Friday, December 11, 2020
The Jewish Press
Page 81
Florida SHELLEY BENVENISTE FLORIDA EDITOR
IT’S MY OPINION
Happy Chanukah The ability to think out of the box is an important skill. Following an old familiar path can be comforting, but sometimes the road is blocked and it’s necessary to find an alternate route. A detour
can still lead to the same destination – the goal is to find another way. The Jewish community seems to have an edge on creative problem solving. We have many halachic restrictions, yet we have devised ways to handle these constraints within the framework of Jewish law. Sabbath observance is especially challenging. The prohibition of turning on and off electric devices has spawned a plethora of solutions. Shabbat elevators, Sabbath-mode ovens, Sabbath lamps, and electric timers are examples of devices created as innovative ways to deal with these challenges. It is trite but true: Necessity is the mother of invention. Chanukah is now before us, but the modus operandi has changed. South Florida is famous for its
beautiful Chanukah festivals, concerts, and parties. This year, the festivities cannot go on as usual due to Covid-19 considerations. However, instead of canceling the events, local Jewish groups are reinventing long-standing traditions and revamping protocol. They are holding (drive-in) live concerts, practicing social distancing and wearing masks, and holding outdoor and distanced menorah lightings. The show will go on and no grinch will steal Florida’s celebration. Happy Chanukah! The e-mail address of head of school Dr. Rochelle Brand in the recent article on Sha’arei Bina Torah Academy for Girls was incorrect. It should have been: RBrand@ shaareibina.org. We apologize for the error.
41st Annual South Florida Chassidic Chanukah Festival – Drive-in For 2020 Chabad of South Broward is continuing its world-famous Chassidic Chanukah Festival, despite the restrictions of the Covid world of 2020. This year, there will be strict social distancing, with the festival held in a parking lot that can hold thousands of cars. Yet it will not be a virtual event, but a safe in-person event. The festival will be held at a new venue, a drive-in called the Big Easy Casino Parking Lot, located at 831 North Federal Highway in Hallandale Beach, one mile north of Gulfstream. International Jewish music superstar Mordechai Shapiro will perform a two-hour live concert. A spectacular light show will cap off the evening.
The event, as always, is free of charge. Some Chanukah festivals. 200,000 people have attended Chabad of South Each festival costs way over $100,000 and Broward’s Chanukah festivals during the past generous sponsors make the event happen. Spon40 years. Organizers of the event explain that sorships are still available. Call 954-458-1877 or for many people, it was their first time at a Jew- email chabadsboffice@gmail.com for more inforish event and the first time they felt proud to mation or to become a sponsor. be Jewish. Over the years, hundreds of families have become shomer Shabbat, sent their children to Jewish Day Schools, and refocused בס’’ד the homes that they run to be inspired by CHABAD OF SOUTH BROWARD PRESENTS Judaism thanks to having their souls initially T H E 4 1 ST A N N U A L SOUTH FLORIDA ignited at these mega
Calendar Of Events WHAT: The Levi Yitzchok Senior Academy: A daily study program for senior citizens. This program is especially appealing during isolation since it takes place completely via computer or telephone. There are two tracks. The morning track will be from 10-11 a.m. and will study the Talmud and Jewish Mysticism. The afternoon program will be from 3-4 p.m. and will study the following topics: The Book of Judges; insights from Rabbi Jonathon Sacks, zt”l, former chief rabbi of England; insights from the Lubavitcher Rebbe; the Code of Jewish Law; and Chassidic stories with their messages. All participants are eligible to receive a monthly stipend if they submit a weekly essay on a subject of their choice that was studied that week. WHEN: December 11, 2020 through May 10, 2021 WHERE: Zoom meeting ID 82351201777 CONTACT: Menachem Smith – email rabbi@unitedjewishgenerations.com or call 305-770-4540
COST: Free ***** WHAT: JOY - Journey of Yourself - with Rebbetzin Chani Lipskar - College of Jewish Studies - Lesson 2: “Staying Honest, Humble, and Happy” (for women only). Staying positive about life means staying positive about ourselves. In this second step, we look at the importance of nurturing a healthy self-concept and how to avoid negative feelings about ourselves. Often, feelings that drag us down can be countered by two prime, if seemingly paradoxical Jewish principles: that I matter as an individual, but that it isn’t about me. Required Reading: Code to Joy: The World’s Happiest Secret (Available on Amazon) WHEN: Thursday, December 17 at 8 p.m. WHERE: Zoom meeting ID 645 705 4016 - Pasword: 699576 CONTACT: Call The Shul at 305868-1411 or visit www.CYSCollege. org
LIVE CONCERT FEATURING
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DRIVE-IN CONCERT!
