Jacksonville Jewish News January 2015

2015 Federation Campaign Chair Sandy Zimmerman announced the excit-ing news that Michael Siegal, chair of the board of trustees of the Jewish Federa-tions of North America, will be the guest speaker at this year’s Major Gifts Event. Kimberly and Richard Sisisky will host the dinner meeting at their home on Saturday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m.

Siegal is chairman and CEO of Olym-pic Steel and is consistently recognized as an expert in the steel industry. Head-quartered in Cleveland, Olympic operates 33 facilities in North America.

Siegal received his Bachelor of Sci-ence degree from Miami University. He has received numerous business awards including Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Siegal is a past chair of the board of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

Steve Silverman, a former president of our local federation who serves as the treasurer of JFNA, said of Siegal, “It has been my pleasure to have the opportunity to work with Michael on behalf of the Jewish people. Michael approaches his position from his background of being chairman of Olympic Steel and past national chairman of the Jewish National Fund with an acute awareness of what is happening in Israel and the U.S. relation-ship. Growing up and being involved with the Cleveland Jewish federation has given Michael a substantial advantage of what Clal Yisrael and Tikun Olum mean to the Jewish world and to his family, as well.”

Federation Executive Director Alan Margolies noted, “Michael has been one of the most inclusive national leaders to head up JFNA in a volunteer role. During his two years as chair, the intermedi-ate communities such as Jacksonville have received a signifi cant increase in

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SUPER SUNDAYFederation says thank you during its annual phone-a-thon. page 14

Jewish NewsJacksonville

FEDERATIONMore than 2,000 attend concerts, luncheons, events. page 23

CHANUKAHCommunity menorah lightings page 3

January 2015 • Tevet/Kislev 5775 • www.jewishjacksonville.org • www.facebook.com/JaxJewish • Volume 27, Number 7 • 24 pages

FEDERATIONJEWISHOF JACKSONVILLE

A publication of the

See HUMAN, p. 21

Tackling human traffi cking in Jacksonville

JFNA chair to speakat Major Gifts

So much of our identity and moral compass as Jews stems from our time as slaves in Egypt. Why do we care about the stranger and the oppressed? Because we were once slaves in Egypt, and God helped set us free. We are taught to remember this time in our history as we go forth to repair our world (tikkun olam).

Although our ancestors were set free thou-sands of years ago, there are 27 million slaves in the world, more than ever before in our history. The cry is the same today as it was when Moses implored Pharaoh to “Let my people go!”

Human traffi cking is a form of slavery. It knows no international boundaries. Jacksonville is third in the state of Florida when it comes to

Lions explore sorority life

By CRYSTAL FREED and REBECCA BENNETTCongregation Ahavath Chesed

The icons represent places in our city where human traffi cking cases have been investigated.

On Dec. 4 our Lions of Judah gath-ered at the home of Diane Rothstein for a beautiful afternoon fi lled with laughter and learning. Dr. Shira Kohn shared parts of her research on Jewish sororities in the 1940s to 1960s from her dissertation, “A Gentle-woman’s Agreement: Jewish Sororities in Postwar America.”

For those women who were in a sorority during college, it was a time to refl ect and

take a trip down memory lane. And even for those who were not part of Greek life, it was a chance to learn more about the strug-gles these pioneer women faced when they attempted to become recognized on campus as a legitimate part of the Greek system. It was also a chance to ponder the future and what Greek life might offer our children in college life now or in the coming years.

Thank you to Allison Jacobs, our Lion of Judah chair, and our committee – Jill Abel, Wendy Efron, Lynn Maiman and Debra Setzer – for helping us make the

program a success.For more information about the Wom-

en’s Division Lion of Judah program, please contact Erin Cohen at 904-448-5000 x205 or [email protected]. Thanks to all of our Lions who have already made their 2015 pledge to the an-nual campaign. If you have not yet made your pledge, please do so today. We look forward to seeing you at our next Women’s Division event, the Champagne Brunch on Sunday, Jan. 11, 11:30 a.m., at the Jackson-ville Marriott.

By ERIN COHENWomen’s Division Director

See EVENT, p. 21

Photos by L. Tallis

By Jewish Federation of Jacksonville

page 2 Jacksonville Jewish News • January 2015 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish

COMMUNITY NEWS

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The Coves at River Garden, an independent living retirement community, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a festive party. The beautiful dining room was fi lled with Coves members, along with friends and guests as they enjoyed a delicious array of hors d’oeuvres and were enter-tained by The Steve Chapman Duo.

The Coves, part of River Gar-den Senior Services, was added to River Garden’s Mandarin campus 20 years ago as it became evident that there was a need in the Jacksonville area for a retirement community where active, vital

seniors could live an elegant yet affordable lifestyle.

“The Coves was to be a place where members live and interact with each other,” said Dorothy Verstandig, director emeritus of The Coves, speaking at the 20th anniversary event. “It was to be-come a community where learn-ing takes place, where people are active and engaged, where they have fun.” And so it has. Classes, offered by members and visitors, include calligraphy, knitting and basket-weaving. Coves members enjoy music, current events, out-ings to restaurants, theatre and shopping excursions, yoga, bal-ance training, and other engaging and stimulating activities.

By River Garden Senior Services

Join the singles for dinner at Picasso’s, where food is art. Their pasta is hand-made daily, and they specialize in New York- and Saint Louis-style pizzas. Please contact Francine for details at 904-221-8061 or email [email protected].

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Leigh and Jay Greene, below, graciously hosted a beaches gathering attended by 36 newcomers and beachniks in November. Top photo from left: Diane Solomon, Sheila and Larry Lieberman and Molly Kushner enjoy meeting newcomers and other beachniks.

Creeks Realty Group, LLC--12627 San Jose Blvd., Suite 504 Jacksonville, FL 32223

Coves celebrate 20 years

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page 3Jacksonville Jewish News • January 2015 www.jewishjacksonville.org

• Beachview & Party Rentals

• Bob Ham Eyewear• Brandon Pest Control• Butensky & Cohen

Financial Security• Camp Judaea• Erica Jolles - Magnolia

Properties• Etz Chaim• First Coast Mohs Skin

Cancer & Reconstruc-tion Surgery Center

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Thank you At the Jacksonville Jewish News, our advertisers are pre-

cious to us. It is with their support that the Jacksonville Jewish community 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 gener-ously and support our advertisers:

Community .................. p. 2Education ...................... p. 7Federation ................... p. 4Jewish Family & Community Services... p. 16 Jewish Community Alliance ....................... p. 17

Lifecycles ..................... p. 21Obituaries .................... p. 21River Garden ............... p. 18Super Sunday ........... . p. 14Synagogues ................ p. 19Women’s page ............ p. 5

For your advertising needs, please contact advertising sales representative Barbara Nykerk at 904.733.4179 or Eta Perras at 904.629.0466.

COMMUNITY NEWS

What’s inside

The first few months of the new year are set to show-case plenty of exciting, original arts programming at the Jewish Community Alliance, starting with the return of the Young Concert Artist series. On Sunday, Jan. 11, at 3 p.m., pianist Yun-Chin Zhou will give an opening performance, the first in a trio of internationally renowned concert artists coming to the JCA in this free series.

Zhou is the winner of the 2013 Young Concert Artists Interna-

tional Auditions. With a name meaning pure melody, it is no astonishment he is celebrated as a masterful and sophisticated per-

former at the age of 24.A native of Shenyang,

China, Zhou began playing piano at age 7. From the age of 19, he has studied with Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald, previously at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and is currently at the Julliard School. At the Young

Concert Artists Auditions, Zhou was presented seven performance prizes, including the Sunday Mu-sicale Series Prize, the Vancouver

Recital Society Prize, the Ruth Laredo Memorial Award and the Slomovic Prize, which supported his debut in Washington, D.C. He has also received distinctions in several other international music competitions.

The Young Concert Artist series is part of the JCA’s dedication to bring cultural and artistic enrich-ment to Jacksonville. All perfor-mances in the JCA’s YCA series are free and open to the community, thanks to the generosity of the Berman Family. The YCA series will continue with performances by clarinetist Narek Arutyunian in Feb-ruary and violinist Stephen Waarts in March. For more information please visit www.jcajax.org.

Following a lecture at the Jacksonville Community Al-liance given by University of North Florida Associate Pro-fessor David Schwam-Baird on anti-Semitism in Europe, Dr. Lawrence Kanter, a local cardiogoloist with a passion for preserving Jewish culture, knew there was a gap in Jewish studies programming in the Jacksonville area.

Because of Kanter’s enthu-siasm and generosity, the Uni-versity of North Florida will offer Jewish studies courses through the Interdisciplinary Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Collectively, the courses will enable interested students to achieve a cross-disciplinary understanding of Jewish culture: history, literature, music, philosophy, sociology and other aspects of the Jewish people.

In spring 2015 the college will offer:

• The Study of Jewish Song-writers and American Songs, taught by Professor Danny Gottlieb; music (online course)

• The Religion and Culture of Ancient Israel, taught by Professor Richard Phillips; sociology, anthropology and social work (Tuesdays/Thurs-

days 12:15 p.m.)• American Foreign Policy

in the Middle East, taught by Professor David Schwam-Baird; political science and public administration (Tues-days/Thursdays 12:15 p.m.)

• The Holocaust, taught by Professor Theo Prousis; history (Mondays 6 p.m.)

