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Celebrating Jewish Life in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Israel and the World FEDERATION NEWS PUBLISHED BY
The Jewish Federation OF SARASOTA-MANATEE
THE LARRY GREENSPON FAMILY CAMPUS FOR JEWISH LIFE
October 2019 - Tishrei 5780 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 10A Community Focus 19A Jewish Interest 26A Israel & the Jewish World 29A Commentary 34A Focus on Youth 39A Life Cycle 1B Jewish Happenings
3A The heart behind the Epstein Family Chuppah
4A 2019 Momentum Trip to Israel: If you inspire a mother, you inspire a family
www.jfedsrq.org
Volume 49, Number 10
Town Hall meetings: Community input is vital Staff Report
A
s we complete our due diligence on re-imagining The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life, it is of the utmost importance that we have the community’s input. The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee hosted two informational Town Hall meetings in the past few months with another one scheduled for later this month. We are gratified to see the interest in this exciting project that is certain to shape and transform the Jewish community in Sarasota-Manatee for decades to come. Our Federation’s mission is to strengthen Jewish life and identity in our community, provide for Jewish people in need, and promote support for Israel. This informs our vision of building a vibrant, inclusive, engaged Jewish community that responds to its constituents’ needs and aspirations, while sustaining a meaningful and strong connection with the people of Israel. For more than 60 years, we’ve been doing just that – serving those in need in our community, offering educational and cultural enrichment opportunities and maintaining a successful business model that continually refocuses our programming to remain
relevant, vital and vibrant. Our community and our Federation model have changed. The traditional Federation model that got us here is no longer relevant – we are more than just a fundraising and allocations organization. The demographics of our community, as will be presented in our soon-to-be-released population study, show that our community is increasingly interfaith, spending more time in Sarasota-Manatee and getting younger. Central to our unique model is developing and utilizing our 32-acre property on McIntosh Road to create a one-stop campus for Jewish life and a multi-use facility for the entire community. The Federation is uniquely po-
sitioned to broadly engage our 50-mile county service area through meaningful programs, education, advocacy, events and more. This state-of-the-art, secure campus will attract area visitors, community members and partners, and those wanting to engage in Jewish life on Florida’s Gulf Coast – from Tampa to Naples, Anna Maria Island to Myakka City and beyond. The Federation will always be the central place that unites our Jewish community and promotes Israel while also serving and uniting people of all backgrounds and beliefs. This project will transform the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community and, indeed, the entire area and beyond. continued on page 2A
Town Hall meeting on August 29
“A Federation Celebration” By Gayle Guynup
12A New frontiers of Jewish learning explored at Letter Lift Off workshop
37A Community Day School’s second annual Interfaith Back-toSchool Shabbat Potluck Dinner
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n Wednesday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life, you are invited to attend The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee’s “A Federation Celebration.” Co-chairs Anne Spindel and Nancy Wolk have planned an inspiring evening that will include the annual awards ceremony and a campus update – complete with a 3D video presentation showcasing possible changes to the Federation campus. The event will honor outgoing Board of Directors President Michael Ritter and incoming President Randon
A publication of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life Klingenstein Jewish Center, 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, FL 34232 Annual voluntary subscription: $25
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Carvel, along with volunteers who have made a special contribution to the Federation. These awardees were selected by staff members to recognize volunteers and lay leaders for their hard work on behalf of the Federation, and the many relationships built between the Federation and the SarasotaManatee community. “I am thrilled to co-chair with Nancy Wolk on this extra special annual meeting,” said co-chair Anne Spindel. “With the excitement surrounding the vibrant creation of The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life, this year’s annual meeting is an opportunity to be united in celebration of ▼
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both our Federation and our people. As the awards are chosen by the staff, it highlights the importance of the shared passion and meaningful relationship created between our most valued volunteers and the Federation’s exceptional staff members. For me, this evening demonstrates the dynamic strength that has guided our past and present, and will see us forward into the future.” Co-chair Nancy Wolk added, “It’s such an honor to be part of an event that celebrates individuals who have given so much of themselves to making the Jewish community in SarasotaManatee relevant and vibrant.” continued on page 2A ▼
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FEDERATION NEWS
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Town Hall meetings...continued from page 1A We are quite literally, “Building Our vehicles and pedestrians. Future, Together.” How is this being funded? By M We are currently in a quiet phase of In the recent Town Hall meetings, raising the funding to start this project many good questions were asked. and have a handful of generous leaderAre you re-opening the JCC? ship donors who are investing early in No. The Federation operates a this vision. Upon finalizing construcunique fee-for-service model allowing tion plans and groundbreaking, we individuals to choose and pay for just will conduct a public phase of fundwhat they would like to participate in. raising with a wide variety of opporNo one is “in” or “out.” People can entunities for individuals, corporations, gage at the level and in areas that feel government grants and foundations right for them. This welcomes everyone to participate at all levels. Our camalong a wide path for an entry point. pus project leadership and our Board What is the plan for campus seof Directors have mandated that 20% curity? of each dollar raised will be reserved Safety for all who visit our camin a maintenance endowment fund to pus is our number one priority. We ensure sustainability for the future. are working with Secure Community When will construction begin? Network, a national leader in security, We are working closely with our and local law enforcement to conduct architect to finalize plans and develop a a comprehensive assessment and deconstruction timeline. Initial estimates velop a state-of-the-art security plan. put a groundbreaking in early 2020. Additionally, as part of overall safety, How can I help? existing structures will be modern Spread the word! Invite a friend to ized and retrofitted to the current ADA join you at the next Town Hall on standards regarding accessibility. In Monday, October 28 at 7:00 p.m. designing spaces and flow, we are (details and RSVP at jfedsrq.org/ mindful of the needs of visitors of all events). Share the enthusiasm about ages and abilities. the exciting opportunity that is in How will you handle traffic flow? front of us for all residents and visBefore we finalize the site plan and itors to the Sarasota-Manatee area. break ground, we are working with our Communicate with us: We want to civil engineers to ensure that we are in hear from you. Email us at info@ line with local ordinances. Our plans jfedsrq.org. will be evaluated by a seasoned team of Support Federation’s Annual Camcounty officials, consultants and archipaign: We still have current needs tects in a comprehensive, thoughtful, we have to support while we are methodical way. A key consideration building for the future: jfedsrq.org/ is optimized traffic flow on and off donate. campus in a safe, efficient manner for “A Federation Celebration”...continued from page 1A This year’s honorees include: Kehilla (Community) Award Tayla Rosenthal / Doris Loevner Anna Kohn / Zachor (Never Memorial Young Leadership Forget) Award Award Wayne Ruben / Halutzim Dawn and Mitchell Epstein / (Pioneer) Award Ahava (Love) Award Patti Wertheimer / Morasha Lael Hazan / Chinuch (Education) (Legacy) Award Award Sandy Chase / Avodah (Service) Harold Grinspoon / The Betty Award Schoenbaum - Give While You Ed Kalin / Acharai (Follow Me) Live Award Award Ilene Friedman and Family / Dr. Lewis Hanan / Ish Chayil L’Dor V’Dor (Generation to (Man of Valor) Award Generation) Award Allegiant Private Advisors / Tommy Bernstein / Hatikva Kehilah Ha’argonit (Corporate (Hope) Award Community) Award Adrea Sukin / Yad Chazakah The award presentations will be (Strong Hand) Award followed by a dessert reception. Rosann Black / Ayshet Chayil Please join us to honor those who (Women of Valor) Award have made such a difference in our Jew Mary Collier / Atid (Futures) ish community. To RSVP, visit jfedsrq. Award org/events. For more information, con Chief Bernadette DiPino and the tact Jeremy Lisitza at jlisitza@jfedsrq. Sarasota Police Department / org or 941.343.2113.
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October 2019
FEDERATION NEWS
3A
The heart behind the Epstein Family Chuppah By Marty Katz, Sr. Director of Communications and Marketing
I
n Mitchell Epstein’s soon to be published book, Mr. Lucky: My Unexpected Journey to Success, he writes, “…I like to help people. I always have, even though I was never conscious of it. As I tried to figure out how I could help more than one or two people at a time, I made the decision to write this book… I know how crucial it is to have a purpose. For me, it’s helping others, and nothing makes me feel better.” That sentiment is clearly behind the lead gift made by Mitchell, his wife Dawn and daughter Melanie to the reimagination of The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life. Their gift names the chuppah entrance to the Performing Arts Center, as the Epstein Family Chuppah Entrance. This beautiful chuppah, featuring gold Stars of
Dawn, Melanie and Mitchell Epstein
David, will be the main welcoming focal point of the new campus. Mitchell says, “The chuppah brings friends and family together to celebrate love. It’s all about emotion. We’re working to bring more joy and happiness to others. This really creates a beautiful welcoming place for the community. When you think about the chuppah, that’s one of the happiest days of people’s lives. Everyone is there to celebrate and reminisce. It is brilliant to have the chuppah as the
welcoming image for our community.” Federation’s Chief Executive Officer, Howard Tevlowitz, says, “We are so grateful to the Epstein family for their support. They understand the dream of what this campus can be to the Jewish and non-Jewish community. Dawn and Mitchell truly believe in the Jewish value of tikkun olam.” The Epsteins became involved in the Federation after they joined Andrea Eiffert, Federation’s Teen and Family Coordinator, Andrea’s husband and 10 others on a life-changing trip to Israel three years ago. Dawn says, “We became so much more connected with our Jewish identity and the importance of supporting the Jewish community.” Dawn then began volunteering on Federation’s Overseas Granting Committee, which funds projects that help at-risk Israelis. Dawn was very moved by that work. “I feel like crying right now thinking about it. All the needs there are, it was incredible for me to learn about all of that. It just strengthened our connection and commitment.” Mitchell also has a history of giving back to the community. For the last few years, he has been mentoring two young men who were homeless before he met them. “I’m proud to say they are now successful. That experience awakened me to reflect on my life and how I can help others,” he says. And why give to the Federation? “We wanted to increase our giving in the community and the Federation is the perfect place. It gives to everyone across the board, which means so much to me,” says Dawn. For Mitchell, it was important that the organization be fiscally responsible and that the community have a place. “With the world we live in, an organization focused on Jews and Israel and, as Dawn said, is inclusive, really
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The Epstein Family Chuppah Entrance
Life, please contact Ilene Fox at ifox@ jfedsrq.org or 941.343.2111.
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caught our attention.” The Epstein’s 24-year-old daughter, Melanie, recently moved back to Sarasota and hopes to work for a non-profit. “Our daughter knows how important it is to give back.” We look forward to celebrating with all three Epsteins under the new chuppah in 2021 or 2022. For more information on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish
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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 $518, and each has an equal voice in directing our funds. The giving circle model multiplies individual actions, creating a tremendous collective impact.
This series highlights mission-based programs and projects that are supported by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. Funding for these initiatives is derived from the Annual Campaign. The series helps to explain where your generous dollars are spent and features certain initiatives that engage the Sarasota-Manatee community with Israel, local projects with partners such as JFCS of the Suncoast and All Faiths Food Bank, and overseas programs that support the social and humanitarian needs of Jews around the world. The article below comes from one of 15 women who traveled to Israel this past summer on the annual Momentum trip, sponsored by the Federation. Moms raising Jewish children under the age of 18 participated. Your dollars helped Emma and the other moms experience a trip of a lifetime.
If you inspire a mother, you inspire a family By Emma Tummon
T
he leap to go to Israel for the first time with Momentum this July was made possible by excellent babysitters, planes, trains, automobiles, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and the lure of the most incredible hummus I would ever taste. My boss encouraged me to go and told me it would be “the trip of a lifetime.” In truth, my expectations were low. I had no idea what I was
refreshments and plenty of laughs. We toured a mikvah in Tsfat, where we met a real-life Mary Poppins! During our transitions between places, our tour bus was alive with budding new friendships as we mingled together and with other groups, exchanged childhood stories and engaged in good quality serenading over the audio system. Jerusalem was abundant with
In the last five years, we have distributed more than $236,632 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 Jeremy Lisitza at 941.343.2113 or jlisitza@jfedsrq.org
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Emma Tummon (front) with the Sarasota-Manatee group on the Momentum trip
getting myself into and heard a rumor I might find some really unusual restroom facilities. This was not a vacation in which we would escape from the world. It was a skillfully planned opportunity to create real connections for Jewish mothers from Sarasota-Manatee (many who had barely met before) and beyond. The experience of being in Israel itself was for me, dazzling. I was so impressed with the care and thought designed to honor our important work as moms and, on top of all the other perks of such a trip, to give us practical tools with which to return. It was as if Momentum and Israel were mothering us. There were 15 of us in the SarasotaManatee group along with several similar-sized groups from South Florida, Miami, Chicago, NYC, Israel, Thornhill and Toronto, Ontario. When we were all together for major seminars or celebrations, it was more than 100 Jewish women. Our group donned green trucker hats with “SRQ” embroidered on the front, and hit the ground running with our knowledgeable tour guides through Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, Masada, the Dead Sea, etc. We engaged with our ancestors, who dreamed and prayed for the nation of Israel for thousands of years. We walked in silence to the Kotel, where at sundown the wall was still warm to the touch. The spiritual energy of Israel was complemented with daily opportunities to reflect in our journals, and seminars from a variety of speakers on topics ranging from courage and relationships, to body image and the power of prayer. These were always served with
Hashgacha Pratit or Divine Providence moments. We called these “HP moments” for short. These HP moments tilted at us unbidden, like cloud bursts of synchronicity, as if to say, we were exactly where we needed to be. My HP moment looked a little different than the others and happened during our tour of the Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem. Our tour guide, Rabbi Ken Spiro, said, “You know we should be proud of being Jewish. It isn’t always comfortable, but it is always meaningful.” I can’t tell you how much I needed to hear that in that moment before going outside and seeing a view of Israel with trees fluttering in the wind. The Momentum women’s trip philosophy/motto/hashtag is that “it starts with women.” If you inspire a mother, you inspire a family. When you inspire enough families, you inspire a community and so on. The challenges of navigating parenting and practicing Jewish values with grace and grit is not work cut out for one person. We need human connection and support. For the next year, our group will meet monthly and continue the discussions relevant to embodying Jewish values as mothers and women. Thanks to the Federation, I have returned from Israel with greater solidarity, an expanded sense of goodness in people, more appreciation for Shabbat with my family, and more questions than ever. The Federation is already planning Momentum 2020. For information on the program, contact Gisele Pintchuck at gpintchuck@jfedsrq.org or 941.706.0029.
FAMILY jfedsrq.org
THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.
d by s derous Established 1971 natee PUBLISHER coast The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee d hu-
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October 2019
FEDERATION NEWS
The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life 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 49, Number 10 October 2019 48 pages USPS Permit No. 167 November 2019 Issue Deadlines: Editorial: September 26, 2019 Advertising: September 27, 2019 CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Change of address inquiries can be sent to Paula Ivory-Bishop at pibishop@jfedsrq.org or call 941.371.4546 x0
PRESIDENT Michael Ritter CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Howard Tevlowitz SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Marty Katz MANAGING EDITOR Ted Epstein ADVERTISING SALES Adam Kaplan – 941.552.6307
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New season of Just Reel Films to start in January 2020! Staff Report
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re you ready for a new season of free, amazing films to enjoy?! Join us when the 2020 season of Just Reel Films (JRF) opens with Denial, a film based on the true story of Deborah Lipstadt, who waged a legal battle for historical truth against a Holocaust denier. The film will be shown on Tuesday, January 14 in the Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life, 582 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. The series is free, however, attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items to be donated to All Faiths Food Bank. Curious about which films will be shown in this season’s series? Prepare yourselves for topics that hit close to home and community! Venues across the Sarasota-Manatee area, such as libraries, synagogues, churches and community centers will be hosting the variety of films. Rosann Black, chair of JRF, says, “Since I became chair of Just Reel Films in early 2019, my passion to fight against racism, anti-Semitism and bigotry has become part of my consciousness and daily efforts. Community outreach showing films about the Holocaust and the reasoning behind all genocide, as well as films recognizing the importance of the emergence of Israel, helps us stand united and strong, embracing our humanitarian similarities.” Federation board member Ian
Black, a sponsor of JRF, says, “I have been supporting The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee for nearly two decades. When my wife Rosann asked my company, Ian Black Real Estate, to sponsor Just Reel Films, my partners and I recognized the importance of its mission to educate and inspire our local community to be active in its vigilance against all prejudices.” We look forward to sharing more
information about the upcoming films. Don’t want to wait to learn more? Please contact Jeremy Lisitza at 941.343.2113 or jlisitza@jfedsrq.org. Please note that Deborah Lipstadt, author of Denial: Holocaust History on Trial, will be the featured speaker at our annual Community Lecture on Tuesday, February 25. Visit jfedsrq.org/ events to learn more.
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PROOFREADERS Edward D. Cohen, Marianne Mandell, Elliot Ofsowitz, Jeff Sherman, Linda Stern, Bryna Tevlowitz 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. 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. Submissions must be sent electronically to jewishnews@jfedsrq.org. LETTERS to the editor should not exceed 300 words, must be typed, and include the writer’s name, mailing address and phone number. Letters can be submitted via USPS or email (jewishnews@jfedsrq.org). Not all letters will be published. Letters may be edited for length and content.
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October 2019
FEDERATION NEWS
The boycott battle against artists performing in Israel Vo By Jessi Sheslow, Director of Community Relations C th
T
he BDS (Boycott, Divest and stream pop culture, the BDS moveSanction) movement has an alment is now targeting worldwide music most 20-year history of targeting icons who announce shows in Israel. It college-age adults. Buzzwords along is important that we are all aware of with misplaced anger and sympathy this tactic, even if one does not folhave been their ammunition. The BDS low the music of those targeted artmovement targets minority groups by ists. They and their management care comparing their historical struggles deeply what their fans feel and believe. with those of the Palestinians while Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are conveniently leaving open lines of communiout facts such as rejectcation between an arted peace plans, Palesist and his/her fans. If tinian Israelis holding Israel is listed as a stop positions of political on the tour, the artist power, and shocking will receive a deluge of human rights violations negative comments via under the authoritarsocial media feeds inian rule of Hamas. By cluding (but not limited and large, this tactic to), “You mean Palhas worked well for the estine…,” “Palestine, BDS movement. Once not IsraHELL,” or simthe realization of losing ply a full row of the the political and physiPalestinian flag icon. Jessi Sheslow cal warfare battles became apparent, Artists can get upwards of 7,000 comthey moved on to cultural warfare. ments on one picture in which Israel is Over this past summer, three highmentioned. With a global population profile celebrity artists (among many of 1.5 billion Muslims, the number of others) performed in Israel. These artpeople who have the time and desire to ists represent different genres of music sit behind a computer screen to comand were all subject to calls from the ment negatively about Israel is incred“boycott Israel” camp to cancel. In an ible. Even if only 2%. effort to seemingly branch out beyond First in line was Daddy Yankee, the college campus and into maina Reggaeton superstar. This primarily
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Spanish language music is heavily influenced by Latin American, Caribbean and American hip-hop music. Our world has more than 400 million Spanish speakers, which means the outreach of this style, even if only popular with 10% of Spanish speakers, is immense. Thirty-one million of his Instagram followers saw incredible photos of his concert in Tel Aviv along with his note in Spanish, “Energy to another level with my people from Israel, thank you for the good vibes all! #Shalom.” The next artist to be called out was rock legend Bon Jovi, who received more than 5,000 letters from BDS activists urging him to cancel his show in Israel. Regarding what was only his second show ever in Israel, he responded to his critics by saying, “I chose Israel and I’m coming, no one will cancel my show.” The last artist, and arguably the most influential, was Jennifer Lopez, otherwise known around the world as JLo. Not only did she influence her nearly 100 million Instagram followers, but also her fiancé, former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez. They were very open about their extended stay in Israel for a family vacation on his social media. Together, more than 103 million followers on Instagram and 48 million followers on Twitter saw positive and loving posts about Israel. This was a first-time visit in
Israel for both of the superstars, and they made it clear it would not be their last. This further inflamed BDS activists. However, the pair and their management fortunately paid more attention to facts than hateful rhetoric. Sadly, there are still celebrity artists out there who are not as strong in their conviction that music is the international language of peace and love, ultimately canceling their shows in Israel and joining the “Cultural Boycott.” Musical artist Lorde famously succumbed to the pressure of Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters’ racist and anti-Semitic boycott of Israel, and she is not alone. The main takeaway is that we need to understand the tactics of BDS and pay close attention. As they evolve, so must we. Organizations such as Creative Community for Peace work tirelessly to keep pro-Israel activists informed when these artists receive pressure from BDS. It is our responsibility to speak up positively about Israel to these celebrity artists because, as we have learned through history, each positive voice counts and can make a difference. Jessi Sheslow is the Director of Community Relations and the Heller CRC for The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee. For more information about the Heller CRC, please visit jfedsrq. org/hellercrc or email jsheslow@jfed srq.org.
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October 2019
FEDERATION NEWS
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el Volunteer Spotlight Cheryl Shapiro: Contributing to the success of the Jewish Film Festival helping plan the opening and closing Before raising her two sons and programs with the event chairs, Bunny daughter, Cheryl worked in the clothSkirboll and Gloria Feibus, respectiveing and textile industry for Bobbie ly. Brooks, the women’s clothier. She also Proudly, Cheryl says, “Under their taught developmentally disabled childleadership, we ensured that our guests ren. enjoyed succulent food; A stay-at-home saw a meaningful film; mom, she volunand, most important, teered in schools, met and greeted filmhelping teach commakers, producers and puter skills, runother honorees. After ning the book fair, the screening, attendees or serving on the had the opportunity to Parent Teacher Orparticipate in a Q and ganization. She also A.” served on many No stranger to volboards. unteering, this philanSpending time thropist has followed with family in Calithe Shapiro family lead. fornia and PhiladelCheryl Shapiro Cheryl’s late in-laws phia, and creating founded and donated to the Federajewelry are two pastimes. Jokingly, tion’s Shapiro Teen Engagement ProCheryl says of her metalworking, “I gram (STEP), designed to educate, love playing with fire.” engage and empower our youth for When asked about her most releadership roles. warding JFF committee experience, In Wooster, Ohio, where she and Cheryl says, “Seeing the success of the Steve spend most of the year – except program and talking with attendees. when they’re visiting their three chilCollaborating with Fran has also been dren and seven grandchildren – Cheryl most memorable, and I look forward oversees the Rosh Hashanah luncheon to working with Bunny Skirboll as my committee at Knesseth Israel Temple, 2020 co-chair. Meeting people who are a small congregation of about 30 meminterested in being part of this wonderbers. She was also president of sisterful project is exciting.” hood. Cheryl reminisces, “Our Wooster community was once part of the Network of Independent Jewish Communities. Steve and I have turned to The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee to fill that void, enhancing our connection with the local Jewish population.”
Cheryl’s biggest co-chair challenge is selecting a good balance of films to ensure that they foster the Federation mission while meeting the eclectic interests of the community. “We look for films that engage, entertain and educate the audience – whether Jews or not,” says Cheryl. “One of my favorite 2019 films was My Dear Children, a mother’s personal account of the pogroms after the 1917 Russian Revolution.” Fran Braverman praises her 2019 co-chair. “Cheryl’s a wonderful partner, focusing on details, quickly locating any issues, inconsistencies and errors in organizing the festival. Having a clear vision, she knew what she wanted and the best way to get there, conveying this in her easygoing, modest way. She’s been a joy to work with.” Cheryl’s message to snowbirds is to explore volunteer possibilities. As Cheryl has shown, it’s time for snowbirds to spread their wings for the betterment of our community. If you are interested in volunteering, there are many ways to contribute and be part of the volunteer life at the Federation. For more information, contact Jeremy Lisitza, Director of Innovation and Volunteer Engagement, at 941.343.2113 or jlisitza@jfedsrq.org.
