The Jewish News - January 2018

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January 14 • y a d n Su Federation Campus • 12-5PM 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota

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n u ar y 1 4 a J Celebrating Jewish Life in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Israel and the World FEDERATION NEWS

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January 2018 - Tevet/Shevat 5778 INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

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Community Focus Jewish Interest Israel & the Jewish World Commentary Focus on Youth Life Cycle Jewish Happenings

3A Ron Ben-Israel to speak at Lion of Judah/ Pomegranate Luncheon

6A A monumental experience lobbying on Capitol Hill

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Volume 48, Number 1

A message from Federation leadership:

Understanding our changing Jewish landscape

By Michael Ritter and Howard Tevlowitz

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017 has been another busy year at The Federation as we continue to provide grants and services to thousands of people in SarasotaManatee, Israel and throughout the world. We serve both the Jewish and general communities, inspired and guided by our Jewish values and our mission of saving Jewish lives and enhancing Jewish life. This inspiration of tikkun olam is reflected throughout our programs and services.

In 2017, FederMichael Ritter and Howard Tevlowitz ation embarked on three major Jewish community-wide initiatives: the LIFE & LEGACY™ planned giving program, involving 11 communal organizations, which has raised over $7 million in promised gifts to date; security enhancements for area synagogues and Jewish agencies, including informational meetings with leading security experts, micro-grants and direct support; and volunteer leadership development.

2018 will be another significant year for our Federation. As many of you know, we are in a rapidly changing demographic environment. Federation is well-positioned to respond to and address these changes. We have the resources to understand the changing landscape, to identify current and future needs of our community, and ensure that we are

prepared to address those needs effectively.

Along those lines, the Board of Directors of our Federation recently decided to reinvest in our Jewish Federation Campus on McIntosh Road – our buildings are being upgraded, and the entire campus will be utilized more effectively, with an emphasis on being able to expand our Jewish programs for all ages and be responsive to our overall community needs. You’ll be hearing more about the exciting details over the coming months.

We are fortunate at Federation to have an outstanding team of people who are committed in many individual ways – our dedicated, creative and mission-driven staff and our visionary and strategic board are two of the strongest components of our team. We have amazing volunteers, essential community partners, stakeholders and very generous donors, who all play major roles in our success. We thank all of them for enabling us to make our community a better place to live!

We also want to thank each of you for your ongoing participation and support of Federation programs and activities.

If you have any thoughts or questions, or would like to volunteer for one of our programs, please feel free to reach out to either of us at mritter@jfedsrq. org or htevlowitz@jfedsrq.org.

We wish each of you and your families a very happy and healthy 2018!

Sneak peek at the 9th Annual Jewish Film Festival

Temple Sinai’s 10th Annual Sarasota Jewish Food Festival

By Roberta Berson

28A Kids’ Challah Bake – family fun at its best

A publication of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee Klingenstein Jewish Center, 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, FL 34232 Annual voluntary subscription: $25

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lease mark your calendars for The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee’s Naiditch Family Foundation 9th Annual Jewish Film Festival! Event chairs Fran Braverman and Evans Tilles are very proud to present a roster of outstanding films that explore, record and celebrate Jewish life and culture, with an emphasis on the creation of the State of Israel and life in modern-day Israel in keeping with the Israel @ 70 theme that is woven through much of this season’s Federation and community programming.

Starting with our Opening Night Celebration on Thursday, March 8 and running through Sunday, NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID MANASOTA FL PERMIT 167

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March 18, prepare to be enlightened, excited and provoked by a diverse range of Israeli films. With the amazing upgrades currently taking place at Hollywood 20, we could not be happier with the venue’s new features and the opportunity to offer films in three theaters, four times per day with morning, afternoon and evening screenings, making it convenient for all to attend. In addition, we are planning exciting special events and special guests that will greatly enhance your film festival experience. continued on page 2A

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Jewish Film Festival...continued from page 1A The festival will feature at least 30 the efforts of 611 Holocaust survivors screenings of 12 Israeli films. Here is to defy the blockade of the occupying your sneak peek at our 2018 Jewish British government and sail to PalesFilm Festival: tine on the sea vessel Exodus. PaulStaff This year, we will celebrate our Newman, a leader of the Haganah (the Opening Night on Thursday, March Jewish underground), is willing to sacrifice his own life and the lives of the 8 at The Sarasota Municipal Auditorefugees rather than be turned back to rium. Chair Bunny Skirboll and her committee chose this new film festiwar-ravaged Europe, but the British fival venue for its convenient location, nally relent and allow the Exodus safe passage. Once this victory is assured, abundant parking and capacity for a 30,000 more Jews, previously interned large audience. by the British, flood into the Holy Land.

Opening Night will feature the Florida premiere of Ben-Gurion, EpiTwo of other films we are excited logue, and we are honored to welcome to show are: the film’s director, producer and scriptAn Israeli Love Story is based on writer, Yariv Mozer, to Sarasota-Manthe true story of the love affair between atee as our special Pnina Gary, from Nahalal, and Eli Benguest. Yariv graduZvi, son of Rachel Yanait and Yitzhak ated with distincBen-Zvi, the second president of the tion from Tel Aviv State of Israel. The film is set during University’s Film the turbulent period of pre-state Israel. and Television DeMargalit meets Eli on a bus and falls in love with him instantly. She tries to partment in 2004. get close to him but he’s too busy with Since then he has the Palmach. Finally, the barriers come directed documentary and feature films, among them down, Margalit moves in with Eli, they Snails in the Rain (Israel-Spain 2013), set a date for their wedding, but Israel’s harsh reality intervenes.

The Invisible Men (Israel-The NetherA Heartbeat Away is the story of lands 2012), and My First War (Israel an Israeli pediatric cardiologist sent 2008). His films have been shown in to Africa to perform lifesaving operafilm festivals worldwide and have won tions in Tanzania, where every day five several awards including the 2017 Ischildren die from heart conditions. raeli Film and TV Academy Award Dr. Akiva Tamir and his team examfor Best Documentary. ine hundreds of children, of whom In the great depths of the Steven only a handful can receive the treatSpielberg Jewish Film Archive in Jement which will save their lives. When rusalem and the Ben-Gurion Archives 6-year-old Julius arrives at the clinic in in the Negev, critical condition, Dr. Tamir is forced six hours of to choose whether to operate on the interview footchild, who has very little chance of age were dissurviving. Dr. Tamir and his team take covered of one the viewers on an emotional rollerof modern hiscoaster ride as they deal with the most tory’s greatest serious question of who to treat and leaders – David who will be left to die. The experienced Ben-Gurion. physicians find it hard to detach from It is 1968 Director/Producer Yariv Mozer (photo by )Eitan Tal and he is 82 the emotional bond they share with their small patients. A Heartbeat Away years old, five years before his death. is a riveting human drama, swinging He lives in his secluded home in the on the pendulum between science and desert, removed from all political faith, hope and despair, life and death. discourse, which allows him a hindIn its center are human doctors who sight perspective on the Zionist enterhave been thrust to the position of gods prise. Ben-Gurion’s introspective soul in the midst of Africa. searching is the focus of the film, and Look for the full schedule to be his clear voice provides a surprising viannounced in mid-January. sion for today’s crucial decisions and We hope you will consider becomthe future of Israel. ing a Sponsor of the 2018 Jewish Film Film Festival Sponsors will also Festival. Sponsors receive tickets for to have the pleasure of spending time all JFF events, including the Opening on Opening Night with one additionNight Sponsor Cocktail Reception with al special guest, our special guests, the Closing Event Alon Ben-Gurion, screening and lunch – plus sponsor grandson of David tickets with assigned seating for every Ben-Gurion. Alon film at Hollywood 20. Sponsors also will mingle with have their own personal Sponsor Consponsors at the Sa cierge to assist with making their resprivate cocktail rePu ervations in advance of regular ticket ception before the Alon Ben-Gurion sales. Sponsorship levels start at $700. LO premiere.

Please visit www.jfedsrq.org/jff18 or Exp Our closing event, which will take pro call Debbie Sanford at 941.706.0033 place at Sahib Shriners Auditorium on for more information on how you can Beneva Road in Sarasota on Sunday, become a sponsor!

March 18, will feature the classic film, Watch for our 2018 brochure, Exodus. Closing event chair Gloria which should arrive in your mailbox Feibus and her committee are working before the end of January. (All sponsor to make this an amazing experience commitments received before Decemwith the perfect ber 31 will be included in this broatmosphere and an chure. Sponsor commitments received Israeli meal to acafter that date will be included in subcompany this classequent JFF materials.) sic film.

Check the February issue of The Produced and directed by Otto Jewish News and ongoing Federation Preminger, Exodus E-blasts to stay informed. You will not is a screen adaptawant to miss this celebration of Israel, Jewish life and culture! tion of the best-selling novel by Leon We will see you at the (Jewish) Uris. The film is concerned with the emergence of Israel as an independent movies! nation in 1947. Its first half focuses on

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What do you think?

Send an email to jewishnews18@gmail.com.

Letters Policy

Letters must include the author’s name, full address and daytime phone. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. We reserve the right to edit for length and/or accuracy. Letters do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of The Jewish News of Sarasota-Manatee or its advertisers. We cannot acknowledge or publish every letter received.

January 2018

Community gathers to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Staff Report

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he Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and Temple Emanu-El are partnering with the MLK Committee, under the direction of Chair Jetson Grimes and Sarasota City Commissioner Willie Shaw, to present Sarasota’s 37th annual tribute to the life and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 13-15, with a series of memorial, community service and educational activities to engage citizens of all ages and backgrounds.

The mission of this program is to increase opportunities for low-income youth to pursue a college education.

Proceeds from the Memorial Breakfast

and described anti-black riots in the South as pogroms. Jews got involved in the civil rights movement because they felt there was a shared agenda.

Many will recall the pictures of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel walking arm in arm with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, to demand federal protection for black voters.

The entire Jewish community is encouraged to participate in these events planned to celebrate Dr. King and his vision: Saturday, January 13 at 8:00 a.m. at Bobby Jones Golf Complex: Robert “Bud” Thomas Golf Tournament. Entry fee is $85 per person and $340 per team. Entry fee includes round of golf, buffet lunch and prizes. For more information, contact Jim Cleaves at 941.321.1581.

Monday, January 15 at 7:30 a.m. at the Robert Taylor Community Complex (1845 34th St., Sarasota): Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards with guest speakers Rev. Charles McKenzie, Trevor Harvey from NAACP Sarasota Branch, and Judge Charles E. Williams; entertainment by singers from the Sarasota Opera and local jazz and gospel groups. To register, contact Jetson Grimes at 941.780.4060. Tickets are $20 per

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

and the Golf Tournament are awarded to low-income college-bound students.

Scholars have indicated that the relationship between the black and Jewish communities rests on a common history of oppression. Jewish newspapers early in the 20th century compared the black movement out of the South to the exodus from Egypt, noting that both blacks and Jews lived in ghettos,

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person. The Jewish Federation and Temple Emanu-El are co-sponsors of the breakfast.

Immediately following the breakfast will be the MLK Unity Walk from the Robert Taylor Complex to MLK Park where the Community Celebration will be held. For those unable to participate in the one-mile walk, bus transportation will be provided or individuals can drive their own vehicles.

Starting at noon on Monday, January 15, a celebratory holiday event will be held at MLK Park (2601 Cocoanut Ave., Sarasota) featuring various entertainment, food, public service and community booths, and a festival of various service events.

On Monday evening at 6:30 p.m., there will be a closing event to honor MLK at Booker High School featuring the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, performing under the leadership of Nate Jacobs, its founder and artistic director.

Tickets are $12 and can be purchased by calling Jetson Grimes at 941.780.4060.

These events are open to the entire community. For more information, please contact the Sarasota MLK Committee at sarasotamlkcele@aol.com.

Ron Ben-Israel to speak at Lion of Judah and Pomegranate Luncheon Staff Report

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sraeli pastry chef/celebrity cake designer Ron Ben-Israel will delight attendees at this year’s Lion of Judah and Pomegranate Luncheon on Tuesday, February 6 at 11:30 a.m. at Michael’s on the Bay at Selby Gardens. Co-chairs Anne Spindel and Susi BensonSteenbarger are working to plan an outstanding event.

Ron Ben-Israel is the chef-owner of one of the most established couture cake studios in the world. Having served for three years as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, he gives

credit to his Israeli military training for his later success, saying it gave him discipline and precision in his work. His collections of trendsetting cakes can be spotted in many of New York’s premier hotels and venues, as well as in countless publications, including The New York Times, In Style, Vogue and Martha Stewart Weddings.

Ron Ben-Israel Ron is also a popular Food Network host. He was the sole host and

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judge of the competition show Sweet Genius for three seasons. He is a favorite judge on numerous shows, including Chopped, America’s Best Cook and Guy’s Grocery Games, and serves as a permanent judge on Cake Wars.

Look for an interview with Ron Ben-Israel in the next issue of The Jewish News.

For more information about the Lion of Judah and Pomegranate Luncheon, please contact Gisele Pintchuck at 941.706.0029 or gpintchuck@jfed srq.org.

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January 2018

FEDERATION NEWS

Assure Jewish tomorrows by making your legacy gift today!

Staff Report

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here are many myths about legacy giving. Very often these myths dissuade people from creating legacy gifts to support those organizations that they care about. The aim of this article is to dispel some of those myths for you.

10. I already give money annually. Thank you so much! Regular giving to an annual appeal or fundraiser is an important part of how The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and other nonprofit organizations keep their doors open. But what happens to The Federation you have supported when you are no longer here to make

that gift? A legacy gift can help ensure that your support continues, even when you can’t attend that fundraiser.

9. I don’t want the publicity associated with legacy giving. Part of our philanthropic practice involves thanking those who have made a legacy commitment. Publishing a list of legacy society members and offering special opportunities to legacy givers can inspire others to participate in this important program. But if you’re not the kind of person who wants the world to know about your generosity, you can choose to remain anonymous.

8. Only seniors can leave a legacy

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March 21st - On David Ben Gurion: Father of Modern Israel All starting at 7:00 pm and all at no cost!

Temple Beth El also has a monthly International Film Series with dinner and many other events. Learn more at www.templebethelbradenton.com

gift. Seniors are an important and influential group, but any person – no matter their age – can plan to support the causes and organizations they cherish after they are gone. If you have assets, you’ll want to be the one to decide how they should be divided...at any age.

7. I will need to hire a lawyer.

There are many legacy gift vehicles that don’t require hiring an attorney.

Consider making The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee a beneficiary of a portion of your life insurance policy or retirement fund. This change can usually be made with a single phone call and a signature, with no attorney necessary.

6. I won’t get to decide what happens to my gift. Even though you won’t be here to see the impact your legacy gift will be making, you can pre-determine where your dollars will go and stipulate how they should be spent. If you’d like to fund a technology upgrade, a specific program or project, or to make sure extra scholarships are available, just stipulate that as part of your gift. Don’t imagine that you have to restrict your gift though, as sometimes, general funding is just the thing that an organization most needs.

5. If the organization dissolves, so will my money. It’s hard to predict where any of us will be in 10, 20, even 50 years. If you are worried that your organization might not be around when your gift is ready, you can indicate that you’d like it to go to a particular cause (such as Jewish overnight camp grants) instead of a specific organization.

4. My kids are getting all my money. Every parent wants to make sure their kids are well taken care of.

Consider leaving just a portion of your

TheofFuture the Jewish Community is in Your Hands

estate to charitable causes. A gift like this will leave your children with both financial support and an ethical lesson in the importance of building a better world.

3. I might need my money. It’s true, you might. And it will be there for you if and when you do. This type of gift represents what you want to give once you are no longer here to need your assets.

2. I want my money to go where it’s most needed. Sometimes it’s not an organization that moves us, but the idea that we can make a difference in the world. If you have a mission that you’d like to accomplish, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee can help you plan your legacy gift around accomplishing that mission. Contact Ilene Fox at 941.343.2111 or ifox@ jfedsrq.org to get started.

1. I have to be a millionaire to leave a legacy. The beauty of legacy giving is that you can make a gift of any amount of your estate. If your estate is worth a few shekels or a few billion, your gift is your legacy. And your legacy should live on!

For more information about Federation’s LIFE & LEGACY™ program, please visit www.jfedsrq.org/legacy or call Ilene Fox at 941.343.2111.

LIFE & LEGACY™ LIFE & LEGACY™ is a partnership of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and ten other local Jewish organizations that promotes after-lifetime giving to benefit synagogues, social service organizations, Jewish day schools and other Jewish entities.

The Jewish Federation is the only local organization focused on the whole-all of us thriving together. We are the center of Jewish life-serving as community convener; fostering an open exchange of ideas; developing programs and strengthening services that connect our constituents to their Jewish identity.

Start planning today to help assure Jewish tomorrows!

Your Jewish Federation Legacy Gift

Our Legacy Society Members are people like you. By leaving a legacy to Federation, you ensure that your values will be sustained for future generations. Please remember The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee with a gift in your will, trust, retirement account or life insurance policy.

…

FOR INFORMATION ON LEAVING YOUR LEGACY, CONTACT Ilene Fox ifox@jfedsrq.org | 941.343.2111 www.jfedsrq.org/legacy

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January 2018

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“Twice Promised Land and 100 Years War” – Blame it on the British A series by Dr. Steven Derfler Established 1971

PUBLISHER The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 McIntosh Road Sarasota, FL 34232-1959 Phone: 941.371.4546 Fax: 941.378.2947 E-mail: jewishnews@jfedsrq.org Website: www.jfedsrq.org Published Monthly Volume 48, Number 1 January 2018 44 pages USPS Permit No. 167 February 2018 Issue Deadlines: Editorial: December 28, 2017 Advertising: January 3, 2018 CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Change of address inquiries can be sent to Brieana Duckett-Graves at bdgraves@jfedsrq.org or 941.371.4546, extension 0.

PRESIDENT Michael Ritter EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Howard Tevlowitz CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING OFFICER Kim Mullins MANAGING EDITOR Ted Epstein ADVERTISING SALES Robin Leonardi – 941.552.6307

PROOFREADERS Edward D. Cohen, Jack Mansbach, eder- Elliot Ofsowitz, Merry Sanders, ram, Bryna Tevlowitz cy or MIMI AND JOSEPH J. EDLIN JOURNALISM INTERNS Ashlyn Downey-Hayes, Nikol Isakovska MISSION STATEMENT: The Jewish News of Sarasota-Manatee strives to be the source of news and features of special interest to the Jewish community of Sarasota-Manatee, to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions in the Jewish community, and to communicate the mission, activities and achievements of the Federation and its Jewish community partners.

OPINIONS printed in The Jewish News of Sarasota-Manatee do not necessarily reflect those of The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee, its Board of Directors or staff.

Editor’s note: The “Twice Promised Land and 100 Years War” series will continue over the next several issues of The Jewish News. This new feature is included as part of our Federation’s year-long celebration of Israel @ 70. oshe Dayan was a native Palestinian. Prior to the end of World War II, all residents of the British Mandate were Palestinians – whether they were Jews, Moslems or Christians.

In his 1978 autobiography, Story of My Life, Dayan alludes to the fact that, until his Bar Mitzvah, he really Dr. Steven Derfler didn’t know the difference between a Palestinian Arab and Palestinian Jew. The Arab villagers of Zemach and the kibbutzniks of Degania Alef faced a common enemy, the land. Both groups toiled and shared the burden of dealing with a hostile environment. So when did the situation begin to change?

As we all say regarding the Mideast, “Blame it on the British!” And it always seems to be true. The advent of World War I saw a sea-change with regard to how war was waged; this had to do with oil. For the first time in history, warfare revolved around the combustible engine. Planes, oil-burning ships, diesel tanks and other vehicles now fueled the flames of warfare.

With the first oil fields in the Mideast being exploited at the turn of the century, the need for oil in the new 20th-century economy grew at an unprecedented pace. The Allies needed to protect the oil fields and secure their source at all costs. On the other hand, financial support needed to be secured in order to prosecute the war as well.

The end result was a “Twice Promised Land.”

The British and her allies began the process of securing oil by promising various Arab groups autonomy, or outright independence, when the Ottoman Turkish Empire was defeated. This instilled the seed of national identity; yet at the same time, because

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of the ambiguity of the promises and the equally ambiguous territory involved, there would be a deliberate vagueness that would lead to confusion down the road.

A lesser member of the royal Saudi family, Sherif Hussein of Mecca, of the Hashemi Clan, would be promised a homeland “somewhere” in the area of Palestine/Transjordan should he and his tribesmen successfully serve as a fifth column to harass the Turks (hence the exploits of TE Lawrence). This was known as the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence of 1915. This would cause problems down the road because the eventual creation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan would involve “foreigners” – Arabs from the Arabian peninsula and not native Palestinian Arabs and Bedouin. (see map below)

On the other hand, wealth from the private sector was needed to secure the ability to pay for the war. The British would turn their attention to the European Jewish community. With the

growing strength and popularity of the rather new Zionist movement, British support of the cause in exchange for financial support for the success of the war, would go hand in hand.

Foreign Secretary Lord Sir Arthur Balfour, on behalf of his majesty King George V’s government, would issue a letter of intent in 1917 to Baron Lord Walter Rothschild.

It would state that the government would look favorably on the creation of a Jewish national home in Palestine (at the end of the successful prosecution of the war).

In essence, the Allies, led by the British, would “play both sides against the middle” to win the war – never imagining, or caring about, the consequences just over the horizon.

Blame it on the British.

Dr. Steven Derfler is an international educational consultant, public speaker, archaeologist, historian, researcher, teacher and writer. He has been uncovering the histories of ancient civilizations for 40 years.

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SUBMISSIONS to The Jewish News are subject to editing for space and content, and may be withheld from publication without prior notice. Approval of submissions for publication in either verbal or written form shall always be considered tentative, and does not imply a guarantee of any kind.

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January 2018

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A monumental experience lobbying on Capitol Hill

By Emma Knego

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recently had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., as part of The Federation’s Shapiro Teen Engagement Program (STEP) to attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit. AIPAC is an organization whose focus is on the relationship between the United States and Israel. At various workshops, we explored current issues, activism, advocacy, public speaking and more. We spent our last day lobbying on Capitol Hill for different issues, including the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, the Hezbollah Act and the Iran nuclear deal.

Lobbying on Capitol Hill was a monumental and empowering experience. Not many kids my age have had this opportunity.

In a relaxed setting, our group of four high-school students discussed pertinent issues with Congressman Vern Buchanan’s congressional staffer. We also took a moment to thank the staffer for Congressman Buchanan’s ongoing support of Israel. Lobbying made me feel that I was able to finally take an active stance in supporting Israel.

Israel’s welfare and safety are important to many Jewish people, and advocacy is a way to enlighten and inspire others to become supporters.

Even the smallest act of advocacy can

Liana Slomka and Emma Knego

help change someone’s opinion of Israel for the better.

I learned a lot about myself and about the world at the summit, and am grateful that The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee gave me the opportunity to participate in this eyeopening program.

Emma Knego is a senior at Pine View School.

For more information or to apply for a Teen Travel Scholarship from The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, visit https://jfedsrq.org/teen-travel.

For questions, contact Andrea Eiffert at aeiffert@jfedsrq.org or 941.552.6308.

January

SHABBAT SERVICES Fridays, 6:30 pm Saturdays, 9:00 am Shabbat Shaboom (for our children)

OFFICE HOURS

MINYAN

Morning Minyan Sunday-Friday 8:00 - 9:00 am Men’s Club Minyan Breakfast Wednesday 9:00 am

CONTINUING EDUCATION

◦A Cup of Joe and the Five Books of Mo: Tuesdays, Jan 9, 16, 23, 30

from 9:15 am-10:15 am Mondays, CLOSED Tuesday-Thursday, 9:00 am -5:00 pm ◦Yiddish Reading Circle: Tuesday, Jan 9, 23 from 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Friday 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

JUDAICA SHOP HOURS

Open Wednesday & Thursday from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Friday- by appointment only For special appointments, please contact Hannah Puckhaber at

941-552-2785 / tbsjudaicashop@gmail.com

◦Chug Ivri (Advanced Hebrew Circle): every Thursday, 10:30 am- 12:00 pm

Advocacy and activism at a Washington summit

By Abe Pintchuck

A

s a Jewish teen who has never strongly identified with his Jewish heritage, I started looking into ways I could get in touch with my Judaism. While researching summer trips to Israel and other opportunities to get involved “Jewishly,” I was introduced to the Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit by The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee.

The Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit partners with organizations across the country and brings more than 400 teens to Washington, D.C., each year for training in how to effectively strengthen the U.S.Israel relationship through engagement in the American political process. After

◦Lunch & Learn: Critical Decisions w/ Al Treidel, Thursdays, 12-1:30 pm January 4– February 22

Men’s Club Breakfast Program

January 7, 2018

Let us help with your Judaic needs! Speaker: Attorney David Levin

IDELSON LIBRARY

IDELSON LIBRARY BOOK REVIEW

Join us WEDNESDAY, January 17, 1:15 pm, as Dr. Ralph Levitt reviews Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World, by Seth M. Siegel. Free & open to the public.

IDELSON LIBRARY FILM MATINEE SERIES

Topic: ALON DAY: NASCAR’S TOP JEWISH RACE CAR DRIVER Breakfast provided $5 at the door– YOUTH FREE Open to the public

Tu B’Shvat on the Farm...