In fall 2015; the college will offer three additional courses:

• The Jewish Influence in Popular Music of the U.S., taught by Professor Sarah Caissie Provost; music

• Jewish Philosophy, taught by Professor Paul Carelli; phi-losophy and religious studies

• The Figure of the Jew in English Literature, taught by Professor Mary Baron; English

If you are interested in auditing one of these classes through the University of North Florida Learning for a Lifetime Program, which al-lows Florida residents age 60 or older to audit college-level courses with tuition waived, please contact the Office of Admissions at 904-620-5555 or email [email protected].

If interested in supporting the Jewish Studies Program at the University of North Florida, please contact Director of Development Leigh Palmer at 904-620-3946 or [email protected].

By Dr. LAWRENCE KANTER

For many, eating healthy is a chore. With so many decadent alternatives available, it can be difficult to maintain healthy eating habits and even more difficult to know what healthy options are available. While the long-term physical benefits of a healthy diet have been touted, it is less often discussed how to have a deli-cious and varied healthy diet. In response, the J Institute at the JCA has formed the Healthy Eating Club for active, health conscious adults who enjoy natural foods and exploring the latest in local cuisine.

This group will meet to discuss

topics such as vegetarianism, veganism, gluten-free diets, raw foods, farm-to-table and other related topics. The Healthy Eating Club will also participate in events meant to educate members on healthy eating options, including a visit to an organic farm, dinner at a farm-to-table restaurant and an exploration of local food markets.

“It’s a great chance to be among new friends and learn what makes farm-to-table food so deli-cious,” says J Institute Director Dorri Kraus. “Grab your partner, friends and colleagues and prepare to experience the joys of healthy eating.”

The club’s first program is scheduled for Thursday, Jan.

29, as a Dutch-treat dinner at an organic-inspired, ethnic specialty restaurant, with at least six differ-ent programs to follow throughout the year. Healthy Eating Club membership is for JCA members only, and participation in events is for club members only. Annual club membership is $20 for indi-viduals and $36 for couples; JCA valued member fees are $10 for individuals and $18 for couples. Memberships are good through Dec. 31; additional fees may be applied to cover costs associated with special programming. To become a member, go to www.jcajax.org/ji or call 904-730-2100 ext. 228. The J Institute, experi-ence it.

By Jewish Community Alliance

Yun-Chin Zhou

By L. Tallis

Gov. Rick Scott and wife Ann

Scott light a menorah

at the governor’s

mansion on the second

night of Chanukah.

JCA’s J Institute offers Healthy Eating Club

Concert series opens with pianist ZhouBy IMAN BYFIELDJewish Community Alliance

Jewish Community Alliance’s menorah lighting celebration

UNF to offer Jewish studies courses in spring


PERSPECTIVES/COMMUNITY/FEDERATION NEWS

Jacksonville

Jewish NewsDiane Rodgers, Communications Director

904.448.5000, ext. 212

Advertising RepresentativesBarbara Nykerk • 904.733.4179

Eta Perras • 904.629.0466

Communications CommitteeJon Israel, ChairShirley Bielski

Helen HillMichele KatzJoan Levin

Andrea MailRachel Morgenthal

Andrew OceanMarsha Pollock

Federation PresidentHal Resnick

Federation Executive DirectorAlan Margolies

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.

“When Jacob fi nished his in-structions to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and, breathing his last, he was gath-ered to his people.” Genesis 49:33

Many years ago, in the land of

Judah, there lived a man named Honi Ha-ma’Agel. Ha-ma’Agel is a nickname; it means “the circle drawer.” In Judah, where Honi lived, there is a dry season and a rainy season. If the rainy season does not come on time, the crops do not receive enough rainfall to grow properly. So rain in its proper season is very important. One year the rains

were very late in com-ing. Honi saw what was happening to the crops all around him and decided he

was going to do something about it. But what could be done?

Honi stepped into the middle of an empty fi eld and picked up a stick. Using the pointed end, he drew a circle in the dirt. Then he dropped the stick

and lifted his head to the heavens.“Ruler of the universe,” cried

Honi, speaking directly to God. “I am Honi. You know me. I am not a great man, but I am a pious man, and I have studied your laws, and I have lived the kind of life you have commanded me to live as a Jew. I have stood among my friends in the synagogue and

have joined them in prayer for the rain, just as one is supposed to do at this time in the season.”

Honi took a breath. It was not every day that he spoke to God this way.

“I have drawn a circle in the earth which has become parched because the rains have not come. I will not leave this circle until our prayers for rain have been answered. Ruler of the universe, I know you are just and compas-sionate. Will you not bless those who strive to walk in your ways with the rains that will bring life to this soil and food to those who are hungry?” And Honi stopped speaking. He stood, motionless and silent, his eyes never blinking as he gazed into the depths of the heavens.

Then thunder crashed through-out the skies, and clouds welled

RABBINICALLYSPEAKING

By RABBI JOSEPH HIRSCHRetired

Counting your blessings: Honi and the carob treeup from out of nowhere. Down came the rain, torrents and tor-rents of rain. Honi looked up and smiled through the raindrops, which washed his face. He reached down, picked up his stick and left the fi eld.

From that day on, Honi was called the Ha-Ma’Agel, “the circle-drawer.”

The rains had come and gone. Jerusalem and the surrounding hills were lush with the fl owers and blossoms of spring. Honi saddled his donkey and went into the Judean hills.

The sun was warm – just warm enough to feel good after the chill of winter. As his donkey picked its way up the rails in the foot-hills, Honi could smell the aroma of spring and could see the green grass, the blossoming cactus fl ow-ers. He could see the fruit trees with the green balls that would become apples and oranges. Along the way, Honi came upon a man digging in the earth by the side of the trail. There did not seem to be a farm here. There was neither an orchard nor an orange grove. Yet, this man worked, dig-ging his spade deep into the earth.

“Shalom Aleichem,” called Honi to the man.

“Aleichem Shalom,” respond-ed the man.

“I am Honi, come on a ride with my donkey to gaze upon the birth of God’s world.”

“And I am Abba Ben Shlomo,” said the man.

“Why does Abba Ben Shlomo stand here in the middle of the Judean hills digging a hole?”

“I am digging a hole so that I might plant a carob tree.”

“Excuse me for asking,” Honi began. “But you are not a boy anymore, and everyone knows that it takes many, many years for a carob tree to grow. Do you expect to confound your fate and live to see this tree all grown?”

“Perhaps I will live so long,” replied Abba Ben Shlomo. “But maybe I will not be so fortunate. Still, I will plant the tree. When I was born, I entered a world with beautiful trees, wonderful fruits, luscious vegetables and lush, green fi elds. Is it not my respon-sibility to make sure that my children and their children shall enjoy all of those same wonderful things? I am poor and cannot give them many sheep or a great home, but I can leave them something. So I stand here in the spring sun and plant this tree.”

Honi bade Abba Ben Shlomo good bye and mounted the back of his donkey. He had learned a very important lesson of life and death.

What does this have to do with our Torah portions?

Rashi, the great medieval commentator, once said: “Naked a person comes into this world and naked he leaves it … He carries away nothing, except the deeds he leaves behind.” After a full life, Jacob had an opportunity to be-queath to his children the fruits of his labors. He distributed jewelry, cattle, land and coins among his heirs, but that was not his legacy to them. Instead, as Jacob lay upon his death bed, he asked each of his sons to come before him to receive a blessing.

These blessings were com-binations of prayers, warnings, parables, personality assessments, instructions and values, repre-senting the wisdom of a lifetime. These were his last gifts to his children. Similarly, in our story, Honi meets a man who is in the midst of preparing his children’s inheritance. As a result of this encounter, Honi learns a lesson about life and death and leaving the world a better place after his death, as well as our local com-munities. We can all think posi-tive to apply this.

The holidays are over and the J Institute has an exciting selection of great programming for the Jacksonville community. Make your resolutions a real-ity with Fast Track to Fitness, a month-long, small group training program designed to help you establish an effective workout routine to last the whole year through.

Twerk Out Workout will get you moving to the beat while getting you fi t. And if workday stress is tiring you out, Work Day Rejuvenator will show you how to get a daily energy boost without

having to drink it.The J institute believes there is

more to good health than fi tness and food. On Wednesday, Jan. 14, Whitney and John Spinks, stars of HGTV’s “Flipping the Block,” will show you how to refresh and refurbish your home with small changes that make a big difference. On Tuesday, Jan. 20, the J Institute will be joined by Michelle Klimt, special agent in charge of the Jacksonville divi-sion of the FBI, who will share the trials of being the woman in charge.

LEAN IN Circles at the J Institute are still going strong, while the new Optimal Thinking,

Optimal Living™ series, led by creator Dr. Elliott Rosenbaum, teaches you how to use the power of your mind to achieve your most optimal life. Finally, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, the ever popular Crafting at the J features organic soap making. The J Institute will also kick off Heart Health month with a free community-wide Heart Health screen on Monday, Feb. 2.

For more information or a detailed listing of upcoming pro-grams, check out www.jcajax.org/ji or contact Dorri Kraus at [email protected]. The JCA looks forward to seeing you in 2015. The J Institute, experience it.


Federation Executive Direc-tor Alan Margolies is thrilled to share that Iris Kraemer has assumed the chair position of the Israel Partnership Southeast Consortium. Kraemer, who has been our local Jacksonville chair for over fi ve years, will now be leading the Southeast cities for all activities that take place. “I know Iris’s dedication prior to this has prepared her to do an amazing job for our consortium. We look forward to watching her lead our Israel Partnership program,” said Margolies.

