IF NOT NOW… WHEN?
Contribute to the Annual Community Campaign today Click “Donate” at jewishnaples.org OF GREATER NAPLES
CELEBRATING JEWISH LIFE IN GREATER NAPLES, ISRAEL AND THE WORLD
FEDERATI N STAR
Published by Jewish Federation of Greater Naples
SERVING NAPLES, MARCO ISLAND AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
www.JewishNaples.org Y June 2024 – Iyar/Sivan 5784 Y Vol. 33 #10 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 11 Men’s Cultural Alliance 12 Women’s Cultural Alliance 14 Community Focus 14 Tributes 21 Jewish Interest 24 Israel & The Jewish World 26 Organizations 27 Rabbinical Reflections 28 Synagogue News 30 Focus on Youth 35 Community Directory Community Brunch & Recipe Swap Show off your culinary skills and bring your favorite healthy dish to share. You might just find a new favorite recipe too!
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Beading Workshop Learn the basics for creating beautiful, hand-beaded necklaces, and design a necklace you’ll wear home. 8 High Holiday Greeting Orders Now Being Accepted Say “L’Shanah Tovah” to friends and family. Place your order before the summer gets away from you. 18
The ups and downs of our 2024 season By Rosalee Bogo, 2024 Annual Community Campaign Chair
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n preparation to write this article, I looked back and reread the articles I prepared for the Federation Star at the beginning of season. In September, I assumed the role of the 2024 Annual Campaign Chair. We were excitedly kicking off the campaign, had a newly assembled campaign cabinet and were busy planning exciting programs for the upcoming season. On the heels of our most successful Rosalee Bogo accomplishment of raising $1,630,000 the previous year, a lofty goal of $1,750,000 was set. As I write this article, we are just 5% shy of making our goal of $1,750,000. If we achieve this goal, it will be a historic campaign for our community. Our efforts will allow us to fulfill allocations goals and fully support partner organizations. There is still time to make your gift before the campaign ends on June 30. Feel free to call Development Director Alicia Feldman at 239-449-8266 if you would like to help push us over the finish line. I don’t need to remind you, at the time we were kicking off the campaign, Israel suffered the Massacre of Oct. 7. Our generous community banded together and raised over a million dollars for The Emergency Relief Fund. Ultimately, this did affect our campaign as some donors cut their usual gift, but others, understanding the importance of what we do
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for the needs of our core community, raised theirs. For the past nine months, I have explained in every article where the money we raise is applied, and how important it is for what we do in our community, in over 69 countries and in Israel. I continued to use the slogan, “Now more than ever, no gift touches more lives.” I stand by that statement; every Jew, in some way, is touched by the gift you give to your Federation. Members of our Lions of Judah and our Pomegranates have grown to amazing
numbers. Our Women of Philanthropy are being educated through the programs that have been planned for them as well as through the leadership of our Pomegranate Chair, Debra Antzis, and Lion of Judah Co-chairs, Gail Smith and Estelle Price. Both groups have done service projects for our Naples Community, and we have watched friendships develop as these women enjoy being brought together. From the Lion of Judah group of 105, 10 women have endowed their gifts, continued on page 2
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