Sheryl Affrime

Sheila Agranat

Howard Agranat

Nancy Armocida

Diane Aronson

Tracy Askotzky

Susan Auerbach

Patti Badiner

Harvey Becker

Joan Becker

Lea Bendes

Minda Bernberg

Rosalyn Bernstein

David Bernstein

Rose Bernstein

Stephanie Bernstein

Lynn Bigelman

Jill Binder

Paula Blachman

Jamie Blatter

Patti Boochever

Kathy Braddock

Rhonda Brazina

Phyllis Brodkin

Mona Brodsky

Tim Broms

Peggy Brown

Sandy Burton

Susan Calkins

Deenalil Caplan

Barbara Carlstrom

Tom Carlstrom

Ellen Chaney

Jeanie Charness

Jacqueline Chizever

Nan Ciralsky

Diane Clarke

Rochelle Cohen

Miriam Cohn

Marilyn Davidson

Susan Dean

Sharon Deutch

Sandy Diamond

Sandra Dorfman

Gayle Dorio

Benjamin Dubin

Linda DuKatz

Lawrence Dukatz

Janett Edelberg

Sally Ann Endleman

Ronni Feibel

Phyllis Fine

Marcia Fine

Anne Russell Foster

Sheila Frank

Lisa Freund

Philip Garon

Phyllis Garon

Priscilla Gerber

Molly Getnick

Ken Getnick

Peter Gignac

Brenda Gignac

Heidi Gilbert

Howard Gilbert

Elizabeth Girardat

Mark Goetz

Hannah Goodman

Rochelle Goodman

Ellen Gordon

Arlene Griff

Elaine Griver

Marti Gross

Sarah Hendler

John Hendricksen

Robin Hendricksen

Lee Henson

Deborah Hermalyn

Burton Hirsch

Linda Hirsch

Jan Hoffman

Mitchell Hoffman

Rolly Jacob

Judy Kargher

Charlene Kerner

Carolyn Kimmel

Linda King

Susan Koeppel

Toby Kosloff

Barbara Kressman

Allen Kressman

Lois Kugelman

Barbara Kushnir

Bernie Lashinsky

Judi Lazan

Barb Lefkowitz

Bettye Leibowitz

Arlene Levin

Bonnie Levin

Hilda Levine

Michelle Levine-Troupp

Harriet Lickhalter

Debbie Lurie

Phyllis Luts

Ida Margolis

Paulette Margulies

Sherri Melamut

Sheila Mesulam

Rochelle Miller

Lynn Miller

Marsha Moranz

Darlene Muller

Mindy Nadell

SILVER

Deborah Kohler

Sarann Kraushaar

Fran Kroll

June Kruger

June Kruger

Debbie Laites

Lisa Lauber

Dale Lazar

Lynn Lazar

Dana Lefkowitz

Linda Lerner

Gayle Levy

Stephen Light

Arlene Litow

Marci Margolis

Arthur Murphy

Dorey Neiss

Ian Noy

Mary O'Haver

Carol Orloff

David Orloff

Barbara Ostrolenk

Ann Packman

David Packman

Jeani Park

Linda Penniman

Joel Pittelman

Terri Polacheck

Susan Rabin

Nancy Rabin

Estelle Rauch

John Reiches

Sue Reiver

Deedee Remenick

Jennifer Richardson

Ellen Rodwick

Cookie Rosenblum

Lila Rosenweig

Midge Rozen

Arnie Rubin

Laurie Sandler

Sandra Sanfilippo

Maureen Schaab

Shepard Scheinberg

Deborah Schreier

Laura Murphy

Marla Osgood

Rick Osgood

Steve Podolsky

Ben Post

Mae Riefberg

Andrea Roisman

Barbara Ross

Linda Scheinberg

Anne Schuchman

Phyllis Seaman

Mark Shiffman

Anita Siegal

Abbie Joan Fine

Living Sladick

Gail Smith

Stephen Schreier

Avra Schwab

Diane Schwartz

Dorothy Schwebel

Harriet Schweitzer

Millie Sernovitz

Dina Shein

Ricki Shine

Michael Shlensky

Julie Shlensky

Iris Shur

Charles Siegel

Lori Siegel

Cathy Silver

Linda Simon

Ruth Simon

Rosalie Slansky

Carol Smoler

Elaine Soffer

Shellie Specter

Dan Spintman

Judith Spintman

Leslie Springman

Harold Stein

Jennie Stein

Marilyn Storch

June Streisand

Barbara Suden

Arlene Sobol

Susan Sokolov

Howard Solot

Janet Solot

Sharon Stein

Dana Strull

Joyce Toub

Allison Tucker

Linda Wainick

Ferne Walpert

Barbara Winthrop

Leona Wreschner

Denise Sultan

Ann Swartz

Michael Swartz

Shira Swartz

Marla Taub

Jacqueline A Urso

Joan Van Berg

Ann Varsano

Joan Vazakas

Lisa Vogel

Gail Volk

Sara Waldstein

Leslie Wasserman

Ellie Wasserman

Sydelle Weinberger

Suellen Weiner

Ellen Weisberg

Joan Werhane

Goldie Wetcher

Jack Wiadro

Nancy Wiadro

Phyllis Winski

Susan Yale

Steven Yussen

Suzann Yussen

Cathy Zacks

Judy Zahn

Joni Zalasky

“My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy”

By Reneé Bialek, Program Director

"MySon the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy” is actor/comedian Brad Zimmerman's hit off-Broadway comedy. This moving and hilarious story is about the grit and passion needed to "make it" as an artist and the sweet rewards that come from never giving up.

Billy Crystal, Gary Shandling and Brad Zimmerman."

This hilarious and poignant story is universal in its message about the journey to follow one's dream, and the parents who suffer through it! The show played 1½ years in New York City and toured the USA and Canada for the past 9 years.

Zimmerman graduated from college with a degree in theater and moved to New York City to pursue his career as an actor. For the next 29 years, he worked as a waiter. Eventually, he took one class in stand-up comedy and began auditioning. That led to his role as Jonny Sack's lawyer on “The Sopranos” and comedian engagements opening for Brad Garrett, George Carlin and Joan Rivers (for 8 years).

Joan Rivers once said, "I've had three great opening acts in my life:

"Delicious! Distinctly original and powerfully poignant. Great comedy!"

New York Times

Appearing one night only, Monday, April 8 at Jewish Federation of Greater Naples.

A wine and cheese reception will begin at 5:45 p.m. for $75 per person, which includes reserved seating at the show. The show begins at 7 p.m. and cost for the show only is $50 per person. Register at https://jfgn.regfox.com/ my-son-the-waiter.

It’s time to rethink how we reward ourselves

By Diane Lynn, Certified Weight Loss Coach

It's a scenario many of us know all too well: after sticking to healthy foods and portions, the weekend comes and suddenly it's like a free pass to dive into the chips or cookies we deprived ourselves of all week. We believe that after being so "good" we deserve to indulge, rewarding our discipline with the very things we've denied ourselves. And if we don't get that treat, it feels like we've been cheated out of a well-earned prize, as if the universe owes us those moments of decadence.

This mindset turns eating junk food into more than just a lapse in dietary judgment; it becomes a crucial part of our emotional well-being as well as how we

measure the fairness of our efforts versus our rewards. The irony is that while we think these indulgences are a form of self-reward, they often lead to feelings of guilt, frustration and undo progress we've made.

Wanting to enjoy life without feeling like we've gone off the rails on our wellness goals is a tricky balance. Finding that balance means redefining what a reward looks like and celebrating our achievements in ways that don't leave us feeling cheated — by our diet or ourselves.

Jewish Congregation of Marco Island

P resents

Our 42nd Annual Congregational Passover Seider

Monday, April 22, 2024

P romptly at 6:30 P M

The Haggadah will be read by the attendees, led by Rabbi Mark W Gross and Cantorial Soloist Hari Jacobsen

A Complete Traditional Passover Meal Catered By Mango’s Dockside Bistro And Members of our Devoted JCMI Family Entrée Brisket

* Attention, please contact office for Special Dietary Restrictions

Visitors and Guests Welcome

For Passover Seider reservations, please mail this form with your check, MADE

To learn more about your brain’s wiring and how to retrain it to help you lose weight permanently, contact Diane at DianeLynn@CoachesForHealth.com.

PJ Library events

By Amber Ferren, Coordinator for PJ Library & PJ Our Way

March was an exciting month for Purim activities. Thank you to all our wonderful Purim Play performers, and thank you to all who attended our fun, festive Purim event at the Headquarters Library. I hope you all enjoyed the acting, singing, crafts, costumes and music that March brought us.

will be closed, and this will be a free event for the community!

This April, PJ Library will partner with Temple Shalom in sponsoring the Grammy award winning Best Children’s Album singer/songwriter Joanie Leeds in concert at Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples. This will take place on Saturday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m. The museum

On Thursday, April 18 from 4 to 5 p.m., we will have a Passover event for children and families of all ages. This will take place at Jewish Federation of Greater Naples. Be ready to design seder plates out of clay, sing well-known Passover songs, make matzah s’mores and have frog races here, there and everywhere!

Please be sure to follow PJ LibraryFederation of Greater Naples on Facebook and @naplespjlibrary on Instagram for upcoming events and current information on all things local for PJ Library.

PAYABLE TO JCMI, Jewish Congregation of Marco Island, Passover Seider, 991 Winterberry Dr., Marco Island, FL 34145, Or Phone: 239 -642-0800. Your check or credit card will hold your reservation.

Please indicate your seating preferences

Adults:

Children 4-12:

- $75.00

- $35.00

- $85.00

- $45.00 Children under 4 are Free

Please seat at Table with:_________________________________________________

To ensure your seating preference, MAKE YOUR PAID RESERVATIONS EARLY – NO RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED AFTER 3:00PM ON MONDAY, APRIL 15th, 2024 – NO REFUNDS

Saturday, April 13th 5:30

“I’m having a great time at WCA’s Camp Naples ...”

