News, events and features in the Jacksonville Jewish community
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Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Jacksonville, FL Permit No. 146 POSTMASTER PLEASE DELIVER BY AUG. 1 Jewish Federation of Jacksonville 8505 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32217 COMMUNTY Etz Chaim gets new playground equipment. page 19 JEWISH NEWS Jacksonville PERSPECTIVES Getting your household ready for the High Holy Days. page 6 RENAISSANCE WOMEN Eleven Jacksonville women empowered by Israel trip. page 4 August 2013 • Av/Elul 5773 • Published by Jewish Federation of Jacksonville • www.jewishjacksonville.org • Volume 26, Number 2 • 20 pages Spotlight: Making a Jewish connection Four Jacksonville teens and their chaperone left town on June 30 for a two-week Israel Partnership adventure. Emily Cohen, Gabi Cohen, Rachel Herriff and Levana Osher along with their chaperone Janet Goldstein joined their Israeli counterparts from the Hadera-Eiron region. The group of girls travelled through the region and through Israel experiencing the beauty and history of this country together. The program called Tikkun Olam is part of Fed- eration’s Israel Partnership Program. Partnership re- turned the hospitality and hosted these Israeli teens in Jacksonville during the last two weeks of July. While in Israel the group visited Jerusalem including stops at The Kotel, The City of David, Yad Vashem and Har Herzl. They volunteered in the region doing work with children and other teenag- Levana Osher, Gabi Cohen, Emily Cohen and Rachel Herriff, with their chaperone Janet Goldstein, leave for Israel. See SPOTLIGHT, p. 18 By JILL ABEL Israel Partnership River Garden will present Motown… Memories & Music at the Renaissance Resort at the World Golf Village on Nov. 16. The 21st annual gala will be spon- sored by SunTrust Bank. River Garden is very pleased to honor its golden couple, Harry and Lilo Frisch. More than 65 years ago, in what was then British Palestine, a young couple met, married and began to create a dynasty. Harry and his brother Fred escaped their native Vienna as teenagers in 1938, just a step ahead of the Nazis. Lilo, a native of Kurdwitz, Germany, began agriculture training through the Hadassah organization. Hadassah ob- tained permission to send Lilo to British Palestine in 1939 for further agriculture education. If not for Hadassah, she surely would have perished in Germany. During World War II, Lilo joined the Royal Air Force. Harry and Lilo mar- ried in 1948. In 1953, they left Israel with their two sons, Ben and Karl, to join Harry’s mother and stepfather in Jacksonville. After a stint in the auto mechanic business, Harry and Lilo joined the family business, Beaver Street Fisheries, in 1953. Together they have worked with four generations of their family in building a small seafood store into a half billion dollar sales company, employing hundreds in Jacksonville and the Bahamas. As always, next to a great man is an even greater woman and none is greater than Lilo. To observe the love between them is like seeing a couple still on their honeymoon. They are blessed to have five grandchildren and three great-grand- children. When Harry was asked for the secret of his success, he said, “Honesty, integrity and service to the people are By KATHY OSTERER River Garden River Garden Gala set for Nov. 16. See GALA, p. 18 Summer camp fun Campers cool off with a dip in the pool at JCA’s Summer Camp. To see more photos, go to www.jewishjacksonville.org/summercamp/aspx. Campers enjoy a game of soccer at JCA’s Summer Camp. Campers engage in competition at the Center’s Camp Ki Tov. Campers do a little fishing at the Center’s Camp Ki Tov. Campers greet a new friend at Camp Ki Tov’s petting zoo. Campers enjoy face painting and games at JCA’s Camp Carnival.
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COMMUNTYEtz Chaim gets new playground equipment. page 19
JEWISH NEWSJacksonville
PERSPECTIVESGetting your household ready for the High Holy Days. page 6
RENAISSANCE WOMENEleven Jacksonville women empowered by Israel trip. page 4
August 2013 • Av/Elul 5773 • Published by Jewish Federation of Jacksonville • www.jewishjacksonville.org • Volume 26, Number 2 • 20 pages
Spotlight: Making a Jewish connection
Four Jacksonville teens and their chaperone left town on June 30 for a two-week Israel Partnership adventure.
Emily Cohen, Gabi Cohen, Rachel Herriff and Levana Osher along with their chaperone Janet Goldstein joined their Israeli counterparts from the Hadera-Eiron region. The group of girls travelled through the region and through Israel experiencing the beauty and history of this country together.
The program called Tikkun Olam is part of Fed-eration’s Israel Partnership Program. Partnership re-turned the hospitality and hosted these Israeli teens in Jacksonville during the last two weeks of July.
While in Israel the group visited Jerusalem including stops at The Kotel, The City of David, Yad Vashem and Har Herzl. They volunteered in the region doing work with children and other teenag- Levana Osher, Gabi Cohen, Emily Cohen and Rachel Herriff, with their
chaperone Janet Goldstein, leave for Israel.See SPOTLIGHT, p. 18
By JILL ABELIsrael Partnership
River Garden will present Motown…Memories & Music at the Renaissance Resort at the World Golf Village on Nov. 16. The 21st annual gala will be spon-sored by SunTrust Bank. River Garden is very pleased to honor its golden couple, Harry and Lilo Frisch.
More than 65 years ago, in what was then British Palestine, a young couple met, married and began to create a dynasty. Harry and his brother Fred escaped their native Vienna as teenagers in 1938, just a step ahead of the Nazis. Lilo, a native of Kurdwitz, Germany, began agriculture training through the Hadassah organization. Hadassah ob-tained permission to send Lilo to British Palestine in 1939 for further agriculture education. If not for Hadassah, she surely would have perished in Germany.
During World War II, Lilo joined the Royal Air Force. Harry and Lilo mar-ried in 1948. In 1953, they left Israel with their two sons, Ben and Karl, to join Harry’s mother and stepfather in Jacksonville. After a stint in the auto mechanic business, Harry and Lilo joined the family business, Beaver Street Fisheries, in 1953. Together they have worked with four generations of their family in building a small seafood store into a half billion dollar sales company, employing hundreds in Jacksonville and the Bahamas.
As always, next to a great man is an even greater woman and none is greater than Lilo. To observe the love between them is like seeing a couple still on their honeymoon. They are blessed to have fi ve grandchildren and three great-grand-children. When Harry was asked for the secret of his success, he said, “Honesty, integrity and service to the people are
By KATHY OSTERER River Garden
River Garden Gala set for Nov. 16.
See GALA, p. 18
Summer camp fun
Campers cool off with a dip in the pool at JCA’s Summer Camp. To see more photos, go to www.jewishjacksonville.org/summercamp/aspx.
Campers enjoy a game of soccer at JCA’s Summer Camp.
Campers engage in competition at the Center’s Camp Ki Tov.
Campers do a little fi shing at the Center’s Camp Ki Tov.
Campers greet a new friend at Camp Ki Tov’s petting zoo.
Campers enjoy face painting and games at JCA’s Camp Carnival.
page 2 Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
JEWISH WOMEN’S RENAISSANCE PROJECT
“I’m a competitive swimmer. It’s only been 13 weeks since
my procedure and I’m already back in the pool racing.
My name is Mckenna Debever and I got my stroke back!
Thanks, Heekin.”
904.634.0640 HeekinOrtho.com RIVERSIDE SOUTHSIDE ORANGE PARK PONTE VEDRA
S p o r t s M e d i c i n e P a t i e n t
I Got MyStroke Back!
Getting you back to what matters.
Eleven Jacksonville women visit
Israel as part of the Jewish Women’s
Renaissance Project. Above, Luba Finegold
receives her Hebrew name,
Esther Liba, during a nam-ing ceremony
at Masada. Finegold
was born in Soviet Russia,
and was not able to receive a Jewish name
there.
See the story on their trip,
p. 4
page 3Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 www.jewishjacksonville.org
Beachview & Party Rentals•Bob Ham Eyewear•Brandon Pest Control•Butensky & Cohen Financial •SecurityCamellia at Deerwood•Carriage Club Jacksonville•Classic Kosher Catering•Clay Eye Physicians and Sur-•geonsCommunity Hospice of North-•
east FloridaErica Jolles - Magnolia Properties•Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home•Heekin Orthopedic Specialists•Israel Bonds•Jacksonville Bank•Jacksonville Jewish Center•Jewish Community Alliance•Jewish Museum of Florida•Kehillah Chadashah•Margo’s Catering•
Mark Kraus, MetLife•Memorial Hospital•Neat Organize and Design•PaigeWajsman-Coldwell Banker •Vanguard RealtyPecan Roll Bakery•Southern Monument Co. Inc.•Stein Mart•StrattonandCompany•VandroffInsurance•Business Directory, p. 17•
COMMUNITY NEWS
Thank you ... thank you ... thank youAt the Jacksonville Jewish News, our advertisers are precious to us. It is with their support that the Jacksonville Jewish com-
munity has a newspaper. Advertising revenue also offsets the cost of production, so Federation dollars can be dedicated to helping Jews locally and overseas. Please continue to live generously and support our adverisers:
What’s insideCommunity ................................ p. 3Education ................................... p. 7Jewish Family & CommunityServices ................................... p. 15Jewish Community Alliance ... p. 13Jewish Foundation .................. p. 16Lifecycles ................................. p. 17Obituaries ................................ p. 17Perspectives .............................. p. 6River Garden ............................ p. 14Shalom Jacksonville ................. p. 5Synagogues ............................ p. 12Women’s .................................... p. 4For your advertising needs, please contact advertising sales representative Barbara Nykerk at 904.733.4179, Eta Perras at
904.629.0466 or Sam Griswold at 904.540.7954.
Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU
Also see MOSAIC: Jewish Life in Florida, visit the Orovitz Museum Store for one-of-a-kind gifts
and have a snack at Bessie’s Bistro!
Bring this ad in for 2 for 1 admission
JJN
CAROL FRYD: FRYD ON FIRE
Thru October 20, 2013Carol Fryd’s captivating artworks of Miami and its cultural intersections meld the human figure with fabulous flora and fruit.
Her varied techniques combine digital art with mixed media to produce ground breaking work. The combination of bright, fiery colors in this show are matched only by the intensity and heat of the Florida sun.
A touring exhibition presented by the National Museum of American Jewish History and Moving Traditions. Sponsored in part by Congregation Beth Jacob and the Robert Arthur Segall Foundation.
On Saturday morning, March 18, 1922, Judith Kaplan, daughter of Rabbi
Mordecai M. Kaplan, became the first American girl to mark her bat mitzvah
during a public worship service. Learn the stories of nearly 100 b'not mitzvah,
including many Florida girls and women.
�ru September 15, 2013
Bat MitzvahComes of Age
Hans Sachs Poster
CollectionThru December 15, 2013This poster collection, the largest and
most significant in the world, was confiscated by Nazis 75 years ago and finally returned to the Sachs family this year. Come see select works from this
rare and stunning collection.
The Museum is supported by individual contributions, foundations, memberships and grants from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural A�airs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural A�airs and the Cultural A�airs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners and the City of Miami Beach, Cultural A�airs Program, Cultural Arts Council.
301 Washington Avenue, Miami BeachPhone: 305-672-5044 www.jewishmuseum.com
Open daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.Except Mondays and Holidays
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Join the Jewish singles for dinner at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse.
This is a casual and fun res-taurant not only known for their handcrafted beer but also for their
innovative spin on favorite foods. They are located near the St. Johns Town Center.
If you would like to participate in this or future social activities, please contact Francine for details at 904-221-8061 or email [email protected].