Stay informed throughout the month. Sign up for our community e-newsletter at www.jfedsrq.org.
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n Ohio snowbird, Cheryl Shapiro has spread her wings as co-chair of the Jewish Film Festival (JFF) for the second year. Hesitant to get involved with The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee because of her seasonal status, Cheryl has since reconsidered, helping to promote the Federation’s mission of strengthening Jewish life and identity in our community. Since 1976, Cheryl and her husband Steve relish their part-time Sarasota life. “But because we’re not Sarasota residents, I didn’t believe we could volunteer until I met Jeremy at a 2017 Federation event. He asked me to join the film committee. The rest is history,” says Cheryl. Jeremy Lisitza, Director of Innovation & Volunteer Engagement, says, “First as committee member and then co-chair with Fran Braverman, Cheryl contributed to the most successful JFF ever in 2019. They helped me achieve monumental success, from selecting films and scheduling screenings, to collaborating with the Ringling College of Art + Design – resulting in an animated short for each feature film. Cheryl’s love of films makes her a valuable co-chair.” Under Jeremy’s guidance, Cheryl, Fran and their committee presented a record 18 diverse, provocative and entertaining films for the JFF’s 10th anniversary – films which connect to Jews everywhere. Cheryl’s work behind the scenes is paramount. She explains that she helped lead the committee in previewing trailers and films in addition to
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October 2019
FEDERATION NEWS
Volunteering at its best By Trudi Krames, Program Director
W
hat do volunteering and technology have in common? They’re both userfriendly! Partnering with seven other community agencies in the SarasotaManatee area, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee is now using a web-based platform where volunteers can view all of the many, wonderful opportunities we have available for volunteering. With one click, you can now check out lots of volunteer opportunities at jfsm.galaxydigital.com. Over the years, our agencies have come together with common goals for engaging and supporting the greater Sarasota-Manatee community. We have several volunteer open houses at which you can learn more in person.
Our next one is Thursday, October 24 at 2:00 p.m. on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life, 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to be part of something great! The following are the Federation’s partner organizations: All Faiths Food Bank’s mission is, together with its partners, to provide healthy solutions to end hunger in our community. As the food bank grows and develops, its number one priority is, and always will be, to feed the hungry. Its priority is to serve the most needy and most vulnerable first: children, seniors, veterans and those in crisis. Volunteer opportunities include:
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Food Sorting/Packing, Backpacks Packing, Welcome and Registration/ Link-2-Feed, Mobile Farm Market, Mobile Pantries, Community Pantries/ School Pantries, Administrative and Special Events. To view all opportunities, visit www.allfaithsfoodbank.org/volunteer or call All Faith’s Community Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator, Victoria Hasselbring, at 941.549.8156. Aviva is a non-profit organization where seniors can live life to its fullest, answering their needs for quality housing, financial peace of mind, wellness, safety and spiritual fulfillment. Aviva is Sarasota’s only rental senior campus offering all levels of living options: Independent Living at Kobernick, Assisted Living & Memory Care at Anchin, Skilled Nursing & In-Patient/OutPatient Rehabilitation at Benderson. Volunteers are needed to help wheelchair-bound residents to maneuver around on the campus and to help set up physical games such as balloon volleyball and parties on campus. Work directly with the Life Enrichment team. Contact Maria Leonardo, Director of Campus Life Enrichment and Volunteers, at 941.487.5547. Compeer Sarasota is an international non-profit organization that matches children and adults who have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder with a fully vetted volunteer who acts as a friend, mentor and role model. Volunteers spend a minimum of four hours per month with their Compeer match doing things that they both find interesting and enjoyable. This is an ongoing volunteer opportunity for anyone looking for a rewarding and beneficial volunteer experience that is also fun! Currently the organization has both children and adults of all ages, male and female, waiting to
be matched with a volunteer. Compeer believes in the healing power of friendship. Come join Compeer in making a difference one person at a time. Visit www.compeersarasota.org or contact Dale Wolfson, Volunteer Coordinator, at dwolfson@coastalbh.org or 941.927.8900 x1123. The Education Foundation of Sarasota County (EFSC) was established in 1988 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, in support of public education, and independent of Sarasota County Schools. EFSC has always operated for the benefit of students, teachers and families in our community. It serves nearly 44,000 students in 53 public schools while supporting 5,000 instructional staff and support personnel through innovative programs and activities. EFSC’s mission is to enhance the potential of students, promote excellence in teaching and inspire innovation in education, guided by strategic philanthropy. Its programs in college and career readiness such as the Student Success Centers have become central hubs for high school students to access postsecondary guidance and resources to prepare them for college and career life. The mentoring program gives eligible students a mentor who stays with them through their postsecondary completion. EFSC is currently looking for volunteers to help with FAFSA (financial aid) forms for students and their families, and for mentors. To review more of EFSC’s programs and services, visit edfoundationsrq.org or contact Holly Grey at hgray@edfoundationsrq.org. Embracing Our Differences (EOD) is a non-profit organization based in Sarasota that uses the power of art and education to expand concontinued on next page
Temple Beth Israel invites you to join us for
Rabbi Stephen L. Sniderman will conduct services with Music Director Dr. Ann Stephenson-Moe and Cantorial Soloist, Robert Marinoff.
High Holiday Service Schedule S’lichot
Sat. Sept. 21 – 7:30 PM
Erev Rosh Hashanah Sun. Sept. 29 - 8:00 PM
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October 2019
FEDERATION NEWS By Gayle Guynup
O
ur community’s annual commemoration of Kristallnacht, “the night of broken glass,” will be held on Thursday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. in the Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life. It was November 9, 1938, when German Nazis torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses, and killed close to 100 Jews – changing the nature of Jewish persecution from economic, political and social to physical. The day is often referred to as the beginning of the Holocaust. This year’s event will feature the Bay Area Cantorial Association; teachers Leslie Ruben and Clare McVey, who participated in the inaugural “Classrooms Without Borders;” a Holocaust study seminar of Poland; and Dr. Andre Krauss. Ruben, a Hershorin Schiff Community Day School teacher, said, “The event brought together a diverse group of people to bear witness to the Holocaust.” A Holocaust survivor on the trip spoke to the group at Auschwitz, where he was once imprisoned. McVey, who teaches at Cardinal Mooney, and Ruben will speak about
the importance of bridging the gap between the Jewish and Christian communities. They will teach the lessons of the Holocaust while solidifying our bonds as we move together as one community. After returning from her trip to Poland, Ruben wrote, “Being in Poland was a wake-up call. It is about me. If I sit idly by and do nothing, then I am part of the problem. We have to stand up before we are handicapped by fear and violence. “We can’t change the atrocities that took place during the Holocaust, but we can continue to teach the lessons so that it never ends in Auschwitz again.” According to Federation Director of Community Relations Jessi Sheslow, “The annual event is important to ensure that we keep teaching about the civil liberties that Jews were stripped of leading up to mass annihilation; and to educate that the Holocaust didn’t happen overnight. We continue to commemorate Kristallnacht to remind us not to repeat history.” To RSVP for this event, visit jfedsrq.org/events. For information, contact Jessi Sheslow at jsheslow@ jfedsrq.org or 941.343.2109.
Volunteering...continued from previous page given touches so many, and truly makes sciousness and open the heart to celea difference to those who seek help. brate the diversity of the human family. All volunteers affiliated with JFCS reIt accomplishes this through an annual, ceive special training, attend in-service large-scale, juried art exhibition and a workshops, and work in conjunction comprehensive series of educational with professional staff. initiatives, programs and resources deFor more information, please consigned for teachers and students. tact Karen Pharo at kpharo@jfcs-cares. EOD would love volunteers to collect surveys and count visitors at org or 941.366.2224 x143. The Literacy Council of Sarathe exhibit; read to elementary school students in November and March; and sota’s mission is to improve adult literacy in our community. It does this assist with office duties throughout the year. Call 941.404.5710 or visit www. by working with adults in Sarasota County who lack basic reading, writembracingourdifferences.org. ing or math skills, as well as with those JFCS of the Suncoast has programs for homeless veterans; homeless/ seeking to learn English as a Second Language (ESOL), prepare for their near-homeless children and families; children impacted by substance abuse; GED or study for their U.S. citizenship exam. The Literacy Council is in need at-risk youth; and parents who are in need of parenting classes, counseling, of one-on-one tutors and classroom are incarcerated or have an addiction instructors for ESOL. No second-language skills or prior teaching experiproblem. It also has programs for seence are required. The organization niors with memory impairments such provides 18 hours of tutor training by a as Alzheimer’s or dementia. ProLiteracy-Certified instructor. JFCS cannot do it alone. It depends To volunteer or for more inforupon its large cadre of over 800 volmation, please call 941.955.0421 or unteers to assist the Sarasota-Manatee visit sarasotaliteracy.org. Let’s create a community in a variety of different more literate community! ways – by engaging isolated seniors, For more information on volunteer mentoring at-risk children and adults, opportunities with The Jewish Federaholding the hand of the terminally ill, visiting the sick, leading religious tion of Sarasota-Manatee or a partner services, etc. JFCS volunteers are amorganization, contact Jeremy Lisitza, bassadors, committed to making a difDirector of Innovation & Volunteer ference in the lives of people who are Engagement, at jlisitza@jfedsrq.org or confronting life’s challenges. The time 941.343.2113.
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October 2019
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Jewish Healing Program: Giving and receiving This program is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
T
hanks to donors to The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee, many area Holocaust survivors and others in the Jewish community in need of financial assistance to address pressing health, housing and other situations are able to get help. This generosity is not lost on those who receive it. JFCS of the Suncoast’s Jewish Healing Program (JHP), made possible by the Federation, handles a range of requests for support. After diligent processing, the Federation assistance that JHP disburses is sent to vendors like dentists, landlords and auto repair dealers, not to clients
themselves. When recipients of this emergency aid receive word that the funds have been approved, they express gratitude in the knowledge that their Jewish community has not forgotten them and that the long-cherished value of Jews being responsible for one another still holds true. JHP receives many “thank you” notes from them. Below is a small sample. “There are not enough words to thank you for all that you have done for me. Your kindness as well as your professionalism really helped me pull myself together. Another person could
not have the understanding or knowledge to achieve what you did so well.” “This note is to say how many thanks I owe to you and the incredible donor who gave me a second look at life as well as a second chance. You both came to me like guardian angels at a time when I had all but given up hope that things would ever be good for me again.” “Your generosity enabled us to find a way out of difficult circumstances. Thanks to you we are able to look ahead and find a more promising future. We feel we have experienced a Jewish healing.”
“I am so appreciative of all your help. Your work is so important and I will not forget this gift that became a bridge for me.” “My family and I would like to thank you for your kindness and generosity. Due to illness and high medical bills we were not able to pay our FPL bill. We greatly appreciate your help.” “Thank you so much for helping me get my teeth fixed. Hopefully, one day soon, I will be in a position to do the same for someone else.” To learn more about the Jewish Healing Program, call 941.366.2224 x166.
Scholar-in-Residence at Temple Beth Sholom
D
r. Kenneth Stein will be the Education to enhance Israel learning honored Scholar-in-Residence across the globe. at Temple Beth Sholom for the The Anti-Defamation League weekend of November 8-10. He has (ADL) awarded him the Ross Award taught Middle Eastern History, Political for his courage and integrity in speakScience and Israel Studies ing out against Jimmy at Emory University since Carter’s 2006 book 1977. His academic career greatly criticizing Ishas focused on Israeli hisrael. The Jewish Natory, the Arab-Israeli contional Fund (JNF) flict and the modern Arab awarded him the Etz world, earning internaChaim Award for his tional recognition for his contributions to public scholarship, excellence in scholarship. teaching, life-long mentorHis great joy is ing of students and intelFriday nights at home Dr. Kenneth Stein lectual integrity. in Atlanta with his Dr. Stein is the founding director wife, three daughters-in-law, three of the Emory Institute for the Study of sons and six grandchildren. Modern Israel (1998), the oldest Israel The program for the weekend studies center in North America. In is as follows: 2008, he founded the Center for Israel Friday evening, November 8: Shab-
Temple Beth Sholom Sarasota's Conservative Synagogue
bat dinner (must RSVP) at 5:30 p.m., followed by the evening service, during which Dr. Stein will discuss “Zionism’s unfolding: was there a Jewish state in 1939?” Saturday morning, November 9: During the Shabbat service there will be a presentation, “Sadat, Begin and Carter: Why 1970s Arab-Israeli negotiations are not replicable half a century later.” This will be followed by a Kiddush luncheon and a schmooze with a short presentation on “Presidents and Prime Ministers – (mis)calculations in the U.S.-Israeli relationship,” with a question-and-answer session.
Sunday morning, November 10: Breakfast, sponsored by Temple Beth Sholom Men’s Club, with a presentation, “Israel on Campus – BDS and Anti-Semitism: What are the antecedents and the antidotes?” This program is sponsored by Temple Beth Sholom and underwritten by Debbie and Larry Haspel. The program, which is open to the community, costs $10 and is payable at the door or by advance registration. To register for the entire program or individual events, please call Temple Beth Sholom at 941.955.8121.
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L'Shanah L'S ' han 'S a ah To an T Tovah vah Ti T Tikatevu! katevu!
Rosh Hashanah Services
Yom Kippur Services
Rosh Hashanah Eve Sunday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 pm
Kol Nidre Tuesday, Oct 8 at 6:45 pm
Rosh Hashanah Days Monday, Sept. 30 at 9:00 am Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 9:00 am
Morning - Oct. 9 Morning Service at 9:00 am Yizkor Service at 11:00 am Youth program and childcare 9am-2pm
Youth program and childcare both days from 9am-1pm
Other Events
Afternoon - Oct. 9 Rabbi Werbow Q&A at 4:30 pm
Sippin in the Sukkah Thursday Oct. 17 at 11:30
Mincha & Neilah at 5:30 Shofar Blowing at 8:00 pm Break-fast at 8:05 pm (RSVP)
Community Tashlich Sunday, Oct. 6 at 6:00 pm Siesta Beach Sukkot Shabbat Dinner Sunday, Oct. 18 at 6:00 pm (RSVP)
Find more details, events, and services on our website! www.templebethsholomfl.org
Contact the TBS office for more information on services and tickets. No one is ever turned away. Voluntary contributions are accepted. 1050 South Tuttle Avenue Sarasota, Florida 34237 941.955.8121 Info@TempleBethSholomFL.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!
October 2019
COMMUNITY FOCUS
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“Judaism, Music, Synagogue – A Day of Learning” at the Federation This program is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
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he Sarasota-Manatee Synagogue Council will present “Judaism, Music and Synagogue – A Day of Learning” on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life on Sunday, November 17 from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. The event is generously sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, and is being coordinated by Cantor Murray Simon, Cantor Emeritus of The Jewish Center in Princeton and a member of Temple Beth Sholom. It will include a series of presentations with musical interludes and film, illustrating the impact of Jewish music and its integration into the religious and secular world. Can10:tor Simon is the past president of the BethAmerican Conference of Cantors and enta-is well known for his scholarly and andmusical prowess. Cantor Simon will lead off with ceda discussion of “Great Cantors of the byGolden Age,” illustrating the starth canittentors of the first 30 years of the 20 cen-
tury. Cantor Simon is the producer of a DVD set of rare restored films of these famous cantors. As part of this presentation, he will show excerpts from this DVD of preserved historical films of cantorial performances. Janet Nagourney will expand your knowledge with a discussion of “The Music of Salomone de’ Rossi.” Salomone de’ Rossi was a leading figure in the Italian Renaissance and court musician to the rulers of Mantua. De’ Rossi, who composed a version of “Adon Olam” still used and sung today, was the first dominant Jew in the history of music composition. Ms. Nagourney majored in voice at Brooklyn College and has sung in many Jewish and secular choirs throughout her life. Her exploration of de’ Rossi’s life and work in the history and culture of his time promises to be lively and informative. The impact of Jewish music and the synagogue on secular life will be the topic for two other presentations.
Betty Silberman, a professional singer and actress who grew up speaking Yiddish, will present “Yiddish Song.” Her session will include a discussion of the Yiddish language with examples of Yiddish songs and funny anecdotes. Her musical offering will be a delight for those who know Yiddish and those who do not. Finally, Cantor Cliff Abramson of Temple Sinai will lead a discussion on “Jewish Composers of Broadway,” highlighting those Jewish composers and lyricists whose talents were showcased on the Broadway stage, in film and as part of The American Standard, for the enjoyment of all people. Cantor Abramson has a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from NYU and a Master of Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Through archival audio clips and live singing, Cantor Abramson will illustrate how Jewish music is the basis of many of beloved American popular
tunes, shows, films and recordings. The presentations will conclude with Q&A sessions with members of the audience. Attendees will be offered refreshments as well. The Synagogue Council welcomes all to participate in this special program. However, pre-registration for this event is mandatory, so please reserve the date. Since space is limited, registrants should indicate which of the breakout sessions they will attend. Further information will be available through the Synagogue Council, which will be publishing details in The Jewish News, through the community’s synagogues and other community outlets. To pre-register, contact Judith Zangwill of the Synagogue Council at jzangwill3912@comcast.net. The Synagogue Council suggests a donation of $8 at the door, which will be given to a charitable organization in Israel.
Temple Emanu-El welcomes new youth professional
o the le at emple Emanu-El is delighted n. To to announce that Savannah indiPintchuck-Samberg will serve as Beth the congregation’s new youth director. STEEMY – Sarasota Temple Emanu-El Mitzvah Youth – serves teens in grades 8-12 throughout the community. Although STEEMY is affiliated with Temple Emanu-El, members include teens affiliated with different congregations, or unaffiliated. Savannah, who moved to Sarasota in July 2018 to be closer to her family, introduced herself to the community in a recent interview. For more information about Savannah or STEEMY, please call 941.371.2788.
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What are some of your experiences working with youth? My first job after college was head
Savannah Pintchuck-Samberg poses with the STEEMY mascot
counselor for a summer dance program. I lived in dorms with 85 students ages 11-18. During the school year, I taught yoga in an after-school program and ballet for middle/high school students, and coached competition dancers. The last few classes with the high school seniors were always my favorite. I keep all the notes they wrote me when they graduated, and I still smile every time someone sends a text updating me about their life! What appeals to you about youth work? I’m already inspired by the STEEMY teens, simply by their desire
to be involved. It shows that there is something about being part of a Jewish community that appeals to them, and it is important to support and encourage that. I’m excited to meet new people and hopefully be a resource to help the youth group achieve its goals. How can we help teens who are not part of a synagogue stay connected to their Judaism? We know that teens excel at connecting online, so they might dedicate time to sharing Jewish thought and discussion through social media to engage other teens who are not part of a synagogue.
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October 2019
COMMUNITY FOCUS
New frontiers of Jewish learning explored at Letter Lift Off workshop This program is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
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strains of the Yiddish lullaby “Oyfn Pripetchik,” which tells of a rabbi teaching the wonder of the Hebrew letters to youngsters, participants were informed how the song gained worldwide prominence when Steven Spielberg chose to feature it during the scene in Schindler’s List that depicts the brutal liquidation of the Krakow ghetto. The group analyzed the roots of Hebrew words for faith and friendship in discovering intriguing insights about their essential meaning. Following a discussion about how Jewish mystics portrayed Hebrew letters and having conversations with one another, each participant had the opportunity to develop
a personal relationship with a letter. Short summaries from Jewish tradition about the character of these letters were distributed, followed by a series of questions that participants answered by imagining what their letter would reply. The workshop concluded with the drawing of images that creatively emerged from the personified letters. “I appreciated everyone’s willingness to look at the Hebrew letters, something that is usually taken for granted, in a completely different dimension,” said Rabbi Katz. “Even though this appeared to be a novel approach to Jewish study, it actually originated a long time ago.”
Letter Lift Off participants display the letters with which they developed a relationship during the workshop
Celebrate Sukkot with a Klezmer Festival By Rabbi Sholom Schmerling
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s the seasons change from summer to fall, and families spend more time inside, the Jewish community will celebrate the annual Sukkot holiday by heading outdoors. During the eight-day holiday, Jewish families have their meals in a temporary hut called a sukkah. Another unique holiday practice is the gathering of four different species – most notably the esrog, a citrus fruit with a sweet and strong smell; a palm branch; and twigs from the willow tree and myrtle bush. Sukkot, referred to as the holiday of rejoicing, comes just five days after the more solemn Yom Kippur. The temporary sukkah booths emphasize how the world and the Jewish people rely on God’s protection. The group of four plants, including the esrog fruit,
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ind-opening… The way Jewish mystics sought to invest the Hebrew letters with personalities and character traits is fascinating… The experience combined play with history and kabbalah in a way that brought new meaning, relevance and a modern connection to the letters.” These were some of the comments offered by those who participated in the recent Letter Lift Off workshop sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and JFCS of the Suncoast. Facilitated by Community Chaplain Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz, it explored how Hebrew, though an ancient language, still retains a profound freshness. Participants learned that a kabbalistic interpretation of the opening verse of the Torah reveals that the initial act of Creation was not the heavens and the earth but the Alef-Bet. They also became aware that the different translations of the Torah’s first word, Beresheet, and the letter bet that begins it, reflect crucial implications of Creationist vs. Evolutionist views regarding the world’s inception. After listening to the touching
are replete with symbolic meaning, including the fall harvest and gathering season, and the unity of the Jewish people. Klezmer is a Hebrew word, a combination of the words “kley” (vessel) and “zemer” (melody), which referred to musical instruments in ancient times. It became colloquially attached to Jewish folk musicians sometime in
the Middle Ages. Enjoy a beautiful evening with the popular Freylekh Klezmer Band along with a BBQ and moon bounce for the kids, on Wednesday, October 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the Chabad Education Center, 21560 Angela Lane, Venice. For more information and tickets, visit www.chabadofvenice.com or call 941.493.2770.
Talk Story returns Monday, October 28 This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
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alk Story, a weekly discussion group led by Community Chaplain Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz, resumes after a summer hiatus on Monday, October 28 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at JFCS of the Suncoast (2688 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota), and will continue weekly. The group explores a wide range of topics including current events and, particularly, Jewish subjects of interest. “What makes Talk Story stimulating and provocative,” according to Rabbi Katz, “is that we dig below the surface of things to get to the heart of what is really going on. Group members appreciate the learning they expe-
rience and the chance to offer their own perspectives.” Adrienne Porges and Neale Rosenthal echo this sentiment. “It’s enlightening and fun,” says Porges, “in providing an opportunity to sharpen our minds and share in meaningful ways.” Rosenthal enjoys “the content that is presented and then how different ideas are generated.” Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and JFCS, Talk Story is open to all. Though people are welcome to drop in at a Talk Story, it is always good to let Rabbi Katz (941.366.2224 x166) know your interest in participating.
