Community Yom Ha’Atzmaut
MUSICAL CELEBRATION Sunday, May 4 at 3:00 PM Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center
OF GREATER NAPLES
Register for this free community event at www.jewishnaples.org
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 May 2025 – Iyar/Sivan 5785 Y Vol. 34 #8 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 20
Men’s Cultural Alliance
22
Women’s Cultural Alliance
23
Community Focus
27
Jewish Interest
30
Israel & the Jewish World
32
Rabbinical Reflections
33
Synagogue News
35
Organizations
37
Focus on Youth
39
Community Directory
Israel Friendship Caravan Come enjoy the teens of Israel Friendship Caravan as they sing and dance with us on July 23 and 24.
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Remember This! Dr. Ankit Chander’s June 6 presentation will address dementia, common misconceptions and integrative medical strategies to prevent and treat memory loss. 6
A year of growth and community resilience Nat Ritter Federation Board Chair
T
he following column is adapted from my state of the Jewish Federation address delivered at the March 30 Annual Meeting. I’m sharing it to update our broader community on the organization's activities and achievements over the past year. As I stood before our community at the recent Power of Community Celebration, I was tasked with presenting the state of our Federation. Looking out at the faces of our dedicated members, I was reminded of how security remains at the forefront of all our minds. To address these concerns, Jewish Federation of Greater Naples has joined forces with the Lee/Charlotte and Pinellas County Federations to hire Secure Community Networks (SCN), bringing on John Murtaugh as our shared regional security advisor. Additionally, Jewish Federation of
Greater Naples' funds have enabled us to employ Stephan Leoni and his colleagues as guards during our building’s hours of operation. To date, Murtaugh has visited all our local Jewish institutions, offering valuable security assessments and safety training. Throughout my time with Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, I've had the privilege of meeting extraordinary community members whose passion and commitment continually inspire me. Each interaction reinforces my belief that we are not just an organization, but a living, breathing family committed to building a vibrant future for generations to come. This year marked a significant transition in leadership. After a decade of remarkable service, Jeffrey Feld retired with the well-deserved title of president and CEO emeritus. We are deeply grateful for his dedication. Simultaneously, we welcomed Nammie Ichilov as our new president and CEO. Ichilov arrived from Texas with his wife, Lisa, bringing a fresh vision to our community. He has already begun reimagining our approach to community building.
Our programming continues to foster engagement and connection. This year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our Jewish Book Festival, which attracted nearly 3,000 attendees. We are now preparing to complete our 10th and final event for this season’s festival. Additionally, our collaborative spirit shines through partnerships such as our first-year collaboration with Beth Tikvah on the Naples Jewish Film Festival, which brought over 1,000 film enthusiasts together. In response to global challenges, our community has shown extraordinary resilience and generosity. Following last year's successful Israel Crisis Fund Campaign that raised over $1.2 million, we've raised an additional $350,000 this year to support rebuilding efforts in Israel. I'm proud to report that Jewish Federation of Greater Naples continues to exceed expectations. Having surpassed our projected campaign goal of $1.85 million, we’ve reset our goal, striving to break the $2 million threshold. This financial strength is further enhanced by Stephen Saks' remarkable $11 million continued on page 2
Musical Performance and Dialogue on May 28 Through a series of 20th century works, pianist Isaac Dorio and saxophonist Matthew Johnson explore what it means to be an American. 10
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