By Jax Jewish Singles
Forty local Holocaust Survi-vors and their families attended an indoor summertime picnic last month. The gathering was part of the quarterly Eat & Schmooze programs, sponsored by Jewish Family & Community Services.
Everyone enjoyed a bagel brunch with a picnic theme. Entertainment was by Bernie Katzman, who performed Ameri-can standards written by Jewish
American composers. The next Holocaust Family Gathering will be held in November in collabora-tion with the Martin J. Gottlieb Middle School.
Holocaust Survivor Services at JFCS are made possible in part due to funding through the Claims Conference. Anyone interested in learning more about the services that are available, including free home health services for survi-vors, should call Naomi at 394-5777.
By Jewish Family & Community Services
Jewish Family & Community Services is pleased to announce the appointment of Marie Gabbamonte as its new director of development & market-ing.
Gabbam-onte has 20 years of ex-perience in the nonprofit sector. Since moving to Jacksonville from Long Island, N.Y., she has enjoyed much suc-cess managing database systems, annual appeals, special events and capital campaigns.
As donor relations coordinator
for the Sulzbacher Center, she met and exceeded annual fund raising goals, and was instrumental in making their holiday card cam-paign a year-round drive. Prior to that, she served as annual gifts and events coordinator for the Baptist Health Foundation and was part of the Circle of Care capital cam-paign in 2003.
She explained that this is a wonderful time to be coming on board at JFCS. “I’m thrilled to be here as the agency begins to plan for its 100th anniversary year,” Gabbamonte said. She also said she was excited to be with an agency that is committed to the well-being of the community.
Marie, who enjoys cooking and crafts in her spare time, is the proud mother of two children, and has six grandchildren.
By Jewish Family & Community Services
Gabbamonte
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the St. Augustine Accord Free-dom Trail and the Civil Rights Museum of St. Augustine were present as the St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society led a commemoration of the larg-est mass arrest of rabbis in the United States on June 18, 1964. The historical society came only to help create a place of sacred memory on the site where 16 rabbis 49 years ago stood up for the ethics and behavior mandated by Jewish tradition. The Jewish commu-nity of St. Augustine was left richer because of the partner-ships created with local the local African-American com-munity and those who seek to keep the flame of the memory of the civil rights movement alive along Florida’s First Coast.
The noontime ceremony took place across from the Bayfront Hilton Garden Inn — the Mon-son Hotel in 1964. The Freedom Trail’s mission is to remember,
and honor those who risked their lives to attain civil rights and to celebrate St. Augustine’s role in the passage of the Land-mark Civil Rights Act of 1964 including the arrest of rabbis attempting to integrate the lunch counter and swimming pool at the Monson Hotel.
The Civil Rights Museum of St. Augustine hopes to include the episode of the rabbis’ arrest in its Resource Gallery, designed to promote civil and human rights worldwide through educa-tion, to be housed at 79 Bridge St. in the historic district of the historic city.
By Jewish Historical Society
Wayne Gunthorpe greets Accord President Dalonja Duncan at a ceremony commemorating the largest mass arrest of rabbis.
Congregation Ahavath Chesed (The Temple) announces its partnership with Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation and the Re-ligious Action Center of Reform Judaism to help save lives.
In the early 1990s there were so few Jews in the bone marrow donor registry that Jewish patients had less than a 5 percent chance of finding a match. Today, be-cause of the Gift of Life’s targeted recruitment strategy, Jews have a greater than 70 percent chance of finding a match. Sue Elinoff, chair of the Gift of Life Bone Marrow
Drive at Temple is not satisfied. “Imagine if a member of our com-munity needed a bone marrow transplant and could not find a match because we were unwill-ing to allow someone to swab our cheek. Imagine the unspeakable joy if one of us was a match.” The only way you will ever know if you can help to save a life is by taking the first step and get tested. The entire process takes less than seven minutes.
The Gift of Life Bone Mar-row Drive will be held at Temple on Yom Kippur, Sept. 14. For information call the Temple office at 733-7078.
By Congregation Ahavath Chesed
JFCS hires new development director
Dine with the Jax Jewish Singles
Survivors hold summertime get-together
Bone marrow drive held
Commemoration builds bridges
page 4 Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
WOMEN’S PAGE
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In June, 11 women travelled to Israel as the first Jacksonville group of the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project. The JWRP was established in 2008 with the purpose of empowering Jewish women and reconnecting them with core Jewish values. The highly subsidized transform-and-grow Israel trip is targeted at women with children under the age of 18 at home.
The Jacksonville group was led by Henny Fisch and sponsored by Etz Chaim Synagogue. The 10-day trip combined classroom sessions with tours, experiential learning, free time and fun.
Some highlights included a rafting trip on the Jordan River, a visit to the mikvah in the mysti-cal city of Tzfat, a visit to an army base, narrated tours of Yad Vashem, Masada and the tunnels beneath the Western Wall and a rockin’ rooftop Havdalah in the Old City of Jerusalem. With the
support of Jewish Federation of Jacksonville, the group also made a wonderful and meaningful visit to Jacksonville’s sister city, Hadera.
Henny Fisch reflected on the trip and her gratitude to those who enabled it, saying, “I feel a heightened sense of connection – to my Jacksonville sisters, to the land of Israel, to the people there, to learning more about and shar-ing Jewish values, to my history and to our future! I am so thankful to Lori Palatnik and the JWRP staff, our local donors, Federation and all of the husbands who made this possible!”
Trip participant Ilene Bomser shared, “JWRP gave me the op-portunity and the tools to recon-nect with my faith and with my family, and I am truly grateful to have been a part of this amazing experience.”
Jacksonville has been accepted to participate again in July 2014. For more information contact Henny Fisch.
By Etz Chaim Synagogue
Jacksonville Hadassah will host a “Back to the Beach” pool party on Sunday, Aug. 4, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Members from throughout the Jacksonville chap-ter are invited to join in on the fun. There will be food, of course,
and lots of time to visit with old and new friends. This event will also be the Bat Mitzvah year celebration of Jacksonville Hadas-sah’s presence at the beach.
The event will be held at the home of Lin Pomerantz, 2677 Isabella Blvd., on Jacksonville Beach. RSVP 923-8030.
By Jacksonville Hadassah
neatorganize & design
Christine Stone904.536.9306
The participants from Jacksonville are: Andrea Mail, Andrea Hernandez, Natalie Sandler, Shireen Chafetz, Luba Finegold, Lynda Gridley, Ilene Bomser, Emily Rosenbaum, Susan Gendzier, Cindy Hand-maker and Henny Fisch.
City’s first renaissance group visits Israel
Jacksonville Hadassah hosts Back to the Beach
See more photos, p. 2
page 5Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 www.jewishjacksonville.org
Does the thought of buying, selling or building a home give you shpilkas?
I am committed to my clients by meeting their individual needs and by being
completely focused on results that are in their best interests. I go above
and beyond the real estate transaction to help guide them as they make the
transition to or from their home. It is for this reason, why I am my clients’
Jacksonville ‘Realtor for Life’.
CRC1326780
Visit me on the web at www.BuyorSellJacksonvilleFL.com.
SHALOM JACKSONVILLE
Since it began Jewish Javas have created many friendships and provided many Jewish connections for newcomers. In addition it is a monthly program where you can fi nd out the latest happenings in the Jewish and general communities.
Our new home, Village Bread
Café, allows us to have some privacy, as we do get a little noisy now and then. It also is a casual setting, where it is easy to meet new people and reacquaint with old friends and neighbors. Join us Wednesdays, Aug. 7 and Sept. 11, 9-10:30 a.m., at Village Bread Café, 10111 San Jose Blvd. You will enjoy free coffee or tea and a chance to win a door prize. Dutch treat breakfast.
No matter how long you’ve lived in Jacksonville, you have an open invitation to join us for our coffee and schmoozing program. This fall we will host Javas at the beaches and St. Augustine. For more information about this Jewish Federation of Jacksonville program, contact Isabel Balotin, 904-448-5000 x 206 or email: [email protected].
In an early episode of “Mad Men,” Roger Sterling advised Don Draper to use all the tools in his toolbox to secure a major client.
Since then I have seen the term used in all forms of media as a metaphor for assets, tal-ents, creativity, means, etc.
Shalom Jacksonville has always had a toolbox, and it is chock full of goodies.
Material wise you would fi nd the latest copy of the Jacksonville Jewish News, brochures of all the Jewish agencies, synagogues and schools, Shabbat candlesticks and candles, the local Arbus & Folio magazines, the Jack-sonville Relocation guide, some freebies offered by local businesses and the latest event fl yers.
Then there are the less-tan-gible and most important tools: warm hugs and handshakes, friendly emails, visits and phone calls, welcoming and inclusive programs all blended together to help newcomers and those newly interested make community connections.
And it is working. Just as each tool has a specifi c job, each newcomer/family has individual needs.
Shalom Jax spends time get-ting to know each newcomer and then providing the tools that are most meaningful to them to navigate and become involved in Jewish Jackson-ville.
If you would like a friendly call or know a new single or family that we should contact, please call me, Isabel Balotin, 904-448-5000 x 206 or [email protected].
September is High Holy Day month with Erev Rosh Hashanah being observed on Wednesday, Sept. 4.
While many of us are lucky to have families to share the holi-days, there are many newcomers and others who would love to be
part of our community’s holiday observance and joy.
If you are new to Northeast Florida and would like to attend High Holy Day services, please contact the synagogue of your choice, or you may call me and I will facilitate the connections.
Home hospitality has also been generously offered, and we encourage you to accept an invita-
tion for the holiday meals and get a taste (no pun intended) of the welcoming spirit of our Jewish community.
For information and Jew-ish connections, call the Jewish Federation’s Shalom Jacksonville coordinator, Isabel Balotin, 448-5000 x 206 or [email protected].
By ISABEL BALOTINShalom Jacksonville
By ISABEL BALOTINShalom Jacksonville
By ISABEL BALOTINShalom Jacksonville
Federation off ers hospitality service
Shalom Jax uses its toolboxJewish Java is your fi rst stop
page 6 Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
8505 San Jose Blvd. • Jacksonville, FL 32217The Jacksonville Jewish News is published monthly. All sub-
mitted content becomes the property of the Jacksonville Jewish News. Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not neces-sarily represent the views of the Jacksonville Jewish News or its publisher, the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jewish News is not responsible for the Kashruth of any product advertised.
Copy deadlines: All news, photographs, etc., must be received by the 6th of each month, and sent to [email protected].
Ad deadlines: All ads must be received by the 15th of each month, and sent to [email protected] in PDF format.
PERSPECTIVES
Ah, getting ready for com-pany – the straightening, the arranging, the sweep-
ing up dog hair (it’s not his fault!). Once everything is in place, I look around and say, “This is the way it should always be.” Yes, I have read all the articles about just taking 15 minutes a day, and the house can always be pristine. It doesn’t seem to work out that way, however. And when digging in all at once, fi ner details can be missed. I’ll look over and observe that a shelf is still dusty, or that a wisp of the aforementioned dog hair is stirring in the breeze.
For years, now, I have been much more invested in internal housekeeping. I want to know that that house is in order. Part of the customary, 15-minute-a-day variety is provided through taking my prayer life seriously. Ac-knowledging in the daily Amidah that we are not perfect (“For-give us, our Guide, for we have sinned.”), I feel obliged to take a look at where I might have gotten off track. When I recite Tachanun (penitential prayers), I ask God
to support my efforts to improve. These, though, will never take the place of a thorough housekeeping.
