Friday, February 7, 2020
The Jewish Press
Page 65
Florida SHELLEY BENVENISTE FLORIDA EDITOR IT’S MY OPINION
75 Years of Education – What Have We Learned? The 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz was commemorated on January 27. It is impossible to ever truly comprehend this horrifying chapter in our history. Over a million innocent Jewish men, women, and children were murdered in this death camp. Six million were slaughtered during the war. There were many heart-wrenching events in Poland, Israel, the United States, and around the world marking the date. The remaining survivors are old.
Their numbers are rapidly thinning. Their presence was haunting. I watched one of these programs on television. During the broadcast, a commentator stated a disheartening fact. He noted that a recent survey in the United States showed that 41% of the American population today is totally unfamiliar with Auschwitz – what it was and what happened there. The revelation was astounding. Jews tend to congregate en masse in certain areas in America. We often live a bubble-like existence and think that everyone shares our most cherished perceptions. It is thus easy to have a skewed idea of the bigger picture. We assume that people in our country certainly know about the Shoah and certainly are aware of the ghastly reality of the Auschwitz death camp. Yet apparently, almost half of the population has no idea. The Jewish world has spent fortunes on Holocaust museums, education centers, and institutions. We wanted to educate the world in hopes that this type of tragedy would never happen again. Despite our valiant effort, anti-Semitism is up, and almost half of the population is clueless about the Shoah.
Perhaps it is time to change the focus and turn the education inward. I hate to throw the word “Holocaust” around. The overuse of the term has caused a trivialization of this monstrous tragedy. However, the sad truth is that the collective Jewish community in America is suffering from an actual internal holocaust. The current rate of assimilation and intermarriage among Jews is alarming. This decimation, ironically, doesn’t involve a drop of blood. What would happen if we funneled some of the millions of dollars that are now spent on Holocaust education into scholarships for Jewish education of our children? Attendance at Jewish day schools, yeshivas, and Hebrew schools, as well as outreach programs for Jewish teens and on college campuses, might give this generation a reason to keep their precious heritage that too many are easily giving away. It might make a difference. Currently, one half of every wedding involving a Jewish spouse is an intermarriage. We have an obligation to try to stem this tide. Sadly, the effort to educate the world has had limited effect. Perhaps the time has come to shift our priorities and educate ourselves and our children.
Miami Leaders To Gather For FIDF Gala Dinner An anticipated crowd of 900 supporters of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) are set to gather on Thursday, February 27, for the FIDF Greater Miami gala, “A Night of Heroes,” at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. The event will begin with a cocktail and dinner reception at 6 p.m. followed by dessert and the program. Dror and Miriam Zadok are the event’s honorees. Co-chairing the gala are FIDF supporters Daniel Feigenbaum and Jennifer Pear Feigenbaum, as well as honorary chairs Norman and Irma Braman. A delegation of IDF soldiers will participate in the gala, including several Lone Soldiers – individuals who enlist in the IDF without having family in Israel. Among the Lone Soldiers at the gala will be Sgt. Daniel, a medic adopted by a Jewish family in New Jersey, and Cpl. Sofie, a Danish woman raised as a Christian, though her Jewish father served in the IDF. Sofie is among the few women to serve as an F-35 jet mechanic in the Israeli Air Force (IAF). Other distinguished guests slated to attend include the FIDF Greater Miami chapter president Evelyn Katz, FIDF national chairman emeritus and
past president of the Greater Miami chapter Dr. Nily Falic, FIDF national director and CEO Maj. Gen. (Res.) Meir Klifi-Amir, and FIDF Florida executive director Dina Ben Ari. Israeli officials in attendance will include Israel Defense and Armed Forces Attache to the U.S. Maj. Eval Rechnitz, Israel Consul General Jonathan Peled, Israel Deputy Consul General Kasa Harbor, and Consul of Administration at the Consulate General of Israel to Florida and Puerto Rico Eli Levy. “We are so honored to be hosting this incredible event and give our supporters the opportunity to hear directly from and thank the brave soldiers who protect Israel and Jews worldwide,” Katz says. FIDF was established in 1981 by a group of Holocaust survivors as a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization with the mission of offering educational, cultural, recreational, and social programs and facilities that provide hope, purpose, and life-changing support for the soldiers who protect Israel and Jews worldwide. Today, FIDF has more that 150,000 loyal supporters and 24 chapters throughout the United States and Panama.