Israeli Style

Join TBS & The PJ Library Sunday, January 28, 1-3 pm

Join us Thursday, January 25 1:15 pm - 3:30 pm for the film The Women’s Balcony, a rousing, good-hearted tale.

Refreshments are provided.

Free event, fun for the whole family!

Please register at JFEDSRQ.org/ Events Call (941)955-8121 for more

Temple Beth Sholom goes MOTOWN !

Every Tuesday, 12:00-3:00 pm in the Multi-Purpose Room. Healthy snacks provided. Donation: $2 for TBS members & $3 for non-members

The most creative FUNraiser in Sarasota!

January 13, 7:00 pm, TBS Social Hall Food & drink stations from the Motown era!

Music provided by the Soul Sensations!

Sisterhood Shabbat January 27th

TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM 1050 South Tuttle Avenue Sarasota, FL 34237 (941) 955-8121

MAH JONGG

Shell Art Project on Siesta Key Beach

January 21

Chalutzim: 2:00-3:30 pm Kadima: 3:30-5:00 pm SAVE THE DATE Freund Scholar-in-Residence Weekend February 9 & 10 Friday, February 9- Dinner & Shabbat

Services Saturday, February 10- Shabbat Services & Kiddush Luncheon

Abe Pintchuck

reading about the program and the extensive reach and impact of the Institute, I knew I should apply.

I was extremely excited when I was accepted into the program and realized what a fulfilling experience this would be. Not only was I lucky enough to travel to Washington, D.C., I would also meet Jewish peers from across the country. I confess I was nervous at first because my involvement in youth groups and leadership initiatives had been limited up to that point. My nerves were calmed within minutes of arriving at the hotel where I met a few

new people and quickly made friends.

It was interesting to meet people from places I have never been and to realize that we shared so much in common.

Even though we had different views about Judaism, we bonded discussing issues that affect all of us, regardless of our backgrounds.

The next few days were filled with seminars and lectures concerning U.S.Israel relations with great emphasis on advocacy and political activism training. An immense amount of information was shared. It was a lot to process, but the knowledge that stemmed from it was extremely rewarding.

The last day of the trip was a highlight for me as we had the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill and the Rayburn House Office Building. It was truly amazing being in these historical institutions, realizing the notable events that take place on those grounds. Visiting the office of our state congressman, Vern Buchanan, was exciting. Unfortunately, we did not get to meet the congressman due to his busy schedule, but his congressional staffer spent time with us and explained the day-to-day workings of Congressman Buchanan and some of the tasks he’s entrusted to undertake as a representative of the American people. We asked his staffer to pass along our thanks and appreciation for the congressman’s support of Israel.

I returned home with a rich understanding of activism and where I fit in as a Jewish teen. I realized it’s never too late to get involved and never too late to learn how to be a leader. Learning about lobbying made an impact on me and it’s a skill I hope to strengthen and take with me into the future. I walk away from this trip with a newfound appreciation for my Jewish heritage and community. Not only did it give me a sense of love for the past but also a yearning for the future. I plan to look into more Israel advocacy events and visit the Jewish homeland in the next few years.

Abe Pintchuck is a junior at Riverview High School.

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vel.

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January 2018

FEDERATION NEWS

7A

Jewish Agency for Israel: Federation project update Staff Report

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ast year, our Federation’s Overseas Granting Committee selected two Jewish Agency for Israel projects to receive grants: Choosing Tomorrow La’ad ($10,000 grant) and Wings ($18,000 grant). We are happy to bring you an update on these programs and how they are impacting the lives of Israelis.

Choosing Tomorrow La’ad harnesses the motivation, kindness and sense of responsibility of young college students to help alleviate the loneliness and financial burdens of vulnerable Holocaust survivors. According to Israel’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, approximately 200,000 Holocaust survivors live in Israel – 25% of them live below the poverty line. More than 60% worry constantly about their financial situation. Many lack the backing of extended family members for practical and emotional support. Alongside these troubling statistics, Israel is also facing an acute geo-demographic crisis in which talented young people are withdrawing from peripheral regions and instead are building their lives and careers in the center of the country.

Choosing Tomorrow La’ad works

to remedy both of these critical situations by creating an international community of young student advocates committed to Holocaust survivors.

Students are trained to address the various issues facing survivors, such as societal integration and financial conditions. The students and survivors meet individually on a regular basis and as a group during Jewish holidays, Shabbat and community events, pro-

One Israeli soldier helping out another

foundly changing the quality of their lives. Close to one-third of the students who participate opt to remain living in the communities even after program completion. Twenty-six students are currently participating in this program – 15 in Beer Sheva and 11 in Ashdod.

The Wings program for lone immigrant soldiers creates a supportive environment and safety net for brave young men and women who have sacrificed the comforts of home and family to serve the Jewish people and the State of Israel as soldiers in the IDF. Each year, hundreds of young Jews from all over the Diaspora move to Israel to serve in the military. The difficult transitions into and out of the army

Volunteer dancing with senior (photos by Lloyd Wolf)

are intensified by depression, isolation, fear of the unknown, and lack of a familial core in Israel. This can lead some to further withdrawal from society, and in the most desperate and extreme cases, to commit suicide. Wings teaches resilience, confidence and life skills as lone soldiers face the inevitable challenges of new immigrant life.

The Jewish Agency is the only civilian body to which the IDF entrusts active soldiers for guidance and instruction before, during and after their army experience. Highlights of the program include: assistance with making Aliyah – everything from flights to help with learning Hebrew and understanding Israeli society; an ongoing support system during military service; and facilitating the transition from soldier to civilian after military service is complete, including résumé building, financial coaching and more.

We are so proud of the work the Jewish Agency for Israel does with these and various other programs.

For more information on Federation’s worldwide impact, contact Ilene Fox at 941.343.2111 or ifox@jfedsrq.org, or visit www.jfedsrq.org/impact.

Look to KH

r fo Community, Spirituality, Learning!

A Few Examples: Sock Hop with DJ ‘Radio Dave’ - Jan 7 Making Prayer Real class - starts Jan 14 Sunset Cruise with ‘Havdalah’ - Feb 10

Congregation Kol HaNeshama congkh.org

941.244.2042

Celebrating Our 10th Anniversary Year

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SECURITIES OFFERED THROUGH VALMARK SECURITIES, INC. MEMBER FINRA, SIPC. INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH VALMARK ADVISERS, INC., A SEC REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR. 130 SPRINGSIDE DRIVE, AKRON, OH 44333. 800-765-5201. FELDMAN WEALTH ADVISORY, LLC IS A SEPARATE ENTITY FROM VALMARK SECURITIES, INC. AND VALMARK ADVISERS, INC.

The Jewish Federation offers assistance for all ages, like: Camp Grants, Overseas Grants, Education Scholarships, Religious Scholarships, and Women’s Giving Circle Grants. Plus, complimentary programs like PJ Library, Shalom Baby and Senior services provide unique support throughout Sarasota and Manatee.

Learn more at jfedsrq.org/help

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Be sure THE JEWISH NEWS follows you to your new home.

Send your new address to Brieana at bdgraves@jfedsrq.org or 941.371.4546 x0

8A

January 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

“Jewish Indiana Jones” to present “The Archaeological Claim to Jerusalem” This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

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habad of Venice and The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee will present “The Archaeological Claim to Jerusalem” on Tuesday, January 16 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at the new Chabad Education Center, 21560 Angela Lane, Venice.

The multimedia presentation centers on one of the most contentious issues in the Middle East conflict between Jews and Arabs: the denial of the Jewish historical claim to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

“In recent years, archaeological discoveries in the ancient city of Jerusalem and throughout the land of Israel have uncovered key findings that present a powerful and convincing case for the biblical story and for the Jewish

claim to Israel – even for those who sionate about,” Stolik said. “I feel a sense of pride and a sense of connechave a hard time believing,” said Rabbi tion with our forefaSholom Schmerling, Director of Chabad of Venice. thers in the land of The lecture will be preIsrael. These are stosented by Rabbi Avrohom ries that I learned in the Bible as a student, Stolik. Stolik has combined and then every so ofhis knowledge of Jewish history with his archaeoten, when something is logical passion while lecturactually found that coring on the topic of biblical roborates a story and brings the story to life, archaeology for more than it gives you a feeling of a decade, focusing mainly on Jerusalem. He has been satisfaction.” dubbed the “Jewish Indiana Stolik has received Rabbi Avrohom Stolik Jones” and has given his “Jerusalem wide acclaim as a biblical archaeological scholar. In the presentation, he will Uncovered” presentations across the country. share his extensive knowledge of Jew“This is a topic that I’m very pasish history and Bible study as well as

his passion for biblical archaeology. He has created a unique presentation that includes imagery, diagrams and videos that can benefit anyone, whether he or she has been to Israel before or has any background in history or archaeology.

“These are “hot button” issues facing Jews today and Israel in particular,” Stolik said. “Now, you can arm yourself with the facts on the ground – and underground.”

Refreshments will be served at the events. The cost is $18 in advance and $20 at the door. To RSVP, go to www.chabadofvenice.com/events or call 941.493.2770. For more information about Rabbi Stolik’s biblical archaeology presentations, visit www. jerusalemuncovered.com.

Temple Emanu-El welcomes international Jewish leader for “Israel Shabbat”

T

he Israel Committee of Temple dination from Hebrew Union College’s Emanu-El proudly welcomes Israeli Rabbinic Program in Jerusalem. the community to “Israel ShabHe has taught and lectured throughout bat” featuring international Jewish the United States, Israel and Europe, and trains educators to lead leader Rabbi Josh Weinberg on Friday, January 19, and Israel tours. Rabbi Weinberg Saturday, January 20. Rabbi is a reserve IDF officer, has Weinberg serves as President hiked the Israel National of ARZA (Association of ReTrail, and “is passionate about anything connected to form Zionists of America), which represents the Zionism Israel.”

The community is inof millions of Jews through- Rabbi Josh Weinberg out the United States and Israel, and vited to Rabbi Weinberg’s presentations, which – thanks to the generosity advocates “an unapologetic love for Israel,” “democracy, pluralism and of Temple Emanu-El Israel Committee equality” and “the continuation of…a members Philip and Barbara Meltzer – are offered free of charge. On January morally exceptional society.”

Rabbi Weinberg holds degrees 19 at 7:15 p.m., Rabbi Weinberg will speak on the topic “Living the Dream, from the University of Wisconsin and Facing the Reality,” exploring the tenthe Hebrew University as well as or-

sion between the fulfillment of the Zionist dream of a sovereign Jewish state and the challenges facing our beloved Israel. On January 20 at 10:00 a.m., Rabbi Weinberg will lead a text-based exploration of “Grappling with Our Relationship with the State of Israel” – employing ancient and modern teach-

ings to consider and illuminate the connection between American Jewry and Israel. A 9:30 a.m. nosh of coffee and homemade sweets will precede the presentation.

For more information about “Israel Shabbat” at Temple Emanu-El, please call 941.379.1997.

Temple Emanu-El’s Israel Committee will sponsor “Israel Shabbat”

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F

January 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

9A

“The History of Jews in Germany”

By Marden Paru, Dean, Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva | This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

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hen we think of Jews in Germany, it’s the Holocaust that immediately comes to y. He thatmind. And that is the way it should be. deosThe Holocaust was a uniquely tragic he orperiod in human history. But the story anyof Jewish Germany goes back nearly ogy. 2,000 years and the Jewish experience fac-in Germany continues to influence life ticu-around the world.

Here are just a few reasons the arm oundJewish German experience is worth learning about: t the Germany has more monuments to Jewish history than any other naance tion except Israel. o to s or German Jews moving east established what came to be called the rmaAshkenazi communities of Eastern l arEurope. And they brought the Yidwww. dish language with them.

Reform Judaism in the United States developed from the Reform Judaism that began in Germany in the 1800s and was developed here by immigrant rabbis to America.

The three individuals whose ideas

have most impacted world events for 100+ years were all German Jews – Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud and Albert Einstein.

Under German law, victims of Nazi persecution and their children can reclaim or become German citizens. In the last few years, some 100,000 Jewish people, mainly from Israel, Britain and the United States, have done so.

Starting Friday, February 9, from 10:30 to11:45 a.m., the Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva will offer an 8-week course on the history of Jewish Germany, during which cultural anthropologist David Levinson will draw out the expanse of the Jewish experience in Germany from the fourth century CE to the present. The course relies on a mix of primary sources, family history and the author’s travels to cover the various aspects and shifting history of Jews in Germany. Moving back and forth between the general and the specific, the course is meant to provide a layered appreciation of the Jewish experience.

It is meant for those interested in Jewish history in general or German Jewish history, as well as genealogists and family historians.

Assorted topics covered include: 1. Origins of German and European Jewry; 2. Jewish Economics; 3. the Golden Age of Jewish Germany; 4. the Rise of Ashkenazi Communities; 5.

Jewish-Christian Relations; 6. Reform Judaism; 7. Emancipation; 8. Immigration to America; 9. The Shoah; 10. The Influence of Jewish Germany; 11. Jewish Germany Today.

We are fortunate to have Professor Levinson in Sarasota this winter to join our faculty. To enroll or for more information, contact me at marden.paru@ gmail.com or 941.379.5655. Yeshiva classes are partially subsidized through a grant from The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, and are held on The Federation Campus.

Dr. David Levinson is a cultural anthropologist and son of a German Holocaust survivor. His ongoing research on his own and other Jewish

families and European Jewish life continues his career-long interest in telling the stories of forgotten and persecuted peoples – the homeless, victims of family violence, refugees, immigrants and African American communities. His new book, Jewish Germany, An Enduring Presence from the Fourth to the Twenty-first Century, will be published in January by Vallentine Mitchell. Dr. Levinson was a research anthropologist and director of a research institute at Yale University for over twenty years and has been involved in several public anthropology projects, including the establishment of the African American Heritage Trail in New England. He served as general editor of the ten-volume Religion & Society series and co-editor of the 4-volume Encyclopedia of Community. Among his recent books are One Minute a Free Woman: Elizabeth Freeman and the Struggle for Freedom and This Is America: A Short History of the United States.

“These we honor” Your Tributes

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN IN HONOR OF David Chaifetz Nelle Miller Timi Wolov Holly and Alan Freedman Hedria and Robert Saltzman Michael Ritter Nancy and Christopher Winship

BOB MALKIN YOUNG AMBASSADORS FUND IN MEMORY OF Alan Katz Inna and Gerry Sideman The Mother of Nancy Swart Inna and Gerry Sideman

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IN MEMORY OF The Mother of Toby Bello Lois Stulberg Bill Berman Lois Stulberg Mildred Fishman Carol and Stephen Altaker The Sister of William Sandy Lois Stulberg

OVERNIGHT CAMP SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN HONOR OF Sharyn Nassau Jill and Jay Eisner Inna Sideman Jill and Jay Eisner IN MEMORY OF Alan Katz Jill and Jay Eisner

NOTE: To be publicly acknowledged in The Jewish News, Honor Cards require a minimum $10 contribution per listing. You can send Honor Cards directly from www.jfedsrq.org.

For more information, please call 941.552.6304.

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10A

January 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

National Council of Jewish Women, Sarasota-Manatee Section’s 36th Annual Women in Power Luncheon

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he luncheon takes place on Wednesday, January 24 at Michael’s On East. For more information, call 407.413.0058. Please call NCJW’s hotline at 941.342.1855 if you need any special accommodations for this event.

Here are this year’s honorees: Karen Hamad, MD, FACP Community Health Advocate, Educator, Mentor Dr. Karen Hamad, MD, FACP, is the immediate past Chief of Staff at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Founding Associate Program Director for the FSU-SMH Internal Medicine residency program. A board-certified internist and pediatrician, she has worked for First Physician’s Group in Osprey since 2003. She is the past Chairwoman of the ICare Quality committee at SMH, and has been on the Physician’s Operating Board for First Physician’s Group for the past 12 years. Karen has many passions, foremost of which is educating and mentoring young women. She has participated in the Sarasota County high school externship program for over 13 years, and has mentored more than a dozen bright young women interested in medical careers. She is directly involved with Daughters for Life, an international nonprofit that sponsors Middle Eastern young women for

full college scholarships in the United States and Canada.

Debbie Haspel Community Volunteer, Legal Advocate Debbie Haspel was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs. She began her professional career as an RN, specializing in the areas of pediatrics and oncology. She later went on to earn a law degree and her practice was concentrated on civil litigation/medical malpractice. Debbie is currently on the board of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, AJC and The Perlman Music Program, and is a former board member of the Jewish Housing Council and The Sarasota Ballet. In addition, she has served as co-chair for several Sarasota events, including Keeping the Dream Alive, The Perlman Music Program Suncoast’s Winter Residency Celebration Dinner, the Asolo Gala, the JFCS Gala, and the Alzheimer’s Association “Reason to Hope” luncheon, and has also served on many event committees, including the Sarasota Orchestra Brunch, JFCS “Celebrity Chefs” and the Jewish Housing Council Foundation’s “Eight Over Eighty.” She and her husband Larry also enjoy the wonderful cultural opportunities Sarasota has to offer, and are season patrons of the Asolo Rep, the orchestra, the ballet and Ringling’s Town Hall Series.

Nelle Miller International Philanthropist, Community Advocate, Entrepreneur Nelle spends most of her time dedicated to social action and philanthropic work in Sarasota, throughout the U.S. and overseas. She grew up in New York in the home of philanthropic and giving parents who instilled giving and activism as a core value of the family’s moral compass. Nelle is a Past President of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee where she continues to sit on the Executive Committee.

She is Vice Chair at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Chair of the Governance Committee at All Faiths Food Bank, and incoming Chair of the Board at the Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center. She is a member of The Jewish Federations of North America’s National Women’s Philanthropy board, and sits on the Board of Governors for The Jewish Agency for Israel and the United Israel Appeal. Nelle has participated as a trustee on other boards, including Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Foundation. Professionally, Nelle is an entrepreneur and is currently a founder and managing partner in Biztank LLC, a consulting and angel investment entity. She is currently a member of the Advisory Council for Canandaigua Bank.

Charlotte Feinberg Perret Advocate for Women, International Advocate for Women and Children, Author Charlotte Feinberg Perret is a strong advocate for women, children and families. While in Paris and raising her three daughters, she co-founded “Milk for Vietnamese Women and Children Refugees” to raise money to purchase basic food supplies for Vietnamese women and children returning to postwar Vietnam. She also volunteered with French Quakers against American intervention in Vietnam. Charlotte lived 25 years in Washington, D.C., where at the Center for Defense Information she organized its National Women’s Conference onBy S r Nuclear War. Charlotte co-established C the national Children’s Day and estabt lished the Military Families Support mov Network. She was a major funder of Ascend at the Aspen Institute. Char-way lotte moved full time to Sarasota inhere 2004. She is a donor to the AmericanI hav Civil Liberties Union, Human Rightsof S Watch, Amnesty International, South-Mus ern Poverty Care Center, and Plannedtent Parenthood. Charlotte published Atperfo L Their Doorstep: The Street Fairs of Paris & Their Carnival Folk in Sto-from ries & Photographic Postcards, 1900s,the S based on her 1981 interviews withhad the A Parisian carnival folk.

Cho inter of c Cho she r was Then nuts be a

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Save the Date!

Give to LIFE & LEGACY™ A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, LIFE & LEGACY’s mission is to support the future of our Jewish community for generations to come.

Whatever you cherish most about Jewish life…learning, community, worship, caring for those in need or social justice, by leaving a legacy you ensure that the things you value are sustained for future generations.

to Thank and Honor All Legacy Donors.

Invitation to follow.

How will you assure JewisH tomorrows?

Please consider making a legacy gift in your will, trust, retirement account or life insurance policy to our LIFE & LEGACY™ Partners.

Temple Emanu-El

To discuss creating your Jewish legacy, contact LIFE & LEGACY™ director:

Gisele Pintchuck at 941.706.0029 or gpintchuck@jfedrsq.org

JFEDSRQ.org/Legacy-Partner-Program

THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF SARASOTA-MANATEE Klingenstein Jewish Center | 580 McIntosh Rd. | Sarasota, FL 34232 | JFEDSRQ.org

The Jewish News is also available online. Visit The Jewish News page at www.jfedsrq.org and you’ll be just one click away!

11A

Temple Sinai announces its 10th Annual Sarasota Jewish Food Festival This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

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emple Sinai, in partnership with The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and Avirongva, is at it again, teaming up with All andFaiths Food Bank for the 10th Annual singSarasota Jewish Food Festival on Sunndedday, January 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 andp.m. Thousands of people from Saraoneysota and surrounding areas will attend forthe Food Festival. Each guest is asked wom-to bring canned goods, dry goods and drennon-perishable food to stock shelves at post-All Faiths Food Bank.

She Temple Sinai Jewish mothers, faeredthers, bakers and chefs will prepare uak-many Jewish Foods. World famous merion in lotte s in enter ized e onBy Sharon Greene retired from teaching in New York shed City in June 2003, and shortly stabthereafter, my husband and I pport moved to Sarasota County. I have aler of ways loved performing and did some Chara inhere, when I first moved down. Mostly, icanI have been singing with Choral Artists ghtsof Sarasota, formerly known as Gloria outh-Musicae, since 2009. I was very connnedtent doing this, getting my singing and d Atperforming “fix” weekly.

Last March, I received a phone call s of Sto-from Ronnie Riceberg, president of 00s,the Sarasota Jewish Chorale, whom I withhad met in 2012, when she traveled to the Amalfi Coast Music Festival with Choral Artists. She asked if I would be interested in applying for the position of conductor for the Sarasota Jewish Chorale. Initially, I was flattered that she remembered me and thought that I was capable to assume such a position.

Then I thought to myself, “Are you nuts? You are retired and this would be a huge commitment!” But after

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January 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

New York City Carnegie Deli corned Israel’s independence, and Israeli mubeef and pastrami will be on the sic, in addition to offering delicious menu, as will kugel, blintzes, knishes, Jewish foods. There will be craft and chopped liver, stuffed cabbage, matzo jewelry vendors, Treasures Unique, a ball soup, brisket, falafel and lots of Book Boutique and an Art Sale. Face delicious home-baked cakes, pies, paspainting and balloons for kids add to tries and cookies. In addition, health this exciting day. vendors will provide a vast array of delicious foods.

The day will celebrate the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence and will include Temple Sinai’s Religious School children singing Israeli songs, movMark Margolis and Alyson Zildjian at the 2016 Food Festival ies and slideshows about

Sarasota Jewish Chorale: A labor of love

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discussing the idea with my husband, I decided to apply.

Now I have become the artistic director of the chorale, I hired a fantastic accompanist, I am once again writing lesson plans, and teaching a wonderful, giving and talented group of mostly senior citizens – some very senior – the joy of singing Jewish and secular music. Together, we are working hard to bring joy to others and, just maybe, selfishly, ourselves. We have planned a huge concert, which will take place on Sunday, March 25 at Temple Beth Sholom, called “Remembering and Rejoicing ~ The Legacy of Anne Frank and the Miracle of Israel.”

I look forward to each rehearsal, and always leave charged up and with a huge smile. (I think the singers do too!)

I have made this commitment later in life, but it has been strictly a labor of love!

Sharon Greene is the Artistic Director of the Sarasota Jewish Chorale.

What We Do.

At the end of the event, leftover food, books and other small treasures will be donated to those in need.

Volunteers at the 2016 Food Festival

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From PJ Library through teen leadership missions to women’s events, Club Fed, and Fifty Shades of J, to senior services — your Federation provides support throughout Sarasota and Manatee.

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January 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Heather Todd, Sarasota Teen Court Executive Director, welcomed at Temple Beth Sholom

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he Temple Beth Sholom Men’s Club presents a Monthly Breakfast Program Series, highlighting one captivating speaker per month.

On Sunday, November 19, we welcomed Heather Todd, Sarasota Teen Court Executive Director.

Todd has been with Sarasota Teen Court for 16 years and oversees the peer judgment process in the courthouse near Sarasota’s central police station. She explained how teens on both sides of the law help each other get out of trouble and live a productive life. A brief video depicting part of an actual youth trial was screened. Stefan Campagna, now an attorney in town who started out on the “wrong side of

the tracks,” was also present, offering his personal testimony to Teen Court’s effectiveness.

The philosophical framework of Teen Court’s services is to offer educational classes and intervention services that unquestionably transform the lives of young people. They provide students ages 8-18 with ways they can make positive change in both their community and in their own lives, and they become active participants in finding solutions for problems that impact their community.

The recidivism rate of Teen Court is 6.8% in comparison with Juvenile Court, which has a 42% recidivism rate.

All who attended this event were capti-

vated by both speakers, as well as TBS Co-President Emma Joels, who is the President of the Board of Sarasota Teen Court, and has been involved there for about 20 years.

This was a jointly sponsored event by both TBS Men’s Club and TBS Sisterhood. We are planning a tour of Teen Stefan Campagna, local attorney, Board of Directors of Sarasota Court’s program sometime this month, for Teen Court; Heather Todd, Executive Director of Sarasota Teen Court for more information regarding the anyone who wants to join us. Please tour. contact Rabbi Dr. Ed Weinsberg, Program Vice President, at 941.444.9790

New thinking on adults and kids learning to swim This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

W

hich category do you belong in below? Each one is commonplace.

1. You can rest, talk and play in deep water as long as you wish 2. You can swim across deep water but you can’t stop in the middle 3. You don’t go to deep water, because you don’t feel in control of your safety Were you a child who had the following experience in your youth?