I have choices as to when the thorough effort is going to start. I can wait until I’m parked at Rosh
Hashanah services, and say, “Oh. I have 10 days to get my life in order.” And perhaps some years that would be OK. I know others who
don’t feel the call to start until the plaintive notes of Kol Nidre, if then. But when given my pref-erence, I pay heed to the early warning systems in place. For some, especially in the Ashkenaz-ic tradition, this means Selichot services the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah. While this is a good idea in order to practice the High Holy Day melodies in communi-ty, I prefer the fi rst alert — Rosh Chodesh Elul — one full month to pull things apart and clean from top to bottom.
Luckily, I don’t have to do all this housekeeping in isolation. Character traits that I’ve used badly, I’ve used badly with other people. I can look at how other people react to me, I can ask questions, I can pray for clarity and help. I say character traits as opposed to character defects,
because I believe they work on a continuum. There is a strong relationship among being persis-tent, being stubborn and being intractable. My father used to say it was like declining a verb: “I’m opinionated, you’re stubborn, he’s pig-headed.”
What I observe about myself may be very different than what others experience about me. Which is why I must ask forgive-ness for any sins I may have committed, even those I may not recognize when fi rst presented to me. And once problems are uncovered, I have to be willing to change.
Raba b. Hinena the elder further said in the name of Rab: If one commits a sin and is ashamed of it, all his sins are forgiven him… (Berachot 12b)
Letting others into my house for inspection is not always the easiest thing, but our Tanakh (Jewish Bible) helps. I know that our ancestors were fl awed human beings, and I am not unique in falling short. Everything I have done can be forgiven, and a fresh start can be had.
The investment of time and effort will absolutely pay off. And knowing that others are on their own paths toward a “clean house” is indeed a comfort.
RABBINICALLYSPEAKING
An early start to High Holy DaysBy RABBI MARK WIEDERRiver Garden
Many people in the Jackson-ville Jewish community have questions about Kehillah Cha-dashah as a reconstructionist congregation. For the next few months we’re going to answer some of these questions. For more information about Kehillah Cha-dashah or the reconstructionist movement, email us at [email protected].
1. How do reconstruction-ists approach sacred texts? We consider our sacred texts to be the product of inspired experi-ence in the human search for God and holiness in our world. To us, they are neither literal transcrip-tions from a supernatural being nor anachronisms that are mere constructs and fi ctions. We value our dialogue with the voices of our sacred texts because of the passion, values, aspirations and wisdom they express and how they therefore inform and shape our current Jewish lives. Torah study, or Talmud Torah, has been an integral part of reconstruction-ism since its inception. To some degree, this is because we study
to understand the history and the values inherent in the ritual practices under consideration by the community. Hence, many communities form regular, ongo-ing havurot (study groups) as an essential component of adult edu-cation programming. In addition, we regard the study of our sacred texts as one path in the search for holiness in our world, inspiring many of our congregations to of-fer ongoing study groups, lishma, simply for the sake of learning.
2. What is the reconstruction-ist approach to the idea of the chosen people? Rather than view ourselves as God’s chosen people, we understand ourselves as being called upon to do God’s work. We follow this unique path of doing God’s work because the Jewish story, civilization and culture belong to us. Part of our journey includes the formation of a special covenant, a brit between God and Israel. Our covenant is a holy relationship grounded in Jewish ethics and values. This also means respecting the diversity of each religion and culture in its unique contribution to global community of which we are a part.
By Kehillah Chadashah
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Poland in June, he found a Pol-ish Jewish community virtually unrecognizable to any student of history. That’s because 22 years after the fall of communism and more than 70 years after the Nazis annihilated 3 million Polish Jews (of the 6 million total Jews mur-dered), Polish Jews are embracing their identity and faith in inspiring and frankly unbelievable ways.
And that’s not just because there is a laudable Museum of the History of Polish Jews that opened with fanfare last month or a moving tribute to the anniversa-ry of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising that brought international atten-tion to the bravery of the Ghetto fi ghters so many years after their heroic actions.
It’s because the country’s 25,000 Jews – though a far cry from the millions that built a ro-bust Jewish civilization through-out pre-war Poland – are eager to innovate Jewish life through street festivals, educational and religious programs, and by investigating their family’s past, despite the pain.
And this is extraordinary in a country whose Communist-led post-1967 anti-Zionist purges forced many Jews to either emigrate from Poland or head un-derground, hiding their identities for many decades to come. And yet after Communism fell, some Jews – like their Catholic neigh-bors who enthusiastically clung to their faith – were able to explore what it meant to be a Jew in a place where for the better part of 50 years it was unthinkable. And in many ways it was because a parent or grandparent shockingly revealed their Jewish heritage on their deathbeds.
So how did this happen?Quietly and effectively, local
and international Jewish orga-nizations, philanthropists and
advocates – running the pluralistic gamut of religious movements and cultural options – have invested in both Jewish people (some who proudly identifi ed as such and oth-ers who have since “come out”) and in synagogues, community-wide Sabbath dinners, camping experiences, Jewish learning conferences, Jewish community centers and youth clubs, urban holiday events, study groups, and even Jewish cooking classes.
Today in Warsaw and Krakow, centers of Jewish life, one can take a Hebrew class in the morn-ing, learn how to make latkes at lunchtime, and meet with other people who are exploring their Jewish heritage – in some cases long hidden by their families for fear of persecution – at night.
Young Polish Jews are also leading the way. In many ways they have inherited a tremendous historical legacy, but are remaking it in their own image.
Take Antonina Samecka, a Polish Jewish fashion designer whose Risk. Made in Warsaw. brand has a special line festooned with Jewish imagery and humor. By incorporating stars of David in the design and creating a “You Had Me At Shalom” T-shirt, it embodies the vanguard of Jewish Poland today – a mix of pride and creativity.
And the picture would not be complete without mention-ing Jewish heritage tours around the country, family genealogy research in corners of Poland where there are no Jews left, and a trend among some Jews to acquire an EU passport and embrace the country their parents and grand-parents left behind.
Add to this a growing num-ber of Jewish expats living and breathing Polish culture and lan-guage, and you have an enigmatic phenomenon that is bolstering a local community’s confi dence in itself and its identity.
Such confi dence has led to extraordinary results: just this past weekend in Krakow, the 7@Nite
Festival opened the historic city’s seven remaining synagogues to the public for a lively celebration of Jewish life and culture attended by thousands of people.
This event – organized and run by my organization with other local Jewish groups – hosts everything from a poetry reading to a multimedia tour through the seven gates of Jerusalem, from a dance workshop to a photogra-phy exhibition, from DJs playing Jewish funk, rock, and hip-hop to a hummus and grilled vegetable feast in a synagogue courtyard.
For Krakow resident Bozena Pitorak, a civil engineer, 7@Nite was the perfect way to recon-nect with her Jewish roots as her mother was Jewish. Last year she attended 7@Nite at the urging of her son and was immediately inspired by an Israeli dance work-shop.
Soon after, Pitorak started tak-ing Hebrew classes at the Krakow JCC, became a member, and frequently attends Shabbat dinners and Jewish holiday celebrations. This year, she returned to the festival as a volunteer, proudly transformed and Jewishly identi-fi ed.
“After reconnecting to Judaism I feel stronger, and this infl uences my private life and my work,” she said. “My dream is that more Jews come out, go to the synagogue, and become members of the com-munity.”
In a scene in Steven Spiel-berg’s iconic fi lm “Schindler’s List,” the brutal Nazi Amon Goeth proudly hails that he and his soldiers are about to destroy 600 years of Jewish history in Krakow. And although they succeeded in liquidating the city’s ghetto and sending the survivors to the death camps, the winds of history have shifted to prove him wrong.
Today, in tens of thousands of Jewish faces and lives, in song and prayer, and even in new forms of Jewish self-expression, Jewish life in Poland is blossoming. And that is cause for celebration.
By ALAN H. GILLCEO JDC
Why Jewish life is thriving in today’s PolandQuestions answered about reconstructionists
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In the many years that Michele Block Gan Yeladim has been educating Jacksonville’s young children, many of the students have become adults with careers and children of their own.
One grad, Marie-Claire Levy, is now 19 years old. She attended Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool 14 years ago, but still enjoys reconnecting with her Block Gan family.
“I often see Mrs. Bull and Ms. Suzanne in the office, and Ms. Cheryl still teaches Grasshoppers. I really love being able to return to Gan and have so many familiar faces to catch up with.”
Now a junior at Florida State University, Marie-Claire balances studying Portuguese and inter-
national affairs with working as a resident assistant in the honors hall and working for Campus Sustainability — a program that aims to make her campus environ-mentally conscious.
Marie-Claire was on the JCA year-round swim team for several years and has worked at the JCA during the summer as a swim instructor since she was 14.
“I have watched it grow to add a kindergarten, new playgrounds and classrooms and so many more resources for the students — part-nerships with the symphony, mu-seum and several different types of gardens, she said. “The school has obviously changed since I attended it, but it still feels like home. Many of the teachers who were there when I was a student are still at the JCA, and their pas-sion for teaching really keeps the
The three words on every par-ent’s mind in August are “back to school.” Though fun-filled sum-mer days are coming to an end, students need not lament because the 2013-2014 school year is rife with exciting events for students and parents of Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool.
Students can look forward to the school’s usual selection of extracurricular activities: Spanish, cooking around the world, adven-ture yoga, a Taste of K at the K and Holiday Fun in the Sukkah.
Our first JPlay of the school year, Block Building Bonanza, will be a morning of family
fun as students and parents will work together to create, predict, hypothesize and conclude with block-building games. The event will include breakfast. Catch the action on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 10:30 a.m.
Be sure not to miss out on the 5th Annual Symposium Coffee Talk with Rebecca Isbell, Ph.D., professor and consultant in early childhood education. The ses-sion, free to Michele Block Gan Yeladim parents, will focus on the benefits of play in the early childhood years. The Sympo-sium Coffee Talk takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 9:30 a.m.
Get ready for a fun and stimu-lating school year at Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool.
The Galinsky Academy PTA, made up of the DuBow Pre-school, Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, Bernard & Alice Selevan Religious School and MAKOM Hebrew High School, is look-ing forward to an exciting year ahead. With new board members, the PTA plans to create new and fun programs and services to help make the schools of the Galinsky Academy the best they can be.
To kick things off, families of all four schools are invited to the
Welcome Back Pool Party. It will be held on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2-4 p.m., at the Yegelwel Pool. Come for swimming, snacks, catch up with old friends and make some new ones. A lifeguard will be provided.
The Galinsky Academy will also be hosting a Back to School Breakfast for the parents of the Dubow Preschool and Martin J. Gottlieb Day School on the first day of school, Monday, Aug. 19, at 8:30 a.m. and at the Bernard & Alice Selevan Religious School orientation on Sunday, Aug. 25.
By The Galinsky Academy
By MOLLY SWEETJewish Community Alliance
By MOLLY SWEETJewish Community Alliance
school going.”Marie-Claire recently returned
from a birthright trip to Israel and
now works for a local internation-al camp. When she’s home from college, she loves taking kick-
boxing classes at the JCA. She’ll return to Florida State in the fall to resume her studies.
Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool grad shares her thoughts
Students return to Block Gan
Galinsky Academy looks to new year
page 8 Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
EDUCATION
A New Class Begins in August 2013. Register Today! Class is open to the community and free of charge
(Students are encouraged to purchase Course learning materials)
To register, please contact Cassie Vichozsky at (904) 268-4200, ext. 115 or e-mail [email protected]
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During July a pilot session was held for Family Music & Movement. Sixteen children with their parents, caregivers and/or siblings participated in this special shortened session in order to give feedback before the grand opening this fall at the DuBow Preschool.