By Susan Pittelman, WCA Publicity Coordinator

Being a member of WCA reminds me of the many summers I spent at camp. Nope, it’s not eating s’mores, making lanyards or evening campfires. For one thing, the friendships you make at camp are like nowhere else — until you join WCA that is. Camp provides opportunities to make new friends, many of whom are from different parts of the country. Most of us, like first-time campers, came to Naples not knowing anyone. Now, think about all the friends you have made through WCA and how special it feels to be part of WCA’s “community of friendship.”

WCA also reminds me of being at camp because it offers a wide variety of activities. At most summer camps, counselors explain the activities that are available, and campers sign up for those they want to try. WCA, very much like the summer camps of our childhood, gives us the opportunity to choose the types of activities we want to do and sign up for the related interest groups — only with WCA, there are at least 10 times more choices!

Like sports and outdoor activities?

WCA has interest groups for golf,

bowling, pickleball, bocce, biking, walking, yoga, birding, and many more.

Prefer “table games”?

There is canasta, mahjong, duplicate bridge and even Scrabble.

Enjoy reading?

WCA offers 11 book groups, ranging from Great Books to Jewish Experience as well as discussions of The New Yorker and modern plays.

Are movies your thing?

Opportunities include modern Israeli

films, unforgettable classic films and the Brazina Documentary Film Series.

Do you like food and dining out?

While camp food is not always the best, WCA offers a Foodies group, Ladies Who Lunch and numerous other opportunities to dine out.

WCA’s learning, culture and crafts

These WCA groups include Needlepoint, Let’s Knit and Stitch, Second Act Singers, Modern Playwrights, Ted

Bocce players, Liaisons Glenda Gordon & Karen Orkin Altefest Foodies charcuterie board tasting, Foodie Liaison Lea Bendes

NextGen at Cone 06 Pottery Painting Studio,

NextGen Liaison Shelly Bell

Second Act Singers, Liaisons Judy Copeland and Evelyn Hecht

Duplicate Bridge, Liaison Joyce Lempert

Striking Ladies Bowling Group, Liaison Wendy Israelite

Paula Filler throws a Bocce ball

Talks, French and Spanish.

There are so many activities to choose from, you could easily fill your schedule five days a week! That doesn’t even include our popular Speaker Series and WCA’s many special events, like the Welcome Back Luncheon, New Member Coffees, Cocktails and Conversations, WCA Style Show, Chanukah Dance, Destination Adventures, art tours and craft lessons, and the list goes on. And this year we are offering a Passover Seder!

One of the most difficult aspects of going to summer camp is saying goodbye to friends when camp is over. At WCA, we used to have to say our goodbyes at the end of season, when many of our close friends return up north and WCA gatherings in Naples slow down, but no longer! Find out why when you read the WCA article in the May Federation Star Here are some recent snapshots from WCA’s Camp Naples! (Thank you to the interest group liaisons and participants who sent photos.)

LIFE’S AN ADVENTURE . SAVOR THE INGREDIENTS.

SOMETHING’S COOKING at The Carlisle Naples a senior living community designed and curated for unique adventures, endless opportunities, and vivid experiences. Take the first step in imagining everything your next chapter can hold.

Modern Playwrights group discusses “The Refugees,” Liaisons Judy Isserlis and Linda Wertheim

Scrabble group, Liaisons Hannah Goodman and Harriett Kleinman Let’s Knit and Stitch, Liaisons Cathy Silver and Janet Cooperman

Pickleball players, Liaison Ilene Lanin-Kettering

Extraordinary men speaking to enthusiastic audiences

By Larry Israelite

Already, 2024 has been an exciting year for MCA members and members of the Greater Naples Jewish community. Besides what we might describe as the ‘regular’ activities sponsored by MCA — over 200 in January and February alone — community members have experienced three extraordinary presentations/performances by distinguished Americans. Here are their stories…

Lew Merletti

Lew Merletti began his career with the Army's 5th Special Forces Group (aka Green Berets) in the jungles of Southeast Asia, where he earned a Bronze Star. Following his Green Beret service, Merletti transitioned to the U.S. Secret Service, an agency tasked with protecting the U.S. president, vice president and other dignitaries. The Secret Service selection process is highly competitive, demanding exceptional physical fitness, mental acuity and unwavering dedication. Merletti's Green Beret experience likely served him well during this rigorous selection process.

Details about Merletti's specific role and accomplishments within the Secret Service are also classified due to the sensitive nature of the agency's work. However, it's safe to assume he played a crucial role in safeguarding presidents and

other dignitaries, potentially serving on protective details or in specialized units.

Merletti's presentation focused on his service under Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton, about his days on the elite Counter Assault Team, and on the Presidential Protective Detail. His audience was enthralled by both his life experiences and his clear commitment to his country.

Sandy Greenberg

As a star student/leader/athlete attending Columbia University, Sandy Greenberg

personalities. A former music professor and native of Denver, Colorado, he has accomplished the rare artistic feat of generating both critical acclaim and widespread audience enthusiasm.

Over the years, Simon has performed in major concert halls, including the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, American Embassies, cruise ships and over 500 small communities across America. He has toured Europe as well as five tours of Asia, primarily in Japan and South Korea. Simon enjoys creating “themed programs” to increase audience interest and has performed a one-man play called “Franz Liszt Live,” as pianist/orator in “The Music & Poetry of Love,” “Classy Piano Favorites” and “The Spiritual Music of the Great Composers.”

Simon has been featured on two public television specials: “Profiles & Performances” and “Culture in the Country” as well as his own three-part television series “Peter Simon & Friends.” He has a firm belief that classical music is meant for everyone regardless of age or background and devotes much of his time performing outreach programs for numerous school districts as well as being a guest speaker on the importance of the arts in education and everyday life for various civic and social organizations.

April 10 at 5:30 PM

MCA Beach Party

Bring your friends and family to Lowdermilk Beach for an afternoon (and evening) of food and fun. Bring your own favorite food, beverages and games.

Rain date will be the next day, and games.

To register, go to: mcanaples.org, or scan the QR code.

became blind following a botched medical treatment and surgery for advancing glaucoma. Saved from a deep depression by his roommate and life-long best friend, musician Art Garfunkel, and his wife, Sue Greenberg, Sandy rose above his difficulties to earn advanced degrees at Harvard and Oxford, served as a White House Fellow, founded and sold a series of tech companies, and chaired or served on numerous boards, including the National Science Board, John Hopkins University and the Wilmer Eye Institute. Sandy's "extraordinary vision for life" has been an inspiration to those whom he has touched deeply, including Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Michael Bloomberg and Al Gore. Through a discussion with MCA member and longtime friend, Bob Gage, Sandy described Judaism as the driver of so much of his service and accomplishments. He also shared his most recent project, offering the "End Blindness by 2020 Prize," which is awarded to scientists who have made the most impact this past decade in the quest to eradicate blindness — Sandy's tikkun olam! Sandy's life plan, developed in 1961, was "to make the world a better place for those who come after us."

Peter Simon

Peter Simon has established himself as one of America’s finest musicians and most distinctive and versatile musical

Simon’s focus during his MCA program was “Great Jewish Composers and their Influence.” Throughout the evening, he played music and discussed each composer’s life and their significance in the history of music. His musical selections focused on well-known Jewish composers, like Irving Berlin and Rogers and Hammerstein, as well as others who may be lesser known to the uneducated listener, such as Maurice Revel and Jaque Offenbach, who composed ‘The Can Can.’ Simon’s knowledge and wit, combined with his outstanding musicianship, made for an educational and entertaining evening.

MCA states that its members are both physically active and intellectually curious. The three events described here are just an example of our focus on the latter. Check the MCA website, mcanaples.org, or scan the QR code to explore the full range of what MCA has to offer.

Sandy Greenberg

Lew Merletti

Peter Simon

Shabbat dinner hosted by Israeli chef Dalia Hemed

By Maya Williams, Jewish Young Professionals Coordinator

Last month, the Jewish Young Professionals (JYP) enjoyed a fancy Shabbat dinner hosted by Israeli chef Dalia Hemed. We ate Israeli/ Sephardic food, like salatim, Moroccan couscous, salmon, and more. It was a wonderful meal hosted by an accomplished chef!

In February, JYP members gathered together for a peaceful havdalah on Vanderbilt Beach. We enjoyed one another's company and the beautiful sunset on the beach. We learned about Judaism's connection to the ocean and sand from JYP member Cayla, and following the sunset, we did the havdalah rituals together.

The JYP enjoys Shabbat dinners and other religious and non-religious

programs in Collier County. If you are in your 20s-40s, come join us. Please send me an email, mayajw3@gmail.com, so I can include you in our next event.

Everyone is welcome to join us for a fun night at the

Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center

Thursday, June 27

7-9 pm

Temple Shalom events

By Jeanette Fischer, Temple Shalom Director of

Registration is required for all events and programs.

Why Sharks Matter: How My Faith Informs My Conservation Work

Monday, April 1 at 2 p.m.

Learn about sharks, the world’s most misunderstood predators, from Dr. David Shiffman, world-renowned expert and award-winning scientist, writer and educator who studies sharks and how to protect them. (tinyurl.com/TS-Sharks)

Dead Sea scrolls

Sundays, April 7 and 14 at 9:30 a.m.

Join Temple Shalom member and FGCU professor Dr. Landon Frim for a two-part discussion about the Dead Sea scrolls, Second Temple Jewish sects and the theological and philosophical differences among them. (tinyurl.com/TS-DeadSeaScrolls)

Foodie films

Wednesday, April 10 at 3 p.m.

Communications

Just in time for Passover! Join Cantor Donna Azu for the film, “Streit’s Matzo and the American Dream.” Sample the Sisterhood’s matzah brittle, which is also available for purchase! (tinyurl.com/FoodieStreits)

Joanie Leeds in concert

Saturday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m.

Joanie Leeds is a Grammy winning singer/ songwriter. She will be giving a free community concert, co-sponsored by Temple Shalom, PJ Library and C’mon!, at the Golisano Children’s Museum. Food available for purchase. (tinyurl.com/TS-JoanieLeeds)

Creative midrash

Wednesdays, April 10 and 17 at 10 a.m.

