2025 March Tidings

TIDINGS Te m p l e J u d e a | M a r c h 2 0 2 5 | V o l 7 6 | I s s u e 4

The Rabbis’ Celebratory Weekend p r es e n t ed b y

The Carlin & Goldstrich Families

april 25-26, 2025 & m ay 4 , 2 0 2 5 JUDEAGABLES.ORG

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TIDINGS | March 2025 | VOL.76 ISSUE 4

Contents 04 President’s Message: A Visit to the Nova Exhibition and the

Judith L. Siegal Rabbi

Weight of Remembrance

05 World Zionist Congress Election

Jonathan R. Fisch Rabbi

06 Mazel in Miami - Rabbis’ Anniversary Weekend

Lisa V. Segal Cantor Sharon Israel Moskovitz Executive Director Danielle F. Spiegelman Sr. Director of Advancement Seth Lewis Levin Director of Education Executive Officers Jan Yelen Sasso PRESIDENT Lawrence Lambert FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

08 Next month in Jerusalem Rabbi Judith Siegal

09 Welcome to Pesach Rabbi Fisch

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Celebrate Passover

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The Greatest Gift

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L’Chaim Legacy Society

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LEV From the Heart Thank You to our Donors

Samuel Lewis William Martin Howard Wasserman VICE PRESIDENTS

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Miriam Grossman-Rodriguez TREASURER

Our Torah Circle Members: Strengthening Temple Judea, Together

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Open Letter to My Students Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman

Hilary Gershman SECRETARY Debbie Siegel FINANCIAL SECRETARY

20 From Miami to Jerusalem Navigating Israel’s Future as a Community

Mark Kass IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

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Celebrating Israel’s 76th Year with Love, Joy, and Resilience

Board of Trustees Adam Booken Josh Brandfon Charlotte Cassel Lauren Deutch Mike Epstein Sharon Goldman Kim Gerber Josh Gelfman Mark Kessler Marilyn Mittentag Jeff Muller Samantha Sharpe Bernie Stein Marvin Stein Ted Weiss Judy Weissel Sallye Zilberstein

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Nurturing Jewish Identity and Love for Israel in Our Sanctuary

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B’nai Mitzvah Students

24 Rooted in Values - Nurturing Curiosity, Kindness, and Community at the Margaux School

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Discover, Connect, and Celebrate The Jewish Journey at Club Judea

26 Women of Temple Judea 30 Thank you for joining us at Mitzvah Bowl Sunday!

Stuart Z. Grossman Counsel Leane Rutter Arnold & Heather Sosler WTJ Co-Presidents

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Member Chai-Lights

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Tributes

Alan Cohen MENsch President

@judeagables @themargauxschool

Through a strong Jewish community, we better ourselves and the world.

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The Temple Judea Tidings (USPS 023114) is published four times a year by Temple Judea, 5500 Granada Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33146-2698.

TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

Worship Opportunities Kabbalat Shabbat Service

Fridays at 6PM In person, Livestream, and Facebook Livestream:

Chag Pesach Sameach!

Facebook: facebook.com/judeagables

As we celebrate Passover, we reflect on freedom, resilience, and community. May this season bring you joy, connection, and meaning.

Shabbat Morning Minyan

Hineynu – We Are Here, together.

judeagables.org/temple-judea-live.html

Saturdays at 9-10AM In person and Zoom

Temple Judea Board of Trustees, Clergy, and Staff

Torah Study

See page 11 for opportunities to celebrate Passover

Saturdays at 10-11AM, Mondays at 9AM In person and Zoom Zoom links can be found at judeagables.org/worship-opportunities.

Shabbat Honors If you are a congregant who would like the honor of leading the blessings over the candles, wine and challah at an upcoming Shabbat service please call or email Marilyn Mittentag at 786-877-1599 or mmittentag@yahoo.com.

Mi Shebeirach List To add the name of a loved one to our Mi Shebeirach list (prayer for health and healing) for Friday night Shabbat services, contact Daphne Parker at d.parker@judeagables.org

Shabbat Kids Club For families with children ages 10 and under, our Shabbat Kids Club is available during the sanctuary service. Staffed by the caring team from Club Judea, your children can enjoy fun, Shabbat-themed activities and crafts in the Club House in Room 201.

No RSVP required.

A BETTER WAY TO STAY INVOLVED Explore the Updated Temple Judea App! Powered by ShulCloud, it’s easier than ever to access events, manage your account, and connect with our community. Click here to download the app today!

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President’s Message

A Visit to the Nova Exhibition and the Weight of Remembrance Jan Sasso, President It is the wall of beautiful faces smiling, full of joy. And beneath the pictures, their names and ages—all gone. Every single one.

Having just visited the Nova Exhibition, I feel compelled to share my thoughts. It is a vivid, haunting reminder that October 7th will stay with us for a lifetime.

The Exhibition brought pieces of salvaged evidence of the overwhelming senseless, horrific and unimaginable cruelty inflicted upon these innocent young adults. The videos and phone recordings shared the frantic calls for help and the fear in the moment trying to reach parents and loved ones.

My visit coincided with a live lecture by one of the survivors, a young woman who recounted her harrowing experience. She, her husband, her sister, and three others managed to survive by hiding in a caravan that once served as a ticket booth at the festival. Some were wounded, but all six made it out alive.

In conversations with others who visited the exhibition, I heard a range of reactions--some felt anger, some horror, and some processed it with the detached perspective of a disaster site. The exhibition allows you to touch the personal belongings left behind on October 7th--makeup, purses, clothing, whimsical festival accessories, and shoes.

The shoes.

At Yad Vashem and the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., one of the most striking and painful images is the piles of abandoned shoes. At the Nova Exhibition, it is not just history. It is our reality with the same brands of makeup we wear, the purses we carry, the cartoon backpacks we buy for our children. These are not relics of the past.

They are pieces of our present, reminders that this happened now, in our real time.

At the end of the exhibition, a message reads: We Shall Dance Again.

She spoke openly about survivors’ guilt, therapy, and the strain on her family. Tragically, she shared that she and her husband have since separated as they struggle to cope while raising their three-year-old son. Listening to her speak in person, I felt the weight of her pain in a way that no video or exhibit could convey. I wanted to offer her comfort, yet her strength was astonishing. I kept wondering: How do you move forward? How do you go on after witnessing such horror?

It struck me as deeply, unmistakably Israeli. I thought of my mother’s second cousin, a Holocaust survivor who settled in Israel after the war.

She used to say, “in Israel, you attend a funeral in the morning and go to the disco at night”. As a child, I did not understand what she meant. As an adult, I realize she was teaching us something profound: you must continue living. Those who survived the Holocaust knew this firsthand. Now, those who survived October 7th do too.

I attended the exhibition with a dear friend whose father was a Holocaust survivor. As we walked through the displays, we reflected on how, for our generation, the Holocaust was always present in our lives. I remember the local bakery owners with numbers tattooed on their arms. My mother would tell me not to stare. But for our children, the Holocaust is another chapter in history books. They have always known a world with Israel, yet I fear they do not grasp how fragile its existence truly is.

The exhibition does provide a space for remembrance, hope, inspiration and healing. As a fellow congregant said, “We all should be the ones who makes the music—not silence it.”

I have not had to experience the pain of a family member questioning their support for Israel since October 7th. But I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must be for those whose children have sided with Palestinians calling Israel the murderers. How and when did some in this next generation lose their sense of Zionism? Watching the actual footage from the Nova Music Festival should make it undeniably clear what happened that day.

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TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

I am excited to be joining our congregation’s solidarity mission to Israel. I admit, I was hesitant at first for different reasons, but now, I am eager for the experience and to share it with others in our temple community.

As hostages are slowly being released after more than 500 days of tortured living, we can only pray for the safe return of the remaining captives. No one should have to endure this unspeakable horror.

But the wall of beautiful faces--they will not be coming home. And I know that is something I will never forget.

WORLD ZIONIST CONGRESS ELECTION

March 10-May 4, 2025 Your vote in the WZC Elections supports our Reform values in Israel. Voting begins on March 10th.

Vote Reform to: • Protect democracy in Israel • Fight for the return of all the hostages and a path to peace • Stand up for the rights of Reform Jews Scan the QR code to join us today and sign up. To learn more about the WZC, visit vote4reform.org.

JUDEAGABLES.ORG

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Temple Judea’s

p r es e n t ed b y

The Carlin & Goldstrich Families Temple Judea is excited to invite you to a weekend celebration honoring the remarkable milestones for our beloved Rabbis: Senior Rabbi Judith L. Siegal and Rabbi Jonathan Fisch.

Together, these extraordinary leaders have shaped the soul of our Temple Judea community for a combined 28 years. Rabbi Siegal is celebrating 18 years of service, while Rabbi Fisch has served for 10 years, each fully committed to guiding our congregation and school families with wisdom, strength, and compassion.

Rabbis Siegal and Fisch are active change-makers. From New York to California, Israel to Miami, they are recognized as ardent spiritual leaders, charismatic professionals, teachers, mentors, advocates, and cherished friends. Their commitment to inclusivity has fostered an environment where every voice is heard and welcomed.

Their leadership has brought our campus closer together, and we are proud to honor them for their unwavering dedication to Temple Judea and the global Jewish community.

These special days have something for everyone and will be filled with spiritual connection, nostalgia, fun, laughter, and heartfelt celebration.

Looking forward to celebrating together as a community!

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TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

Celebratory Events Community Shabbat Service and Dinner | Friday, April 25 at 6:00 PM

Join us at Temple Judea for a special community-wide Shabbat as we celebrate Rabbi Judith Siegal and Rabbi Jonathan Fisch’s milestone anniversaries. Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, our Scholar-in-Residence, will inspire us with thoughtful reflection. A festive dinner reception by Michael Meltzer will follow. This event is complimentary—RSVP today!

Interactive Minyan & Torah Study | Saturday, April 26 at 9:00 AM

Join us at Temple Judea for an interactive Minyan & Torah Study with Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, followed by a lite lunch. Rabbi Hoffman, professor emeritus at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, has shaped generations of rabbis and cantors. An author of 50 books and an internationally renowned lecturer, he co-founded Synagogue 2000 to reimagine synagogues as moral and spiritual centers. His popular Open Letters to My Students can be found on his blog, Life and a Little Liturgy. Made possible through the Eric B. Meyers Scholar-in-Residence Fund. This event is complimentary.

Click here to RSVP today!

Mazel in Miami Celebration | Saturday, April 26 at 6:45 PM

Join us at The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science as we celebrate and honor Rabbi Judith Siegal and Rabbi Jonathan Fisch. Hosted by our very own Pulitzer Prizewinning author and humorist, Dave Barry, as our Master of Ceremonies. Limited spots available. Click here to RSVP.