Children and babies sang, danced, moved to stories, played all kinds of handheld instruments and learned some sign language. Studies show that babies who participate in interactive music classes with their parents show earlier communication skills, smile more and are easier to soothe. Even from an early age, music is a great way for parents to bond with their baby. The group definitely had a great time, and we are looking forward to begin-
ning this new class in September. Register online today to secure your spot.
Family Music & Movement classes will be open to the Jack-sonville community on Sept. 4. For more info, visit: www.family-musicandmovement.com.
By DuBow Preschool
Exciting things are happen-ing at the Temple Institute of Religion, the religious school of Congregation Ahavath Chesed, a visionary program living the Tal-mudic teaching, “Find a teacher. Acquire a friend.”
On Sunday mornings from the end of August through May, students from 3 years old through high school have fun at Temple with their Jewish friends while learning about and experiencing Jewish traditions, holidays and teachings. Enroll your child in TIR – a 21st century congrega-tional school committed to pro-viding students and families with engaging curricula, stimulating activities and thought-provoking discussions about how Judaism
has meaning today, all with lots of interaction with rabbis, teach-ers and friends, new and old. Classroom-based instruction is all experiential. We not only learn about Judaism at TIR, we live it.
New for 2013/14, TIR is pilot-ing an exciting Hebrew program for grades 2 to 4 blending class-room instruction with access to an Online Learning Center filled with tools, interactive games and more to help parents and students practice Hebrew reading at home. Asking your children to practice Hebrew for 5 to 10 minutes a day is no longer the chore it once was. Kids enjoy the games, and parents find it a great way to learn – or relearn – the language right alongside their child, improving their comfort level in services and spiritual connection during prayer. There is no more guessing at
correct pronunciation or letter rec-ognition. Eliminate the frustration that is inevitable when you cannot help your child. Parents at other congregations who have tried
the Online Learning Center have been thrilled with their children’s progress – and their own.
Classes start Sunday morning, Aug. 25. Registration is open now
so call Ronni Ticker, director of TIR, at 733-7078 or send an email to [email protected]. She would love to meet with you.
By RONNI TICKERCongregation Ahavath Chesed
Come to Temple for learning and friendship
Students are movin’ and groovin’ at DuBow Preschool
page 9Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 www.jewishjacksonville.org
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EDUCATION/SYNAGOGUE NEWS
Each morning the sounds of happy children and families fi ll the halls of the DuBow Pre-school, a Galinsky Academy School at the Jacksonville Jew-ish Center. High fi ves, hugs and “boker tov” are often seen and heard as the youngest members of the Galinsky Academy enter their classrooms to start their day. Supplementing the in-class experiences, the DuBow Preschool offers daily specialty classes including music, physical education and science in our new Exploration and Discovery Stu-dio. Our Jewish studies program is fully immersed in the daily lives of our classrooms. Through daily routines, our children use their beginning Judaic knowl-edge.
Each Friday our school comes together in one of two Shabbat services lead by Jacksonville Jewish Center’s Hazzan Holzer and our Jewish studies team. This family friendly, child-based service is always capped off with Kiddush and Motzi.
We offer a fl exible program schedule for our students from the youngest, Doobonim, 1 year olds and walking; to our oldest, the Tzeeporim/VPK group, our 4 year olds’ program, with options for days and times. Our full day option features our partnership with the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School. Each afternoon our Parparim, 3 year olds; and Tzee-porim/VPK, 4 year olds, venture off into the “big kids school” for
art, music, physical education and library time. To best serve all of our families we offer extended care options before and after school hours.
Our parents and families are a vital part of the DuBow Pre-school and Galinsky Academy family with volunteer, event and PTA opportunities.
All of this is just the tip of the iceberg of what the DuBow Pre-school has to offer. A few spaces are still available for the coming school year beginning August 19. Contact the Shereen Canady, director, at 904-268-4200, ext. 143, to schedule a tour or to receive more information, visit our DuBow Preschool website at www.dubowpreschool.org.
By DuBow Preschool
Mud is not just for barnyard animals anymore. The enchant-ing blend of dirt and water has become vogue, internationally. In late June, campers from Camp Gan Yeladim and KinderCamp celebrated International Mud Day, a holiday that revels in the joy of digging deep in that slimy sludge.
Campers came dressed for the occasion in old clothes and bath-ing suits and spent the morning elbow deep, cooking up delicious-
looking mud pies in the mud kitchen.
International Mud Day is about “playing with the earth in the most rich, tactile way. Mud has microscopic bacteria that soothes you, relaxes you and calms you down,” says Rusty Keeler, author and playground creator. Michele Block Gan Yeladim Camp has participated in International Mud Day since its inception four years ago, when Australian and Nepalese representatives from the World Forum launched the holiday with great success.
The Temple Bet Yam Sister-hood will conduct its annual summer service on Friday, Aug. 2, at 7:30 p.m. The service, led by members of sisterhood, will fea-ture songs sung by the women’s choir. The sisterhood welcomes guests to join the congregation for this enjoyable evening, and
to partake in the delicious oneg prepared by the Men’s Club at the conclusion of the service.
Temple Bet Yam is a warm, welcoming and diverse reform congregation, located at 2055 Wildwood Drive in St. Augus-tine. For more information on the temple, call 819-1875 or visit the temple’s website at www.templebetyam.org.
By Temple Bet Yam
By MOLLY SWEETJewish Community Alliance
Temple Bet Yam holds summer sisterhood service
Block Gan digs in to Mud Day
Taking a peek inside DuBow Preschool
page 10 Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
At Camellia Retirement Community, we think of retired folks as “teenagers with more experience.” We also think that retirement should be really fun. And really luxurious.
Those thoughts are what make us so different, and why you’ll feel like you live in a luxury resort. Come see for yourself. Call now to schedule your complimentary lunch and tour. One-bedroom
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The Bernard & Alice Selevan Religious School is the con-gregational school of the JJC’s Galinsky Academy. The school integrates formal and informal educational programming and meets rigorous United Synagogue standards in all academic areas that include professional develop-ment, curriculum development and family education.
The curriculum has been struc-tured to ensure that all students, regardless of background or style of learning, will progress at any level of Hebrew, while still enjoying the company of their age-group in a fun and stimulating Judaic program.
The youngest students – kin-
dergarten and first graders – at-tend on Sunday mornings only from 9 a.m. to noon; just enough time to enjoy a variety of expe-riential programs for this age group. Second through seventh graders receive the maximum educational opportunity by attend-ing on Sundays and Wednesdays.
In addition to Hebrew reading and prayer fluency, these students learn about Jewish holidays, mitzvot, bible stories, traditions, and a little bit of Hebrew con-versation for fun. Older students explore Jewish history, lifecycles and Jewish ethics. The school includes preparation for Bar and Bat Mitzvot and beyond.
Art, music, computer technol-ogy and community program-ming are incorporated into the
By Jacksonville Jewish Center curriculum. All older students are individually tracked, and a special education professional is always on hand.
In addition to a dedicated and nurturing staff, the school thrives on the regular involvement of all Center clergy members. Signature
family programs will continue to provide a rich blend of home and synagogue education. The goal is to graduate young adults who share a love of their rich heritage, an understanding of Jewish com-munity, and a desire to continue life-long learning.
Orientation and the first day for grades K-7 will take place on Sunday, Aug. 25. All registration forms, as well as calendar, hand-book and curricula, are available online at www.basrs.org, or you can call Lois Tompkins, principal, at 268-4200, ext. 146.
The Jewish High Holidays are just around the corner, and the Jacksonville Jewish Center is gearing up for their annual High Holy Days food drive. Because of the emergency situation that exists, it is imperative that we double our efforts and surpass the amount of food donated during last year’s drive, which was over 3,000 pounds of food.
It is troubling to know that in Jacksonville one in six people suffer from hunger and that 35 percent of senior adult households have to choose between buying food, paying the rent and utilities, or buying medicines.
The Social Action Committee of the Center is responding to this emergency. On Rosh Hashanah congregants will receive grocery bags to take home, fill with non-perishable foods and return them to the Center. These bags will be donated to the Jewish Family & Community Services Winn-Dixie Pantry and to Second Harvest of Jacksonville.
Please drop off donations at the Center, 3662 Crown Point Drive, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
By Jacksonville Jewish Center
Center invites you and your children to join its religious school
Scenes from
Bernard & Alice
Selevan Religious
School
Center holds High Holy Days food drive
page 11Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 www.jewishjacksonville.org
EDUCATION/SYNAGOGUE NEWS
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Congregation Temple Bet Yam of St. Augustine welcomes Rabbi Fred Raskind as their new spiri-tual leader. Raskind was born and educated in Boston. He graduated from Boston University and then attended Columbia University, where he studied philosophy and comparative religion. He also took coursework at three divinity schools: Boston University, Union Theological Seminary and Luther-an Theological Southern Semi-nary. He was ordained at Hebrew Union College, N.Y., and has served pulpits in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Since 2003 he has been rabbi of Congregation B’nai Abraham in Hagerstown, Md., he was active in the Interfaith Coalition, Hag-erstown Area Religious Council
and TORCH club. Ras-kind also served for two years as part-time Jewish chap-lain at the VA facility in Martins-burg, W.Va.
Syn-chronicity played a part
in Raskind’s decision to accept the rabbinical position at Temple Bet Yam. His fiancée, Judy Holmes, who has close friends in St. Augustine, encouraged him to experience the area’s beauty and history during a sabbati-cal in Florida. The rabbi visited twice, and stated he “had a return affinity for St. Augustine.” Later,
By Temple Bet Yam
Can you swim like a manatee and bark like an otter? This was the question of the day last month in Camp Gan Yeladim. Campers were paid a visit by Jennie Busey of the St. Johns Riverkeeper as part of an environmental educa-tion outreach program. Their mis-sion: “To work on behalf of the community for clean and healthy
waters in the St. Johns River, through citizen-based advocacy.”
Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool’s developing part-nership with the Riverkeeper program gives students the op-portunity to become supporters of environmental mindfulness at a young age. Stay tuned for more on the St. Johns Riverkeeper’s work with students of Michele Block Gan Yeladim throughout the upcoming school year.
when he was looking forward to semi-retirement, he read about the part-time rabbinical position at TBY and it was, as he puts it, “the perfect storm of everything coming together.” After spending time with the Rabbinical Search
Committee, board members and congregants, he decided he wanted to be a part of Temple Bet Yam.
“Rabbi Fred” said he “likes to live life with a sense of humor.” He and Judy are looking forward
to exploring St Augustine and Northeast Florida.
The congregation of Temple Bet Yam invites the community to join them in welcoming Rabbi Raskind at Shabbat services on Aug. 23 at 7:30.
By MOLLY SWEETJewish Community Alliance
Rabbi Raskind
Temple Bet Yam welcomes Rabbi Fred Raskind
Camp Gan Yeladim hosts Riverkeeper
page 12 Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
At the Jacksonville Jewish Center, learning and connecting never stops. Whether you are looking to study, worship or just be with
friends, you’ll find a welcome home. Come and see for yourself.
We invite YOU to join us for the High Holy Days and for the High Holy Days and
throughout the year!
Wishing you a sweetNew Year filled with
peace, health andhappiness.
Please call Don Kriss,JJC Executive Director,
at 904-292-1000 at 904-292-1000 to arrange for your
invitation to worship thisHigh Holiday season.
“I thought I had a good Jewish background, and then, I attended ‘A Taste of Judaism’ with Rabbi Lief at Temple and discovered that my understandings were so child-like. Judaism has so much more to offer than I ever knew.” However the statement is phrased, it is a common reaction from the Jews who participated in Taste during July. Those who love Jews or are loved by Jews were thrilled to better appreciate the faith system of their partner/spouse/in-laws or friend.