Midrash is a fascinating, rabbinic method of commentary used to elucidate meaning in Biblical texts. Join Rabbi Ariel Boxman in a creative writing workshop to explore classic rabbinic midrashim and have the opportunity to write some of your own versions. Bring your creativity and humor! (tinyurl.com/TS-CreativeMidrash)

BETH TIKVAH

www.bethtikvahnaples.org / 239-434-1818

Beth Tikvah in April

By Lee Henson, Program Director

April at Beth Tikvah is not quite as busy as March has been, but you will still want to join us!

Rabbi Chorny continues his weekly classes on April 2, 9 and 16.

Rosh Chodesh will be held April 14 at 10 a.m. with Dr. Jaclynn Faffer, whom you will really want to hear! Then, on Monday night, April 15 beginning at

6:30 p.m., we will hold our Kosher Family Seder. The cost is only $90 for members and $100 for non-members.

On April 22, we will hold our Kosher First Night of Seder.

Be sure to call our office at 239-4341818 to make your reservations for these events (especially the seder).

www.naplesjewishcongregation.org / 239-431-3858

Naples Jewish Congregation

By Chuck Naumoff, Publicity Chair

Naples Jewish Congregation will hold its annual Passover Seder on April 22 at the beautiful Cypress Woods Country Club. The service will be conducted by Rabbi Howard Herman. A traditional Passover dinner will follow, featuring gefilte fish, matzo ball soup and a choice of roasted chicken or salmon. $55 members/family, $65 guests/non-members, $20 kids 12 and under. Order tickets at naplesjewishcongregation.org or by mailing your check to NJC, PO Box 111994, Naples, FL 34108.

Everyone is welcome to attend our services, which will be held on Friday night,

April 5, 12, 19 and 25 at 7 p.m. Join Rabbi Herman, Cantorial Soloist Jane Galler and Music Director Alla Gorelick for song and inspiration in our home at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 6340 Napa Woods Way, Naples. Worship together with the members of the “the small congregation with a big heart.”

Services continue Friday nights and Saturday mornings through May. See our website at naplesjewish congregation.org for specific dates and times. While there, you can see other planned activities.

When: Sunday, April 7, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Where:

Human Needs Award

Cost: $36

At the Museum

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.

Triumph event 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

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

Triumph of Resistance Was A Great Success!

Thank you to Guest Speaker Ruth Bielski Ehrreich and our generous Sponsors. The event benefited the Museum's Holocaust Education Programs.

Remembrance Sponsor:

Maureen and Arnold Lerner, Estelle and Stuart Price

Testimony Sponsor:

Shelley and Steven Einhorn, Sam Levin Foundation, Sarah Rockler, Anne Schuchman and Stephen Light, Ashley and Anthony Solomon, Molly Bailey and Rich Yovanovich

Hope Sponsor:

Rissa Grossman, Gracia Kuller, Fran and Rob Nossen, Publix Super Market Charities, Lois Schiller/City Mattress

Inspire Sponsor:

Felicia and Ken Anchor, Silvie and Herb Berkeley, Life in Naples/ Sandra Lee and Reg Buxton, Nina and Michael Diamond, Judith Finer Freedman and Jeremy Freedman, Jo Ann and Larry Golden, Bobbi and Randy Heiligman, Terri and Allen Hornik, Nancy Kahn, Dottie McGovern, Susan and Nathaniel Ritter, Sandy and Fred Roth, Mindy and Jay Sterns, WGCU Public Media, Nancy G. White, Marjie and Scott Zucker

Patron Sponsor:

Cheryl and Warren Alifeld, Harriet and Louis Berneman, Goldie and Lou Bertone, Shirley and Marshall Besikof, David Bupp, Leslie and Jules Cogan, Ellen and Alan Englander, Paula and Ronald Filler, Nancy Garfien, Leslie and Steve Goodman, Shelli A. Halper, Debbie Laites and Ben Z. Post, Lorelei Meeker and Geoffrey Grodner, Carol and Stuart Mest, Judy and Stanley Ruskin, Nancy and Steven Schachtman, Linda Singer and Louis Klein Jr., Linda and Russ Southworth, Phyllis and Steve Strome

donors and funders to verify a nonprofit's eligibility to receive grants or tax-deductible contributions.

New ticketing system now 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 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. 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 onenight-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 cofounder, 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 napleschamber.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 fifth-grade reader project and an eighth-grade 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!

Susan Suarez President & CEO

Yom HaShoah “Remember” cast

BAKER SENIOR CENTER NAPLES, INC.

www.naplesseniorcenter.org

Happenings at Baker Senior Center

WDr. Jaclynn Faffer President/ CEO

hile April showers may bring May flowers, for me, April always means Passover preparations (unless, of course, the holiday is “early” and happens in March!). At Baker Senior Center Naples (BSCN), April and Passover are synonymous with our longstanding “Seder in a Box” program. We purchase the staples of Passover, place them in a festive container along with a Publix gift card, and our Geriatric Case Management staff deliver the bags to our Holocaust survivors and case management clients. As a non-sectarian organization, we also deliver “Easter in a Basket” gifts to our case management clients who celebrate Easter. These are important programs that leave everyone, staff and recipients alike, with a smile!

Baker Senior Center Naples has had some interesting programs recently. In February, we had 90 attendees at a halfday conference for caregivers and others

concerned about dementia. Dr. Ron Garry, Naples concierge gerontologist, gave the keynote address about Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), followed by a lively Q&A. After Dr. Garry’s presentation, a panel comprised of a caregiver of a loved one in our Brookdale Cognitive Health Program, BSCN Chief Clinical Officer and an expert in different types of facilities for someone with ADRD shared valuable information about their respective areas of expertise. Evaluations were 100% positive with a request for a full-day conference next year.

March has been a busy month, as well. On March 19, we installed Karen Heithoff as BSCN’s new Board Chair. Heithoff has extensive board experience here in Naples and in her hometown of Minneapolis. She follows Prentiss Higgins, who steps down after three years at the helm.

As “season” begins to draw to a close, I would like to remind our friends who leave town for the summer to remember Baker Senior Center Naples’ Food Pantry when they clean out their pantries. We welcome canned and boxed goods, as well as paper and hygiene products for seniors who use the pantry.

Tributes to the Jewish Federation Campaign

To: Ron Mutchnik

In Memory of Ruth Mutchnik

From: Larry Harris

To: Joyce Lempert

In Memory of Ruth Mutchnik

From: Friday Bridge Group

To: Ron Mutchnik

In Memory of Ruth Steinberg Mutchnik. We were so sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved wife Ruth. She will be missed by all whose lives she touched.

From: Rhoda & Ted Lempert

To: Ronnie Blumenthal

In Memory of Stephanie Blumental Geschwind

From: Harriet & Merlin Lickhalter

To: Mark Goetz

In Memory of Andrea Arnold.

May Andrea’s memory always be a blessing.

From: Marsha Auslander

On behalf of Baker Senior Center Naples, I wish everyone a sweet Passover.

Tributes require a minimum donation of $18.

To place a Tribute in the FederationStar in honor or memory of someone, please contact Linda Sherman at the Federation office at 239-263-4205 or lsherman@ jewishnaples.org. Tributes require a minimum donation of $18. A note will be sent to the person/family you are honoring. Tributes help further the work of Jewish Federation of Greater Naples.

How the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants saved thousands of Jewish children

By Shelley Lieb and Ida Margolis

We all know the story about how the Jewish slaves escaped bondage in Egypt and retell it every Passover. During WWII, in occupied France, Jewish families were trying to escape without the guidance of Moses. The OSE/Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (Children’s Aid Society) found a way for thousands of Jewish children to escape Nazi arrest and probable death. Many of the children were smuggled to Switzerland by ordinary young French citizens in an organized plan.

Ida Margolis and Shelley Lieb

The plan and the people who put it into action were the subject of a recent exhibit at the FGCU Archives and Special Collections. Under the leadership of Melissa Minds VandeBergt (former head of the department), a team traveled to France and Switzerland last spring to experience the locale, the artifacts, the memorials and the reality of that history.

“They Were Children: Rescue as Resistánce” was displayed and open to the public at no charge for six months. Before it closed in March, GenShoah SWFL was invited for a special tour, lunch included. The exhibit included artifacts, maps, timelines, video and still images of the children and their rescuers as well as explanations regarding how the smuggling was carried out. It is estimated that the OSE and similar organizations rescued nearly 10,000 children from deportation to concentration camps from 1942-1945.

Testimonies available on the Yad Vashem website include those who were aided by OSE as children. This is an excerpt from the testimony of Yael (Capelluto) Rosenthal, born in Marseille, 1930:

Her mother was widowed, 1941; giving the children to the OSE a Jewish shelter organization; transfer of the children to a non-Jewish children's home in the SavoieHaute region; arrest of the mother in Compiegne and her deportation to Drancy camp; transfer of the children to Masgelier Jewish children's home, and to an orphanage run by nuns in the Aveyron region, 1943; meeting with young concentration camp survivors at the end of 1944. Life in a Jewish children's homes after the war; training for aliya in Marseille, 1951; aliya to Israel; life on Kibbutz Mesilot and Neve Ilan. (https://collections.yadvashem.org/ en/documents/3565591)

OSE was not just a WWII phenomena. According to its current website (https:// www.ose-france.org/en/), it was created in 1912 as The Society for the Health of the Jewish Population in Saint Petersburg (Russia). Its initial mission: to protect, feed and support Jewish children who

She’s a real belly buster!

Zoog mir in Yiddish

By Sol Awend, GenShoah SWFL

It doesn’t much matter what the situation is, our need to vent can be relentless.

So begins this true story.

Esther was a wonderful cook. As they say in the old country, a real balaboosta A real ‘belly buster.’ If noodles were involved, so much the better. She could make a kug’l like nobody’s “bidness.”

Sol Awend

First you gave a shmek , and then the tahm following the first bite with the rozhinkess was heaven sent. She was adept at creating milic’hdikeh dishes, but you should have seen what she could do with ah shtik’l brisket.

Well, it was the time of year when Esther’s thoughts turned to Pysec’h — just a month away. A brisket with all the trimmings would take everyone’s breath away. Myren, and oogeh brooteneh getoffel

that, through resistance to a destructive force, was able to have a positive, lifesaving effect. Special thanks to Melissa Minds VandeBergt and her staff for the planning and execution of this exhibit. Hopefully, the department will continue to gift the Southwest Florida community with such meaningful exhibits.

