Jacksonville Jewish News • February 2013
page 15
www.jewishjacksonville.org
SYNAGOGUE NEWS
Temple holds Marriage Reconsecration Shabbat By Congregation Ahavath Chesed
According to Jewish tradition, it is our duty to celebrate with the bride and groom. At Congregation Ahavath Chesed (The Temple), the celebration doesn’t stop at the wedding. Eighty-four couples will be honored on Friday, Feb. 15, as Temple celebrates Marriage Reconsecration Shabbat. As part of a lovely and long-standing tradition, Temple invites couples who are celebrating wedding anniversaries ending in 3 or 8 at any time during the year to gather under a large chuppah for a special blessing by the rabbi and in the presence of their Temple family. This year, the continuum of couples celebrating anniversaries range from some who are just reaching their fifth year of married life, to one couple who will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary in 2013. They will have the opportunity to come together under the chuppah and relive their special day, whether it was just a decade ago, or if they’re marking their silver or golden anniversary. There will be a special Oneg Shabbat following services, so that their friends and family can offer them good wishes as well. The Marriage Reconsecration ceremony will be included in Temple’s Kabbalat Shabbat worship which begins at 7 p.m. Please
join our Temple family in honoring these couples at that time. 5 years: Matt and Samantha Borer, Mark and Meredith Frisch, Brian and Stephanie Frus, Jacob and Amber Rothman. 10 years: Vincent and Deana Barone, Walter and Mary Beissinger, Rabbi Matthew and Erin Cohen, Scott and Caron Gutovitz, Michael and Andrea Kneller, Sean Granat and Amy Layh, Paul and Jill Metlin, Jonathan and Jennifer Shedlin. 15 Years: Scott and Allison Brody , Thomas Cunniff Sr. and Judith Cunniff, Alfred and Dawn Emerick, Steven and Rebecca Goldwasser , Adam and Kimberly Mcdonough, B. Wade and Tracey Westbrook. 20 years: David and Cecilla Cristol, Richard and Audrey Goodpasture, Ted and Lisa Grubowski, Philip and Leslie Kaplan, Craig and Holly Kobrin, Phillip and Alisa Pearl, Benjamin and Karin Piperno, Michael and Dina Pulley, Harold and Barbara Resnick, Thomas and Rosemarie Rudden, Johathan and Karen Schwartz, Todd and Catherine Snowden, Marc Jackson and Ann Tiefenthaler, Eric and Bonni Van, David and Sheila Weston. 25 years: James and Rita Brady, David and Donna Furfine, Seth and Elissa Giambalvo, Howard and Deborah Gomer, Charles and Anne Joseph, Eric and Jodie Leach, John and Debra Pataky,
Seventy-four couples were honored during the Temple’s Marriage Reconsecration Shabbat in 2012. On February 15, 2013 we will honor 70 couples with anniversaries ranging from five to70 years. Lee and Nancy Rosenberg, David and Kathleen Spencer. 30 years: Stephen and Serena Bloomfield, Jeffrey and Mary Edwards, James and Francine Kempner, Michael and Pamela Korn, Michael and Sue Nussbaum, Gary and Nancy Perlman, Alan and Lisa Schimmel. 35 years: Steven and Judith Friedman, Andrew and Karen Kaunitz, Mark and Susan Kornhauser, Joel and Beth Kurland, Gary and Peggy Rothman, Richard and Kimberly Sisisky, Skip
and Wendy Willbach. 40 years: Loren and Elana Clayman, Neal and Andrea Esserman, Jonathan and Barbara Lief, Fred and Martha Tromberg, Arnold and Janet Zeal. 45 years: Paul and Annette Cantor, Fred and Adrienne Elefant, Lloyd and Linda Granat, Stephen and Sandra Merritt, Jerome and Marjorie Rothstein, Gerald and Phyllis Sohn, Mandell and Rita Stearman, Sheldon and Anita Teitelbaum, Steven Ussach and Sheila Rae, Eugene and Brenda
Wolchok. 50 years: Max and Beverly Block, Daniel and Dinah Kossoff, Sidney and Rona Siegel. 55 years: Michael and Sue Berkey, Sam Bucholtz, Jr. and Mary Bucholtz, Jay and Ellen Diamond, Carl and Carolyn Kantor, Bernard and Ruth Nachman, William and Ariene Newman, Lewis and Ann Young. 60 years: Bernard and Marilyn Datz, Harvey and Joy Jarchower. 70 years: Perry and Shirley Cohen.