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DEC 16, 2020 THE BIG EASY CASINO
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FREE ADMISSION
SPECIAL VIP ROWS FOR SPONSORS + DISCOUNTED GOURMET DINNER
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The Jewish Press
Friday, December 11, 2020
Florida Hebrew Academy Celebrates Yom Tzahal On Friday, November 13, Hebrew Academy RASG in Miami celebrated a unique holiday, Yom Tzahal. Three years ago, this special chag was designed by fifth-grade students as part of the “Holiday in Cheshvan” contest. The school was decorated with banners from the various battalions of the Israel Defense Forces. Students have been learning about the combat, humanitarian efforts, and veterans of the IDF, and were privileged to honor veterans of the IDF who work in the school in a beautiful Scroll of Honor. Videos were shared from a parent who is an IDF veteran as well as soldiers who are now serving. Students and faculty who were on campus dressed in IDF colors to show solidarity and support. The school includes the Mi Sheberach prayer for soldiers in daily davening, and students and faculty now annually celebrate Yom Tzahal at school. Hebrew Academy students celebrate Yom Tzahal.
JWorks Miami: 10 Years Of Connecting Jobs And Job-Seekers Over the past 10 years, thousands of Jewish job-seekers have received employment counseling and secured jobs thanks to JWorks Miami. The community employment program is provided through a partnership of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Services of South Florida, and is offered at no cost to Miami’s Jewish residents and local employers. Although planning and logistics have had to be adjusted since the onset of the pandemic, the range of services offered are greatly needed by the increasing number of Miamians who have lost their jobs as the economy has taken a downturn. “We’ve recently been working with a lot of clients who were furloughed during the pandemic,” says Rita Morse, a JWorks career counselor. “We also have been counseling people who are new to Miami – many coming here from Latin America, New York, and other out-of-state locations.” More than just matching qualified prospec-
SUNDAY MORNINGS 9:30 -11:00AM ON WWNN 1470AM & WWNNradio.com
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tive employees with employers, JWorks’ mission is to increase its clients’ competitiveness in the job market and improve their prospects for Continued on p.83
Friday, December 11, 2020
The Jewish Press
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Florida Jworks Continued from p.82
employment through preparation and support. On the flipside, the program also assists employers with staffing needs by recommending pre-screened, qualified job applicants. Founded in 2010, the program began under the name ParnossahWorks (Parnossah means “income” in Hebrew), a joint effort between 13 American Jewish communities to respond to unemployment during the Great Recession. “During that time, we were receiving many calls each week from people desperately looking for employment,” says Morse. “Many of them were fearful about losing their homes because they had no steady income.” In ensuing years, the Miami component developed its own systems and methodologies that respond to local needs, and was renamed JWorks Miami. Today, JWorks Miami answers up to 50 calls a week from job-seekers and provides counseling in resume preparation, employability training, interview skills, networking, and other traits needed to compete for available work opportunities. The program’s two career counselors and a business development counselor also help those whose unemployment compensation appeals have been rejected while they seek salaried positions. Although one-on-one meetings and workshops were previously the norm, JWorks Miami now offers virtual meetings to comply with Covid-19 social distancing guidelines, using such platforms as Zoom and FaceTime. Jewish job-seekers residing in Miami-Dade County are invited to join the program by emailing jobs@ jworksmiami.org or calling 305-403-6554.
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How much is that old menorah that Bubby bought you worth? Should you sell or hold on to your antique esrog box? Besamim holders, Kiddush cups, coins, etc. Send in pictures of your Judaica, and Jewish Press columnist and certified appraiser Tsadik Kaplan may assess their value. Simply email them to tsadik613@gmail.com, and your items may appear in a future column of Antique Judaica Roadshow Please note: Due to volume of requests, we cannot guarantee that all items will be assessed. Also, if your items are chosen, all questions will be answered and all assessments made only in The Jewish Press, not by direct correspondence.