If you missed a “taste,” Rabbi Lief begins Introduction to Juda-ism on Thursday, Aug. 1, begin-ning at 7 p.m. at Temple. This 15 session weekly program provides a more in-depth understanding of the history, traditions, rituals and practices of Jews. Sondra and Ed Mallow enrolled in the program last year to learn and to meet more people at Temple.
As Ed tells it, “I wasn’t sure that I’d learn anything. I had been a practicing Jew for more than 50 years; I had led services for years and had served as a synagogue president. I could not have been more wrong. I finally understand our history and the whys of our traditions. My Judaism means so much more to me now. I learned who we are as a people, where we came from, why we celebrate what we do, how a religious service is organized and why. I cannot recommend the course more highly, but ask me and I will tell you even more!”
At Temple, there is always room at the table to learn. Intro-duction to Judaism is open to the community. Jews, those who love Jews, those who are loved by Jews are welcome to enroll. There is a fee to cover books and materi-als. Call the Temple office with your questions or enroll online at [email protected].
By Congregation Ahavath Chesed
Temple Bet Yam in St. Augus-tine will hold a Membership Fair and Religious School Meet and Greet on Sunday morning, Aug. 18. The Religious School portion will begin at 9 a.m. and the fair will begin at 10 a.m. Both will conclude at noon. Light refresh-ments will be served.
Religious School Direc-tor Joan Guglielmo invites families interested in giving their child(ren) a Jewish education a chance to meet Rabbi Fred Ras-kind and talk with the Religious School staff. “The Religious School welcomes children from pre-k through high school. Our multilevel program is designed to help students develop a strong sense of Jewish identity within an enthusiastic and compassion-ate environment.” Parents will also receive written information
on school calendar, fees and the new curriculum.
During the fair those inter-ested in learning more about Temple Bet Yam can meet Rabbi Fred Raskind and talk with board members about the diverse ac-tivities TBY has to offer.
Barbara Rogove, membership
chair, said, “When we first came to Temple Bet Yam, we were so impressed with the warmth of the congregation and the amaz-ing choir that we joined imme-diately.” TBY invites everyone, whether very interested, or just mildly curious, to join them on Aug. 18 to learn more.
By Temple Bet Yam
The Jacksonville Jewish Center Men’s Club presents Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Enjoy great baseball with your JJC Men’s Club friends for a night out with the Jacksonville Suns vs. Birmingham Barons. Join us Thursday, Aug. 15, at the baseball grounds of Jacksonville. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
Enjoy drink specials with the Thursday Night Throw Down. Cost is $13.50 per person in the home plate box area, along the first base line.
Please call Mike Herring at (904) 288-0113 or email [email protected] for info.
RSVP and payment is required by Aug. 7 to ensure that we all sit together. Bring your entire family; this is an excellent family activity.
By Jacksonville Jewish Center
On the second day of Rosh Hashanah 5774, which falls this year on Friday Sept. 9, the Jacksonville Jewish Center offers a new program: Three Pillars.
Pirkei Avot, The Ethics of Our Sages, teaches that “The world rests on three pillars: the Study of Torah, Worship, and Acts of Loving Kindness.” Jewish tradi-tion, emphasized by the liturgy of the machzor, the High Holy Day Prayer Book, teaches that on Rosh Hashanah the Jewish people celebrate the creation of the world. On the second day of
Rosh Hashanah, the Jacksonville Jewish Center will celebrate the creation of the world by offering community members participa-tion in the three pillars that hold up this world. In addition to offering a spiritually uplifting prayer experience in the main sanctuary, the Center will offer opportunities to engage in Torah study and participate in acts of loving kindness.
During services, the Center will have discussions, classes, and study groups as well as social action projects and volunteer opportunities. Each pillar represents an entry point
into the community and into the themes of the High Holy Days. Participants can spend all of the second day of Rosh Hashanah participating in one pillar or hop from services to classes to social action projects and back. The goal of the Three Pillars pro-gram is to allow more people the opportunity to engage with God and community. For more infor-mation about this or any other High Holy Day programs at the Jacksonville Jewish Center, feel free to contact Rabbi Olitzky at [email protected] or 268-4200 ext. 134.
By Jacksonville Jewish Center
Intro to Judaism offered
Men’s Club presents ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’
Temple Bet Yam holds membership fair
Three pillars program part of High Holy Day worship
page 13Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 www.jewishjacksonville.org
JEWISH COMMUNITY ALLIANCE 2013 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $205,000
904.730.2100wwwjcajax.org
JEWISH COMMUNITY ALLIANCE
JCA happeningsVandroff Art Gallery
The Vandroff Art Gallery will exhibit the work of Gordon Meg-gison from Aug. 2 to Aug. 28. Gordon uses thick impasto texture material, bringing the paint into the viewers’ physical space. Acrylics and watercolors are his tools to explore his personal cal-ligraphy of intuitive vibrating line and color. Gordon is one of the JCA’s favorite art teachers, teach-ing classes in oil painting and watercolor. General Mills hired Gordon to paint 70 murals in many Olive Garden Restaurants.
From Aug. 30 to Oct. 2 the gallery will show work by Lloyd Roberts. After retiring from a career involving international travel, Lloyd decided to take his travels to a new level. He began planning trips to some of the most remote places on Earth where he could photograph creatures that most people only dream about seeing up close. Lloyd’s talent is not limited to photography. He is an accomplished watercolor artist and sculpts in bronze. It’s primar-ily photography that has allowed him to realize his passion.
Tubing at Ichetucknee Springs
When was the last time you had some real fun? Join us as we make our way to Ichetucknee Springs State Park for a great day of tubing and more. We’ll start our adventure at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18, in the JCA park-ing lot where we’ll board a luxury coach bus for our trip to the park.
Once there, you’ll enjoy a relaxing trip down the pristine waters of the Ichetucknee River, followed by a tasty lunch. We’ll then make our way back to the JCA with fun had by all. Advance registration by Aug. 8 a must for this trip. The fee, which includes
transportation, lunch, park fee, tube rental, snacks and tip, is $68 for JCA members and $102 for nonmembers.
JCA Film SeriesThe JCA Film Series con-
tinues on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. with “Keeping Up with the Steins.” A 13-year-old boy uses his upcoming bar mitzvah to reconcile the strained rela-tionship between his father and grandfather. Benjamin under-stands neither the meaning of his bar mitzvah nor the Hebrew but thanks in part to his grandfather, he may figure out what it means to be a man. This film is part of the series of the Jewish American influence in film, and is free and open to the community.
Game day at the JCACome to the JCA at noon
Wednesday, Aug. 21, for an afternoon of fun and games. Lunch will be served followed by a selection of board and card games for your pleasure. Haven’t played casino in a million years? Then this is your day. If rummy q, Scrabble, canasta, hearts, or Mah Jongg are your thing, we’ll have those, too. Please register your choice of games when you call the JCA registrar with your paid reservation. The fee is $5 for JCA members and $8 for nonmembers.
Indulge yourselfIt’s an indulge yourself kind
of day with friends. At 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28, let’s drive ourselves to Mandarin Landing for a manicure and pedicure at Aveda Institute. We’ll get our fingernails and toenails twinkling and sparkling in a private room just for us before walking to Enza’s for a Dutch treat dinner complete with music. Reserva-
tions are a must with the JCA registrar no later than Aug. 20. The fee is $25 for JCA members and $38 for nonmembers.
Lacrosse skills clinicThe JCA is offering an out-
standing lacrosse skills clinic that will teach the sport to all abil-ity levels ages 7 to 16. Whether you are a beginner or looking to perfect your skills, the clinic will utilize a variety of drills to master the fundamentals. Athletes will then apply skills learned in a game format led by former high school/college players and local area coaches. Each player will need to provide their own equip-ment: helmet, lax stick, protective gloves, shoulder pads, cleats, mouthpiece and athletic support/cup. The clinic will be held from 4: 30 to 6 p.m. at Bolles High School Field on Sunday, Sept. 15, and Sunday, Nov 3. The cost is $100 for JCA members and $150 for nonmembers. Call Rio at 730-2100 ext. 250 or email at [email protected] for more info.
Youth soccer league The JCA Youth Soccer League
for ages 4 to14 is back for another action-packed soccer season.
Our league develops young athletes into fundamentally sound soccer players, while having fun in an organized, competitive and social atmosphere. Practices will occur one hour before the game. Games will be held at Bolles High School Stadium Field. Game days will be Sundays from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. from Sept. 15 to Nov. 3. The fee is $100 for JCA members and $150 for nonmembers. Call or email Rio at 730-2100 ext. 250 or [email protected] if you want to volunteer to coach.
A mandatory skills evaluation will be held at the Bolles High
School on Sunday, Aug. 18. Age 4-5 1 pmAge 6-7 2 pmAge 8-10 3 pmAge 11-14 4 pmAge groups will be determined
after the evaluations. If you can-not attend the skills evaluation, please call ext. 254 to schedule a make-up.
New adult soccer league
Adult Soccer League for ages 18+ will be at Bolles Stadium Field on Sunday afternoons between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. from Sept. 15 to Nov. 3. Form your own teams of six to eight players for five-on-five soccer. You can also register individually or with a friend and be placed on a team. All teams need to have rosters submitted by Sept 8. The fee is $80 JCA members and $120 for nonmembers. Call or email Geoff Thomas at 730-2100 ext. 250 or email [email protected] if you have any questions or want to register a team.
JCA Select Basketball team
JCA Select Basketball is for players who want to compete at the highest level. Players can try out for their respective age group with each team having limited roster spots available. Players making the cut will benefit from a high level of play with quality coaching and the opportunity to play in a structured training camp prior to joining a competitive local league. There also will be opportunities to play in JCC-sanc-tioned tournaments in other cities. No registration is needed prior to the tryouts. If selected, each player will be required to pay a training camp/practice fee and the league fees associated with the
program. Call Rio at 730-2100 ext. 250 for more information.
Dates of Try-OutsAge 8-14 Girls: Tues, Sept 24
at 6 pm Age 8-14 Boys: Mon, Sept 23
at 6 pmAge 15-18 Boys: Mon, Sept 23
at 7 pm
Practical martial arts for adults
This martial arts class for men and women encompasses Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Brazilian techniques. The class will include striking, blocking, falling techniques, joint locking/manipulation, pressure points, grappling and breaking. There will be sparring in this class for practical learning. This class is for ages 16+ and students of all levels from beginners to advanced martial artists. Instructor David Berman has studied and taught martial arts for 25 years, holds black belt or higher designations in several styles and has studied with some of the most highly-dec-orated martial artists in the world.
Practical Martial Arts will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Session I begins on Aug. 27, and a 16-class fee is $128 for members and $192 for nonmembers.
A record number of families celebrated America’s birthday at the Jewish Community Alliance’s annual Family Fun Day. In true JCA tradition, members spent the day poolside enjoying food, friends and fun. Our signature ko-sher hot dogs, juicy watermelon and family games, including the ever popular hula hooping contest and watermelon relay, were high-
lighted by a new addition to the day, a DJ.
Hollie Arnold, JCA member-ship director, was thrilled by the success of the event. “It was so wonderful to see so many mem-bers enjoying their holiday with their families at the JCA.”
The JCA hosts Family Fun Day four times each year. The Fourth of July was the third Family Fun Day of the season, following the opening of the Joy
and Howard Korman Pool, and Memorial Day events. Family Fun Days are an added benefit granted free to JCA members only. Don’t miss out on the final Family Fun Day of the year on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. As we continue to celebrate the JCA’s 25th birthday this year we look forward to making new memories with our JCA family for the next 25 years and beyond.