Our Federation participates in a partnership program with

our sister city of Hadera-Eiron in Israel along with Richmond, Charlotte, Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga, Volusia County,

Pinellas, Fort Myers and Charles-ton. As part of the program our community will soon send three educators to Israel on the Israel Partnership Educator Delegation. These educators will spend time partnering with classrooms in our sister city and share thoughts, ideas and teaching strategies with their Israeli counterparts.

Each summer through Israel Partnership, we welcome teens to our community who participate in local Jewish day camps and are hosted by local Jewish families.

We also have opportunities for local teens to travel to Israel in the summer through our Tikkun Olam program. For information contact Jill Abel at [email protected].

Join us Wednesday, Jan. 7, for a cuppa Java and schmoozing from 9 to 10:30 a.m. as newcom-ers and friendly locals meet at

Village Bread Café, 10111 San Jose Blvd. Free coffee with any purchase.

We meet the fi rst Wednesday of every month. It doesn’t matter how long you have lived in Jack-sonville, you are invited to join us

and have a nosh in a casual and warm atmosphere. We guarantee you will make a connection with someone. For more information, contact Isabel Balotin, 904-448-5000 x206 or [email protected].

Iris Kraemer

By ISABEL BALOTINShalom Jacksonville Director

By JILL ABELPartnership Director

Jump start the new year with J Institute

Kraemer chosen chair of Israel Partnership Southeast Consortium

January Jewish Java returns to Village Bread

Jacksonville

Grow your businessIf you want to reach a demographic with a higher than average

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Maggie Anton, author of the much-beloved trilogy, “Rashi’s Daughters,” will be here on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

Anton, who visited Jackson-ville a few years ago and left us wanting more, is returning to talk about her latest works (also historical fiction) about Rav Hisda’s daughter, Apprentice, a National Jewish Book Award finalist and enchantress.

In two appearances that day, a lunchtime program and an evening program, she will also give us a behind-the-scenes understanding of the research and history that goes behind her writing.

Hadassah is happy to partner with the Adult Education Series of the Jacksonville Jewish Cen-ter. The lunchtime program will be at 11:30 a.m. at the Center, 3662 Crown Point Road. The cost for the luncheon is $22

(choice of fish or vegetarian). The evening program will be at 7 p.m., also at the Center, which is free.

RSVP to Rose for both programs at 904-292-1000 or [email protected].

By Jacksonville Hadassah

On Tuesday, Jan. 27, the auxiliary will have its annual fun-fundraiser program start-ing at noon at River Garden. The lunch will be delicious and exciting musical entertainment will make you say, “You light up my life,” about River Garden Auxiliary.

Greet your friends, eat to-gether and plan on having a fun

time while providing funds to support River Garden residents.

Invitations will be sent shortly.

The minimum donation is $36 (includes lunch); however, bigger donations are always wel-come and really appreciated. No matter the level of your giving, you will be eligible for unique door prizes.

Call Debby Katz for more information at 904-287-0960.

By River Garden Auxiliary

River Garden Auxiliary is offering ways to memorialize or honor a loved one or friend for special birthdays, anniversaries, recovery or other special occa-sions with a plaque for $75.

Make check payable to: River Garden Auxiliary, 11401 Old St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32258

All proceeds go to help River Garden residents. Please contact Ann Silke at 904-733-6483 or Sandra Weiss at 904-268-0359.

By Jewish Federation of Jacksonville

The Jacksonville Jewish Center Sisterhood will host an art exhibi-tion featuring Israeli art from the Safrai Gallery, located in Jerusa-lem. This exhibition is a unique collection of over 1,500 works by more than 100 Israeli artists.

The show, located at the Jacksonville Jewish Center, 3662 Crown Point Road, will be open: Jan. 21, 7-10 p.m.; Jan. 22, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Jan. 23, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Jan. 24, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.; and Jan. 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. All major credit cards will be accepted for art purchases. Where food is involved, there will be a nominal charge to defray the cost.

Other events include:Jan. 21, 6-9 p.m., there will be

an Israeli Café. Enjoy a buffet din-

ner at the Center before attending the art show (or the Maggie Anton event).

Jan. 22, at 9:30 a.m., an Israeli cooking class will be offered. The group will learn to make typical Israeli dishes including hummus, tabbouleh, babaganoush, shakshu-ka, and pita. Reservations are a must. There is a minimal charge for groceries. To make reserva-tions, call the Center office, 904-292-1000. At 1 p.m. gallery owner Menachem Safrai will give a free guided tour. At 7:30 p.m., adults in their 20s and 30s are invited to view the gallery, and enjoy coffee, tea, and sweets. Reservations are encouraged. Email your reserva-tion to [email protected]. There will be a $5 charge.

Jan. 23, 10:30 a.m., a challah braiding class is offered. Space is limited, and there will be a mini-

mal charge. To make reservations, contact Margie Holzer at 904-423-0248 or [email protected]

Jan. 24, the gallery will reopen at 8 p.m. for Safrai at the Cen-ter, an evening of wine, hors d’ oeuvres, dessert, coffee and great art. To make reservations, contact Naomi Lazar at 904-288-0110 or Maxine Romo at 904-260-3262. There will be an $18 per person charge.

Jan. 25, 10 a.m., Menachem Safrai will give a second tour of the gallery. The Israeli Café will be open between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

All day Sunday, there will be a Family Art Scavenger Hunt. Parents are encouraged to bring their children to view the art. The children who complete the scav-enger hunt will be offered an $18 coupon toward their first piece of Israeli art.

By Center Sisterhood

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. (Exodus 12:2)

In the portion Bo, God com-mands the first mitzvah to be given to the people of Israel: to establish a yearly calendar based on Rosh Hodesh, the monthly rebirth of the moon. Our sister-hood performs its own version of this mitzvah by creating a calendar each year that is full of

exciting and interesting pro-grams.

The Jacksonville Jewish Center Sisterhood invites you to come and enjoy its annual Sisterhood Shabbat on Jan. 24, starting at 9 a.m. As in years past, many members of sister-hood will be taking part in the service. All members who were past presidents here and in other congregations will be honored. Stay for Kiddush luncheon and enjoy a delicious meal spon-sored by sisterhood.


Maggie Anton

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Support Israel - buy Israeli Art from sisterhood

Mark your calendars for Sisterhood Shabbat

River Garden Auxiliary hosts donor luncheon Jan. 27

River Garden Auxiliary sells plaques

Jacksonville

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 Rodgers

at 448-5000 x 212 or [email protected]

Jewish News


“Stars of David: Story to Song” plays at the Nathan H. Wil-son Center for the Arts on Florida State College at Jacksonville’s South Campus Jan. 14 to 17 for four performances. Tickets are on sale now through the FSCJ Artist Series, sponsored by Chase.

Directed by Gordon Green-berg, “Stars of David” was conceived by Aaron Harnick with book by Abigail Pogrebin and Gordon Greenberg. Starring are Patti Gardner, Avi Hoffman, Cassie Levine and Mike Westrich.

This funny and captivat-ing new musical revue features original songs by the finest composers and lyricists of the theatre and celebrates the identity of some of the most well-known Jewish personalities, includ-ing Marilyn and Alan Bergman (award-winning lyricists of “The Windmills of your Mind,” “The Way We Were” and others), Andy Cohen (Bravo executive and host of “Watch What Happens

Live”), Gloria Steinem (author, feminist and activist), Kenneth Cole (fashion designer, activist), Fran Drescher (actress/come-dian, TV’s “The Nanny”), Edgar Bronfman Sr. (former CEO of Warner Music Group), Aaron Sorkin (TV/film writer, “The West Wing,” “The Social Net-work”), Leonard Nimoy (actor, “Star Trek”), Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Supreme Court justice), Joan Rivers (actress, comedian, host of “Fashion Police”), Tony Kushner (playwright, “Angels in America”) and Norman Lear (TV writer/producer, creator of “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons”), among others.

Tickets for “Stars of David” in Jacksonville are $42.50 and can be purchased at www.artistseries-jax.org, 904-442-2929, and the FSCJ Artist Series Box Office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more at 904-442-2947 or [email protected]. Parking is always free at the Wilson Center.

By The Artist Series

Dr. Scott D. Warren is pleased to announce that DR. JAMES S. TRIMBLE (son of retired Dr. James W. Trimble) has joined our staff at First Coast Mohs. Dr. Trimble is a third generation dermatologic surgeon.

Dr. Trimble attended medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. He completed his residency in Dermatology at The University of South Florida and went on to complete a fellowship in Mohs and Procedural Dermatology at Florida State University.

Dr. Trimble will be available to see patients for skin cancer screenings and surgery at our Belfort Oaks location, with plans for additional locations in the future. This will reduce wait times and provide our patients, both new and established, with more scheduling options. We welcome Dr. Trimble and look forward to continuing to provide our patients at First Coast Mohs the highest level of care.

FIRST COAST MOHSSKIN CANCER AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY CENTER

Scott D. Warren, M.D. • James S. Trimble, M.D.Lanai K.B. Cooksey, PA-C

6890 & 6867 Belfort Oaks Place • Jacksonville, FL 32216

904.296.1313

WOMEN’S/COMMUNITY NEWS

Charity Navigator has just named Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, no. 3 on their list for financial performance, accountability and transparency.