Simcha Sunday Drive-Thru | Sunday, May 4, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Keep the celebration going with a meaningful mitzvah! Join us for Simcha Sunday Drive-Thru, honoring Rabbi Siegal and Rabbi Fisch by supporting the Miami Diaper Bank and JCS Kosher Food Bank. Drive through Temple Judea to drop off much-needed donations and make a difference in our community. Click here for more information or to register for the drive-thru.

Luxury Drawing Tickets Enter-to-Win this stunning Diamond Cuff

Generously donated by Maurice’s Jewelers this breathtaking 14-karat white gold diamond link cuff hinged bangle is valued at $10,000!!! This dazzling statement piece features 7.19 carats of full-cut, individually set round diamonds, with a 40mm width and 28.0g of gold—a true showstopper!

1 TICKET $25 | 5 TICKETS $100 | 10 TICKETS $200 and so on...

PLUS when you purchase $100 or more in drawing tickets, Maurice’s Jewelers will gift you a “$100 Temple Judea Credit” toward any in-store purchase over $200. That means everyone’s a winner! Winner announced on 04.26.2025 at the Mazel in Miami Celebration. You need not to be present to win.

100% of the proceeds benefit Temple Judea.

Click here to purchase tickets.

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Next month in Jerusalem

by Rabbi Judith Siegal J.siegal@judeagables.org

earthly Jerusalem is the place where God will arrive even before reaching the heavenly Jerusalem. As the Midrash imagines God saying, “I will not come into the city of Jerusalem that is above until I first come into the city of Jerusalem that is below.”

At the end of the Passover seder, Jews around the world say the profound line, “Bashanah Habaah B’Yerushalayim” “Next year in Jerusalem!” It is a message of hope for peace. It is a powerful voice of aspiration that even Jews IN JERUSALEM say! SO, what does it really mean?

According to my friend, Dasee Berkowitz, who moved her family from the US to Israel: In the language of the Haggadah, the land of Israel and Jerusalem represent the final stage of redemption. When we lift the four cups of wine during the seder, we are giving ritual expression to the four stages that the Jewish people move through, with God as their guide, to reach freedom and leave Egyptian slavery in the dust.

The Torah explains (Exodus 6:6-8):

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“I [God] will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt” (Cup 1)

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“I will deliver you out from their bondage” (Cup 2)

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“I will redeem you with an outstretched arm” (Cup 3)

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“I will take you to Me for a people” (Cup 4)

But just a few verses later, there is a fifth mention of redemption: “And I will bring you into the land [of Israel].”

Arriving in the land is the final stage of redemption and corresponds to Elijah’s cup—the prophet said to usher in messianic times. This untouched cup, filled to the brim with wine, represents the future ahead, filled with possibilities and promises of peace on earth.

Rabbi David Hartman writes in The Leader’s Guide to the Family Participation Haggadah: A Different Night: “The cup is poured, but not yet drunk. Yet the cup of hope is poured every year. Passover is the night for reckless dreams; for visions about what a human being can be, what society can be, what people can be, what history may become. That is the significance of ‘Le’shanah ha’ba’a b’Yerushalayim’ [Next year in Jerusalem].”

There is a Midrash about the etymology of the word Jerusalem, or Yerushalayim. The Rabbis look at the word Yerusha, which means inheritance, and ayim, which connotes doubling, and understand that there are two Jerusalems – a heavenly one (“Yerushalayim shel ma’alah”) and an earthly one (“Yerushalayim shel ma’ata”). While the heavenly Jerusalem might refer to the possibilities of a world redeemed, an earthly one is rooted in the complexities of politics, economics and daily life. It is a place filled with energy, vibrancy a nd urgency.

In the late poet Yehuda Amichai’s terms, Jerusalem is a place where its inhabitants are longing for God’s presence. Jerusalem, he writes, is “saturated with prayers and dreams like the air over industrial cities. It’s hard to breathe.” And according to the Midrash, the

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TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

What does it mean to make earthly Jerusalem a place in which God whatever God means for us - can enter and reside? Let us create partnerships with Israelis that help let a sense of godliness, justice and love permeate the city.

Let us devote more time to learning more about the complexity of life in Israel through travel and research. Let’s partner with Israelis working on the ground to improve society through education, social and economic equality, and religious pluralism. Let’s read more Israeli literature and honor Israeli artists.

Or is Jerusalem a state of mind?

More than physical places, rabbis have noted that Egypt and Jerusalem represent two inner spiritual states. Egypt, or mitzrayim, has at its root “tsar,” or narrowness. Egypt represents the places in which we live in narrow places, where we feel constricted and confined. It is a state in which we are quick to anger, to react, to put our own ego needs before the needs of others.

Jerusalem, on the other hand, has at its root shalem, or “wholeness.”

It is the feeling of expansiveness, when the disparate parts of ourselves weave together into a seamless whole.

As the seder winds down and the matzah crumbs are swept off the table, let the question of “next year” continue to echo - with all its hopes, plans and the self-understandings of where Jerusalem resides for each one of us.

We are leaving for a Temple Judea Solidarity mission to Israel a month from this writing, from March 17-23. I look forward to being in our homeland again with our members to learn, bear witness, and bring our support to our brothers and sisters in Israel. We will return home to tell you about it, to share our perceptions and observations.

My sincere prayer is, of course, for peace in our homeland and throughout the region as well as the world. May we all say, “Next year in Jerusalem” and may we all live to see peace throughout the land.

Welcome to Pesach

by Rabbi Jonathan Fisch j.fisch@judeagables.org

The buildup, the fear, the excitement, the anxiety—wondering if all the Passover food is cooked, if the leader of the Seder is truly prepared, and the joy (or dread) of seeing that one relative who, even in their old age, still hasn’t learned to hold back their tongue.

Haven’t we all felt this? Maybe it’s just part of the experience: that mix of anticipation and mild panic as you reconnect with family members you mostly follow on social media—whatever that means these days.

We’ve all been there—asking questions without thinking, only to be met with long-winded answers or rhetoric we’d rather avoid.

And then, inevitably, someone makes a comment that’s just a little too personal: asking about kids when they don’t want them, or mentioning weight loss that wasn’t by choice. That’s when you get the glare from Grandma, Dad, your partner, or even your child—the look that says everything without a single word.

Welcome to Pesach.

No matter how “normal” your family seems, every Seder table has its moments: heated conversations, eye rolls, and the silent prayer that no one gets hit by Safta’s famous matzah ball.

Welcome to Pesach.

A time to retell our story—an ancient tale we all know so well.

But Here’s What You May Not Know: Before the Pharaoh who enslaved the Israelites, there was another Pharaoh who respected them. According to Mel Gottlieb in Torah Travels, our rabbis teach that the experience of slavery in Egypt stemmed from lashon hara—evil speech and gossip—beginning with Joseph and his brothers. They suggest that the spiritual task of Pesach is to purify our speech through storytelling. This act of intentional, thoughtful speech is what leads us from slavery to freedom.

But lashon hara is just the symptom. The real issue lies within— discord that festers and seeps into our words. Pesach challenges us to confront this discord and transform it.

Welcome to the power of words on Pesach.

The word Pesach can be broken down into two words: peh sach, meaning “the mouth speaks.” Similarly, Pharaoh can be split into peh rah, meaning “the evil mouth.” This linguistic insight reminds us that Pesach is about more than just retelling the Exodus story. It’s about being mindful of our words, considering their impact, and choosing to speak in ways that uplift rather than tear down.

“Pesach challenges us not just to think about what we put into our mouths but also about what comes out of them.”

There will be moments—inevitably—when someone says something offensive or when you’re tempted to tell a story that isn’t yours to share. In those moments, pause. Reflect on the power of peh-sach, the holiness of our words. Can we use our speech to create a space where everyone feels comfortable and valued?

Our rabbis teach that the Israelites were saved from slavery because they preserved their language and names. Even surrounded by darkness, they understood the power of speech and chose their words wisely. We must do the same.

In a world filled with hate speech and divisive rhetoric, we have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to lead by example. Pesach challenges us not just to think about what we put into our mouths but also about what comes out of them.

This is hard work—sacred, challenging work. But it’s also a source of joy and connection. So this Pesach, enjoy the food, the family, the friendships, and the teachings of the Haggadah. But above all, remember the power of your words.

Leave the politics and negativity at the door. At the Seder table, there is no place for them—especially on Pesach.

As you prepare your meals, think about what each person will leave with following your seder? Not just the food packaged up, but the lessons of the night. Conclude your evening with a blessing like this or create your own: May our mouths speak words of freedom, faith, and friendship.

May our speech lift others and create spaces of safety and love.

And may we leave our Seders inspired to use our voices to build a better world.

Chag Pesach Sameach! May your words bring light, love, and laughter to your Seder table.

This year, we’re bringing this teaching to life at our Seder table. Of course, the words of the Haggadah are sacred and essential, but it’s the spontaneous words we share around the table that shape our experience.

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The Evolving Role of Women in the Passover Seder

by Cantor Lisa Segal l.segal@judeagables.org

My Passover holiday was vastly different as a child than the way it is today. I come from a large family on my mother’s side. Passover preparation lasted an entire week led by my grandmother and all my boisterous aunts in the kitchen. Women and girls played no role in leading the seder, which was conducted by my grandfather and all his brothers. The women’s role was simply to set up, participate and spend the rest of the evening cleaning up, while the men continued singing (and drinking) well into the night. Today, the “women at the table” in our community have a role and a place. How disoriented my grandfather and his brothers would be to watch me lead a seder as I do today for my synagogue community and at my family table!

After all, women played a significant role in the Exodus story. We recall Yocheved, Moses’ mother who defied Pharoah’s decree to save her son; Miriam, who watched over her brother and later led the women in joyous song after crossing the Red Sea; the midwives Shifra and Pual, who risked their lives to protect the Hebrew infants.

These women were active agents of change, embodying the spirit of resistance and hope.

Music is the connector throughout the telling of the story. I use a variety of traditional melodies, fun parodies, children’s songs, and contemporary compositions. There are wonderful Passover playlists on various streaming platforms to utilize in your home.

Music helps elevate the spiritual atmosphere of the seder, creating a sense of reverence and sacredness, and draws the participants

into the historical and spiritual journey of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Many of the songs have been passed down through generations. Songs such as “Dayenu” and “Chad Gadya” carry with them the weight of history and tradition, connecting us to our ancestors and reinforcing a sense of continuity. The evolving role of women in the seder was forever changed with the Ma’yan seder in 1994, incorporating a selection of original songs composed by Debbie Friedman, which fostered the women’s seders movement that continues today throughout the world. We are using many of her melodies today as their themes still resonate and stir our souls and I will be using them at our upcoming community women’s seder on Sunday, April 6th. Singing together during the seder fosters a sense of community and inclusiveness, creating bonds and making the seder a shared and joyous experience, reminding us of the struggles for freedom faced by our ancestors and the enduring importance of liberty and justice.

In a 2015 essay, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote, “On Passover, Jews are commanded to tell the story of the Exodus and see ourselves as having lived through that story, so that we may better learn how to live our lives today. The stories we tell our children shape what they believe to be possible.”