By Jewish Community Alliance
JCA celebrates Fourth of July Family Fun Day
Watermelon, hula hoops and water games highlight Family Fun Day.
page 14 Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
RIVER GARDEN SENIOR SERVICES
RIVER GARDEN 2013 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $192,000
Briefs Volunteer for your own good By LESLIE HELDVolunteer Coordinator
Treat yourself to the River Garden experience. The River Garden Campus is home to our dedicated and caring volunteers. From teens to golden-agers, we invite you to become a part of our volunteer team.Create your own convenient schedule – we guarantee your personal fulfillment.Interested in volunteer op-portunities at River Garden? Please contact Leslie Held at 904-886-8429 or email [email protected]
Special day for seniors plannedAugust brings us National Senior Citizens Day on Aug. 21. On this day, we are encour-aged to recognize and show appreciation for the value and contribution of our se-niors to home, family and society.On National Senior Citizens Day, we should: • Spend some time with senior citizens • Show our appreciation for senior citizens • Do volunteer work in sup-port of the elderly When he proclaimed in 1988 that this day was to be a special day of recogni-tion for our seniors, Ronald Reagan said, “We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to ma-ture and grow older.” We’re proud to say that our River Garden community em-bodies the spirit of National Senior Citizens Day.
River Garden recently ex-panded its continuum of services to offer Medicare Home Health Care. After much preparation, we accepted our first Medicare client on May 2 and are staying busy seeing clients in the greater Jacksonville community.
We have applied for Medi-care accreditation and expect our accreditation visit by late sum-mer or early fall. Of course, we have been licensed by the state to provide private duty home health services since 1999, primarily serving clients living at the Coves Independent Living Community, as well as people in their homes in the Mandarin area.
We have already witnessed the power of our integrated system – we cared for a man who was admitted to River Garden inpa-tient unit post-knee surgery, com-pleted therapy services in house, accepted our new home care services upon discharge home, and after discharge from home
care returned to River Garden for outpatient therapy services.! He said, “How nice it is to stay with the same therapy staff the whole way through my post-operative period.”
Another story was from a granddaughter who shared with us she felt “so at ease” knowing River Garden services could fol-low her grandmother home and ease her back into the community.
Her grandmother received nurs-ing, therapy and home health aide services and she stated the conti-nuity of care gave them peace of mind during an already turbulent period of their lives.
A typical home healthcare cli-ent is someone who has Medicare insurance, has experienced a recent hospitalization or illness and wishes to receive intermit-tent skilled services at home.
They may also require physical or occupational therapy to remain safe in their own residence. In addition, they may benefit from skilled nursing to teach about new medications, a new disease process or exacerbation of an existing chronic illness. Qualifi-cations for Medicare home care services include orders from your physician, documented need for skilled services, and you must be temporarily homebound.
The addition of the new Medi-care homecare component will allow River Garden to meet the greater needs of the Jacksonville community. It also positions River Garden to move in the direction of future home- and community-based health care delivery, espe-cially to the senior community.
To receive more informa-tion about our seven day/week services or to discuss your needs with our staff, please call 904-288-7851, or send us an email: [email protected]. We look forward to introducing you to the newest component of River Garden Senior Services.
Our largest group to date has graduated. With special-ized training from River Garden Speech Therapist Lynda Gridley, our graduating class has become certified to feed and/or feed-assist residents.
This extra training allows for a relaxed dining experience for resi-dents who require additional time and personalized assistance in the dining room. It also provides staff with more flexibility during meal time.
For additional information, contact Leslie Held at 904-886-8429 or [email protected].
Bonjour from the Adult Day Program. How time flies. Spring season may have moved on, but it left many colorful and beauti-ful blooms here at River Garden. Summer is in full swing, bring-ing with it picnics on the patio, fishing on the dock, putt-putt on the greens, and the heat which invokes the desire for a cool treat. Ice cream is always hard to beat for a treat.
We welcome June, July and August with much laughter and open minds. We celebrate some new programs, including National Country Music Month, Indepen-dence Day, National Watermelon Day and S’mores Day. Of course, we continue to promote the value of participation in physical activi-ties.
Many people ask how to increase the level of interest and participation in activities. Our cli-ents share different levels of inter-est and abilities, and to spark the feeling of engagement we employ the fun and surprise approach.
When people have fun and laugh, they often forget the reasons they resist the activity in the first place. The element of surprise is at the
core of re-creation. When we experience a fun and pleasurable activity, we want to re-create by doing it over and over again.
Fun props, such as tennis balls, bubbles, sponges, scarves and paper plates add zest to exercise activities. Adding props, instill-ing motivation and encouraging participation can be magical, and this enhances engagement at a higher level.
Don’t be surprised if you come for a visit and see us bending over with our heads hanging for a few seconds. We are simply giving our bodies a health boost. Any time you bring the head lower than your waist, you are invert-ing, which helps reduce stress and increase circulation, core strength and flexibility in the upper torso and hips.
Please come and join us in Adult Day – we look forward to welcoming new faces. We hope you’re having a wonderful summer and remember: A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.
For more information about our wonderful Adult Day Care program, please visit us online: www.rivergarden.org/adultday, email: [email protected], or call: 904-288-7858.
Remember River Garden when you would like to honor or memorialize your loved ones
Please send donations to: Development Department
River Garden Hebrew Home 11401 Old St. Augustine Rd. Jacksonville, Florida 32258 Or call: 904-886-8432
Donations may also be made at www.rivergarden.org/donation
From Generation to Generation. L’Dor V’Dor. Remember River Garden and the Jewish Community in your will.
It’s official: River Garden offers home health care
Congratulations graduates
Adult Day Care Program is in full summer mode
page 15Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 www.jewishjacksonville.org
Thanks, volunteersThe Jewish Healing Network will hold a volunteer apprecia-tion event on Sunday, Aug. 25, to thank all the volunteers who have made visits to clients throughout this past year. If you would like to find out more about being a Jewish Healing Network volunteer, call Karen at 394-5737.
Camp scholarshipsThanks to Federation funds, JFCS sent 22 children to Jew-ish camps this summer; three children for Ki Tov at the Jack-sonville Jewish Center, and 19 children for Sheves Achim at Etz Chaim.
Foods of the monthThe Winn-Dixie Emergency Food Pantry thanks everyone who has given gifts to FANN this month and reminds you that the foods of the month for Au-gust are peanut butter, jelly, rice, pasta, tomato sauce, mac ‘n cheese, tuna, andcanned fruits and juices. Give gener-ously and help Feed A Needy Neighbor at JFCS.
TransportationJFCS provides free rides to synagogues and door-to-door transportation to doctor ap-pointments, shopping and social events at a reduced fare. Call CALL2GO for more information 224-6287.
CorrectionThe picture in last month’s Jewish News of Chris Atkins, manager of Achievers for Life at JFCS, and Richard Collier, former Jacksonville offensive tackle, stated an incorrect venue. The photo was taken at the JFCS end-of-the-year party for the 800 students and families in our AFL program. It was the second con-secutive year for this event.
JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES
JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES 2013 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $288,000
448-1933www.jfcsjax.org
Briefs
Easing into the school yearBy RACHEL WEINSTEINDupont Counseling Group
It is hard to believe that the summer is almost over. Just as we are getting into the relaxed schedule (staying up a little later, living in bathing suits and eating popsicles all day), the anxiety of starting the new school year begins to creep in. For many, preparing for this time can often be an overwhelming task. How do we counteract this? It can be especially challenging to manage this time when family vacations and summer camps usually last right up until school begins.
The answer is simple: Easing in. This is the key to most suc-cessful transitions. But remem-
ber, easing in requires prep work and planning ahead. So, you may ask, how do we get everything done and everything we need with little or no stress (for both the parents and the children)? Here are a few tips which you may find helpful:
• Purchase school supplies and school clothing early. You don’t have to wait until you receive the class list. Throughout the year when you see items on sale, purchase them and store in a closet until school starts. It may not be everything you need but at least it’s a head start. And the more you can do ahead of time the less stressed you and your child will be.
• If your child is transitioning
to a new school this year, make a visit to get familiar with the surroundings. See the classroom, the building/office, etc. If your child is taking the school bus for the first time, then go for a dry run on the route the bus would travel. When children are more prepared, the more calm they will feel.
• Prepare the teacher. If your child needs special accommo-dations, let the teacher know before school starts. Emailing the teacher ahead of time, dropping a note or scheduling an appoint-ment are good ways to connect.
• Don’t forget the routine! A week or two before school begins, get back into the school-year structure in the home
– earlier dinner or bedtime, or whatever it is for your family to be prepared.
• Read books about experi-ences/important transitions your child is experiencing. Beginning kindergarten, making new friends or dealing with bullies are some examples. Reading is a great way to engage your child in the discussions you will want to con-tinue throughout the school year.
• And most importantly: Relax! The more your child sees you are excited about their entrance to the school year, the easier it will be. Your positive and enthusiastic attitude will only rub off on your child. Send them in smiling.
Many thanks to Cara Jack-son and Hallie Wright, religious school students at Congregation Ahavath Chesed, who are lead-ing efforts to collect and donate much-needed school supplies to Jewish Family & Community Services.
Cara and Hallie “who are no strangers to giving back and helping out,” according to Goldie Lansky, executive director at the Temple, are making this part of their Bat Mitzvah community service projects. The back-to-school drive is an annual effort for the Temple and school supplies will be given to children receiving child welfare, foster care and AFL services at JFCS.
By Jewish Family & Community Services
The Jewish Healing Net-work, a grassroots effort that began with the help of Jewish Family & Community Services in 2001, focused on visiting individuals in the hospital in its early years.
Now, one of several pro-grams providing support to the Jewish community, JFCS has made great strides in growing and improving the services of the Jewish Healing Network.
Trained volunteers still provide Bikkur Cholim visits (visiting the sick) to individuals who are ill, recuperating from illness or hospitalization. “Most of our clients are older adults,” explains Karen Susman, Jew-
ish Healing Network program coordinator at JFCS. “Some are living at home, some in nursing homes or assisted-living fa-cilities – wherever they are, our
volunteers will make a visit.”But making visits to the hos-
pital has been a challenge due to HIPPA privacy laws. Karen, who is also a chaplain, works closely with the hospital chap-laincy offices at Mayo Clinic, St. Vincent’s Southside, Baptist South, Baptist Downtown and Baptist Beaches, and is now making weekly visits to each of these hospitals.
“It is wonderful to be able to walk into the room of a Jew-ish patient and see them be so receptive that someone from the Jewish community has reached out to them,” Karen said. Many patients she visits are not affili-ated and many only identify cul-turally as Jewish. And yet they are thrilled when they realize
she has come just to see them. Because Karen visits only
once a week, and hospital stays are brief, if you know of anyone who would like a visit from the Jewish Healing Network, let us know.
Karen will make the visit herself, connect with a local rabbi when requested, or assign a volunteer to make a friendly visit to the hospital, upon dis-charge to a rehab center or when the individual is back at home.
“And oh, yes,” she adds. “We are always looking for more volunteers.” If you know some-one who would benefit from a visit, or to find out how you can become a JHN volunteer, please call 394-5737 or email [email protected].
By Jewish Family & Community
Donna McNett is doing an outstanding job telling JFCS stories through a series of videos. As a part of the You Can Count on Us event committee, Donna is lending her time and talent by digitally capturing the stories that describe the programs and services of the agency. Two videos have been taped so far, and more will be released in the months ahead. Visit our website and click on the You Can Count on Us logo at the bottom of the page to see the stories.