Charity Navigator, which helps inform intelligent giv-ing decisions through objective ratings and in-depth analysis of U.S. charities, based the top 10 list on a series of criteria that includes exceptional financial management, operational com-plexity, and global reach. The ten charities on the list were selected from more than 7,000 evaluated

by Charity Navigator in 2014. “Charitable givers should feel confident that these national institutions put their donations to good use,” a Charity Naviga-tor spokesperson posted on its website.

Hadassah supports, among other things, the Hadassah Medi-cal Center in Jerusalem. Its two locations, Mt. Scopus and in Ein Kerem, are flagship hospitals not only setting the standard for medicine in Israel, but making the world a better place through healing, teaching, and research. For over a century, Hadassah has extended its hand to all, regard-less of race, religion or gender.

People from all countries in the region turn to Hadassah for help and they are treated alongside patients from the Mediterranean Basin, Europe, South America and the United States.

The Jacksonville Chapter of Hadassah, which today is part of the Florida Central Region repre-senting 8,000 members, is proud to be one of the oldest chapters in the state, officially receiving its charter in 1925. Locally, we have over 1,000 members and associates. For more information about membership or ways you can help support Hadassah, con-tact Leah Ben-Yehuda, chapter president, at 904-543-8128.

By Jacksonville Hadassah

What: The Wolfson Chil-dren’s Challenge is a 55-km ultra-marathon event celebrating kids who receive care at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. You can be a part of the event by signing up as a sponsor, organizing a relay team, or by participating in the other runs. This year’s Wolfson Children’s Challenge features a 55-km Ultra Marathon comprised of 11 loops around a scenic course in the heart of Jacksonville; a 55-km Ultra Relay with 3.1-mile loops, perfect for corporations to sponsor a team; a new 30-km

Individual Run; and a 1-Mile Fun Run, an ideal race for kids.

Where: Fan Entertainment Zone at Everbank Field

When: Saturday, Jan. 31Who: The inspiration for the

Wolfson Children’s Challenge came from Paul Wilson, whose newborn son, Luke, received diffi-cult surgery within hours of birth. Paul hoped to raise $5,000 by running 55 miles. In four years, the event has raised more than $2 million toward the purchase of the 3 Tesla MRI.

How: To help, visit wolfson-childrenschallenge.org or call 904-202-2919.

By Wolfson Children’s Challenge

Let’s Go Science Show plays at the Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts on Florida State College at Jacksonville’s South Campus (11901 Beach Blvd.) on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. for two performances.

The wacky and talented Pro-fessor Smart and Dr. Knowitall join forces for an educational, entertaining, exciting, and expe-riential extravaganza. Professor Smart shrinks his head, has toilet paper flying, juggles, and has peoples’ hair standing on end, all while demonstrating prin-ciples of physics. Researcher and comedic sidekick Dr. Knowitall keeps the facts straight.

During Let’s Go Science Show, kids learn science con-cepts through impressive and memorable demonstrations. They learn about air pressure, figure out flight, see awesome optical

illusions, are shocked by static electricity, see experiments with falling masses, grasp gyroscopic properties, and get a handle on the scientific method.

Tickets for Let’s Go Science Show are on sale now through

the FSCJ Artist Series, spon-sored by Chase, the official presenter of the Jacksonville show. Tickets are $16.50 (and $9.00 for children 12 and under) at www.artistseriesjax.org and 904-442-2929.

By The Artist Series

Artist Series presents Let’s Go Science Show

Hadassah named outstanding charity

Wolfson Children’s Challenge features 55K ultra marathon

‘Stars of David: Story to Song’ comes to Jax

For the past three years Jewish Family & Community Services and NCSY Jax have worked in tandem to host multi-generational events that connect Holocaust survivors and their families with teens from our community. This Nov. 9, survivors and their fami-lies joined with NCSY Jax teens, as well as participants of Sandal-wood High School’s Holocaust studies elective, for the poignant and powerful Holocaust Media Showcase. The showcase intro-duced three short films, created and produced by local filmmak-ers, featuring the stories of Holo-caust survivors, their families and their legacies.

The films sought to elucidate the depth of survivor experiences by sharing a variety of voices. The first film, “Fred: Art as a Method of Healing,” was directed by Sarit Sandler, co-president of NCSY Jax and a film student at Douglas Anderson School of the

Arts. “Fred” detailed the story of a Holocaust survivor and refu-gee who found new meaning in life and the joys it has to offer through an undiscovered talent: pointillist painting. Interestingly, the next film, “Daughter of the Holocaust,” was introduced by the subject of the film, Irene Jaffa, and illuminated an oft-ignored aspect of the survivor experience — the struggles and triumphs that children of survi-vors face. Finally, Karen Katcher, an instructor at Fletcher High School, shared “Helena Zuber: Working with the Resistance,” the biographical account of a non-Jewish woman who risked her life to bring persecuted children to safety. Patrick Nolan, Sandal-wood High School’s Holocaust Studies teacher, acted as MC for the afternoon.

The program was led by Naomi Mirensky of the JFCS and Rabbi Shaya Hauptman, youth rabbi of Etz Chaim Synagogue and NCSY Jax chapter director. The event opened by offering

survivors and their families an opportunity to mingle and share their history with the teens pres-ent. Tables laden with pastries, fruit and other refreshments by Oren Gahanian’s Tomato Crush restaurant created the perfect setting. This intergenerational bonding allowed our future Jew-ish leadership to hear firsthand multitudes of courageous stories from those who lived through the unimaginable horror that was the Holocaust. The tales told were varied and valuable, and attest to the bravery that all survivors, no matter their experiences, possess. Through events like these that ca-ter to attendees of all generations, we can ensure that these stories are never forgotten.


WRJ TEMPLE SISTERHOOD PRESENTS “LET OUR PEOPLE GO”

MODERN SLAVERY: Human Traff icking in Our World Today

Slavery was abolished 150 years ago in the United States and yet there are more people in slavery worldwide today than at any other time in our history. Human trafficking is among the fastest growing criminal activities in the world - second only to drug trafficking - and it is a real threat to families, men, women and children here in North Florida.

Join us for a documentary and an in-depth conversation with a panel of local experts to learn what human trafficking is, who is vulnerable and what we can do to limit its reach in our community and beyond.

SisterhoodJacksonville

Sunday, February 8 at 1:00 PM • FREE & OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY Congregation Ahavath Chesed – 8727 San Jose Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32217

EDUCATION

By ELSIE PLATZERNCSY Jax

JFCS and NCSY host intergenerational Holocaust media showcase

NCSY Jax teens from left: Elsie Platzer, Leah Finegold and Manya Goldstein

Irene Jaffa presents her film with Patrick Nolan and Karen Katcher in the backgroundJFCS greeters’ table Sarit Sandler presents her film.


Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten has established itself as an educa-tional institution offering quality educational, extracurricular and Judaic programming for children in Jacksonville.

As part of the core curriculum, Michele Block Gan Yeladim of-fers a monthly swim course for its teddy bear and junior kindergarten children, ages 3 to 5.

The teddy bear and JK swim program is central to Michele Block Gan Yeladim’s efforts to promote aquatics safety awareness and physical education.

As part of the Discover CATCH program – designed to foster in stu-dents a love of physical activity and a fun, healthy lifestyle – the swim program at Michele Block Gan Yeladim provides monthly group instruction by the JCA’s American Red Cross certified water safety

instructors and takes place in the JCA’s heated indoor pool.

“Swimming is a life skill. The most important aspect of swimming education is to keep children in the water,” says Jessica Novotny, JCA’s aquatics manager.

Additionally, private swim

instruction is available, for a fee, to those who would like further instruction for their children.

To learn more about Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten, visit www.jcajax.org/ECE or contact us at 904-730-2100 ext. 235.

The Bernard and Alice Selevan Religious School was delighted to host an entire con-gregational school from Gaines-ville on Dec. 7. They celebrated Chanukah together and shared the Jacksonville Jewish Center’s new Judaism Through the Arts program with students in grades K-7.

Students from B’Nai Israel arrived by bus – along with their staff, rabbi, and several teens – in time for regular Sunday School classes. At noon many local students and their families stayed for a lunch and field day

activities. Members of the Cen-ter’s Kadima and USY were also invited to join the group; many teens have already connected with youth group members from Gainesville through regional conventions. Steven Resnick, Center youth director, worked with Lois Tompkins, principal of the Center Religious School, and Suzanne Chester, principal of the B’Nai Israel Religious School, to make it an enjoyable and educational event.

The students and staff made new friends, and they hope this is the beginning of a long-lasting relationship with these Florida community neighbors.

By Center Religious School

EDUCATION

April 19 kicks off an annual event so useful and awesome you do not want to miss it The Mommy Sale, hosted by The Galinsky Academy PTA, is a gi-gantic indoor yard sale of items for babies through 5 year olds. Clothes, strollers, swings, toys – if you need it for your little one, it’ll be there. Parents can rent a table for $25 and keep all the profits. There is a $1 admission

fee for shoppers. This is going to be the place to stock up on everything you’ll need for the next year, until we do it again. It’s also a smart place for grand-parents to shop if they want doubles of baby items to keep at their home for visits from the grandkids. Mark your calendars and don’t miss it: April 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Jackson-ville Jewish Center, 3662 Crown Point Road. For more informa-tion or to rent a table: www.facebook.com/themommysale.

By EMILY CARPENTERThe Galinsky Academy

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The community’s pre-kin-dergarteners and their families are cordially invited to come in pajamas for Shema Bedtime at the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School library on Jan. 22 at

6:30 p.m. In conjunction with PJ Library, Shema Bedtime is a fun way for families to meet new friends and enjoy a craft and storytime.