Perhaps you were a child who grew up with parents who took you to the pool and you played together. At an early age, your parents passed you between them in the water so you could learn how the water worked. Then, say by age two or three, you could move from here to there in water on your own, come up for air when you needed it, and turn onto your back to rest. Your movements were probably fast, your fingers were apart, and you held your breath most of the time, but it worked.

You felt safe and you liked being in the water. You felt the water holding you up, you could propel yourself, and you were in control.

Your dad may have said to his

friends at a play date (if there were play dates back then), “Susie can swim! I mean, she can’t swim, but she can swim!” The dad is referring to two things. But he’s using the same word.

Susie knows how the water works and has become independent for short periods of time. She can “Swim.” But she doesn’t know formal strokes yet.

She can’t “swim.” The capitalized “Swim” gets prominence for its meaning of safety. To be able to Swim safely requires knowing how the water and one’s body work together. The non-capitalized “swim” means strokes. Strokes do not provide safety, but they do provide efficiency: less energy output.

The point of learning to swim is safety: the ability to rely on oneself for one’s safety in water over one’s head.

Once a person learns to Swim, they can then learn to swim. However, learning to swim does not imply learning to Swim.

For children, learning to swim – sometimes or often, but not always – results in learning to Swim. For adults,

learning to swim bears no relationship to learning to Swim. Most traditional swimming lessons teach swimming.

They do not teach Swimming.

There are so many teenagers today who hover close to the side of the pool in deep water, unable to Swim, that the lifeguarding certification requirements have been significantly lessened to accommodate the swimming ability of many young people today.

Because there are two definitions of “I can swim” in the United States and around the world, there is confusion about who is safe and who is not. Many children and adults who have passed a test by swimming (stroking) from one end of the pool to the other believe that since they passed the test, they “can swim.” However, if they were not required to stop and rest peacefully for

five minutes or so in water over their heads, they have not demonstrated that they can Swim. Therefore, many people who can’t Swim think they can.

This is an unsafe situation that has not been addressed publicly, and which is likely the cause of many drownings.

The world needs one common definition of “learn to swim.” Without it, much of the “swimming” public is not safe.

The mission of Miracle Swimming for Adults (MSA), the swim school that leases the pool on The Jewish Federation Campus, is to teach adults to Swim: to overcome their fear in water and become safe. Year round, MSA teaches adults to Swim. It also teaches adults to swim, to play safely in the Gulf, to snorkel, and to SCUBA dive in vacation locations around the world.

For more information, please call 941.921.6420 or visit www.miracle swimming.org.

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Every woman matters here.

The Women’s Giving Circle [ “Ma’agal Nashim”] is a giving circle that empowers women as funders, decision makers and agents of change. Each member contributes the same amount, and each has an equal voice in directing our funds.

The giving circle model multiplies individual actions, creating a tremendous collective impact. In the last four years, we have distributed more than $133,000 in grants to nonprofits in Israel that help women and children of all backgrounds live safer, healthier and more meaningful lives.

OUR MISSION To enhance the lives of Jewish women and children who are in need of help and live in Israel.

Contact Ilene Fox at 941.343.2111 or ifox@jfedsrq.org

88171 PRAD 2018JNSM

Sarasota Magazine – 2017

COMMUNITY FOCUS

January 2018

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The dramatic story behind one of the world’s most notorious escaped Nazi war criminals comes to The Florida Holocaust Museum

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“

peration Finale: The Capture & Trial of Adolf Eichmann” is the first exhibition in the United States to fully document the pursuit, capture, extradition and trial of a Nazi war criminal. The Florida Holocaust Museum (The FHM) is proud to present this blockbuster exhibition, co-produced by the Mossad – Israel’s Secret Intelligence Service; Beit Hatfutsot - The Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv, Israel; and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, Cleveland, Ohio.

The Cleveland Jewish News raves, “‘Operation Finale: The Capture & Trial of Adolf Eichmann’ is an extraordinary exhibition. It engages your intellect at the start and tears your heart out by the end.”

Fifty-six years ago, Adolf Eichmann, who had been in charge of transporting millions of European Jews to death camps, sat in a courtroom for a trial that would be among the first in history to be completely televised.

The trial captivated millions of people across the globe and it was the first time that many of them learned the details of the Holocaust.

“There was a march of survivors, I would say approximately 100 survivors, who came into the witness box and told the story of what happened to them. And people watched them and listened to them and heard them in a way they hadn’t heard them before,” said Deborah Lipstadt, renowned historian and professor of Religion and Holocaust Studies at Emory University.

The dramatic story behind one of the world’s most notorious escaped Nazi war criminals being brought to

justice is told using recently declassified artifacts from the Mossad, Israel’s Secret Intelligence Service. The exhibition includes objects and images made available outside the country for the first time – original 1960s-era artifacts, photographs, Telly Award-winning films and audio, as well as contemporary design elements and interactive

Forensic crime lab file, 1960 (Mossad Archive)

features – to tell a story of espionage, intrigue and, ultimately, justice served.

Also included in the exhibition is one of the most iconic objects of the century – the bulletproof glass booth in which the accused sat as the courtroom drama was broadcast around the globe.

The Chicago Tribune calls the exhibition “A Holocaust Museum smash.”

During World War II, Eichmann was the key functionary in the Nazis’ attempt to annihilate all of Europe’s 11 million Jews. After the war, he disappeared, but his crimes made him a wanted man. Operation Finale – the code name of Israel’s effort to find him – reveals exactly how Mossad agents located Eichmann in his hiding place in South America, and how they abducted

Jewish National Fund Sarasota

Guardian of Israel Award Luncheon

and smuggled him safely to Israel to stand trial.

Career Mossad agent Avner Avraham curated the espionage artifacts

Eichmann Trial at Beit Ha’am in Jerusalem, Israel, 1961 (Government Press Office)

featured in “Operation Finale: The Capture & Trial of Adolf Eichmann.”

This exhibition is the first time that the recently declassified Mossad materials have been seen outside of Israel.

“I also see it as a new way to share the Holocaust story. We must learn from the Holocaust, especially as you see what is happening around the

world today with bombs, international tensions, and crimes against humanity. This exhibition illustrates what we are talking about when we say ‘never again.’ That message is even more important as survivors turn 80 and 90 years old, because they will not be able to tell their stories forever,” said Avraham.

“Operation Finale: The Capture & Trial of Adolf Eichmann” opens to the public on Saturday, February 10 at The Florida Holocaust Museum, 55 5th Street S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

This exhibition is made possible by a generous grant from the Maltz Family Foundation.

About The Florida Holocaust Museum 2017 marks a monumental milestone for The Florida Holocaust Museum as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. One of the largest Holocaust museums in the country, and one of three nationally accredited Holocaust museums, The FHM honors the memory of millions of men, women and children who suffered or died in the Holocaust. The FHM is dedicated to teaching members of all races and cultures the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides. For additional information, please visit www.TheFHM.org.

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HONORING

Edie and David Chaifetz FEATURING GUEST SPEAKER

Russell F. Robinson CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

Wednesday, February 28, 2018 11:30 am

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1050 South Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota, FL RSVP by February 22, 2018 at jnf.org/sarasotagoi CHAIRS

Helen & Len Glaser Toby & Noel Siegel For sponsorship opportunites or more information: Marcy Friedland, Senior Campaign Executive, Southwest Florida at mfriedland@jnf.org or 941.217.7400

jnf.org ∙ 800.JNF.0099

14A

January 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Creating connections between Israel and Bradenton

“J

By Max Stewart | This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee businesses. I took those insights to the Israel team of Enterprise Florida, the state’s economic development arm, to refine the business development opportunities that we might pursue during the trip.

Visiting Israel for the first time, I was astounded by the natural beauty and economic vitality of a nation I knew only from news reports, mov-

Max Stewart

ies and scripture. The welcome we received from our in-country hosts was incredibly gracious, and I quickly grasped the potential for businesses in Israel to bring investment here, and for Southwest Florida businesses to

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connect with opportunities there.

Through some carefully selected introductions and subsequent conversations, we forged relationships that we will continue to nurture as we aim to help Israeli businesses enter the U.S. market and bring foreign direct investment to our community.

I also learned how much more we need to learn about Israeli businesses to tailor our resources to their needs as we invite them to expand operations to the Bradenton area.

We also want to develop additional local relationships to help identify Israeli companies that may want to do business here. If you want to connect us to companies in Israel that may be interested in all that Florida and the Bradenton area have to offer as a business location, I want to hear from you.

If our first visit to Israel is any indication, we will be returning often to build relationships and help both our economies grow.

Max Stewart is director of global business development at the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation.

He can be reached at maxs@braden tonareaedc.com or 941.803.9038.

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CONNECTING BUSINESSES WITH OUR COMMUNITY

P

articipating in an interfaith trip to Israel with The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee earlier this year was an eye-opening experience.

As a man of faith and an observer of world events, I had an idea of the depth and breadth of Israel’s history and culture. As an economic development professional, I generally understood the opportunities for linking Southwest Florida businesses with companies in Israel.

The reality far exceeded my expectations.

I serve as director of global business development for the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation (EDC). The EDC, a private nonprofit, is recognized by the State of Florida as the lead economic development organization for Manatee County. Our eight-person team works to diversify the local economy by attracting and retaining high-wage jobs for area residents, and connecting existing businesses to the resources they need to succeed.

Before the trip, I worked with The Federation to lay out a plan for participating in the interfaith tour and concurrently reach out to targeted Israeli

BEGINNING L EARN-TO-SWIM CLASS FOR ADULTS Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 2018 Lido Beach

April 23-27, 2018

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Looking for something Jewish-related to do this month? See the Jewish Happenings section for more than 75 events in January!

For more information, contact

Robin Leonardi 941.552.6307 rleonardi@jfedsrq.org

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15A

“Judaism and End-of-Life Decisions”

By Rabbi Harold F. Caminker, Jewish Congregation of Venice “We know nothing about death, nothing beyond the one fact that we shall “die” – but what is that, to die? We do not know. We must therefore assume that death constitutes the final limit of all that we are able to imagine. The desire to extend our imagination into the beyond of dying…seems to me to be a lack of faith disguised as faith. Genuine faith says I know nothing about death, but I do know that God is eternity; and I also know that He is my God. Whether what we call time will abide with us beyond our death becomes rather insignificant for us compared to the knowledge that we are God’s.”

– Martin Buber n our youth-oriented society, dying is a painful subject; for many, a forbidden topic. But in this avoidance, we are somehow never prepared for this one certainty of existence. Volumes have been written interpreting

I

the meaning of death, but we have always shunned the practical, necessary questions.

This year, my annual winter adult learning mini-series at the Jewish Congregation of Venice will focus on three end-of-life challenges/opportunities: January 16 – “How To Write My Ethical Will” Nowadays, we all have legal wills which make sure that our property will be distributed in accordance with our wishes. And many of us have living wills, which is a euphemism for dying wills. But an ethical will is an old Jewish tradition, going back to Father Jacob in the Torah, of sitting down while you are well and writing a letter or creating a videotape – to be shared afterwards – in which you try to express what you want from your children and your loved ones after you are gone.

Our tradition believes that you are not

completely dead when you die if you leave behind people who will understand what you stood for and who will continue your values. You do not have to be Jewish to write an ethical will.

January 23 – “Cremation or Burial?

A Jewish View” Only one generation ago, cremation was unknown in the Jewish community. Today, over one third of Jews across America are choosing it. Some of the reasons cited include environmentalism, discomfort with decomposition, and finances. Deciding what to do with our bodies and those of our loved ones is both personal and meaningful. In a sense, it is the last decision we ever make – and one that cannot be undone. Together, we will clarify this allimportant issue.

January 30 – “What Happens After I Die? Judaism and the Afterlife” Modern Judaism rarely dwells on an

afterlife, but Jewish tradition has plenty to say about this eternal question.

Ask Jews what happens after death, and many will respond that the Jewish tradition doesn’t say or doesn’t care, that Jews believe life is for the living and that Judaism focuses on what people can and should do in this world.

But not so fast. We will explore what a number of prominent Jewish thinkers and writers believe we’re headed for.

As they say: Two Jews, Three Afterlives.

Each Tuesday evening session of the mini-series will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Jewish Congregation of Venice Sanctuary. All are cordially welcome, and there is no charge to participate.

For more information, please call the temple office in the morning at 941.484.2022.

Larry Barnet: Helping to provide a critical stepping stone on a child’s journey

By Sandy Chase

T

he 2016-2017 JFCS Children’s Service Award recipient, Larry Barnet, exemplifies the steadfast mentor. Larry says, “My goal is to encourage the student to establish a support network, to see that he has the ability – the power – to choose wisely for success.”

Helping to strengthen and promote the JFCS mission, Larry mentors in the Safe Alternative to Out-of-School Suspension Program (SATOSS), providing services to at-risk, middle-school youths at McIntosh, Booker and Lin-

COMMUNITY

dia at

January 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

coln. This year he’s working with two McIntosh students.

“These students need a little help on how to make better choices in difficult circumstances. Every child I’ve met is a good person with challenges – like most of us,” says Larry.

Having mentored for four years, Larry

Larry Barnet and JFCS CEO Heidi Brown

shares a half-hour lunch period with the preteens – listening to concerns, perhaps while playing math games.

“Every child’s an individual. Games sometimes enable me to draw out the shy student. Engaging with him is paramount, striving to boost his confidence.”

Pam Sanders, JFCS’s Youth-School Based Program Coordinator, has

worked with Barnet for three years.

“Larry has been an asset, working diligently with each matched mentee – advocating for each child.”

Besides mentoring, Larry reads with kindergarteners and is Temple Emanu-El’s Vice President of Philanthropy.

Larry has also agreed to guide other mentors, saying, “They have so much to teach me. What’s most important is that you can be a mentor if you’re willing to listen and appreciate the child’s circumstances.”

®

Stay informed throughout the month. Sign up for the Jewish Federation’s Enewsletter at www.jfedsrq.org.

16A

January 2018

JEWISH INTEREST

January 1943 in the Warsaw Ghetto

By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD

organize other branches of his movement, but upon returning to Warsaw he found the ghetto devastated. He, and others, knowing from the outset that they could not defeat the Nazi war machine, now decided to resist any further deportations from the ghetto. In November 1942, members of the ŻOB elected Anielewicz as their leader, and preparations started for a defense of the ghetto whenever the next wave of deportations should begin.

Most of the more senior members of the Jewish communal leadership in the ghetto disapproved of armed resistance out of fear of provoking a devastating German retaliation. However, Anielewicz and another Zionist leader, Yitzhak Zuckerman, began looking for support outside the ghetto. Contacting the Polish government in London, they managed, with difficulty, to obtain a few rifles and pistols. The ŻOB then officially became part of the High Command of the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa or AK), which began providing additional weapons and training.

In the meantime, the ŻOB prepared for the next onslaught by the Germans.

On December 22, 1942, Zuckerman, Miriem (Gole) Mire and Adolf Liebeskind were sent by the ŻOB to Kraków to meet with resistance fighters there.

While in the city, they took part in an attack on a café that was frequented by the SS and the Gestapo. Liebskind was killed. There is debate regarding Gole’s fate. Some say she was killed soon afterwards; others assert she played a part in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in the spring of 1943. Zuckerman, although shot in the leg, managed to escape and return to Warsaw.

Once back, he then became the unofficial armorer of the ŻOB. He

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negotiated through contacts he had made with external resistance groups, attempting to procure rifles, pistols, ammunition and grenades. These were smuggled into the ghetto via the Warsaw sewers, and his ongoing negotiations meant that he had a good idea of how he might navigate the labyrinth in the future.

In early January 1943 – 75 years ago this month – Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler visited the Warsaw Ghetto and ordered one final deportation of all the remaining Jews. This began, unannounced, on January 18. In response, although lightly armed and poorly trained for combat, the ŻOB saw its first action. Mordecai Anielewicz developed a plan in which his fighters obeyed the deportation orders until they reached a certain part of town, where they received a signal to attack. Despite the death of most of the early Hashomer Hatzair fighters, many Jews escaped at this time.

Surprised by the opposition and suffering several casualties, the Germans withdrew from the ghetto to regroup their forces and evaluate the situation. Four days later, they stopped the deportation altogether – at least for the time being.

One of the Jewish leaders in this first expression of armed resistance in the ghetto was a young woman, Tova (Tosia) Altman. Directly involved in the fighting, she, along with several others, was captured and taken to the Umschlagplatz (collection point for deportation). She managed to escape with the aid of a Jewish ghetto policeman acting on behalf of Hashomer Hatzair. Placed in charge of maintaining contact with ŻOB members outside the ghetto, she then spent a large part of

her time on the Aryan side, but, always prepared to fight, returned whenever she heard of an impending roundup.

Shocked that the Jews would arm themselves and fight another round of deportations, the Germans returned in force in April to liquidate the ghetto completely. The resultant Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the starting date of which Jews employ to commemorate Yom HaShoah each year, saw the first and most extensive expression of urban guerilla resistance against the Nazis by any population during World War II. It is important to place this in its proper context, however. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of April 19 - May 16, 1943 did not emerge out of nowhere, and 75 years later it is incumbent upon us all to recognize and honor the brave young Jewish men and women who decided to enter upon a course from which there was no going back, taking up arms to resist the Nazis in January 1943.

Dr. Paul Bartrop is Professor of History and the Director of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University.

He can be reached at pbartrop@fgcu. edu.

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S

eventy-five years ago this month, in January 1943, the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto embarked upon a course of action which Nazi Germany considered impossible: they took up arms and, for the first time, fought back in an attempt to stop the Nazis from achieving their murderous aims.

Through the summer of 1942, the Germans deported or executed more than 300,000 Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto.

During a two-anda-half-month wave of deportations to Treblinka, from July Dr. Paul Bartrop 22 to September 12, 1942 – a period known to the Germans as “Gross-Aktion Warschau” (General Action Warsaw) – it was intended that this would end the Jewish presence in Warsaw. On average, more than 5,000 Jews were deported each day, leaving alive only somewhere between 55,000 and 60,000 by the time the operation came to a close.

While those in the ghetto did not know the precise destination or fate of those who had been deported, vague reports of mass murder at Treblinka did manage to leak back. In response, members of Jewish youth groups, in particular Hashomer Hatzair, formed the Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa (ŻOB), or Jewish Fighting Organization, on July 28, 1942. They issued a proclamation calling on the ghetto residents not to go to the trains when ordered to do so.

While the deportations were taking place, one member of Hashomer Hatzair, 23-year-old Mordecai Anielewicz, had escaped to southwest Poland on an underground mission to

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Is honored to present its 2018 Scholar-In-Residence DR. STEVEN KATZ

FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE ELIE WIESEL CENTER FOR JUDAIC STUDIES, BOSTON UNIVERSITY

January 26th – 28th, 2018 “THINKING ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST” Dr. Steven Katz of Boston University is one of our generation’s outstanding scholars of the Holocaust. A charismatic speaker, he is a member and former co-chair of the Academic Committee of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Chair of the Holocaust Commission of the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, and Academic Advisor to the Chair of the 31 countries that belong to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

Dr. Asaf Romirowsky Asaf Romirowsky, PhD is the Executive Director of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East. Romirowsky is also a fellow at the Middle East Forum and a Professor [Affiliate] at the University of Haifa. He is affiliated with Gratz College as adjunct faculty, a continuing education instructor and a frequent lecturer.

(Following the Service and Presentation, all in attendance are invited to partake of a light lunch at TBI’s Shabbat Café) SUNDAY MORNING: January 28th @ 9:30 am *Men’s Club Breakfast “SAVING JEWS DURING THE HOLOCAUST” *Reservations for the Breakfast must be made, in advance, through the Temple Beth Israel Office: 941-383-3428 The Scholar-In-Residence weekend is funded by a grant of the Charlotte P. Graver Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

The Community is Invited to Attend

The Road to Independence from the Pre-State to Statehood

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31 The Creation of the Modern Day Middle East from 1967 to Today

10:00am – 11:30am

Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Jewish Federation Campus 582 McIntosh Road, Sarasota

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 30

Mysticism and Kabbalah

Rabbi Yonah Schiller

D

Rabbi Yonah Schiller’s work as Executive Director at Tulane Hillel has been focused on investigating new and high impact approaches to the idea of Jewish community building. He is the founder of the Jewish Design Initiative (JDI), a national design incubator geared towards building scalable systems, models, and projects for creating inclusive and high impact Jewish community.

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S

January 2018

JEWISH INTEREST

17A

Once upon a time – the Hebrew language yesterday and today

ways everBook review and interview by Philip K. Jason, Special to The Jewish News p. centrality of the Mishnah in it survive without being part of an The Story of Hebrew, by Lewis arm organizing Jewish life and everyday exchange among members of d of Glinert. Princeton University Press. the planting of seeds that a civilization?

296 pages. Hardcover $27.95. ed in would, over time, grow Among the many partial answers hetto ewis Glinert, Professor of Heinto the standard Hebrew to that question is the recognition that rsaw brew Studies at Dartmouth Colprayer book. the Jewish Bible had literary flexibility e of lege, has made a complicated The dazzling middle and richness. It contained law, stories, orateand challenging story line as accessible chapters of The Story of poetry and wisdom: tools for life and firstas possible without oversimplifying Hebrew balance an explorafor living together. While its status as a rban the facts and the tion of “The Sephardic Classical Age” divine gift urged attention and depenis by issues. His goal against “Medieval Ashkenaz and Italy.” dence, the text was rewarding for simII. is well-served by The first epoch, beginning around the ply providing stimulation and pleasure. n its choosing the word year 900 and continuing for 600 years And it wasn’t all in Hebrew! rsaw “story” rather than (until the Spanish Inquisition), was a Prof. Gilbert traces the ways in y 16, “history” for his period of the highest cultural achievewhich Hebrew worked, or sometimes here, title. This deciment. This process included “a renewdidn’t work, to maintain and sustain a upon sion creates a al of a biblical Hebrew aesthetic and a population scattered and scorned. He rave mild and friendly reigning-in of the rabbinic mode.” The regularly provides insights into key who kind of personiregion of Andalusia fostered a “golden characteristics of the language, both its from Phil Jason fication – “Heage of Hebrew poetry and linguistics.” unique and shared features. These exkingbrew” becomes a character in a lively Great minds were at work amples enliven the story, but uarynarrative. This character is multidicontesting the question of they are subordinate to the mensional, like any protagonist worth Hebrew language purity. grand discovery and appreHis-reading about. He (let’s say “he” for What was required for ciation of Hebrew’s journey r forconvenience) has his ups and downs. the conveyance of knowlthrough time.

StudThough he’s been around for a long edge, whether new or Each reader will make rsity.time, and hasn’t always aged well, he old? For Jonah ibn Janah, a personal decision about gcu.has had spectacular periods of rejuvethe mastery of grammatiwhich parts of the story nation. There are times, however, when cal understanding was inare most intriguing. One of his friends can hardly recognize him. dispensable. these is certain to be “JeruLewis Glinert Prof. Glinert, after a concise introWhat version or resalem, Athens, and Rome,” duction, traces his character’s life in finement of Hebrew will best serve the notable for its vivid presentation of a eight meaty chapters, usually offering Jewish imagination? long developing clash of civilizations subsections in each to help focus issues The chapter on “Hebrew in the that birthed unending consequences. and underscore turning points. These Christian Imagination” opens a world Within this chapter is a sketch of Ezra, subsections provide necessary breaks that most Jewish individuals, even the perhaps the most indispensable figure that even the most ardent followers most culturally and linguistically soin the story of the Jewish people. It will welcome. phisticated, rarely enter. Prof. Glinert was he who “led a new wave of Jewish Early on, the author reminds us traces the fate of Hebrew in the early returnees from Babylonia” and helped of the unique situation of Hebrew: stages of the Christian theological revto re-establish a vibrant Jewish life in for much of Jewish history, “Hebrew olution and in later periods as well. He Hebrew’s home territory. This “charwas not a mother tongue to be spoken examines Christian churchmens’ need ismatic scholar-priest... orchestrated a naturally. Rather, Jews kept it alive by to engage Hebrew as the best way to religious revival and strove to bring the raising their young men to study and find authority for Christian dogma.

Torah to the masses.” ponder Hebrew texts.” How could This same chapter stresses the

L

Such a mastery could also be a powerful conversion tool. The Renaissance and Enlightenment periods in Christian Europe featured a dynamic interest in Hebrew among Christians, an interest that had waned by the early nineteenth century.

By the later nineteenth century, the Zionist enterprise was in full swing, and Prof. Glinert gives the movement’s effect on Hebrew detailed, engaging attention. Similar attention is given to the Hasidic enterprise.

The author’s treatment of the more recent periods, most importantly the connection between the founding of the modern State of Israel and the state’s commitment to Hebrew as a (essentially “the”) national language, is likely to be the chapter that will attract reading, re-reading and discussion in contemporary Jewish circles. This discussion is full of excitement and wonder about the melding of a people, a language and a homeland.

Prof. Glinert provides generous chapter notes, suggestions for further reading, and a highly useful index.

This book is a masterpiece that is likely to hold sway over the important and fascinating issues it discusses for many years to come. Jewish readers who enter this challenging space will find their understanding of Jewish identity mightily expanded.

Philip K. Jason is Professor Emeritus of English from the United States Naval Academy. He reviews regularly for Florida Weekly, Jewish Book World, Southern Literary Review, and other publications. Please visit Phil’s website at www.philjason.wordpress.com.

THE SECRET RESCUE OF THE SYRIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY -THE UNTOLD STORY-

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Working with smugglers and bribing government officials, she removed most of that community from veritable bondage. She is the subject of a bestselling Canadian book by historian Dr. Harold Troper, “The Rescuer”, now in its second edition.