October 2019
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Cantor Marci Vitkus celebrates 18 years at the Jewish Congregation of Venice
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he tradition of Jewish music to “see what the world was all about” runs deep and long in Cantor by going to work at a printing compaetter. Marci Vitkus’ family. Sevenny. After one year there, her boss, who raditeen generations deep. Her father, Joel was a former teacher, said, “You have tters Reznick, is a cantor. Her grandfather, it in your blood. Go teach.” eries Her first teaching job was as direceredHyman, was a cantor and co-founder tor and teacher at a cooperative preouldof the Chicago Halevi Choir, which he school in Evanston, Illinois, where the withdirected for 41 years. He also headed parents were involved in the daily opvelythe Chicago Board of Jewish Educaerations of the school. rs. tion. Cantor Marci, as She held the position willfor five years. let-she is affectionately On a vacation to akenknown at the Jewish Florida with her husCongregation of Venerent ice (JCV), is currently band Andy (they met Even in 1990 and have been l ap-celebrating 18 years together for 29 years), orig-with the congregation they fell in love with as she reflects on her the Sunshine State and life and the path that decided to move here led her to JCV. Cantor Marci Vitkus She wasn’t interso they “could play volleyball all year.” She got a job and ested in being a cantor initially. She had they moved to Southwest Florida. different plans for her life. Although In 1994 they purchased a preshe accompanied her father to services, school, which they operated and taught sang and was involved in theater, she at for seven and a half years. They wanted to be a teacher. “I wanted to be sold the school after she was offered a a singer, but I didn’t want to be famous. cantorial position at JCV in 2001. Joel I guess this job qualifies,” says Cantor Kreiss, who she knew from the SaraMarci. She was born and brought up in a sota Jewish Chorale, was instrumental suburb of Chicago. After receiving a in bringing her to JCV for an interview. degree in Early Childhood Education “JCV is my family. They’ve from Indiana University, she decided watched my kids grow up,” says Cantor
al
with Band unce ober ucaVenkets, call
Volunteers needed for preschool screening!
The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is committed to continuing the testing of vision and hearing for preschool children in Sarasota. Our volunteers are trained to use the audio-meters we have purchased and to test for vision issues. Children are referred to physicians if needed. Presently there are three groups doing vision testing and three groups conducting hearing tests. They each cover four to six preschools. The co-chairs are seeking new volunteers. If you participate in this project, you will be making a difference for a child that will last them a lifetime. For more information, contact Nina Japhe at ninapc18@aol.com or Judy Furman at heyjude2005@msn.com.
Marci. Her son Max was two and a half when she started, and is now 20 and going into his junior year at University of Central Florida. Daughter Sadie, 18, just started her freshman year at University of Florida. She adds, “Creating family is of the utmost importance to me.” There was a young couple at the synagogue whose wedding she officiated, along with the baby naming for their two children, and she is presently preparing the oldest child for his Bar Mitzvah. Starting with two services a month, Cantor Marci’s responsibilities have gradually and greatly expanded. She now sings every Shabbat, is responsible for training B’nai Mitzvah students and running the family program (Sunday School). She also directs the JCV choir, which is about to begin rehearsing for the High Holy Days, and
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is working with new JCV Rabbi Benjamin Shull on music for the holiday services. If all that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, she formed a company, Harmonious Weddings, in 2004 because she loves officiating at weddings. Cantor Marci is celebrating her 18th year with a concert on Saturday, November 2 at 6:00 p.m. entitled “Stages of Life; Just the Chai-lights.” She will be accompanied by Steven Phillips on piano and Joe Bruno Jr. on cello/bass. This is her way of giving back to the congregation which has become such an integral part of her life, “because genuine and caring people have allowed me to grow into being the right cantor for them.” In turn, the JCV community cares deeply about their dedicated cantor, her enthusiasm, warmth and beautiful voice, which adds so much depth and richness to services.
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Welcome
NEWCOMERS RECEPTIONS AD R B
E N TO N
Thursday Dec 19, 2019 5 –7pm
or
SAR
A S OTA
Wednesday Jan 13, 2020 5 –7pm
ROSEDALE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 5100 87th St. E. Bradenton
EMBASSY SUITES 202 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
CO-CHAIRS: SHARYN NASSAU C YNTHIA WRIGHT
CO-CHAIRS: SHEREE AND LARRY ZASLAVSKY
MICHAEL SAUNDERS & COMPANY
NEW TO THE AREA? NEW TO FEDERATION? • You are invited to a Newcomers Reception in either Bradenton or Sarasota • Connect with other members of the Jewish community • These events are FREE, but reservations are required
RSVP via jfedsrq.org/events or Brieana Duckett-Graves 941.552.6305 bdgraves@jfedsrq.org
Save the Date Date & Time: November 18, 2019 at 7:30 pm Place: Michael’s On East
Dessert Reception
Benefitting the Benevolent Care Program
Women of
Aviva
Save the Date Date & Time: March 8, 2020 at 10:30 am Place: Aviva Campus
Brunch
941.377.0781 www.avivaseniorlife.org
14A
October 2019
COMMUNITY FOCUS
“Great Escapes in Jewish History”
By Marden Paru, Dean, Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva | This program is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
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here is no escaping the truth that the Jewish people have survived every imaginable existential threat including those perpetrated by the major powers of history, all of which have now vanished. No other people have lived this long. Many trying moments of Jewish history required great and imaginative escapes. Staying alive meant using saykhel (smarts), ingenuity and derring-do in order to survive the threatened ravages of annihilation. Intrigued by how it was done, I began researching the various techniques and tactics that were often employed. What surprised me the
most were some of the following: use of tunnels, feigning funerals by hiding in caskets, optical illusions, use of echoes, capturing enemy weapons by nefarious means, oratory and debate, plus a few special miracles. The teacher explains, “Fleeing pharaoh, slavery and Egypt was the children of Israel’s biggest escape.” A very young student, awed by the enormity of the Exodus story, ponders what he just heard and asks the teacher, “If you say the children of Israel escaped Egypt and then conquered the land of Canaan, where were the adults?” Most children know the story of
how a spider saved the life of the future King David. Since then, every conceivable trick has been employed by Jews to survive the most dangerous and life-threatening situations. In spite of the mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust, many unusual survival techniques and stories are still emerging and have yet to be fully told. The Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva is offering an eight-week course, “Great Escapes in Jewish History.” The class will meet Mondays, beginning October 7 from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. This course will review the long history of escapes, including methodology, the leadership
and secrets of mutual help. Classes are held on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life, 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. To enroll, contact me at marden.paru@ gmail.com or 941.379.5655. The fee of $70 includes all materials. This course is open to everyone regardless of background or personal orientation. The Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva is a 501(c)(3) non-denominational non-profit organization, which also operates in part through a grant from The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.
Mazel Tov to 11 amazing women By Rabbi Michael Werbow
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here were no prerequisites and no synagogue membership required to take the class and yet 11 women felt drawn to deepen their understanding of Judaism. Their adult B’nai Mitzvah class began with them emotionally describing why they were taking the class and why they felt the call to bridge the gap to Judaism they had felt for many years. And on June 9, as part of Temple Beth Sholom’s Shavuot service, each student shared, with the community, what the experience of celebrating a B’nai Mitzvah meant to them. These sharing opportu-
nities were emotional displays of how one can feel distant from their tradition and then, through committed learning, come to feel close to it. Throughout the year, these dedicated women not only studied a wide variety of Jewish topics, but they also became a community of learners. They began each class sharing personal updates and made new relationships with people who were previously strangers. They shared in each other’s joy and supported each other through illness and sadness. These women brought so much
with them, and their thirst for more has inspired others. Now, as they remain dedicated to their learning, all are welcome (at no charge) to share this experience on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota. This year’s class
will answer the question: Why Didn’t I Learn That in Hebrew School? Anyone who joins, and desires a B’nai Mitzvah ceremony, will have that opportunity next Shavuot. For more information, please call the temple office at 941.955.8121.
2019 B’nai Mitzvah class
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Questions? Contact Jeremy Lisitza at 941.343.2113 or jlisitza@jfedsrq.org
COMMUNITY FOCUS
October 2019
Largest public photo exhibition in North America, “The Fence,” comes to Nathan Benderson Park
LarryThis program is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee wish he largest public photo exhi“The Fence” consistently attracts 501(c)(3) business created to manage a. To bition in North America will exceptional work by talented photogNathan Benderson Park, a community/ ru@ return to Sarasota this fall and raphers from around the world. It also public asset and world-class, multi-use ee ofwinter, this time including a showcase provides photographers with a truly sports venue. Its mission is to improve urseof the best from Gulf Coast photograpublic platform and unexpected career the quality of life for our community ack-phers. opportunities. and be an economic generator for our The “The Fence” will appear on NaConceived and produced by Unitregion. SANCA’s primary purpose c)(3)than Benderson Park’s Regatta Island ed Photo Industries, “The Fence” was is to develop and promote NBP as a orga-beginning Friday, November 8 and run developed with Photo District News in world-class event center, team training partthrough Saturday, February 8, 2020. In 2011. It was presented for the first time site and Sarasota County park, while Fed-the shadow of the Benderson Family in 2012 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and providing outreach programs through
r
s
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Finish Tower, the exhibit will appear on both sides of a fence between the island’s twin bridges. The large-scale traveling exhibition draws more than six million visitors each year through open-air exhibitions in eight cities – this year, host cities also include Seattle, Boston, Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Brooklyn and Calgary, Alberta. The Sarasota show will include a Gulf Coast Regional Showcase that highlights the best work from photographers across the region. Five of those winning photographers are from Sarasota. Participating artists’ work spans the categories of creatures, home, people, streets, nature, food and play. Each photo series is comprised of as many as five images that share a thematic connection or tell a story. Photographers were invited to submit work for consideration by a jury of photo and art professionals, including photo editors from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, San Francisco Chronicle, People and Time magazines, as well as curators from galleries, museums and colleges across the continent, including the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa.
has since grown through strategic partnerships with cultural organizations across the United States and Canada. “We’re proud to have ‘The Fence’ return to Nathan Benderson Park,” said Stephen V. Rodriguez, President of Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates (SANCA), which manages NBP. “Thousands came last year to see the exhibit, and we’re particularly pleased to have a showcase of regional work this year.” Laura Feder, a photography enthusiast, was instrumental in bringing “The Fence” to NBP last fall and sponsors the entire Gulf Coast Regional Showcase. “I was beyond thrilled that New York-based ‘The Fence’ agreed to add a regional contest, showcasing some of our exceptionally talented Gulf Coast photographers,” Feder said. “The Fence” is a free event thanks to Feder and to SANCA. Sponsors include Michael’s On East, Visit Sarasota, DG Ace Hardware, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and Observer Media Group. About Nathan Benderson Park and Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates Inc. (SANCA) is a non-profit
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recreation, safety training, education and volunteering as a service to our community. For more information, see nathanbendersonpark.org/about-us/ sanca-mission. About United Photo Industries United Photo Industries is a New Yorkbased nonprofit organization that works to promote a wider understanding and increase access to the art of photogra-
phy. Founded in 2011 by Sam Barzilay, Dave Shelley and Laura Roumanos, United Photo Industries has rapidly solidified its position in the public art landscape by consistently showcasing thought-provoking, challenging and exceptional photography from across the globe. Proudly devoted to cultivating strategic partnerships, creative collaborations and community spirit, United Photo Industries has presented hundreds of exhibitions and public art installations across the United States and worldwide in partnership with numerous festivals, city agencies and non-profit organizations. For more information about United Photo Industries, visit unitedphotoindustries. com.
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16A
October 2019
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Buchanan calls for Holocaust education in schools
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ASHINGTON – August 28, 2019 – Following an alarming rise in anti-Semitism across the country, Congressman Vern Buchanan called for passage of legislation he co-sponsored to help educate students nationwide about the horrors of the Holocaust. Shockingly, a 2018 survey found that 22 percent of U.S. millennials have either never heard of or are unsure if they have heard of the Holocaust. The Never Again Education Act would establish a fund at the Department of Education to award grants for Holocaust education programs and create regional workshops to assist teachers in high schools and middle schools throughout the country to incorporate Holocaust education into their curricula. Last month, a Florida principal was reassigned after refusing to say whether the Holocaust was a “factual, historical event.” “Anti-Semitism has no place in our country, especially in our schools. We need to do all we can to combat
this evil ideology,” said Buchanan, a member of the bipartisan Taskforce to Combat anti-Semitism. “That is why I strongly urge Congress to pass the Never Again Education Act.” Buchanan noted a Bradenton Herald report this week that said although Florida law has required Holocaust education since 1994, it remains unclear – 25 years later – whether all school districts are taking part or how compliance should be measured. The operators of the Al Katz Center for Holocaust Survivors and Jewish Learning in Bradenton are pushing for more robust Holocaust education in the community. Buchanan’s call for action on the Never Again Education Act also comes after a video surfaced of California high school students singing a Nazi song and giving Nazi salutes. Florida is one of only 11 states with laws mandating education on the Holocaust, the systematic slaughter of an estimated six million Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II. According to the Anti-Defama-
tion League (ADL), the U.S. Jewish community experienced near-historic levels of anti-Semitism in 2018. The ADL also stated that there were 1,879 recorded attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions across the country in the last year alone – the third-highest year on record since the group began recording such data in the 1970s. These sobering statistics include a doubling of anti-Semitic assaults and the single deadliest attack against the Jewish community in American history when an alleged white supremacist opened fire at a synagogue in Pittsburgh last October, killing 11 people and injuring seven others. The bill is supported by prominent groups, including the ADL, the American Zionist Movement, The Jewish Federations of North America, the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, World Jewish Congress North America and the Center for Jewish History. “This funding and training would help educators teach young Americans of the Holocaust’s atrocities,” Buchanan continued. “We must deny the
purveyors of anti-Semitism the opportunity to spread this hate amongst our students.” In July, Buchanan announced that he co-sponsored three bills supporting Israel, including one denouncing the insidious BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign against the Jewish state. Sixteen members of Congress have co-sponsored a resolution supporting the BDS movement, comparing their crusade to delegitimize Israel with the boycotts of Nazi Germany before the Holocaust. Last year, Buchanan addressed a group of Sarasota and Manatee Jewish leaders, stating that America must continue to stand with the only democracy in the Middle East in the shared fight against radical Islamic terrorists. Sarasota AIPAC leader David Chaifetz has praised Buchanan’s record on Israel, stating, “There has not been a greater defender of Israel in the U.S. Congress than Vern Buchanan.”
Temple Sinai Social Action and Justice Committee program on environmental issues By Gail Glickman
ries of citizens from across the United States as they step forward to raise awareness. After the film, a panel of local experts will lead a discussion that will be of interest to all: Darcy Young, Director of Planning and Communications, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program; Jeff Vredenburg, City of Sarasota Sustainability Program Educator; and Tim Rumage, Coordinator, Environmental Studies at Ringling College of Arts + Design and Co-Founder/Chief Scientific Officer of “This Spaceship Earth.” We hope members of the community will join our Temple Sinai members to step forward and join this conversation about climate change and its solutions. This program is free and open to
Social Action and Justice Committee Co-Chairs Anne Schimberg and Cecile Klayton
everyone in the community. For more information, contact Rich Scissors at richscissors@gmail.com.
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a documentary film project that shares the stories of the communities that are dealing with the leading edge of climate change. Residents of Norfolk are struggling to adapt to the rising tides and an uncertain future. The town has registered 16 inches of sea level rise since 1930. This is a vital issue that is becoming a major problem faced by seaside communities around the world, including our very own Sarasota and her barrier islands. Facing the Surge tells the sto-
L’SHANAH TOVAH 5780!
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emple Sinai’s Social Action and Justice Committee (SAJC) continues to bring to the community important subjects that impact us all. On Sunday, October 13 at 9:30 a.m., the SAJC will present a provocative video, Facing the Surge, with a light breakfast starting at 9:00 a.m. Facing the Surge, produced by Adaptation Now, documents the tangible costs of sea level rise for the people of Norfolk, Virginia, a city on the frontline of climate change. Adaptation Now is
Call 941.371.4546 x0 for a FREE SUBSCRIPTION.
PUBLISHED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF SARASOTA-MANATEE
October 2019
COMMUNITY FOCUS
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Sarasota-Manatee Jewish connection to the Civil War By Kim Sheintal, President, Jewish Genealogical Society of Southwest Florida
D
more rs at
Benjamin” marker (erected in 1999), which tells the story of Benjamin during and after the Civil War. The Yellow Bluffs marker (erected in 1963) at 1161 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota states the location as the “embarkation point of Judah P. Benjamin… who fled America at the end of the War Between the States in 1865.”
dered the monument be removed from the courthouse grounds. The highly controversial decision about whether the Confederate memorial that is now in secured storage should be returned to grounds of the Manatee County Courthouse or erected elsewhere will be made by voters in a 2020 referendum. Many protesters regarded the monument as being a defense of slavery that should not be located at a place where people seek justice, while others considered it a legitimate war memorial. According to the American Jewish Historical Society Center for Jewish History, “Judah P. Benjamin, called the ‘brains of the Confederacy’ and the ‘man behind the throne’ of the
Confederate aristocracy, was an unparalleled statesman and jurist in the United States, the Confederate States and Great Britain. A man of multiple talents, Benjamin achieved high-ranking titles wherever he served, especially leaving an indelible mark in the South where he held more official positions than any other man during the Civil War.” The Judah P. Benjamin historic markers and monument are always the highlights of the Jewish bus tours that I lead in Sarasota. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Southwest Florida will present a program about Benjamin on Sunday, November 17 at 1:00 p.m. at Aviva – A Campus for Senior Life.
Sarasota historic marker at Yellow Bluffs marks Judah P. Benjamin’s 1865 embarkation
The Gamble Mansion and Plantation marker (erected in 1969) on the grounds of the Gamble Plantation tells how the Plantation was rescued from decay in 1923 by the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in cooperation with the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The Judah P. Benjamin memorial plaque affixed to the Gamble Mansion states: “Secretary of State Benjamin of the Confederate cabinet lived in this house between the capture of Richmond, VA, by the Union army and his escape to England.” A monument on the Manatee County Courthouse lawn was erected by the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy to memorialize Confederate soldiers and dedicated on June 3, 1924, the birthday of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States. In 2017, the Manatee County Commission or-
! ERow N aR INrs in W3 Yea
uring the Civil War, there were approximately 200,000 Jews living in the United States, but none in Sarasota-Manatee. However, Sarasota-Manatee has Jewish history dating back to the Civil War. Two historic markers and one monument in Sarasota describe the captivating story about Judah P. Benjamin, a Jewish Confederate cabinet member. Judah P. Benjamin was born in 1811 on St. Croix to Jewish parents. At the time of his birth, Benjamin was in transit with his parents from England to America. He became a politician, lawyer, senator and, during the Civil War, the second-in-command of the Confederacy. Benjamin was the “most prominent nineteenth century American Jew” according to Encyclopedia Judaica. He was Attorney General, Secretary of War and Secretary of State under Jefferson Davis. When the Confederacy collapsed after Lee’s surrender to Grant, Benjamin had to flee the country. He disguised himself as a farmer and fled to the Gamble Mansion and hid there for two weeks. Union soldiers came to search for him. He left the mansion and went to stay in Sarasota. At age 54, Benjamin fled from Sarasota. He reestablished himself in England as a lawyer for 16 years and was honored as a leader. He died in Paris in 1884. In 1942, Florida Governor Spessard Holland attended the Judah P. Benjamin Memorial unveiling in front of the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. This monument has carved: “Near this spot on June 23, 1865, Judah P. Benjamin, Secretary of State of the United Confederacy, set sail for a foreign shore.” Benjamin fled to escape Union troops who were pursuing him. Next to the memorial is the “Judah Phillip
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18A
October 2019
COMMUNITY FOCUS
5780
M
ay the new year be filled with good health and happiness, and sweet memories too! FROM YOUR FEDERATION FAMILY (AND MORDI THE MENSCH)
5780
Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish New Year; start of the Ten Days of Penitence. The first two days are observed as full holidays.
Yom Kippur
Day of Atonement; the most solemn day of the year devoted to fasting, prayer and repentance.
Sukkot
First two days of Tabernacles, commemorating the dwelling of the Israelites in booths in the wilderness.
Shemini Atzeret Eighth Day of Assembly.
Simchat Torah
Celebrates the new cycle of annual scriptural readings.
Eve. of Sept. 29 Sept. 30 Oct. 1
Eve. of Oct. 8 Oct. 9
Eve of Oct. 13 Oct. 14 Oct. 15
Eve of Oct. 20 Oct. 21
Oct. 22
October 2019
JEWISH INTEREST
19A
Aging Jewishly – What our traditions teach us about growing old
From a wedding in Europe to a Bar Mitzvah in the Caribbean – tips for seniors on the destination family simcha By Rabbi Barbara Aiello
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“
ell I never thought I’d see the day,” exclaimed Eva to her senior living buddy, Gladys. “When did this happen? When did you start using a cane?” “That’s canes, plural,” Gladys’ husband Ken explained. “We bought two of them to take to Italy. Our grandson is getting married over there and we’re going prepared!” According to recent statistics regarding venues for destination weddings, Europe is one of the most popular choices and Italy Rabbi Barbara Aiello tops the charts. At a whopping 78 percent of wedding destinations, FindYourItaly.com reports that “Bella Italia” is the European country most preferred with more than 7,000 destination weddings conducted there in 2017 alone. The same holds true for Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies. As more and more families examine alternatives to the “big bash” or “blowout party,” that, according to Rob Eshman, editor of jewishjournal.com, can cost from $20,000 to $100,000, more families are taking their show on the road. Favored destinations include Europe, the Caribbean and, of course, Israel, but no matter where in the world the ceremonies are held, grandparents hold a place of honor in these celebrations.
That’s why Gladys and Ken, neither of whom are required to use a cane, chose to purchase a matched set, precisely for their European trip. In addition, this bubbe and zayde duo put their heads together to devise a list of senior considerations when traveling abroad for a family simcha. 1. Have a frank talk with the wedding couple or the Bar/Bat Mitzvah family. Gladys and Ken were honored that their grandson invited them to offer a special wedding blessing, while other seniors kvell at being a part of the Bar or Bar Mitzvah service. But seniors report that prior to finalizing plans, a frank talk with the family is essential, especially before the family selects a venue. Gladys and Ken emphasize that if you are frail or unsteady, discuss your accessibility needs before the family makes a deposit on that spectacular but remote villa or hotel. Be proactive. Ken even asked to speak directly to the on-site event planner to discuss specific needs. 2. Ask the right questions. Does that ancient castle that presents so beautifully on the website have accessible bathroom facilities? Does the walled city where the villa is located prohibit auto traffic and, if so, how much time is necessary to walk to the venue itself? Is there golf cart transportation for seniors and, if so, how are those reservations made and guaranteed? For example, the town of Ravello on the Amalfi Coast is accessible only on foot. A beautiful wedding villa is
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located at the end of long pedestrian passageway where the uneven pavement, dozens of steps and semi-steep grades present a real challenge for elderly guests. Then there’s the synagogue in Rhodes, Greece, built in 1577. It features a mosaic floor that, although breathtakingly beautiful, makes walking and even standing quite challenging. The synagogue in St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands) is located atop a steep incline and boasts a sanctuary floor covered with sand. As Ken said, “Something good to know ahead of time.” 3. Photos, videos, FaceTime. For seniors who are unable to travel, being present virtually, in real time, seems like an easily accomplished alternative, however it is important to determine in advance how this might happen. Ken and Gladys found that some venues are so remote that limited bandwidth prohibits a clear transmission, while some officiants discourage any cell phone use during the ceremony. If a smartphone will transmit the ceremony, be sure to contact the officiating rabbi for her/his guidelines so that if real time technology is permitted, you can bring a stand or pedestal so the phone can be positioned accurately for the duration of the ceremony. In this way, every guest can be emotionally and spiritually present during the ceremony. Better yet, consider hiring a professional photographer and videographer, and organize a small reception
at home so that those who could not attend can share in the joy of the occasion. 4. Do what Gladys and Ken did. Consider purchasing or renting an “all-terrain cane” (one of the most popular is the “HurryCane”). These super stable walking sticks feature rotating “feet” that adapt to grass, concrete and cobblestones, and provide stability on ancient walkways and villa and castle grounds. “America is accessible but Europe is ancient and many buildings do not have hand rails, ramps or golf cart transportation,” says Gladys, who reports that she and Ken practiced with their all-terrain canes for two weeks before departing the U.S. for their family’s Italian simcha. “We were ready,” Gladys says. “We talked to the kids and asked the right questions.” Gladys and Ken got as much senior-specific information as they could. Ken says, “We were like the Boy Scouts. We arrived prepared because no way were we going to miss my grandson breaking the glass!” For ten years Rabbi Barbara Aiello served as resident rabbi at Aviva – A Campus for Senior Life. She is rabbi of the Reconstructionist synagogue Ner Tamid del Sud in south Italy and recently served as visiting rabbi in Greece’s oldest synagogue. Contact her at Rabbi@RabbiBarbara.com.