About GenShoah SWFL ...

floating in a rich brown rosy’l What with the gefilteh fish un royteh c’hrayn, raaz mit yowec’h, compot and saalaat plus her famous bilkelec’h … They’re gonna plaatz!

So, one day she began, in earnest, to find a proper 10-pound booc’heh. Mot’l, the friendly shoyc’het, was waiting for her with his finest shtik’l fleish , and she approved, shlepping it home. Before all was said and done, the brisket was prepared. She let it cool and froze it. She forgot to label it.

Time came for the seder, and everyone was glad to be there, grateful to partake of a traditional Passover dinner. The rooc’h leading up to the main course came to a halt, as everyone was seated and waiting for Esther’s grand entrance. And grand it was. She brought out the “guest of honor,” fah dek’t in aluminum foil. Mit ah flourish

were victims of poverty and persecution. It remains an important association in France and “holds dear its values of solidarity, humanism, professionalism and memory.”

Even when the war was over, OSE continued to support the children it had rescued into adulthood, if necessary, and to look after others who had been released from concentration camps. Into the present, OSE has maintained its commitment to children and to health issues and is “open to people of all backgrounds.”

Groups in various countries bring together OSE alumni, hidden children and survivors of the Shoah, as well as their friends and members of their families.

• The Amicale des Anciens et Sympathisants de l'OSE in France

• The Friends and Alumni of OSE-USA

• A group of OSE alumni meets regularly in Australia.

• In Israel, former hidden children are also very active within the Aloumim Association.

This exhibit was a worthy and successful effort by our local university to provide an opportunity for students and the community at large to become more knowledgeable about an organization

GenShoah SWFL is a group for children and descendants of Holocaust survivors and anyone interested in the mission of GenShoah of SWFL:

• Promotion of Holocaust education and human rights

• Preservation of history and memories of the Holocaust

• Connecting the second generation with one another

• Support of the Holocaust Museum & Janet G. and Harvey D. Cohen Education Center

There are no dues or forms to fill out. If you would like to receive our newsletter and program announcements, just send us an email to genshoahswfl@hmcec.org or liebro@gmail.com. If you would like to volunteer to help with future programs, please let us know that, too!

Thank you to those who support our mission, read the newsletter, attend GenShoah programs and are members of the Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center in Naples. We do encourage membership at the Museum, as we are an affinity organization with them. If you are not already a member of the Museum, please consider joining or making a donation.

she set the dish in the middle of the table and uncovered it. Leebeh goht in himmel! Oy vy geh vaalt! Voos ot doo paaseeyet?!

Somehow, in the tumult of preparation, Esther fah towsh’t the kig’l with the brisket. The tumult, mayhem and mishigas that ensued is still discussed and laughed about 40 years hence. There’s the age-old story told of the Israelites leaving Egypt … and then there’s Esther’s Pysehdikeh brisket kig’l. You should have been there.

Best wishes to my loyal readers for ah hart’zlic’hen, frei lec’hen Pysec’h!

Words and phrases spoken this time of year

Balaboosta – Baal–ah-Boos-the: Zee is geh vayzen dee emis tikeh balaboosta. (She was the undisputed leader of the household.)

Kug’l, shmek, tahm, rozhinkess, milic’hdikeh ((you know), sniff, taste, raisins, dairy)

Myren, oogeh brooteneh gehtoffel, roys’l, raaz mit yowec’h (carrots, roasted potatoes, gravy, rice with chicken soup)

Bilkelec’h (Passover popovers)

Plaatz-plaatz (to burst)

Er vet plaatzen! (He’s going to burst!)

Rooc’h (A calamity)

Vayeh maac’ht ah rooc’h! (Who is creating an unsettling situation!)

Fah Deck’t (covered)

Deh tawp iz fah dek’t. (The pot is covered.)

Leebeh Goht in Himmel! Voos ost dee geh teeyen?! (Loving God in Heaven! What have you done!?)

Oy vy geh vallt! Reef deh polit’zei! (Oh no, lookee here! Call the police!)

Ah hart’zlic’hen, frei lec’hen Pysec’h! (A hearty and joyous Passover!)

Dee Geh filteh fish un Royteh C’hrayn shmek’t git! (The fish boulders and red horseradish taste great!)

Emily Murray from the FGCU Department of Archives and Special Collections speaks to GenShoah SWFL

A French Jewish child Holocaust victim's dress on display

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 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 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.

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

Sam Geist (2G) and Rob Nossen (survivor) at the 2023 Yom HaShoah pre-reception

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 sixepisode 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 thumbsdown 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.

“A Tree of Life: THE PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING”

Join us to watch the lm Monday, April 15, 11 a.m. at the Nina

Iser Jewish Cultural Center

On Oct. 27, 2018, a gunman opened re inside a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing 11 people as they prayed, in what would become the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. Hear from survivors and the Muslim and African American allies who came together to ght for love, not hate.

Register for this free program at www.jewishnaples.org

*Watch

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.

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 cut-glass 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 American 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-goround. 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

Arlene Stolnitz

Bone Builders Osteo Exercise

This FREE program protects against fractures by increasing muscular strength and bone density. The RSVP Bone Builder class is special, because not only are the participants improving their strength through controlled exercises, but their progress is tracked by the instructor. The instructor, Isabel Curran is a Certifi ed Bone Builder and has been a trainer for over 7 years in Collier County.

TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS IN JUNE AND JULY

9:30am-10:30 am

Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center 4720 Pine Ridge Rd

PLEASE PRINT AND FILL OUT:

Doctor’s note is required to participate. Please visit https://JFGN.regfox.com/bone-builder and click on the Physicians Form.pdf. Print this out and bring to the first class.

Consent Form is required to participate. Please visit https://JFGN.regfox.com/bone-builder and click on the Consent form.pdf. Print out the form and bring to the fi rst class.

MUST BRING:

• Weights (1 or 2 lbs, unless you are experienced, then bring heavier weights)

• Water

• Closed shoes & comfortable clothes

• Doctor’s note and consent form (see 2 forms above). If you do not have a printer, please come to the Federation office to pick them up.

“I can’t say no” — Making boundaries as we age 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.

Barbara Aiello

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.

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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.

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.”

How do families effectively set boundaries? Bruno offers several suggestions: “Start by understanding your own needs, values and limits and reflect on past experiences to identify patterns where boundaries may be necessary.”

Withouthealthy boundaries our families fall topieces.

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

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 “ hitpallel ,” 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.”

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.

Rabbi

How Hadassah helps to heal

HNancy Wiadro, President's Council for Collier/Lee Chapter

adassah’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 directorgeneral, 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 underconstruction 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

Holocaust denial documentary in the works

IMarina Berkovich JHSSWF President

do 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.

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 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.

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-hour-long 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.

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 hadassah. 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!

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.

COMMUNITY

WIDE ANNUAL YOM HASHOAH HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE

Sunday, May 5, 2024

4:00 PM

Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center

4720 Pine Ridge Rd

Please join us for a special program.

Everyone is invited to attend. Register for this free program at www.jewishnaples.org

This program is brought to you by: The Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, The Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center, Temple Shalom, Beth Tikvah, GenShoah SWFL, Naples Jewish Congregation, Chabad of Naples, and Jewish Congregation of Marco Island. OF

Community gathered in support of emergency funding for IDF soldiers

Cpl. Ori Megidish, a hostage rescued by IDF soldiers, delivered a special, emotional address.

Courtesy of Friends of the IDF

Miami, FL (Feb. 25, 2024) –

More than 1,300 Friends of the IDF (FIDF) supporters gathered in Miami Thursday night at The Diplomat Beach Resort in a strong show of solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers on the frontlines who are risking their lives to restore security in Israel after the Oct. 7 massacre and ongoing attacks perpetrated by Hamas and Hezbollah.

The 2024 FIDF Miami Am Yisrael Chai Forever Solidarity Dinner was transformed into a solidarity gathering in the wake of the Hamas attacks, where the Jewish community could

Hamas in Gaza and rescued by IDF soldiers two months ago, delivered an emotional address.

“Hamas kidnapped me on Oct. 7 from Nahal Oz. They murdered my closest friends and many others. I was there for 23 days, which felt like years,” Megidish said.

“My friends are still there, held among women, children, sick people and the elderly, while their family members all await their return. Despite my pain, loneliness and fear, while I was there, I had hope [that] I'd be rescued. I pray that my friends who are still being held hostage have that same hope.” She concluded her speech by saying, “I was saved

show support for Israel’s soldiers during their greatest time of need. One hundred percent of proceeds from the event, and donations to FIDF since the start of the war, are going toward emergency humanitarian needs of IDF soldiers. So far, more than $73 million has been transferred to the IDF to meet their most urgent requests.

The event chairs were Lisette and Jeremy Goldstein, and the honorees were Gloria Garces, Edith Newman, Ronit Neuman, Jose Tabacinic and Rabbi Ariel Yeshurun. The keynote speaker was Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Gilad Erdan.

The evening included a special performance by Bar Markovitch, Former IDF musician and award-winning violinist.

The event was attended by two soldiers from IDF's special forces units. Major (Res.) Yadin, a soldier in Sayeret Matkal, one of the IDF’s most elite special forces units, received an urgent call at 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 7 summoning him to immediately deploy with his team. Within an hour, Major Yadin and his fellow commandos were on a daring rescue mission to save hostages at kibbutzim in the South. He was joined by Sgt. J, a lone soldier from Miami who serves in the elite Duvdevan Unit.

Perhaps the most emotional part of the evening was when Cpl. Ori Megidish, who was held hostage by

from the horrors of being held hostage by Hamas, and for that I’ll forever be grateful. With your support, we will — and we must — keep going. Together, we will win. Am Israel Chai. Forever.”