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18A

January 2018

JEWISH INTEREST

Aging Jewishly – What our traditions teach us about growing oldS

Hava Nagila – Ten fabulous facts for bubbes and zaydes to share

By N

Edit for t ish p with also

By Rabbi Barbara Aiello

1. Hava Nagila, a melody that originated more than 200 years ago, was born as a song without words (in Hebrew, “niggun”). During the era of forced conscription into the Czarist Russian army, young Jewish boys were taken from their families to serve 25 years as soldiers for the Czar.

It was during this time of great sadness that Rabbi Rabbi Barbara Aiello Yisroel Friedman encouraged Jews to find joy and purpose in life. Hava Nagila’s melody and the humming of this wordless tune became a song of hope for many shtetl Jews.

2. Hava Nagila made its way from Europe to Jerusalem. At the turn of the last century, Chassidim from Austria brought Rabbi Friedman’s melody to Jerusalem. In about 1915, these Chassidic Jews met with a musical pioneer who gifted Hava Nagila with its memorable lyrics.

3. A native Latvian, passionate Zionist and world-renowned musicologist, Abraham Zvi Idelson, wrote the words to Hava Nagila.

4. Hava Nagila’s lyrics are based on the words from Psalm 11 verse 24: Ze ha’yom asah Adonai, nagila v’nismecha bo, “This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be happy in it.” (Psalms 11:24) 5. Some are unsure of the lyrics. Refresh your memory with the words to Hava Nagila: Hava nagila, Hava nagila = Let’s rejoice, Let’s rejoice Hava nagila v’nismecha = Let us rejoice and be glad Hava neranana, Hava neranana =

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Let’s sing, let’s sing Hava neranena v’nismecha = Let’s sing and be glad Uru, uru achim = Awake, awake brothers Uru achim b’lev sameach = Awake brothers with a joyful heart At the formal conclusion of World War I, Idelson organized a celebratory concert in Jerusalem. The chorus sang Hava Nagila and it became an instant hit, first in Jerusalem and then throughout the Jewish world.

Hava Nagila made its way from the kibbutz to Jewish Zionist camps, many in America. Jewish children took the song home and sang it at their Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations and later on at their weddings, with the guests of honor carried high on chairs.

In the 1950s, Hava Nagila became part of the mainstream music scene thanks to Harry Belafonte, who closed his concerts with the uplifting melody. “I was always moved by this song,” Belafonte said.

Could be because, according to the Dictionary of Sephardic (Jewish) surnames, Belafonte is a Spanish Jewish name!

More and more international stars added Hava Nagila to their repertoire, from Connie Francis to Glenn Campbell to Europe’s Barbra Streisand, Dalida (who said, “This melody is in my blood.”), to Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, who performed her winning gymnastic routine to Hava Nagila’s internationally recognized beat.

PBS produced a film, Hava Nagila (The Movie), and YouTube boasts more than one half million videos featuring Hava Nagila, a song that, in the words of Dr. Yvette Alt Miller, “conveys a deeply felt Jewish truth: that we all long to

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transcend the challenges in our lives… that all of us want to be happy. And that singing and listening to the happiness in Hava Nagila can bring us all a measure of joy.”

Thanks to journalists Dr. Yvette Alt Miller (Aish.com) and Dr. James Loeffler (My Jewish Learning) for

their research on this topic.

For ten years Rabbi Barbara Aiello served the Aviva Campus for Senior Life in Sarasota as resident rabbi. Currently as Aviva’s Rabbi Emerita, she shares her experiences on Aging Jewishly. Contact her at Rabbi@Rabbi Barbara.com.

K’zohar Ha-Ivrit Derekh – Road

By Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin

J

anuary 2018 is here. The parties are over, resolutions are made, and the time is set to enjoy the journey along the road of the New Year. It is in this spirit that I wish to direct our attention to the Hebrew word for road, namely derekh.

Derekh is derived from the root, d.r.kh, meaning, “tread,” “walk” and “stamp.” The root d.r.kh is related to the root d.r.g, meaning “graded,” “walked step by step” and “traced.”

Derekh appears in the Bible over 700 times in different constructions.

Strange at it may seem, derekh is one of the words in Hebrew that can be referred Dr. Rachel Dulin to either in masculine or in the feminine form. Thus, we read about derekh lo tov (masc.), meaning “not a good road” (Ps. 36:5), or derekh tovah (fem.), “a good road” (I Kgs. 8:36). In the Bible, derekh has a few meanings, such as “a road,” “a path,” “a direction” and “a mode,” or “a manner of behavior.” In post-biblical Hebrew, derekh received additional meanings such as “guide,” “aim,” “orient” and “trend.”

It is not surprising that, with so many meanings, derekh is at the center of many phrases and idiomatic expressions in biblical, post-biblical and modern Hebrew. We will mention a few here. Many of us recognize the exclamation in the Sidur when the Torah is brought back to the ark, that the Torah is etz cha-im or “a tree of life,” and

that de-ra-khe-ha dar-khay no-am, “her ways are pleasant” (Prov. 3:17). Based on this view, the rabbis taught: lim-dah Torah derekh eretz, literally “the Torah teaches the way of the land,” yet, figuratively, it implies “manners,” “respect” and “proper behavior” (Yoma 4). Interestingly, in rabbinic literature, derekh eretz also means “a trade” or “a profession.” And so they taught ya-fe tal-mud Torah im derekh eretz, that is to say, “it is fine to study Torah but it should be incorporated with a means of support” (Avot 2:2). Hence, the spiritual component of life should go hand in hand with the pursuit of supporting one’s self and family, so as not be a burden on others.

By the way, or as we say in modern Hebrew, derekh a-gav, despite the limiting space, we will mention briefly the idiom em ha-derekh, literally the “mother of the road,” implying “the crossroads” (Ezk 21:26), as well as derekh ha-melekh, literally “the king’s way,” meaning “the main road” (Num. 20:17), and referring to either the correct path or to proper behavior.

We will end with the phrase derekh tz’lay-chah, literally “successful road” or “bon voyage” – a wish to one who embarks upon a new venture or trip.

As 2018 commences, I wish all our readers derekh tz’lay-chah in the path of the New Year. May derkh ha-me-lekh be your way and may you enjoy the blessings of derekh eretz and shalom wherever you go.

Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin is a professor of biblical literature at Spertus College in Chicago, and an adjunct professor of Hebrew and Bible at New College in Sarasota.

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January 2018

JEWISH INTEREST

ldStars of David

By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist

Editor’s note: Persons in BOLD CAPS are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish for the purpose of the column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jewish parent and were not raised in a faith other than Judaism – and don’t identify with a faith other than Judaism as an adult. Converts to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish.

Five-Star Recommendation iello The eight-episode premiere season of nior The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is now Curstreaming on Amazon. Any Amazon she Prime member can watch Amazon Jeworiginal series, like Maisel, for free. abbi Rarely has there been so much Jewish content in a “regular” TV series, so it’s worth binge-watching when you can.

The first episode (free for all online) is good, but some Jewish details are confused (like calling the breakthe-fast dinner “Yom Kippur dinner”).

Forgive the creator, AMY SHERMANPALLADINO, 51 (Gilmore Girls).

Her mother wasn’t Jewish and she was raised “Jewish light” and gets some “Jewish stuff” a bit wrong – mostly in the first show.

Maisel begins in 1958. The central character is Miriam “Midge” Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan). Midge is a 26-year-old affluent Jewish woman with a nice Jewish husband, two young kids and a great Manhattan apartment.

She’s beautiful, funny and smart (Bryn Mawr grad), but its 1958 and she’s genuinely content with being a housewife/mother. Marriage troubles put her on her improbable journey to becoming a stand-up comedian. An NPR reviewer captured why the series works so well: most dramas about a stand-up comedian build them up before they take the stage. A let-down follows when the fictional comedian isn’t as funny or fresh as you’re led to believe they will be. Maisel doesn’t disappoint.

She is shocking, smart and very funny on stage. She is, to a large degree, a marvelous fantasy. One wishes that in

1958 there was a Jewish woman comedian who could say – and did say – the things Maisel does.

MICHAEL ZEGEN, 38, plays Joel, Midge’s husband. ALEX BORSTEIN, 46, plays Suzie, Midge’s agent. The famous real-life comedian LENNY BRUCE (1925-1966) is a secondary, but important character.

Getting to Know Timothée Chalamet Six months ago, he was a virtual unknown. But, in December, Vanity Fair called TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET, 21, the “breakout” star of the year.

In November, he had a big supporting role as a high school student in Lady Bird, an acclaimed comingof-age story (starring Saoirse Ronan, it co-stars BEANIE FELDSTEIN, 24, and ODEYA RUSH, 20).

In December, he became a likely Oscar nominee following the limited release of Call Me By Your Name (opens wide this month). Set in Italy, Chalamet plays Elio, the 17-year-old son of an American Jewish professor (MICHAEL STUHLBARG, 49) and an Italian Jewish mother. Armie Hammer plays Oliver, an American Jewish college student who comes to the professor’s home to help him with academic paperwork. Oliver and Elio are drawn to each other, partially because they’re both Jewish. A brief romance ensues. Lady Bird won the New York Critics Association “film of the year” award in December, and the same week, Call Me won the L.A. Critics best 2017 film award.

Chalamet, who was raised in Manhattan, is the son of a French journalist

19A

Interested in Your Family’s History?

Nate Bloom (see column at left) has become a family history expert in 10 years of doing his celebrity column, and he has expert friends who can help when called on. Most family history experts charge $1,000 or more to do a full family-tree search. However, Bloom knows that most people want to start with a limited search of one family line.

So here’s the deal:

Write Bloom at nteibloom@aol.com and enclose a phone number.

Nate will then contact you about starting a limited search. If that goes well, additional and more extensive searches are possible.

The first search fee is no more than $100. No upfront cost. Also, several of this newspaper’s readers have asked Bloom to locate friends and family members from their past, and that’s worked out great for them. So contact him about this as well. father and an American Jewish mother. His mother’s brother, RODMAN FLENDER, 55, is a busy producer/ TV director. His maternal grandfather, HAROLD FLENDER, was a TV writer. Chalamet stars in A Rainy Day in New York, a WOODY ALLEN film to be released sometime this year, and he recently said that Allen, 82, told him he worked with Harold in the ’50s.

Chalamet also has a big role in the Western Hostiles, which will be widely released this month.

In an interview released in December, Chalamet described himself as Jewish. His mother has posted Instagram photos of the family celebrating Chanukah and of their Seder table.

“Clues” point to his father not being Jewish.

Sorting Them Out Even The New York Times and USA Today fell for widespread Internet misinformation that Meghan Markle, now the fiancée of Prince Harry, has a Jewish father. The Times corrected itself (November 28) the same day as they

made the mistake. Markle’s correct religious background, as related in The Times’ correction, is this: born Protestant (but not baptized), she went to a Catholic girls’ school and intends to be baptized into the Church of England before marrying Harry. Her father is of varied European ancestry, including German and Irish (but not Jewish). Her mother is African-American.

I suspect the “Jewish story” originated in the fact that her ex-husband, TREVOR ENGELSON, is Jewish and their wedding, reports said, contained “Jewish elements” (usually means a chuppah and/or stepping on a glass.)

Readers wonder, I know, so here’s the background of just a few of the celebs recently fired or suspended for sexual harassment: Charlie Rose isn’t Jewish; New York Times reporter GLENN THRUSH is; and MATT LAUER is the son of a Jewish father/ non-Jewish mother. He wasn’t raised in any faith.

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20A

January 2018

JEWISH INTEREST

A tribute to Leonard Bernstein in his centennial year

By Arlene Stolnitz

W

riting about this prolific composer is a challenge!

Those of us who grew up in the ’50s remember the wonderful television programs in which Leonard Bernstein was the “ultimate” teacher of classical music with the New York Philharmonic’s Young People’s Concerts. I can clearly remember making a beeline for the TV set on a Saturday afternoon so I would not miss his outstanding talks on “what music means.”

Arlene Stolnitz (One can still see the videos online, which are as informative and stimulating today as when they were produced.)

Bernstein was born on August 25, 1918, making this his Centennial Year.

He died on October 20, 1990, and left a legacy that is admired and respected by music aficionados the world over.

One cannot talk about his accomplishments as a musical genius without recognizing his expertise and virtuosity. From Broadway theater to classical music, his limitless talent as a pianist, composer, conductor, teacher, poet and author places him in the music world as “musician extraordinaire.”

We all know of his famous West Side Story, On the Town, Candide and many symphonic creations as well as ballet music.

And yet despite his diversified interest in all areas of music, Bernstein never forgot his Judaic background, having grown up in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the son of Samuel and Jennie Reznick Bernstein, who had emigrated from Russia. His father wanted him

to go into the beauty supply business, but Bernstein wanted no part of that!

It created a rift that was finally reconciled when his “Pop,” as he was called

by Lenny, realized his son’s enormous talent.

Three works that speak to his Jewish background are “Jeremiah,” “Kaddish” and “Chichester Psalms.”

“Jeremiah,” a 25-minute threemovement symphony, established Bernstein as a major American symphonist. He had started to work on it shortly after graduating from Harvard, only to put it aside upon entering Curtis Institute to study conducting. It was several years later that he returned to his “Hebrew song.” Calling it “Jeremiah,” it premiered with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1944. Dealing with the prophet’s pleas to his people Israel against the pagan influences and corruption of the time, the symphony offers only consolation rather than solution. Bernstein wrote, “The work I have been writing about all my life is about the struggle born of the crisis of our century, the crisis of faith.”

“Kaddish,” which premiered in 1963, was dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated just weeks before. It was a vehicle for Bernstein to express his personal faith. Once again it is his crisis of faith in which he asks, “What can we believe in when man has the capability and desire to destroy itself?” The dissonance of the piece suggests that peace continues to elude us. However, the voices of children in this and many of his other compositions represent the hope for humanity.

In “Chichester Psalms,” which premiered in 1965 in Philharmonic Hall, New York, Bernstein married a unique blend of the Christian choral tradition

with Biblical Hebrew verse. Jazzy and contemporary in feeling, Bernstein required the text to be sung entirely in Hebrew. This year, the Venice Chorale will sing this work in Hebrew at its Sunday, April 8 concert at 3:30 p.m. at the Venice Performing Arts Center. Based on selected verses from the Psalms, the piece was his plea for peace during a turbulent time in Israel’s history.

According to Jack Gottlieb, Bernstein’s lifelong confidant and assistant, works such as these were testament to Bernstein’s religious upbringing, which had been “deeply infused” with synagogue music and Hebrew studies.

One interesting anecdote about Bernstein was that he disliked his name being pronounced “Bernsteen.”

Instead, he preferred the true German

As heIsr

pronunciation “Bernstine,” just as disliked being called “Lenny,” preferBy A ring the more dignified “Leonard.”

This year, the SILL (Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning) lecture program will host his daughter, Jamie Bernstein. It will be a rare treat, inenth his Centennial Year, to hear her speaktion about this wonderfully brilliant manli-or Acad who was her father.

Arlene Stolnitz, founder of the Sara-insta sota Jewish Chorale, is a member ofto Th the Jewish Congregation of Venice. A retired educator from Rochester, New York, she has sung in choral groups for over 25 years and also sings in Venice’s Chorale (formerly Exsultate!). Her interest in choral music has led to this series of articles on Jewish folk music in the Diaspora.

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January 2018

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

21A

arTop 7 reasons Israeli TV shows are smash hits abroad As Israel’s hit TV show Fauda prepares to launch its second season, we take a look at why Israeli TV producers have such a magic touch for shows that transcend international boundaries.

By Abigail Klein Leichman, ISRAEL21c, www.israel21c.org, November 27, 2017

W

hat makes Israeli television formats like In Treatment, Homeland and Fauda so enthusiastically embraced in translation by global viewers? Why are Israeli-originated series such as Greenhouse Academy, Hostages and The A Word instant hits in countries from Finland to Thailand?

attractive to other territories.”

Homeland, one of the most expensive Israeli TV formats, was made in Berlin in 2015 for a reported $45 million for 12 episodes, while American Homeland episodes each cost Showtime $3 million to produce. That’s more than the average $2 million for cable shows made that year but much less than Game of Thrones episodes that clocked in at $6 million apiece and now cost $15 million.

3. They’re not afraid to take risks Just as Israelis in general comfortably embrace risk-taking and uncertainty, the Israeli TV formats industry doesn’t hesitate to take a chance on innoCast of Greenhouse Academy, a Netflix show shot on location in Israel (photo by Ronen Akerman) vative and unusual ideas, According to the Israeli Export Inin contrast to traditionally conservastitute, global TV and film sales from tive production industries elsewhere Israel tallied $268 million in 2016. that are more likely to reject a new idea Netflix online video service offers a that’s not a sure bet. Once it’s been dozen Hebrew-language shows to subproven in Israel, an out-of-the-box scribers. Last September, buyers and show format is an easier sell abroad. producers from a whopping 28 counA case in point is The A Word, tries came to Tel Aviv for the second which portrays a family with an autisinternational TV Formats Conference. tic child. It’s based on the Israeli series Israeli TV formats are varied, from Yellow Peppers. nail-biting dramas like Prisoners of 4. They have international appeal War to fun quiz shows like Still StandAside from creating characters anyone ing. And the reasons for their popularcan relate to, Israeli producers (like Isity are just as varied. raeli high-tech entrepreneurs) think in1. They’re character-driven ternationally in their business models “It’s the compelling characters that due to Israel’s small domestic market. draw you,” says Adam Berkowitz, coOne example is Keshet, Israel’s head of the television department at biggest production house, which has Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in Los opened branches in Los Angeles, LonAngeles and president of the internadon, Hong Kong and Mexico City to tional TV Formats Conference. sell shows, help create foreign adapta“These are characters who deal tions and produce original programwith complex issues, and because Isming overseas. rael is a Western society those issues 5. They feature compelling storylines resonate with American viewers.

Walter Iuzzolino, head of British The focus on characters results in streaming service Walter Presents, repart from a lack of big money in Israeli cently told Bloomberg Business Week that Israeli TV formats are “emotionally poignant, three-dimensional and never boring.”

That could be thanks to the next two reasons.

6. They depict the melting pot of Israeli society In an age when global Claire Danes in the award-winning American version of Homeland on Showtime viewers are eager to drill TV production to do expensive action deeper into the psychology of foreign or adventure shows. Which leads us to cultures, Israeli shows are just what the second reason Israeli TV formats the doctor ordered. Concentrated into are popular abroad… a very small space, Israelis comprise 2. They’re low-budget Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Druze Israeli shows are attractive to studios natives and immigrants from across because, relatively speaking, they the world, many of them from North don’t take pots of cash to produce.

African/Middle Eastern nations and Avi Armoza, CEO of Armoza the former Soviet Union. How everyFormats, which has sold 60 Israeli one gets along (or doesn’t) is endlessly TV formats abroad, told Haaretz that entertaining.

Israelis have “gained the experience 7. They reflect the daily drama and knowledge on how to be creative of Israeli life with our solutions and produce costThe underlying themes of war, tereffective shows that still have the apror, religious and political conflicts pearance of big-budget productions, – and the everyday challenge of getmaking them more accessible and ting along with neighbors of different

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cultures (see No. 6) – provide rich fodder for Israeli producers.

The sometimes chaotic reality of Israeli life is reflected in the title of one of the biggest hits overseas, Fauda, which means “chaos” in Arabic. Action, humor, suspense, melodrama – our TV shows have it all.

Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and associate editor at ISRAEL21c. Prior to moving to Israel in 2007, she was a specialty writer and copy editor at a major daily newspaper in New Jersey and has freelanced for a variety of newspapers and periodicals since 1984.

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MUSEUMS IN ISRAEL PORTAL: CULTURE AND HISTORY FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

You can now access thousands of history’s magnificent treasures – with the touch of a button.

With more museums per capita than any other country, and some of the world’s most important historical and archeological sites, Israel has emerged as a hub for art, history and culture.

This portal – five years in the making – provides visitors with unlimited access to more than 63,000 photographs, items and exhibits with a touch of a button.

It features works of art, archeological artifacts, extensive Judaica and original historical documents from prehistoric times to today.

The portal also gives visitors access to millions of items featured in Europeana, the European digital cultural library.

Visit the Museums in Israel Portal at http://www.museums.gov.il/en/. (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

NEW EILAT AIRPORT TO OPEN IN 2018

Eilat’s Ilan and Assaf Ramon International Airport is set to open in April 2018.

The first civilian airport built since Israel was founded is located 19 km. north of Eilat in the Timna Valley and will replace the current airport located within the city itself. (Anna Ahronheim, Jerusalem Post)

WHY A GROWING NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS WOMEN WANT TO SERVE IN THE ISRAELI MILITARY

All Israelis are drafted into the military at age 18, with a few exceptions.

Religiously observant women, known in Israel as modern Orthodox, traditionally have opted to enroll in national service, volunteering in schools or the community for a year or two, instead of the military.

But since 2010, the number of religious women who want to serve has jumped from 935 in 2010 to 2,499 in 2016.

They are increasingly choosing to serve out of a sense of duty to defend Israel, military officials and soldiers say.

Women make up roughly a third of Israel’s military, compared with about 14% in the U.S. armed forces. The IDF says that today around 90% of all military jobs are open to women.

Brig.-Gen. Sharon Nir, the adviser on gender affairs to the IDF chief of staff, said, “These women have realized the army is a very important component of feeling part of Israeli society, and they want to contribute to the state.

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They are religious Zionists – their brothers serve, and now they want to, too.” (Ruth Eglash, Washington Post)

231 IMMIGRANTS FROM TWO “LOST TRIBES” ARRIVE IN ISRAEL

Members of two “lost tribes” – 162 people from India’s Bnei Menashe and 69 from Ethiopia, reputedly descendants of the Tribe of Dan – arrived in Israel Thursday, November 16, to reunite with family members and make new lives in the country.

Some 1,700 Bnei Menashe have settled in Israel over the past 15 years, with a further 7,000 waiting to immigrate. (Times of Israel)

ISRAELI AID TO SYRIANS: WARM CLOTHING, HEATING OIL AND A MATERNITY HOSPITAL

The IDF has facilitated the opening of a maternity hospital on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights – part of a significant expansion of Operation Good Neighbor, which provides Israeli assistance to war-ravaged Syrian villages near the Israeli border.

Lt.-Col. E., commander of the operation, explained, “You can’t stand from the side and see your neighbor dying and living in hard conditions and know that you can help them and not do so.” The hospital opened in November in Bariqa in the Quneitra region. It is staffed entirely by Syrian doctors, while the incubators, beds and ultrasound equipment come from Israel.

The operation is expanding and reaching villages as far as 20 km. from the border in an area with 200,000 people. “We are...literally every day saving people’s lives,” Lt.-Col. E. said.

In preparation for winter, the IDF has provided 30 tons of warm clothing and a mass supply of diesel fuel so villagers can heat their houses. IDF supplies of flour have brought the price of bread down by at least half in the assisted villages. Lt.-Col. E. said, “The flour is free, the diesel is free, the vehicle [for transportation] is free. They just have to pay for the worker in the bakery.” (Ben Lynfield, Jerusalem Post)

ISRAELI SOCCER STAR NAMED CHINA’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Israeli soccer star Eran Zahavi, 30, was recently named the most valuable player in the Chinese Super League after finishing the season as the top goal scorer. His 27 goals for the season were one short of tying the league record of 28.

Zahavi has a $7 million a year contract with the Guangzhou R&F club until 2020. (Times of Israel)

ISRAEL HAS HIGHEST FERTILITY RATE IN OECD

Among the 35 developed countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), women in Israel have the highest birthrate, with 3.1 children.

On average, a baby is born in Israel every three minutes.

Mexico placed a distant second with 2.2, and the fertility rate for France, the U.S., Britain, the Netherlands and Spain is less than 2. (Maytal Yasur Beit-Or, Israel Hayom)

POLL: MOST ISRAELI ARABS SAY THEY FEEL PART OF ISRAELI SOCIETY

54% of Israeli Arabs say they feel part of Israeli society, but 67% say Israel had no right to be defined as the national home of the Jewish people, according to a survey released by the Israel Democracy Institute. continued on next page

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u

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD Briefs...continued from previous page 69% of Jews and 74% of Arabs report that they have been employed where Jews and Arabs work together, and that 90% of Jews and 95% of Arabs defined the relationship between the employees as good or very good.

(Prof. Tamar Hermann, Israel Democracy Institute)

POLL: 60% OF ISRAELI ARABS ARE “PROUD” TO BE ISRAELI

73% of Israeli Arabs feel a sense of belonging and 60% are proud to be Israelis, according to a new poll commissioned by Israel Hayom that was released Tuesday, November 21.

46% identified as Israeli Arabs and 42% identified as Palestinian Arabs.

82% said they had no desire to live under Palestinian rule. (Baruch Ron, Israel Hayom)

ISRAEL AS A STRATEGIC ASSET OF THE WEST

In 1938, the Jews in what was then Mandatory Palestine established the village of Hanita, on the Lebanese border, against the wishes of the ruling British. Two years later, in 1940, the very same British authorities asked the Jews of Hanita for help as they planned to invade Syria to prevent the Vichy French government there from allowing a German army to build up there.

Bridges over the Litani River were vital for the operation, and the Jews were asked to capture and hold those bridges to prevent their destruction by the Vichy forces.