20A
October 2019
JEWISH INTEREST
Julia Wolfe and “Fire in My Mouth” By Arlene Stolnitz
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ho would think the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 could be the inspiration for a choral cantata? “Fire in My Mouth” is an oratorio for girls’ and women’s choirs by American composer Julia Wolfe. Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, it was completed in August 2018. Inspired by the infamous Triangle fire which claimed the lives of 146 Arlene Stolnitz New York City garment workers, its world premiere, under the direction of Jaap van Zweden, was given by the Philadelphiabased chamber choir, The Crossing,
the Young People’s Chorus of New York and the New York Philharmonic on January 24, 2019. The narrative tells of the young factory workers as they immigrate to the United States, start to work in the factories, protest the unfair conditions, and finally perish in the tragic fire. Wolfe has used extended techniques to imitate the sounds of sewing machines, scissors and fire. Here is an excerpt from a quote by Ms. Wolfe, which tells of her anguish upon learning of the history of a building she walked past daily on her way to work. “For years I have been walking by the site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on Washington Place in downtown New York. The building, originally named the Asch Building,
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CLASSICAL ROMANCE
later renamed the Brown Building, is around the corner from where I teach at New York University. There are three small plaques on the outer wall that inform the public of the tragic fire that took the lives of 146 garment workers on March 25, 1911. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and the protests that came both before and after, ignited a public outcry for change. “The majority of the victims of the Triangle fire were young immigrant women, Eastern European Jews and Southern Italians, who had fled their homelands to escape persecution and poverty. They arrived on these shores with sewing skills and were eager to work on the large factory floors. They sat at long tables, working long hours, amidst the roar of hundreds of sewing machines. The garment workers had no recourse against intolerable conditions, no worker protections. They began to organize. I became fascinated by the young women who led the fight for reform – Clara Lemlich, Rose Schneiderman and others, who persevered against extreme obstacles. After being beaten by hired thugs, and having six ribs broken, Lemlich quickly bounced back into action. Years later, in an interview, when asked about her activism, she declared, ‘Ah, then I had fire in my mouth.’ In ‘Fire in My Mouth,’ I weave fragments of oral history, the clatter of factory sounds, Yiddish and Italian folk songs, words of protest, and stories of loss and grief. With my collaborators, I follow the story of these women who rose up to demand a more human existence. This piece is dedicated to their memory.” How did I find out about this amazing and timely piece? This summer I had the pleasure of attending a concert at Maverick, which
claims to be America’s oldest chamber music festival. Known as Music in the Woods, Maverick is located in Woodstock, New York, in the iconic Woodland Chapel, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. New The Sunday afternoon concert wecast attended was called “From Maverick toUnb Woodstock: In the Spirit of the ’60s,”serie featuring the 50th anniversary of theNetfl Woodstock Festival. Paying honor toMar the musical spirit of the ’60s, we heardlying the beautiful harmonies of the Jasperfema String Quartet. After the intermissionpath we were treated to Julia Wolfe’s “Fouralwa Marys.” Wolfe, a MacArthur Fellowthe d and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer,ed a is one of the founders of New York’sPulit legendary Bang on a Can collec-CHA tive, a contemporary classical musicMA organization whose members are enI couraged to maintain a “jeans and tee-stati shirt” mentality. Interested in AmericanPlus labor history, Wolfe’s oratorio “An-(new thracite Fields” won the Pulitzer PrizeIt’s in 2016. radio Later, looking through the pro-was gram, I noticed that in addition to otherSNL pieces, she had written a cantata com-1982 memorating the Triangle Shirt Factoryvid L tragedy. That really sparked my inter-One est and has resulted in this writing. In-folks terested readers can check out “Fire ingues My Mouth” on YouTube for additionalDON information. SHE Arlene Stolnitz, founder of the Sara-na as sota Jewish Chorale, has sung in choP ral groups for over 25 years. A retired(with educator, she is a graduate of the GulfFox Coast Community Leadership Founda-cent tion. A member of the Jewish Congre-force gation of Venice, the Venice Choralegood and the Sarasota Jewish Chorale, herers t interest in choral music has led to thison th series of articles on Jewish Folk Musicalive in the Diaspora. HAL
Victor DeRenzi, Artistic Director Richard Russell, Executive Director
MASTERWORKS 1
Van Wezel
GERARD SCHWARZ Conductor Laureate Seattle Symphony Lise de la Salle, piano
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Six-time Emmy award winner and recipient of 14 Grammy nominations, conductor Gerard Schwarz arrives at the Sarasota Orchestra podium for this exhilarating concert. Come traverse musical worlds of the Classical and Romantic periods on the wings of unforgettable melody.
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JEWISH INTEREST
Stars of David
By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist
e
mberEditor’s note: Persons in BOLD CAPS are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish n thefor the purpose of the column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jewood-ish parent and were not raised in a faith other than Judaism – and don’t identify ood-with a faith other than Judaism as an adult. Converts to Judaism, of course, are onalalso identified as Jewish. New Shows: Streaming and Broadporting role as Ainsley, Malcolm’s t wecast; Catch-Up and Look Ahead sister. Ainsley is a successful TV jourck toUnbelievable, an eight-episode mininalist. Her good sense of humor helps 60s,”series, was released in its entirety on her maintain a good relationship with theNetflix on September 13. It follows her very weird brother. or toMarie, a teen who was charged with Stumptown started on ABC on eardlying about being raped, and the two September 25 (10:00 p.m.). Cobie sperfemale detectives who follow a long Smulders stars as a tough private insionpath before they arrive at the truth. The vestigator with a military intelligence Fouralways good Toni Collette plays one of background. CAMRYN MANHEIM, llowthe detectives. The series was co-creat58 (The Practice) has a biggish suposer,ed and co-written by Susannah Grant, porting role as police lieutenant Cosork’sPulitzer Prize-winner MICHAEL grove. llec-CHABON, 56, and AYELET WALDThe Unicorn premiered on SepmusicMAN, 54 (Chabon’s wife). tember 26 on NBC (8:30 p.m.). Wade enIf you get the AXS cable/satellite (Walton Goggins) is a 45-year-old tee-station, you can watch Paul Shaffer widower and the devoted father of two icanPlus One. It began on September 15 adolescent daughters. As the series be“An-(new episodes Sundays at 9:00 p.m.) gins, a year has passed since his wife’s PrizeIt’s also aired on Shaffer’s SiriusXM death and he thinks about dating again. radio show. PAUL SHAFFER, 69, To his amazement – women flock to pro-was the original (1974) leader of the him because he is a “unicorn” – single, otherSNL house band before leaving in employed, attractive, with a proven recom-1982 to lead the house bands on Dacord of commitment. His friends and ctoryvid Letterman’s TV talk shows. In Plus family root for him – hoping he’ll find nter-One, Shaffer talks to a lot of famous happiness again. MICHELA WAT. In-folks (mostly musicians). Season One KINS, 47 (Casual) co-stars as Delia, a re inguests include Steely Dan co-founder friend of Wade. She’s the wife of ForonalDONALD FAGEN, 71, and HARRY rest, Wade’s best friend. SHEARER, 75 (in his fictional persoCarol’s Second Act began on CBS ara-na as Spinal Tap bassist Derek Smalls). on September 26 (9:30 p.m.). It stars choProdigal Son is a crime thriller Patricia Heaton as Carol Kenney, a tired(with some dark humor) that began on retired teacher with two grown chilGulfFox on September 23 (9:00 p.m.). It dren who decides to pursue her dream nda-centers on Malcolm Bright, a law enof becoming a doctor. As the series ngre-forcement profiler who is incredibly starts, she is doing her hospital internoralegood at his job. He knows how killship. ASHLEY TISDALE, 34 (High herers think. His gift seems to be based School Musical), co-stars as Carol’s thison the fact that his father, who is still daughter, Jenny, a pharmaceutical rep Musicalive, was a notorious serial killer. with an upbeat attitude that keeps her HALSTON SAGE, 26, has a big supmother’s spirits up.
October 2019
21A
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. The entire first season of the Netflix satirical comedy series The Politician was released on September 27 (a second season is already ordered). Broadway star BEN PLATT, 25 (Dear Evan Hansen) stars as Payton Hobart, a wealthy resident of Santa Barbara. Each season will revolve around another political race Payton is in, and the first season is about a high school election. The cast includes GWYNETH PALTROW, 46, as Payton’s mother. The supporting cast includes ZOEY DEUTCH, 24, and BOB BALABAN, 74. BETTE MIDLER, 73, and JUDITH LIGHT, 70, make guest appearances. The series was co-created by BRAD FALCHUK, 48, who Paltrow married last year. There is a shocker embedded in the new CW series Batwoman (starts Sunday, October 6 at 8:00 p.m.). In recent
comics about Batwoman, she is identified as Kat Kane, a cousin of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and she is a lesbian and she’s Jewish! Well, CW did the right thing and the TV Batwoman is Jewish and a lesbian. She’s played by Australian actress Ruby Rose, who really is a lesbian, but she’s not Jewish. Humorist ANDY BOROWITZ, 61, is the host of Retro Report on PBS. It will air on Mondays and Tuesdays, October 7-29 at 9:00 p.m. The program will cover past events. Surprising historical roots will be uncovered, and widely believed myths debunked. PAUL RUDD, 50, stars in the Netflix series Living With Yourself (first season to be released on Wednesday, October 16), as a man burnt out on life who undergoes a mysterious treatment only to find out that he’s been replaced by a man better than himself.
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22A
October 2019
JEWISH INTEREST
JoinUs WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2019 10:00am Beatrice Friedman Theater The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life 582 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota
OPEN HOUSE AND PROGRAM We invite you to learn about the Women’s Giving Circle and the exciting projects we have supported. More than $57,000 was granted by last year’s Women’s Giving Circle members to eleven organizations in Israel benefiting women and children.
Debbie Yonker, Chair
RSVP by November 25 to Brieana Duckett-Graves at 941.552.6305 or bdgraves@jfedsrq.org QUESTIONS? Contact Jeremy Lisitza 941.343.2113 or jlisitza@jfedsrq.org
2019 FC elebration ederation
Wednesday, November 13, 2019 7:00pm
Dessert Reception The Beatrice Friedman Theater The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life 582 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota Co-chairs: Anne Spindel and Nancy Wolk WELCOMING NEW PRESIDENT RANDON CARVEL
Award Recipients Doris Loevner Memorial Young Leadership Award Tayla Rosenthal Ahava (Love) Award Dawn and Mitchell Epstein Chinuch (Education) Award Lael Hazan The Betty Schoenbaum – Give While you Live Award Harold Grinspoon L’Dor V’Dor (Generation to Generation) Award Ilene Friedman and Family Hatikva (Hope) Award Tommy Bernstein
Yad Chazakah (Strong Hand) Award Adrea Sukin Ayshet Chayil (Woman of Valor) Award Rosann Black Atid (Futures) Award Mary Collier Kehilla (Community) Award Chief Bernadette DiPino and Sarasota Police Department Zachor (Never Forget) Award Anna Kohn
To RSVP, contact Brieana at 941.552.6305 or bdgraves@jfedsrq.org For information, contact Jeremy Lisitza jlisitza@jfedsrq.org or 941.343.2113
jfedsrq.org/events
Halutzim (Pioneer) Award Wayne Ruben Morasha (Legacy) Award Patti Wertheimer Avodah (Service) Award Sandy Chase Acharai (Follow Me) Award Ed Kalin Ish Chayil (Man of Valor) Award Dr. Lewis Hanan Kehilah Ha’argonit (Corporate Community) Award Allegiant Private Advisors
JEWISH INTEREST
October 2019
23A
Soon-to-be-classic Holocaust narrative is a gripping tale of reinvention and romance Book review by Philip K. Jason, Special to The Jewish News
successfully searched for him. Though their personalities and values were not entirely harmonious, they married. In 1946, they smuggled themselves into pre-state Israel, where they flourished until they felt the need to move on. After leaving Israel, they lived in his unique and almost accidenmany places, but most of their several tal biography of two young peohomes were in the United States where ple, separately, living through they maintained citizenship and where horrible events during the Holocaust is Willi rebuilt and improved upon his bound to be considered a classic tellremarkable career as an inventor and ing of the Holobusinessman. He held sixteen patents. caust experience. All through the early part of their How is it accilives, and even into their later years, the dental? Willi and Salcers suffered frequent, and someKati Salcer spent times unspeakable, hardships, as did decades of their their Czech relatives. How they faced lives as Holocaust and fought through those obstacles is survivors shunilluminated by the dozens of stories ning any and all synthesized brilliantly by Ms. Stone. opportunities to Phil Jason Every reader will have his or her tell their stories. favorite story. Here are some of them: They were not interested in bringing In April 1944, Hungarian genthose memories to the surface. Kati, in darmes push Kati – along with her particular, did not think their horrible mother, brother and grandmother – experiences could be made shareable. from their home. Laughing all the They finally succumbed at the insisway, the gendarmes direct them to tence of their son Ron, who came to enter the next-door home. Incredibly, understand – without knowing any this new Jewish ghetto details – that his parents, included the home of once two young Jewish Kati’s great uncle, OsCzech teenagers, had car Bing. It was actubeen through terrible exally a very nice home, periences during WWII. well-supplied with food He managed to have and other necessities. It them record their experiwas the nicest place of ences for the Shoah Visuconfinement one could al History Foundation in imagine. Other aspects 1996. The Foundation is of the ghetto, however housed at the University – a stepping stone to laof Southern California. D.Z. Stone bor camps – were not so Ron felt that more could pleasant. Soon enough, the confiscated be drawn out of them, and he also felt homes of the town’s Jews were taken that their story should be available in over by their non-Jewish neighbors, book form. He sought and found the few if any of whom showed any symideal person to build the chronicle for pathy for their plight. readers, preserving the couple’s voices In August 1945, after Kati’s libwhile adding her own as well as an eneration from Auschwitz and return to gaging narrative structure. That person her family’s village, she went to the is journalist and cultural anthropology mayor’s office to discuss the return specialist D.Z. Stone. of the family-owned home and pharKatarina Kellner and William Salmacy. She wanted those Christians cer, both from small Czech villages, to be gone and everything restored. met in 1944. Both had been educated After the mayor hemmed and hawed, in topnotch Budapest schools. After the not ready to take such a step, Kati took Germans invaded Hungary, the young matters more fully into her own hands people, who had met in a ghetto, found and moved into the adjacent gardener’s themselves forced into labor camps. shed. She became a grand example of Willi survived Mauthausen and Kati positive chutzpah. In Kati’s own words survived Auschwitz. Hearing of Willi’s decades later, she explained: Yes, you survival after Germany’s defeat, Kati No Past Tense: Love and Survival in the Shadow of the Holocaust, by D.Z. Stone. Vallentine Mitchell. 288 pages. Hardcover $49.00, Trade paperback $22.95.
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can say this was a provocative act. I knew people were watching from the house and there was a small crowd of villagers pointing at me and whispering, “What is she doing?” I was glad I was getting attention; let the entire village be reminded of what they had done. In February 1946, the recently married young couple, disgusted with conditions in postwar Europe, connected with an organization called Hakshara. This entity provided agricultural training for Jews hoping to emigrate to Palestine. Illegal immigration was the only immigration possible for the Salcers and other Jews. Just as luck would have it, while they were pursuing this Aliyah hope, Willi received a notice demanding him to report for duty in the Czechoslovakian army! How they finally made their way to a new life in pre-state Israel is one of the most fascinating stories in the book. The ship purchased for the voyage was renamed “The Jewish Soldier.” Willi contributed his skills for
what would become the new Jewish state by designing and constructing tanks. Thus, he played his part in the unofficial Israeli army. Soon after, in 1948, he became a member of the newly formed Israeli Air Force. These vignettes, presented much more elaborately in the book, offer a taste of what No Past Tense has in store for readers. In the domain of their experience, there can only be now and the future. Thus the book’s title. October 16, the book’s publication date, is also the couple’s wedding anniversary. Even though they are gone from this world that tested them so severely, their abiding love and resilient natures come alive on every page. Philip K. Jason is Professor Emeritus of English from the United States Naval Academy. He reviews regularly for Florida Weekly, Washington Independent Review of Books, Southern Literary Review, other publications and the Jewish Book Council. Please visit Phil’s website at www.philjason.word press.com.
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24A
October 2019
JEWISH INTEREST
The Sonderkommando revolt at Auschwitz By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD
S
onderkommando is a term that refers to prisoners in the Nazi death camps established by Germany in Poland during World War II. These prisoners were tasked with herding newly arriving prisoners into the gas chambers and then depositing their corpses into the crematoria. The prisoners were invariably young, able-bodied Jewish men who were selected for slave labor soon after their own arrival in the camps. They helped Dr. Paul Bartrop to process new arrivals and readied them for the gas chambers. This included the removal of their clothing and the shaving of women’s heads. After the victims were gassed to death, the Sonderkommando prisoners also gathered the personal possessions of those who had been murdered, removed any gold the victims might have had in their teeth, and moved the corpses from the gas chambers into the crematoria. The work was grim and gruesome, and shifts lasted for 12 hours, seven days a week. The life of the Sonderkommando prisoners was short, as they themselves would be murdered after approximately three months. As the Sonderkommando prisoners were witnesses to the ghastliest expressions of the Nazi campaign – that is, industrialized mass murder – the Nazis had no other way to ensure secrecy. The knowledge possessed by the Sonderkommando men was far too sensitive for anyone in the outside world to know about, so the Germans and their collaborators would regularly gas the men of a Sonderkommando unit and replace
them with a new team. The first task of the incoming group would be to dispose of their predecessors’ corpses. Only a very few Sonderkommando workers survived their ordeal, and some rebelled against their captors. On August 2, 1943, several Sonderkommando men participated in an uprising at the Treblinka death camp, and nearly 100 prisoners managed to escape. On October 14, 1943, under the cover of night, members of the Sobibór underground, led by Soviet-Jewish POW Alexander Pechersky and a Polish Jewish tailor, Leon Feldhendler, led an even bigger revolt and escape. At Auschwitz-Birkenau on October 7, 1944 – 75 years ago this month – a carefully planned revolt took place involving several men from the XII Sonderkommando. On that day, the men working at Crematorium IV rose in revolt. Setting fire to the crematorium, they attacked the SS guards with hammers, axes and stones. Upon learning that the revolt had begun, the men working at Crematorium II joined in, killing a kapo and several SS men. Then the Hungarian prisoners working in Crematorium III entered what by now had become a full-scale rebellion. Crematorium IV was damaged beyond repair and never used again. Several hundred prisoners escaped from Birkenau, though most were caught and killed by the SS. Roza Robota was one of a group of four Jewish women hanged at Auschwitz for their role in the revolt of the XII Sonderkommando. Roza was born in Ciechanów, Poland, and had been a member of the Zionist youth movement Hashomer Hatzair. During the occupation she engaged in underground activities, but when the liquidation of the Ciechanów
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ghetto was carried out in 1942, she was transported to Auschwitz and transferred to the women’s camp at Birkenau. The work she was assigned was in the clothing shed in the Kanadakommando, right next to Birkenau’s Crematorium III. In view of her past membership of Hashomer Hatzair, she was known by some of those working in the Auschwitz underground, and as a young Jewish activist she was recruited to smuggle a form of gunpowder, schwartzpulver, to the men working in the Sonderkommando in Crematorium III. She established contact with about 20 women working as slave labor in the nearby Union plant who were willing to cooperate, and over a period of months they smuggled the gunpowder into the camp. There was great risk because prisoners were searched when returning from work outside the camp, but each day they were able to pass on tiny amounts to the men inside. There was never a large quantity, but when the Sonderkommando revolt took place on October 7, 1944, enough had been accumulated to enable the resisters to blow up Crematorium IV. In the chaos of the uprising, around 600 of the Sonderkommando workers broke through the fences separating the crematoria from the rest of the camp, though ultimately all those who escaped were caught and shot. The explosives used in the revolt
were traced back to the Union plant where the women had been working, and several suspects were rounded up. In subsequent days, Roza and three other women – Ala Gertner, Estusia Wajcblum and Regina Safirsztajn – were arrested by the Gestapo and interrogated under brutal torture for information relating to the Sonderkommando revolt. They refused to reveal the names of others who had participated in the smuggling operation and were duly hanged on January 5, 1945 – two women at the morning rollcall assembly, and two others in the evening. The executions were in public as a warning to the entire camp and took place within two weeks of the camp’s liberation by the Red Army. According to some eyewitness accounts, Roza and her comrades shouted “Nekamah” (“Revenge!”) to the assembled inmates before they died. Her last message was a note written in Hebrew, which she scratched on a piece of paper and smuggled out of her cell: “Chazak V’amatz” (“Be strong and have courage”). When Roza Robota was executed, she was just 23 years old. May the names of Roza, Ala, Estusia and Regina be for a blessing. Dr. Paul Bartrop is Professor of History and the Dir. of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. He can be reached at pbartrop@fgcu.edu.
I B L E R A a L Y t ESHIVA o s a r sa PRESENTS OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2019 COURSES
GREAT JEWISH ESCAPES THROUGHOUT HISTORY MONDAYS 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM Starting October 7 (Eight Weeks) There is no escaping the truth that the Jewish people has survived every imaginable existential threat including those perpetrated by the major powers of history all of which have vanished. Staying alive meant using saykhel (smarts), ingenuity and daring in order to escape the threatened ravages of annihilation. This course will review the long history of escapes including methodology, the leadership, and secrets of mutual help. Instructor: Marden Paru; $70.
HISTORY OF FRENCH JEWRY TUESDAYS 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM Starting October 8 (Eight Weeks) During the Roman period, a Jewish presence existed in France. After the Romans conquered Jerusalem, boats filled with Jewish captives landed in Bordeaux, Arles and Lyons. Jewish communities organized in the 1st-5th Century. Anti-Semitism was rampant for centuries. The Talmud was put on trial; Rashi, one of our greatest scholars and commentators, emerged; and Napoleon made life a bit easier. From the Dreyfus Affair to the Holocaust, Jewish life managed to flourish. The Jews contributed a great deal to France culture. Instructor: Marden Paru; $70.
THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON – SHLOMO HAMELECH FRIDAYS 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM Starting October 4 (Eight weeks) Just how wise was King Solomon? This is a question we will ponder as we study the achievements of this larger-than-life figure in Jewish history. He was bestowed the honor of building the first great Temple; he had 700 wives. Solomon brought peace and prosperity to the Land of Israel through treaties with all the neighboring rulers. He built a navy that went to all corners of the earth to bring back precious metals, ivory and exotic birds. Just how did he manage? What was his legacy? Instructor: Marden Paru; fee $70.