L’shana Haba-ah V’Yerushalayim – may it be God’s will that “next year”, all will be free! Cein Y’hi Ratzon!

Listen to Cantor Segal’s The Musical Liturgy of the Passover Haggadah on SoundCloud

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TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

Celebrate Passover Learning Opportunities at Temple Judea Miriam is a Cantor! | Torah Study with Cantor Riselle Bain Saturday, April 5th, 10:00 AM Silverman Room Cantor Riselle Bain of Temple Israel of Highlands County, will join us remotely. She began her acting career as a child, landing the role of “Little Miriam” in the 1956 film, “The Ten Commandments,” directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Charlton Heston. She credits her role as “Little Miriam” with inspiring her to become a cantor, feeling that the character’s story resonated with her and led her to a life of service. Cantor Bain was a classmate of Cantor Segal’s. Hear her story as well as the role of Miriam in our people’s journey from slavery to freedom.

Worship Opportunities at Temple Judea Passover Service | Sunday, April 13 at 10:00 AM in the Silverman Room | Lite lunch to follow Temple Judea invites you to a sacred opportunity of gathering, study, singing and praying.

Our focus will be on the Shir HaShirim, Song of Songs, the greatest love poem in the Bible, and the traditional reading for first day of Passover. Your clergy have revamped the service to allow more time for reflection, singing, study and prayer. Come and partake in this new service as we explore the text of our tradition, eating Passover treats and sharing in this auspicious time as a sacred community.

Passover Yizkor Service | Saturday, April 19 at 10:00 AM in the Silverman Room | Lite lunch to follow Our Yizkor service is a special time for the community to gather in memory of loved ones who have passed. Yizkor means to “Remember” and the purpose of this service is to remember and honor our loved ones. May their memory forever be a blessing.

Temple Judea’s Annual Second Night Congregational Passover Seder Sunday, April 13 at 5:30pm Join us for our Annual Second Night Congregational Passover Seder at Temple Judea!

MEMBER Seder cost per adult: $60 Seder cost per child (12 and under): $25 Children 3 and under are free NON-MEMBER Seder cost per adult : $80 Seder cost per child(12 and under): $25 Children 3 and under are free QUESTIONS? Contact Sarah Robleto at s.robleto@judeagables.org.

No one is turned away due to any financial inability. For financial assistance please email Sharon at s.israel@judeagables.org.

REGISTER

South Dade Women’s Seder Sunday, April 6 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Hosted at Temple Beth Am 5950 N. Kendall Drive Pinecrest, FL 33156

In the Community JCS Matzah Mitzvah | Sunday, April 6, 9:00 AM at Temple Beth Am 5950 N. Kendall Drive Pinecrest, FL 33156 Join us for Matzah Mitzvah 2025 to package and deliver Passover food and personal hygiene bags for over 500 homebound seniors and Holocaust survivors, bringing joy to all involved. Register by April 1. Click here to register.

Let My Pasta Go! A Chametz-Free Mitzvah Join us in supporting Jewish Community Services (JCS) by donating unopened boxes of pasta between March 17 – April 1. Drop off your pasta donations at the Mittentag Administrative Offices and help ensure that families in need have access to nourishing meals.

SEE OUR PASSOVER RESOURSCES

Ages 12-18 $18 | Ages 18+ $36 REGISTER

QUESTIONS? CONTACT Susan Lampen 305-799-7572 slampen350@gmail.com Pamela Lear 858-775-0409 Sdwcseder2025@yahoo.com Melanie Dernis-Rosen 305-586-6140 JUDEAGABLES.ORG MelanieADernis@gmail.com

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The Greatest Gift Making plans for end of life for yourself and your loved ones Monday, May 5 | 1:00-2:30 PM

As a cherished member of our community, we invite you to join Rabbi Judith Siegal and Executive Director Sharon Israel Moskovitz for an informed and sensitive

The benefits of attending include:

• Learn more about the personalized service our dedicated staff provides to families as they make pre-arrangements • Specific information regarding Temple Judea cemetery plots – several local cemeteries – onsite opportunities for congregants to save thousands per plot

discussion. Our End-of-Life Planning Workshop will address

• Learn more about Temple Judea’s

all that Temple Judea can offer you and your loved ones

compassionate process surrounding

when making difficult and emotional decisions surrounding cemetery plots, funeral arrangements, and service planning.

the mechanics of planning the service, burial, and shiva • Interface with Rabbi Siegal for a Q&A

A lite lunch will be served.

RSVP to Sarah Robleto at S.Robleto@judeagables.org

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TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

session regarding our clergys’ sacred role in your family’s life cycle event

T H E L’C H A I M L E G AC Y S O C I E T Y Ou r L’CH AI M LEG AC Y S O C IE T Y m e m b e r s are a g rou p of d e d i c ate d an d co mmi t te d i n d i vi d u a l s ju st l i ke you who wan t to g u aran te e that Tem pl e Jude a co n ti n u e s to p rovi d e wor sh i p se r v i ce s, p rog rams an d communi t y l e a de rsh i p for m a ny ye a r s to come . By e stabl i shi n g a l e g ac y throu gh a pl a nne d g i f t, you too c a n sh a re Te mp l e Ju d e a’s mi ssi on wi th future ge ne ra t i o ns .

MARJORIE BARON & MICHAEL SPRITZER

ERIC B. MEYERS (Z’L)

BENJAMIN (Z’L) & CAROL BAUM

ESTELLE MICHAELSON (Z’L)

SYLVIA BLAU

CAROLINE MILLER

SANDEE BURGER

MARILYN MITTENTAG & DAVID MAGIDSON

JOANNE & JAMES COHEN

GAIL NEWMAN & JUDGE ROBERT NEWMAN (Z’L)

EMILY & STEVE DEMAR

BARBARA PHILLIPS & HOWARD GOLDMAN

DAVID M. DOLINGER (Z’L)

BONNIE ROBBINS-AIBEL

LORRAINE FEUER (Z’L)

ANNA MAE ROSS

SHEILA FREED

JAN YELEN SASSO & HARVEY SASSO

STUART GITLITZ

JEROME SHULMAN (Z’L)

SUSANA & MICHAEL GOLD

DEBRA & JAMES SIEGEL

BEVERLY LIMMER GREENBERG

JULIE & GARY SIMON

BONNIE & SHELDON GUREN

THE SINGERMAN FAMILY (Z’L) In Loving Memory of Jamie Singerman

OSSIE & HARRY HANAUER (Z’L) SONYA (Z’L) & RICHARD HORWICH (Z’L) MARCIA SIMON KAPLAN (Z’L) LENORE KIPPER JULIE & LAWRENCE LAMBERT ELYSSA & SAMUEL LEWIS

YOUR GIFT WILL: MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of others for many years to come.

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Fo r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t h ow to p a r t i c i p a te , p l e a s e c o n t a c t D a n i e l l e F. S p i e g e l m a n a t 3 0 5 . 6 67. 5 6 5 7 x 2 1 1 9 o r d . s p i e g e l m a n @ j u d e a g a b l e s .o rg . T h a n k Yo u .

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E N HA N C E D TE MPL E JUDE A LOB BY RE N DER I NG BY R OY WEI SSEL (z’l)

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Abraham & Sarah’s Tent Mary & Howard Frank Matriarch Tracey & Bruce Berkowitz Patriarchs Marjorie Baron & Michael Spritzer The Florman Family Foundation In honor of the Blank & Koles Families

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In memory of Bernard Wolfson

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Melech/Malka Barbara & Bruce Booken Emily & Steve Demar Wendy & Michael Elkin Sheila Freed & Mel Miller Kim & Ben Gerber Michelle Kaufman & Dave Barry The Lambert Family Gail Meyers Marilyn Mittentag & David Magidson The Newman Family Barbara Phillips & Howard Goldman Monica & Rick Schatz Debbie & Jim Siegel Cynthia & Andy Varat Women of Temple Judea Parnas/Parnasah Shelley & Adam Booken Charlotte & Philip Cassel Keith Chasin

In memory of Lila Chasin Gaines

Vicki & Hardy Katz Judith & Barry Katzen Marilyn & Ronald Kohn Alyssa Krop-Brandfon & Joshua Brandfon 14

Beth & Scott Lazar

TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

In honor of Rabbi Judith Siegal & Rabbi Jonathan Fisch

In loving memory of Howard M. Katzen

Elaine & Lee Kraftchick The Richards Family Mindy & Stephen Rosenthal Norman Saxe In memory of Mimi Saxe

Bobbie Siegal Joanne & Richard Waldorf Cristina & Jeff Weiner Susan & Andrew Weinstein Shalom Carla Berkowitz & Michael Rubin In memory of Bernice & Ken Rubin

Vicki & Neil Einhorn

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In loving memory of Larry Forman

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In honor of Rabbi Judith Siegal & Rabbi Jonathan Fisch

Daniel Gelfman Beth & Monte Gordon Cristina & Andrew Herskowitz Jess & Bailey Humyn Florence & Bernard (z’l) Jacobson Susan & Steven Kobetz Becca & Mark Lago

In memory of Martha Burke & Harriet Tischler

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In honor of Parents & Grandparents: Frances & Herbert Gaynor - Harold & Rosalina Sackstein – Burton R. Levey

Sharon & Jon Tannen

In honor of our Grandchildren

Dr. Richard & Penny Thurer Mark Troen & Charles Surber

Alex, Abby, & Matteo Vicencio Alyssa & Kevin Ware Kathy & Ted Weiss The Israel, Rose, Henry & Robert Wiener Charitable Foundation

Campaign Chairs Marjorie Baron & Michael Spritzer Julie & Gary Simon Honorary Chairs Linda & Jonathan Aibel Ellen & Jim Barocas Mary & Howard Frank Stuart Gitlitz Claudia Greenberg Karyn & Stuart Grossman Jane Levin Veronica & Gary Matzner (z’l) Caroline Miller Marilyn Mittentag & David Magidson Gail Meyers Bonnie Robbins-Aibel Susan Silver

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With great appreciation for welcoming us into the Temple Judea Family

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Give to the LEV Campaign today! For more information, contact Danielle F. Spiegelman, Senior Director of Advancement , at 305.667.5657, ext. 2119 or email her directly at d.spiegelman@judeagables.org.

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Our Torah Circle Members

Strengthening Temple Judea, Together Written by Temple Judea Member, Ariela Moscowitz

Temple Judea has always been more than just a synagogue— it’s a community built on connection, tradition, and care for one another. Our Torah Circle members play a special role in ensuring that our Temple remains a welcoming and thriving place for all. Their generosity helps support meaningful programs, vibrant services, and a strong foundation for future generations.

School, and currently attends J-PLEx, while Ethan is enrolled at Margaux. The Temple’s strong educational programs and the vibrant, supportive community have become an integral part of the Newman family’s life. They particularly enjoy the large, communal events hosted by the Temple, such as the secondnight Seder, Sukkot celebrations, and the Purim Carnival, which bring the community together in meaningful ways.

