6 minute read
The Pomegranate Society celebrates Tu B’Shvat
and so much more
Susan Pittelman, Pomegranate Society Founding Member
The sun shining outside the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center was matched only by the warmth inside Schiff Hall as women arrived for the Pomegranate Society’s Tu Be S’hvat Luncheon on March 5. Beautiful pomegranate seeds floated in vases on each table, next to bowls of fruit and nuts — the perfect setting for an afternoon of connection and meaning shared by longtime members and new members alike.
Campaign Chair Rosalee Bogo warmly welcomed the Pomegranates to the luncheon, thanking them for spending their afternoon together in support of our shared mission. She proudly announced that our Annual Campaign has already reached $1.6 million and expressed confidence that we will surpass our $1.85 million goal this year. Bogo thanked the women for their generosity and their compassion, emphasizing how their contributions will support Jewish communities locally, overseas and in Israel.
Gathering to celebrate Tu B’Shvat, the New Year of the Trees, felt most appropriate. Like a tree bearing fruit, the women of the Pomegranate Society give generously — nourishing our own community here in Southwest Florida and reaching out to help Jewish people in Israel and throughout the world.
The Pomegranate Society has certainly flourished this past year, welcoming 16 new members and bringing our total membership to 70. Four of these new members were at the luncheon and were each presented with a beautiful rose.
The Pomegranate Society of Jewish Federation of (then) Collier County, was established in 2017. Betty Schwartz and I learned about the Pomegranate Society and saw it as a meaningful gift for the women in our Jewish community. We envisioned it as a way to bring together like-minded women, creating a sisterhood united by a deep commitment to sustaining and enriching Jewish life.
Service projects are an important part of the Pomegranate Society’s programming. Last season, in collaboration with Cultivate Abundance, the Pomegranate Society sponsored a sustainable orchard in Immokalee, an area considered to be a “food desert.” Though just 22 miles away, Immokalee feels like a world apart, with very limited access to affordable fresh food. A few weeks ago, a group of Pomegranates took a bus trip to visit the orchard, witnessing firsthand the growth of the orchard and how their collective efforts are making a difference to the people of Immokalee. How fitting, then, to reflect on the importance of this service project and on sharing the harvest as we gathered to celebrate Tu B’Shvat!
Our joy at being together was tempered by the solemn reality that 515 days have passed since Oct. 7, 2023, and 59 hostages remain in captivity. After a moment of silence, I read a prayer for the safe return of the hostages and for an Israel at peace.
Following a delicious Tu B’Shvat-themed lunch, our remarkable guest speaker, Tanya Arbit, shared her story. Arbit chairs the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Annual Campaign and serves on the National Women’s Philanthropy Board with Paula Filler. She is also a long-time friend of mine. We first met while we were both deeply involved in the Milwaukee Jewish Federation.
Arbit, who has endowed her Lion of Judah, spoke candidly about her philanthropic journey. She wasn’t always able to make a large gift to Federation. In fact, for many years, she was on the receiving end of our generosity.
Arbit was born in Kiev, where she experienced relentless antisemitism — always treated differently because she was Jewish. When her son, Eugene, was born, she knew she couldn’t let him grow up facing the same discrimination. She had to find a way out of Russia. Tanya and Eugene finally received an exit permit. When they boarded the plane, officials confiscated her passport, leaving her a stateless refugee — literally homeless.
Upon arriving in the United States, a representative from the Joint Distribution Committee handed her a $100 bill. In that moment, Arbit knew that someone, somewhere, cared about her and her son. She was one of 250,000 Jews who found refuge in the United States, an opportunity only made possible by the generosity of campaigns like ours and others across North America. The Jewish Federation and HIAS arranged for Arbit to settle in Milwaukee, and once she arrived, Jewish Federation of North America, among other Jewish organizations, played a part in helping her rebuild her life.
As soon as she was able, Arbit started to give back, helping other Jewish families resettle in Milwaukee. It wasn’t long before she became a leader in the Russian-speaking Jewish community. It was then that she met her husband, Bruce, a prominent Milwaukee businessman and a past president of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Bruce was involved in the community-wide resettlement efforts, and Bruce’s family “adopted” Tanya’s extended family.
Giving of her time, her heart and her resources became a top priority for Tanya. While volunteering, she discovered a group of women dedicated to strengthening the Jewish community and knew she wanted to be part of it. So, she became a Lion of Judah. For their 25th wedding anniversary, she and Bruce gave each other a meaningful gift — endowing her Lion of Judah, ensuring her legacy of giving would continue for generations.
It was an honor for me to step in for the current Pomegranate Society chair, Debra Antzis, who was unable to attend due to a family emergency. I believe strongly in the heartfelt mission of the Greater Naples Pomegranate Society, and I thank each of you for your commitment to supporting Jews in need here, in Israel and around the world.