FIDF is the single organization in the United States designated by the IDF and authorized to raise funds for its soldiers. FIDF acts according to the requirements of the IDF's manpower directorate to respond to the most urgent requests. Funds raised at the event will go toward lifesaving medical supplies such as ambulances, plasma, medical devices and field hospitals as well as hygiene kits and aid for bereaved families suffering the loss of a loved one. As the IDF’s official partner, FIDF is the fastest and most direct way to support IDF soldiers.

“At the frontline of defense are Israel’s courageous soldiers, bearing witness to heinous crimes and facing unimaginable challenges. As a veteran of the IDF elite unit, Duvdevan, I know what it takes to fight in a place like Gaza,” said FIDF National Board Member and FIDF Miami Board President Sam Moshe. “The brutal, barbaric acts of hatred committed against Israeli civilians are unthinkable, and IDF soldiers are facing an unprecedented and harrowing conflict, making our support for them more vital than ever before.”

Donations can be made at www. fidf.org.

Photo credit: Panda Productions Erez Kashy, Courtesy of FIDF

SAVE THE DATE

JFGN Mission to Israel, Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Tour begins October 31, 2024 at 9 AM in Tel Aviv

Tour includes 10 days in Israel and 4 days in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Mission Information Meetings Monday, April 15, 3 PM, Schi Hall

For more information, please contact Jeffrey Feld at the Federation – 239-263-4205 or jfeld@jewishnaples.org.

Israeli children in emotional distress helped by Ohel Organization

Recent study indicates that 84% of Israeli children suffer from emotional distress since Oct. 7 attacks.

Jerusalem (Feb. 26, 2024) – Israeli children suffering from emotional distress following Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attacks are receiving help from an unlikely place: Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services, a Jewish organization based in Brooklyn, N.Y., that has provided American children with mentalhealth support since 1969.

In recent weeks, the organization translated to Hebrew, then printed and distributed in Israel two of its successful workbooks for children about emotional resilience, a resource that has already helped thousands of children in the New York area by generating emotional openness and discourse.

The organization’s efforts on behalf of Israeli children developed after a study

conducted by the Israeli Pediatric Association found that 84% of Israeli children suffer from emotional distress due to the Oct. 7 attacks. The study concluded that 93% of children directly affected by the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the ongoing war are having emotional difficulties, with 69% of them suffering from anxiety. Ninety percent of children living in areas where many incoming-missile sirens sounded are having emotional difficulties.

The workbooks, “Inner Space: My Resilience Workbook” (for elementary school ages) and “I Feel That Way and That's Okay!” (for preschool children), constitute a therapeutic tool for children, given too few mental health professionals to handle this increased need. The authors, Tzivy Reiter, L.C.S.W., the organization’s director of children’s and national trauma services, and Dr. Naomi Baum, Ph.D. from Israel, called the books a unique way to help Israeli children without the direct involvement of mental health professionals.

“The workbooks enable children to talk about their feelings and create an appropriate starting point for teachers to start a conversation with the children about the current situation,” Reiter explained.

“Inner Space: My Resilience Workbook” helps children identify their strengths and enhances their ability to understand and regulate their emotions

by developing coping tools. A companion teacher’s guide contains many supplementary activities for the classroom to integrate skills and concepts from the workbook into practice.

“I Feel That Way and That's Okay!” helps children understand how their bodies experience their emotions. It is an innovative resource that touches on the four cornerstones of healthy development in young children: emotion regulation and coregulation, attachment, communication and interception. The book helps children identify and learn to manage their emotions with the help of adults in their lives, laying a strong foundation for building resilience from a very young age.

"We want to teach our children to recognize their feelings and to embrace them,” said Reiter. “This creates a foundation for understanding and compassion that will last a lifetime. It teaches kids practical tools to identify and manage emotions.”

David Mandel, the chief executive officer of Ohel, said that the workbooks, while a tremendously helpful start, are not replacements for care provided by mental-health professionals.

Educators have lauded the workbooks, with Israeli teachers saying that the country had lacked a tool of this kind to prompt children to discuss their emotions with teachers and parents.

We encourage Jews to be conversant on the Israel war and use your voice to advocate, if you choose

No one, except maybe Hamas, wants to see innocent life lost. This war is about 3 things:

1. Bringing the hostages home

2. Eliminating the terrorist threat of Hamas

3. Building a path towards lasting peace.

Ambassador Michael Oren headlines first annual “Stand with Israel” Legacy Luncheon in Naples

Courtesy of Jewish National Fund-USA

Naples, Fla., Feb. 26, 2024 — One of Israel’s most distinguished statesmen, Ambassador Michael Oren, was the featured speaker at Jewish National Fund-USA’s first annual Stand with Israel Legacy Luncheon in Naples in February.

The “thank you” event for local partners (donors) who are members of the organization’s Legacy Society was attended by more than 200 philanthropists. The solidarity portions of the afternoon included a moment of silence to remember the hostages, the fallen and the families, and for peace in Israel.

During his tenure as Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Oren worked with the White House, Congress and the CIA on crucial strategic issues, including the Iron Dome defense system and the Iran nuclear threat. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience in governance, the military and foreign service, and with the perspective of a historian who has lived throughout Israel and abroad, the New York Times bestselling author discussed his latest book, “2048, The Rejuvenated State,” the Israel-Hamas war and the threat of an even bigger enemy across the northern border in Lebanon.

“Oct. 7 was more than just an outrageously barbaric attack by heinous terrorists ... It was the breakdown of a covenant,” said Oren. “Every Israeli knows that this is a war not just for our security, not just to let those people come back to their homes, not just to send a message to the region … We know that this is a battle for our national survival.”

Representatives from Jewish National Fund-USA recounted how the organization’s team in Israel immediately mobilized to support the devastated communities — evacuating, feeding, clothing and providing other supplies and trauma therapy to tens of thousands of evacuees and working tirelessly to coordinate, serve and help those in need — transforming the black, burnt and broken into love, light, healing and hope.

“This time last year, I could never fathom the unimaginable, unbelievable horrors and atrocities that would take

place on Oct. 7,” said Robin Dermer, Esq, Jewish National Fund-USA’s director of planned giving, Florida. “Through the shock and sorrow, pain and anger, through a world lens tinted with rising antisemitism and Jewhatred, I am sharing a very different update because today we are a very different Jewish people. We have not only changed spiritually and emotionally, but our connection to our homeland has also grown stronger.”

The organization’s leaders also shared how, through an unprecedented level of charitable giving, Jewish National Fund-USA has raised nearly $60 million in immediate relief funds. They also unveiled the organization’s bold, visionary plans to rebuild the southern Israeli communities that were ravaged by Hamas.

“Work has already begun on a plan called “Livnot B’Yachad – Build Together,” added Dermer. “Our efforts include building new houses, applying fresh coats of paint, constructing beautiful parks, repaving roads and strategic community infrastructure. It will no longer be a region scarred by PTSD …;’ it will be a region of hope, a place with thriving music, culture, sports and educational opportunities.”

Dermer shared the many ways supporters can achieve philanthropic goals while taking advantage of existing U.S. tax laws, including charitable gift annuities, where individuals can receive a fixed income as high as 10.1%. She also discussed savvy ways people are utilizing donor advised funds and IRAs, as well as traditional bequests.

“At no time in our history has Jewish National Fund-USA’s work been more important,” added Co-President of the Naples Board of Directors David Braverman. “The enduring strength and perseverance of Israel has always been important to me and my family. Our partnership with Jewish National FundUSA allows us to continue to support our homeland well into the future.”

To learn more about the many meaningful ways you can leave a legacy for Israel, call 800-562-7526 or email plannedgiving@jnf.org.

Naples Jewish Congregation

Seder Service conducted by Rabbi Howard Herman

Monday, April 22, 2024 – 5:30pm

Cypress Woods Country Club 3523 Northbrook Drive, Naples

Traditional Passover Dinner

Gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, chicken or salmon

Order tickets online at naplesjewishcongregation.org Or mail checks to NJC, PO Box 111994, Naples, FL 34108

Please specify chicken or salmon

$50 Members/Family • $60 Guests/Non-Members

$18 Kids 12 & under

WARM

April 11 at 11:30 AM

MCA Monthly Luncheon

My Journey Through American and International Jewish Organization

presented by Michael Siegal

MCA member Michael Siegal was awarded the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor last December for his extraordinary commitment to the Jewish State and advancing ties between Israel and North American Jewry. Michael D. Siegal has been on The Jewish Agency Board of Governors since 2012 and served as Chairman from 2017 to 2022.

Among many philanthropic positions, he has served previously as Board Chair of the Development Corporation for Israel (Israel Bonds), the Cleveland Jewish Federation and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). He, along with his wife Anita, helped establish the Michael and Anita Siegal One Happy Camper Scholarship Fund with the Foundation of Jewish Camping.

To register, go to: mcanaples.org, or scan the QR code

Ambassador Michael Oren

Credit: Rod Millington

David Braverman

Remember the Israelis being held hostage in Gaza

DRabbi Adam F. Miller

ear Reader – The article below is one that appeared in the March 2024 issue of Temple Shalom’s monthly publication, “The Voice.” It is rare for me to repeat a piece like this, but these are unusual times. This message connects the celebration of our freedom at Passover with our related responsibility to redeem those who are oppressed. I hope that you will join in the effort to keep those who are being held in captivity in our hearts and minds, particularly around our seder tables this year.

In a few weeks, Jews around the world will gather to observe the holiday of Passover with festive seder meals. Rabbi Manny Gold, one of my mentors, taught that few religious traditions are as malleable as the Passover Seder. For the authors of the Passover Seder, the slavery in Egypt and fight against Pharaoh were used as code to discuss

the oppression of Rome (which also explains why one reclines at a seder and eats an egg, customs that the Romans used to observe).

In every generation since that time, the story of the Exodus, and the fight for freedom, has been adapted to fit the needs of the day.

“No one is free until we are all free."

~Rev.Dr.MartinLutherKingJr.

Over the last half-century alone, the seder table has included texts and conversations about the civil rights movement, the modern state of Israel, equality for women, Soviet Jewry, genocide in Darfur and refugees. In this way, Passover demonstrates each year that the theme of freedom is universal while also reminding us that being free comes with responsibility. As long as others still suffer under the yoke of oppression, we adapt our story to include their struggle for freedom and equality. As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “No one is free until we are all free."