Ed Kitzis, a local watercolor artist, teacher and entrepreneur, is pictured here with his wife, Karen and Naomi Mirensky, program coordinator for Holo-caust Survivor Services at Jewish Family & Community Services.
Ed was thanked for artwork he donated to the agency, and for the original work he created for the cover of the JFCS Holocaust
Hagaddah. Ed has agreed to also design
a cover for a new project: “A Spoonful of MEMORIES: Ho-locaust Survivor Cookbook.” If you have any recipes to share for this newest endeavor, whether it is from a Jacksonville Holocaust survivor, someone living outside of our community, or from some-one who may no longer be alive, please contact Naomi at (904) 394-5777.
By Jewish Family & Community Services COUNTDOWN TO 100
3 years 10 months
JFCS: Serving our COMMUNITY since 1917.
Students hold back-to-school drive
Thank you, Donna
Jewish Healing Network visits hospital patients
Karen Susman
Kitzis donates creative resources to JFCS
page 16 Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2013 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $88,422
JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHEAST FLORIDAPresident’s Corner:
By MARK GREENFoundation President
Myth: Some people have said they understood that grants from philanthropic funds at the Jewish Community Foun-dation of Northeast Florida support only Jewish causes.
Fact: Through Foundation philan-thropic funds donors may recommend grants to any qualified 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization not in conflict with the Foundation’s mis-sion. Foundation’s mission and focus is creating Jewish lega-cies that provide for the needs of the Jewish community. In 2012, 70 percent of grants from Foundation were distributed to Jewish organizations. Jewish and non-Jewish organizations that received grants from Foundation are listed below.
Learn how easy it is to start your own philanthropic donor advised fund at our Jewish Community Foundation. Please contact Paulette Keifer today at (904) 394-0720 or [email protected] for details.
Alzheimer’s AssociationAmerican Cancer SocietyAmerican Friends of Magen
DavidAmerican Heart AssociationAmerican Jewish CommitteeAmerican Physicians for
Medicine in IsraelAmericans UnitedAnti-Defamation LeagueBaptist Health FoundationBenedictine Military SchoolBeth El – The Beaches Con-
gregationB’nai Tzedek Pooled FundBrigham and Women’s Hos-
pitalCamp Ramah DaromCamp WiseCathedral Arts Project, Inc.Catholic CharitiesCommunities in Schools of
JacksonvilleCommunity Hospice of NE
Florida Congregation Ahavath
ChesedCrohn’s & Colitis Foundation
of AmericaCystic Fibrosis FoundationDana-Farber Cancer InstituteEndicott CollegeEtz Chaim SynagogueFLAMEGulf Coast Dental OutreachHadassah - NYHadassah Keepers of the GateHandsOn JacksonvilleHillel School of TampaHubbard HouseInternational Essential
Tremor FoundationJacksonville Community
Council
Jacksonville Humane SocietyJacksonville Jewish CenterJacksonville Jewish Center
SisterhoodJewish Community
AllianceJewish Community
Foundation of NEFL Jewish Family &
Career ServicesJewish Family &
Community ServicesJewish Federation
of Greater AtlantaJewish Federation
of JacksonvilleJewish Foundation for the
RighteousJewish National FundJunior AchievementLIFT Tuition Grant FundLiving Classrooms Founda-
tionMaliVai Washington Kids
FoundationMartin J. Gottlieb Day SchoolMemories of Love Founda-
tionMountain SynagogueNew Israel FundNorth American Conference
on Ethiopian JewryOneJaxPine CastleRamah DaromRiver Garden Senior ServicesRiver Garden Foundation Rotary Club of Deerwood
CharitiesShearith Israel ShelterSociety for Pediatric Pathol-
ogy EndowmentSt. Vincent’s FoundationTampa Jewish Community
CenterTeach For AmericaTemple IsraelTemple SinaiThe Cariad FoundationThe Community Foundation
of JacksonvilleThe Good People FundThe Holocaust Memorial
Museum of HoustonThe Jewish Theological
Seminary of AmericaThe Mighty Eighth Air Force
Heritage CenterTorah Academy of Jackson-
villeUF Proton Therapy InstituteUNF Brooks College of
HealthUnited States Armed Forces
AssociationUnited Way of Northeast
FloridaUniversity of North Florida
FoundationUSCAP FoundationWJCTWolfson Children’s HospitalWorld Jewish Congress
To create your Personalized Legacy Agreement including which causes will be your beneficiaries, contact the Foundation. Then, use the following language in your will and to change a beneficiary designation on other assets such as IRAs or life Insurance: “I give and bequeath to the Jewish Community Foundation of Northeast FL Inc., its successors and or assigns X %, (whatever % or dollar amount that is comfortable for you) of my residual estate or/asset.” Contact the Foundation with additional questions. The Jewish Community Foundation of Northeast Florida, Inc., does not provide legal or tax advice. This information is not intended, nor may it be relied upon, as legal, accounting or other professional advice. Before making any financial decisions, always consult your own professional adviser.
When David Miller attended the Jewish Community Alliance groundbreaking ceremony as a teen, he could only imagine what the JCA would become and what it would one day mean to him and his family.
David, his wife Monique, and their children Josh and Leah rec-ognize the JCA for the very spe-cial place it is today — a safe and welcoming gathering spot where friends and family of all genera-tions come together to celebrate their Jewish heritage and, as Leah says, “Just have fun.” Three gen-erations of Millers create memo-ries to cherish while spending time together at the pool, sporting events, and holiday celebrations. Family photos preserve memories of many happy times at the JCA.
Building a special place like
the JCA and a unique community like ours is something that doesn’t happen by accident. The Millers know it takes time and hard work to bring people and communities
together. “When people decide that being part of something is important and giving back is important, too, we all benefit,” David remarked. “I’ve seen, from my involvement with the JCA, everything you give … you get back many times over.”
David continued, “The whole Create a Jewish Legacy program is about ensuring our commu-nity’s future for our kids. I believe CJL will inspire people, make sure our Jewish agencies continue to provide the services they pro-vide now and maintain continuity from generation to generation. This is absolutely, critically im-portant.”
Josh and Leah are proud of the time and energy their parents devote to the JCA. Monique is a tireless volunteer, and David has served as a board member and president, and currently serves
as an active past president. Josh observed, “I think it is a really good thing that my parents help out like this. One day I hope I can do the same.”
“The JCA strengthens our community by providing a com-mon ground where Jews from all different backgrounds can come together,” concluded David. “It increases the visibility of our Jew-ish community and acts like glue that holds us together. I’ve got to believe that people will support the JCA through CJL. I can’t imagine a future without it.”
Let the Foundation help you create your own Jewish legacy and support the synagogues, agen-cies and causes near to your heart, now and forever. Please call Les-lie Lewis Kirkwood, CJL program director, at (904) 394-0720 or [email protected] today.
By Jewish Community Foundation
Future generations will know and remember you through the legacy you create.
A legacy is what people re-member about you — what you do now and what you leave behind for those who follow. A legacy may be something tangible — a tallit, Shabbat candle-sticks, a wedding ring or watch, a home or property, financial resources shared with family and charitable causes. A legacy may include the intangible — the love of family, memories of shared Jewish experiences and traditions, volunteerism, a devotion to Israel.
Your Jewish legacy is a lasting testament to the people, organiza-tions and causes you hold dear in life. It carries forward, into the future, the work of your hands and your heart. Hundreds of us, locally, and thousands, nationally, are committed to creating Jew-ish legacies. A Jewish legacy has no bounds — through it you may support the causes meaningful to
you — forever. When we create Jewish lega-
cies that support synagogues and Jewish agencies, we strengthen and serve Jewish people here, in Israel and throughout the world. Jewish legacies secure the future of vibrant Jewish communities, including ours. Support of other
impactful and meaningful causes benefits all. Others created this Jewish community. That is their legacy. What will your Jewish legacy be?
Please contact Leslie Lewis Kirkwood, Create a Jewish Legacy program director, at (904) 394-0720.
By Jewish Community Foundation
Faces of CJL: Jewish Community Alliance
How will you be remembered?
page 17Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 www.jewishjacksonville.org
BirthArlene and Jerry Rademan of
Jacksonville announce the birth of a grandson, Brandon Chase Siegel, on June 16, 2013, in Alpharetta, Ga. Parents are Alyssa and Matthew Siegel. Big sister is Ella Paige.
WeddingMeredith Picray and Aaron
Jespersen were married July 24, 2013, at Friday Musicale. The ceremony was followed by a reception at the same location. The bride is the daughter of Pam and James Picray of Jacksonville. The groom is the son of Glenn and Jenise Jespersen of Meadow Vista, Calif.
The bride attended the Univer-sity of North Florida. She works as an ImpactJAX coordinator at the JAX Chamber. The groom at-tends the Academy of Art Univer-sity in San Francisco. He works as an editor at BluWave Productions. Following a honeymoon in St Petersburg, the couple will live in Jacksonville.
Sympathy… to the family of Ivan M.
Diamond who died June 17, 2013, in Louisville, Ky. He is survived by his mother Helen P. Diamond; sister Rita Diamond Stearman (Mandell); wife Penny; children Elizabeth Diamond, and Daniel Diamond (Laura); and grandchildren Zoe and Jill Reck; and Frank, Charles, and Harper Diamond. Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice.
… to the family of Carole Goldberg on the passing of her mother-in-law, Marjorie Gold-berg, who died June 23, 2013, in East Brunswick, N.J. Other family members include daughter Carol Cavalli (David); brothers Joseph Podnos (Millie) and Melvin Podnos; grandchildren David Goldberg (Cassie), Eric Goldberg (Sherry), Lane Goldberg (Allison), Brian Cavalli (Nicole), Andrew Cavalli, and Debra Klein (Larry); and 11 great-grandchildren. Contributions may be made to the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School Mitzvah Fund.
… to the family of Jan Gwynne Lipsky (Bruce) on the passing of her father, Vernon Gwynne on July 7, 2013. Other family mem-bers include his wife, Betty, of 63 years; daughters Anella Gwynne Oakes (Michael) and Margaret Gwynne Aaron; and grandchil-dren Jessie Lipsky Felter (Rusty), Emma Lipsky Dreyer (Eric), Chevy Oakes, Michael Oakes, Ragan Aaron, and Justin Aaron (Martha). Contributions may be made to the Jacksonville Jew-ish Center attn: Rabbi Lubliner’s Discretionary Fund.
… to the family of Dina (Adam) Kirshbaum, executive assistant at the DuBow Preschool, on the passing of her father, Bill Henderson, on June 20, 2013, in Pennsylvania. Bill is also survived by sister Kay (Jack) Adamson; brother Gerry (Sue) Henderson; and granddaughter Emily Kirsh-baum. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.
… to the family of Maurice
Laine, husband of Janet Laine, fa-ther of Beverly (Jeff) Leif, Jeffrey (Michelle) Laine and grandfather of Alexander Lief and Josh Laine. Maurice died June 27, 2013. Contributions may be made to the Jewish National Fund.
… to the family of Nancy Nicotra, mother of Michael (Susan) Nicotra, Frank (Patricia) Nicotra and grandmother of Alan and Amy Nicotra and Anthony and James Nicotra. Nancy died July 8, 2013. Contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.
… to the family of Anna (Joseph) Cohen on the passing of her father, Borys Rauch, on June 21, 2013, in Davie. Other family members include his wife Monique; son Henri (Ivy) Rauch; sister Ida Avner; and grandchil-dren Gabi Cohen, and Arielle and Alexa Rauch. Contributions may be made to the Israel Partnership program at the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville.