Inquire about multi-course discounts. Scholarships are also available. Classes are held at The Jewish Federation on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life, 580 McIntosh Road, 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.
8171 Blaikie Ct. Sarasota, Florida 34240 941.379.6333
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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.
October 2019
JEWISH INTEREST
K’zohar Ha-Ivrit Chol Ha-moed
plant king,By Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin d up. he Holiday of Sukkot, which hree we are about to celebrate in the Estumiddle of the month, marks the ztajnend of the High Holidays’ observances. andIn biblical times, Sukkot was considfor ered a major holikomday. In fact, it was veal such an important parholiday, that it ation was sufficient to y 5, mention the word rollHe-Chag, literalthe ly “The Holiday,” for everyone to c as know that the took Dr. Rachel Dulin writer was remp’sferring to Sukkot (I Kgs.18:65; Ezk. ord-45:25, at al). Roza The festivities of Sukkot, like the mah”celebration of Pesach, lasted seven matesdays. The first day and the eighth day sagewere considered Shabbaton, “days hichof complete rest,” just like a Shabbat and(Lev 23:39). Rabbinic literature clariazakfied the nature of the days of Sukkot our-and Pesach by calling the first day Yom ecut-Tov, literally “A Good Day,” meaning y thea holiday and the days following were Re-called Chol Ha-moed (Mekhilta 8). To understand the significance of the His-term Chol Ha-moed, let us examine the r Ju-meaning of each word. udies The first word chol appears in the . HeBible seven times in reference to anyedu. thing which is not holy. For example, in the desert days, the Tent of the Meeting was the most sacred place in the camp. Therefore, the priests were not allowed to drink wine or any other intoxicant when they entered it, so as not to defile it and make it chol (Lev 10:10). With time, however, the meaning of chol expanded to mean “secular,” “common,” “profane” and “regular workday.” So, for example, every day of the week,
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from one Shabbat to the next, is considered a yom chol, namely “a regular day,” a day of work. As for the word moed, it was mentioned 233 times in the Text and has several meanings as well. Moed means “fixed time,” “season,” “festival,” “assembly time” and “meeting.” Clearly, moed does not indicate a holy day like the Shabbat or Yom Tov, nor does it imply a holy assembly. Rather moed implies a fixed day or date for an assembly, a designated season, place or time. By combining both words, the rabbis created the term Chol Ha-moed, which follows the spirit of the Law and points to the separation between the intermediate days versus the days which start and end the holidays. And since Chol Ha-moed differs from all other appointed times of the year, the mood during these days is festive, special food is served, and special prayers are added to the ritual. Interestingly, on Chol Ha-moed, no strenuous work is allowed, but weddings as well as events of mourning are postponed until the end of the holiday (Moed Katan 8). It is not surprising that chol and moed are at the center of a few phrases in Modern Hebrew. For example, Li-moo-day chol is a term referring to “secular studies” such as science, math, etc. Moadim le-sim-cha, literally “happy festivities,” is a popular way to wish one a happy and joyful holiday. So, as Sukkot and Chol Ha-moed approach, I wish all our readers Moadim le-simcha. Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin is a professor of biblical literature at Spertus College in Chicago, and a retired adjunct professor of Hebrew and Bible at New College in Sarasota.
25A
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26A
October 2019
ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD
BRIEFS GLOBAL JEWISH POPULATION IN 2019: 14.6 MILLION
The global Jewish population in 2019 is 14.6 million, according to research by Hebrew University of Jerusalem Professor Sergio Della Pergola, released by the Jewish Agency for Israel. Eighty-four percent of global Jewry lives either in Israel or the U.S., while there are 175 countries where the Jewish population is 100 or more. Here are the top 10 countries compared with 2012: Israel: 6,153,500 (+10.2%), U.S.: 5,700,000 (+5.1%), France: 453,000 (-5.6%), Canada: 395,000 (+5.3%), UK: 290,000 (-0.3%). Argentina: 180,300 (-0.8%), Russia: 172,000 (-11.3%), Germany: 116,000 (-2.5%), Australia: 113,400 (+1.3%), Brazil: 93,200 (-2.2%). (Aiden Pink, Forward)
AUGUST TOURISM TO ISRAEL HITS NEW PEAK
In August, 305,000 tourists came to Israel, the Central Bureau of Statistics reports, up 9% from August 2018. Twenty-two percent of tourists visiting Israel come from the U.S., with large numbers from France, Russia, Germany and the UK. Israel looks set to break 2018’s record when 4.1 million tourists visited Israel. (Michal Raz-Chaimovich, Globes)
NEW SAUDI VOICES SEEK PEACE WITH ISRAEL
Sultan, 37, a clerk from Riyadh whose Twitter account is almost entirely dedicated to relations with Israel and the Jews, told the Times of Israel, “We, the young generation, aspire to have normal relations with all states. We also know that 70 years ago there was no
Palestinian state, while the Jews have existed for 3,000 years. For us, Jerusalem has no significance; Islam’s holy places are in Mecca and Medina. We want peace and coexistence.” Saudi analyst and journalist Abdul Hamid Ghbein told the Times of Israel, “There is no doubt that the attitude of Arabs, and specifically of the Saudis, has changed a lot, and that Israel is no longer an enemy state but a part of the region. I believe that there will be diplomatic, economic and cultural relations with Israel before the end of 2020. The Jews have a right to this land where their ancestors were living thousands of years ago. The stories of the kings and the prophets in the Quran are clear evidence for that. “The Arabs, and especially the Saudis, are amazed by the Israeli scientific, technological and cognitive development in all fields, and they know that the Jewish people are good and peaceful people. Very soon, there will be Saudi students studying in Israeli universities as well as Israeli students studying in Saudi universities.” (Ksenia Svetlova, Times of Israel)
LATVIAN “SCHINDLER” SAVED DOZENS OF JEWS
Latvian Zanis Lipke rescued 60 Jews during World War II, sheltering them in a bunker beneath his home. Lipke is recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, and his story is told in a new Latvian historical dramatic film, The Mover. Director Davis Simanis, a veteran Latvian filmmaker, described it as “the first feature film about the Holocaust in the Baltic states.” The film shows the courage of Zanis Lipke and his wife Johanna, who live in the capital, Riga, with their
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three children when the Nazis invade in the summer of 1941. Of 94,000 Jews living in Latvia before WWII, all but 7,000 perished in the Holocaust. Lipke personally witnessed the Jews being led to their deaths. “The main question for me in preparing the script and filming the film is how is it possible for a person to see something inhuman happen and decide to do something,” Simanis said, “and at the same time know that [doing something] could end your family, or create a certain threat to the closest people [in your life].” Lipke was an unlikely hero, a dock worker with a minor criminal record for contraband. “[He] did it...without any kind of reflection on his own benefit,” Simanis said. (Rich Tenorio, Times of Israel)
CHINESE SCIENCE ACADEMY OPENS FIRST FOREIGN CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN ISRAEL
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced recently that it will establish its first center of excellence outside China at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, constructing a nanotechnology research laboratory specializing in nano-medicine and printing two-dimensional materials. CAS is China’s national academy
for the natural sciences and is responsible for 104 research institutes and five universities. “This is an initiative that will lead to the economic growth of both China and Israel,” said Prof. Dror Fixler, head of the Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials at Bar-Ilan University. (Eytan Halon, Jerusalem Post)
NEW ISRAELI TECHNOLOGY ELIMINATES TOXIC ALGAE BLOOMS
All summer long, toxic algae blooms have been plaguing water sources around Northeast Ohio. An Israeli company, Blue Green, treated algae blooms at Chippewa Lake – the first lake in the U.S. where this technology has been tested. A blue powder distributed by boat was successful in killing all of the toxic algae in the lake within a day. The powder floats on the water and kills the cyanobacteria on the top layer, which then dissolves into the environment. The company says it’s EPAapproved. “So it’s a good way to protect the fish, protect all the beneficial algae, and all the plants that are in the lake,” said Mark Krosse, a volunteer with the continued on next page
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October 2019
ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD
BRIEFS continued from previous page Save the Lake Coalition. The company says it’s been used in Israel, China and South Africa for some time. (Kaylyn Hlavaty, News 5 Cleveland)
ISRAELI RUNNER SMASHES EUROPEAN WOMEN’S 10K RECORD
Israeli distance runner Lonah Chemtai-Salpeter, on Sunday, September 1, clocked a time of 30:04 in the Tilburg Ten Miles race in the Dutch city of Tilburg, cutting 17 seconds off the European women’s record for the 10K, set in 2003. “This race today was part of my training program for the Marathon World Championships in Doha [Qatar],” Chemtai-Salpeter said. (Israel Hayom)
GALLUP POLL: 90 PERCENT OF AMERICAN JEWS ARE MORE SYMPATHETIC TO ISRAEL THAN TO THE PALESTINIANS
The data show that Jews in the U.S. are highly likely to express views that are highly loyal to Israel and there is little evidence of a change in these trends. Ninety percent of American Jews are more sympathetic to Israel than to the Palestinians, compared to 60% of all Americans.
Ninety-five percent of Jews have favorable views of Israel, while 10% have favorable views of the Palestinian Authority. Overall, 71% of Americans have favorable views of Israel and 21% favorable views of the Palestinian Authority. (Frank Newport, Gallup)
PALESTINIAN PRIVATE SECTOR FLOURISHING IN WEST BANK
Is there really an economic crisis in the West Bank? There is no small harm to the public sector where salaries have been cut. But most infrastructure projects are financed by foreign countries or organizations and the money is still coming in. Moreover, the Palestinian Authority has recently received bonuses, grants and loans from various countries, the largest being $300 million from Qatar. Exports from the West Bank to Israel have grown. The shopping malls of Jenin, Tulkarem and Kalkilya are packed every weekend with tens of thousands of Israeli Arabs, while Arabs from eastern Jerusalem shop in Ramallah and Bethlehem. In addition, 130,000 Palestinian workers are employed in Israel. Their average salary is two and a half times the average salary in the PA, and their number is rising constantly. New facilities at border checkpoints have shortened lines and waiting times at the crossings from hours to minutes. The growth in construction in Jewish communities in the West Bank, af-
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ter years in which new building was frozen, has also ironically provided more work for Palestinians. Bethlehem is filled with thousands of tourists, and recently two shopping malls were opened there with stores focused on the tourism market. (Dan Zaken, Globes)
ISRAEL’S “CAMPAIGN BETWEEN WARS” TO COUNTER IRAN’S MALIGN REGIONAL INFLUENCE
Most of Israel’s current security challenges stem from Iran’s aspirations for hegemony over the Middle East. To counter such threats, Israel’s defense operations have been augmented by what the Israel Defense Forces call the “Campaign Between Wars” (CBW). The nature of the threats to Israel’s security have changed profoundly with the weakening of Arab states and their militaries. The rise of new challenges and the destruction wrought by the 2006 Lebanon war spurred the IDF to develop a concept of integrated, low-intensity, preemptive warfare. The CBW strives for proactive, offensive actions based on extremely high-quality intelligence and clandestine efforts. The strategy’s main goals are to delay war and deter enemies by constantly weakening their force buildup processes and damaging their assets and capabilities. In Syria, the IDF has sought to prevent Iran from entrenching itself and its foreign proxies, deploying
advanced weapons capabilities, and turning the Golan Heights into another front for striking Israel. In Lebanon, the IDF has demolished the Hizbullah/Qods Force plan to attack the Galilee through underground tunnels, and is preventing the development of precision missile capabilities that would pose a serious strategic threat to Israel. Israel has also made substantial contributions to the regional campaign against the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Israel’s military and political leadership are well aware of the risks of a wider military confrontation or even full-scale war. Accordingly, Israel has implemented a stringent risk-management process to account for potentially rapid escalation. As ever, Israel must continue operating under the ancient adage: “If you want peace, prepare for war.” (Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot and Col. Gabi Siboni, Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
ISRAEL TO HELP NIGERIA BECOME A FOOD SUPERPOWER
Israeli authorities recently announced that they will partner with the Federal Government of Nigeria to address numerous insecurity challenges currently confronting the country, especially to end the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East zone. Professor Joseph Shevel of the Galilee International continued on next page
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28A
ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD
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continued from previous page Management Institute disclosed the institute was drawing up a framework toward engaging the Boko Haram insurgency with dialogue. The institute agreed to offer postgraduate degrees and short certificate courses in agriculture, water management, health management, computer science, education and national security to students of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University. “This is the first Nigeria-Israeli university,” said Prof. Shevel. “Nigeria can be a superpower in providing food for the rest of West Africa.” He added, “We have been working with Nigerian organizations for the last 30 years and we have about 2,300 alumni and a lot of them are senior people.” (Chris Ochayi, Vanguard - Nigeria)
PERCENTAGE OF ISRAELIS WITH COLLEGE DEGREES SOARS
In addition to Israel’s well-established universities, there are more than 60 colleges offering more than 300 academic courses.
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Since 1975, the percentage of Israelis with college degrees has soared. According to an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study, Israel has the thirdmost college graduates per capita in the world. Almost half of Israel’s adult population now has a bachelor’s degree. Tuition in publicly-funded institutions is about $2,800 per year, while tuition at private colleges could run three times higher. (Diana Bletter, Jerusalem Post)
JEWISH AGENCY BRINGS JEWS TO ISRAEL FROM ENEMY STATES
Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog told Israel Hayom in an interview that his organization operates clandestinely, in potentially dangerous ways, in order to make sure Jews reach the Land of Israel. “Some of the olim (Jewish immigrants) we bring come from states that are considered enemies, and we cannot disclose their origin even after they arrive because we worry about their families,” he said. “In some parts of the world, Jews are at a constant threat of being killed.” Herzog said about 60 Jews arrived from enemy states over the past six months, saying that the covert methods the agency used to bring them to Israel would “send chills down your spine.” (Dan Lavie, Israel Hayom)
NEW ISRAELI SATELLITE AIMS TO DEEPEN UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIVERSE
The Weizmann Institute of Science has partnered with the Israel Space Agency to launch a new scientific satellite in 2023 to “help us answer some of the big questions in astrophysics,” said ULTRASAT principal investigator Prof. Eli Waxman. Key areas of research will include the formation process of dense neutron stars that merge and emit gravitational waves, how super-massive black holes rule their neighborhoods, how stars explode, where the heavy elements in the universe come from, and the properties of stars that could have habitable planets. Constructed entirely by Israeli scientists and engineers, Israel Space Agency director Avi Blasberger said the satellite will place Israel “at the forefront of a global movement to explore the universe with small, affordable satellites.” (Eytan Halon, Jerusalem Post)
U.S.-ISRAEL MISSILE DEFENSE COOPERATION TIGHTENS
Israel’s new Arrow 3 interceptor, recently tested in Alaska, provides Israel with the ability to defend against longrange, advanced Iranian missiles like the Shahab 3, with interception deep in space. American and Israeli coordination on missile defense has been important for both sides. The U.S. Army recently signed an agreement to acquire two Iron Dome batteries for defense against shortrange threats. David’s Sling, jointly developed by Rafael and Raytheon for middle-range threats and against cruise missiles, may ultimately serve the needs of the U.S. and its allies in Poland, Japan and South Korea, particularly if it is paired with the Patriot system. Lasers are likely to be an important part of the next frontier in missile defense. In recent years, the technology of solid-state lasers has made strides. But even when it is ready for deployment, it won’t be applicable for upper layers of defense. Lasers are expected to be particularly effective at short range as part of an existing system, like Iron Dome. (Jacob Nagel and Jonathan Schanzer, The Hill)
October 2019
COMMENTARY
29A
A modern-day Jewish exodus story
f Isared. Eco-By David Harris, CEO of American Jewish Committee (AJC), August 5, 2019 ment new Netflix movie, The Red new country. It takes a generation or Yet, how could it be pulled off? Yes, the film has some of those hirdSea Diving Resort, has been even two, and is not always a smooth Ethiopia was run by a thuggish Marxist seemingly inevitable – and avoidable a in released. It tells the story of an and linear journey. Recent Ethiopian regime, led by Colonel Mengistu, and – Hollywood embellishments, as if a adult audacious Mossad operation to rescue social protests underscore the point. allied with the Soviet Union. Mengistu real-life thriller can’t stand on its own deEthiopian Jews some 40 years ago. But anyone who saw Ethiopian had no interest in letting the Jews go two feet. But the core story it tells is In the early and mid-1980s, I saw Jews in their impoverished villages simply because they wanted to leave. true, gripping and moving. tituup close some of the remarkable Isin Gondar Province, and now sees a And the closest neighboring counWhat comes through loud and clear e turaeli eff orts, supported by the United growing number of Ethiopian Jews in try to Gondar Province was Sudan, is the lengths to which Israel went, and hree universities, in the diplomatic corps, in which was overwhelmingly Muslim the risks it took, to save Jews. alemStates government and a few American Jewish groups, on behalf of Ethiopian the IDF as officers, and in other spheres and becoming increasingly radical, folIf anyone seeks to understand the Jews. of Israeli life, can’t help but marvel at lowing a relatively moderate regime real meaning of Israel, here it is. UnIt’s one of the most powerful and a story of literally biblical dimensions that was one of only two Arab nations like the Holocaust, when there was no S uplifting stories in modern Jewish histhat happened in our era. to back Egypt’s 1979 peace deal with Israel, no Mossad and no IDF to come As one African-American leader tory, yet, like the successful campaign Israel. to the aid of trapped Jews, there was an said at the height of the rescue, “This to save Soviet Jews, it is little known in In this seemingly impossible situIsrael, a Mossad and an IDF for thourzog is the first time that Africans have been today’s world and barely referenced in ation, Ethiopian Jews began to go on sands of Ethiopian Jews. that taken out of Africa for freedom and not Jewish institutions. For the life of me, foot to Sudan, trying to blend into the And if anyone seeks to understand nely, I can’t understand why. These were for slavery.” larger refugee movement fleeing opthe real meaning of faith, here it is as order How true – and how inspiring that modern-day exoduses on an epic scale pression and famine, and hiding their well. Those Ethiopian Jews stayed true d of and against all the odds. it was Israel which did it! Jewishness and desire to reach Israel. to their beliefs for nearly three millenIn the case of Ethiopian Jews, it Along the way, thousands perished. nia, never wavering, never doubting mmiinvolves a community believed to date The trek was unimaginably hard, the that one day they would see Jerusalem. that back to the era of King Solomon – that routes incredibly dangerous, and the They have. canis, nearly 3,000 years ago. challenges for the elderly, the infirm Of course, once arrived in Israel, they For most of that time, these Jews and the very young especially dauntthe process of integration can be long their thought they were alone in the world, ing. And still, they were determined to and arduous, just as is the case with any f the as they prayed daily to Jerusalem. reach their Promised Land. newcomers who travel vast geographic at of They were often treated harshly by One aspect of the massive rescue and cultural differences to settle in a their Christian and Muslim neighbors operation to bring these Ethiopian Jews ived in Ethiopia, yet they persevered, secure to Israel was largely kept under wraps six in their faith and, largely via oral tradiall these years, until a major story aphods tion, determined to pass along a proud peared in the press recently, followed srael identity to their children. by the Netflix production. ne.” And they lived in isolated regions, The film has the nail-biting feel We Specialize in... mostly in Gondar Province. As I witof Argo, the fast-paced account of the • Balance Retraining and Fall Prevention E nessed, their villages were poor, mostly CIA operation, with Canadian help, to • Orthopedic and Neurological Rehabilitation without access to electricity, with huts rescue six American diplomats in hid• Aquatic Physical Therapy built of dung, twigs and mud, and with ing in Tehran, after the 1979 takeover • Individualized Fitness & Wellness Programs no public transportation. of U.S. Embassy in Iran’s capital. But in the late 1970s and 1980s, As breathtaking as that effort was, e hassomething historic began to happen. the plan to move thousands of EthioFALL RISK ASSESSMENT! encyIsrael had become fully aware of the pian Jews across Sudan to a MossadCall now to schedule, or stop in! te inEthiopian community and, via a few run “diving resort” on the Red Sea and Spelled Different Because We Are Different f thebrave Ethiopian Jews who had earlier then transport them to Israel, over a 5922 Cattlemen Lane, Suite 100, Sarasota, FL 34232 saidmade their way to Israel, understood span of years, was of a totally different (941) 378-8977 www.FYZICAL.com gatorthat a mass emigration was possible. order of magnitude.
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30A
October 2019
COMMENTARY
The boycott dispute
Je an
By Brent Rubin, Sarasota/Manatee ZOA
O
n July 16, House Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5) introduced H.Res.496. Co-sponsored by Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) and John Lewis (D-GA-5), the resolution was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. It affirms: “All Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.” In a statement issued by the National ZOA and strongly supported by our chapter, the ZOA of Southwest Florida, we strongly condemn this prevaricated resolution as an attempt to “completely protect and immunize terrorism-sponsored, unlawful, discriminatory, antiIsrael, anti-Jewish boycotts promoted by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS).” The venomous accusations hurled against Israel and the Jewish people by these sponsors over the past several months far exceed rational, political discourse and, except for the willfully blind, display an anti-Semitism worthy of Joseph Goebbels. Shocking? Not really. According to ZOA’s analysis, prior to her win, Omar lied about her BDS connection that was revealed only after her election. Subsequently, it was affirmed she is financially backed by this anti-Semitic movement as well as other anti-Israel/American terrorist groups. Recently, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a report entitled “Terrorists in Suits,” which exposed in great deal that BDS organizations are populated with “Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Hamas operatives.” Yet Omar and Tlaib deceitfully proclaim the movement as a “peaceful,” human rights movement analogous to American boycotts of Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Like the aforementioned Goebbels, these two Congresswomen have thrown out every imaginable inflammatory fabrication against Israel and Jews while espousing a revisionist history not seen for generations in the
halls of Congress. For instance: They assert that the American boycott of the Nazis was in response to the dehumanization of the Jewish people. That is blatantly false. The American boycott preceded the Holocaust and was in reaction to the Nazi boycott of Jewish-owned businesses and professionals in 1933. According to the ZOA rebuttal, Res.496 attempts to “justify the same sort of boycotts against the Jewish people that the Nazis engaged in.” Likewise, Omar’s resolution fails to mention the Arab League boycott against the Jewish people in 1945 which went hand in hand with Arab pogroms that murdered hundreds of Jews in what was to become Israel, as well as Jews living in Arab lands for millennia. Nor does it reconcile the suppression and violence perpetuated against Jewish students today by BDS operatives on campuses throughout the United States. At CUNY (City University of New York), BDS demonstrators recently held signs: “Boycott Israel,” “Jews should be thrown out of CUNY,” “Long Live the Intifada,” “There is only one solution: intifada revolution.” Ostensibly, these are the more moderate BDS displays and incantations. Unfortunately, such acts of BDS malevolence is not restricted to the United States. It’s an anti-Semitic movement with tentacles spread throughout the world. At a BDS event protesting a performing Jewish jazz saxophonist in South Africa, rioters carried signs such as “Shoot the Jews” and devolved into vicious stone throwing and physical violence. Under the guise of First Amendment rights, these two nascent, American Congresswomen unabashedly initiate and support this anti-Semitic, anti-American movement. It’s long overdue that Americans of good conscience stand together regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation and push back against legislation such as H.Res.496 and malicious, anti-Semitic politicians that propose them.