This year those words feel even more sharp, as our thoughts are with our Israeli

Passover celebration ideas

SRabbi Ammos Chorny

ome time ago, I stumbled upon a concise Passover Seder online, clocking in at just 30 seconds. It went something like this: “Thanks for the wine. Thanks for the greens. Why eat matzah? Why eat bitters? Why dip twice? Why slouch? Dayenu (that would be enough)… Let’s eat!” While such brevity might seem lacking, I've also encountered well-structured 30-minute seders that include essential rituals, ideal for young families. On

the flip side, I've endured seders that felt interminable.

The Haggadah recounts a tale of five rabbis who stayed up all night telling the Exodus story, only to be interrupted by their students for morning prayers. Though I've never quite grasped this story since Jewish law dictates that the afikomen must be eaten by midnight, closing the sacred meal, the speculation that the rabbis were covertly planning the Bar Kochba revolt may hold more weight.

Seders range from minimal to maximal. I strive for a balance, adapting to my audience. While I prioritize essential rituals, I may not recite every word of the Haggadah. For me, a lively rendition of “Had Gadya” at the end is paramount. Our family tradition involves attempting to sing the entire final stanza in one breath.

brothers and sisters being held as hostages in Gaza. Though I pray that by the time you read this they will be free, in my heart I fear they will still be in captivity, held against their will and unable to feel the loving embrace of their family and friends. Sadly, our media cycle in America has mostly forgotten the hostages — those individuals who were ripped out of their homes by terrorists on Oct. 7. We, however, do not have the luxury of forgetting. We know they were taken simply because they, like us, are Jews. We identify with them and feel the intense pain of their families yearning for them to return home.

At your seder this year, remember the Israelis being held hostage in Gaza. Here are some ideas to keep those being held by Hamas in your hearts at the seder:

• When you find the Afikomen, hold the Afikomen in the air and say: “While we are free, we have a responsibility to remember those who are not free. Just as the seder cannot end without finding and eating the Afikomen, we will not end our efforts to release the hostages until all are found and freed from their captivity.”

• Go online and find the hostage posters that you can include around your seder table.

• The Times of Israel has a section dedicated to those who are still missing and captive (https://www.timesofisrael.com/ spotlight-topic/those-we-are-missing/). Print out some of their stories and ask those at your table to read them aloud, bringing the spirit of those being held to your celebration of freedom.

• Invite those at your seder table to use their electronic devices to send a message to a local or national media outlet demanding they cover the hostages. Ask your guests to also contact civic leaders at all levels to ask that they work toward freeing those held in Gaza.

Every year, our seder ends with the same fervent words of hope, “L’Shana Ha’Ba’ah b’Yerushalyim — next year in Jerusalem!” May that prayer come true – that next year, all those being held hostage will be able to sit around their seder tables with loved ones, free at last.

Rabbi Adam Miller serves at Temple Shalom.

Suppose you opt for a minimal seder, adhering to Torah requirements with little else. Rabban Gamliel outlined three items necessary for fulfillment: the

…(seders)shouldserveas powerfulconduitsfor transmittingstories acrossgenerations.

Paschal offering (represented by a shank bone and afikomen), matzah and maror I prefer to use shmura matzah, evoking the taste of ancient Egypt. Another Torah mandate is storytelling. The Exodus tale must be told in detail to accommodate all types of children. Personally, I lead a seder akin to an

episode of Jeopardy, posing questions to stimulate discussion. For instance, I often ask, “If it weren't for women, would we still be slaves in Egypt? Can anyone name six women pivotal to the Exodus?” It's crucial to captivate the audience, especially the children, rather than drone on in Hebrew without engaging those around the table.

While there are additional traditions like the rabbinic requirement of four cups of wine, seders need not be lengthy or tedious. Instead, they should serve as powerful conduits for transmitting stories across generations. May your Passover celebrations be joyous and meaningful, and may peace soon prevail in Israel.

Rabbi Ammos Chorny serves at Beth Tikvah.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG, AND SO HAVE DRYWOOD TERMITES!

by Anna Wallace, Truly Nolen

Did you know the peak of drywood termite swarming season in Southwest Florida is April through June, which means the First Day of Spring is often accompanied by these potential pests!

As their name implies, drywood termites infest dry wood and can ravage attic framings, according to the National Pest Management Association. These light brown bugs do not need soil to survive and can form colonies of up to 2,500 members.

They are commonly found in warm climates and areas with a low content of moisture. In addition, they do not require soil moisture content to live. Because they are more of a small colony insect, they are difficult to detect because their colonies are spread over a wide area.

In addition to their colonies, drywood termites typically enter homes after swarms, especially after heavy rains.

Compared to subterranean termites, drywood termites can be more difficult to detect and are not typically noticeable until

small piles of black pellets (their feces and unwanted cellulose) plus color of wood that is infested collect. They make their nests within the wood they consume and infest walls, columns, beams and furniture. They also attack floors, furniture and books.

The most effective prevention for drywood termites can be "built-in" to a home during its construction phase with the installation of pressure-treated lumber wherever a builder can do so.

Meanwhile, untreated wood can be sprayed with borate solutions. Once construction ends, it becomes much more difficult to completely treat all wood in a finished house with residual chemicals.

If a drywood termite infestation is suspected in your house, I suggest having a trained pest control professional conduct a thorough examination of the entire structure.

As a homeowner, you should make notice of specific areas when the professional visits and keep samples of the pellets whenever possible.

In cases where a drywood termite infestation is found, liquid treatment injection of galleries in the infested areas and preventative coatings of through interior baseboard injections and attic treatment is highly effective.

As a reminder, you can always request a FREE inspection by calling us or by visiting www.trulynolen.com and clicking “Schedule Free Inspection.”

(Anna Wallace is the Manager for Truly Nolen in Naples. Her service office can be reached at (239) 643-2555. Founded in 1938, Tucson-based Truly Nolen of America (www.trulynolen.com) is one of the largest family-owned pest control companies in the United States. To learn more about Termites and the variety you may have in your home, please visit

https://www.trulynolen.com/termite-control/)

What Passover teaches us about Jewish survival

TRabbi Fishel Zaklos

hese past months have not been easy for Am Yisrael, the Jewish people. Even if you have been living under the metaphorical rock, you are surely aware of the attacks on Oct. 7, the war ever since, the rise of maddening antisemitism, and this deep feeling of worry and anxiety that has overtaken the hearts of good people the world over.

Just under six months after the atrocities of Oct. 7, we will be sitting down with family and friends for the Passover Seder. The delicious matza, wine and food (everything tastes delicious after four cups of wine), the bitter herbs, the 10 plagues and your favorite nudnik uncle all come together to make the seder the special event that it is.

Do you know that the seder is the longest-standing yearly meal in history? For over 3,000 years, we have been doing

the same seder in the same way, as we proudly hold onto these traditions that made us who we are today. If a Jew from the Middle Ages would miraculously show up to our seder, they would feel right at home.

Yet each year, the holiday and its rituals resonate in different and unique ways, based on the circumstances of our lives and our own growth and maturity. Although the rituals are repetitive every year, their messages are never repetitive, because we are not the same people that we were last year.

This year, perhaps more than any other Pesach in recent memory, there is a paragraph that will resonate deeply. Halfway through the Haggadah we will reach the part where we raise our cups and sing the famous song “Vehi Sheamda” (so many beautiful tunes to those words). As we do so, we will feel the words pulsate through our very being: “And this is what kept our fathers and what keeps us surviving. For, not only one arose and tried to destroy us, rather

in every generation they try to destroy us, and Hashem saves us from their hands.”

The message is twofold:

1. Haters have always existed. Ever since we became a nation, we have had soulless individuals determined to destroy us. Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon.

Thehardertheytry tobreakus,the harder our resolve to survive and even thrive becomes.

2. Much more importantly, we always survive. No matter how much they hurt us, they can never destroy us. The eternity of the Jewish nation is arguably the greatest miracle of history. No nation has been more persecuted, and yet here we are — thriving, growing and more alive.

Antisemites are not only evil, but they are also foolish. Don’t they realize that the harder they fight us the stronger we become? Don’t they see the Divine hand that assures their plans will never succeed? And what about us? Are our eyes open to our own miraculous story? Are we confident in the promise of the future that “G-d saves us from their hands?”

We aren’t free until everyone is free

We call Passover the “Festival of Freedom,” as we celebrate our ancestors being freed from Egyptian bondage in the 13th Century BCE under the leadership of Moses. Our Jewish “Festival of Freedom” is the oldest continually observed religious ritual in the world. Metaphorically, we are told the Jewish people wandered in the desert for the next 40 years looking to arrive in a homeland as promised by God.

When Passover comes each year, I take some time to think about the concept of freedom. I try to think about our own sense of being free here in the United States or anywhere in the world for that matter. I once read a quote that admonished, “Freedom is not just the absence of oppression, but the presence of a meaningful route to selffulfillment.” I think about that very idea whenever I muse about freedom.

In Jewish tradition, we differentiate between yi’ud , which means fate, and goral, which means destiny. My fate is in the hand of cards I have been dealt. My destiny is how I choose to play them. Regardless of the hand we are dealt, every one of us is free to shape our own destiny even in the most challenging of times and circumstances.

Each year, we sit and tell the story of the Jewish journey from slavery to freedom.

The Passover Seder invites us, through questioning, to give memory meaning.

During the Civil War, Jewish soldiers on the union side, who celebrated the seder in field tents, spoke of themselves as actors in the story, leading the slaves to freedom. Today, there are seder plates that feature a very non-traditional orange to symbolize the LGBTQ+ community’s struggle for freedom. Some people add olives to a seder plate to symbolize a hope for peace between Israel and the Palestinian people, and this year, there will be an empty chair at seder tables everywhere, symbolizing the hope for the Israeli hostages to be returned to their families.

Regardlessofthehand wearedealt,everyone ofusisfreetoshape ourowndestinyevenin themostchallengingof times and circumstances.

On April 10, 1943, the residents of the Warsaw Ghetto held a makeshift Passover meal, celebrating their freedom. The Ghetto, however, was anything but free as Nazi soldiers were in the process of liquidating it. The residents of the Warsaw Ghetto capitalized on “spiritual freedom,” even facing the most extreme hardship they were daily living.