We are deeply grateful to those who have chosen to be part of the Torah Circle. Their commitment comes from the heart, and we are honored to share the stories of three of our dedicated members, in their own words, about what Temple Judea means to them.

Michael and Sharon are proud to support Temple Judea at the Torah Circle Membership Level, as it strengthens their sense of connection to the Temple. They believe that Temple Judea is an essential part of their lives, providing a space for spiritual growth, community engagement, and a sense of belonging.

They also view it as their responsibility to care for and support

Sharon & Michael Newman Finding Home at Temple Judea Sharon and Michael Newman, members of the Torah Circle, describe their commitment to Temple Judea as a “full circle moment.” Michael, who grew up in Coral Gables and attended Temple Judea as a child, reflects on how his parents’ involvement in the Temple deepened as he was raised. Now, as parents themselves to seven-year-old Daniel and two-year-old Ethan, Michael and Sharon are experiencing their own growing connection to the Temple as they nurture their children’s Jewish identity. Michael fondly recalls studying with Ray Berman (z”l) and Rabbi Eisenstat. Rabbi Eisenstat also officiated Michael and Sharon’s wedding, making their connection to Temple Judea even more meaningful. Sharon, originally from outside Washington D.C., and Michael met in Seattle before relocating to Miami to be closer to their families.

Michael and Sharon work together in Tech, developing several successful gaming apps, including the popular Flow Free.

Their children, Daniel and Ethan, are both thriving within the Temple Judea community. Daniel graduated from the Margaux

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“Supporting Temple Judea has become a way for Michael and Sharon to give back to the community that has played such a pivotal role in their lives and their children’s Jewish identity.”

the Temple, ensuring that it remains a vibrant place for future generations. Both Michael and Sharon feel fortunate to be able to give back, and each of them has a unique and deeply personal connection to the Temple. Michael speaks with gratitude about how he “kept gravitating” toward the Temple throughout his life and is thrilled to be raising his children in the same community where he grew up. Sharon, too, has made her own meaningful connections at the Temple and looks forward to remaining actively involved for many years to come.

Thank You to Our Torah Circle Supporters Linda & Jonathan Aibel Marcy & Harry Aldrich Julia & Daniel Azari Mark Blank Anne & Alfred Camner Sandra Dan Michelle & Jeffrey Eisenberg Wendy & Michael Elkin Kathryn Meyers & Jonathan Etra Stephen Felsen Mary & Howard Frank Hilary & David Gershman Susana & Michael Gold Carol Goldman Barbara Phillips & Howard Goldman Karyn & Stuart Grossman Joely Kaufman-Janette & John Janette Donna & Mark Kass Katie & Mark Kessler Lorraine & Jeffrey Kurland Alice & Alan Lash Rhoda Levitt Sheldon Lowe Bonnie Maisel & Stuart Blank Gail Meyers Caroline Miller Marilyn Mittentag & David Magidson Jana & Erik Myers Sharon & Michael Newman Susan & Joseph Pallot Stephanie & Sanford Rakofsky Stefanie Reed Joseph Reinhardt Toby Richards Bonnie Robbins-Aibel Mindy & Stephen Rosenthal Carla Berkowitz & Michael Rubin Amy & Gregory Saphier Monica & Richard Schatz Bobbie Siegal Julie & Gary Simon Marjorie Baron & Michael Spritzer Susan Whitman Jessie Wolfson Jocelyn & Eric Woolworth Michael Zinner

“I feel incredibly grateful for two wonderful rabbis who complement each other, and their leadership has only enhanced my connection to Temple Judea.”

Gail Meyers

A Lifetime of Dedication Gail Meyers has been a dedicated member of Temple Judea for 50 years. When she and her first husband, Eric Meyers (z”l), moved from New York City to Miami with their newborn, Rosh Hashanah was fast approaching. Gail called a local temple to inquire about High Holiday services but was told they could not join.

Undeterred, she reached out to Temple Judea and was immediately struck by the warmth and kindness of the person on the other end of the line, who welcomed them to join the congregation for the holidays. It quickly became clear that the same spirit of openness and hospitality permeated the entire community, and Gail and Eric decided to make Temple Judea their spiritual home.

Both Eric and Gail became deeply involved in the life of the Temple. Eric served as President in 1988-1989, while Gail contributed in various roles, including co-chairing the Rabbi Search Committee that ultimately brought Rabbi Goldberg (Rabbi Siegals’ predecessor) to Temple Judea. Their daughters attended Hebrew School and celebrated their B’not Mitzvah at the Temple, and the family actively supported many Jewish causes. Gail also celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at Temple Judea! After Eric’s passing in 1990, Gail married Andrew Hall (z”l) in 1993.

Andrew had survived the Holocaust as a child and he also embraced Temple Judea as a place of spiritual connection.

Shabbat holds special significance for Gail. She lights candles every Friday evening and attends Shabbat services as often as possible. The words of Lecha Dodi, particularly Shamor v’zachor—“we observe and we remember”—sung in the traditional melody, resonate deeply with her. This prayer serves as a reminder of her commitment to safeguarding and nurturing the Jewish people and strengthening their bonds with G-d and one another. Many years ago, Gail played a pivotal role in shifting the start time of Shabbat services from 8:00 pm to 6:00 pm, making them more accessible for a wider range of members.

Gail is profoundly grateful for “two wonderful rabbis who complement each other” and she cherishes the way their leadership enhances the Temple community. She looks forward to continuing her active involvement at Temple Judea, furthering her lifelong commitment to caring for the Jewish community, for many years to come.

JUDEAGABLES.ORG JUDEAGABLES.ORG

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Open Letter to My Students 73: October 7, Revisited

by Rabbi A. Lawrence Hoffman • Scholar-in-Residence

Last week, while lecturing in Miami, I went to see Nova, a traveling art installation described as “an in-depth remembrance of the brutal massacre at the Nova Music Festival on October 7…. the largest massacre in music history.”

I say I went to “see” it, but “see” doesn’t do the experience justice. I was totally immersed in it; and through it, immersed also in Israel’s trauma and (by extension) in the Jewish condition through time. I am congenitally an optimist, so I loved Nova’s insistence that, despite it all, “we will dance again.” That said, the exhibit hammered home what some of my long-time liberal friends who are not Jews – and even some who are – do not, I fear, fully comprehend.

I don’t mean just the all-out protesters on college campuses. I mean good solid friends who support a Jewish state and who phoned me in solidarity on October 8 or 9; but who, later, as the war ground on, became fixated on the need for an immediate peace, because war is inherently bad and Israel had done too much damage already.

I too question much about the policies of Israel’s right-wing government; I too watched the Gazan suffering in horror. Neither my friends nor I have the benefit of military intelligence, but were we to know all the facts, we would probably agree on a great deal. So I am not arguing policy here. I am not arguing anything at all. I mean only to say that something very deep within me was confirmed by the Nova visit, something that I find hard to convey to even these lifelong friends: the realization that the October 7 victims were my people, that my people were being slaughtered once again.

I visited the Nova exhibit from a sense of Jewish obligation – the way one visits a Holocaust Memorial, hardly out of curiosity, much less to be entertained, or even just to learn something that we don’t already know. Not a day goes by without my thinking about the butchery that felled so many Jewish innocents. Some victims were not Jewish, mind you. But they were collateral damage, caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. October 7 was the underbelly of the human race unleashed upon Jews, first, last, and foremost.

The exhibit consists largely of some warehouse space, filled with detritus from the actual Nova campsite: tents, camping gear, skeletons of burned out cars, clothes scattered everywhere. Visitors 18

TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

shuffle along in the semi-darkness, stopping every few yards to watch videos recorded during and immediately after the attack.

I watched each video at least twice over, the scenes of Jews who came to dance through the night and greet the morning sun, only to be murdered wholesale by Hamas attackers who shout over and over, ”Allah is great” and (at one point) “We are heading for Paradise now, guys.” A Jewish survivor describes the scene afterward: “Kids tied to a tree, naked girls tied up everywhere you look.” As I took it all in, I recited what I could remember of El Malei Rachamim, the signature Jewish burial prayer composed after similar slaughters by Ukrainian Cossacks in 1648. I thought back to Chaim Nachman Bialik’s epic poem that memorializes the 1903 Kishinev pogrom. “Get up and head for the city of slaughter…. See for yourself the trees, stones, and fences laden with spattered blood and dried out brain matter.”

I shed Jewish tears left over from 1648 and 1903 and so many other times as well. There must be a chamber of the heart where old tears get saved up like a bank account, and then accrue with time, to be withdrawn and spent on the likes of October 7.

It goes deeper than the heart, however. We properly differentiate head from heart: the cold rational intellect that thinks versus the warm, emotional sentiment that feels. We either believe something strongly or feel something deeply. I both felt and thought my way through the Nova exhibit; but my tears came from somewhere deeper.

They came from what the Yiddish calls kishkes; in English, “the gut.”

A “gut punch” is a surprise blow to the stomach that stops you in your tracks, takes everything out of you, and leaves you reeling, shocked, dazed, enraged, and afraid for your life.

This is more than just metaphor. Scientific research posits an actual brain-gut connection. There is clearly a well of commitment, devotion, and faithfulness that transcends both head and heart, both thinking and feeling. We do not even know it is there, until we feel threatened to the very core of our being.

It is, I think, the personalized outrage that comes when one’s family is threatened; and what I cannot adequately convey to others is that Jews like me do somehow sense that Jews everywhere and through all time are an extended family. I don’t mean rank tribalism, because anyone can become Jewish by choice. But in so doing they do not so much convert as they join the family. I am proud of that family, of its heritage and its commitment to a wise and compassionate world. I particularly deplore other Jews whose immoral behavior defiles everything Judaism hold dear: Bernie Madoff and Harvey Weinstein in America; the right-wing Settler Movement in Israel. I applaud responsa that insist on the rightness of informing on our own wayward family members whose behavior is evil.

Mazel in Miami - Rabbis’ Anniversary Weekend Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman Saturday, April 26 at 9am

By the same token, I am happy to engage critics of Israel’s war in Gaza. I am critical myself. But those critics need to know that Israel is my family.

They can take issue with me but only if they also make a shiva call to offer their condolence. People who celebrated October 7 celebrate also my own imminent demise, for I am a Jew. Edmond Fleg (1874-1963) was a French Jew, totally assimilated, until 1894, when Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish captain in the French army was imprisoned on the trumped-up charge of treason. The episode awoke in Fleg his all-but-completely suppressed Jewish identity. “I am a Jew,” he wrote, “because born of Israel and having found it again, I would have it live after me.” By Israel, he meant the People, not the state, which didn’t yet exist. But the Dreyfus case convinced him, as it did Theodor Herzl, that only a Jewish state could be counted on to shelter Jews unwanted elsewhere and to protect them, come what may. I would say, “I am a Jew, because having been born of it and never lost it, I know not just in my mind and heart but in my very gut how right Herzl was, and how Jewish I really am.

