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Jacksonville Jewish News • October 2017
federation news
Federation’s Haley Trager goes to Houston to help in wake of Hurricane By Jewish Federation of Jacksonville
rGEN kicks off campaign year with well attended Kibitz & Cocktails event
Federation board member Haley Trager went to Houston in September as part of a service weekend with Jewish FederationS of North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet to help with Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. While in Southeastern Texas, she spent two days working in and touring the devastation within the Jewish community, which was hit really hard by the storm. The mail might have been halted because of the storm, but that didn’t stop Trager The home of Shylie and Jesse bannon was full with good drinks and great from making a special delivery, as conversations during rGEN’s kick-off event for the 2017 campaign year she handed Lee Wunsch, CEO of the Federation of Greater Houston By Jewish Federation of Jacksonville kick-off, this year scheduled for a check for $15,000. Those funds Thursday, Nov. 9th. came from the Jacksonville Jewish The event also served as new The Mandarin home of Shylie community who donated as part community Shlicha Shelly Shalev’s and Jesse Bannon was fi lled with of the Hurricane relief fund that first official public appearance as many Jewish young professionals was set up and promoted on social the Ashdod, Israel native enjoyed Trager (center) and fellow Federation Young Leadership Cabinet members in late August, as it was the site media. meeting some of her young profesof rGEN’s annual kickoff event, sional contemporaries, prior to ar‘Kibitz and Cocktails’. Close to riving in Jacksonville earlier in the 30 people attended, enjoying week. Thanks to the Bannons for creations from guest bartenders opening up their home, the guest Jesse Bannon and Barry Shapiro bartenders for lending their talents as rGEN Chair Shylie Bannon and to Federation support staff welcomed everyone to the new Emma Pulley and Alarie Gibbs for campaign year and gave them a helping coordinate logistics for the preview of things to come like event. the Federation’s annual campaign
Jax teen finds a common connection at home and abroad with Israeli friends
Rose Blumenfeld
BY ROSE BLUMENFELD Exchange Participant
At the beginning of last year, I would have never imagined having a handful of new best friends that live halfway across the world. This past summer, I explored Israel
Blumenfeld and her host family while she was staying in Israel
and the U.S. with Israeli teens, making new friends, and creating unforgettable memories. Some of my favorite moments aren’t the big extravagant things we did like hiking Masada, swimming in the Dead Sea, or going to Universal. Even though these were spectacular, my favorites were the rides on
the bus or the nights we’d all spend together, hanging out, laughing, and dancing. Initially I went on the trip so I could experience Israel and see everything they had taught me in Hebrew School first hand, but I really got more than I bargained for. At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d know
Event bartenders Barry Shapiro (left) and Jesse Bannon (right)
anyone else on the trip and I also was hoping that my host family would be nice. Instead of just getting just one really nice host, I got two. That’s because about a month before the trip, when we were about to get our host families, I got a call asking me if I would be ok with having two hosts and I didn’t
even think twice. To me this was a chance to leave Israel with two new best friends instead of one. Besides all the touristy things that we did in Israel and Jacksonville, we also took part in service projects. Throughout the month we were together, we’d pick eggplants in Israel, volunteer at River Garden here in Jacksonville, and cut shrubs around trees to prevent forest fires in Israel. Those parts of the trip were some of my favorites and were the most rewarding because I was giving back to the communities while doing a mitzvah which to me is something that I think is very important. I’ve learned so much this summer, about being Jewish, Israel and Israelis. Going into the trip I was nervous that there would be a difference in the culture, because Israel is a whole different country and speaks a different language, but once I got there I felt at home. Everyone was so kind and welcoming. The best part of my experience is I learned that Israeli teens are just like American teens. They do a lot of things that we do and like a lot of the same things we like. We all immediately bonded over the same music, artists and activities and it made me so happy to know that I had so many common interests with people across the world. The Jewish Federation does a perfect job of planning and organizing their Tikkun Olam trip to Israel, because now when I think about Israel I think about all my new best friends and all of the memories we made together. That, to me, makes Israel a more personal place, because I’ll always have friends there. This trip is so special because Israeli teens get to show us a piece of their life and then they come to our home and we share ours. Rose Blumenfeld traveled to Israel as part of the Jewish Federations’ Israel Partnership Program. For more information about this incredible experience, please contact Jill Abel at904-448-5000, ext. 1200 or jilla@jewishjacksonville.org.