Young Israel Congregation To Host Scholar-In-Residence Shabbaton Young Israel Congregation at 9580 Abbott Ave in Surfside will hold a Scholar-In-Residence Shabbaton on February 14-15. The program, on Shabbos Parshas Yisro, will feature Rabbi Marvin Hier on Friday night and Rabbi David Stav on Shabbos morning and afternoon. Rabbi Hier is the founder, CEO, and president of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and its Museum of Tolerance. The Museum, established in 1993 in Los Angeles, is now in the final stages of construction of a new branch in Jerusalem. In 1980, Rabbi Hier founded Moriah Films, the Center’s film division, of which he is the executive producer. He is the first (and only) rabbi to be a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences, and he is the recipient of two Academy awards. Rabbi Hier has another prestigious distinction: He was the first Orthodox rabbi in American history to be invited to deliver an invocation at a presidential inauguration. Rabbi David Stav is the chief rabbi of the city of Shoham, the chairman of the Tzohar organization, and a rabbi for the Ezra youth movement. The program will begin on Friday night with min-
cha at 6 p.m., followed by a reservations-only, pre-
Continued on p.66
FIDF proudly supports IDF soldiers, families of fallen soldiers, and wounded veterans through a variety of innovative programs that reinforce the vital bond between the communities in the United States, the soldiers of the IDF, and the State of Israel. For more information, please visit www.fidf.org. For more information about the dinner, contact joanne.ruimy@fidf.org.
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The Jewish Press
Friday, February 7, 2020
Florida By Women, For Women: It Takes A Woman: A Salute To The Women of Broadway Jewish Women’s Theater of South Florida (JWTSFL.com) is pleased to announce its second annual original production. This year’s show is titled It Takes A Woman: A Salute To The Women Of Broadway. Jewish Women’s Theater of South Florida, a non-profit 501(c)(3), provides an opportunity for Jewish women to develop, express, and showcase their talents for singing, dancing, and acting in a professional venue – with top quality dramatic and musical performances for an all-female audience. This is unique in all of South Florida! Our women-only cast will perform for all-female audiences on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. and twice on Sunday, February 23, 2020 – a 1
p.m. matinee and again at 7:30 in the evening – at the new, state-of-the-art Alan and Diane Lieberman Theater at the Michael Ann Russell Jewish Community Center (MARJCC), located at 18900 NE 25 Avenue in North Miami Beach, FL. “This original Broadway revue is a salute to the diverse and dynamic women who set the bar for today’s female artists. I am truly blessed to have been given this opportunity to do what I love with a group of women I love,” says Chrissy Wright, writer and director of the new show. “I saw the need for Jewish Orthodox women to have the opportunity to perform in musical theater,” says executive producer Sara Gottlieb. “These tal-
ented women had been restricted from appearing in local shows due to Sabbath observance and the religious restriction of women singing in front of men. I am thrilled to partner with Chrissy Wright to produce our second show. Last year we sold out three weeks prior to our show. This year we have added an additional showtime. We have more than 30 women involved in our production in cast and crew, ages 15-70. We are so excited to bring this fabulous original show to the South Florida community.” Tickets are available online at www.JWTSFL. com. For more information, please email JewishWomensTheater@gmail.com.
YIC Sisterhood Presents Rosh Chodesh Luncheon The sisterhood of Young Israel Congregation presented a captivating and delicious luncheon for Rosh
Chodesh Shevat on Monday, January 27. Dr. Daniela Tank Schraga, D.O., captivated the audience with her talk, “A Holistic Approach to a Good Night’s Sleep.” Sponsors of the event were Ros Jaffe and Lillian Glick, who held the luncheon in honor of their mothers’ yahrzeits. Dr. Daniela specializes in family medicine, holistic healing, and osteopathic medicine. She is a board-certified integrative family physician who believes in treating her patients holistically: mind, body and spirit. Her journey began in Latvia, where she was born and raised. She was brought up in a
Dr. Daniela Tank Schraga
household rich with traditional European folk medicine. She later immigrated to the U.S., where she became fascinated with the key principle of osteopathic medicine: dealing with patients in an all-inclusive manner. Dr. Daniela completed her medical training at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and then moved to Minnesota to begin her family practice residency at the University of Minnesota. She now resides with her husband in Surfside, Florida. Young Israel Congregation is located at 9580 Abbott Ave in Surfside. For more information on their many programs and activities, visit www.yicbh.org.