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A COMMEMORATION Join us as we begin the year long commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII and the liberation of Auchswitz.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019 7:00 pm • Beatrice Friedman Theater
on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life 582 McIntosh Road, Sarasota FL
SPEAKERS: CLARE MCVEY AND LESLIE RUBEN
Educators from Classrooms Without Borders Holocaust Study Seminar to Poland
DR. ANDRE KRAUSS
Research fellow at The Romanian Academy’s Institute of Sociology, art historian and media psychologist
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a kip an e the S afrai Israe sion an Is afrai Yisr I majo com these soun afrai faith with and H Atla pean ques in a in G to w furth cont it re been actio voke indiv T end or th in th and caus clud coun
October 2019
COMMENTARY
31A
Jewish symbols, anti-Semitism and Jewish reaction By Rabbi Howard A. Simon
A
sk yourselves these questions: and 21 states with Islamic symbols. When you attend a Jewish Only the Star of David is demeaned rally, are you afraid to wear and, in some cases, banned from being displayed at public events. a kippah? When our Federation holds Anti-Semitism is alive and well in an event recognizing the birthday of Europe as evidenced by the State of Israel, are you afraid to carry and wave an the fact that in the United Israeli flag? At the concluKingdom such attacks have risen for each of the sion of a program featuring past four years, reaching an Israeli speaker, are you 1,652 acts in 2018 comafraid to rise and sing “Am Yisrael Chai?” pared with 960 in 2015. I am sure that the vast In France, the number of reported anti-Jewish incimajority of Jews in our dents rose 74 percent to community would answer 541 last year, according these queries with a reRabbi Howard A. Simon sounding NO! We are not to the country’s interior ministry. afraid. We are Jews who believe in our The attacks against religious faith and joyfully support and identify houses of worship and businesses are with the State of Israel and our brothers not limited to members of the Jewish and sisters who live in there. faith. Recently, as the Islamic commuHowever, if you look across the nity observed Eid al-Adha, one of the Atlantic Ocean at a number of Euromost important holidays on the Islamic pean countries you will find that the calendar, an individual entered the questions listed above are answered Al-Noor Islamic Center in Oslo, Denin a very different manner. Recently, mark, and opened fire while expressing in Germany, Jews were advised not anti-immigration views and admiration to wear a kippah in public. Jews were for Nazi figures. Fortunately, he was further advised not to wear anything overpowered by worshipers before he containing the Star of David because killed anyone. He was turned over to it related to the Israeli flag, which has been attacked and demeaned. Such the police and remains in custody. actions, Jews were told, could proHatred is a reality in our own voke anti-Semitic acts against the country, in Europe and throughout the individual. world. Persons on both the left and right The new hatred of Jews calls for the find reasons to attack religious faiths end of any outward symbol of Judaism and groups that are different from their or the State of Israel, the only country own. Truth does not matter. The rights in the world whose symbol is attacked of minorities are deemed meaningless. and defamed. How strange this is, beThe goal is to maim, destroy and kill. cause a third of the world’s flags inThe hope is to rid the world of Jewish clude a religious symbol, including 31 thoughts, Islamic beliefs and the State countries in Europe that have the cross, of Israel, the symbol of Jewish success
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• 1217 East Ave Medical Plaza • 1219 East Ave Medical Plaza • Aviva – A Campus for Senior Life • Aviva Memory Care • Bayfront Park • Brother Geenen Way (across from Sarasota Ford) • Chabad of Downtown Sarasota • Chabad of Sarasota • Desoto Beach Club • Desoto Palms • Einstein/Caribou Café • Friendship Centers • Fruitville Library • Gulf Gate Library • Integraclick • JFCS of the Suncoast • Main Street (across from Hollywood 11) • Medical Arts Building • Midtown Plaza • Morton’s Gourmet Bakery • Nellie’s Deli • Osprey & Hillview • Plymouth Harbor • Poet’s Walk • Publix at the Landings Plaza
and without attacks made against them. The haters of the world, wherever they may reside, cannot and will not win the day. Rabbi Howard A. Simon is the founding chair of the Robert and Esther Heller Community Relations Committee, formerly known as the Heller IAI.
ALL THE JEWISH NEWS
behind duos ther! namic …Toge the dy Future Meet ing Our ildn Bu Su Byro
ol future Day Scho for the vision
to the entire world. For anti-Semites, Israel and the Jews are an anathema. However, neither the State of Israel nor the Jewish people will succumb to the hatred and bigotry of those who hate us. We believe in ourselves, in our faith, in the existence of Israel, and in the rights of all faiths and beliefs to live in peace and harmony, without fear
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October 2019
God loves you…maybe By Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz, Community Chaplain
I
occasionally watch religious services on TV to learn what different clergy are sermonizing about. Though there is certainly a range, one particular theme dominates: “God loves you.” This reassuring belief’s reiteration in liturgy and music, as well as from the pulpit, prompts me to wonder why it doesn’t have a similar prominence in Jewish worship. Might Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz some reasons for this be: 1. We already know God loves us and therefore don’t need to be reminded over and over again 2. We don’t want to necessarily assume God’s views on the matter 3. Our love of God is more significant than His love of us 4. We no longer believe in a God who communicates feelings in the same way He does in the Torah 5. Due to our grave human failings, seen in the world’s violence, greed and environmental indifference, we don’t actually think God could still love us This is not to say that God’s love isn’t present in our services. On the contrary, it is quite prevalent, such as when, before offering the Shema, we pray ahavah rabbah ahavtanu, “with a great love You have loved us.” So too, the Talmud is replete with affirmations of Divine affection. Nevertheless, rabbis do not generally speak about God’s love in the same manner as pastors, ministers and priests. This would seem to be because such an axiomatic claim does not comport with our modern sensibilities. From a contemporary Jewish perspective, rather than evinced through an unconditional presumption, God’s love is revealed in the respect and goodwill we show to our fellow human being and our efforts to ameliorate the increasingly compromised world
He brought into being. In my view, God’s love is not inherent, that we merit it simply because we exist. To paraphrase a popular commercial of many years ago, we can only acquire God’s love the old-fashioned way, by earning it. Indeed, as the Midrash states, “God prefers our deeds to our ancestors’ virtues.” God’s love is not predicated on a particular religious persuasion or, for that matter, any formal religious belief at all. “The atheist staring from his attic window,” wrote Martin Buber, “is often nearer to God than the believer caught up in his own false image of God.” Previous generations clung to the conviction that God’s love is witnessed in prosperity, good health or in a community’s perceived safeguarding from harm. But in many minds, this conception no longer holds. As a rabbi I knew growing up once put it: “If you want to be good, you’ve got to be willing to be good for nothing.” In other words, Divine reward is not reflected in material well-being, length of life or the fact that a tornado happened to wipe out a nearby town while sparing one’s own. God’s love doesn’t work this way. We should pursue righteousness because it is, ipso facto, the right thing to do. Being “good for nothing” is its own reward in the self-respect, integrity and heightened sense of fulfilled responsibility that is derived from doing so. The true seeking of God’s love requires a mindset that doesn’t presuppose it is already possessed. In this way, God’s love is never taken for granted, self-serving or exhausted. The dire warping of moral value together with the profound anxieties of our time suggest that God’s love for us is less significant than our capacity to continue to find worthiness, integrity and love in ourselves. 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.
THERE WERE
59
anti-Semitic assaults in 2018, including the 13 victims of the Tree of Life shooting on October 27, 2018* *Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents:
Year in Review 2018, ADL.org
Photo by Matt Rourke, AP
What are we doing about it?
EDUCATION.
The Robert and Esther Heller Community Relations Committee takes a firm stand against anti-Semitism. We use community resources and influence to combat a rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Zionist sentiments, which often result in aggressive acts and rhetoric against Jews. Through education, advocacy, and building relationships with the greater community and law enforcement, together we can combat hatred, bigotry, and harassment of Jews and other minorities.
For more information contact Jessi Sheslow at 941.343.2109 or jsheslow@jfedsrq.org
jfedsrq.org
COMMENTARY
Impact of Israel’s election on its policies By Harold Halpern
Editor’s note: This is the second article of a four-part series. ast month I wrote about the discussions I had with leaders – Right, Left and Center – in the judiciary, universities, law schools, politics, media, law and think tanks, relating to issues of importance to Israelis and the American Jewish community. As I write this article, the latest poll for the September 17 elecHarold Halpern tion has the same number of seats for the Right coalition and the Center-Left coalition. If this holds, there will be intense bargaining to form a government. Israeli policies will be impacted by which parties succeed in forming a government; the Right, led by Likud, or the Center-Left led by Blue-White. DEMOCRACY: Members of the Right, Ayelet Shaked in particular, leader of United Right, have pushed for legislation to politicize the appointment of Supreme Court Judges, limit its powers and provide that Knesset can overrule any constitutional decisions of the Court. The Court is the only check on unlawful government action. Shaked’s control of needed right votes may enable her to extract an agreement from Likud and other Right parties to support her proposals in the bargaining required to form a government. On the other hand, if the CenterLeft form the government, the authority of the Supreme Court will remain intact. JUDEA-SAMARIA (West Bank): The Right desires that the West Bank, or at least Area C, be annexed. Area C is about 60 percent of the West Bank and is under total Israel control. The developed areas closest to Jerusalem are in area C as well as most of the vacant land. The fear of those who oppose annexation is that if the Right wins the election it may agree to annexation in order to get the needed votes (61) to form the government. Annexation of all of Area C kills any possibility of two states. There will be insufficient land for another viable country. Annexation of part of Area C embracing the major Israel communities will not have that adverse effect. It is implicitly understood that these areas will be part of Israel – with a possible land swap. If the Center-Left forms the government, there is little likelihood of any annexation. Other than on the issue of annexation, there will be not much change in the West Bank regardless of who forms the government. There will not be any agreement in the near future for two states. At most there will be less settlement building and possibly more autonomy for the Arabs in some areas. RELIGIOUS ISSUES: Israelis are very concerned about the control of marriage by the Chief Rabbinate office. There is small likelihood that the requirements for Orthodox control will be changed no matter which coalition governs.
L
However, if the Center-Left forms a government, it will push for approval of civil marriage, which will not be on the agenda of the Right. Egalitarian prayer and administrative control over the egalitarian portion of the Kotel is basically a concern of American Reform and Conservative Jews. If the Right governs, it is not like-Rab ly, unless compelled by the SupremeCha Court, that control of the designated egalitarian area will be taken from the office of the Chief Rabbi. If the Center-Left governs, it will push for implementing the previous-vice ly enacted legislation, now on hold,throu which puts control in a non-Rabbinichow Holy body. NATION STATE LAW: This is ation, complex and controversial law. It couldmos T be the subject of a lengthy discussion. tend Simply, it declares that Israel is a Jewish state of the Jewish people. There isphen no reference to the minority Arab and“The Druze citizens, who fear at worst thatours it will deprive them of equal rights asWe citizens, and at best the omission is anot humiliation leaving them feeling un-day. I wanted and second-class citizens. A Right government will makemore no change. A Center-Left govern-and ment would try to amend the law to expressly include a reference to the equal rights of the minority citizens. My view is that such an amendment restores the dignity of the minorities but is not necessary from a legal viewpoint as their equal rights are assured by the Basic Law on Human Dignity. RELATIONS BETWEEN ISRAELI AND AMERICAN JEWS: Daniel Gordis, Israeli-American author and scholar, reminded us, speaking in Sarasota last year, that American and Israeli Jews have always had differences. We are different communities with different needs. We are a minority in the U.S. and have sought protection as such. We reflexively tend to support minority groups’ rights. In Israel, the Jews are the majority concerned about governing and don’t think as a minority. Right now the tensions between the communities relate to American concern of lack of legal status and equality for Reform and Conservative Jews, including at the Kotel and with life cycle events; and differences about West Bank policies. Israelis feel American Jews should be more supportive and stop criticizing their governance, particularly their security. Recent polls show both Israelis and American Jews are pulling away from each other, yet there remains admiration for each other. Clearly, leaders of civil societies in both communities need to have continuing dialogue to understand and respect their differences. An afterword: If a coalition of major parties forms a coalition to govern, we have total uncertainty of its policies. For more detail, please read my columns at www.heraldtribune.com. Harold Halpern is a retired attorney admitted to practice in New York and Florida. He has resided in Lakewood Ranch for the past 12+ years.
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October 2019
COMMENTARY
onComing home for the holidays
orms oval e on
strartion n of ative
From the Bimah
like-Rabbi Sholom Schmerling emeChabad of Venice & North Port ated he High Holy Days are the m the most important time for any synagogue. Jews flock to serwill vices regardless of practice or learning ousthroughout the rest of the year. Somehold, binichow, we all end up in shul on the High Holy Days. It may be instinct or tradiis ation, but the draw of the sanctuary is ouldmost powerful at this time. Those of us who are regular atsion. tendees at shul also experience this Jewphenomenon. On the Yamim Nora’im, re is and“The Days of Awe,” we bring a part of thatourselves to shul that is often not seen. ts asWe present a sincerity and solemnity is anot usually expressed on an average un-day. In short, at this time of year, we are makemore present than ever at shul, in body vern-and in spirit. w to the zens. nt res but point y the
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Bashert
From the Bimah
RAaniel and Sararaeli . WeRabbi Ben Shull ffer-Jewish Congregation of Venice
I
t’s bashert! It’s meant to be. It’s and God’s will. At one time or another, We we’ve all had this feeling, and perority s arehaps expressed this sentiment, usually vern-regarding something good in our lives. I’ve had an “it’s bashert” experience weenmyself over the past year. Last October, I was looking ican through The Jewish News of Sarasotaand ativeManatee (online edition) while living within Rockville, Maryland. I was scanning boutthe paper for possible work in the Jewish community. My wife and I were ouldplanning on moving to the Venice area zingsometime in the spring and I thought r se-there just might be an opening. Well, “as luck would have it,” I found an ad andplaced by the Jewish Congregation fromof Venice (JCV), announcing that the mira-congregation was seeking a new rabbi. Hmmm… I considered for a moders ment “my good fortune.” The Jewish ities Congregation of Venice was the reason o unces. that we were moving to Venice, Florma-ida. Exactly 20 years ago, I served as vern,the High Holy Day rabbi for the Jewish poli-Congregation of Venice. My wife and I had such a wonderful time with the mycongregation and in the area that we m. vowed that one day, we would return rneyto Florida (we left Tampa in the spring andof 2000) and settle in Venice. So, I apwoodplied for the job and, “fortunately,” was chosen to be JCV’s next rabbi. I have “been on a roll” because we have been warmly welcomed and just love living in this wonderful corner of the world. As I have told this story to my congregants and others, many have said, “It must be bashert.” Admittedly, I have mulled this over in my head more than a few times. Was my becoming the rabbi of the Jewish Congregation of Venice part of my destiny? Perhaps “luck” and “good fortune” and “roll of the dice” had nothing to do with it! Is being in Venice at JCV part of “God’s
Some might describe this phenomenon of Jews going to shul for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as behaving differently from their usual selves, embodying a tradition that is somewhat foreign from the way they live their lives the rest of the year. Jewish tradition and teaching do not see it this way. The Rosh Hashanah service refers to us as Banim (Children of G-d) and Avadim (Servants of G-d), indicating that our true beginnings as individuals are with G-d Himself. Thus, we are not visitors in shul, we are coming back home, expressing our true destiny. The traditions we embrace at this time of year allow us to not so much change ourselves into something new and different, but to return to our true selves, to a deeper more authentic example of who we really are and who we really were, all along. May G-d grant that our soul shines bright, that we have the fortitude to hear its voice and let it be heard. And may we be blessed with the good health, prosperity and peace of mind that we’ll need to make it all happen. Shana Tova Umetuka. May you and yours be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year!
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n 2018 tion -2019, The of Sa Jewis raso num h sightf erous th ta-Manat Federaul an ou W d fun ght-prov ee hosted from omen ok Nancy incredible programs. ing, infeatur ’s Day (D speake We he e we ce Spielber ard pert, Gail Sim ecember 16 rs g an mons, cook )w d Dan such as nivers lebrated book Fe ie ar author culinary e togeth y, we br deration’ l Gordis, an s ou er sonalit d TV per progra through ght youn 60 th anin g been y. Gail ha cord-b mming, an teractive families a judge s PJ d reakin Top Shonim on g Jew we had an Library C W othe 2006 hef settled hat do we ish Film of our B’yahad 3 Festiv r redo on from lends and also al. plan ce remai Jewish Fede– a program th he os th for th e dust e ns rele to ot r talent e com events? and ha s he vant toration – s vo W in show r Bravo the la lunteer le g season e start to day s su Ga ! Our st ch as Top (Cre il Simmon and pl couple of adership dit: Gu C s have staff erin ters an hef Mas Blas spent comm anning in months cently k) re un or Desse d Top Che took progra ity with der to pr searching B f pa rt ir s. rt th an G in “C right,” excelle ovide ou here’s ms for the elebri ail rew w ith r nt he 20 ty re she lineu 30 19-2 Sh a taste of toured Chef She w fellow what’s 0 season p of alom fo ill …an cent tr talk ab odies and Israel d a new SRQ Liv in store: ou ip e her Je to Israel t her re- chefs. of all event this (Novembe Birthri an w ye comm ish story d share Saraso Jewish or ar – a sh r 3) is connec ght trip in 7 un ow ga chairs ity. Wom with our is to ta-Manatee nizations case each ot tion to Israspires close en’s D ha are R in man el and her to ou ve a plac area. The our ay ac ha an e el Fe O r d ldn Dec Ronna R unfam community where thos goal or who e new vite th ember 25 uben. ish op iliar with m th us in e commun , we inschm tions avai e wealth ay be ity of Je th lable ooze e Bea to join man wto th synago while tric T learni em can Green heater on e Friednizatio gue life, ng T sp m pus fo on Fam he Larry much ns, childre embershi about ily C r Jew p n’s pr more. of ish L am ogram orga if e for a s and screen The im ing pa
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vast eternal plan,” as Tevye put it in “If I Were a Rich Man!” Well, I’d like to think so but first let’s consider what the great rabbis of the past had to say about “bashert,” deciphering God’s will in regard to our personal lives. (Bashert, of course, is also used in regard to one’s soulmate.) This issue of God’s will in the life of every individual has a name in Hebrew. It’s called hashgacha pratit or God’s individual oversight. It should be no surprise that, in regards to this issue, there are at least two major schools of thought. The more rationalist sages believed that God set the world into motion with certain laws (i.e., cause and effect) and, though God metes out reward and punishment for one’s deeds, the fate of every individual is mostly subject to their choices and, for Maimonides, the development of the mind. The more mystical sages believed that God is directly involved with the destiny of every living thing and, though a certain sense of order can be observed, it is ultimately an illusion. Realistically, this rather heady topic of Jewish thought cannot be given due justice in a brief article. As our sages said, “Tzarich ee’yoon”/ this necessitates more in-depth study. Certainly, though, it’s an important matter to consider during this time of the High Holy Days, the Yamim Nora’im. “Who shall live and who shall die? …Who shall be taken down and who shall be lifted up…?, we ponder during our time in synagogue. And the wise response, “But repentance, prayer and deeds of kindness can help us to transcend the severity of the decree.” I love this prayer, the Unetaneh Tokef, because it conveys a deeply felt sense of paradox. In one breath, the author cries out in anguish to God, the One who holds our fate. And with a second breath, the author confidently declares that we have the power to shape our destiny as well. Using a wonderful sailing metaphor, I believe the author is saying, “We cannot control the winds, but we can adjust the sails.” And so… the winds (God) have brought me the great blessing of coming to serve the Jewish Congregation of Venice. For that I am grateful. This is a wonderful community in a beautiful part of the world. From this point on, I set my sails on the best course and hope for the best.
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October 2019
TEENS CE N E I R E E XP JEWISH IN
FOCUS ON YOUTH
Enthusiasm inspires
Education Corner
SERVE
NYC
Participate in a meaningful service learning project
SERVICE LEARNING TRIP
EXPLORE
Visit attractions, exhibits and museums, see a Broadway show, ride the subway, eat great food
JANUARY 2 - 6, 2020
*
Open to Jewish High School Students who reside in Sarasota and Manatee counties. $1,200 per student
Covers transportation, lodging, tickets for all attractions, and some meals.
LEARN
Experience the vibrant New York Jewish community through cultural activities and a very special Shabbat
APPLY
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By Chanie Bukiet
his month is a month of holidays. From the more solemn to the joyful, the somber to the upbeat, we run the full gamut of emotions during this month. There are powerful themes that impart messages of renewal, forgiveness, love, unity and joy throughout this eventful month. How can we impart these messages in a way that our children connect to them? For if they connect to them, they too will celebrate these holidays when they raise families of their own. Each holiday this month affords us the opportunity to imbue our children with important values. On Rosh Hashanah, we can impart our children with a sense of renewal by having the traditional holiday meals replete with the customary sweet foods: apple dipped in honey, round challahs, the head of a fish, pomegranate. We can make sure to hear the shofar and perform Tashlich, the age-old tradition of symbolically throwing our sins to the fish at sea. On Yom Kippur, when our children see us fasting, dressing in white, not wearing leather shoes, and sincerely praying to G-d for forgiveness, they too can feel the sense of awe and even trepidation that comes with this day. And on Sukkot when we eat in the sukkah joyfully and make sure to purchase a lulav and etrog and shake them every day, our children notice and pick up on that special holiday joy.
When we dance lovingly with the Torah on Simchat Torah, and treat the Torah with respect and awe, our children pick up on this and associate Torah with feelings of love and awe. Most importantly, when we celebrate these holidays with purpose, really connecting with the themes of each holiday, our children pick up on this and emulate it. The biggest gift we can give our children during this month is being a role model to them on how Jewish holidays should be celebrated. Our children should see and feel the excitement we have toward holidays. We need to engage our families in holiday preparations, albeit in nonstressful and positive ways. When they themselves are involved in the holiday preparations, they are invested in the holiday. We need to bring our children to synagogue, explain to them the importance of praying to G-d, model to them how one behaves in synagogue, and most importantly show enthusiasm ourselves about going to services. It may be difficult to generate a feeling of excitement in ourselves, let alone in our children, when we don’t feel too enthused ourselves. However, the more knowledge one has about the holidays, the easier it is to appreciate the beauty and value of each one. We are very fortunate that there are many resources online and in the community to help us learn more about the holidays. It’s easier now than ever, with access to knowledge right at our fingertips. All it takes is the willingness to learn. The holidays can be rich, positive experiences that bring our families together. These special days can deepen our connection with G-d, with our fellow Jews and with our children, thus ensuring that thousands of years steeped in tradition will continue on – l’dor vador, from generation to generation. Chanie Bukiet is the program director at Chabad of Bradenton & Lakewood Ranch.
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READ—SING—DANCE—GATHER—GROW PJ Library has partnered with The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee to provide families raising Jewish children with the gift of free, high-quality children’s books, music, and resources that foster deeper engagement with Jewish life in our community. ®
Join one of our PJ programs below to start enhancing your family’s Jewish journey.
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2020 B.M.Y.A./L.E.A.P MISSION TO ISRAEL JUNE 14-28, 2020*
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BOB MALKIN YOUNG AMBASSADORS TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
*tentative dates
October 2019
FOCUS ON YOUTH
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Temple Sinai unveils youth group intern program
h theBy Gail Glickman t the emple Sinai’s new intern prochilgram is an exciting way to Todevelop youth leaders in our synagogue and give them the opporcel-tunity to develop skills that will carry pose,through to all of their endeavors as s ofthey mature. p on The Religious School Open House on August 18 demonstrated the effecourtiveness of the concept. Teacher helpng aers, or as Director of Jewish Learning hol-Bethany Leinweber has named them, chil-“Madrichim Team 19” (it’s on their tmentshirts!), took over leading several parts of the program. ilies The kick-off event, Welcome nonthey iday n the dren imel to gue, iasm
T
te a s, let don’t ever, t the ciate . We many unity holiwith finness
Home and Open House, was a day that delighted parents and their children. The feel and buzz around the temple generated by Bethany and Rabbi Samantha Kahn was special. There were hula hoop and limbo events, dancing and, of course, snacks. The parents were able to see their kids in action and Madrichim t-shirt meet the teachers who could explain the new school year with its many fabulous changes.