Fifty young Jewish farmers from Hanita held the bridges for seven hours and repulsed ten mass attacks before regular Australian troops arrived. This was the operation in which Moshe Dayan lost his left eye, and his forces suffered over 50% casualties. The Israeli pioneers proved to be a vital strategic asset to Great Britain, as did the Jewish Legion of the British Army, which helped defeat the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Megiddo in 1918.

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In World War II the British Eighth Army included 30,000 Jewish volunteers, many of whom carried out extraordinary acts of heroism and devotion to duty in the face of horrific adversity.

Moreover, the Jews of Palestine contributed much more to the Allied war effort than all of the Arab nations combined. The British army was supported in Palestine by 200,000 Jewish industrial workers and farmers and thousands more doctors, dentists and nurses. 7,000 factories and vast acres of agricultural land were placed at the disposal of British Empire Forces.

In 1981, an Israeli strike destroyed the Iraqi nuclear reactor under construction in Baghdad, an attack that was condemned at the time but was later recognized as being an important factor in enabling the U.S.-led coalition to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. In 2007, the Israeli Air Force destroyed the Syrian nuclear reactor in Deir ez-Zor region, preventing the Assad regime from acquiring atomic weapons or transferring nuclear material to Hizbullah and Iran.

After 9/11, Western nations found themselves increasingly dependent on Israel’s vast operational and counterterrorism experience, incomparable intelligence resources and highly developed technological sophistication. (Col. Richard Kemp, Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, Jewish Political Studies Review)

NUMBER OF WOMEN IN IDF COMBAT ROLES REACHES RECORD HIGH

January 2018 The drop-out rate among female recruits was no higher than their male counterparts. (Yossi Yehoshua, Ynet News)

WITH IRAN ON ITS DOORSTEP, ISRAEL QUIETLY READIES GAMECHANGING AIR POWER

Israel is making clear to Iran and its agents that it has no intention of allowing them to proceed with their plans to create a military outpost in Syria.

Israel’s new aerial strike capabilities might well surpass any display of air power seen in military history thus far.

The Israel Air Force, together with the Military Intelligence Directorate of the IDF, has been quietly developing the ability to use precise intelligence, combined with precision-guided weaponry, to destroy up to several thousand targets in just a matter of hours.

As ISIS crumbles and the remainder of the Syrian Sunni rebels face defeat in Syria, Iran, which runs Assad’s ground war, will be free to shift the focus of its Syrian presence toward Israel. (Yaakov Lappin, BESA Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University)

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Commander of the Rescue Division Col. Yair Barkat said that the young women’s motivation to serve was exceedingly high, as was their quality.

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24A

January 2018

COMMENTARY

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” From the Bimah Rabbi Michael Werbow Temple Beth Sholom

T

he words in the headline come from the song “Closing Time” by the musical group Semisonic. They are important to focus on as we begin a new secular year. The beautiful thing about the celebration is it gives us an opportunity to look back and to look ahead. We can use the time to evaluate the year that has passed and

set goals for the year to come.

The words from “Closing Time” make a lot of sense if we think about some of the movies that we watch. For years we have had sequels. The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III. How many people know that Rocky was followed by six sequels? Yes, sometimes we don’t know when to stop.

More recently, there’s been a new wave of prequels. What better way to revive a completed storyline than to go back in time and unpack what got us to the starting point in the first place? Remember, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

We can notice a “to be continued” aspect to the end of books. Bereshit, Genesis, ends with the death of Joseph.

The final verse is, “Joseph died at the

age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.” We know this is not the end. It may be the end of one phase of our people’s story but there is more to come. Just the location of the story, in Egypt, sets us up for the next book.

Similarly, the book of Shemot, Exodus, concludes with a description of how Moses knew when the people should continue on their journey and when they should stay in one place.

This is based on the cloud of God’s presence covering or lifting from the Tent of Meeting. This description is followed by the beginning of Vayikra, Leviticus, where God calls to Moses from that very same Tent of Meeting, thus linking the end of one book to the beginning of the next.

The completion of each of the

books of the Torah and the beginning of the next is tied together. Even when the Torah concludes with the death of Moses, it is not over. It is merely the prequel to the book of Joshua and the continuation of the story of our people.

No book stands alone. They each pick up from what came before. So too, we are links in a chain, not just the end of the chain that has come to us but the beginning of the chain that our children and grandchildren will grab onto and link to the next generations.

So, in the midst of your New Year’s celebration, take time to recognize what you are beginning and what has come to an end in order to get you to this spot.

Saudi Arabia and Iran face off in a cold-war struggle

By Rabbi Howard A. Simon

N

ow that the Islamic State has The enmity between these two met its match and finds itself countries was given a new shot in the losing land and influence in arm when Lebanese Prime Minister the Middle East, two adversaries, SauSaad Hariri resigned as he took refuge in Saudi Arabia. The former prime di Arabia and Iran, look to fill this void and expand their influence minister has openly throughout the area. Iran is criticized Iran and its the main Shiite Muslim powLebanese proxy, the er in this part of the world.

Shiite militia and the terrorist group HezbolSaudi Arabia is the leading Sunni country in the Persian lah, for impacting the area in a most threatGulf. Iran is governed by a mix of parliamentary leaderening and devastating ship owing its power to a refashion. ligious authority that controls While this political all facets of Iranian life. Saudi intrigue is taking place, Rabbi Howard A. Simon Arabia is governed by a monSaudi forces interceptarchy that is run by Crown Prince Moed a ballistic missile fired by Yemeni Houthi rebels aimed at King Khalid hammed bin Salman, the heir apparent to his father, King Salman.

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Arabia. The Saudis have been engaged in a struggle against the Houthis, who are seen as a pro-Iran military group.

This confrontation between Iran and the Saudis is also seen in the ongoing confrontation in Syria, where Iran supports President Bashar al-Assad, and Saudi Arabia backs the Sunni rebels desirous of ousting Assad from office.

Iran’s goal is to dominate the region and gain greater access to Hezbollah in Lebanon and attain on outlet to the Mediterranean. The Saudis wish to put a stop to this Russia-backed effort and have made overtures to President Putin hoping he will turn from supporting Iran to dealing in a more positive manner with Saudi Arabia.

Israel watches this struggle between the two powers, desirous of

stopping Iran in its takeover movement and supporting the Saudis in their wish to stop the influence of Iran in the area. There is no answer as to which country will prevail, but the concern manifested by this confrontation has, and will continue, to affect the entire Middle East. We watch, we wait and we wonder what the outcome will be and how involved Israel will become in this confrontation.

Rabbi Howard A. Simon is the founding chair of The Robert and Esther Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative.

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January 2018

COMMENTARY

25A

From Our Community Chaplain

The trivial and the momentous

ningBy Rabbi Jonathan R Katz n our journalism,” Ted Kopwhen pel shared a few years ago, “the h of trivial displaces the momentous y the because we tend to measure the imand ourportance of events by how recently they happened.”

The fight for market share in toeach too,day’s breakneck news cycle is so fierce endthat media companies are compelled to constantly change t the headlines. What dren kind of news reand ceives top billing doesn’t much New matter as long as cogconsumers remain what glued to their you televisions, comRabbi Jonathan R Katz puter screens and iPhones. A leading item about the latest Kardashian pregnancy is soon replaced by the announcement of another North Korean ballistic missile test followed by a report of a fresh Justin Bieber sighting.

This is why I had several mixed emotions regarding Larry David’s controversial November Saturday Night Live appearance. On the one hand, pointing out that a large proportion of the well-known men recently accused of sexual harassment are Jews was discomfiting. David then gratuitously gilded the objectionable lily by throwing in a few ill-conceived concentration camp romance jokes.

On the other hand, a la Koppel’s perspective, I was relieved the mainstream press quickly moved on to other news. However, Jewish media outlets and bloggers stayed with the story for several days.

Some argued David had irresponsibly focused public attention on Jewish sexual predators (a situation the entertainer lamented with a sardonic “Oy vey izmir”) and also crossed the Holocaust line. Others claimed that even with all the Shoah’s horrors, humor in the camps helped bolster Jewish spirits. Besides, they added, comedians are supposed to court the edge and shock.

My concern is not so much whether David’s bit was funny or appropriate but, rather, its significance. Did his se ease airing Jewish dirty laundry and making Holocaust jokes on national television seek to convey just how secure Jews are in America now? Did it reflect Jewish integrity in broadcasting we will not shy away from, citing our own when it comes to moral laxity?

Did David try to play a prophylactic role by pointing out the Jewishness of Weinstein, Ratner, Toback and Hoffman before Richard Spencer had a chance?

Or did he proudly assert that this unseemly behavior shouldn’t obscure more telling Jewish achievements: “I don’t like when Jews are in the headlines for notorious reasons. I want ‘Einstein discovers the theory of relativity,’ ‘Salk cures polio.’” Did David’s attempt at dark Holocaust humor communicate a determined Jewish capacity for resilience even in the face of brutality?

Whether you agree or disagree with David’s comedic propriety as SNL’s host, his monologue fell flat. When the audience remained fairly silent during his opening, SNL producers must have gotten callouses from relentlessly hitting the studio applause/laughter signs.

That David bombed or not is not as important to me as how Flyover country received his schlock schtick. While Jews are considerably self-aware, the world at large still often doesn’t know how to read us. Sometimes this reflects a willful unfamiliarity in order to paint us as an irredeemable “other.” But we also need to recognize that many are still mystified by us, not in a nefarious way, but in an enigmatic one.

I

“

Therefore, they are still susceptible to drawing pejorative conclusions from misconstrued Jewish representations.

When the Internet can dispatch communication to billions in a nanosecond, it is that much more important to be careful what we circulate about ourselves, especially when what we say will be seen by a large audience.

Though his cable show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, can be very funny, what Larry David imparted did not serve any entertainment or Jewish purpose.

Of course, he is only one voice and a comedic one at that. But one voice can make a big difference in how Jews are perceived.

The day after David’s SNL appearance, I attended The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee’s Annual Meeting/Celebration. What a contrast!

The gathering honored a myriad of contributions made to our community and beyond by organizations and individuals in partnership with Federation.

Established in 1982, the Jaffa Institute operates thirty wide-ranging programs to assist the disadvantaged in Jaffa, south Tel Aviv and Bat Yam. Employing a holistic approach that annually reaches more than 5,000 people, the agency includes crisis residences for at-risk youth, educational enrichment centers, food banks, women’s empowerment seminars, and support to the elderly and Holocaust survivors.

An Institute representative from Israel inspiringly shared his profound appreciation for The Federation’s support over several years.

Philanthropists Graci and Dennis

McGillicuddy, founders of Embracing our Differences, were recognized for establishing the All-Star Children’s Foundation which, in conjunction with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, is developing a state-of-the-art Campus of Caring in Sarasota County. This unprecedented model to heal childhood trauma will utilize the latest research in brain science combined with comprehensive individual treatment.

For more than forty years, Israel Tennis Centers (ITC), Israel’s largest social service agency for children, has taught life skills and served as a vital recreational outlet. Its 14 centers serve 10,000 youngsters a week regardless of ethnic background, religious affiliation or economic circumstance. Introduced in 2001 to children whose lives were transformed by ITC, Larry Greenspon became an ardent supporter. So much so that in October the ITC Foundation named its original center in Ramat HaSharon for Larry and his wife Mary.

Among other awardees were local NAACP President Trevor Harvey for his service on behalf of improving community understanding, survivor Hilde Mandel for her dedication to Holocaust education, Joan and Bart Levenson whose generosity has enabled the expansion of the Bob Malkin Young Ambassadors Teen Leadership Program, and Marilyn and Irving Naditch in praise of their longstanding commitment to Federation.

Thankfully, while Larry David’s SNL inanity has already faded from the spotlight, the important initiatives undertaken by Jewish organizations

like Federation, JFCS and AJC have become that much more significant and enduring. Clearly, the momentous is not being displaced by the trivial in Sarasota-Manatee.

Rabbi Jonathan R Katz serves as a Community Chaplain and Director of JFCS’s Jewish Healing Program, a partnership between The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and JFCS of the Suncoast.

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January 2018

COMMENTARY

A 30th anniversary, Soviet Jews, and the making of history

By David Harris, AJC CEO, November 29, 2017

O

n December 6, 1987, 30 years ago, more than 250,000 people gathered in Washington to call on the Kremlin to open the gates and let Soviet Jews emigrate. Freedom Sunday, as it came to be known, was the largest Jewish-organized gathering in American history.

The timing was not random.

Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was scheduled to meet with U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the White House the very next day. It was to be the Soviet leader’s first official visit to the U.S. since he assumed office in 1985, following the death of Konstantin Chernenko.

In 1987, the number of Jews allowed to leave the USSR was pitifully low. Many Soviet Jews continued to languish in the Gulag for their activism, while some refusenik families had been living in limbo behind the Iron Curtain for years, if not longer.

I had the privilege of serving as the national coordinator of Freedom Sunday. It was an indescribably exhilarating and inspiring experience, but there were challenges aplenty.

First, we had barely five weeks’ notice of Gorbachev’s arrival date to plan the event. The myriad details, big and small, made it a 24/7 job for the dedicated team in charge of assembling the pieces.

Second, the previous record attendance for a Jewish rally in Washington was 12-13,000 people. That was to support Israel in a defining time of war – June 1967.

What would our number look like against that unimpressive backdrop, especially in the dead of winter? Could a poor turnout actually damage the Soviet Jewry cause by signaling to the Kremlin a low level of interest in the issue?

And third, despite the impression of a united Soviet Jewry movement, there were deep fissures between the so-called, if misnamed, “establishment” and the “activists.” (Having been detained twice by Soviet authorities, expelled from the country once, denied entry to the USSR because of my “past political history,” and involved in clandestinely sending thousands of Jewish books and other items to Soviet Jews, was I disqualified from being an “activist” because I was connected to an “establishment” organization, the American Jewish Committee?) Would everyone put aside their perceived differences and stand together as one for this single day?

Much credit goes to Natan Sharansky, the legendary prisoner of conscience who spent nine years in the Soviet camps before being released in 1986, for setting the organizers’ sights

high. He insisted that there must be a mass rally, and set the goal at 250,000 participants. Frankly, no one had a clue how we might attain the number, but Sharansky, given his personal history of staring down the KGB, was not easy to dissuade.

It was extraordinary to watch those 35 days of preparation unfold. Most striking was to see the response of Jewish communities across the United States, in Canada and in other countries. Reports would trickle in of, first, one bus or planeload from a given city or college campus, then an updated report of two, or three, or four, or five.

Anecdotally, the organizers also began hearing about those planning to show up who said they had never before attended a protest rally, but felt this was history in the making and wanted to be a part of it.

It was especially noteworthy to see how many times people referred to the Holocaust, citing the ineffectiveness of the Jewish community here during the Second World War and saying that American Jews needed to learn the lessons of their own history and speak out.

In the end, more than 250,000 people participated, including, it should be noted, a sizable number of non-Jews.

The weather was brisk but sunny. There was no shortage of prominent speakers, among them U.S. Vice President George H.W. Bush. Indeed, one of the biggest challenges, in the end, turned out to be trying to manage the large number of political and civic leaders, former Soviet Jewish prisoners and refuseniks, and other notable figures who wanted to speak – and, more often

thousands, to the point where more than ten percent of the Jewish community hails from the Soviet Union – or now, in one of my favorite sets of initials, the FSU. Not only is this whole story important in and of itself, but it can also serve as a case study in what is possible, against all the odds, if only the Jewish people stand together, persevere and join forces with others of good will.

Yet, disappointingly, the event seems largely to have faded from view, rarely cited in synagogues, schools or communal discussion.

December 6 is a date worth remembering and celebrating for what it achieved – and, above all, as a telling reminder of what is potentially within our grasp.

than not, ignored the strict time limit we put on each speech!

Media coverage was extensive.

Perhaps most significantly, Voice of America broadcast the rally to Soviet listeners, which, we later learned, was a huge morale boost for Jews sitting by their radios.

And, as has been documented, when Reagan and Gorbachev met in the Oval Office the next day, the American leader cited the rally as an unmistakable expression of public opinion and urged his Soviet counterpart to heed the message.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The gates began to open and Soviet Jews started to leave in large numbers.

Eventually, more than a million Russian-speaking Jews settled in Israel, profoundly transforming the country and revitalizing the Zionist spirit.

Unexpectedly, Germany became the fastest-growing Diaspora community in the world, with tens of thousands of new arrivals from the Soviet space. And the U.S. drew hundreds of

The AJC West Coast Florida office, located in Sarasota, can be reached at 941.365.4955.

Letter to the Editor I take issue with Dr. Derfler’s history of the “palestinian” people. He focuses on the excising of Palestine and Jordan from the Mandate of Syria and Lebanon in 1923 as the impetus for “nurturing a new identity, that of Palestinian Arab.” In fact, most of those who call themselves Palestinian came to work

from many other Arab lands and were not endemic to the area. Palestine included both Arabs and Jews. Arab leaders specifically rejected the term “Palestinian” to refer to Arabs living in the area until 1960 when they adopted it as a means to further their political goals. – Harold Samtur, Sarasota

Opinions and letters printed in The Jewish News of Sarasota-Manatee do not necessarily reflect those of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, its Board of Directors or staff, or its advertisers.

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Majo Dono r enjoy rs ev an with Heening nry Winkler

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Ins compiratio voic es to Snal An n e sp eakarasotae Frank s fo r an: A powexhibit d to erfu mill l ions

▼

V R MLK DAY OF SE

10:30am-Noon

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DS GIVE BACK N A MONDAY IC E JANUARY 15

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PRESENTED BY THE PJ LIBRARY

▼

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in partnership with Community Day School ..

Young Families are invited to come together for a day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day

at NORTH LIDO BEACH, SARASOTA

MEET AT THE NORTHERN-MOST LIFEGUARD STAND (CLOSEST TO ST. ARMAND’S)

Bring your little ones and a picnic lunch for a day of giving back as we work together to clean up the beach! After, enjoy your lunch and stay for games and story time.

PLEASE RSVP at JFEDSRQ.org/Events for this FREE EVENT For more information, contact: Melissa Werbow at 941.552.2770 or mwerbow@communityday.org

January 2018

FOCUS ON YOUTH

The only Jewish kid in class – what kids want parents to know

more mmu– or ini-

Education Corner

By Rena Morano

porerve ven though the percentage of ible, Jewish students and teachers wish in my New York elementary and and high schools was small, we were will. a signifi cant enough presence that our eems schools were closed for the High Holiarely com-days. On winter Friday afternoons, Jewish students were released early so h re-we could make it home before dark, in hat ittime for Shabbat. There were enough llingof us that we could walk together to our ithinafterschool Talmud Torah classes.

Here on Florida’s Suncoast, children encounter a very different reality.

They are frequently the only Jewish student in the class, and sometimes, the only one in a school. Often there isn’t even one Jewish teacher. This results in some difficult situations: As a high school freshman, my oldest son was proud to be in band class; and then he learned that his first concert was on Kol Nidrei evening. were

My younger son loved marching e inband, but most performances were Arab at the Friday night football games, term right during Shabbat services. ng in

Brian, a 7th grade Bar Mitzvah stupted dent, told me that kids at school tical picked on him for being Jewish.

He begged me not to tell his parents. He said he didn’t want them to call more attention to him by going to school and speaking to the teachers or administrators.

9th grader Emma confided that

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when they learned about the Holocaust in school, some kids told her that it was too bad that Hitler didn’t finish the job.

Sammy asked me if he should wear his Jewish star necklace inside his shirt, where no one would see it, or outside of his shirt, to show his Jewish pride.

Emma wondered if it was wrong of her to lie to her classmates about why she was absent on the High Holidays.

Joey was proud to be on the football team, but he didn’t know what to do when the coach called the players together for a pre-game Christian prayer.

The assistant principal at my son’s middle school called to tell me that my son had hit another student.

It turned out that he’d finally had enough of being called a “dirty Jew” by a student whose mother was a teacher in the school.

Year after year, students have to contend with punitive actions by teachers when they miss classwork or exams on the High Holidays.

What do parents have to know?

I asked some former students who are now in college or beyond. Here are their thoughts: In elementary school, children are open to parents coming in with stories and treats about Jewish holidays. One young man remembers his mom bringing in latkes, dreidels and Chanukah stories. His friends all asked to bring home a kippah!

Middle school has the really tough years. A former student observed that even though he experienced a fair amount of name calling focused

on his Jewishness, he doesn’t think it was truly anti-Semitism. He said that middle schoolers are quick to discover anything that makes another student different, and to use that as a basis for bullying. Being Jewish was his difference.

Middle and high schoolers probably won’t want to confide in their parents that they are receiving negative attention for their Jewishness. One boy said that if he’d told his parents, he knew they’d have come to school to talk to the administration or teachers. That was the last thing he wanted. It would have made things even worse, he said, for other kids to know his parents had to intervene. He added that even well-meaning teachers aren’t discreet. Besides, teachers aren’t present where the real bullying occurs – in the halls, in the locker rooms, and in the restrooms.

The best thing parents can do, they agreed, is to provide a happy and comfortable home life, so that children can ride out the difficult times.

Once in high school, they told me, the bullying tends to disappear, but other issues emerge. Sometimes teachers and club sponsors simply don’t know that their schedules are

27A

negatively impacting their Jewish students. When I called my son’s band director to ask why a mandatory performance was scheduled on Yom Kippur, she was sincerely apologetic. She had looked on a school calendar, and had scheduled a time when there were no conflicts. She promised to also consult a Jewish calendar in the future.

A few of my former Hebrew school students told me that it made a difference when I sent an email to all of the teachers in their high schools. I politely informed the teachers that a Jewish holiday was coming up and asked them to please be considerate about scheduling exams and makeup time for assignments. Teachers were generally happy for the information, and being proactive yielded positive results.

I encourage parents and Hebrew school teachers to have conversations with their students about what it means to be Jewish in their public schools.

Be aware that their experiences may change as they move from elementary, to middle, to high school. Be proactive, but please, listen to the children.

Rena Morano is Rabbinic Associate at Congregation Ner Tamid.

ConneCt with your Jewish Community facebook.com/jfedsrq

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January 2018

FOCUS ON YOUTH

Kids’ Challah Bake – family fun at its best This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

P

arents helping their children to make, knead and braid challah was a beautiful sight to behold at the November 15 Kids’ Challah Bake co-sponsored by the Weinstein Jewish Enrichment Program, PJ Library and The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee.

It was truly a blissful family fun night that in addition to challah making, included PJ Library story time, a Shabbat and challah song, and a dinner.

The smiles that stretched from ear to ear expressed the happiness in the moment.

The Challah Bake event was an evening of community collaboration, and the positivity that this event yielded was awesome.

We thank the following individuals whose assistance led to the event’s success: Arthur Siegel, Flora Oynick, Gerry Nussbaum, Rebecca Berman, Ella Steinmetz, Phoenix Berman, Mariama Rothstein, Alisa Belyy, Shaina Davidovich, Andrea Eiffert, William Kohler, Melissa Werbow, Barry Gorn, Lynn Teichman, Daniel Rothstein and Eva Bella Serebro.

The Taylor family enjoys dinner following the Challah Bake event

Temple Emanu-El Gesher students visit Aviva

O

Benjamin and his dad engrossed in challah making

STAY CONNECTED

STAY CONNECTED

n Sunday, November 12, Temple Emanu-El’s seventh-grade Gesher students visited the Aviva Senior Living Campus. As part of their visit, they attended a presentation by Aviva resident Carolyn Kaplan titled “Words I Lived By.” It was a firsthand account of Mrs. Kaplan’s experience during pre-Holocaust Germany and her eventual immigration to the United States. The program was facilitated by seventh-grade teacher Ellen Tishman, who remarked, “The presentation contained many inspiring words of wisdom. The students practiced various middot (positive character traits) including compassion as they mingled and introduced themselves to the other senior residents who were also attending the presentation. Students

asked many intelligent questions of the speaker and, during the course of the morning, were totally transfixed on her compelling story.”

The Aviva visit is one of many community partnership projects that Temple Emanu-El Religious School students will be engaged in this year.

The Gesher program, in particular, is based on character development and the practice of Jewish values. It is part of this year’s overarching theme of helpful living at Temple Emanu-El. For more information about Temple Emanu-El Religious School or service opportunities at Temple Emanu-El, please contact Director of Education Sabrina Silverberg at 941.378.5567 or teers@sarasotatemple.org.

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WE STAND



FAMILY

Temple Emanu-El Gesher seventh-graders visit with Aviva resident Mrs. Carolyn Kaplan

jfedsrq.org

THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.

WITH ISRAEL ISRAEL ADVOCACY IN

ACTION

Sunday, February 11, 2018 Presenter: Ilan Lopez

StandWithUs Outreach in South and Central America StandWithUs is an international, non-profit organization that believes education is the road to peace.

StandWithUs is dedicated to informing the public about Israel, and combating the extremism and antiSemitism that often distorts the issues.

4-6pm in The Jewish Federation Zell Room • Hear from presenter, Ilan Lopez, about his journey from South America to Israel.

• Learn about the Humanitarian and Civil Affairs Unit in the IDF, also known as COGAT and how Ilan worked to improve the lives of Palestinian families.

• Discuss how recognition of Jerusalem is being accepted in Central and South America.

• Find out more about Israel activism for millennials.

• Southeast High School Coordinator, Rayna Rose Exelbierd, will teach effective ways to relate to others through dialogue, not debate.

This STEP Sponsored Event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC but SPACE IS LIMITED. You must pre-register online (see below).