… to the family of Shana Safer Temel who died July 18, 2013,. She is survived by her husband George; siblings Eliot Safer (Barbara), Deena Richman (Jim), and Cindy Baron (David); mother-in-law Hanna Temel; and 24 nieces and nephews. Contribu-tions may be made to any of the following organizations: Commu-nity Hospice of Northeast Florida, Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue, or Broadway Cares.
… to the family of Dr. Albert Wilkinson Jr., husband of Linda, father of Dr. Albert “Sonny” (Dr. Lynn), Gary (Karen), Leslie (Dr.
LIFECYCLES/BUSINESS
BUSINESS CARD DIRECTORYElliott B. Rosenbaum, Psy.D., ABPPClinical Psychologist
Grow your businessIf you want to reach a demographic with a higher-than-average household income and education, the Jewish News is your connection. To advertise, contact Diane
Sol) Brotman and Catherine (Dr. Todd) Snowden and grandfather of Jessica, Andrew, Alex, Daniel, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Caroline, Adam and Harrison. Albert died July 10, 2013. Contributions may be made to Wolfson’s Children Hospital and/or Congregation Ahavath Chesed.
To submit an item for life-cycles, please email it to [email protected]. Dead-line is the 6th of the month. For guidelines of how to write Bar/Bat Mitzvah, wedding or obituary announcements, go to jewishjack-sonville.org/news under “Share your news.”
Business briefs Clay Eye adds new laser for cataractsClay Eye Physicians & Surgeons have announced the recent ad-dition of the latest technology in laser cataract surgery called the Femtosecond Laser system. This laser is the fi rst of its kind approved by the FDA for cata-ract surgery. It is designed to provide more accuracy to the refractive cataract procedure. The laser uses 3-D image guided technology that maps the pa-tient’s eye; then the laser uses this computer-guided image to perform precise “blade free”, replacing a traditional steel or diamond blade.
Donald Downer, M.D. and Cornea and Cataract Surgeon states, “Clay Eye is very ex-cited about being pioneers in North Florida for Laser Cataract Surgery. The introduction of the Laser Cataract Surgery offers patients a more innovative and effective treatment option for re-moving cataracts. This piece of equipment is truly a monumen-tal advancement in refractive surgery in the last 30 years.”
Camellia at Deerwood hosts health fairCamellia at Deerwood, a pre-mier senior lifestyle community located in Jacksonville’s South-side, recently welcomed more than 90 residents and guests of all ages to a health fair at
the community. The free event featured more than 20 vendors promoting a healthy lifestyle.“The key to healthy aging is a healthy lifestyle,” said Camellia at Deerwood General Manager Perry Brown. “Our residents thor-oughly enjoy the active, healthy and satisfying lifestyle offered at Camellia at Deerwood.”The health fair promoted the importance of healthy aging and prevention practices as well as valuable information to help people live healthier lives. Exhibitors included local health providers, products and busi-nesses. Guests enjoyed product demonstrations, giveaways, food tastings and ice cream samples from Kilwin’s Chocolate and Ice Cream.
page 18 Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
LIFECYCLES/COMMUNITY NEWS
EMPLOYMENTTemple Institute of Religion, the congregational school of Congregation Ahavath Chesed, has open positions for an Art Specialist, 7th grade Judaic Studies, 2nd grade Judaic Stud-ies and Pre-Kindergarten. To learn more contact Ronni Ticker, Director of the Religious School, at 733-7078 or [email protected].
SERVICESPrivate Caregiver-CNA. I am long time experience Caregive-CNA. Have excellent references, I do prefer to work one on one as a Private duty caregiver, I will perform all duties necessary to provide comfort, caring and safety for your loved one.I can work days, overnights or weekends. References and background check available
upon request. Call: Veronica (904) 370-9178
Place your classifi ed ad for 35 cents a word. E-mail your ad to [email protected] and send payment to Jacksonville Jewish News, 8505 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32217. Deadline is the 15th of each month.
4500 N. Main Street, Jacksonville - (904) 356-4714 -
Jewish Family & Community Services
Special Needs Case Manager — Part-time
The Special Needs Case Manager will develop and implement a case management program to support children with special needs to fully participate in the Jewish experience, including educational, cultural, and social. • Serve as a single point of contact• Conduct inclusion assessment and identify families in need• Conduct initial needs assessment • Provide recommendations for meeting needs and closing gaps• Develop Community Resource Guide• Document all case activities according to Agency standards• Build relationships with providers, families, individuals, and organizations to provide cost-effective, accessible resources and services
Minimum Education and Qualifi cations:Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education or a related fi eld. Mini-mum three to fi ve years experience with Special Education or related fi eld, professional knowledge of full spectrum learning abilities and differences. Excellent verbal and written communi-cations, interpersonal and presentation skills. Experience with case management, program coordination, and assessment re-quired. Experience working directly with the Jewish community, knowledge of Jewish practices and customs preferred.
For consideration, email your resume to [email protected] or fax to 904-394-5783. EEO/DFWP
GALAContinued from p. 1
SPOTLIGHTContinued from p. 1ers in addition to visiting sites in our region such as Caesarea and Zikron Yaakov.
They kayaked on the Jordan River and visited the Golan
Heights. The girls visited Masada and the Dead Sea, rode camels and slept in a Bedouin tent. It was the adventure of a lifetime.
The Federation enjoyed host-ing the Israeli teens in Jack-sonville, where they worked in our Jewish day camps and
volunteered at River Garden. They had a special day at the beach and another terrifi c day at Universal Studios, as well.
For more information on our Israel Partnership or our Tikkun Olam program, please contact Jill Abel at 448-5000 ext. 200.
essential. Another secret is, I’m very fortunate to have a wonder-ful wife.”
Lilo, a long-time supporter of Hadassah, and Harry have gener-ously supported many community not-for-profi t organizations with their time, talent and resources.
“They are the quintessential community leaders - they embody all that is good, kind and com-passionate. As champions of our Jewish communal agencies, they have together modeled for us all what it means to create and nour-ish a caring community,” River Garden CEO Marty Goetz said. “We are extremely grateful to the entire Frisch family for sharing our vision of the future for the home with their generosity and loving support.” We honor them for their honesty, integrity and selfl essness; for their love; and for
their commitment to their family and community. We honor them because we love them.”
Gala chairs Arlene and Dr. Tony Adelson, and Diane and Dr. Mitchell Rothstein invite the com-munity to the event. Sponsorships range from $1,000 to $20,000.
Ticket prices begin at $250 with a special junior patron price of $175 for the 40 and younger crowd. For information, call Kathy Osterer at 904-886-8430 or e-mail [email protected]. Reservations can be made on line at rivergar-dengala.wordpress.com.
Lilo and Harry Frisch
page 19Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 www.jewishjacksonville.org
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Following last year’s success, the Jacksonville Jewish Center will again offer its Kavannah Al-ternative High Holy Day service. This service, again led by Rabbi Jesse Olitzky, will take place on the fi rst day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Kavan-nah is Hebrew for intention and translates as spontaneous spiritual expression. This service intends to offer an alternative to the tradi-tional main sanctuary service. This year’s service will build upon last year’s success that included discussion, poetry, text study, meditation, and inspiration with innovative and traditional liturgy.
This alternative service grapples with the themes of the High Holy Day season, including Teshuvah (repentance), Tzedakah (works of justice), and Tefi llah (prayer and worship), and asks
what role these themes play in our everyday lives.
The Jacksonville Jewish Center’s goal is to meet the needs of all members of our community by offering a variety of programs and services during the High Holy Days. In addition to the traditional sanctuary service and alternative Kavanah service, the Center offers youth programming on both days of Rosh Hashanah as well as on Yom Kippur. This includes preschool High Holy Day activities (including a preschool family service,) round-robin rota-tions consisting of crafts, games, songs, and prayer for elementary school-aged children, and innova-tive High Holy Day programming and services for middle school and high school students. For more information about any of these services or programs, please contact Rabbi Jesse Olitzky at 268-4200 ext. 134 or [email protected].
By Jacksonville Jewish Center
The idea was coined last Rosh Hashanah when Lisa Ansbacher approached Henny Fisch. “She wanted to do something meaning-ful as a new associate member of the shul,” says Henny. Lisa had heard that the playground needed revamping and wanted to help. Etz Chaim Synagogue and Torah Academy share the same playground space. While the play equipment was sturdy, the grounds it sat on continued to
fl ood and stay muddy.Henny was touched with Lisa’s
offer and brought it up to Torah Academy and Etz Chaim leader-ship.
After months of research Etz Chaim and Torah Academy lead-ers decided to use Andrew Adams and Grounds for Play based on their dedication to safety and de-velopmentally appropriate design for their playgrounds.
The new playground not only has the standard swings and slides, but also a mini city for kids
By Etz Chaim Synagogue
support from the school, shul and members of the wider com-munity.” To celebrate the new playground and thank everyone involved for their support, Etz Chaim and Torah Academy are
hosting a BBQ on Aug. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. During the BBQ there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony honoring all of the volunteers. The entire Jack-sonville community is invited.
to engage in creative play. A deck was added so Torah Academy classes can be held outside. The endeavor resulted in a dramatic difference in the way the kids and the school could use the grounds.
Funds came via private donors and the fundraising support of Da-vid Robbins, president of Torah Academy, and Scot Ackerman, president of Etz Chaim. Torah Academy students (10 and up) also participated with a Carbux carwash event. They raised over $900 in one day. The kids showed dedication, energy and drive in their wish to help.
The community pitched in by helping to tear down the old and build the new. Browdy and Browdy supplied a dumpster for use.
Henny states, “We have had such an outpouring of positive
Cantor Karen Faith Braunstein will once again join Rabbi Michael Matuson at Beth El The Beaches Synagogue for High Holy Days services this year. Many of you will remember that Cantor Karen was our guest cantor two years ago and we are most happy about welcoming her back.
Braunstein is a graduate of New England Conservatory of Music with a bachelor’s degree in voice and received her master of sacred music degree and investi-
ture as cantor from Hebrew Union College. Braunstein has served as cantor at various congregations in Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Florida. Most recently Braun-stein served as cantor at Temple Beth Kodesh in Boynton Beach.
Please join us in welcoming back Braunstein to our Beth El family and the beaches commu-nity. For High Holy Days ticket information and schedule please contact the synagogue offi ce at 904-273-9100 or drop by the syna-gogue located at 288 North Roscoe Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach.
By Beth El The Beaches Synagogue
One snowy evening nearly 10 years ago on Long Island, N.Y., teenagers on a joy ride nearly took the life of a woman they had never met. Given little chance of survival, Victoria Ruvolo not only lived, but went on to change the life of the teen who almost cost her life. Along the way she came to partner with attorney and psychol-ogist Robert Goldman. Together they have mentored thousands of teens by teaching them the power of forgiveness and the possibility
to change their lives for the better. As we enter the High Holy
Days and the season of repen-tance, The Jacksonville Jewish Center and Congregation Ahavath Chesed invite you to their fourth annual joint Selihot program and service as we listen and learn from Ruvolo and Goldman. This year’s event will take place at the Center Aug. 31, with a musical havdalah service at 8:30 p.m. The program with Victoria Ruvolo and Robert Goldman will begin at 9:15 p.m. For information, contact Cassie Vichozsky at 268-4200, ext. 115.
By Jacksonville Jewish Center
Volunteers help Etz Chaim and Torah Academy with new playground
Center off ers High Holy Day alternative service
Cantor Karen Braunstein serves as guest cantor at Beth El
Joint Selihot service set
page 20 Jacksonville Jewish News • August 2013 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