Limbo fun at the Temple Sinai Religious School Open House on August 18
The Madrichim include many of those who will also become Temple Sinai Youth Interns, kids from grades 8-12 who want to “lead the way.” They will take on a project or event that will be temple-wide, communitywide or just for our temple youth group. They might even include other area synagogues in activities or events, but that is completely up to the teens to decide.
A special dinner for the interns, led by Youth Director Deb Bryan, was held on August 21, when the interns got pumped up for the many exciting activities they get to organize during the year. Rabbi Kahn will work closely with the interns and provide her input. This type of program is an important development tool for our youth and might also be a great addition to a college application. For more information, contact Deb Bryan at dbryan@sinaisrq.org.
Madrichim at the Temple Sinai Religious School Open House on August 18
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Be sure THE JEWISH NEWS follows you to your new home. Send your new address to Paula at pibishop@jfedsrq.org or 941.371.4546 x0
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October 2019
Sarasota BBYO happenings
This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee By Jessica Zimmerman, Associate Regional Dir., North Florida Region
H
appy October from BBYO! This month, BBYO is offering a couple of exciting events in honor of the season! For BBYO’s Fall Fest, Sarasota teens are invited to “An Instagrammable Day in Miami” on Sunday, October 6. Southwest Florida BBYO will head to Miami’s famous Wynwood Art DisJessica Zimmerman trict. In Wynwood, we will not only adventure through the Art and Wall Exhibit, but we will spend two hours at FunDimension, which will include endless arcade games, laser tag, bumper cars and a bungy dome. We are offering an exclusive opportunity for our Sarasota teens – a sleep over in Naples with BBYO teens on Saturday night, October 5. The next day, transportation will be provided to and from Miami and Naples. To register, go to bit.ly/miami111.
Additionally, on Sunday, October 27, join BBYO locally for a couple of rounds of Guy’s Grocery Games – Halloween Themed! For the event location and time, please email me at jesszimmerman@bbyo.org. Our first convention of the year, JEI (Jewish Enrichment Institute), will take place the weekend of November 15-17. This convention will bring Jewish teens together from as far as Tallahassee to as close as Fort Myers for an unforgettable weekend of engagement, fun and ritual at Day Springs Camp. Please email me to register for these great events and to learn more about local programming. We are searching for advisors for our Sarasota BBYO chapters. Advising is a volunteer position and asks anywhere from six to 10 hours of your time each month. If you or someone you know is looking for a way to become involved in the Jewish community and to make a huge impact in the lives of Jewish teens, please be in touch.
FOCUS ON YOUTH
CTeen Sarasota kicks off the year on a high note
C
Teen SRQ started off the 201920 year in amazing fashion. On Sunday, August 25, teens joined together for the annual kickoff event. The teens enjoyed an ice cream bar, a get-to-know-you game led by
Sadie Siegel and EvaBella Serebro
CTeen leaders EvaBella Serebro and Sadie Siegel, and the highlight of it all – a game truck! The teens were enthralled when the 30-foot mobile unit, complete with seven large TVs and plush gaming chairs rolled into the Chabad parking lot. The large assortment of video games had everyone entertained with competitions and game swaps constantly happening. The event ended on a high note and all participants left with a swag bag and a smile. We look forward to seeing all Jewish teens at the next event, the Yom Kippur break-the-fast, on Wednesday, October 9 at 7:15 p.m. For more information about CTeen SRQ, which creates social and outreach programming for Jewish teens in grades 7-12, please contact Ella Steinmetz at 941.928.2220 or ella@chabad ofsarasota.com.
Co do
Like us on Facebook
ConneCt with your Jewish Community
facebook.com/jfedsrq CTeen SRQ kickoff event participants
ATTENTION TEENS!
ZAZIM
Jewish Teen Leadership Initiative
The Zazim Jewish Teen Leadership Initiative empowers Jewish teens to “STEP” into leadership roles by providing advanced leadership training and grants for community projects. TWO-PART PROGRAM (Do one or both) PART ONE: Two free half-day leadership workshops Advanced leadership training with
professional leadership coach, Uri Galimidi
PART TWO: Choose a community project with your peers (adult guidance required) Apply for a grant for your project; approved
grants will receive part or full funding
Projects must be guided by
Jewish values
Download a detailed flyer from
JFEDSRQ.org/STEP
L E V A R T N E E T ENTURES ADV
202 9 1 0 2
0
The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and its generous donors are committed to providing teen travel scholarships for the following educational, experiential, and exploratory programs: Alexander Muss High School in Israel Participate in a 6, 8, or 18-week program. Enjoy college living in a high school environment in Israel.
SKIP Take part in an accredited academic, experiential, or volunteer-based program to Israel and receive a scholarship from The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee.
AIPAC Policy Conference (Feb. 29 – March 3, 2020) Join more than 18,000 pro-Israel activitsts for the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington D.C. Domestic Teen Travel Take part in an accredited academic, experiential, or volunteer-based domestic teen travel program and receive a scholarship from The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. Bob Malkin Young Ambassador Mission to Israel (Tentative dates: June 14 - 28, 2020)
Join other local 10th and 11th grade students for a two-week trip of a lifetime. March of the Living
BOB MALKIN YOUNG AMBASSADORS TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
(April 19 – May 3, 2020)
Participate in this two-week program bringing Jewish teens from around the world to Poland and Israel.
For more information and to apply, go to
For more information or to apply, contact Andrea Eiffert: 941.552.6308 or aeiffert@jfedsrq.org.
JFEDSRQ.org/TEEN-TRAVEL or contact Andrea Eiffert at 941.552.6308 or aeiffert@jfedsrq.org
The Jewish News is a monthly nonprofit newspaper supported by generous readers, committed advertisers and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.
Fo An 94
FOCUS ON YOUTH
October 2019
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Community Day School welcomes families back to school
H
ershorin Schiff Community Day School (CDS) recently held its second annual Interfaith Back-to-School Shabbat Potluck Dinner, coordinated by the Parent Association (PA) of Community Day School and held in the Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life. Even with intense evening storms and uncertainty about the eventual path of Hurricane Dorian, more than 150 attended. CDS Head of School Dan Ceaser and PA co-chairs Brenna Wilhm and Lindsay Sweeting welcomed the guests. Pre-dinner Shabbat prayers were led by Temple Emanu-El’s Director of Education Sabrina Silverberg, and Rev. Kelly Fitzgerald, Associate Pastor of Family Ministry at First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota and a CDS board member. Families of all ages, religions and backgrounds joined together to create a table overflowing with food. Left-
overs were donated to local organizations serving the hungry. Tables were decorated with black, purple or teal tablecloths, each with a centerpiece of challah, which guests enjoyed during the Shabbat prayers. “Brenna and I wanted to find a way to create something with deeper engagement than a morning drop-off chat or a quick hello in the car line,” said PA co-chair Sweeting. “Our goal was to plant a seed of genuine connection among our diverse Community Day School families. We were thrilled to have so many families – both wellestablished and brand new to the school – come together for a most enjoyable evening.” Last year’s event was so successful it was difficult to accommodate the crowd that attended. Organizers were thrilled to be able to use the Beatrice Friedman Theater this year. Plans are already underway for next year’s dinner.
Community Day School donates to Chabad of Nassau
W
hile the Sarasota area was fortunate to escape the ravages of Hurricane Dorian, many islands in the Bahamas were not. Once the storm passed, the students at Hershorin Schiff Community Day School wanted to do something for the victims of the hurricane. They decided to send funds from the school Tzedakah Fund – which children can choose
to contribute to each week on Shabbat – to Chabad of Nassau, which fared better than many other places and has partnered with the Red Cross to help provide aid to those in need. The Community Day students proudly presented a check for $250 to Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz of Chabad of Sarasota to forward to Chabad of Nassau.
(Back row:) Robert Sweeting, Deborah Loe holding Tyler Sweeting, Lindsay Sweeting holding Jay Sweeting, Brian Loe, Robin Sweeting, (front row:) Adam Jaco, Kelli Jaco, Jay Jaffe (photo by Cliff Roles)
FAMILY jfedsrq.org
THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.
Shanah Tovah from Community Day School!
Serving children in preschool - 8th grade, Community Day School offers a rigorous, project-based academic program, in a diverse and vibrant learning environment rooted in Jewish values. Visit us and see what we’re all about! Email admissions@communityday.org or call (941) 552-2770 to schedule a tour.
Hershorin Schiff Community Day School 1050 S. Tuttle Ave. Sarasota | (941) 552-2770
www.CommunityDay.org
Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz of Chabad of Sarasota with Community Day students Maya Werbow, Tyler Ruben, Jacob Lirio, Caroline Ceaser, Oakley Clements, Jake Saltzberg, Matt Cook, Tyler Murray and Seraphina Goldberg
F AM I L Y E V E N T BE ONE OF MANY
TEEN VOICES WITH ONE MISSION Attend the AIPAC Policy Conference February 29 - March 3, 2020 in Washington, DC
The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee awards scholarships for up to ten high school students to attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference in Washington, DC, each year. Be one of the more than 18,000 participants, including 3,600 students, to attend the largest gathering of America’s Pro-Israel community.
AIPAC empowers pro-Israel activists to be politically engaged and build relationships with members of Congress to promote the U.S.Israel relationship. Plan to apply for this important program!
APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED SEPT. 2 – NOV. 22, 2019 To apply, visit JFEDSRQ.org/AIPAC
For more information, please contact Andrea Eiffert at 941.552.6308 or aeiffert@jfedsrq.org
Temple Beth Sholom Welcomes You to
TASHLICH BY THE BAY
Tashlich gives us an opportunity to cast away the difficult parts of our past year. Experience Tashlich by the water while viewing the sunset, appreciating the Siesta Beach Drum Circle and enjoying PJ Library crafts and books. WHEN Sunday, October 6 6pm
WHERE Siesta Key Beach Sunset Pavilion (near the playground)
COST This Event is FREE
Register at JFEDSRQ.org/PJ For more information please contact Lex Calaguas at 941.955.8121. SPONSORED BY
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October 2019
FOCUS ON YOUTH
HIGH HOLIDAY FAMILY SERVICES OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY!
Lively service led by Rabbi Brenner Glickman and Rabbi Michael Shefrin Rosh Hashanah: Hashanah: Monday, September Rosh September10 30 at at1:30 1:30 YomKippur: Kippur: Wednesday, 191:30 at 1:30 Yom Wednesday, September October 9 at
TEMPLE EMANU-EL (Reform)
Back to (pre)school at Temple Emanu-El
T
he Susan Schwaid Early Learning Center of Temple Emanu-El welcomed new and returning preschoolers with open arms, big smiles and warm hugs on August 12. “The first few weeks of school consisted of working with the children on becoming familiar and comfortable with our school and their routines,” explained staffer Tammy Libera. “For some returning students, it is like getting on a bicycle and extremely easy to get straight back into routine – while for others it is all new. These children may have never been away from home and away from their parents, and that can certainly be scary. We do our best to make them feel this is their home away from home where they can feel comfortable and loved, because that is how we believe children grow and thrive!” Offering a traditional and extended-hour accredited preschool program,
as well as VPK, the Susan Schwaid Early Learning Center combines Jewish and secular learning in a safe, nurturing, loving environment. In addition to Shabbat and a Six-Pointed Stars Jewish enrichment program with the rabbis, preschool Hebrew with Director of Education Sabrina Silverberg, MARE, and Jewish activities and holiday celebrations, preschoolers enjoy enrichments including Gymnastics, Music and Movement, Yoga, Spanish, Basic Computer Skills and Pizza Fridays. “We believe that school should feel like ‘family,’ and with the majority of the staff being employed for over 15 years, I think that says it all – we are a little family,” Libera concluded. For more information about the Susan Schwaid Early Learning Center of Temple Emanu-El, please call 941.377.8074.
Oliver Whannel enjoys the sand table
Mason Goldberg is ready for a great year
151 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota ~ (941) 371-2788 Stream our family service at www.sarasotatemple.org
Your New Best Friend is Waiting! We are open: Weekdays 11-7 Weekends 11-5 2542 17th St Sarasota, FL 34234 941-366-2404 www.catdepot.org
Come Visit the Kitties - Ask for a Tour!
Stay informed throughout the month. Sign up for our community e-newsletter at www.jfedsrq.org.
Looking to Meet Other Jewish Families?
We can make you a shidduch (a match)! Our Community Connectors can’t wait to meet you! Dori and Shaina specialize in connecting families raising Jewish children to each other and to Jewish experiences in the Sarasota-Manatee community.
Experience an unforgettable, life-changing trip with other 11th & 12th grade students from around the world! • Spend a week in Poland • March from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Yom HaShoah with thousands of fellow Jews
SARASOTA COUNTY Dori Goldfarb 941.586.5450 DoriPJConnector@Gmail.com
MANATEE COUNTY Shaina Swan 419.707.2604 ShainaPJConnector@Gmail.com
• Spend a week in Israel during Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut
APRIL 19 to MAY 3 2020
For more information, go online to:
JFEDSRQ.org/MOL
APPLY BY NOV. 22, 2019 Got Questions? Contact Andrea Eiffert at 941.552.6308 or aeiffert@jfedsrq.org
• See the incredible sites and sounds of our homeland!
Interested? Know someone else who may be interested? Please contact us!
The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota, FL 34232
SPONSORED BY
JFEDSRQ.ORG/PJ
941.371.4546 • JFEDSRQ.org/MOL
October 2019
LIFE CYCLE
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ANNIVERSARIES
50th Elyse & Marvin Diamond Temple Sinai 40th Cecile & Barry Klayton Temple Sinai 35th Nina Levitt & John Hockenberry Temple Emanu-El 25th Judy & Bruce Gibbs Temple Emanu-El 25th Allison Opal-Levine & Marc
Levine Temple Emanu-El 25th Dr. Arthur & Diane Miller Temple Emanu-El 20th Dorothy & Jack Nesbit Temple Sinai 20th Dr. Alec & Dana Rubin Temple Emanu-El 20th Ellis & Anita Woolf Temple Beth Sholom
IN MEMORIAM
Sandra Cutler-Cohen, 77, of Swampscott, MA, formerly of Sarasota, August 9 Leon A. Gainsboro, 93, of Sarasota, August 9 Marks Moyseyevich Gorinshteyn, 89, of Sarasota, August 19 Muriel Hendricks, 94, of Sarasota, August 18 Dolores Karpf, 91, of Sarasota, August 22 Seton Katz, 46, of Sarasota, formerly of Cocoa Beach, FL, July 26 Charles Kaye, 93, of Sarasota, formerly of Hazlet, NJ, August 3 Larry S. Lev, 67, of Sarasota, formerly of Cleveland, OH, July 31 Arthur Liebschutz, 93, of Sarasota, August 15 Eliane Matt, 91, of Sarasota, August 9 Harriet Morgan, 93, of Venice, August 19 Adrea Seligsohn, 86, of North Andover, MA, formerly of Sarasota, August 21
Celebrating Jewish Lives As our liaison to the Jewish community, Rabbi Howard A. Simon provides guidance and outreach keeping with the traditions and customs of Judaism.
Please submit your life cycle events (births, B’nai Mitzvah, anniversaries) to jewishnews@jfedsrq.org. Photos welcome; please e-mail as JPGs at 300dpi.
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women 941.377.4647 941.921.4740 941.346.6446 941.921.4740 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237
STAY CONNECTED
ROBERT TOALE & SONS,
Welcome to the Dignity Memorial® family. is pleased to welcome Robert Toale, Debbie Toale and their sons, Jason and Jeff, to our family of firms in Sarasota and Manatee County. As proud members of North America’s largest network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers, the Toale family will continue their commitment to serving families with personal, compassionate care.
THE DIGNITY MEMORIAL NETWORK
In honor of the Toales and in recognition of their longstanding dedication to the Sarasota and Bradenton area communities, three local funeral homes will be renamed to reflect this change in leadership, and two of the funeral homes will undergo renovations to better serve our community with beautiful new facilities and enhanced capabilities. Rely on the Toale family and your local Dignity Memorial professionals to help you and your loved ones celebrate each life like no other.
For more information, call or visit today.
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Please RECYCLE this newspaper! 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.
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October 2019
L’Shana Tova! You can make a big difference in Jewish lives, especially at this High Holiday season. Take the time to reflect on the past year, make amends and set your intentions for the New Year. How do you want to make your mark in the year ahead? It all starts with YOU. YOU can have a hand in supporting your Jewish community. When you give to the Federation, you know the gift is used where it’s needed most. It may be to help a Holocaust survivor or an at-risk senior live with the dignity they deserve. It may be to support young people to create shared Jewish experiences. Or, it may be to aid efforts to combat anti-Semitism. The important thing is YOU have a hand in making a difference in this world. YOU can help make a sweeter New Year for our Jewish community.
It all starts with YOU. Please give today.
Everything Federation does is made possible through the generous donations from members of our community. Please consider making a gift today!
YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLE!
I hereby pledge and promise to pay my Federation for the JFSM Annual Campaign a contribution of:
o $36
o $72
o $180
Make checks payable to: The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
o $360
o OTHER: _______________ (USD) Mail to: 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL 34232
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________ E-mail: ____________________________________________ Birthdate: _______________________
Or visit our website jfedsrq.org/donate to use a credit card and give online. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA OR ONLINE AT FLORIDACONSUMERHELP.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION #: CH449
19JNOCT
Celebrating Jewish Life in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Israel and the World FEDERATION NEWS PUBLISHED BY
The Jewish Federation OF SARASOTA-MANATEE
THE LARRY GREENSPON FAMILY CAMPUS FOR JEWISH LIFE
October 2019 - Tishrei 5780
www.jfedsrq.org
Volume 49, Number 10
Jewish Happenings WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2 “Lunch with the Rabbis” at Temple Emanu-El Are you looking for a great lunch date? Join Rabbi Brenner Glickman, Rabbi Michael Shefrin and friendly, interesting companions for lunch, socializing, and a discussion of current events and subjects of Jewish interest. All are invited to this popular, stimulating and enjoyable program at noon at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. Attendees are asked to bring a brown-bag lunch and are also welcome to bring a newspaper article for discussion. Homemade dessert and terrific company are provided! For more information, call the temple office at 941.371.2788.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 “Jewish Life and Law” This informative course meets weekly on Thursdays through December. The comprehensive curriculum includes: biblical laws; core Jewish beliefs; biblical characters; timeline of the Jewish people; biblical heroes; Jewish holidays; the Jewish calendar; the history of Israel; maps and geography of Jewish migrations; Jewish leaders through the ages; history of anti-Semitism; scriptures to remember; Jewish prayers and songs; the Holocaust. No matter your age, your knowledge of the tapestry of Judaism will be augmented and enriched. Join us at 1:30 p.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult per class; $35 per month; $5 per student; kosher refreshments included. To RSVP, call Beverly at 941.313.9239.
High Holiday services and events will take place on the following dates: Erev Rosh Hashanah: Sep. 29 Rosh Hashanah: Sep. 30 & Oct. 1 Yom Kippur Eve: Oct. 8 Yom Kippur: Oct. 9
Please contact the area’s temples for their specific schedules and more information. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 Shabbat Shmooze at Temple Beth Sholom Join us at 12:45 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom (1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota) for “Jewish Values & Contemporary Issues” with Rabbi Michael Werbow and Harold Halpern, a retired Sarasota attorney and board member of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists. Bring coffee and dessert from Kiddush and join us for a lively discussion. No cost. For more information, contact Lex Calaguas at 941.955.8121 or lcalaguas@ templebethsholomfl.org.
Sarasota Jewish Chorale Rehearsals
Bridge...
Join us at rehearsals as we prepare our Chanukah/Mamaloshen Program to present to the community in December. We welcome singers in all voice parts to join us at all our Thursday rehearsals – October 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 – from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Hecht School on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life, 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. The ability to read music is not essential, but carrying a tune is! Our season ends March 29 with a concert sponsored by the Jewish Federation. For more information, visit sarasotajewishchorale.org, or contact Artistic Director Sharon Greene at maxnana1227@gmail.com or President Ronnie Riceberg at momgreat1@yahoo.com.
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Anyone? THE BRIDGE GROUP meets
Thursday afternoons 1:00–4:00 pm
For more information
The Hecht School, The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life Open to intermediate and advanced bridge players.
call Bob Satnick at 941.538.3739
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October 2019
JEWISH HAPPENINGS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 PJ Library and Temple Beth Sholom Present Tashlich by the Bay Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
Tashlich gives us an opportunity to cast away the difficult parts of our past year. Experience Tashlich by the water while viewing the sunset, appreciating the Siesta Beach Drum Circle and enjoying PJ Library crafts and books. This event is free and all families are welcome. Join us at 6:00 p.m. on Siesta Key Beach at the Siesta Beach Sunset Pavilion (near the playground). For more information, contact Lex Calaguas at lcalaguas@ templebethsholomfl.org or 941.955.8121.
Chabad Cemetery Dedication Chabad of Sarasota proudly announces the dedication of a new section of its cemetery at Chabad Gardens, 170 Honore Ave., Sarasota. The Chabad Gardens is currently undergoing upgrades that will include additional burial spaces, new hedges surrounding the perimeter, a water spout for hand-washing, pavers outlining the walking paths, live oak trees and engraved granite benches, providing an opportunity for families to further commemorate their loved ones. The dedication, a rare event in Jewish communal life, will feature a unique ceremony. In Jewish tradition, there is a sanctity to the cemetery grounds. We sanctify the land by making seven Hakafot, circling the new cemetery seven times, just as when we dedicate a new Torah scroll. During the Hakafot we recite special prayers together. All are welcome to join the cemetery dedication ceremony at 10:00 a.m. For more information, call the Chabad office at 941.925.0770.
“Our monthly Jewish-themed film series focuses on real slices of life we can all relate to.” – ROSANN BLACK
BIG SONIA
Friday, October 11, 2019 • 11:00 am Among other things, this film offers a laugh-out-loud-funny portrait of the power of love to triumph over bigotry, and the power of truth-telling to heal us all.
Best Film, Cleveland International Film Festival; Best Documentary, Napa Valley Film Festival
William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Public Library 300 Nokomis Ave. S., Venice, FL
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
Thursday, November 21, 2019 • 1:15 pm Once In A Lifetime demonstrates the enduring impact of the Holocaust in transforming future generations.
Audience Award: New Hamphsire, Boston, Santa Barbara; Best Narrative Film, Toronto
Temple Beth Sholom
1050 S. Tuttle Ave, Sarasota, FL
JOURNEY TO JUSTICE
Thursday, December 12, 2019 • 1:00 pm This is the story of a 16 year old German Jew who fled Nazi Germany in 1939, returned as an American soldier and then served as an interpreter during the Nuremberg Trial.
This film was shot in five countries and features extensive archival research and images, including historic film and photographs shot by Howard himself
Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life 582 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota, FL
DENIAL
Thursday, January 14, 2020 • 7:00 pm In 1993, Deborah Lipstadt published Denying the Holocaust. Two years later, author David Irving sued her for libel because she spoke about him deliberately distorting historical facts.