Space is limited. Please call 904-268-4200 ext. 147 to reserve a spot for your cutie.

By Martin J. Gottlieb Day School

By IMAN BYFIELDMichele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool

Block Gan offers swim lessons Religious School hosts special school visit

Mommy Sale is coming

PJ Library holds Shema Bedtime


EDUCATION

Family Music & Movement at The DuBow Preschool begins its winter session on Jan. 7 and runs for eight weeks. This is the perfect class if you’ve just had a baby and are ready to start slowly venturing out but still want that safety bubble. Many babies have started at 3-4 months old and love to feel the rhythms and interact with mommy (or loved one) and observe peers.

Hear what one mom had to say: “My daughter has been at-

tending Ms. Emily’s Music and Movement Class since she was 4 months old. Now, at almost 9 months old, she is able to choose her own instrument, laugh and dance to the music, and is even becoming familiar with the order of events in the class. I’m amazed! Ms. Emily is great about keeping the class moving along with lots of fun. We always look forward to our Wednesday morn-ings!” Brooke Z.

Come join the fun and make some friends.

For more information: www.familymusicandmovement.com.

The moms and tots of Shalom Baby joined a few new friends for our fi rst ever playgroup at the Bartram Trail Library in Julington Creek. We sang, danced, played, chatted and enjoyed Ms. Ilene

Schinasi, our PJ Library leader, as she read a new Chanukah book. We will be hitting the road several more times this year.

Come play with us in Jul-ington Creek and at the DuBow Preschool. Check the schedule at www.dubowpreschool.org or 904-268-4200 x143.

Winter is here, and this brings great science themes in our Dis-covery Studio. During December learning about Chanukah, making latkes and holiday crafts and prac-ticing for our annual Chanukah program kept us super busy.

We integrated a little Chanu-kah fun into our Discovery Studio science program. We talked about the Festival of Lights, and our lessons focused on light and where it comes from. We used sun art paper, a type of paper

that uses the sun’s light to make a picture. When the light hits the paper a reaction occurs and the paper will turn blue. Wherever there is a shadow or darkness, the paper will stay white. Our little scientists collected objects from our Discovery Studio and garden, then put them on their photo paper and set it out into the sunlight. Some of our students used shapes to create Chanukah symbols. It was a blast, and all of the kids enjoyed it. Next we talked about bees, beeswax, and making candles as we continued to have some Chanukah fun.

Observing and caring for an animal instills a sense of respon-sibility and respect for life. A pet brings increased sensitivity and awareness of the feelings and needs of others — both animals and humans. The children at the DuBow Preschool learn the Jewish value, tsar baalei chaim, helping animals and caring for their needs. The children learn that all living things need more than food and water for survival. Helping to take care of a pet gives children a sense of pride and accomplishment.

In our Discovery Studio we have a fi sh that the students help feed. We also have a new addi-tion to the room, a small gecko. We learned that the word for gecko in Hebrew is תיממש, and we thought giving him a name that resembled that would be a fun way to learn the word.

Our animal studies continued as we learned about Noah, then Rivka, and our farm-themed

study culminated with a visit from an amazing petting zoo. Rabbi Lubliner stopped by the onsite zoo to share a blessing for the animals.

Later in the spring we will observe and learn about the lifecycle of a caterpillar. We will hold a special releasing cer-emony. Hazzan Holzer will come to help us recite a blessing as we release the beautiful butterfl ies into the world. We will also hatch eggs. Last year we chose to hatch chicks; the year before, it was ducks and turkeys. Rabbi

Lubliner always holds a special chick or duck naming ceremony, and we learn about our Hebrew names.

Our Discovery Studio’s doors open up to our Children’s Garden. We have fall vegetables growing, and we are looking for-ward to the harvest. The Dubow Preschool science program is a perfect match for them. To learn more about what is living, grow-ing and what we are exploring visit our blog at http://discovery-studio.dubowpreschool.org, or come take a tour.

Winter break heralds many things for the Jewish educator. Among them is the mid-year check-ins with teachers to learn how their year is progressing. The best part for me was hearing how our teachers learn and our students teach.

Our TIR faculty is driven to bring creative interactions into their classrooms and to one another. I am energized by their willingness to share their personal Jewish journeys to teaching.

New this year is T’fi lah, a 30-minute worship experience each Sunday morning with all

grades, teachers, Madrichim (teen teachers) and parents. Teachers identifi ed this way of starting their teaching day as positive and inspiring. The musical instruction and stories provided by Rabbi Cohen and Rabbi Lief add depth and richness, and they prompt our teachers and song-leading teens to serve in these leadership capacities, too. These morning gatherings are where our B’nai Mitzvah implore the community to support their tzedek projects. T’fi lah engages us in song, prayer, interactive Torah study, and most importantly, an exploration of the Jewish values that are embedded in the worship service and guide our lives beyond the sanctuary.

When I asked teachers to iden-tify one thing that makes them proud and joyful to be associated with TIR, they unanimously cited T’fi lah. Our youngest teacher, herself a graduate of TIR, shared these sentiments: “I love watch-ing my students acquire the skills and positive feelings for being Jewish and for being with other Jews; I love seeing families worshipping together. I didn’t have this as a student and I wish I had.”

There is no learning like the kind one does when she knows she has to teach it, and like-wise, there is no higher praise of teaching than when a student wants to teach.

By NAOMI CHASETemple Religious School

By EMILY CARPENTERDuBow Preschol

By AMANDA WATSKYDuBow Preschol

By SHEREEN CANADYDuBow Preschool

By SHEREEN CANADYDuBow Preschool

Moo, moo, baa, baa: What’s roaming?

To teach is to learn and to learn is to teach

Shalom Baby travels to Julington Creek

Family Music offers fi rst class for parent and baby

Lighting it up at DuBow Preschool’s Discovery Studio


EDUCATION

Research shows that in a dual-language curriculum, like at DuBow Preschool and Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, students function above their peers in critical thinking, math, writing, and problem-solving. But we don’t just turn out better students, we turn out better people. Students leave our schools with a sense of responsibility, self-confidence, and the passion to reach for the spectacular...and attain it. Your child deserves a transformative Jewish education. Call 268-4200 ext.147 to tour our preschool or K-8.

Every child

DESERVES A JEWISH

EDUCATION.(Here’s why.)

For more information please visit us at mjgds.org and dubowpreschool.org

At the DuBow Preschool, we all enjoy celebrating Shabbat.

It is a very special time in our week in which we break slightly from our usual schedule and enjoy the rituals and traditions of Shabbat.

This is similar to the way many of our families use their Shabbat celebrations to break from their usual schedules and reconnect with their family, friends and Jewish identity.

All at the DuBow Preschool love the abundance of chal-lah and apple juice that Fridays

bring. We all have our favorite Shabbat song; and our little ones arrive dressed in their Shabbat best. Just as the concept of Shab-bat draws all Jews together as a community, the way we partici-pate as a whole preschool offers the children a larger sense of community.

The gathering offers a sense of continuity that builds on their knowledge of years past.

Our Shabbat celebrations are always lively.

Our toddlers are captivated by song, dance and storytelling that teach them blessings, holiday rituals, and even the stories and messages from the weekly Torah

portions. Our older classes be-

gin their weekly celebra-tion with a parade led by Hazzan Holzer, Morah Rachel and Morah Miri-am. The parade marches toward the chapel, where a musical program high-lights what they have learned about spreading the joy of Shabbat.

Family and friends are always welcome to join us.

We look forward to our Shabbat celebra-tions all week long, and getting the opportunity to share them with the people we love makes them even more special.

By AMANDA WATSKYDuBow Preschol

Celebrating Shabbat at the DuBow Preschool


Featuring over 1500 original works of art by more than 100 Israeli artists.

For more information, call 904-292-1000

Join us in supporting Israeli artists and Israel by visiting the show and purchasing

a unique work of art

Wednesday, January 21 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.Thursday, January 22 10:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Friday, January 23 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Saturday, January 24 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.Sunday, January 25 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Jacksonville Jewish Center Sisterhood

Israeli Festival of the ArtsArt Show and Sale

January 21 – January 25, 2015

3662 Crown Point Road, Jacksonville FL 32257Proudly presents


EDUCATION

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 - 7:30 PM

TICKETS: (904) 276-6815THcenter.orgLocated at St. Johns River State College283 College Drive, Orange Park, FL

Do you remember the fun of making a shoebox guitar? On Jan. 11, Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kinder-garten will host JPlay Musical Morning, in which families with young children come together to create musical instruments from recycled items.

“This is a great opportunity to show families how to have fun creating instruments and play-ing music while conserving and repurposing everyday household objects. You can make music with virtually anything, as long as it produces a sound — aluminum

cans, plastic bottles, dried beans, rice, sandpaper,” says Rochelle Golomb, Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool assistant director, noting that all the instru-ments made during J Play can be replicated at home.“It’s also a great activity for rainy days. We can’t wait to see the creative musical instrument designs that our families come up with and can’t wait to have fun playing our instruments together.”

JPlay Musical Morning takes place at 10:30 a.m. The fee per family, which includes breakfast, is $15 and $10 per family for JCA valued members. For more information, or to register, contact [email protected].