Join us at Temple Judea for an interactive Minyan & Torah Study with Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, including a lite lunch. Rabbi Hoffman, a mentor to Rabbi Siegal, is professor emeritus at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where he has shaped generations of rabbis and cantors. Author of 50 books, he is internationally known for his lectures and his spiritual approach to synagogue consultation.

In 1994, he co-founded Synagogue 2000, a project envisioning synagogues as moral and spiritual centers for the 21st century. His popular Open Letters to My Students can be read on his blog, Life and a Little Liturgy.

This program has been made possible through the Eric B. Meyers Scholar-in-Residence fund.

This is a free event.

RSVP at judeagables.org/mazelinmiami.

From Miami to Jerusalem Navigating Israel’s Future as a Community

by Seth Lewis Levin • Director of Education S.lewislevin@judeagables.org

We were fortunate this January to bring our staff to the NOVA Festival exhibit.

“We Will Dance Again” is both a reflection on our perseverance as a Jewish people throughout the ages, and a commitment to the future of the Israeli state. This year has changed the political, geographic, and economic landscape of the Middle East. If there is one thing we can all agree on, it’s that the Jewish people will persevere. We have worked hard to frame the current debate for our community. In the words of our visiting scholar, the esteemed Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, after he visited the exhibit here in Miami, “they can take issue with me but only if they also make a shiva call to offer their condolence.”

This year we have created several opportunities to engage in meaningful discourse about what Israel will look like at 100.

Our diverse guest scholars, from Judge Roy Altman arguing for “indigenous rights” to Rabbi Seth Limmer working against extremism, have highlighted Temple Judea’s strength in weighing this conflict from all sides. I don’t need to point out that this is something sorely missing in our nation these days. By providing a uniquely Jewish space to contextualize the war—in Torah with Shalom Orzach, or through Israeli TV with Sallye Zilberstein’s amazing picks—we also challenge ourselves to get off the couch and take action!

We have also refused to shy away from difficult conversations between parents and their children about Israel. By offering guidance from experts such as Rabbi Cook of the University of Miami Hillel and Brian Siegal of the American Jewish Committee, we have aimed to support all our families in navigating this tightrope walk, regardless of their views on the conflict. The related rise in antisemitism here in America demands this of us for the future of our Jewish children.

It has also been incredibly difficult to keep up with what is happening on the ground and to plan for “tomorrow’s topics.” By welcoming Israel experts and scholars, such as Shalom Orzach from the iCenter, to meet with our staff and lay leadership, we are striving to be responsive to our membership, informative, and reflective as we navigate the evolving future of American-Israeli relations.

In March, we actualized a dream of our Klei Kodesh leadership to send Rabbi Siegal and our beloved Israeli guide Mike Hollander to lead a service mission for congregants to our homeland, to “bear witness” firsthand beyond the doors of the powerful NOVA exhibit.

As JFK warned, “may you live in interesting times.” At least here at Temple Judea, we hope to be there to walk beside you on this new journey.

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Celebrating Israel’s 76th Year with Love, Joy, and Resilience

by Seth Lewis Levin • Director of Education S.lewislevin@judeagables.org

This seventy-sixth anniversary of the birth of the modern Jewish state is quite different than the last. From the evolving debates on college campuses to the whipping winds of change in the international Jewish community, it is clear that we need to pivot. The teaching of “Ahava (love) of Israel” with our children continues to be more essential than ever. Joining together in dance, sprinkling zatar on everything we eat, and raising money to plant trees are critical ways to connect us to the land. Please join us on Sunday, May 4th for our Yom Ha’Atz Ma’ut (Independence Day) community celebration to “fall in love again.”

In our study this year with Shalom Orzach of the iCenter, he challenged our staff to stretch beyond this celebration of

“Since the biblical time of Rachel, we are reminded that hope is mandatory.’”

“Ahava” with our students in this new chapter of Israeli history. He cited our national anthem, “Hatikvah” as an encouragement to restore “hope.” As a learning community, we now sing it every Sunday in solidarity with our families of the homeland. Since the biblical time of Rachel, we are reminded that “hope is mandatory.” Shalom also encourages us to balance the “Oy” with the “Joy.” This intentional action requires us to find the courage to restore our faith in the land of Israel even in these incredibly complicated times.

How do we teach “hope?” The Education team has focused on three core Jewish values: “Sakranut” (Curiosity), “Chesed” (Kindness), and “Areyvut” (Community Mindedness). Whether your child is just starting out with us in J-PLEx Jr. or is getting ready to launch their learning for their Bnai Mitzvah, these values remind us of the strength of the Jewish community to persevere and rebuild. If there is one thing our students must come away with understanding this year, it is the inspiration of the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsberg: “and yet, she persists.”

We look forward to celebrating and rebuilding in this 77th year of our nation.

JUDEAGABLES.ORG

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Nurturing Jewish Identity and Love for Israel in Our Sanctuary

by Gaby Enser Tangir • Director of Judaic Studies and Youth Leadership g.ensertangir@judeagables.org

When Jewish children and teens learn in the sanctuary, they are not only learning about their faith and community, but they are also learning about their connection to Israel. Facing Jerusalem for many prayers is a way of expressing this connection. These practices help to create a sense of belonging and identity, and they help to ensure that the Jewish people will continue to thrive for generations to come. Our students grow up having multiple experiences in our sanctuary. On Sunday mornings, 4th to 7th graders do T’filah in the sanctuary. Guess what is the first song they all come together to sing? The one they stand for and sing with absolute respect and hope in their hearts: The Hatikva. The Israel Anthem is the first thing we sing to start our Sunday.

During Monday nights, BMC meets in the Sanctuary to learn their prayers, practice their Hebrew and to hug our Torah scroll before chanting their portions.

Our 8th to 11th grade teens led a wonderful Judea High Shabbat on January 24th in our Sanctuary and they felt confident in their sacred space, the makom, their house of worship.

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Guy Nir, our Hebrew, Jewish Life, and Israel Coordinator, has been instrumental in weaving Israel into the fabric of our daily learning. His deep knowledge and thoughtful approach to crafting our educational materials (Limud) and co-creating our prayer experiences (T’filah content) have enriched our teaching with profound meaning.

Am Israel Chai!

Mazal Tov to our B’nai Mitzvah Students!

Bodhi Kobetz-Kerman Saturday, March 15 at 5pm I am proud to become a Bar Mitzvah because it demonstrates my commitment to being part of the Jewish community. After participating in Young Lions of Judah, I feel lucky to be able to carry forward our traditions.

For my bar mitzvah project, I am hosting a basketball tournament to raise money for Sebastian Strong, an organization that supports children living with cancer.

Alexa Jacobs Saturday, May 10 at 11am I feel good doing mitzvot and I know it is one way I can feel closer to G-D. I come to Temple Judea and live a Jewish life at home and that is how I find holiness. Holiness can be found in many ways: respecting parents, observing Shabbat, being charitable, refraining from stealing or lying, treating others with kindness and respect, and welcoming the stranger. I make an effort to be kind to those I don’t know and aim to make everyone I meet feel welcomed.

Dafna Greenberg Saturday, May 17 at 11am As a member of the Jewish community, becoming a Bat Mitzvah is a very important part of my life. To me, it means understanding my role in becoming a Jewish adult. Part of my Bat Mitzvah journey has been participating in a Mitzvah project. My Mitzvah project is volunteering at the Miracle League of Miami Dade, where I help people with mental or physical challenges play baseball. I play softball, and I love helping people, which is why I chose this project. After my Bat Mitzvah, I plan to stay involved in the Jewish community by going to Monday night school at our temple, and keep on practicing Jewish traditions with my family. I also plan to embrace my Israeli roots by visiting Israel more in the future to learn more about my culture and heritage.

Ezra Crane Saturday, May 24 at 11am I am a 7th grader at Palmetto Middle school. I am looking forward to my Bar Mitzvah, because I am excited to share everything I’ve been learning and studying for with my friends and family. For my mitzvah project, I have been volunteering with the Rock 101 kids at School of Rock where I have been taking drum and bass lessons since I was 6. I chose this project because I enjoy learning and playing music, and I want the younger kids to love music as much as I do. After my Bar Mitzvah, I plan to continue going to Monday night classes, where I will eat Chicken Kitchen, learn more about Judaism, and help the younger kids prepare for their B’nai Mitzvot.

Gianna Macau Saturday, May 31 at 11am I’m excited for my Bat Mitzvah because it means I will be more mature, closer with G-d, and knowledgeable of my traditions. Preparing for my Bat Mitzvah has allowed me to learn about Judaism and Israel. I admire how hard people work to be free. It has made me understand the struggles my great-grandparents went through to survive the Holocaust. Their strength to survive is inspirational and everyone should know how horrible Jews were treated. More people need to learn from the past and never let it happen again. My mitzvah project is raising donations for the American Heart Association. Last summer, my grandma needed emergency triple bypass open heart surgery and is doing great now. We’re thankful for the research made so that the doctors were able to save her life. I look forward to practicing my Jewish traditions throughout my life and raising my future children with these same traditions.

Samantha Rosen Saturday, June 7 at 11am My name is Samantha Rosen and my Bat Mitzvah means a lot to me because it represents a significant moment in my life. My transition from being a kid into an adult. It is something I am working hard to achieve, and I am having so much fun learning Hebrew and studying Torah. My mitzvah project is a school supply drive. School is an important part of my life, and I believe that every child should have all the supplies they need. Having only joined Temple Judea last year, everyone was so welcoming and made me feel comfortable learning. I have made many good friends and met some awesome teachers that I love.

JUDEAGABLES.ORG

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Rooted in Values

Nurturing Curiosity, Kindness, and Community at the Margaux School

by Yuliette Gonzalez • Interim Early Childhood Director y.antunez@judeagables.org At the Margaux School at Temple Judea, the values of curiosity, kindness, and community are at the heart of every learning experience. Each week, the teachers take time to reflect and identify additional values that emerge organically in the classroom. Whether it’s gratitude, responsibility, or perseverance, they observe and celebrate how these values are present in the children’s interactions and learning. By naming and honoring these values, the teachers deepen the children’s awareness of their actions and foster a culture of mindfulness and growth.

In Miss Maya and Miss Sandra’s classroom, these values come alive through intentional teaching and rich documentation that highlights the meaningful moments of discovery and connection among the children. Small groups allow for deep exploration, where children’s natural curiosity is encouraged as they investigate provocations and co-construct knowledge with their peers.

Through documentation, Miss Maya and Miss Sandra thoughtfully capture these moments, showcasing how acts of kindness—like helping a friend solve a problem or sharing materials—build a foundation of community. Documentation also plays a critical role in revisiting learning, making learning visible, and deepening the teachers’ understanding of the children’s learning process. It allows both the children and teachers to reflect, explore new opportunities for engagement, and celebrate growth.