Nominations: Outstanding British Film of the Year by BAFTA Awards and Best Supporting Actor by Denver Film Critics Society
Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life 582 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota, FL
LIMIT 2 TICKETS PER FILM. THE SERIES IS FREE but audience members are encouraged to bring cans of food as well as new toys and school supplies, which will be donated to All Faiths Food Bank, Toys for Tots and Title 1 Schools.
CHAIR: ROSANN BLACK
For more information, contact Jeremy Lisitza at jlisitza@jfedsrq.org or 941.343.2113. R: TO REGISTE
VISIT: JFEDSRQ.ORG/Reel19
Sunday Zionist Brunch & Movie The Holy season is the perfect time for Zionists to express and affirm their love of Israel. Increasing anti-Semitism locally, nationwide and across the world impels all Zionists to join together to enhance Jewish support of Israel across all spectrums of Judaism. Meet with fellow Zionists for a delicious kosher brunch, film and lively discussion centered on our shared love of Israel and what we can do to strengthen the Zionist dream. Join us at 11:30 a.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student. To RSVP, call Beverly at 941.313.9239.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 7 NCJW’s “The Blankee Bee” 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 at JFCS of the Suncoast (2688 Fruitville Road, Sarasota) to make these blankets. For more information, contact Dale Gruder at lifesabeachbag@gmail.com or 941.554.8592.
Temple Emanu-El’s Book Club Do you love books of Jewish interest – and love discussing books of Jewish interest with old and new friends? Under the direction of our wonderful new librarian, Roz Lieberman, Temple Emanu-El is delighted to facilitate a vibrant and lively monthly Jewish book club. “We are a group of people who enjoy reading and discussing books. All opinions, ideas and suggestions are encouraged!” she says. This month’s book is The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. This free event begins at 10:00 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, email Roz Lieberman at simone9@comcast.net.
“The Real History of the Nazi Party - III” Part three of this series examines the ascension of the Nazis to power in January 1933, the swift establishment of Hitler’s dictatorship, the Nazification of Germany, and the progressive exclusion and expulsion of Jews from German society. The Nazi terrorization of Germany’s Jews culminated in Kristallnacht in November 1938, which proved to Hitler that the world would not intervene with his plans for the destruction of German, European and, ultimately, all Jews on earth. Join us at 11:00 a.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; kosher refreshments included. To RSVP, call Beverly at 941.313.9239.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 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.
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JEWISH HAPPENINGS
October 2019
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9 Yom Kippur Break Fast Join Chabad of Bradenton for a delicious, kosher Break-the-Fast feast of bagels, lox, cream cheese, cakes and more. All are welcome. At 7:42 p.m. at GROVE, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. This is a free event, but reservations are suggested. Donations appreciated. For more information or to RSVP, contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabadofbradenton.com.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11 Just Reel Films: Big Sonia Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
Sonia Warshawski, a Holocaust survivor who lives in Kansas City, is the star and subject of the documentary Big Sonia. Sonia recounts her memories as a witness to senseless murders, including the death of her own mother in the gas chambers. Sonia neither forgives nor forgets the brutality inflicted upon her during the war, and her recollections are forcefully raw despite the habit she’s made of sharing them. The Just Reel Films series is free, but audience members are encouraged to bring cans of food, which will be donated to All Faiths Food Bank. The event begins at 11:00 a.m. at the William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Public Library, 300 Nokomis Ave. S., Venice. For more information, contact Jeremy Lisitza at 941.343.2113 or jlisitza@jfedsrq.org. Register at jfedsrq.org/reel19.
Bringing the community to the stage since 1929
JJeph and the AmazingTechnicoll DDeamcoat
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics by Tim Rice is presented by arrangement with The Musical Company LP
Sept.18 - Oct.6, 2019 7:30PM & 2PM $29/ $34 premium/$14
Any dream will do Backstage at the Players
“Shabbat Unplugged” at Temple Emanu-El
by Steve Martin
The community is invited to “Shabbat Unplugged” – an intimate service featuring a piano, a single musical leader, and a selection of warm and engaging acoustic music. This new and unique prayer experience is described by Temple Emanu-El Assistant Rabbi Michael Shefrin as “a great opportunity to showcase different sounds and melodies that continually elevate our worship. I can’t wait to gather around the piano as a community and be led in song during ‘Shabbat Unplugged.’” This free event begins at 7:15 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, call the temple office at 941.371.2788.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 Shabbat Shmooze at Temple Beth Sholom Join us at 12:45 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom (1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota) for an engaging discussion about the deeper meanings and themes of Sukkot with Rabbi Michael Werbow. Bring coffee and dessert from Kiddush and join us for a lively discussion. No cost. For more information, please contact Lex Calaguas at 941.955.8121 or lcalaguas@ templebethsholomfl.org.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 Sukkot Crafts & Decorations Sukkot is a wonderful holiday for craft-making for all ages! Build a miniature sukkah and colorfully decorate it, or use your imagination to make full-size decorations for your own sukkah. See a multi-media presentation of beautiful and unique sukkahs throughout the world, and watch movies showing Sukkot celebrations in Israel and other countries. Join this great family experience at 2:00 p.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; kosher refreshments included. To RSVP, call Beverly at 941.313.9239.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 NCJW Book Club The National Council of Jewish Women’s Book Club will discuss Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. at the Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave., Sarasota. The NCJW Sarasota-Manatee section website (ncjwsarasota-manatee.org) has information about the Book Club, the title selections and dates for the current season. Click on Community Services at the top of the page. You will also find Goodreads reviews of the books. Guests are welcome. For more information, contact Susan Girese at giresands@msn.com or 917.561.5316.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15 Sarasota Jewish Singles Dinner Meeting
Underpants Adapted from Carl Sternheim
Oct. Oct. 10 10 to 20, 2019 2019 to 20, 8pm 8pm and and 2pm 2pm
Louise and Theo Markes, a couple whose conservative existence is shattered when Louise's bloomers fall down in public.
$21.50/
$14 student
941-365-2494 | theplayers.org | 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture
! S E E AY
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GUIDING YOU TO EVERYTHING JEWISH IN SARASOTA-MANATEE
Learn About Our Vibrant Jewish Community!
Little did we know, that when we set out to publish SHALOMSRQ —the ultimate resource guide to everything Jewish in Sarasota and Manatee counties—it would be such a great success! So much of a success that we’ve decided to bring it to you LIVE! Announcing ShalomSRQ Live!, the event that brings you face-to-face with the Sarasota and Manatee county Jewish organizations featured in SHALOMSRQ. • Synagogues & Temples
• Jewish Youth & Teen Programs
• Jewish Clubs
• Jewish Service Providers
• Jewish Cultural Arts
• Jewish Housing
• Jewish Education
AND MORE!
THE FIRST 250 ATTENDEES RECEIVE A FREE BAG OF GOODIES!
Sunday, November 3, 1-4 p.m. The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life Beatrice Friedman Theater, 582 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota For more information, contact Bonnie Souther at 941.343.2115 or bsouther@jfedsrq.org or go to
JFEDSRQ.org/Events
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The Sarasota Jewish Singles is an outreach program of Temple Beth Israel of Longboat Key to give all Jewish singles in the Sarasota-Manatee area the opportunity to meet other men and women who are single. The group meets once a month for dinner, laughter and a time to turn acquaintances into lifelong friends. We would love to have you join us at 5:30 p.m. at Miguel’s Restaurant, 6631 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota. To make a reservation or for more information, call or text Rosalyn Fleischer at 941.915.6631 or email rozfleischer@gmail.com.
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For a continuously updated calendar, visit www.jfedsrq.org.
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JEWISH HAPPENINGS
October 2019
UPCOMING
EVENTS November 13, 2019 FEDERATION CELEBRATION/ANNUAL MEETING December 16, 2019
WOMEN’S DAY with Gail Simmons December 19, 2019 FEDERATION’S NEWCOMERS EVENT • BRADENTON December 25, 2019 TRADITION! A FIDDLER ON THE ROOF SING-ALONG December 2019 – April 2020 PEOPLE OF THE BOOK AUTHOR SERIES
January 16, 2020 LION OF JUDAH & POMEGRANATE LUNCHEON with Alina Spaulding February 25, 2020 MAJOR GIFTS EVENT with Deborah Lipstadt February 25, 2020 COMMUNITY LECTURE with Deborah Lipstadt March 11 – 22, 2020 11TH JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL March 26, 2020 WOMEN’S PASSOVER CELEBRATION
jfedsrq.org/events
20 19 –2 0 2 0
January 13, 2020 FEDERATION’S NEWCOMERS EVENT • SARASOTA
JEWISH HAPPENINGS
October 2019
Join the National Council of Jewish Women for an inspirational and powerful discussion among leaders from our region’s diverse community: Equality Florida, NAACP, ACLU, Embracing Our Differences, Rabbi Melissa Kahn (Temple Sinai), the Muslim community and a licensed psychologist. Carrie Seidman, journalist for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, will be attending as well. The “talk” will take place at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter only from Proctor Road between Beneva and Swift). Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. and the discussion will be from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. There is no charge for admission but, for security reasons, your RSVP is required. To RSVP and for more information, contact Rona Elias at rkelias17@gmail.com or 410.598.1056, or Marcia Schweitzer at marcia7032@yahoo.com. NCJW thanks Temple Sinai for its generous support.
F THE O B LE
New Author Lecture Series! ANGELA HIMSEL / MARRA GAD December 5, 2019 • 7:00 pm • $10
Family BBQ in the Sukkah All are welcome to join us for a Sukkot family social event at 5:00 p.m. at Chabad of Sarasota, 7700 Beneva Road. Bring the entire family for an evening of friendship and fun and the opportunity to recite the blessing on the lulav and etrog. There will be an exciting holiday-themed art program for children ages 5-12 and sushi in the sukkah for teens. Cost: $10 for Men’s Club members; $12 for non-members; $8 for children 5-10; free for children attending the Weinstein Afterschool JEP and the Chabad Kaplan Preschool. Advance reservations are necessary by Friday, October 11. To RSVP or for more information, call 941.925.0770 or email info@ chabadofsarasota.com. This event is sponsored by the Chabad Men’s Club.
Beatrice Friedman Theater, 582 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota Marra B. Gad, author of The Color of Love: A Memoir of a Mixed Race Jewish Girl, and Angela Himsel, author of A River Could Be a Tree, will present a panel discussion on Jewish identity based upon their memoirs each related to family, love, and faith.
ALEXANDRA SILBER
January 6, 2020 • 7:30 pm • $25
Celebrate Sukkot with Chabad at 6:00 p.m. at The Chabad House, 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. Feast on delicious shawarma and salads. Shake the lulav and etrog. Enjoy lively music, laser tag, game truck and giant games! Admission is free. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabadofbradenton.com.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17
Jewish Culture
Alexandra Silber, author of After Anatevka, shares her memoir about the loss of her beloved father and the restorative power of family and friendship, through blending musical stylings with spoken words from her books in a cabaret-style performance featuring songs from Broadway and more.
S. PERRY BRICKMAN
January 29, 2020 • 10:30 am • $10
Anti-Semitism
Beatrice Friedman Theater, 582 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota
Sippin’ in the Sukkah SaBra Hadassah and the Temple Beth Sholom Sisterhood invite you for a lovely afternoon in the sukkah. There will be a light lunch, crafts, and a presentation by our speaker, Melissa Werbow. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 South Tuttle Ave. Sarasota. Cost: $10 per person. You can reserve your spot and pay at the door. Make checks payable to either of the event sponsors. RSVP by Thursday, October 10. For more information or to RSVP, contact Sheryl Glickman at 941.341.0956 or sherylmg@aol.com.
Bridge... Anyone?
Thein Bridge Group meets Thursday CTeen – Sushi the Sukkah afternoons from 1:00–4:00 pm
S. Perry Brickman, author of Extracted: Unmasking Rampant Anti-Semitism in America’s Higher Education, experienced and learned first-hand that discrimination in dental schools was a wide spread epidemic. For a half century, Brickman harbored a deep and personally painful secret that he, and many others, had been failed out of Emory’s dental school because they were Jewish.
ARIEL BURGER
February 13, 2020 • 7:00 pm • $18 Beatrice Friedman Theater, 582 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota
Join CTeen and enjoy delicious in the sukkah. Make candy sushi onsushi the Federation Campus and prepare stuffed Torahs for in Chernobyl. (582children McIntosh Road). Enjoy a trip to Jumpin Fun! Meet at 6:30 p.m. at The Chabad House, Open to intermediate 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. Cost: free for CTeen members;bridge $18 forplayers. non-members. CTeen and advanced annual membership is $180. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy For more information, Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabadofbradenton.com.
call Bob Satnick at 941.538.3739
Thursdays / 12pm to 4ish Thursdays / 12pm to 4ish
Jewish Identity
Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota
Shawarma in the Sukkah
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NCJW Panel Discussion: “Combating Hatred”
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16
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Step in to Elie Wiesel’s classroom and join Ariel Burger, author of Witness, in their conversations about ethics, activism, spirituality, and literature which transformed the lives of students from around the world.
JOSH FRANK
March 8, 2020 • 7:00 pm • $10 Beatrice Friedman Theater, 582 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota
Contact Marilyn Oslander
JACK FAIRWEATHER / SARAH ROSE April 21, 2020 • 10:30 am • $10
Beatrice Friedman Theater, 582 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota
New to the Sarasota-Manatee area?
We Welcome You
Shalom! Welcome to paradise! We hope you feel at home and become active members of the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community. Please stop by and visit us!
To order tickets visit:
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SPONSORS:
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:
The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life • Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota, FL 34232
Heroes of the Resistance
Jack Fairweather, author of The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and Sarah Rose, author of D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis and Helped Win World War II, will present a panel discussion on heroes of the resistance during World War II.
Ilene Fox • 941.343.2111 • ifox@jfedsrq.org
Get Newcomer information: jfedsrq.org/new
A Surrealist in Hollywood
Giraffes on Horseback Salad, now a graphic novel, relives the Marx Brothers film first written by Salvador Dali. Recreated by author Josh Frank in partnership with comedian Tim Heideck and Spanish comics creator Manuela Pertega, the film comes to life on pages in all its gorgeous, full-color, cinematic, surreal glory.
Friendly but serious game!
Contact Marilyn Oslander 941.951.2029 941.951.2029 marasota@yahoo.com marasota@yahoo.com
A Study of Elie Wiesel
PA TURGE N PAS ER S
IX
ALL S
$72
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JEWISH HAPPENINGS
October 2019 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19
Recalling the Exodus in the Desert: Sukkot
Temple Emanu-El Tot Shabbat Celebrates Sukkot
Why are Jews commanded to spend seven days in the autumn living and eating outside in a sukkah? What are the rules for building a sukkah? What are we supposed to do in the sukkah? How did Jews throughout the ages celebrate Sukkot? What are the biblical commandments for Sukkot? As we celebrate the major biblical pilgrimage festival of Sukkot, we will study its history, traditions and deeply spiritual meaning today and always. Join us at 10:00 a.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; kosher refreshments included. To RSVP, call Beverly at 941.313.9239.
Young Jewish and interfaith families are invited to enjoy a happy Shabbat and Sukkot at 10:30 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. Enjoy socializing with old and new friends, playground time, a bagel breakfast, and age-appropriate prayers, songs, movement and fun – plus an opportunity to explore and decorate the sukkah, shake the lulav, smell the etrog, and hear a story about this joyous holiday. Although Tot Shabbat is designed for families with children up to age 6, all are invited to this free event. For more information, call Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman at 941.379.1997.
Temple Sinai Consecration and Erev Shabbat Service Temple Sinai’s Grades K-2 will participate in the Erev Shabbat service with Chazzan Cliff Abramson and music teachers Gil and Snait BenHerut. All new students of the Religious School will be consecrated under the tallit with Rabbi Samantha Kahn and Chazzan Abramson. They will receive their own Torah as they are welcomed into their official beginning of Jewish studies, which we hope will last a lifetime. Join us at 6:00 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter only from Proctor Road between Beneva and Swift). For more information, call the temple office at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.
Observing and Celebrating Sukkot Join us at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Beth El Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch (5150 Peridia Blvd. East, Bradenton) as we celebrate and observe the Sukkot festival. We will have a special Shabbat service with our choir and then enjoy a special Oneg outside in our sukkah. There is no cost, but we ask that you bring a non-perishable food item for our food bank donation. For more information, please call the temple office at 941.755.4900.
Sukkot Shabbat Dinner in the Sukkah Come to Temple Beth Sholom (1050 South Tuttle Ave., Sarasota) at 7:00 p.m. for a lovely kosher Shabbat dinner in the sukkah after Shabbat service. There will be both vegan and gluten-free options. Cost: $25 per adult; 17 and under are free thanks to the generosity of the TBS Sisterhood. RSVP at templebethsholomfl.org or by calling or visiting our office. Reservations are critical and will only be accepted through Friday, October 11. For more information, contact Lex Calaguas at 941.955.8121 or lcalaguas@ templebethsholomfl.org.
Mote Marine’s New Aquarium Plans The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism will welcome a senior staff member of Mote Marine Laboratory who will share plans to build Mote’s new, state-of-the-art Mote Science Education Aquarium in the rapidly growing community around Nathan Benderson Park, a nexus site for Manatee and Sarasota counties. In addition to this interesting and informative presentation, you are invited to participate in our beautiful Sukkot service with the Humanaires and their wonderful music. This free event is open to the public, and begins at 7:30 p.m. at Unity, 3023 Proctor Road, Sarasota. Donations will be greatly appreciated. For more information or to RSVP, call the CHJ office at 941.929.7771 or email chjsarasota@hotmail.com.
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 Sukkot Buffet Kiddush Join the Chabad family for its annual Kiddush in the Sukkah followed by Hakafot-dancing in honor of the holiday of Shmini Atzeres. Traditional, delicious foods such as stuffed cabbage, brisket, challah, gefilte fish, kugels, salads and dips will be served. The Kiddush begins at 7:30 p.m. at The Chabad House, 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated. For more information, please contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabadofbradenton.com.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 Volunteer Open House Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
Come and learn about opportunities for joining a Federation committee or participating in an event! The Volunteer Open House takes place from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Zell Room on The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life, 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, contact Jeremy Lisitza at 941.343.2113 or jlisitza@jfedsrq.org. RSVP online at jfedsrq.org/events.
“This Month in Jewish History” Significant Jewish events in October include: the beginning of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, which ultimately led to Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt; the 1943 closing of the Sobibor death camp in Poland after a successful escape of Jewish prisoners marked for death; Israel and Jordan sign a peace treaty in 1994; during World War I in 1917, the British Army captures its first city in Palestine (Beersheva) from the Turks, leading to the British Mandate. Join us for this class at noon at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; kosher brunch included. To RSVP, call Beverly at 941.313.9239.
The Gan at Temple Sinai Parent Workshop Join Rabbi Samantha Kahn as she presents a parenting class, Making Mensches, that teaches universal values with Jewish roots and how to help convey them to your children so they are good people. This class will coach parents on how to have conversations to build strong Jewish values. A wine and cheese session will give parents an opportunity to chat and learn. Join us at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter only from Proctor Road between Beneva and Swift). For more information, please contact Geveret Laura at laura@ templesinai-sarasota.org.
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JEWISH HAPPENINGS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
October 2019
7B
T H E S A R A S OTA B A L L E T
Shabbat Shmooze Join us at 12:45 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom (1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota) for an engaging discussion: “My First 50 Years as a Cantor” with Cantor Murray Simon. Bring coffee and dessert from Kiddish and join us for a lively discussion. No cost. For more information, contact Lex Calaguas at 941.955.8121 or lcalaguas@templebethsholomfl.org.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27
25 – 27 OCTOBER 2019 | FSU CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
“weighted, with intensity and beauty” The Boston Globe
Temple Emanu-El Brotherhood Breakfast & Speaker Temple Emanu-El Brotherhood happily announces that Jim Shirley, Executive Director of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, will be the guest speaker at its kickoff breakfast event. In a lively talk, Mr. Shirley will address the topic “Arts and Culture in Sarasota, Who Knew?” – speaking about the wonderful arts and cultural assets in Sarasota, which so greatly contribute to the development of our vibrant, creative community. A deluxe bagel-and-lox breakfast at 9:30 a.m. precedes the talk at 10:00 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. Cost: $10 for the breakfast. For more information, please contact Don Malawsky at 941.359.2890 or dmalawsky@msn.com.
Temple Sinai Women of Sinai Dinner and Movie Join the Women of Sinai for a delicious Argentinian and Polish dinner and captivating movie, The Last Suit. It’s a story about an aging Jewish tailor who leaves his life in Argentina to embark on a journey back through time and halfway around the world to find the man who saved him from certain death during the Holocaust. The event begins at 5:00 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter only from Proctor Road between Beneva and Swift). For more information, call Janet Tolbert at 941.388.9624, or Judy Polivy at 941.355.1184.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 28 Talk Story
Media Sponsor
Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
Talk Story, a lively discussion group led by Community Chaplain Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz, resumes from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at JFCS of the Suncoast, 2688 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota. Exploring a wide range of topics including current events and, particularly, Jewish subjects of interest, Talk Story digs below the surface in fascinating dimensions. Group members appreciate the learning they experience and the chance to offer their own perspectives. Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and JFCS, Talk Story meets weekly and is open to all at no cost. Please call Rabbi Katz at 941.366.2224 x166 to let him know of your interest in experiencing what Talk Story is about.
Hadassah Mah Jongg/Cards/Games Day Join the Venice Chapter of Hadassah from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Bay Indies Resort Community Center in Venice in the Indies Hall off Bay Indies Blvd. (1st clubhouse). For GPS purposes, the actual address is 950 Freeport Avenue. Enjoy coffee, bagels and a delicious home-made lunch. Bring your own game. The cost is $23. Send your check to Hadassah, 4220 Tennyson Way, Venice, FL 34293. For more information, call Ruth at 941.492.6025.
941.359.0099 | SarasotaBallet.org Danielle Brown in Ricardo Graziano’s Shostakovich Suite | Photo Frank Atura
f rom Bimah to Broadway
AZI!
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29 “Apostate vs. Phosphate” The Education Committee of the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism will present a multimedia presentation by Tim Ritchie proving that phosphate mining runoff is harmful to every Floridian. Ritchie is the founder, organizer and host of March Against Mosaic. This free presentation is open to the public, and begins at 3:00 p.m. at Unity, 3023 Proctor Road, Sarasota. Donations will be greatly appreciated. For more information or to RSVP, call 941.929.7771 or email chjsarasota@hotmail.com.
Temple Beth El Presents Ida Join us at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Beth El Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch (5150 Peridia Blvd. East, Bradenton) for a screening of Ida – a 2013 film directed by Paweł Pawlikowski and written by Pawlikowski and Rebecca Lenkiewicz. Set in Poland in 1962, it is about a young woman on the verge of taking vows as a Catholic nun. Orphaned as an infant during the German occupation of World War II, she must now meet her aunt, her only living relative, and learns that she is Jewish. Both women embark on a journey to discover their family story and where they belong. Cost: $13 for members; $17 for guests. There will be a $5 upcharge for members and guests who do not register. Please register by calling the temple office at 941.755.4900 by Thursday, October 24.
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CHAIRS: EDIE CHAIFETZ, FRAN COHEN, ROS MAZUR, SARANEE NEWMAN
Tickets: 941.328.1300 or SARASOTAOPERA.ORG
8B
October 2019
Prudent PLANNING. ARTFUL GIVING. W E A LT H P R E S E R V A T I O N
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