By MOLLY SWEETMichele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool

Michele Block Gan Yeladim hosts JPlay Musical Morning


Middle School students at Martin J. Gottlieb Day School traveled to Camp Ramah Darom recently for a four-day retreat en-gineered to build community and bond as a family. Traveling with their teachers and clergy mem-bers from the Jacksonville Jewish Center, the students hiked, zip

lined, and snow tubed in addition to bonding through prayers and campfire friendship circles.

Parents’ excitement about the annual retreat rivals that of the students. As sixth-grade parent Lara Werwa noted, “When your child ranks movement praying with their teacher as a tie for zip lining for best part of their experi-ence, you are one happy parent.”

By Martin J. Gottlieb Day School

EDUCATION

Please plan to join us for an exciting interactive learning and discussion program with profes-sors Stephen and Sylvia Cantor on Jan. 11 at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.

We will discuss the life and history of Abba Eban, foreign minister of Israel, ambassador of Israel to the United States, am-bassador of Israel to the United Nations, president of the Weiz-mann Institute and member of the Knesset.

For decades, Eban was Israel’s most well-known face and voice in the international community. We will also listen to some of his most memorable words. His eloquence and command of language projected a power unmatched by any diplomat in modern times.

The morning will begin with daily minyan at 8:30, followed by a complimentary breakfast and schmooze. The discussion program will run from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

By Jacksonville Jewish Center

Middle schoolers bond at camp retreat

Center hosts Abba Eban brunch and learn

SUPER SUNDAY

On Sunday, Feb. 1, Federation volunteers will contact hundreds of the members of our commu-nity as part of Super Sunday. We speak with more people that day than on any other day of the year. We need you to answer the phone and to consider giving even more than last year. Please take a look at the list below of our beneficiary agencies and recipients of funds from the regular campaign. We hope you will agree that a gift to the annual campaign makes a difference.

American Jewish Joint Distri-bution Committee is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization impacting millions of lives in more than 70 countries today. JDC leverages a century’s experience confront-ing poverty and crisis around the world to save the world’s poorest Jews, to revitalize Jewish life, empower Israel’s future, and to develop tomorrow’s Jewish leaders and rescue victims of global emer-gencies. www.jdc.org

The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Now the nation’s premier civil rights/hu-man relations agency, ADL fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for all. www.adl.org

B’Nai Tzedek Program encourages and educates Bar and Bat Mitvah-age youth in the joys of tzedakah.

ERUV of Jacksonville allows individuals and families choosing to observe Shabbat to have more access to and from synagogue.

Florida Government Affairs Commission is a Jewish com-munities lobbying organization in Tallahassee.

Hadassah, the Women’s

Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer organization that inspires a passion for and com-mitment to its partnership with the land and people of Israel. It enhances the health of people worldwide through its support of medical care and research at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem. Hadassah empow-ers its members and supporters, as well as youth in Israel and America through opportunities for personal growth, education, advocacy and Jewish continuity. www.hadassah.org

Interfaith Council of Jack-sonville brings together clergy and leaders from virtually every denomination in our city.

The Jewish Agency for Israel has been working to secure a vibrant Jewish future since 1929. JAFI was instrumental in found-ing and building the State of Israel and continues to serve as the main link between the Jewish state and Jewish communities everywhere. This global partner-ship has enabled JAFI to address the Jewish people’s greatest chal-lenges in every generation. www.jewishagency.org

Jewish Community Alliance is Jacksonville’s Jewish commu-nity center. The JCA strengthens Jewish life, serves as a common meeting ground and enhances the quality of life of the entire community. The JCA provides an unparalleled array of physical, recreational, educational, social and cultural programs for all ages in one conveniently located state-of-the-art facility. www.jcajax.org

The Jewish Commu-nity Foundation of Northeast Florida was established to secure legacy gifts for our community. Through the establishment of endowment funds, individuals and families will ensure their interests will be sustained for generations to come. The Foundation works

in collaboration with the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville and its family of agencies, Jewish day schools and local synagogues. www.jewishfoundationnefl.org

Jewish Education Loan Fund grants interest-free loans to Jewish students from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia for post-secondary study at accredited institutions. JELF’s loans are last dollar — they supply the final funds that a student needs to attend school. These loans can be used for study at a college or university, graduate school or pro-fessional/vocational school that leads to a degree or certificate. www.jelf.org

Jewish Family & Community Services is a social service agen-cy dedicated to helping people help themselves. JFCS serves the entire community through six core programs: child welfare, adoption, counseling, emergency financial assistance/food pantry, United Way’s Achievers for Life Dropout Prevention, and Jewish Services. Through the generos-ity of the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville, JFCS provides a number of services specifically for the Jewish community. Those include: support for children with special needs, meal delivery, affordable transportation, care management services and medical advocacy for seniors, financial assistance, Holocaust survivor services, and The Jewish Healing Network. www.jfcsjax.org

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs serves as the rep-resentative voice of the organized American Jewish community in addressing the principal mandate of the Jewish community relations field: to safeguard the rights of Jews here and around the world; to dedicate ourselves to the safety and security of Israel; and to protect, preserve and promote a

just American society. jewishpub-licaffairs.org.

Joan Levin Gift of Israel Program was established to encourage teens to visit Israel by providing them with a $700 sub-sidy toward an accredited travel program including youth group trips, Federation Family Missions, official synagogue missions, or trips arranged by organizations such as Hadassah/Young Judea and Birthright Israel. www.jewishjacksonville.org/israel/gift-of-israel

Martin J. Gottlieb Day School is the only K-8 Solomon Schechter Day school in North Florida. MJGDS offers a chal-lenging dual track of general and Judaic studies. In first grade, our students spend a significant por-tion of their day in Hebrew lan-guage immersion, and by eighth grade graduate with two high-school level foreign language credits. MJGDS is accredited by the Florida Council of Inde-pendent Schools and is affiliated with the National Association of Independent Schools and the National Junior Honor Society. Small class size ensures students receive individualized learning and opportunities for academic, social, and spiritual growth. www.mjgds.org

National Funding Council divides funds among Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Jewish Community Center Associa-tion, JESNA, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, National Conference on Soviet Jewry, National Federa-tion of Just Communities, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Na-tional Hillel

River Garden Senior Servic-es is a high-quality not-for-profit mission driven community agency sponsored by the organized Jacksonville Jewish community. Programs include a variety of senior services for short- and

long-term care including: skilled nursing and short stay rehabilita-tion, traditional long-term care, Alzheimer’s and memory care, adult day care, independent living apartments, geriatric assessment and case management, outpatient therapies, and licensed home care. www.rivergarden.org

Taglit-Birthright Israel strives to strengthen Jewish identity, Jewish communities and solidarity with Israel by providing a 10-day trip to Israel for young Jewish people. Since its inception in 1999, Taglit-Birthright Israel has sent over 400,000 Jewish young adults to Israel. They come from 66 countries, all 50 U.S. States and Canadian provinces, and from nearly 1,000 North American colleges and universi-ties. www.birthrightisrael.com

Torah Academy of Jackson-ville is North Florida’s Orthodox Jewish Day School for nursery through eighth grade, but Torah Academy is more than a school – it is a community and a family. To ensure excellence in academ-ics, Torah Academy offers small classes with personalized atten-tion from a dedicated faculty. Our engaging curriculum encompasses Judaic studies, math, science, language arts, science, history, art and physical education as well as providing opportunities for community service. Beyond the classroom, Torah Academy is always focused on the spiritual, emotional and social development of its students. www.torah-acade-my.com

UNF Jewish Students Union is a part of the interfaith com-munity at the University of North Florida. The organization is student run allowing for peer-to-peer relationships to develop with fellow Jewish students as well as a way to foster relationships with the Jacksonville Jewish commu-nity. www.unfjsu.com

Your Federation: Where the money goes


Sunday, Feb. 1, is Super Sunday, the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville’s annual phone-a-thon to raise funds for our Annual Campaign, which benefits our partnering agencies.

The 2015 Annual Campaign helps local and overseas partners including Jewish Community Alliance, Jewish Family & Com-munity Services, River Garden Senior Services, Martin J. Got-tlieb Day School, Torah Academy, Jewish Community Foundation of Northeast Florida, Jewish Agency for Israel and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

Please answer the call and give generously.

If you are not available on Su-per Sunday, please consider mak-ing your pledge online at www.jewishjacksonville.org, via phone or email by contacting the Federa-tion office. We look forward to a successful campaign. The stronger our campaign, the easier it is for our agencies to continue to offer quality programs in our commu-nity, in Israel and to Jews in the Diaspora. Super Sunday relies heavily on the volunteer efforts of those in the community. If you would like to volunteer to be a caller on Super Sunday please contact the Federation office at 904-448-5000.

This year you’ll really want to answer the call as Super Sunday gets a new twist. As part of the Jewish Federation of Jackson-ville’s ongoing goal to connect with more donors, those who have already made their gift to the Fed-eration’s 2015 annual campaign will receive a call of a different nature.

Volunteers, Agency and com-munity leaders, and recipients of Federation funds will be giving back with thank you calls.

When asked about the change, Federation Executive Director Alan Margolies explained, “It is so important to us that our donors feel appreciated. We as a Federa-tion appreciate their efforts as do all our partner agencies because every dollar changes lives. Every gift counts.”

Periodontics Laser & Im-plant Dentistry, Gary D. Perl-man DDS, PA, is the official sponsor of Super and Thank You Sunday 2015. Perlman is a past president of the Jewish

Federation of Jacksonville and continues to serve on its Board of Directors. By sponsoring Super and Thank You Sunday, it helps alleviate the expenses that go into running the day.