These values also serve as a bridge to planting seeds for a love of Israel. Discussions and projects inspired by Israeli culture, traditions, and symbols are woven into daily life. From exploring Israeli landscapes through art to learning about planting trees in Israel, these experiences strengthen children’s connection to the land and spark a lifelong appreciation for the values it represents.

By embracing these values and weaving them into daily experiences, the Margaux School fosters compassionate, curious, and connected learners. Through intentional teaching, meaningful documentation, and a deep respect for heritage, we hope to encourage the children to develop a strong sense of self, community, and connection to Israel. These early foundations not only shape their present learning but also plant the seeds for a lifelong journey of discovery, empathy, and belonging.

Join us for a joyful Tot Shabbat! Experience Shabbat through song, rhythm, and movement. Children will have the opportunity to decorate their own music scarf, and we will enjoy a snack together as we celebrate Shabbat. Click here to RSVP.

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TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

Discover, Connect, and Celebrate

AFTER SCHOOL AT TEMPLE JUDEA

The Jewish Journey at Club Judea

by Yohandra Perez-Rosales • Club Judea Director y.perez-rosales@judeagables.org At Club Judea, we are dedicated to creating meaningful experiences that deepen our children’s connection to Israel, Jewish traditions, and values.

Through hands-on activities, storytelling, and immersive learning, our friends embrace the beauty of Jewish life while fostering a strong sense of community and identity.

Our Jewish cooking classes bring the flavors of Israel to life as children learn to make traditional dishes like Ugat Chokolad, Rugelach, and homemade sushi while expanding their Hebrew vocabulary. Through food, we connect to our heritage, understanding the significance of shared meals in Jewish culture.

Every week, we come together for Havdalah, marking the transition from Shabbat with light, spices, and song. This sensory experience helps our friends connect to the rhythm of Jewish time, reinforcing the importance of Shabbat and tradition in their lives.

Storytelling is another powerful way we connect our children to Israel and Jewish values. Through engaging narratives, we meet biblical figures like Jonah, explore the meaning of Teshuvah, and reflect on the lessons of our ancestors. These stories inspire our children to see themselves as part of the ongoing Jewish journey.

Living Jewish values is at the heart of Club Judea. Through lessons on Mitzvah (good deeds), Tzedakah (charity), and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), we teach our friends how their actions can make a difference. Whether collecting items for those in need, creating kindness projects, or simply being a good friend, they learn that small acts have a big impact.

Club Judea is more than an afterschool program—it’s a place where children develop a lifelong love for Israel, Jewish traditions, and values.

Together, we are shaping the next generation with pride, purpose, and connection.

Expanding Bruchim Ha’Baim! We invite you to be part of our growing kehillah! for Even More Summer Fun!

Club Judea Summer Camp Now Enrolling!

June 16 – July 24

Ages 2 through 3rd grade Camp Hours: 8:30 AM – 2:45 PM Aftercare Available: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (additional cost)

1st-3rd Graders can now Join the Fun! Pre-K through 3rd graders will dive into a new focus each session: Art, STEM, and Sports.

As well as Water Play days and field trips.

Fun, Play, and Water Days for Our 2s & 3s!

Our 2- and 3-year-old campers will have an unforgettable summer filled with explorations, creativity, and water play!

Click here to register today!

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Together We Make a Difference

by WTJ Co-Presidents Leanne Rutter-Arnold and Heather Sosler

TEMPLE JUDEA

We are thrilled to share that WTJ is now 232 members strong! To all our members, thank you for being part of our vibrant Sisterhood.

If you haven’t yet joined, we warmly invite you to become a part of our incredible community of diverse and dynamic women.

WTJ Calendar 2024-2025 EVENTS May 14th

May 16th

President’s Luncheon Networking Breakfast

BOARD MEETINGS March 19th April 9th May 14th

9:30 AM 9:30 AM 9:30 AM

WTJ Gift Shop

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This year has been our busiest yet, filled with creativity, fun, and service! Our Chanukah season was particularly special, with a fun evening of painting menorahs and other Judaic pieces at a local art studio, and our annual Latke Sale with homemade applesauce for an extra touch this year. The gift shop’s Chanukah Popups featured beautiful holiday items, and our JAFCO Chanukah Gift Drive provided gifts for over 25 children in foster care, with volunteers wrapping presents and spreading cheer for all 8 nights of Chanukah. We also introduced new initiatives like the Birthday in a Box program, which brought smiles and joy to JCS families in need, and we hosted a fabulous Thanksgiving feast for the young adults at Casa Valentina.

In January, we kicked off the year with our second successful Professional Networking event, a breakfast at the temple. Members had the chance to connect, network, and grow professionally. Based on the positive feedback, we’re excited to host another breakfast in May

to continue fostering this dynamic community of professional women. Meanwhile, we continue to host an active group for Mah Jongg play and after a well attended series of Canasta lessons we are now adding Canasta playtime as well.

We were delighted to see so many of you at our Progressive Dinner on March 1.This unforgettable evening brought our community together in a special way, beginning with a fabulous cocktail party at the temple, followed by intimate dinners at host homes. A big thank you to our chairs Sharon Goldman and Shari Byrd, as well as all the hosts, sponsors, and attendees, for making this fan-favorite event a resounding success.

We are incredibly proud to share that all the funds raised through the Progressive Dinner and our other initiatives have allowed WTJ to contribute $9,000 in grants to the temple this year and provide meaningful support to the Lev Campaign. Together, we really do make a difference!

For anyone inspired to take on a larger role in shaping our sisterhood’s future, please reach out to us by email (wtjexec@gmail.com).

Whether you want to join the board, lead a committee, or assist with specific projects, there’s a place for you to get involved and make a meaningful difference.

Warm regards, Leanne & Heather

We have everything to make your Passover Celebration special. Unique Seder Plates, Matzah Plates and Covers, fun items for the kids, beautiful hostess gifts, and much more.

We are proud to support Israeli businesses and the Israel Museum in particular.

Passover Open House shopping opportunity, April 7th, 10 am - 7 pm. Come and visit us!

TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

For help and shopping advice please contact us at wtjgiftshop@gmail.com or text 305.588.4938

Book Club Do you enjoy reading? Are you looking for fellow readers to hang out with? Join WTJ’s book club! The group meets on the second Wednesday of the month (with rare exceptions, such as when there is an important temple event) via Zoom at 7:30 pm.

If you’re interested in participating and don’t currently receive emails from the Book Club, please email Judy Siskind, the group’s coordinator, at jsiskind@yahoo.com to be added to the mailing list.

You’ll receive information about the book selection along with the Zoom link for the upcoming meeting.

Wednesday, April 9: Charming Billy

by Alice McDermott. Beautifully written and teeming with fine portraits of IrishAmerican life in New York, this masterful and beloved novel illustrates how a community can pin its dreams to one man, and how good intentions can be as destructive as the truth they were meant to hide.

Wednesday, May 14: The House of Doors

by Tan Twan Eng. This historical novel, set in Malaysia in the 1920s, is based on incidents in the life of British author Somerset Maugham.

Networking Event Breakfast Last year’s first Professional Networking Event dinner was such a success that a second gathering was held on January 24, this time changing it up with a lovely breakfast at Temple Judea.

Approximately 15 women gathered, from psychologists to lawyers, nutritionists to accountants, and many professions in between.

The event was so well received, attendees requested more frequent networking opportunities like this in the future. So whether looking to hire, seeking new employment or a career change, or just wanting to connect with other professional women, we hope you will join us for our next morning gathering on Friday, May 16th; stay tuned for details!

If you are interested in helping to plan or participate in future networking events, contact Amy Boyers at amyboyersphd@gmail. com.

Mah Jongg & Canasta Mah Jongg is still going strong, with players able to choose from Monday afternoons 12:30-3:30 or evenings 6:30-8:30 at Temple Judea. WTJ also hosted a successful introductory Canasta Course in January and February, with 17 people joining this series of two-hour classes. If you are interested in canasta, we are now opening our Monday game time to include canasta play as well.

New players are welcome to join for either game! For more info or to be added to our WhatsApp group for Mah Jongg or Canasta play, please contact Nancy Leitman at nancyleitman@gmail.com.

Menorah Pottery Painting WTJ hosted an art event on December 5th to help people get in the holiday spirit and prepare for the Festival of Lights. We gathered at Art Thyme Pottery and Canvas Studio to paint colorful Judaic pieces while socializing, snacking, and sipping wine. It really was a fun evening and we hope you’ll consider joining us for one of our fall or spring programs in the future!

Many thanks to Lauren Beiley for organizing the event and helping to add more light to Chanukah as we visited with friends new and old.

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Progressive Dinner

The Women of Temple Judea once again hosted their biennial community building social event. The Progressive Dinner: “It’s All Fun and Games,” brought more than 170 Temple members together for an evening of fabulous food, plentiful drinks and fun with friends. Event Chairs and WTJ Fundraising Vice Presidents Shari Byrd and Sharon Goldman put together a spectacular event and WTJ is grateful for all their hard work!

The night began with everyone gathering for hors d’oeuvres and signature cocktails at Temple Judea, and then progressed to dinner and dessert at private homes.

Thank you to those who graciously opened their homes: Progressive Dinner Hosts Shona and Dan Blonsky Amy and Robert Boyers Vicki and Ed Busch / Marsha and Leon Botkin Janis and Alan Cohen Shirley and Bo Crane Emily and Steve Demar /Judy and Howard Aberman Tracy Guzman and Adam Fels Abby and Rabbi Jonathan Fisch Elisa and Eliot Gelber

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Sharon Goldman Vicki and Hardy Katz Marilyn Mittentag and David Magidson Melanie Dernis-Rosen and Seth Rosen Jan Yelen-Sasso and Harvey Sasso Shari Witkoff Sallye Zilberstein Thank you to the following generous sponsors:

Let’s Make a Deal Sponsor David Halperin and Katherine Cartwright Dr. Barry and Mrs. Judith Katzen Elaine and Lee Kraftchick Dr. Joseph Reinhardt Julie and Gary Simon Price Is Right Sponsor Judy and Howard Aberman Leanne Rutter-Arnold and Jon Arnold Shona and Dan Blonsky Marsha and Leon Botkin Amy and Robert Boyers Carol and Mark Brooks Shari and Walter Byrd Shirley and Bo Crane Michelle and Jeffrey Eisenberg Dr. Mark Ginsburg Sharon Goldman Claudia and Joe Greenberg

TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

Miriam Grossman-Rodriguez and Pedro Rodriguez Francine Horwich and David Weinstein Donna and Mark Kass Vicki and Hardy Katz Beth and Scott Lazar Elyssa and Sam Lewis Bonnie and Stuart Maisel Billy Martin and Dawn Fine Gail Meyers Kathryn Meyers and Jonathan Etra Sharon and Michael Newman Barbara Phillips and Howard Goldman Dr. William Portnoy Bonnie Robbins-Aibel Heather and Neil Sosler Shoshana and Kevin Vernick Sheryl and David Weiss Thank you also to Linda and Michael Bittel; Jensen’s Sunset Corners for their generous liquor and wine sponsorship and congratulations to Amy Boyers for winning the game themed basket donated by Truly Original Gifts. Proceeds from the Progressive Dinner help WTJ fund programs and grants that support Temple Judea and our greater Miami community.