Mitzvah hero Siegel to speak at Center Center participates By Jacksonville Jewish Center
The Jacksonville Jewish Center will host Mitzvah Hero Danny Siegel as their Setzer-Levitt Scholar-in-Residence as part of the Center’s Social Action Shabbaton. Siegel is a well-known author, lecturer and poet who has spoke in more than 500 North American Jewish communities on Tzedakah and Jewish values. Danny Siegel founded the Ziv Tzedakah Fund in 1981, collecting small amounts of money from generous individuals to give to ordinary Israelis who were doing extraordinary work, trying to make the world a better place. The Ziv Tzedakah Fund gave over $14 million to small projects in Israel and the United States. On March 1, following a byreservation-only Shabbat dinner, Siegel will teach on “There’s No Such Thing as a Small Mitzvah: Easy Ways To Make a BIG
Difference With Just a Little Tzedakah Money” and/or a “Minimum of Time, Effort, Stamina, Talents and Personal Strengths and Preferences.” On March 2, during Shabbat morning services, Siegel will give a sermon titled, “Tikkun Olam and Life: 1+ 1=3 and many other Mitzvah Principles for a Meaningful Jewish Life.” Following Shabbat services, he will lead a lunch and learn for B’nai Mitzvah students and their families about the importance of taking responsibility to make this world a better place. On Sunday morning, March 3, Danny Siegel will lead the community in learning before embarking on a day full of volunteering and Tikkun Olam throughout the city of Jacksonville as part of the Jacksonville Jewish Center’s Mitzvah Day 5773. For more information on the Jacksonville Jewish Center’s Social Action
Kehillah Chadashah holds services at River Garden By Kehillah Chadashah
Over one in every eight Americans, or 13.1 percent of the population, is an older American. Judaism places great value on honoring, respecting and caring for the elderly. Leviticus teaches us that “you shall rise up before the aged and show deference
to the old.” In Proverbs it says “abandon me not when I grow old.” Kehillah Chadashah will be leading service for the elderly residents at River Garden Hebrew Home throughout the year. For more information go to https:// sites.google.com/site/kehillahchadashah/ under Tikkun Olam.
Temple hosts blood drive By SAM GRISWOLD
Congregation Ahavath Chesed
Every four seconds, someone in America requires a blood transfusion. It is the goal of The Blood Alliance to collect 360 pints daily. Help Temple do its part in giving the gift of life. As part of its ongoing efforts of tikkun olam, or repair of the
world, Congregation Ahavath Chesed (The Temple) will again host a blood drive on Sunday, Feb. 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. All are encouraged to join us in this worthy cause. To register and reserve your appointment, contact Robin Gefen at rgefen@bellsouth.net, or call the Temple office at (904) 7337078.
in AIPAC conference By Jacksonville Jewish Center
Danny Siegel Shabbaton with Danny Siegel or the Jacksonville Jewish Center’s Mitzvah Day, please contact Rabbi Jesse Olitzky at 268-4200 ext. 134 or jolitzky@jaxjewishcenter.org
From March 3-5, over a dozen members of the Jacksonville Jewish Center will travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in the largest gathering of pro-Israel advocates anywhere. AIPAC Policy Conference is where pro-Israel activists influence policy, strengthen the bond between the United States and Israel, and ensure that Israel remains strong, vibrant and free. Thousands of participants of all ages come together from all 50 states for what AIPAC calls “three of the most important days affecting Israel’s future.” “It is important that we are am echad im lev echad, one nation with one heart,” says Rabbi Jesse Olitzky of the Jacksonville Jewish Center, who will be leading the delegation. “While the
American Jewish community may be divided on many issues, we are united in our support for Israel. Policy Conference is an opportunity to meet with and hear from countless Israeli and American legislatures, politicians, and policymakers and sit in on hundreds of informative sessions and debates about the future of the state of Israel. Attending Policy Conference leads to each of us becoming better pro-Israel advocates so that we may return to Jacksonville and have our voices heard as supporters of the Jewish state on the First Coast.” There is still time to be a part of the Jacksonville Jewish Center delegation to the conference. For those who are interested, please contact Rabbi Jesse Olitzky at 268-4200 ext. 134 or jolitzky@jaxjewishcenter.org.