Over the years Perlman has volunteered his time to make calls to help raise funds on

Super Sunday. rGEN, the Young Adults

Division of the Jewish Fed-eration of Jacksonville, which runs the annual phone-a-thon, is thrilled that Perlman is the official sponsor, and we thank him for all continued support of Federation.

The JCA’s J Institute, in conjunction with the Jewish Federation of Jack-sonville and the Sisisky Family Foundation, is proud to welcome former IDF Lieutenant Colonel and academic expert in the areas of Israeli-Arabs and Islamic movements, Dr. Mordechai Kedar. Dr. Kedar joins us from Bar-Illan University in Israel and will address the current state of extremist Islamic sects and their use of mass media to gain validation, recruit followers and spread fear. This event is free and open to the entire community. Advance registration appreciated. For more information, contact Dorri Kraus at 730-2100 ext.239 or [email protected].

7-8:30 p.m.,Thursday, Feb. 5

By JEANINE HOFFrGEN Division Director



Answer the call

Super Sunday becomes Super and Thank You Sunday

Perlman sponsors Super and Thank You Sunday


Islamic Radicalism: Movements, Media and Manipulation

Please remember the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville and the Jewish community in your will and estate plans.

SUPER SUNDAYpage 15Jacksonville Jewish News • January 2015 www.jewishjacksonville.org

Super Sunday, Feb. 1

and our partners:

FEDERATIONJEWISHOF JACKSONVILLE presents

Super Thank YouSuper and Thank You Sunday is the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville’s annual phone-a-thon benefi tt ing our local

and overseas partner agencies. Please remember to answer the call and give generously.

Your support guarantees the continued success of these organizations and the Jewish community locally, in Israel and throughout the world.

This year we’ll give back by also thanking those who have already contributed to the 2015 campaign.

To be a volunteer caller, please visit - jewishjacksonville.org/rgenjax/super-sunday

Generously sponsored by:

Gen 2 for adult children of Holocaust survivors will meet at JFCS for its third session on Tuesday, Jan. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This writer’s workshop will help adult chil-dren of survivors tell their stories and/or their parent’s stories in a guided step-by-step format. The group is facilitated by Stacey Goldring, noted local author and discussion leader. Kosher lunch will be served. Pre-registration is required. For more informa-tion contact Naomi Mirensky at 904-394-5777 or [email protected].


JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES 2014 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $288,000

448-1933www.jfcsjax.org

JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICESNemours BrightStart reading program partners with Inclusion Program

To recognize Jewish Disability Month in February, JFCS’s Inclu-sion Program staff, Cindy Land and Lori Wayne, along with Laura Bailet, Ph.D., operational vice president of Nemours BrightStart! have teamed together to bring nationally renowned guest speaker Jonathan Mooney to Jacksonville. Mooney will address the topic of disabilities and its impact on children.

Diagnosed with dyslexia as a child, Mooney did not read until the age of 12. He will share his challenges on what it was like growing up dyslexic and the obstacles he overcame. Mooney graduated from Brown University and has written two books, “The Short Bus” and “Learning Outside the Lines.”

JFCS’s Inclusion Program fo-cuses on promoting acceptance and inclusion of children with special needs in the Jewish community.

The program provides the oppor-tunities for these children to fully participate in the richness of Jewish education, cultural, religious and social life. JFCS Coordinator Cindy Land works closely with children who are identified with disabilities. Counselor Lori Wayne consults with parents and teachers, and pro-vides community resource support and crisis intervention. She also provides individual and small group counseling to help with friendship skills, problem solving, and respect for self and others. Their individual work with students is short-term and solution-focused to help meet students’ social, emotional and behavioral goals.

Nemours BrightStart! is a pro-gram dedicated to the prevention of reading failure in young chil-dren. Begun in 2005, BrightStart! is a manifestation of Nemours’ understanding that child health and learning are inextricably linked, and that reading failure is a major child health issue. The BrightStart! approach is to identify and teach young children; and research and evaluate the progress. BrightStart! also includes early childhood programs, community outreach, parent engagement, policy and advocacy, and reading readiness toolkits for pediatric healthcare providers. To date, over 70,000 young children and families have been reached nationally by Bright-Start!.

Join JFCS, BrightStart! and Jonathan Mooney for this informative presentation at the Jacksonville Jewish Center. Call Cindy Land at 904-394-5760 or email her at [email protected] for information.

By Jewish Family & Community Services

A partnership between JFCS and Alpert Jewish Family and Children Services in West Palm Beach enables JFCS to offer up to 25 hours per week of homecare services to Holocaust survivors living in the greater Jacksonville area.

These services are paid through funds from the Claims Conference and include light housekeeping, medication management, assistance with

bathing, meal preparation, er-rands, etc.

Financial assistance is avail-able in obtaining a one-time payment from the German government for child survivors (born after Jan. 1, 1928) who were in concentration camps or ghettos for at least six months (or 12 months in Nazi Axis countries) under Nazi occupa-tion, in hiding or under false identity. Please call Naomi Mirensky at 904-394-5777 for more information.



Homecare, financial services available to survivors

Stacey Goldring

Learning your love languages was the theme for this year’s women’s event, and what an evening it was! Held in the courtyard at the Aloft Hotel in Tapestry Park, women of all ages came together to meet, share and enjoy a special time with one another.

The women’s event was chaired by Andrea Mail and Tammy Shumer. Their enthusi-asm and tenacity through social media resulted in an overwhelm-ing response in attendance. Approximately 130 guests

shared their love languages by the kinds of love they give and receive. Do you relate to some-

one by words of affirmation? Giving quality time? Or pos-sibly by acts of service, physical touch, or receiving gifts?

Ilene Schinasi, volunteer coordinator, then asked guests to consider using their love languages in a volunteer capac-ity at JFCS. Opportunities include working in the Food Pantry, holding a baby, visiting a senior, even office support. For more information, call Ilene at 904-394-5724 or [email protected].


Ameris Bank at St. Johns Town Center conducted a food drive in October and collected items for the food pantry. They also requested that JFCS keep track of the number of items donated in October to use as a match. Meredith Porter and Jill Hensley at Ameris were very pleased about the growing mound of non-perishable food

that was accumulating in their lobby.

The only thing they asked is that JFCS pick up the food when the food drive was completed. At the end of October Ameris called to say at least two SUVs were needed – they had too much stuff to fit into one car. The SUVs were loaded to the gunwales with canned veggies and fruit, tuna, soups and sauces, cereal, crackers, rice, pasta, baby food, snacks and personal care items.

By SUZANNE ZIMMERMANJewish Family & Community Services

Phone: 904-733-5022Fax: 904-733-5024www.sjbah.com

Our Mission: To provide the best in veterinary care in a compassionate and caring manner.

Dwight M. Nash, DVMGrant E. McMillian, DVMBrooke Davis, DVM

9319 SAN JOSE BLVD. JACKSONVILLE, FL 32257

Over 75 Holocaust survivors, family members and Martin J Got-tlieb Day School middle school students attended the Holocaust family gatherings Chanukah party on Dec. 14 at the Marriott South-point. The event was co-sponsored

by JFCS and MJGDS.The program featured lively

music by Kol Train and a festive latke buffet catered by Classic Kosher Catering. Afterward, survi-vors and their guests enjoyed a sumptuous dessert buffet made by MJGDS students. Recipes were taken from the upcoming cook-

book, “A Spoonful of Memories- Holocaust Survivor Cookbook,” which will be available soon.

For information about future Holocaust family gatherings please call or e-mail Naomi Mirensky at 904-394-5777 or [email protected] for more information.


Holocaust survivors attend family gatherings Chanukah party

Gen 2 meets Jan. 20

Ameris Bank fills SUVs with food donations

JFCS women’s event featured love languages

Jacksonville

Grow your businessAdvertise in the Jewish News. Call 448-5000 x 212.

Jewish News

The Jacksonville Jewish Film festival, sponsored by the JCA, was held Nov. 15 through 19, with a compelling collection of films and events. The festival, chaired by Lisa Ansbacher, drew hundreds of attendees to film showings and presentations that touched on all aspects of the Jewish experience, from those inspired by history to the funny and imaginative.

“This year’s Jacksonville Jewish Film Festival was just an-other example of the JCA bring-ing culture, art and a worldly perspective to the Jacksonville community,” remarks Thelma Nied, cultural arts director at the JCA.

The festival opened at the Hicks Auditorium of the down-town Main Library branch with the film, “Hunting Elephants,” a satirical revenge comedy, starring a superb cast including Star Trek veteran, Sir Patrick Stewart. The opening night also featured a Skype chat with the director of the film, Reshef Levi,

following the feature.On Sunday, Nov. 16, festival

goers were treated to a continen-tal breakfast with Eric Goldman, a noted educator and lecturer on Yiddish, Israeli and Jewish film. Goldman led a thought-ful discussion of iconic Jewish film directors, including Woody Allen, The Coen Brothers, Mel Brooks, Steven Spielberg,

and Judd Apatow. Sunday also featured two films inspired by actual events, “Disobedience: The Sousa Mendes Story and Af-termath.” After “Disobedience,” speaker Robert Jacobvitz, of the Sousa Mendes Foundation, shed light on little known World War II hero, Aristides de Sousa Mendes. Later, Mike Reiss, a longtime writer and producer of “The Simpsons,” kept the audi-ence laughing with his hilarious presentation, Jews in Toons.