Sadly, more people are enslaved today than at any other point in history. According to the most conservative estimates of the International Labor Organization and the International Organization for Migration, nearly 49.6 million people are held in situations of forced labor and forced marriage — one-quarter of them are children below the age of 18. That figure represents seven out of every 1,000 people in the world, and Florida ranks third in the highest number of human trafficking cases in the United States.

Pesach’s eternal message is that no matter how hard it can be, whether in Egypt, Babylonia, Spanish Expulsion, Auschwitz or Kfar Aza – Am Yisrael Chai, our nation endures. The harder they try to break us, the harder our resolve to survive, and even thrive, becomes.

So, while we cry for lives lost, destroyed families and homes, and pray for our captives (hopefully, they are all home by the time you read this), let us also celebrate the miracle of our survival. The seder is not just about kneidlach, matza and a nice piece of steak. It’s about opening our eyes to our own miracles and feeling a strong sense of connection to the collective nation of Israel. We are one heart split into many bodies. We are one soul. We are all in this together.

So, to all my friends, family and people of good conscience: Stand proud and strong during these tumultuous times. The pain is real, but we will come out stronger, better and as eternal as ever.

Next year in Jerusalem!

My wife, Ettie, joins me in wishing you and yours a kosher and happy Pesach.

Rabbi Zaklos Fishel serves at Chabad Jewish Center of Naples.

Slavery not only persists but has also grown in scope, not only taking place in regions with highly repressive regimes and armed conflict, but also in the shadows of the very communities in which we live. Human trafficking is the extreme end of a continuum of human exploitation and vulnerability. The innumerable people trafficked for sex-work, domestic work and forced marriage all have one thing in common: their freedom has been stolen from them.

In this Passover season of freedom and redemption, when we are reminded of the plight of our ancestors and their Exodus from bondage, our hearts cry out for those who are victims of modern-day slavery, and we need to do all that we can to ensure their liberation and recovery. As Jews, especially at this time of year, we need to think about

and support worker led campaigns to raise wages, combat abuses and create meaningful enforcement mechanisms to implement hard-won rights.

So, as we sit down to our Passover Seder and tell the story of freedom, and as we remember the “mighty hand and the outstretched arm” that freed us long ago, let us not be complacent and haughty. We need to commit to taking action to release all others from the torture and bondage of slavery today.

May we work together to create a world where all people know freedom, so that next year, when we sit down for our seders, slavery will truly be a sin of the past.

A Zissen Pesach to you.

Rabbi Howard S. Herman DD serves at Naples Jewish Congregation.

While season is slowing down, activities at JCMI are not. Please join us every Monday night at 5:30 p.m. for Monday Night Bingo.

On April 4, JCMI will host the fourth concert of its Concert Series — Rocket Man, an Elton John sponsored performance. Tickets are available on the JCMI website, www.marcojcmi.com, or in the office by calling 239-642-0800.

On April 16, the Book Club will meet. The book of the month is “Night Angels” by Weina Dai Randel.

Most importantly, on April 22, JCMI will conduct its annual Passover Seder. Contact the office for reservations. To our snowbirds – have a safe and happy summer.

Rabbi Howard S. Herman DD

www.naplesjewishcongregation.org

Why will April 22 be different from all other nights?

ICharles Flum President

t is different because Naples Jewish Congregation (NJC) is hosting a Pesach Seder. On all other nights, we eat chametz and matzah. Why on this night only matzah? On all other nights, we eat all kinds of herbs. Why on this night, bitter herbs? Rabbi Herman will lead us in finding the answer.

On all other nights we do not dip herbs at all. Why, on this night, do we dip twice? Don’t know, or want to refresh your memory? Join us at Cypress Woods Country Club to find out.

Why on other nights can we sit or recline? Why on this night do we recline? Unfortunately, you will have to bring your own pillow to recline in your chair. Please go to naplesjewishcongregation.org to purchase your tickets.

Judaism has so much in it, that it’s impossible to know it all. Here are some pieces of trivia you may or may not know.

The Christian concept of original sin is totally foreign to Judaism. Original sin is the concept that because Adam sinned by eating of the Tree of Knowledge in Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden), all people are born in sin. The only way to erase it is by belief in Jesus. Judaism says people are born without sin, with a pure and clean soul. We sin by our actions, not because we are inherently sinful.

Christianity has said that the fruit Adam and Eve ate was an apple. Jewish tradition says it was a fig.

When they realized they were naked, they used fig leaves to clothe themselves. So, the rabbis reasoned that it was a fig they ate.

If two Jews marry only in a civil marriage, it is considered a valid Jewish marriage. If the couple get a divorce, and then one wants to marry another Jew, the divorced couple needs a “get” to ensure no one thinks they are still married.

The Talmud says a scholar should have intercourse once a week, and the appropriate time is Friday night. Rashi said Friday night is ideal because “it is a night of delight, relaxation and joy.”

Jews do not consider a fetus as a person. It is not until the baby is born is it considered to be a person.

This is why Jews do not object to abortions as long as there is a valid reason for the abortion.

Jews are only buried in daytime. This is because:

1. Deuteronomy (21:23) says, “You shall surely bury him the same day,” which was taken to mean burials are to be in daylight.

2. Night was when criminals were buried. Therefore, it was a disgrace to be buried at night.

3. Evil spirits were thought to be more powerful at night. Therefore, it was safer to bury during the day.

Even though masquerading is banned in the Tanach, the rabbis allowed it on Purim, because it is such a joyous festival. Masquerading on Purim began in Italy and was influenced by the Roman Carnival. It spread from there to the rest of the Jewish world. Today in Israel, the Adloyada Purim Carnival takes place in Tel Aviv where costumes are encouraged.

Federation Star Publication Policy

The Federation Star is a subsidized arm of JFGN. Its purpose and function is to publicize the activities and programs of Federation as well as ongoing activities of recognized Jewish organizations in Greater Naples.

The goal of JFGN is to reach out and unite all Jews of the Greater Naples area. While differing opinions and points of view exist on many issues of importance to Jews, the Federation Star will confine itself to publishing only items that report the facts of actual events of concern to Jews and offer commentary that clearly intends to unite all Jews in a common purpose.

Critical or derogatory comments directed at individuals or organizations will not be published.

To avoid misunderstandings, controversies and destructive divisions among our people, the Officers and Board of Trustees of Federation have adopted the following publication policy:

Advertisements: All advertisements, regardless of their sponsor, shall be paid for in full, at the established rates, prior to publication. The contents of all advertisements shall be subject to review and approval of the Federation board or its designee. Commercial advertisers may make credit arrangements

with the advertising manager, subject to the approval of the Federation board.

Regular Columns: Regular columns shall be accepted only from leaders (Rabbis, Presidents, Chairs) of established and recognized Jewish organizations in Greater Naples and the designated chairs of the regular committees of Jewish Federation of Greater Naples.

Special Announcements: Special announcements shall be accepted from established Jewish organizations in Greater Naples and may, at the discretion of the Federation board, be subject to the conditions applicable to paid advertisements, as set forth above.

News Items: Only those news items pertaining to matters of general interest to the broadest cross section of the Jewish community will be accepted for publication.

Note: Items of controversial opinions and points of view about political issues will not be accepted for publication without prior approval of a majority of the Federation Officers and Trustees.

All persons and organizations objecting to the actions and rulings of the Editor or Publications Committee Chair shall have the right to appeal those rulings to the Officers and Board of Trustees of JFGN.

The Cardozo Society is formed as a way to network the many existing and new Jewish attorneys in our legal community. The Jewish Federation of Greater Naples continues to reach out to raise awareness through this association of Jewish attorneys promoting professionalism, cooperation, and identification with our Jewish community.

For more information contact Joshua Bialek at jbialek@porterwright.com

At Chabad of Naples

The Celebration of Jewish Life was an incredible series that enabled us to come together as a community. With 11 amazing events, we celebrated our shared heritage, engaged in enriched cultural experiences and deepened our understanding of Jewish traditions. From educational workshops to inspirational gatherings, each event brought us closer together and ignited a renewed sense of pride in our collective identity.

Ted Epstein deserves major thanks for coordinating the entire series and making it such a resounding success. Without Epstein’s dedication, passion and unwavering commitment to bringing our community together, this Celebration of Jewish Life would not have occurred. We also wish to thank the wonderful committee that helped plan and execute these events.

To learn more about the CJL series or to volunteer and support it, please visit CJLnaples.com or reach out to Rabbi Fishel at 239-262-4474.

enhancing accessibility and convenience for all involved. In addition to the surface work, substantial underground preparation is underway.

Behind the scenes, there's been a flurry of meetings and collaboration, which are vital for ensuring that every aspect of the project aligns with our vision and meets the highest standards of quality and safety. It's incredibly gratifying to witness the dedication and teamwork driving this project forward!

We have come a long way, but we still need to raise $1.5 million to complete the dream and to secure a bright future for our community. Please partner with us at www.naplesbigbuild.com. To learn more or to schedule a personal meeting with Rabbi Fishel Zaklos, call 239-2624474 or email rabbi@chabadnaples.com.

Men’s Club and Parsha class

The Men’s Club offers meaningful conversation and Torah classes Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m.

Rabbi Fishel gives a Parsha class, Wednesdays at 11:45 a.m., to which men and women are invited. Call the office for more details on these classes.

Shabbat and Kiddush luncheon

OUR 31ST YEAR!

Community Passover Seder

April 13, 2024

Are you looking for a seder that is not too long and is easy to follow with a meaningful and relevant message? One with great food and company, traditions explained and lots of joyous Passover spirit? Then the Chabad of Naples Community Seder is perfect for you. We will hold our very popular first night Passover Seder. This family event is always a sell-out, so be sure to reserve your seats soon. Call the office at 239-262-4474 for reservations or go to www.chabadnaples.com/passover.

If you know of someone who needs assistance with Passover supplies, please let us know how we can help.