Young Continued from p.65 paid Shabbos dinner. Rabbi Hier’s lecture is titled, “We Need a 2020 Plan for Fighting the New Epidemic of Anti-Semitism.” On Shabbos morning, shacharis will begin at 9 a.m. Rabbi Stav’s drasha will be at 10:30 a.m. The Shabbos afternoon shiur by Rabbi Stav will take place at 5 p.m., followed by a 5:30 p.m. mincha and seudah shlishit. The event is open to men and women. Space for the dinner is limited. Reservations, with payment, must be received by Monday, February 10. For more information or to make reservations, call the shul at 305-866-0203 or email yakira@yicbh.org.
Friday, February 7, 2020
The Jewish Press
Page 67
Florida CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Yeshiva Torah Vodaath Holds Annual Reception in Miami Beach
A speaker addresses the crowd.
Yeshiva Torah Vodaath held its annual reception on the evening of January 13 at Tower 41 in Miami Beach. Rosh haYeshiva Rav Yisroel Reisman spoke to a separate seating of men and women on the topic of Tehillim and its importance, especially in our times. The event was sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Mauricio Gluck, Jack Levine, and Hillel Herssein.
WHAT: Lecture by Rabbi Steven Weil WHERE: Anshei Emuna Congregation, 16189 Jog Road, Delray Beach, FL WHEN: Motzei Shabbat, February 8 at 8:15 p.m. COST: Free CONTACT: 561-499-9229 ======================= WHAT: The Beit Blumi Jewish Early Childhood Center Invites You to a Roaring 2020 Auction Speakeasy - featuring special entertainment by internationally acclaimed Israeli illusionist Matan Rosenberg - Gin, Jazz & Hors D’oeuvres WHERE: Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Boynton Beach, 10655 El Clair Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, FL WHEN: Sunday, February 9 at 7:30 p.m. COST: $42 CONTACT: RSVP: www.JECCAuction.com or 561-732-4633 ======================= WHAT: Chabad Chayil of Highland Lakes Presents “Explore, Grow, Flourish,” inspiring children to see the world through the Jewish lens of compassion and integrity. The six-week course teaches kids leadership skills from a Torah perspective through exciting activities and social action in a wholesome after-school community. WHERE: Chabad Chayil Highland Lakes Jewish Center, 2601 NE 211 Terrace, North Miami Beach, FL WHEN: Six weeks - starting Feb. 4 from 4:30-6 p.m. CONTACT: Space is limited - Register at ChabadChayil.org/grow or call 305-770-1919
Young Israel Congregation Invites the community to a Scholar-in-Residence Shabbaton
Rabbi Marvin Hier
Free* 3 DAys 2 nights
Founder, CEO and President of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and its Museum of Tolerance
Free* 3 DAys 2 nights
renovated apartment
renovated apartment
*$200 refundable deposit
2 bedrooms/2 baths
*$200 refundable deposit
2 bedrooms/2 baths walking distance
STAY AND PRAY
e x p e r i e n c e s h a b b at at a n s h e i e m u n a FRIDAY
SATURDAY
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Free*FRIDAY 3 DAys 2 nights
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ansheiemuna.org/stay SUNDAY
to r e g i s t e r f o r yo u r s tay a n d p r ay v i s i t
renovated apartment
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Shabbos Parshas Yisro February 14-15 Young Israel Congregation 9580 Abbott Ave Surfside, FL 33154
Friday Night Lecture We Need a 2020 Plan for Fighting the New Epidemic of Anti-Semitism by Rabbi Marvin Hier Shabbos Morning Drasha-
by Rabbi David Stav
Shabbos Afternoon Seuda Shlishit For Men & Women-
Shiur by Rabbi David Stav
Attendance, Including Shabbos Dinner by Advance Reservations Only Member $80 • Non-member $90 Children (under 12) $25 Reservation must be made by 2/10/20
Rabbi David Stav Chief Rabbi of Shoham, Chairman of Tzohar, and Rabbi of the Ezra Youth Movement
2 bedrooms/2 baths
walking distance
to r e g i s t e r f o r yo u r s tay a n d p r ay v i s i t
Limited Space Reserve Early! Call (305) 866-0203 or email yakira@yicbh.org