For more information contact Andrea Eiffert aeiffert@jfedsrq.org or 941.552.6308

Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 MacIntosh Rd., Sarasota, FL 34232

Register at

JFEDSRQ.org/Events

The TheJewish JewishFederation FederationofofSarasota-Manatee Sarasota-Manatee

Education Scholarship Program

OPEN HOUSE! WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 at 7pm THE JEWISH FEDERATION ZELL ROOM | 580 MCINTOSH RD., SARASOTA, FL The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee will award more than $90,000 in education scholarships to eligible students for the 2018-2019 school year.

Find out how to apply, who’s eligible and helpful hints for completing your application.

REGISTER ONLINE AT JFEDSRQ.org/Events For more information contact

Andrea Eiffert at aeiffert@jfedsrq.org or 941.552.6308

Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, FL 34232

January 2018

FOCUS ON YOUTH

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Playground project highlights value of project-based learning

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t the Hershorin Schiff Community Day School, learning is seldom limited to textbooks and classroom time. Community Day features project-based learning, a dynamic approach in which students work over an extended time, exploring real-world problems and challenges in order to gain a deeper knowledge of the subject matter.

This was the case for 31 first- and second-graders recently. A unit on simple machines in mid-September grew

into an ambitious project to build new features for the school playground. The exploration began with the vocabulary of simple machines, the study of the components, and discussion of how these machines help us in everyday life. The students were taken on learning expeditions to area parks to study the equipment. The students began to wonder if they could make some of these fun things on their own playground.

The decision was made to build

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many that hool year. ar, is and part e of l.

Temseru-El, ation 7 or

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three enhancements to the school playground: a ramp to race cars, a seesaw and an obstacle course. Over the course of three sessions of building and two sessions of painting, the students saw their drawings and models come to life, with the guidance of four teachers and the assistance of 10 parents.

The project was completed in early November and students of all ages are now enjoying the results.

“Instead of limiting learning to textbooks, Community Day teaches students – through doing – to lead as citizens, stewards and scholars,” said Dan Ceaser, head of school. “Our students are able to address real-world challenges through cooperation, unconventional thought and a wealth of ingenuity.”

For more about Community Day School, go to CommunityDay.org or call 941.552.2770.

Jesse Serrano and Gio Zampol carry building materials out to the playground

Preparing students to be LEADERS and

GLOBAL CITIZENS

• Preschool - 8th grade • Rigorous, project-based curriculum • Individualized, accelerated program • Multiple foreign languages • Fine arts programs daily • Competitive athletics • Intensive outdoor learning and play • Convenient hours for working parents • Accredited by FCIS, FKC & PRIZMAH

Ace Rosenthal (left) helps Carl Serrano drill the ramp for racing cars

E V I L

Hershorin Schiff Community Day School

LO VE

1050 S. Tuttle Ave. Sarasota | (941) 552-2770

www.CommunityDay.org

E LAUGH CELEBRAT

DREAM RE I P S IN READ

TY.

STAY INFORMED TO FIGHT

ANTI-SEMITISM DAILY

Did You Know?

26% of the global population harbor anti-Semitic feelings and beliefs 35% have never heard of the Holocaust and 26% of those who have,

believe the “number of Jews killed” has been “greatly exagerated”

PJ Library helps families on their Jewish journey by sending Jewishcontent books and music on a monthly basis to children from age six-months to eight-years. This program is completely free for families, thanks to the generosity of The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and our incredible donors.

Sign-up Today at JFEDSRQ.org/pj-library

Educators should provide opportunities for students to resolve conflicts, discuss problems, work in diverse teams, and think critically. In the end, interactive and engaging teaching strategies may ensure that this difficult topic is not avoided by students, but rather becomes an issue in which some of them may even develop a deeper and long-lasting interest.

– Yad Vashem, Anti-Semitism guidelines

W NEGRAM O PR

Don’t miss the newest chapter of PJ Library for kids...ages 9-11!

Sign up at

74%

of those surveyed have never met a Jewish person and 54% said they were “unconcerned” about violence directed towards Jews –ADL Global 100 Anti-Semitism Index

pjourway.org

For more information, contact Andrea Eiffert at aeiffert@jfedsrq.org or 941.552.6308

The Robert and Esther Heller Community Relations Committee takes a firm stand against anti-Semitism in all its forms. We will use community resources and influence to combat what we believe is a rise in antiSemitism and anti-Zionist sentiments, which often result in aggressive acts and rhetoric against Jews. Through education, advocacy, and building relationships with the greater community of which we are a part, together we can combat hatred, bigotry, and harassment of Jews and other minorities.

jfedsrq.org

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January 2018

FOCUS ON YOUTH

Temple Sinai youth update

I

t was during Yom Kippur morning when Temple Sinai’s youth showed their volunteer spirit in keeping with Temple Sinai’s Year of the Volunteer. The annual High Holidays Food Drive had an additional focus this year: collecting non-perishable items for Puerto Rico after the devastating hurricanes that battered the island. The help was needed in a big way. Temple Sinai youth jumped right in to display their dedication to a great cause.

Many of Temple Sinai’s youth spent the entire morning putting large moving boxes together, sorting through all the donations, filling the boxes, taping up and labeling the boxes for shipment, and learning how to use a dolly to move the boxes. The non-perishable items in each of the 42 boxes were then sent to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico.

At the “Gan” Camping Event on October 21, JOOSY youth group members volunteered to help run game booths and so much more. Gan Director Laura Freedman said, “We couldn’t have done it without them!”

On October 8, Temple Sinai youth enjoyed a fabulous event, “Kickball and Sundaes in the Sukkah.” What a way to spend time right after religious and Hebrew school, getting outside for a rousing game of kickball! Temple Sinai kids displayed their athletic and leadership skills on the field. At the end of the event, all gathered in the youth lounge to eat their sundaes. Youth groupers were acknowledged for their contributions both on and off the kickball field, and awards were handed out to some very happy kids! A great sight to see was our youth lounge at capacity with standing room only! The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

shaliach, Maor Ben-Arie, joined us and enjoyed the afternoon mixing and mingling with our temple youth.

Religious School students pack supplies for Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the hurricanes

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ilies fam g n

are invited t

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Tu b Sh vat ON THE FARM...ISRAELI STYLE!

Sunday, January 28, 2018 | 1-3pm Rudd Farm, 3615 Hidden River Rd, Sarasota FL

Celebrate the “New Year of the Trees” with special Tu b’Shvat foods, horse rides, scavenger hunt, games, prizes and more.

This event is FREE and fun for the whole family!

For more information, contact Rebecca Rothstein at 941.955.8121

PLEASE REGISTER AT: JFEDSRQ.org/Events

Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, FL 34232

Sponsored by the PJ Library, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, and Temple Beth Sholom

Receive $100!

Receiveup up to to $100 $150 from Receive from PJ PJ Library Library®®® to to Receive up to $150 from PJ Library to GetTogether Together with friends Get friends for for aa Jewish Jewish experience! experience!

Get Together with friends for a Jewish experience!

It’s to get get started. started.

It’s easy! easy!Visit Visitpjlibrary.org/GetTogether JFEDSRQ.org/GetTogether to It’s easy! Visit pjlibrary.org/GetTogether to get started.

The June 30th, 2017.

Thedeadline deadlinetotosign signupupisisFriday, December 31, 2017.

The deadline to sign up is Friday, June 30th, 2017.

I D E A S F O R W H E N YO U G E T TO G E T H E R …

I D E A S F O R W H E N YO U G E T TO G E T H E R …

S H A R E A S H A B B AT XEP EAR SI EHNACBEB AT S H AE R EXPERIENCE

BAKE CHALLAH OBRA K MEA C KE TR AT HA L LEA HS O R M A K E T R E AT S

PLANT A COMMUNITY DM EN PLANT G AACRO MUNITY GARDEN

HOST A B OHOOKS TC LAU B BOOK CLUB

For more inspiration, visit pjlibrary.org/GetTogether For more inspiration, visit pjlibrary.org/GetTogether

For more information, please contact:

Andrea Eiffert aeiffert@jfedsrq.org or 941.552.6308

JFEDSRQ.org/PJ

JFEDSRQ.org/PJOW

The Jewish News is a monthly nonprofit newspaper supported by generous readers, committed advertisers and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.

ee.

January 2018

LIFE CYCLE

Sarasota-Manatee Chevra Kadisha

Please submit your life cycle events (births, B’nai Mitzvah, anniversaries, weddings) to

ANNIVERSARIES

60 Helena & Arthur Simmons Temple Sinai 55th Sam & Susan Samelson Temple Emanu-El 50th Dr. Craig & Mrs. Linda Hoffman Temple Beth El Bradenton th

45 Bob & Rose Chapman Temple Emanu-El 30th Robin Klein-Strauss & Michael Strauss Temple Sinai th

TAHARA

jewishnews@jfedsrq.org

BAT MITZVAH

Samantha Greenfield, daughter of Randi & David, January 6, Temple Emanu-El Aliyah Anderson, daughter of Nadine & Todd, January 13, Temple Emanu-El Josie Liederman, daughter of Sandra & Eric, January 20, Temple Emanu-El Riley Bloom, daughter of Stacey & Ashley, January 27, Temple Emanu-El

31A

men

941.484.2790 941.224.0778

Photos are appreciated; email as JPGs at 300ppi.

women 941.377.4647 941.921.4740 941.349.3611 941.921.4740 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237

IN MEMORIAM

Steven Aaron Jablo, 72, of Sarasota, formerly of Chicago, IL, December 11 Robert E. LaJoie, 92, of Sarasota, formerly of Birmingham, MI, October 27 Dr. Harvey D. Levine, 96, of Bradenton, formerly of Longboat Key, November 3 Elvire T. Levy, 88, of Longboat Key, November 5 Ronald Polman, 92, of Sarasota, formerly of Longmeadow, MA, November 4 Rita (Kohn) Shewer, 93, of Sarasota, November 1 M.D. Sidney H. Starrels, 92, of Sarasota, formerly of Ventnor, NJ, November 13 Abner J. Swartz, 93, of Longboat Key, October 31 Blair Wolfson, 82, of Longboat Key, and Minneapolis, MN, November 28 Stephen A. Zendel, 75, of Sarasota, November 1

During times of neeD for generations Jewish members of sarasota & manatee County Communities have turneD to toale brothers.

The Jewish Federation offers assistance for all ages, like: Camp Grants, Overseas Grants, Education Scholarships, Religious Scholarships, and Women’s Giving Circle Grants. Plus, complimentary programs like PJ Library, Shalom Baby and Senior services provide unique support throughout Sarasota and Manatee.

Jewish Family Coordinator

Learn more at jfedsrq.org/help

941-955-4171

Gerry Ronkin OFFICE

loCally owneD & operateD for over 100 years

3 generations of toale family management

CELL

941-809-5195 www.ToaleBrothers.com

SENIORS jfedsrq.org

THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.

FUNERAL SERVICES

Please RECYCLE this newspaper!

The Area’s ONLY Jewish Owned & Operated Funeral Home Specializing in local burial, out-of-state transfers, and burial in Israel • REFORM • CONSERVATIVE • ORTHODOX •

Or give it to a friend to read and ask them to recycle it.

You can also read The Jewish News online at www.jfedsrq.org.

• • • •

Chevra Kadisha Pre-need Trusts Cremations Free Burial Plots for Veterans/Spouse

24 Hour Information at

2426 Bee Ridge Road Sarasota, FL 34239

(941) 955-1075

Michael, David, Pati and Steven Gross

Hebr e w M e mor i a l S a r as ota . c om

LEAVING TOWN? Be sure THE JEWISH NEWS follows you.

Send your new address to Brieana at bdgraves@jfedsrq.org or 941.371.4546 x0

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January 2018

FEDERATION

SPONSORED EVENTS

70

Our Federation is proud to partner

with area synagogues and organizations to help bring Israel @ 70 to SarasotaManatee and celebrate with as many people as possible!

DATE

ORGANIZATION

EVENT NAME

JANUARY 16

Chabad of Venice & North Port

Jerusalem Uncovered: The Archaelogical Claim to Jerusalem

JANUARY 23

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

Luncheon: Israel-Mote Partnership

JANUARY 28

Temple Sinai

10th Annual Food Festival Celebrating Israel

FEBRUARY 1

Chabad of Venice & North Port

Lecture: Raid on Entebbe

FEBRUARY 14

SaBra Hadassah

Education Day: Jewish Genetic Diseases

FEBRUARY 18

Jewish Congregation of Venice

Shalom Shuk 70 – An Israeli Market Place

FEBRUARY 24

Temple Emanu-El

Israel Pub Night

FEBRUARY 25

Temple Beth Sholom

Rescuing Syria’s Jews: Dr. Judy Feld Carr

MARCH 8 –10

Jazz Club of Sarasota

A World of Jazz – Sarasota Jazz Festival

MARCH 25

Sarasota Jewish Chorale

Remembering to Rejoicing: The Legacy of Anne Frank and the Miracle of Israel

APRIL 15

Jewish Genealogical Society of Southwest Florida

Israel Heritage Celebration

S P O N S O R E D

Join Us!

VISIT JFEDSRQ.ORG/ISRAEL70 FOR ALL DETAILS

BY

! s e t a d e h t e sav Naiditch Family Foundation

9TH ANNUAL FEDERATION TORCH SPONSORS EDIE AND DAVID CHAIFETZ | LEON R. AND MARGARET M. ELLIN ROBERT AND ESTHER HELLER COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE NAIDITCH FAMILY FOUNDATION BUNNY AND MORT SKIRBOLL | LOIS STULBERG

CO-CHAIRS: FRAN BRAVERMAN AND EVANS TILLES

MARCH 8–18, 2018

LEAD SPONSOR

OPENING NIGHT SPONSOR

MEDIA SPONSORS

JOEL AND GAIL MORGANROTH

BE BEN-GURION N E EPILOGUE

This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture.

70 *List in formation

To become a sponsor, contact Debbie Sanford at 941.706.0033 or dsanford@jfedsrq.org

Celebrating Jewish Life in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Israel and the World FEDERATION NEWS

Serving our community since 1971!

Published by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee www.jfedsrq.org

January 2018 - Tevet/Shevat 5778

Volume 48, Number 1

Jewish Happenings MONDAY, JANUARY 1

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3

Film screening of Killing Kasztner

“Synagogue Music” with Chazzan Cliff Abramson

Learn about the life of the man who saved more Jews during the Holocaust than any other Jew. As Hungarian Jews were being deported by the tens of thousands to their final destination, Kasztner negotiated with Adolf Eichmann to save over 1,600 Jews from certain death. Kasztner was judged in Israel in 1955 to have “sold his soul to the devil,” a verdict later reversed

by Israel’s Supreme Court, but not before Kasztner’s tragic assassination in 1957. Join us at noon at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; healthy foods and discussion materials included. To RSVP, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239.

Join Chazzan Cliff Abramson for an enlightening and entertaining review of “Synagogue Music, the Sounds of Temple Sinai’s Sanctuary.” Come and examine the evolution of synagogue music. Classes take place at 10:45 a.m. on Wednesdays, January 3, 10, 17 and 31 at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter off of Proctor Road only, between Beneva and Swift). For more information, call the temple office at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 2 “A Cup of Joe and the Five Books of Mo” Rabbi Michael Werbow’s discussion group, “A Cup of Joe and the Five Books of Mo,” takes place from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. on Tuesdays, January 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. The java and Torah discussion flow while personal meaning is found through an exploration of rabbinic texts relating to the weekly parsha. There is no cost. New participants are always welcome. For more information, please contact the temple office at 941.955.8121 or info@ templebethsholomfl.org.

Torah & Tea Join Chanie Bukiet in her home for a weekly dose of delicious tea and refreshments, and learn about Tanya, mystical psychology of the soul.

Gatherings take place from 11:00 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, January 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. Admission is free. Sponsor a class for $25. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@ chabadofbradenton.com.

DON’T FALL!

Temple Emanu-El “Lunch with the Rabbis” Are you looking for a great lunch date? Join Rabbi Brenner Glickman, Rabbi Michael Shefrin and friendly, interesting companions for lunch, socializing and discussion of current events and subjects of Jewish interest! All are invited to this popular, stimulating and enjoyable program.

Attendees are asked to bring a brown-bag lunch and are also welcome to bring a newspaper article for discussion. Homemade desserts and terrific company are provided. The event begins at noon at Temple EmanuEl, 151 McIntosh Road. For more information, call the temple office at 941.371.2788.

The Original Brown Bag with Rabbi Emeritus Geoff Huntting Join Rabbi Geoff Huntting, congregants and friends in spirited conversations surrounding worldly events. Bring a bag lunch and an open mind to discuss world topics. Gatherings take place at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesdays, January 3, 10, 17 and 31 at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter off of Proctor Road only, between Beneva and Swift).

For more information, please call the temple office at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.

ISRAELI CHEF NIGHT FEATURING

EINAT ADMONY Two-time Chopped winner

We Specialize in...

• Balance Retraining and Fall Prevention • Orthopedic and Neurological Rehabilitation • Aquatic Physical Therapy • Individualized Fitness & Wellness Programs

and author of Balaboosta: Bold Mediterranean Recipes to Feed the People You Love

FREE

FALL RISK ASSESSMENT!

Call now to schedule, or stop in!

Spelled Different Because We Are Different

5922 Cattlemen Lane, Suite 100, Sarasota, FL 34232

(941) 378-8977

www.FYZICAL.com

e Presents Choral h The Sa s i asota Jew Sarasota Jewishr Chorale

REMEMBERING TO REJOICING–A Musical Tribute to the Legacy of Anne Frank and The Miracle of Israel

SAVE THE DATE MARCH 25, 2018 • 4:00 PM $18 in advance, $20 at the door

FOR TICKETS GO TO sarasotajewishchorale.org OR CALL 941.355.8011

Reception following concert Temple Beth Sholom • 1050 S Tuttle Ave, Sarasota

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

70

LOUIES MODERN • 1289 N PALM AVE • SARASOTA

Chairs: Meredith Ernst and Adrea Sukin

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee will host an Israeli Chef Dinner on February 26, 2018 at Louies Modern featuring Einat Admony, owner of Balaboosta in New York City, two-time Chopped winner and author of Balaboosta: Bold Mediterranean Recipes to Feed the People You Love. Admony will create a special menu featuring contemporary Israeli cuisine with fresh local ingredients. Tickets are $150 per person; there will be two seatings, one at 4:45pm and another at 8:00pm.

TICKETS ON SALE JANUARY 15 — Visit jfedsrq.org/israel70 Contact Jessi Sheslow for more information 941.343.2109 or jsheslow@jfedsrq.org

and advanced bridge players.

For more information, call Bob Satnick January 2018 at 941.538.3739

2B

Do youThursdays play??? / 12pm to 4ish

Seasoned

Federation Campus Jerusalem Room, Thursdays / 12pm to 4ish

JEWISH HAPPENINGS SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 Chabad of Sarasota Men’s Club breakfast meeting

(582 McIntosh Jerusalem room, Federation Campus Road) 582 mCintosh road $5 pie. $5 Friendly pie. but serious game!

Contact Contact Marilyn OslanderMarilyn Oslander

941.951.2029 marasota@yahoo.com marasota@yahoo.com

941.951.2029

Friendly 4 THURSDAY, JANUARY but

serious Women of Sinai cateredgame! luncheon and program Women of Sinai invites you to a catered luncheon and program presented

by Dr. Steven Derfler, Lifelong Learning Academy. The event begins at noon at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter off of Proctor Road only, between Beneva and Swift). For more information, contact Patty Schreiber at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 5 Rhythm and Jews Erev Shabbat Worship Service Join Rabbi Michael Churgel and Chazzan Cliff Abramson for our Rhythm and Jews Shabbat Worship Service and hear the Bruno Family Musicians as they join in for an uplifting service with a variety of traditional, Israeli, Sephardic and Chassidic melodies. The service begins at 6:00 p.m., preceded by a Welcome Reception at 5:15 p.m., at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter off of Proctor Road only, between Beneva and Swift). For more information, call the temple office at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.

Israel @ 70 dinner Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Join us at 6:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. In partnership with The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, the event will feature a dinner catered by Israeli Chef Liora, and entertainment provided by Juan de la Sierra, who sings in Hebrew, Aramaic and Ladino. Cost: $30 for TBI members and $35 for nonmembers. For more information and reservations, call 941.383.3428 or visit www.tbi-lbk.org.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 6

The Chabad of Sarasota Men’s Club presents “What You Need to Know to Get the Most From Your Health Dollars” with Stephen C. Suffin, M.D., Vice President and Chief Laboratory Officer (retired), Quest Diagnostics.

Enjoy the best kosher breakfast in Sarasota, including bagels, lox and cream cheese, scrambled eggs and onions, and whitefish salad, followed by the informative presentation. The breakfast begins at 9:00 a.m. at Chabad of Sarasota, 7700 Beneva Road. Men and women welcome. RSVPs appreciated, but walk-ins welcome. Cost: $7 for Club 770 members; $10 for nonmembers. To RSVP, email info@chabadofsarasota.com or call the Chabad office at 941.925.0770.

TBS Men’s Club Breakfast Lecture Series Guest speaker David Levin, a Sarasota lawyer, is doing all he can to help Alon Day, Israel’s 2016 Athlete of the Year. As we’ll hear, David’s mission is to ensure that Alon (26), a proud Jew, will gain worldwide recognition as a leading race car competitor. NASCAR – the USA’s most televised, high-stakes non-NFL spectator sport, has not had a Jewish champion from Israel. But with more encouragement and funds, that’s starting to change.

Join us for a slice of Jewish history in the making! Cost: $5 donation.

This event is open to the public and takes place from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota. For more information, contact Rabbi Dr. Ed Weinsberg, Program Vice President, at 941.444.9790.

University on Wheels Join Brandeis National Committee from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to hear Professor Jim Morris, Professor of Biology, who will speak on Evolutionary Enigmas at TPC Prestancia Country Club, 4409 Tournament Players Drive, Sarasota. Many aspects of the natural world don’t seem to make sense at first glance. In a fun and participatory talk, Professor Morris will highlight specific enigmas and suggest that evolution provides a way to make sense of seemingly contradictory aspects of the natural world. Cost: $30 for BNC members, $35 for guests. Includes a continental breakfast.

For more information, contact Marjorie Sayer at marjorie.sayer@gmail. com or Barb Sander at neverbetterii@aol.com.

Rabbi Lecture Series with Rabbi Howard Simon Enjoy a lecture series discussing “Israel and the Middle East of Today” with Rabbi Howard Simon. The event begins at 10:00 a.m. at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter off of Proctor Road only, between Beneva and Swift). For more information, call the temple office at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 7

Explore Kabbalah Examine the relevance of the world’s oldest spiritual wisdom in this “new age.” Explore the ancient teachings of the Kabbalah, and their application on a practical level. Gain access to the most powerful spiritual system ever known to humankind. Join us every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the Chabad Education Center, 21560 Angela Lane, Venice. No cost. For more information, contact Rabbi Sholom Schmerling rabbi@chabadofvenice.com.

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THE PERLMAN MUSIC PROGRAM/SUNCOAST

Celebrating WORLD CLASS

! m o l a h S b u P od, o f i l e a f Isr o g n i n d fun e n v a e t n n a e Enjoy , entertainm drink Saturday, February 24

at Temple Emanu-El

@ 6pm

151 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, FL

The evening starts with Israeli street food featuring: falafel, shawarma, chicken schnitzel sandwiches, Israeli beer and wine, entertainment and schmoozing, followed by a riveting game of Team Trivia (with a bissel about Israel)!

Come with your own team or form one there.

On-site babysitting provided! (with advance reservation) with reservation and or $25 at $ pp payment by Feb. 21 the door

18

Register at JFEDSRQ.org/Events

music

right in your backyard.

UPCOMING EVENTS: DECEMBER 21 - JANUARY 6

PMP Sarasota Winter Residency 20+ free musical events: rehearsals, recitals, master classes

DECEMBER 30 • 7 PM

Super Strings and Orchestra Rehearsal $10; members free with RSVP

JANUARY 4 • 5:30 PM

Celebration Concert

featuring PMP String Orchestra conducted by Itzhak Perlman and PMP Chorus led by Patrick Romano Sarasota Opera House: (941) 328-1300 $40, $60, $80

JANUARY 6 • 5 PM

Chamber Music WIP Recital Neel PAC, State College of Florida $10, members free with RSVP

Complete schedule, information and tickets online at PMPSuncoast.org

Mail-in reservations also accepted. Send check to Temple Emanu-El, Israel Pub Night, 151 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, FL 34232 Please include names of guests.

For more information, contact Bob Meisel at (585) 797.4255 or bob.meisel@gmail.com

Tickets: PMPSuncoast.org 941-955-4942

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

January 2018

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 “Fun with Yiddish” begins at Temple Emanu-El Temple Emanu-El’s Adult Education Committee welcomes native Yiddish speaker and international performer Betty Silberman to facilitate this sixweek “Fun with Yiddish” series. Betty has taught Yiddish language and culture throughout North America and has performed worldwide as a vocalist with Joel Grey and other greats. In this interactive course, Betty will cover basic vocabulary, phrases and expressions, as well as songs highlighting Jewish culture throughout the 20th century. All are welcome to this very special course, which takes place at Temple Emanu-El (151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota) at 11:00 a.m. on Sundays, January 7, 14, 28, February 4, 11 and 25. The cost for the series is $40 for temple members and $50 for guests. Pre-registration is required. Payment may be sent to Temple Emanu-El, attention: Adult Hebrew, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL 34232. For more information, please call 941.371.2788.