Exciting updates on the Big Build

We are very excited to share these updates. Progress is swift, with underground utilities installed, the parking lot finalized and the building pad completed. The installation of asphalt is complete, paving the way for our car line and additional parking in front of our building. This marks a significant milestone in

All are welcome to join us weekly for uplifting Shabbat Services. One of the weekly highlights has always been the Kiddush luncheon at 12:15 p.m.! The Torah service begins at 11 a.m. and includes the rabbi’s contemporary, meaningful and relevant insights during the Torah reading.

Kosher meals from the heart

Know someone in need of just a little extra love right now? Nominate a recipient by sending us an email, and we will have it delivered.

Minyan

If you have a yahrzeit or need to say Kaddish, we are always here to help make a minyan during the week. It is amazing to see how the community comes together for each other.

Chabad Naples community care

Chabad of Naples has a special committee of professionals and lay volunteers who are available and trained to visit anyone in need. If you know someone in the hospital or at home who would appreciate a visit, please call 239-261-0772.

OF GREATER NAPLES

Rabbi Fishel Zaklos

When:

Joyous celebrations in March

MEttie Zaklos Founder & Director

arch felt like one long celebration at Preschool of the Arts (POTA). We started the month with one of our favorite traditions – POTA’s annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day! We welcomed over 300 grandparents and special friends to our Garden of the Arts and Nature Playscape for a fun-filled picnic party. There is a certain joy and special affection that only grandparents can bring, and it was evident on everyone's faces throughout the magical day.

From the teddy bear tea party to the picnic playdough to the musical meadow, it was a day of smiles and sunshine, filled with love and intergenerational fun. The children got to craft their own picnic sandwiches, explore a table of bug and butterfly-inspired loose parts, enjoy a sensory small world oasis and indulge in delicious treats. There were cake pops, pastries and picnic activities galore! It was heartwarming to see the smiling faces and

witness the bond between the children and their grandparents.

To top it off, we presented our grandparents with a framed gift the children handcrafted just for them along with custom picnic blankets to take home and create even more memories with their grandchildren in the future.

At POTA, we cherish the opportunity to host grandparents and foster the special

bond their grandkids share with them. We know that being a grandparent is one of the greatest gifts in life, and we were honored to recognize the special role grandparents play. Throughout the day, we were inspired to witness the overwhelming pride and joy on all our grandparents’ faces, beaming as the children demonstrated their tremendous accomplishments and growth. Most wonderful of all was the way the children burst with pride, as each one felt special and loved.

At POTA, we are not just a preschool; we're a place where families come together to create lasting memories. Our commitment to educating the whole child means involving the entire family in our activities and events.

Purim festivities

The fun continued later in the month with an elaborate “Seussical Purim” mega-party that was enjoyed by all. The well-attended holiday event welcomed the Greater Naples community to enter a world inspired by Dr. Seuss, with a Hopon-Pop bounce house, a Cat in the Hat photobooth, Seussian Smiles face painting and a Sam-I-Am savory pizza buffet. There was even a Seussville ride-on train

to take us around. Oh, the places we went and the memories we made!

In our classrooms, children enjoyed plenty of Purim festivities, dressing up in costumes, singing Purim songs and baking Hamantashen. In art class, they designed and decorated beautiful baskets, then filled them with yummy goodies. The children then gifted their basket to a friend in the Purim custom of

Mishloach Manot, encouraging sharing, giving and friendship.

With so much going on, you could almost forget that our campus is undergoing a massive transformation with construction in full swing for our “Big Build” expansion project! Despite ongoing construction, our preschool continues to operate seamlessly. We have worked closely with our contractor to ensure minimal disruption to our operations so the children can continue learning.

Summer of the Arts

Want to be a part of it all? Sign your

child up for Summer of the Arts 2024! Our summer experience is like dozens of specialty camps rolled into one. Families can sign up for all six weeks or for one of our two sessions, which run June 3 through July 12. Enrollment is filling up fast! With high demand and limited availability, we encourage prospective families to enroll today.

Happy Passover!

Preschool of the Arts and Summer of the Arts are also hiring! Reach out today to NaplesPreschooloftheArts@ gmail.com to learn about openings and join our incredible, growing team of innovative educators.

Join PJ Library for a Passover celebration! Sing well-known songs from the seder and make a seder plate out of clay!

Thursday, April 18

Jewish Federation of Greater Naples

4:00-5:00 PM

RSVP to Amber programs@jewishnaples.org

BBYO Naples and Fort Myers

By Cayla Schreier, BBYO Southwest Coordinator

February may be the shortest month of the year, but our Naples BBYO teens made the most of its 29 days by hosting three events. The cookie decorating activity along with the orientation took place in the BBYO Lounge. Our N’Siah (president), Bella Schaab, presented information about Naples BBYO to new members, prospects and current members. She explained BBYO’s mission, core values, learning and leadership opportunities, and provided more details about upcoming events. After learning more about BBYO, the teens created their own icing colors and decorated their sugar cookies.

Later in the month, 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 in the BBYO Lounge. The boys played spike ball, football, corn hole, played Superbowl Squares and ate snacks out of the snackadium in the outside recreation area of the Federation building. Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs for their victory in the 58th Superbowl!

Three of our teens attended BBYO’s International Convention, which was held February 15-19 in Orlando, FL. Some of our Naples BBYO board members also attended. The teens had a great time hanging out with their BBYO friends from throughout Florida, attending events, listening to different influential figures and meeting new friends.

March has also been a busy month for Naples BBYO. Our teens were excited to return to Cone06 Pottery in Naples on Sunday, March 3. The pricing to participate varied, depending on which pottery item was chosen. Our teens 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.

Our second event will be a challah bake in conjunction with the Chabad of Florida Gulf Coast University on Sunday, March 31 at 1:30 p.m. The teens will get to see the FGCU campus, get to know some Jewish FGCU students, learn about opportunities to continue their involvement in Jewish clubs and organizations post-high school and, most importantly, make a challah.

In addition to attending the North Florida Region’s Spring Regional Convention in Orlando, FL between 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 and hundreds of chapters across the United States.

Supporting our Teenage Jewish community

It is crucial to engage teens post-B’nai Mitzvah age in Jewish activities. Having teens get involved in BBYO and be eager to create and confidently continue their own Jewish community within their greater Jewish communities is critical to our future.

The BBYO chapter of Naples has entered its 11th year of partnership with Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, Temple Shalom, Chabad of Naples and Beth Tikvah. Each organization provides financial support, volunteers and community involvement opportunities for the BBYO teens. 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 know of someone who may want to be an advisor to our chapters, 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 through both Jewish Federation of Greater Naples and the Temple Shalom Men’s Club. Please contact me for more information on scholarships. If you are a BBYO alum and would like to be included in our Friends and Alumni of BBYO mailing list, please email us at mjs0821@aol.com.

TEMPLE SHALOM OF NAPLES (Reform)

4630 Pine Ridge Road, Naples, FL 34119

Phone: 455.3030  Fax: 455.4361 www.naplestemple.org

Rabbi Adam Miller, MAHL

Cantor Donna Azu, MSM

Rabbi Ariel Boxman, MAHL, MARE, Director of Lifelong Learning

Rabbi James H. Perman, D.D., Rabbi Emeritus

Deborah Rosen Fidel, J.D., MAJPS, Executive Director

Len Teitelbaum, President Dr. James Cochran, Music Director

Shabbat Services:

Shabbat Eve - Friday 7:30 p.m.

Shabbat - Saturday 10 a.m.

Sisterhood Men’s Club

JEWISH CONGREGATION

OF MARCO ISLAND (Reform)

991 Winterberry Drive

Marco Island, FL 34145

Phone: 642.0800  Fax: 642.1031

Email: manager@marcojcmi.com

Website: www.marcojcmi.com

Rabbi Mark Gross

Hari Jacobsen, Cantorial Soloist

Stan Alliker, President

Shabbat Services

Friday 7:30 p.m.

Seasonal: Saturday Talmud-Torah at 9:30 a.m.

Rabbi’s Lifelong Learning Series

Sidney R. Hoffman Jewish Film Festival

Saul I. Stern Cultural Series

JCMI Book Club

NAPLES JEWISH CONGREGATION (Reform)

Services are held at:

The Unitarian Congregation 6340 Napa Woods Way

Rabbi Howard Herman 431.3858

Email: rabbi@naplesjewishcongregation.org www.naplesjewishcongregation.org

Charles Flum, President

Jane Galler, Cantorial Soloist

Shabbat Services

Friday evenings 7 p.m.

May - August: services once a month

Sisterhood • Men’s Club

Adult Education • Adult Choir Social Action • Community Events

BETH TIKVAH (Conservative)

1459 Pine Ridge Road

Naples, FL 34109

(just west of Mission Square Plaza) Phone: 434.1818

Email: office@bethtikvah.us

Website: www.bethtikvahnaples.org

Rabbi Ammos Chorny

Joseph Henson, President

Roberta Miller, Secretary

Shabbat Services

Friday evenings 6:15 p.m.

Saturday mornings 9:30 a.m.

Youth Education

Adult Education

Community Events

Bonita Springs, FL 34135

Phone: 239-949-6900

Email: chabad@jewishbonita.com

Website: www.JewishBonita.com

Rabbi Mendy & Luba Greenberg Co-directors

Services:

Sunday 9 a.m.

Monday through Friday 8 a.m.

Shabbat 10 a.m.

Adult Education

Challah of Love

Community Events

Daily Minyan Services

Hebrew School

Kosher Grocery

Kosher Meals on Wheels

Smile on Seniors

E-mail:

Volume

Jewish National Fund

Joshua Mellits, 941.462.1330 x865

Jewish War Veterans Post 202 Commander, Harvey Sturm, 261.3270

Men’s Cultural Alliance

President: Michael Sobol, 508.733.9427

Naples BBYO

Cayla Schreier, 845.405.1991

Naples Friends of American Magen David Adom (MDA)

SE Reg Dir: Joel Silberman, 954.457.9766

PJ Library Coordinator: Amber Ferren 239.263.4205

Women’s Cultural Alliance

President: Patti Boochever, 518.852.3440

Zionist Organization of America

President: Jerry Sobel, 914.329.1024

Pass the plate. Pass down the story. Happy Passover.

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.