Sharsheret Shabbat On January 31, the Temple held a special Pink Shabbat to help raise awareness about breast and ovarian cancers that disproportionately affect Ashkenazi Jews. Guest speaker Talia Donenberg, a genetic counselor, spoke about advances in the understanding of the genetics of cancer and the importance of getting genetic screening to know your risk.

WTJ contributed to this important awareness raising event by coordinating a community service project to support Sharsheret, an organization that assists families and women undergoing breast and ovarian cancer treatment or who are at high risk.

During the oneg, congregants put together 50 comfort bags for Sharsheret, filled with fuzzy socks, coloring books and pencils, ginger candies and more thanks to the generosity of Temple members who donated items. The evening’s oneg also featured pink themed decor and treats; many thanks to the Braided Blessings bakers for their hard work and generosity in baking pink challahs!

Community Service WTJ is constantly looking for opportunities to help and support our community

Birthday-in-a-Box Looking for a fun mitzvah activity for you or your family? WTJ’s Birthday-in-a-Box program was launched this year to support clients of Jewish Community Services (JCS) food bank.

We still need people to sign up for this worthwhile and easy to do project to help make someone’s birthday extra special this spring! You will purchase party supplies, package everything in a brightly wrapped box or Happy Birthday gift bag and deliver to the JCS office in Pinecrest for distribution to JCS clients celebrating a birthday. Supplies to include are balloons, candles, paper plates, streamers, party hats, sprinkles, foil cake pan, cake mix, frosting, disposable table cloth, forks, and a birthday banner.

You can sign up here, or email Serena Goodman at ssherard33@gmail.com for more information. Once you sign up, specific instructions will be emailed to you.

Casa Valentina WTJ continues to be a proud supporting partner of Casa Valentina for many years. We believe in their mission to provide at-risk and former foster care youth with safe affordable housing, life skills, and additional services so they can achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.

This spring, we will be helping out in a new way by stocking their grab-and-go food pantry, JUDEAGABLES.ORG which provides quick meals and snacks for residents who are juggling school and jobs. 29

THANK YOU TO OUR MITZVAH DAY SPONSORS!

This year, we aimed to secure 20 sponsors to support Rise Against Hunger. We’re thrilled to share that we surpassed our goal, reaching a total of 23 sponsors!

Jaime & Ross Baron Lauren & Gregory Deutch Matilde & Ross Fidler Kim & Ben Gerber Mark Ginsberg Serena & Matthew Goodman Ossie Hanauer Adela Kalenja & Andras Forgacs Marcia & Guilherme Rabinowits Heather Katzen Sosler & Neil Sosler Katie & Mark Kessler Alyssa Krop-Brandfon & Josh Brandfon Ligia Labrada & Spencer Bartram Beth & Scott Lazar Sheila & Howard Levine Elyssa & Samuel Lewis

On behalf of the entire team, we want to send a massive thank you to each and every one of you who suited up and made Mitzvah Bowl Sunday a touchdown in every sense!

COLLECTIVELY WE TEAMED UP AS A COMMUNITY AND...

Team Rise Against Hunger packaged 22,000 meals to help combat world hunger Team Fill the Fridges filled five community fridges with over 200 meals

Erin & Hayden O’Byrne Joseph Reinhardt Toby Richards Morgan & Richard Shane Sandi Shevin Lauren & Michael Williams Nicole & Eric Zimelman We would also like to thank our WTJ Sisterhood, MENSch, our in-kind donor, Cohen & Cohen Apparel and Promotions, our Mitzvah Bowl Sunday Co-Chairs, Jen Abeloff, Alan Cohen, and Serena Goodman, our Social Action Network Co-Chairs, Shelley Booken and Charlotte Cassel, as well as our volunteers and team captains who helped drive our team to victory!

Team Beach Clean Up collected 20 pounds of marine debris supporting Miami Waterkeeper Team Coins for a Cause rolled $615 Team Pots of Love decorated and planted 50 pots for our Temple Judea seniors 4 people registered for Gift of Life 14 whole blood donors and 3 platelets donors for OneBlood Team Judea High Car Wash raised $776 to support Camp Jenny The Cornhole Tournament raised over $500 and over 1,000 bean bags were tossed for Israel NOW, HOLD ONTO YOUR HELMETS... WE’RE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THAT, THANKS TO YOUR INCREDIBLE TEAMWORK, WE COLLECTED OVER $7,000!

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TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

This monumental achievement fueled the many projects and initiatives we tackled during Mitzvah Bowl Sunday, propelling us toward victory in making a difference in our community.

Count your blessings Mazal Tov to Jackie & Daniel Vera on the birth of their son, Anthony Joshua “AJ” Vera.

Mazal Tov to Dominique and Daniel Kaplan on the birth of their daughter, Abigail Rose.

Member Chai-light

The Cassel Family Charlotte, Philip, Emi & Abe Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? Charlotte: Phil and I met in 6th grade at Ransom Everglades.

We were always good friends, including going to our senior prom together (we used our prom picture as our wedding Save the Date). We stayed in touch throughout college, when he was in Boston and I was in NYC. After about 10 years of asking me to go on a date with him I realized why would I want to date someone else when I could date my best friend. We were engaged in 2011, and I moved home shortly after to go to the University of Miami School of Law. We got married in 2012 and welcomed our daughter, Emilia, in November 2016. Abraham joined, and completed, our family in 2020.

Phil: We are lucky to be surrounded by most of our parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews here in Miami. Family is everything to us.

What or who brought you to Temple Judea? Charlotte: We were looking for a Rabbi to do Emi’s baby naming in the spring of 2017 and my sister, who worked at AJC at the time, suggested we meet with Rabbi Fisch. It was honestly love at first sight.

I remember that meeting so clearly and just feeling like Temple Judea was the right Jewish home for our family. Emi started at the Margaux School in the summer of 2018 and we have been involved and connected to the Temple Judea community ever since.

Phil: Our close family friend, Rachel Delgado, became an active member of the Temple Judea and Margaux School community before Emi was born. She could not speak more highly of the entire experience. We didn’t consider any other place to start our kids Jewish and educational journey.

What are some things you’re looking forward to experiencing at Temple Judea? Charlotte: There are a few things. I’m excited to go on a family trip to Israel and see a country I have visited many times from a new perspective. I’m excited to watch our children become B’nai Mitzvah in our sanctuary, surrounded by clergy, teachers and staff that will have known them since day 1. And I’m excited to watch my kids develop their own connection with Judaism, always knowing that Temple Judea is home.

Phil: I am excited to continue to form closer bonds with the clergy, fellow members, and new members that are just starting their time at Temple Judea. Many of our closest friends were the result of building bonds and sharing memories at the temple and school.

What is your favorite Jewish Holiday & why? Charlotte: Yom Kippur - including break-fast. I love the Kol Nidre service, especially with the cello portion. I find the melody beautiful and haunting at the same time. Knowing it is the same prayer, to the same tune, that generations before us have listened to as we enter this particularly holy day makes me remember that as Jews we are, and always will be, connected to something bigger than ourselves. And while I’m cranky and hungry by the time break-fast comes around, it is a holiday I remember my Abuela lovingly preparing each year and hope to create those same memories for my kids.

Phil: Charlotte already mentioned my naptime (the cello solo on Yom Kippur), so I will go in another direction. Passover is my favorite. It must be because my parents gave me the Hebrew name Pesach. Our family seders are total chaos, which is ironic because seder means order in english. Everyone is together and the guests that join us each year get to see our family in action in its purest form.

If you could have a Shabbat dinner with anyone who has passed away or is living, who and why? Charlotte: My grandmothers, Esther and Rosemary. What I would do to have one more meal with them - to hear their voices as they sing the prayers and to share what has happened in my life, and with my family, since they passed. I would also want to hear their thoughts and perspectives on what is happening in this world that feels completely upside down. Rosemary escaped Nazi Germany, and Esther escaped Cuba as Fidel rose to power - how would they compare the stories of their past to today? Both were unwavering in their Jewish identity and passed down that deep sense of pride.

Phil: Albert Einstein seems like he would have some interesting things to say. I would love to get his thoughts on the world today, from technology advancements to politics. He is also portrayed as goofy so I would think he would be a funny guy.

How has your time at Temple Judea impacted your spiritual or personal growth? Charlotte: As someone who grew up Jewish and went to Jewish day school and Hebrew school through confirmation, it’s exciting to get to learn about our history and tradition through adult (and parent) eyes. I love hearing our clergy share their thoughts on the weekly torah portion and I love talking to my kids as they start to learn and ask questions. I also am so grateful to be part of such a kind, thoughtful, and inclusive community. In a time that can feel pretty dark, the opportunities we have to do meaningful work with our community gives me hope.

Phil: Watching my kids grow up at Temple Judea has helped me understand my responsibility to make the world a better place for them and others. I have that example set for me by my parents every day and now I must do the same for my kids. To me, there is nothing more Jewish than caring for others and I think Temple Judea shares that message every day in different ways.

Is there anything else you’d like our community to know about you? While our kids’ time at the Margaux School is coming to an end, we are finding new ways to stay engaged. The after school program for elementary school students and J-PLEx at Religious School will keep our family on campus several days a week and we love the creative engagement opportunities that the temple continues to offer and expand upon.

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TRIBUTES B’nai Mitzvah Director Discretionary Fund In loving memory of Ramón Enser

by The Levey Family Burger Family Youth and Cultural Endowment Fund In memory of Celia Kellman

by Mimi Blumenfeld

In memory of Jerry Schocken

by Myra Locke In memory of Jan Franklin

by Carole Waldman In appreciation of Lori and Scott Miller

by Francine Horwich and David Weinstein In memory of Eileen Dannheisser by: Marilyn J. Dernis Myra Locke

In memory of Henry Forer

by Marsha and Leon Botkin Cantor Segal’s Mitzvah Fund In appreciation of Cantor Segal

by Barbara Davis and Family In appreciation of Cantor Lisa Segal for leading the unveiling ceremony for Max Spiegelman by: Gail Spiegelman Tracey and Larry Spiegelman Heather and Gary Spiegelman Danielle and Marc Spiegelman In honor of Cantor Segal

by Mark Troen and Charles Surber In honor of Theia Weiss

by Kara and Max Weiss In memory of Sonia Bochner

by Joyce Hamersmith and Joel Rabin Barbara Keyes In memory of Eileen Dannheisser

by Marsha and Leon Botkin Ossie Hanauer College Fund In loving memory of Edward Cook

by Linda Cook and Melissa Goldman Eisenstat Soup Kitchen Fund In loving memory of Sidney Blumenfeld In memory of Hyman Blumenfeld

by Mimi Blumenfeld

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We appreciate the thoughtfulness of those who support Temple Judea by remembering and honoring loved ones and friends through generous contributions.

TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

A donation has been made to this fund

by Diane Golin Harvey Miller Scholarship Fund In memory of Dr. Joel Heffler In memory of Craig Bofman

by Mimi Blumenfeld LEV – From the Heart Capital Campaign In loving memory of Camille Gattuso

by Stephen Felsen In honor of Rabbi Judith Siegal and Rabbi Jonathan Rothstein-Fisch

by Carrie Rothstein-Fisch and Bryan Fisch In honor of the Temple Staff and Leadership In loving memory of Louis Goldszer

by Madalyn Mann and Robert Goldszer In honor of the wedding of Lexi Berry and John Bralich III

by Vicki and Hardy Katz In honor of their anniversary

by Nancy and Philip Leitman In memory of Terese Siegel

by Julie and Gary Simon Margaux Early Childhood School Fund In honor of Barbara Katzen’s special birthday

by Ferne and Charles Kalstone In honor of the children who made the succulents for Mitzvah Day and distributed them,

by Louise Ross and Bruce Wolf

In loving memory of Sylvia Grossman

by Karyn and Stuart Z. Grossman Memorial Fund In loving memory of Shirley Herris

by Elayne and Marc Baskin In loving memory of Lynne Golob Gelfman

by Alison Miller and Joseph Bolton In memory of Newton Greene

by Michael Greene In memory of Martha and Ben Klein In memory of Sonya and Richard Horwich

by Roberta S. Klein In loving memory of: Shirley Luber Garber Shirley Kobetz Ethel Kobetz Yetta Leibowitz Rose Luber Max Luber

by Susan and Steven Kobetz In memory of Lola Kramer

by Jim Kramer In memory of Min Langer In memory of Sidney W. Langer

by Jack Langer In loving memory of Hillelene Lustig

by Irina Dumitrescu and Irv Lustig In loving memory of Lena Cohen

by Sydney Carpel Schaecter and David Schaecter In memory of Carol Ellis Shapiro In memory of Dr. Seth Shapiro

by Stanley Shapiro

In memory of Henry David Forer

by The Women of Temple Judea In memory of Frank Labbie by: The Markowitz Family The Matus Family Miriam & Gerald Barocas Leadership Endowment In loving memory of Irving Weintraub

by Marsha and Leon Botkin Rabbinic Endowment Fund In appreciation of Rabbi Siegal and Rabbi Fisch

by Catherine, David, and Henry Botkin Rabbi Siegal’s Mitzvah Fund In memory of Jeanne Edelman

by Philis and Dr. David S. Edelman In honor of Rabbi Judith and Brian Siegal

by Ossie Hanauer In loving memory of Lily Pfeifer

by Elizabeth P. Higgins In loving memory of Lillian Sackel

by Becca and Mark Lago In loving memory of Doris Langer

by Lester Langer In honor of Lexi Berry and Johnny Bralich’s Auf Ruf

by Nancy and Philip Leitman In memory of Sari R. Sapero

by Renee and David Lieberman With great appreciation for Rabbi Siegal

by Barbara and Alan Pareira In memory of Daniel Richter In memory of Kevin Richter

by Brad Richter

In memory of Harry B. Stein In memory of Celia Dane Stein

by Lyn Pont and Bernard Dane Stein

In honor of the conversion of Micayla Roth

by Faye Roth

In memory of Floyd P. Schultz

by Rick, Jackie, Jenny, and David Zelman

In honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Marlo Sohn

by Judy and Bob Schwartz

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In appreciation of Rabbi Siegal for leading the unveiling ceremony for Max Spiegelman by: Gail Spiegelman Tracey and Larry Spiegelman Heather and Gary Spiegelman Danielle and Marc Spiegelman In memory of Frank Neal Labbie by: Marilyn and Norm Goldberg Lisa and Daniel Levin In honor of Rabbi Siegal by: Stacy Strauss Babani Micayla Roth A donation was made to this fund by: Ellyn Elkins Stephen Felsen Lois and Lawrence Schimmel

In appreciation of Rabbi Fisch by: The Newmark Family Micayla Roth Patty Shapiro A donation has been made to this fund by: Stephen Felsen Lois and Lawrence Schimmel Ray Berman Education Fund In loving memory of Uncle, Col. Jack Lane In loving memory of Henry Rakofsky

by Stephanie Lane Rakofsky and Dr. Sanford Rakofsky Sheldon and Bonnie Guren Self-Esteem and Character Building Fund In memory of Shelly Guren

by Nancy and Bob Halper

Rabbi Fisch’s Mitzvah Fund In memory of Frank Labbie by the Altfield Family

Simcha Fund In celebration of the birth of Madison Elliotte Lago by: Barbara and Bruce Booken Vicki and Hardy Katz

In honor of the conversion of Juan Reyes by the Katz Family

In honor of Lee Weintraub

by Edith and Malcolm Neuwahl

In honor of Morgan Kornberg’s naming

by Cassie and Jordan Kornberg

In celebration of Barbara Katzen’s special birthday

by Cathy Henry and John R. Sutton

In honor of Lexi Berry and Johnny Bralich’s Auf Ruf

by Nancy and Philip Leitman

Tikkun Olam Fund In honor of Peace in the World

by Ralph Balkin

In memory of Daniel Richter In memory of Kevin Richter

by Brad Richter

In memory of Samuel Blacher

by Dulce Blacher

In honor of the conversion of Micayla Roth

by Faye Roth

In loving memory of Bernard Jacobson, wonderful father, grandfather, husband, and friend

by Daniel Jacobson

In honor of Emilio Alvaro Schechner

by Alina and Dan Schechner In memory of Frank Neal Labbie by: Desiree Moure Chris, Adalis, & Ollie Sarno Melanie and Seth Rosen In honor of Rabbi Fisch by: Ellen and Robert Gutlohn and Family Sydney Carpel Schaecter and David Schaecter

In loving memory of Harold Lamel

by Irv Lamel In loving memory of Alfred Yood

by Niecie and Leslie Roth Unrestricted Endowment Fund In appreciation of Temple Judea for being so kind to his daughter, Perry Feder

by Eric Feder and Family In celebration of the marriage of Lexi Berry and John Bralich III

by Francine Horwich and David Weinstein

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TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

In loving memory of Eileen Dannheisser

by Francine Horwich, David Weinstein, and Larissa In loving memory of Sonya and Richard Horwich by: Eloise Riley Nelson and Daniel W. Nelson Janet Riley Vicky and Wade Riley Vicki Hamersmith Chesed Fund In loving memory of Vicki Hamersmith In memory of Jeff Baena

by Marsha and Leon Botkin Women of Temple Judea In memory of Eileen Dannheisser by: The Ferranti Family Irina Dumitrescu and Irv Lustig In celebration of Barbara Katzen’s 90th birthday by: Gail and David Dodgen Rosalind and Jack Zacks

Condolences Condolences to Dr. Andrew (Rhonda) Labbie on the loss of his brother Frank Neal Labbie, uncle of Jake and Cole Labbie.

Condolences to Dyan Dannheisser (Larry Dorman) on the loss of her mother Eileen Dannheisser, grandmother to Carly Dorman Magidson (Ben Magidson), Cory Dorman (Jacki Altman), and great grandmother to Jacob Magidson.

Condolences to Carol Powell on the loss of her husband, Ben Baum.

Condolences to Deborah Forer on the loss of her husband Henry David Forer, father to Anna and Mike Forer and grandfather to Joshua and Ethan.

Condolences to Debbie and Jim Siegal on the loss of their cousin, Terry Siegel.

Condolences to Miriam Grossman (Pedro) Rodriguez on the loss of her mother Sarah Malloy Jackson, grandmother to Joseph (Angela) Rodriguez, David (Erin) Rodriguez, great grandmother to Claire and Shelby Rodriguez, and great aunt to Sandra (Luis) Burr.

JUDEAGABLES.ORG

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“The way some Senior Communities Nickel & Dime you, they feel more like airlines.”

When you fly now, you know it’s extra for everything — that airfare only pretends to be low.

But when a Senior Community offers luxury living for a seemingly-attractive monthly rent, you don’t expect to be Nickel & Dimed.

That’s why you’ll never see Nickel & Diming at The Palace. Here your monthly rent covers almost everything. Including all your meals, housekeeping, personal trainers, maintenance, and even Happy Hours with drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

You won’t see a long list of extra charges. At The Palace, the price is the price.

Remember when everything about flying was to make you feel special?

That’s how living at The Palace feels today. Call or visit soon to see for yourself.

305.445.7444

www.PalaceCoralGables.com Luxury Living for Seniors

One Andalusia Avenue

JUDEAGABLES.ORG

37

FORCE FOR JUSTICE, FOCUSED ON YOU Since 1988, Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen has represented victims of negligence and wrongdoing.

Combining experience, skill, and integrity to help clients seek justice, the firm has a proven track record of success.

2525 Ponce de Leon Boulevard

2225 NE Mizner Boulevard

Suite 1150

Suite 200

Coral Gables, Florida 33134

Boca Raton, Florida 33432

305-442-8666

561-367-8666

WWW.GROSSMANROTH.COM

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TIDINGS | MARCH 2025

Prehistoric Pizzazz!

Expand Your Reach with Temple Judea

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH US

Reach a dedicated, engaged community by advertising in Temple Judea's Tidings Newsletter

READY TO GET STARTED?

Contact Thaisy t.antunez@judeagables.org for more information

Show your witty sense of style and zest for science with an Exquisite Eons® dinosaur-themed creation.

Our Marvelously Mesozoic notecards and blank journals are a great way to encourage kiddos and grandkids to put pen to paper, whether it’s a thank-you or for expressive journaling.

Our bronze bibelots and sterling silver brooches also make the ideal gift, and are sure to delight the discriminating dino in your life.

S E R V I N G

F L O R I D A

S I N C E

1 9 8 0

ExquisiteEons.com Made with pride in the USA

BROKER ASSOCIATE

Use promo code ‘GoTJ’ for a free gift with purchase over $50 Free domestic shipping for orders of $50 or more.

MOBILE: 305-793-0005 EMAIL: SHEILA@SFREED.COM

A supporter of W W W . S F R E E D . C O M

Sterling Silver Brooches • Desk Ornaments • Bronze Bibelots (Figurines) • Paper Goods

Peter L. Bermont Managing Director

Michael D. Gold Managing Director

Bill A. Bermont Managing Director

2811 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Suite 800 // Coral Gables, FL 33134 D 305.446.6600 // TF 866.395.6565 // F 866.522.9520 BERMONTGOLDWEALTH.COM Raymond James is not affiliated with Temple Judea.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC.

JUDEAGABLES.ORG

39

5500 Granada Boulevard Coral Gables, FL, 33146 305.667.5657 judeagables.org