Enjoy our Jewish programs in January, February and March 2018

ONE-TIME LECTURES

TBI Men’s Club lunch program

TUESDAYS, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Temple Beth Israel’s Men’s Club will feature a lively klezmer band and a catered lunch at 11:30 a.m. at 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. For more information and reservations, call 941.383.3428 or visit www.tbi-lbk.org.

January 9

“Maps of Israel Across Time” The borders of the Promised Land were ordained by G-d in the Bible. Take a fascinating multimedia look at the changing borders of Israel over the past 3,000 years. Israel was reborn in 1948, but the familiar “Green Line” borders represent only the armistice lines of 1949. Israel’s borders were again changed when Israel regained all of Jerusalem in June 1967. Join us at 2:30 p.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton.

Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; healthy foods and discussion materials included. To RSVP, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239.

New Year’s Romance on the Piano Celebrate the beginning of a new year with soulful classical music.

Internationally-acclaimed Russian-Israeli piano virtuoso Eleonora Lvov, winner of many prestigious competitions, and popular recording artist and teacher, plays romantic works by Chopin, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninov and Gershwin. The event begins at 4:00 p.m. at Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 322 15th St. W., Bradenton. Donations accepted.

For more information, visit www.eleonoralvov.com, call 941.358.0235 or email eleonoralvov@verizon.net.

W In Celebration Of Israel’s 70th Anniversary— Looking Back and Looking Forward Thomas O. Hecht, Ph.D.

March 6

W Jerusalem As Sacred Center And Symbol

From The Time Of King David To The Present Elizabeth Bloch-Smith, Ph.D.

March 20

W American Jewry and Baseball Bud Livingston

COURSES

“Radio Dave” at Kol HaNeshama Sock Hop Celebrated D.J. “Radio Dave,” whose podcast is heard internationally, doubles as David Milberg, member of Congregation Kol HaNeshama. In honor of Kol HaNeshama’s 10th anniversary, he will spin a special mix of selections and fulfill requests at the KH Sock Hop, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Casual attire is appropriate (’50s garb, perfect) for lively dancing and Make-Your-Own Sundaes at Southgate Community Center, 3145 Southgate Circle (off Tuttle Avenue), Sarasota. Cost: $18. For more information and to RSVP, visit congkh.org or call 941.244.2042.

Kosher Cooking Competition Calling all chefs! It’s that time again! Join Chabad for its 4th annual Kosher Cooking Competition at 7:30 p.m. at The Chabad House, 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. The competition will include a kosher presentation by Rabbi Mendy, kosher food tasting, corned beef demonstration, and cooking and competing for fabulous prizes. Admission is $10 per person or $100 per table. Reservations required. Join the competition or RSVP by contacting Chabad at www.chabadofbradentom.com or 941.7523030.

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twitter.com/jfedsrq

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date

Major Gifts Dinner

An Evening Celebrating Richard Bergman SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2018 5:00 – 6:45 pm

Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club 3100 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota

richard bergman

Couvert will include VIP seating for the Happy Birthday Israel event at Robarts Arena immediately following dinner.

For more information, please contact Gisele Pintchuck at 941.706.0029 or gpintchuck@jfedsrq.org A minimum household gift of $6,000 to the Federation’s 2018 development efforts is required. presented

by

Tuesdays

W

SAGACITY OF THE BIBLE Rachel Zohar Dulin, Ph.D..

January 9 – January 30 .................. 9:00 AM–10:30 AM

Wednesdays

W

WANDERINGS: TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF JEWISH DISPERSION Ken Hanson, Ph.D. February 7 and February 14 ....... 1:00 PM–2:30 PM

Thursdays

W

MAMA LOSHEN—YIDDISH IS ALIVE AND WELL! Betty Silberman January 4–January 25 ................... 1:00 PM–2:30 PM LEARN HOW TO PLAY MAH JONGG Joyce Doran February 1 – March 8...................... 11:00 AM–12:30 PM JEWISH/ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL Susan Goldfarb, Michael Givant and Special SOLD OU Guest Facilitators T 8 February 1 – March 8......................

2:15 PM–5:00 PM

THEATRE SHOWCASE

A Powerful, Riveting, One-Woman Show!

Friday, January 12 • 3:00 – 4:30 PM ALIVE, UNABASHED AND PASSIONATE— EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN OF THE BIBLE Experience a new and exciting way to look at the heroines of the Bible — Q and A follows —

Rachel Zohar Dulin, Ph.D., biblical scholar, lecturer and performer For prices and a brochure listing over 175 adult enrichment courses, lectures and special events call 941-383-8811 or visit www.lbkeducationcenter.org

5370 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE

(IN THE CENTRE SHOPS OF LONGBOAT KEY) THE LONGBOAT KEY EDUCATION CENTER IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT, 501 (c ) (3) EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION.

www.lbkeducationcenter.org

4B

January 2018

JEWISH HAPPENINGS MONDAY, JANUARY 8 Club Fed Hits the Road Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

RINGLING COLLEGE LIFE LONG LE ARNING ACADE MY

Join us for a private tour of the Schiaparelli exhibit at the Salvador Dali Museum and lunch at Acropolis. The bus leaves The Federation parking lot at 9:00 a.m. sharp, returning at approximately 4:00 p.m. Limited space; please reserve early. Price TBA. For more details, contact Debbie Sanford at 941.706.0033 or dsanford@jfedsrq.org.

t u o d l so

NCJW’s “The Blankee Bee”

2018 WINTE R TE RM JAN UARY 8 - MARCH 2 R E G I S T R AT I O N O P E N N OW COURSES + EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL + LECTURES + SPECIAL EVENTS Providing noncredit courses, lectures and educational travel for people who are engaged in learning for the pure joy of it.

February 1: Boomer Conference 2018: Featuring speakers, roundtables, networking sessions and more! Create your next chapter with joy and purpose!

Located on the campuses of TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota ACADEMY EAST AT STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA 7131 Professional Parkway, E., Lakewood Ranch

Request or view a catalog or register online or by phone

www.rclla.org • 941-309-5111

The National Council of Jewish Women has an ongoing project called “The Blankee Bee.” The project has involved its members in making nosew fleece blankets which have been distributed to various agencies, such as Manatee Community Action Agency, HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters), residents of Anchin Pavilion, patients at the Florida Cancer Center, and children at Camp Mariposa as a joint venture with JFCS. Join us from 10:00 a.m. to noon on The Federation Campus (580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota) to make these blankets. For more information, please contact Joan Bour at 941.281.2133 or joanbour5@ yahoo.com.

NCJW Book Club National Council of Jewish Women’s Book Club will meet at 1:00 p.m. at the Gulf Gate Library at 7112 Curtiss Ave., Sarasota. The book for discussion is A Replacement Life by Boris Fishman. The club usually meets the second Monday of the month. For more information and to sign up, contact Barbara Aferiat at barbara@aferiat.com.

“Heroes of Israel” From Abraham’s founding of Judaism through today, many heroes have arisen to lead the Jewish people during times of crisis or need. This course will span the centuries to explore and examine the lives and the times of eight Jewish heroes whose names may be familiar but whose many accomplishments may be shrouded by time, including Judah Maccabee, Chaim Weizmann, Yoni Netanyahu and Simon Bar Kochba, leader of the last Jewish revolt against Rome. Join us at 2:00 p.m. on Mondays, January 8, 15, 22 and 29 at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton.

Cost: $10 per class per adult; $5 per student; healthy foods and discussion materials included. To RSVP, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9 “Caffeine for the Soul”

Temple Sinai Welcomes You And Your Family To A Warm Friendly Congregation! 

A congregational family that welcomes newcomers with a smile, open arms and open hearts.



A spiritual home for those searching to find 21st century meaning in an ancient tradition.



Where relationships develop and friendships follow.



A participatory worship experience, created by our Rabbi and Chazzan, which blends uplifting Jewish music and contemporary liturgy.



Where passionate discourse and action mix with laughter and warmth.

For more information on 10th Annual Sarasota Jewish Food Festival upcoming events and Temple 1-28-2018 9:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

Sinai, visit SinaiSRQ.org

Join the most popular Jewish women’s book club in town, Chabad Jewish Center of Venice’s unique “Caffeine for the Soul.” Get your weekly social and spiritual boost over roundtable discussions led by Chaya Rivka Schmerling. This free event begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Chabad Education Center, 21560 Angela Lane, Venice. For more information, contact Chaya Rivka at 941.493.2770 or rivka@chabadofvenice.com.

Mitzvah Knitting Group at Temple Emanu-El Are you a knitter or crocheter interested in using your talent to brighten the lives of others while making new friends? If so, please come to the Mitzvah Knitting Group sponsored by Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood. We gather monthly to craft and socialize, and our beautiful handiwork has been donated to local new parents as well as needy families in SarasotaManatee and in Israel. Bring your needles or crochet hook and a favorite pattern – we’ll supply the yarn and great company! The group meets at 10:00 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, email Susan Bernstein at susanhope22@comcast.net.

“Remembering Yitzhak Rabin” Join Temple Beth Israel for this 92 Y program at 7:30 p.m. at 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. It will feature Itamar Rabinovich and Dalia Rabin with Rabbi Peter Rubinstein. Members and guests are invited to attend a dessert hour prior to the presentation, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This event is free to TBI members and $10 for guests. For more information about this and other 92Y programs, and reservations, call 941.383.3428 or visit www.tbi-lbk.org.

stay connected @ www.jfedsrq.org

WE HAVE A LOT TO SAY WANT TO DISPLAY THE JEWISH NEWS IN YOUR OFFICE OR BUSINESS?

4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd. Sarasota, FL 34231 (Enter off of Proctor Rd. Only)

941.924.1802 www.SinaiSRQ.org Office@templesinai-sarasota.org

Robin Leonardi, Account Executive: 941.552.6307 • rleonardi@jfedsrq.org

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

January 2018

5B

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10 Shalom Y’all!

Join Carlos Goebels as he takes a deep dive into the culture and tradition of Southern Jewish Identity. Material will be provided by the Institute for Southern Jewish Life and will emphasize the cities of the South where Jewish communities have thrived. This free event begins at 10:00 a.m. at Aviva- A Campus for Senior Life, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. For more information or to register, please call 941.757.8520.

BY KATORI HALL

Jewish International Film Series – Loving Leah Join Temple Beth El as we present the film Loving Leah, directed by Jeff Bleckner and starring Adam Kaufman as a non-observant Jewish bachelor who feels compelled to marry his rabbi brother’s widow, Leah, to honor him via the ancient Jewish law of yubbim. The only alternative is to go through a ceremony where he must deny his brother’s existence. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at Temple Beth El Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch, 5150 Peridia Blvd East, Bradenton. Cost: $10 for members, $13 for nonmembers and guests. Includes dinner and the movie. Reservations are required.

For more information, visit www.templebethelbradenton.com or call the temple office at 941.755.4900.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 Newcomers Event Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

New to Sarasota? New to The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee?

You are invited to a Newcomers Reception from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at The Francis, 1289 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota. Connect with other members of the Jewish community. This event is free, but reservations are required.

Register online jfedsrq.org/events or contact Ilene Fox at 941.343.2111 or ifox@jfedsrq.org.

“Jewish Identity and the Land of Israel: What the Bible Tells Us” Join us at 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays, January 11, 18 and 25 at Temple Emanu-El (151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota) as acclaimed teacher Dr. Rachel Dulin facilitates this important learning series on the centrality of Israel in Judaism. “Too many voices are heard today questioning the right of the State of Israel to exist,” Dr. Dulin stated. “However, from time immemorial, the Land has been an integral part of Jewish existence. In this mini-course, we will focus on the biblical perspective, where the Land is one of the central pillars upon which the covenant between God and Israel rests.” Attendees are invited to bring a brown-bag lunch. Free to Temple Emanu-El members, with a $10 donation requested for guests per class, or $25 for the series. Payment may be sent to Temple Emanu-El, attention: Rachel Dulin series, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL 34232. For more information, please call 941.371.2788.

JANuARY 10–FEBRuARY 18, 2018 THE MOUNTAINTOP is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

wEsTcOAsT

BLAcK THEATRE

FOR TIcKETs! 941-366-1505 OR

wEsTcOAsTBLAcKTHEATRE.ORg Paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues.

TROuPE

This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture, and the State of Florida.

Introduce Your Business to a Powerful Demographic.

Sarasota-Manatee’s Only Jewish Newspaper SERVING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1971

Advertise in The Jewish News, and Connect with Your Community!

• More than 60% of readers earn $75,000+, with a quarter earning more than $150,000 annually • Over half of readers hold a college or advanced degree • More than half of readers frequently purchase products or services from ads seen in our publication Target the largest number of affluent, well-educated and discerning Jewish households in our area.

Contact Robin Leonardi 941.552.6307, rleonardi@jfedsrq.org

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“FACEing Mental Illness: The Art of Acceptance” The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (CHJ), which meets at Unity (3023 Proctor Road, Sarasota), will present the first of three education programs at 3:00 p.m. Since 2010, Carrie Seidman has been the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s lead columnist and an award-winning journalist specializing in the arts, dance and mental health. Seidman will discuss her 2016-2017 project as a fellow of the Carter Center for Mental Health Journalism, “FACEing Mental Illness: The Art of Acceptance.” Seidman received the national Mental Health America Media Award in 2016 for her series “The S Word: The Stigma of Schizophrenia.” Cost: free for CHJ members, $5 for guests. Reservations required at chjsarasota@hotmail. com or 941.929.7771. Provide your name, phone number, and number of people attending.

“Rediscovering the Biblical Past: Archaeological Fieldwork in the Middle East” To travel to the Ancient Land of Abraham and Sarah, David and Solomon, is to be profoundly touched by history. However, despite our knowledge it has only been during the last two centuries that we have truly been able to uncover our past. Dr. Steven Derfler provides an in-depth look at how archaeology has evolved and how it is helping to piece together our history.

This free event begins at 7:00 p.m. at Aviva- A Campus for Senior Life, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. For more information or to register, please call 941.757.8520.

Rosh Chodesh Society course All women are invited to join Chabad of Sarasota’s Rosh Chodesh Society class entitled “Pause & Affect.” This month’s segment, entitled “Shabbat Matron,” will discuss and delve into the liturgy of Shabbat that is steeped in feminine imagery: a bride, a queen, a woman of valor. Following the class, participants will enjoy, taste and learn to make delicious soups.

Refreshments will be served. The event begins at 7:15 p.m. at Chabad of Sarasota, 7700 Beneva Road. For assistance with underwriting this course, appreciation is extended to Anne Stein. Cost: free for Rebbetzin Circle, $10 for members, $12 for nonmembers. Anyone joining N’shei Chabad Women’s Rosh Chodesh Society class for the first time is our guest at no charge. For more information or to RSVP, call Sara Steinmetz at 941.925.0770 or email NCWSarasota@gmail.com.

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SaBra Chapter of Hadassah EDUCATION DAY

Exploring Genetics Through the Lens of Jewish Tradition “The traits we inherit from our family define and connect us in countless ways.

Sometimes these traits are obvious, like curly hair or dimples.

But sometimes what we inherit remains hidden.”

As modern medicine explodes with new discoveries every day, we now have the opportunity to see “inside” ourselves and our genetic makeup. Can we use this knowledge to protect and improve ourselves, or do we have to be wary of “playing G-d?”

A plus for all of us: learn about Hadassah Medical Organization researchers who pioneered a diagnostic regimen to prevent transmission of the BRCA mutation to the next generation. This breakthrough in in vitro fertilization and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) enables women who carry the mutation to have their embryos pre-screened.

It’s a brave new world!

PANEL

• Sue Spector, Educator/MA in Judaic Studies

with particular interest in Jewish Ethics as well as genetics

• Nicole K. Wood, MS, CGC, Genetic Counselor

Institute for Cancer Care, Sarasota Memorial Hospital

• Rabbi Michael Werbow, Temple Beth Sholom, Sarasota

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Zell Room • Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee • $10 per person All are welcome & encouraged to attend. A light lunch will be served at noon.

Please RSVP by Friday, February 9, 2018, to Lee Ruggles 941.924.1338 or lruggles.sabra@gmail.com

6B

January 2018

JEWISH HAPPENINGS SATURDAY, JANUARY 13 Temple Beth Sholom goes Motown

Jewish Aging Mastery Program There’s a program that can help you master aging... and it’s almost as good as chicken soup!

Our program will feature: • Jewish Perspectives on Aging with Rabbi Brenner Glickman and Rabbi Jonathan Katz, JFCS Community Chaplin • Community Engagement with Dr. Nancy Schlossberg • Advanced Planning with Ira Wiesner, Advocates in Aging • Better Sleep with Dr. Matthew Edlund • Falls Prevention - Ready and Steady Program/Pines of Sarasota

The Aging Mastery Program is made possible through support from:

JFCS presents the Jewish-focused Aging Mastery Program (JAMP).

JAMP combines the science and art of aging well with the wisdom of the Jewish faith. Participate in a fun and comprehensive approach to living that celebrates the gift of longevity.

JFCS Community Chaplin position is funded by a grant from:

Classes start Tuesday January 16, 2018 12 sessions/7 week program only $100 Lunch Included. Seating is limited.

Join us for the TBS Annual FUNraiser, an exciting evening to support west coast Florida’s premier Conservative synagogue. Enjoy food and drink stations from the Motown Era. Get into your groove with music by The Soul Sensations. The event kicks off at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. Cost: $100. For more information, please call Fran Cohen at 410.322.4240 or the temple office at 941.955.8121.

CTeen Havdalah and movie night Chabad of Sarasota’s CTeen chapter will host a glow-in-the-dark Havdalah service and movie. This event is open to teens in grades 7-12. Enjoy social time with friends, while enjoying refreshments and a movie. This free event begins at 7:15 p.m. at Chabad of Sarasota, 7700 Beneva Road. For more information or to RSVP, contact Ella at the Chabad office at 941.925.0770 or ella@chabadofsarasota.com.

CTeen Havdalah and Israel movie Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

CTeen’s “Why I Love Israel” introduces teens to Israel in a deep and meaningful way. Students explore the Holy Land and how our mission as a people is intrinsically bound to Israel. Students are given the information and tools to have knowledgeable, factual discussions about Jewish claims to the land and modern political realities. This interactive subject empowers students to stand up and voice their opinions, while identifying and expressing their role as a member of the Jewish nation. It’s an inspiring, engaging and stimulating discourse about the land of Israel. Join us at 8:00 p.m. at the Chabad Education Center, 21560 Angela Lane, Venice. This event is co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.

For more information, contact Chaya Rivka Schmerling at 941.493.2770 or rivka@chabadofvenice.com.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14 We Love Israel Shuk/Fair Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

For more information contact

Pamela Baron at (941)366-2224 x112 or email pbaron@JFCS-Cares.org

Join us from noon to 5:00 p.m. on The Federation Campus (580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota) for an Israeli-style outdoor shuk with Israeli shopping, food, entertainment, a kids’ area and more! Free admission. For more details, visit jfedsrq.org/israel70 or contact Jessi Sheslow 941.343.2109 or jsheslow@jfedsrq.org.

Kol HaNeshama offers “Making Prayer Real” Congregation Kol HaNeshama’s Rabbi Jennifer Singer, who believes prayer can be deeply meaningful, will start another eight-session “Making Prayer Real” class. Based on thoughtful discussions, the class will continue every other Sunday from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Limited to 10, the class takes place in participants’ homes. Cost: $36 for KH members, $50 for others. To watch an informative video and sign up online, visit congkh.org, Information and registration are also available by phone at 941.244.2042.

MONDAY, JANUARY 15

CELEBRATES

MLK Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Join us at 7:30 a.m. at the Robert Taylor Community Complex (1845 34th St., Sarasota) for a Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards with guest speakers Rev. Charles McKenzie, Trevor Harvey from NAACP Sarasota Branch, and Judge Charles E. Williams. Enjoy entertainment by singers from the Sarasota Opera and local jazz and gospel groups. The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and Temple Emanu-El are co-sponsors of the breakfast. Tickets are $20 per person. To register, contact Jetson Grimes at 941.780.4060.

For a continuously updated calendar, visit www.jfedsrq.org.

The 37th Annual Sarasota MLK Celebration presented by the MLK Celebration Committee in partnership with The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and Temple Emanu-El

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14

• Entry fee: $85pp or $340/team • Includes round of golf, buffet lunch and prizes

• $24.95/adults, $12/kids 5-12

Robert “Bud” Thomas Golf Tournament • 8am at Bobby Jones Golf Complex

Contact Jim Cleaves at 941.321.1581 with questions or to register

Gospel Brunch • 11:30am at Blue Rooster

Visit www.blueroostersrq.com for details reservations highly recommended

MONDAY, JANUARY 15 MLK Memorial Breakfast • 7:30am • Robert Taylor Complex (1845 34th St., Sarasota) • Entertainment, speakers and more - proceeds benefit college scholarship program $20/person Contact Jetson Grimes at 941.780.4060 with questions or to register

Unity Walk from Robert Taylor Complex to MLK Park • Takes place immediately following the breakfast • Walk is approximately 1 mile • Shuttles available for those unable to walk

MLK Celebration in the Park • 12:00pm • MLK Park (2601 Cocoanut Ave., Sarasota) • Entertainment, food, community booths, and more

Westcoast Black Theater Troupe honors MLK • 6:30pm • Booker High School Auditorium (3201 N Orange Ave., Sarasota)

FREE admission

Contact Jetson Grimes at 941.780.4060 with questions or to register

Contact Jetson Grimes at 941.780.4060 with questions

Tickets are $12

EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. ALL ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CELEBRATION TO HONOR DR. KING AND HIS LEGACY!

Looking to connect with other members of the Jewish community?

We Welcome You!

The Jewish Federation would like to welcome you to the area!

We hope you feel at home and become active members of the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community.

Questions? Contact Ilene Fox at ifox@jfedsrq.org or 941-343-2111

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

January 2018

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16 Jerusalem Uncovered – with the Jewish Indiana Jones Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

UNESCO’s recent resolution regarding the Temple Mount has sparked a furor of indignation from individuals and groups who were horrified to discover that the Jewish people’s millennia-long connection to the site was largely ignored by the international group. Chabad of Venice and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee invite the public to a definitive presentation by archeologist and scholar Rabbi Avrohom Stolik. Hailed as “the Jewish Indiana Jones,” Stolik provides a well-researched and thoroughly engaging exhibition of the historical evidence of the Jewish people’s continuous connection to Jerusalem. In the presentation, he will share his extensive knowledge of Jewish history, biblical analysis and his passion for archeology. The unique presentation will include imagery, diagrams and videos that can benefit anyone, whether he or she has been to Israel before or has any background in history or archeology.

The presentation takes place at both 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. at the Chabad Education Center, 21560 Angela Lane, Venice. For tickets, call Chaya Rivka Schmerling 941.493.2770 or visit www.chabadofvenice.com.

Art in the Afternoon: Broadway Behind the Scenes At this Brandeis National Committee event, Charles Troy, graphic designer and former theater lyricist, will tell the fascinating behind-the-scenes story of the creation of two groundbreaking Broadway musicals: Evita and Chicago. His presentation will include graphics, video and audio clips.

Join us from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at The Starlite Room, 1001 Cocoanut Avenue, Sarasota. Cost: $50 for BNC members for both presentations and lunch; $35 for one presentation and lunch; guest prices are $65 and $50 respectively. For more information, contact Janet Tolbert at 941.388.9624 or janetrtolbert@gmail.com, or Maris Margulies at 941.757.3012 or grandmakabat@aol.com.

Sarasota Jewish Singles dinner meeting The Sarasota Jewish Singles is an outreach program of Temple Beth Israel to give all Jewish singles in the area the opportunity to meet other men and women who are alone. The group meets once a month for dinner, laughter and a time to turn acquaintances into lifelong friends. Join us at 6:00 p.m. at Waterfront Restaurant, 7660 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. To make a reservation or for more information, call or text Rosalyn Fleischer at 941.915.6631 or rozfleischer@gmail.com.

Join Rabbi Harold Caminker for his Adult Learning Winter Mini-Series on Tuesdays, January 16, 23 and 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Congregation of Venice, 600 North Auburn Road. The schedule is as follows: January 16 - “Writing My Ethical Will,” January 23 - “Cremation vs. Burial,” January 30 - “Judaism and the Afterlife - What Happens After I Die?” All are welcome at no charge. For more information, call the temple office before 1:00 p.m. at 941.484.2022.

7B

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17 McCarver & Moser public event Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Join us for the McCarver & Moser Open House and Yvel Trunk Show, featuring Daniel Sahalo with Megemeria Jewelry by Yvel. This collection is designed by Jewish Ethiopian immigrants trained at The Megemeria School. All attendees have an opportunity to win a piece of Megemeria jewelry. The event takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at McCarver & Moser Jewelers, 1301 Main St., Sarasota. For more details, contact Gisele Pintchuck at 941.706.0029 or gpintchuck@jfedsrq.org.

Idelson Library Book Review Temple Beth Sholom’s Idelson Library offers book reviews that present unusual perspectives on the Jewish experience. Dr. Ralph Levitt will review Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World,

by Seth M. Siegel. Light refreshments are served. No charge. The event takes place from 1:15 to 3:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. For more information, please contact the temple office at 941.955.8121 or info@templebethsholomfl.org.

“Creation and the Big Bang” As part of Temple Beth Israel’s on-going Rabbi Michael B. Eisenstat Miniversity of Judaism, Rabbi Richard Klein will present “Creation and the Big Bang” at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, January 17 and 24. All Miniversity lectures are held at TBI, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, and are free to members and $10 for guests with advance reservations. Information about other specific lectures by notable rabbis and members of the Jewish community is available at www.tbi-lbk.org. Reservations can be made by calling 941.383.3428.

An interview with Rabbi Harold Kushner Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Temple Beth El continues its series of 92nd Street Y podcasts, sponsored

by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. Come and listen to this interesting discussion by Rabbi Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People. This free event is open to the community and begins at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Beth El Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch, 5150 Peridia Blvd East, Bradenton. For more information, visit www. templebethelbradenton.com or call the temple office at 941.755.4900.

JLI course – The Art of Communication In the era of social media, the value of healthy communication between family, friends and associates is widely appreciated, even as its form now undergoes a drastic shift. How do we find suitable paths for effective communication? This Jewish Learning Institute course explores Judaism’s insight into forging positive, effective and fruitful interactions. Classes take place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, January 17, 24 and 31 at The Chabad House, 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. Course cost: $75; textbook included. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabadofbradenton.com.

45th Annual Art Festival Beth-El

January 27, 28, and 29, 2018

John Petrey

Christine Peloquin

So Young Park

Sigwarth Glass

Original artwork by over 170 award-winning artists including paintings, ceramics, glass, wood, jewelry, photography, and sculpture plus Syd Entel Galleries of signed, limited edition prints

Saturday, January 27 / 7-10pm

Elegant Preview Reception - Admission $25 per person at door

Sunday, January 28 / 10am-5pm

FREE Admission - Avenue of Shops - Light lunches available to purchase

Monday, January 29 / 10am-5pm “Judaism and End-of-Life Issues”

FREE Admission - Avenue of Shops 11:00am: Entertainment in the Sanctuary 12:30pm: Gourmet Luncheon - $20 reservation required 2:00pm: Docent Tour

www.ArtFestivalBethEl.com

Art Festival Beth-El

Temple Beth-El - 400 Pasadena Ave S. St. Petersburg, FL 33707 Sponsors

The Jewish News is a monthly nonprofit newspaper supported by generous readers, committed advertisers and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.

8B

January 2018

JEWISH HAPPENINGS THURSDAY, JANUARY 18 SaBra Chapter of Hadassah meeting The SaBra Chapter of Hadassah presents its chapter meeting, board installation, and a guest speaker. After a short installation of the Chapter Executive Board, Dr. Nancy Schlossberg will discuss her latest book, Too Young to be Old. Signed copies will be available for purchase. A light lunch will be served. Members, Associates and guests are all welcome at 11:30 a.m. at Aviva, 1951 Honore Ave., Sarasota. The cost of $10 per person will help cover the cost of the lunch. RSVP by Friday, January 12 to Cheryl Eckert at 847.736.4907 or cheryl@nightbeam.com.

The creation of Fiddler on the Roof The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (CHJ), which meets at Unity (3023 Proctor Road, Sarasota), will host a multimedia presentation by Charles Troy from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. The stories of Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem seemed an unlikely subject for a musical, and certainly of limited appeal. We’ll see how director-choreographer Jerome Robbins guided his team to find universality in the material, and how they made a “Jewish musical” that struck a chord in virtually every country in the world.

Charles Troy’s award-winning multimedia 90-minute program uses original graphics, scanned photos and edited audio tracks. Tickets in advance: $15. At the door: $20. Send your check with “Fiddler” in the memo line to CHJ, 3023 Proctor Road, Sarasota, FL 34231. Tickets will be held at the door. For more information, visit chj-sarasota.org or call 941.929.7771.

Bridge...

Anyone?

The Bridge Group meets Thursday afternoons from 1:00–4:00 pm on the Federation Campus (582 McIntosh Road).

Open to intermediate and advanced bridge players.

J

For more information

call Bob Satnick at 941.538.3739

MARCH

8-10

38th ANNUAL

AZZ

SARASOTA

FESTIVAL

2018

Art Ovation Hotel

“The Wisdom of Solomon” Renowned historian Dr. Steven Derfler leads this discussion and lecture on the history and impact of King Solomon. Known as one of the most prolific builders of the biblical world, Solomon’s architecture inspired hundreds of years’ worth of history and the sites are now recognized globally as UNESCO and World Heritage sites. This free event begins at 7:00 p.m. at Aviva- A Campus for Senior Life, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. For more information or to register, please call 941.757.8520.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19 Israeli-style family Shabbat dinner Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

A family-friendly Israeli Shabbat dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Chabad of Sarasota, 7700 Beneva Road. Shabbat candles will be lit prior to a delightful dinner featuring items like Israeli salad, hummus, Bissli Schnitzel, stewed chicken, couscous and bourekas. The dinner, which is co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, is only $36 per family and free for families attending the Kaplan Preschool and Weinstein Jewish Enrichment Program. RSVP by calling the Chabad office at 941.925.0770 or email sara@chabadofsarasota.com.

The Constitutional Revision Commission The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (CHJ), which meets at Unity (3023 Proctor Road, Sarasota), will welcome two ACLU members following the 7:30 p.m. Tu B’Shevat service. The guest speakers are Pete Tannen, President of the Sarasota ACLU and former Chair of the Communications Committee, and Grissim Walker, an attorney, and the ACLU’s longestserving Sarasota chapter board member. This Constitutional Revision Commission, by law, meets every 20 years to propose amendments to the State of Florida Constitution. Members are appointed by the Governor, in this case Rick Scott. Amendments proposed by the Commission go directly onto the 2018 ballot without any review for constitutionality, misleading language or clarity. Given the super-conservative makeup of the current commission, many groups are deeply concerned with the amendments that will be placed on the ballot. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit chj-sarasota.org or call 941.929.7771.

1255 N Palm Ave Downtown Sarasota, FL

Featuring Ken Peplowski

Plus.....

renowned jazz clarinetist as Director.

Sig nU Her p e

Diego Figueiredo, Brazil Akiko Tsurga, Japan The Scandinavian Jazztrio, Houston Person, U.S. Denmark & Sweden Graham Dechter, U.S. Sinne Eeg, Denmark Jeremy Pelt, U.S. Ehud Asherie, Israel Jeff Hamilton, U.S. Chiara Izzi, Italy Jimmy Greene, U.S.

Sponsors.....

Stay up-to-date on: • Events • News • Opportunities in the SarasotaManatee Jewish Community

The Harold and Evelyn R. Davis Memorial Foundation

TICKETS

Four Major Performances

*$39 Jazz Club Member *$49 Non-Member per show

VIP Tickets and Package Pricing available

To order tickets go to brownpapertickets.com or call 800-838-3006 *plus processing fees

941•366•1552 W-F 9-5

www.jazzclubsarasota.org

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JEWISH HAPPENINGS

January 2018

9B

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21 Jewish War Veterans meeting

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Jewish War Veterans, Sarasota/Manatee Post 172, will hold its next monthly meeting in the newly-renovated Activities Room at Aviva/Kobernick, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. The bagels-and-lox brunch will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by guest speaker Harriet Oxman, who will narrate and show her experiences while touring the Northwest Passage in 2016.

Post members, spouses and significant others each pay $7. Active military, snowbirds and guests are always welcome and also pay $7 at the door.

For further information or directions, please contact Stan Levinson, Commander, Post 172, at stanlevinson172@gmail.com or 941.907.6720.

The International Diplomatic Corps of Florida in cooperation with the United Nations Association of Tampa, Tampa Sister Cities International, and The Florida Holocaust Museum present a ceremony in observance of the 6th annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Guest speakers include Consul General of Germany Annette Klein; Ambassador, Consul General of China Li-Qinagmin; and Consul General of Israel Lior Haiat.

The event takes place at the Italian Club of Tampa, 1731 E. 7th Ave., Ybor City, Tampa. (Parking available in back of club.) Registration/seating starts at 2:00 p.m.; the ceremony begins promptly at 3:00 p.m. Limited seating-free admission by invitation only. RSVP by Friday, January 12 to vgenovese@idcfl.org.

“The Wannsee Conference and the Birth of Israel” In January 1942, 15 Nazi leaders met in a villa outside Berlin to plan the complete destruction of the Jewish people. While the Nazi’s diabolical plan led to the murder of six million Jews, it also moved the survivors to tirelessly demand entry into the Holy Land, declaring, “If a miracle will happen… There is a place named Eretz Yisrael… They have to take you to that particular place…where they don’t kill the Jews.” Join us at 11:00 a.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; healthy foods and discussion materials included.

To RSVP, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239.

CTeen – Protect and Defend Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

At 1:00 p.m. at The Chabad House (5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton), teens will be paintball shooting, learning the Jewish view on self-defense, making medals for soldier IDs, and enjoying delicious smoothies in honor of Tu B’Shevat. Annual CTeen membership is $180 and includes all events, trips and dinners excluding the International Shabbaton. Special thanks to The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee for sponsoring CTeen 5778. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabadofbradenton.com.

“Social Networking for Genealogists” Dictionary.com defines social networking as “An online community of people with a common interest who use a website or other technologies to communicate with each other and share information, resources, etc.”

Doesn’t that sound like what we do as genealogists? But are you using all of the resources out there? At this Jewish Genealogical Society of Southwest Florida event, Donna Moughty, a professional genealogist, will demonstrate how you can use social networking to move your research forward. Everyone is welcome to this free event at 1:00 p.m. at Aviva, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. For more information, contact Kim Sheintal at 941.302.1433 or klapshein@aol.com.

“Sunday at the Movies” film series Temple Emanu-El’s popular “Sunday at the Movies” series continues with the searing film Remember. Starring Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer and Martin Landau, Remember tells the story of Zev, a dementiastricken elderly Holocaust survivor who embarks on a journey to track down and bring to justice his fugitive Nazi tormentor. Remember braids together themes of mourning and self-denial in an intensely paced and intricately plotted story. A discussion will follow the film. The event begins at 2:00 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. Cost: $5 at the door. For more information, please call 941.371.2788.

Great Romantic Piano Eleonora Lvov, an internationally-acclaimed Russian-Israeli virtuoso, plays a broad spectrum of music – with the artist’s own personal impressions and historical remarks. The Romantic Era includes magnificent works from Chopin and Liszt to the inimitable enchantment and power of Rachmaninov and Gershwin among others, performed with incomparable elegance, passion and tenderness. The event begins at 4:00 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road. Tickets are $15 to benefit the Florida Center for Early Childhood. For more information, visit www.eleonoralvov.com, call 941.358.0235 or email eleonoralvov@ verizon.net.

TBI Grand Evening Temple Beth Israel will host a Grand Evening at the Sarasota Yacht Club (1100 John Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota) at 5:30 p.m. The evening will feature a memorable dinner and entertainment by QOL with a repertoire of opera, Broadway and popular music. Tickets for this event are $175.

For more information and reservations, call 941.383.3428 or visit www. tbi-lbk.org.

26 - 29 January 2018 | FSU Center

Paul Taylor’s AIRS Ricardo Graziano’s VALSINHAS Robert North’s TROY

GAME

“Marvels of poetry” The New York Times

“miraculous” The Washington Post

“trailblazing company” Broadway World

THE SARASOTA BALLET BOX OFFICE Juan Gil in Ricardo Graziano’s Valsinhas | Photography Frank Atura

941.359.0099 |SarasotaBallet.org

10B

January 2018 TUESDAY, JANUARY 23

JEWISH HAPPENINGS FRIDAY, JANUARY 26

Rosh Chodesh Society course

“70-Year Israeli Timeline”

Women are invited to join RCS’s latest course, “Pause & Affect, a Shabbat Outlook.” The third class, entitled “The Feminine Shabbat,” will include insights into the feminine power of Shabbat and how we can tap into that energy. The course begins at 7:30 p.m. at The Chabad House, 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. Cost: $75 (textbooks included) or $18 per class.

JWC members are entitled to a $5 discount. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabadofbradenton.com.

In the short period of 70 years, the State of Israel has transformed itself from rebuilding a wasteland into an economic and technological powerhouse in medicine, agriculture, military technology and many other areas. We will examine the highlights of Israel’s journey from a newlyindependent state subjected to invasion by five neighboring Arab countries bent on its immediate destruction to the 21st century world leadership role it now plays in so many fields of achievement. Join us at 10:30 a.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; healthy foods and discussion materials included. To RSVP, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239.

NCJW’s “Women in Power” Join the National Council of Jewish Women in honoring this year’s “Women in Power” – Dr. Karen Hamad, MD, FACP; Debbie Haspel; Nelle Miller; and Charlotte Perret. The luncheon event begins at 11:30 a.m. at Michael’s On East, 1212 S. East Ave., Sarasota. Cost: $75. For more information and reservations, please contact co-chairs Marian Moss or Gloria Moss at ncjwsaraman@aol.com.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25 Idelson Library Film Matinee Series Temple Beth Sholom’s Idelson Library Film Matinee Series presents The Women’s Balcony (Hebrew with English subtitles; 2016; 96 minutes). An accident during a bar mitzvah celebration leads to a gender rift in a devout Orthodox community in Jerusalem, in this rousing, good-hearted tale about women speaking truth to patriarchal power. The Men’s Club will sponsor refreshments, including popcorn. Sandi Kligman will lead a question-andanswer session after the film. Suggested donation: $3 for members, $5 for nonmembers. The event takes place from 1:15 to 3:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. For more information, please contact the temple office at 941.955.8121 or info@templebethsholomfl. org.

I B L ERAL YESHIVA a t o s a r a s PRESENTS FEBRUARY 2018 COURSES HISTORY OF JEWISH HUMOR MONDAYS 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM • Starting February 5 (Eight Weeks) Why are so many comedians Jewish? What is the background and origins of Yiddish wit and comedy? Was it a coincidence that the movie industry was founded by Jewish immigrants and that much of “Broadway” was inhabited by performers, directors and producers who identified as Jews? Likewise, the music industry interfaced and experienced much of the same phenomena. This course will explore all of these issues plus study the depth and breadth of this unique ethnic humor: from the Russian shtetl to American television; from the Wise Men of Chelm to the heyday of the Borscht Belt; from humorous interactions in the Bible to the State of Israel.

You are invited to study and laugh as you add to your own repertoire and knowledge of Jewish humor. Instructor: Marden Paru; fee $60.

20TH CENTURY JEWISH LYRICISTS

TUESDAYS 10:30 AM – Noon • Starting February 6 (Eight Weeks) For the first half of the 20th century, the popular music of America was created largely by Jewish composers (melody) and lyricists (words). Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, the film industry and the media were the motivators and customers of this artful “product.” Most prominent among the music creators were such Jews as Berlin, Rodgers, Hammerstein, the Gershwins and many, many more.

Within this context, this course will present and analyze the works of major Jewish lyricists such as Irving Berlin, Larry Hart, Ira Gershwin, E.Y. Harburg, Leo Robin, Jay Livingston and others. Instructor: Paul Roth; fee $60.

THE HISTORY OF JEWS IN GERMANY FRIDAYS 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM • Starting February 9 (Eight weeks) Cultural anthropologist David Levinson draws out the expanse of the Jewish experience in Germany from the fourth century CE to the present. The course relies on a mix of primary sources, family history, and the author’s travels to cover the various aspects and shifting history of Jews in Germany. Moving back and forth between the general and the particular, the course provides a layered appreciation of the Jewish experience. It is meant for those interested in Jewish history in general, German Jewish history in particular, and genealogists and family historians. Various topics covered include: 1. Origins of German and European Jewry. 2. Jewish Economics; (3) the Golden Age of Jewish Germany; (4) the Rise of Ashkenazi Communities; (5) Jewish-Christian Relations; (6) Reform Judaism; (7) Emancipation; (8) Immigration to America; (9) The Shoah; (10) The Influence of Jewish Germany; (11) Jewish Germany Today.

Instructor: Prof. David Levinson; fee $60.

Inquire about multi-course discounts. Scholarships are also available.

CKids – Shabbat Takeover Join us for a memorable Shabbat at 7:00 p.m. at The Chabad House, 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. Parents, watch out! The kids are running the show at this Shabbat dinner! Chabad Houses around the world host a worldwide unity event like no other, celebrating family, community, and the power of children to make a difference. Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children, free for Chabad Hebrew School students. For more information, please contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabad ofbradenton.com.

TBI Scholar-in-Residence During the weekend of January 26-28, Temple Beth Israel will sponsor its 2018 Scholar-in-Residence Program at 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. Dr. Steven Katz, the Founding Director of the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies at Boston University, will present three lectures. The first address, “Elie Wiesel: The Man and His Legacy,” will be given at the Erev Shabbat service, beginning at 8:00 p.m. “Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust” will be the focus of Dr. Katz’s presentation at Shabbat services on January 27 at 10:00 a.m. Dr. Katz’s final lecture, “Saving Jews During the Holocaust,” will be delivered at the TBI Men’s Club Breakfast on January 28 at 9:30 a.m. For more information and reservations, call 941.383.3428 or visit www.tbi-lbk.org.

For lots of useful stuff, visit www.jfedsrq.org.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 28 International Holocaust Remembrance Day Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee invites you to join us as we commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The event is free and open to the entire community. This year’s program honors the Italian community with special guest speakers Consulate General of Italy Gloria Bellelli and Roberto Mei. The event chair is Rabbi Barbara Aiello.

There will be performances by members of the Sarasota Orchestra and the Sarasota Opera. The event takes place from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. For more information, contact Debbie Sanford at 941.706.0033 or dsanford@jfedsrq.org.

Temple Sinai’s 10th Annual Sarasota Jewish Food Festival Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

This year’s event celebrates the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence.

Enjoy a festive day with delicious traditional treats, kugel, blintzes, knishes, stuffed cabbage, matzo ball soup, brisket, falafel and a wide array of tasty desserts. Corned beef and pastrami will be featured from the world-famous New York City Carnegie Deli. Come see the art and book boutique, and jewelry items; there will be face painting and balloons for kids. Please bring non-perishable food items to donate to All Faiths Food Bank. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter off of Proctor Road only, between Beneva and Swift).

Overflow parking and shuttle available at the Suncoast Technical College on Proctor near Beneva. For more information, call the temple office at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.

Tu B’Shevat on the Farm - Israeli Style!

Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Celebrate the “New Year of the Trees” with special Tu B’Shevat foods, horse rides, a scavenger hunt, games, prizes and more. The event, which is co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, is free and fun for the whole family. Join us from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Rudd Farm, 3615 Hidden River Road, Sarasota. Please register at jfedsrq.org/events.

For more information, please contact Rebecca Rothstein at Temple Beth Sholom at rrothstein@templebethsholomfl.org or 941.955.8121 x1014.

STAY CONNECTED

Classes are held on the Campus of The Jewish Federation, 580 McIntosh Rd. in Sarasota.

To register or seek more information, please contact Marden Paru, Dean and Rosh Yeshiva at 941.379.5655 or marden.paru@gmail.com. Please make checks payable to the Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva and mail to Marden Paru, 5445 Pamela Wood Way #160, Sarasota, FL 34233.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS: The Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.

The Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency. It is funded, in part, by a grant from The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.

Instagram.com/jfedsrq

STAY CONNECTED facebook.com/jfedsrq

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

January 2018

11B

GROW YOUR BUSINESS

Advertise

IN

SPACE DEADLINE

January 3 February 1 March 1 March 30

WE STAND FOR ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE. ISSUE FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY

Robin Leonardi • 941.552.6307 rleonardi@jfedsrq.org

TheJewishNews.org

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30 Scholar-in-Residence Lecture Series – Dr. Asaf Romirowsky

GROW YOUR BUSINESS

For more info visit jfedsrq.org

THINKING OF SELLING OR TRADING

THAT CAR, BOAT, OR RV? • Our online form makes it easy.

• Support a worthwhile cause.

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Dr. Asaf Romirowsky will present a two-part series focusing on the beginning of modern-day Palestine and the transformation of Israel. Join us from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 30 and Wednesday, January 31 in the Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Federation Campus, 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota. Cost: $18 for each lecture or $30 for a twoday ticket. To purchase tickets, call 866.465.3995 or go to www.jfedsrq. org/events. For more information, contact Debbie Sanford at 941.706.0033 or dsanford@jfedsrq.org.

“Final Preparations: Jewish Choices for the End of Life” Join us 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, January 30, February 6, 13, 20 and 27 at Temple Emanu-El (151 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota) for this five-part learning series. Temple Emanu-El Senior Rabbi Brenner Glickman will utilize the wisdom of ancient texts and the experience of local experts to sensitively and engagingly guide participants through the essential decisions to be made and issues to confront as the end of life approaches. Topics include medical directives, ethical wills, estate planning, funeral preparations, and Jewish views on the afterlife. Come get trusted guidance on some of the most important choices you will ever make. Free to Temple Emanu-El members, with a $10 donation requested for guests per class. Payment may be sent to Temple Emanu-El, attention: “Final Preparations” series, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL 34232. For more information, please call 941.371.2788.

Visit jfedsrq.org Send your Jewish Happenings to jewishnews@jfedsrq.org

COMING SOON TO THE FLORIDA HOLOCAUST MUSEUM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31 ORT Game Day celebrating Israel

The world was watching.

If you enjoy games such as mah jongg, bridge, canasta, Scrabble and Rummikub, you will enjoy ORT Game Day. Come to Meadows Country Club (3101 Longmeadow, Sarasota) for a delightful day while supporting ORT schools. Door prizes, vendors and Rummikub lessons are an added treat. Welcome begins at 9:30 a.m. with a delicious treat in the morning and a buffet lunch. Bring your own game equipment and let us know who will be playing with you. For reservations ($38), contact Diane Rosenblum at 941.216.4216 or diane6412@gmail.com; for details, contact Dana Corn at 941.493.0947.

You don’t have to remember the globally broadcast 1961 trial of a key perpetrator of the Holocaust to feel its impact. Discover the secret history behind one of the most sensational events of the 20th century.

Special Seder: Israeli Fruits & Grains for Tu B’Shevat The festive Tu B’Shevat table is bedecked with trays and bowls full of the seven species of fruits and grains indigenous to Israel: dates, olives, pomegranates, figs, grapes, barley and wheat. Tu B’Shevat, known as the Festival of Trees, is one of the most beautiful of Jewish holidays, which is celebrated in Israel when budding fruit enters a new year of life and the first bulbs of spring are beginning to bloom. Join us at 11:00 a.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; healthy foods and discussion materials included. To RSVP, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Raid on Entebbe

OPENS FEBRUARY 10, 2018

Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Sasson (Sassy) Reuven was born and raised in Beer Sheva, Israel, and joined the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) in 1973. Sassy from the IDF Elite Commando Unit will tell the miraculous story of the hijacking, battle for, and rescue of Air France flight 139 from Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976 and its relevant message to us in 2017. This event is co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. The presentation takes place at both 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. at the Chabad Education Center, 21560 Angela Lane, Venice. For tickets, call Chaya Rivka Schmerling 941.493.2770 or visit www.chabadofvenice.com.

55 Fifth Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727.820.0100 • www.TheFHM.org

is a co- production of the Mossad — Israeli Secret Intelligence Service; Beit Hatfutsot — The Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv; and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, Cleveland, Ohio

12B

January 2018

k u h S L E W E LOVE I S R A sh

COME CHECK THESE OUT! • American Idol contestant Shira Gavrielov on the Main Stage • Amiel Tours: Giveaways • Megemeria: Ethiopian-Israeli jewelry • Traditional Israeli Foods: Falafel, hummus, Israeli wine and more!

• Christian Goods & Judaica from the Holy Land • Children’s Activities and Games • Israeli Music • Sights, Smells and Tastes of Israel!

• Photo Exhibit: Israel from the Eyes of the Community

For more information and a list of sponsors visit jfedsrq.org/Israel70

70

S P O N S O R E D

B Y

y a d n Su

1 4 y r a u n a J ampus

on C i t a r Fede 12–5RPoaMd, Sarasota sh cInto M 580

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING

ISRAEL’S 70TH BIRTHDAY

by attending our WE LOVE ISRAEL SHUK: a place for gathering, shopping, tasting new treats, finding new jewelry or Judaica, and experiencing life like an Israeli! Vendors will wow you with their challah covers, sparkling Ethiopian-Israeli made jewelry or the perfect mezuzah for your home. Musicians and speakers will share their love for Israel.

Our Federation is proud to partner with area synagogues and organizations to help bring Israel @ 70 to Sarasota-Manatee: Chabad of Bradenton & Lakewood Ranch Chabad of Sarasota • Chabad of Venice & North Port • Community Day School • Elevation Academy • FAEuro Soccer • Jewish Genealogical Society • Jewish Congregation of Venice • Jewish Housing Council Foundation/Aviva • Jewish National Fund • Mote Marine Laboratory • SaBra Hadassah • Sarasota Ministerial Association • Sarasota Sister Cities Association • StandWithUs • Suncoast Communities Blood Bank • Temple Beth El-Bradenton • Temple Beth Israel • Temple Beth Sholom– Men’s Club/Sisterhood Gift Shop • Temple Emanu-El • Temple Sinai FREE PARKING AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

• Cardinal Mooney High School (4171 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota) • St. Martha’s High School (4380 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota) TRANSPORTATION VIA THE SIESTA KEY TROLLEY WILL BE AVAILABLE TO AND FROM THE FEDERATION CAMPUS * Federation parking lots will be used for handicapped parking ONLY

ISSION F R E E A DM

For more information, contact Jessi Sheslow at jsheslow@jfedsrq.org or 941.343.2109