The remainder of the festival brought enthusiastic crowds to the showings of the films “Beth-lehem, The World is Funny,” and “The Jewish Cardinal,” Nov. 17 through 19.

The JCA thanks the commit-tee for working hard to make this year’s festival a success and all who attended this year’s Jacksonville Jewish Film Festi-val. The JCA looks forward to future events and more op-portunities to bring exceptional cultural arts programming to Jacksonville.


For more information or to register for programs at the JCA, call 904-730-2100 or visit www.jcajax.org.

Vandroff Art GalleryThe gallery will show the

photographs of Mark Sablow until Jan. 7. Professor Sablow earned a BFA from Jacksonville Univer-sity and an MFA in photography from Savannah College of Art and Design. He has exhibited his pho-tographs throughout the United States, as well as in England, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Two of his former students will also be exhibiting their photographs in this show.

JCA Film Series Screen legends Barbra Strei-

sand and Robert Redford make movie magic as the captivating star-crossed lovers Katie Morosky and Hubbell Gardiner in “The Way We Were.” This event is on Sunday, Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. and is free to the community.

Vandroff Art GalleryFrom Jan. 9 to Feb. 4, the

gallery will show the paintings of Susanne Schuenke. Her canvas is a blank tablet, and her brush pens

the narrative to the human condi-tions of passion, greed, suffering and salvation. Her art is visually captivating, enticing the observer on a long journey to intellectually challenging horizons. The opening for this exhibit is Monday, Jan. 12, 6 to 8 p.m.

Young Concert Artists Series

Pianist Yun-Chin Zhou is a winner of the 2013 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. He studies with Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald at the Juilliard School. This event is on Sunday, Jan. 11, at 3 p.m. and is free to the community.

Lacrosse 101This introductory lacrosse

clinic for boys and girls, ages 7-12, will teach the fundamentals of LAX using a variety of drills. This clinic meets on Tuesdays, 5-6 p.m. The first session is Jan. 13 to Feb. 17. The fee for this clinic is $90 and $60 for JCA valued members.

Youth tennisIntroduce your child to the fun

of tennis with one of our youth

tennis clinics. The following ten-nis programs are ongoing: Pee Wee Quick Start, Juniors Quick Start, Junior Varsity Tennis Clinic and Varsity Tennis Clinic. Contact Reggie Exum at 904-730-2100 ext. 317 for more information.

JCA American Red Cross learn to swim

The JCA now offers monthly instructional swim programs designed by the American Red Cross. All of our instructors are certified through the American Red Cross as water safety instruc-tors. The following programs are available from Jan. 4-29: Parent and Me, JCA Mini Makos, Little Makos and Junior Makos. For more information, contact Jessica Novotny at [email protected].

JCA Red Cross certifications

The JCA offers Red Cross CPR certification and certified lifeguard training. The fee for Community CPR/First Aid/AED is $98 and $65 for JCA valued members; CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer is $105 and $70 for JCA valued members; certified life-guard training is $285 and $190

for JCA valued members. For more information, please contact the Aquatics Department at ext. 240.

Adult tennis clinicsJoin the JCA for these ongoing

tennis programs: Cardio Tennis (16+), Tennis 101 (18+), 3.0-3.5 Men’s Clinic (18+), and Ladies’ Teams (18+). Please contact Reg-gie Exum at 904-730-2100 ext. 317 for more information.

JV Makos Swim TeamThis program is for children

interested in swim team who are able to put their faces in the water as well as swim half the pool length unassisted. Students will practice swim team skills, build endurance and learn new strokes. This program is for ages 4 to 6 and is held on Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:30-2:15 p.m. The January dates for this program are Jan. 4-29. The fee is $82 and $55 for JCA valued members.

School year Makos Swim Team

This team will introduce competitive swimming and help prepare children for the upcoming

competitive summer league. Reg-ister for one day (Sunday), two days (select any two days Monday through Thursday) or four days (Monday through Thursday). This program is for children ages 5 to 18. Contact Jessica Novotny at [email protected] for more information.

Refresh and refurbishJoin us as we welcome

HGTV’s “Flipping the Block” stars, Whitney and John Spinks, as they show you how to refresh and refurbish your home with small changes that make a big differ-ence. This event is on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 7 - 8:30 p.m. The fee for this program is $8 and $5 for JCA valued members. Registration required by Jan. 9.

JEWISH COMMUNITY ALLIANCE 2014 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $205,000

904.730.2100wwwjcajax.org

JCA happenings

JEWISH COMMUNITY ALLIANCEFundraiser forecast: warm with 100% chance of delicious food, tropical drinks and fun

JCA’s Jewish Film festival draws remarkable attendance

Imagine the cheerful roll of steel drums, the crash of cool waves in the Caribbean and the pristine, sandy beaches of the Bahamas. These images capture the spirit of the fabulous evening planned for the upcoming JCA fundraiser, to be held on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m. You will not want to miss it.

Event chairs Pat and Ben Frisch, and Mary and Jeff Ed-wards will transport guests of the JCA’s annual fundraiser to the Caribbean. The event will include a big ticket raffle offering the opportunity to win exclusive vacation packages for two in the Bahamas.

“The Cove,” which is part of the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, has gener-ously donated a four-day, three-night stay for two. Coach airfare and $1,000 spending money is also part of this raffle package.

The Baha Mar, a new premier resort set to open this spring in Nassau, Bahamas, has donated a four-day, three-night stay for two. Also included is coach airfare and $1,000 spending money.

Rounding out the raffle is a private, Caribbean-themed poker party for up to 60 guests, includ-ing appetizers and drinks, courtesy of bestbet - Jacksonville & Orange Park. The raffle winner will also receive a bestbet trophy and din-ner certificate for $100. All poker party guests will receive a bestbet duffle bag filled with swag items. This lucky winner will have the opportunity to bring the spirit of the Caribbean to Jacksonville, even after the JCA’s event is over.

Raffle tickets are on sale from members of the event planning committee, at the JCA registrar and by visiting www.jcajax.org. The suggested contribution for raffle tickets is $50 each, or three for $125, and proceeds from raffle ticket sales will directly benefit the Jewish Community Alliance.

Sponsorships, event ticket sales and raffle ticket sales are crucial to the success of this event. Tickets are $100 per person to attend the event and are available for purchase at www.jcajax.org. For more information regarding tickets or sponsorship opportuni-ties for the event, please contact Lior Spring at 904-730-2100 ext. 318 or [email protected].


By IMAN BYFIELDJewish Community Alliance


RIVER GARDEN 2014 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $192,000

RIVER GARDEN SENIOR SERVICES


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If the lyrics, “Do the dance sensation that’s sweepin’ the na-tion at the hop,” bring back fun memories, then plan on attend-ing Temple Bet Yam’s sock hop fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 17, 7 to 10 p.m.

DJ Tom Stoiber is sure to play many favorites from the music

of the 50s, including Danny and the Juniors, the 60s and the 70s. “Where the jockey is the smooth-est and the music is the coolest … at the hop!” Light refreshments will be served.

Cost is $20. For reservations contact Andi Marx at 904-460-9569 or [email protected]; or Terre Wallach at 904-826-0281 or [email protected].

By Temple Bet Yam

Etz Chaim Synagogue is hon-ored to host Rabbi Paysach Krohn as its scholar in residence for its annual Shabbaton on Feb. 20-21. Krohn is a world-renowned speaker who has electrifi ed audi-ences all over the world with his powerful presentations. He mas-terfully weaves beautiful stories with inspirational ideas to drive home relevant, timeless messages

for Jews around the world. He has lectured in many metropoli-tan cities around the world from Jerusalem to Johannesburg and Antwerp to Arosa.

Krohn will speak multiple times over Shabbos. There is no charge to attend any lectures or presentations. The event is open to the Jewish community.

For more information, please visit etzchaim.org or call 904-262-3565.

By Etz Chaim Synagogue

The community is invited to learn with Rabbi Matt Cohen, associate rabbi at The Temple, when he presents a three-part series focused on prayer. He will lead an exploration and examination of the concepts of prayer as supported by Jewish tradition. Join us at The Temple on Tuesdays, Jan. 6, 13 and 20 at 7 p.m.

“I turn to prayer in gratitude for the blessings in my life,

for strength and direction to be the blessing for others, and for comfort in my most diffi cult moments. I want to help others feel competent praying so they might make the most of their meeting with God,” explains Cohen. In this program Co-hen will review the history of prayer, how it has been passed down in a seemingly unbroken chain of tradition. In the third session, the group will delve into the themes of the daily Amidah to make prayer experi-

ences more accessible in our lives.

On Thursday, Jan. 28, Cohen will lead a refl ective and uplift-ing morning spiritual experience beginning at 7:30 a.m. in the chapel at The Temple. “While participation in the earlier learning is not a prerequisite for joining in the morning wor-ship experience, I hope you will come to both with an open mind to learn and to experience worship in an interactive way,” encourages Cohen.

By Congregation Ahavath Chesed

The SoShul Network invites all 20- and 30-somethings of the Jacksonville Jewish Center to a Sip and See event on Thurs-day, Jan. 22, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Center. Join friends

for tea, coffee and sweet treats while browsing a mix of beauti-ful artwork at the Sisterhood’s Israeli Art Show. Cost to attend is $5, and you will have the oppor-tunity to purchase your favorite pieces. Please email [email protected] for more


College is an academic adventure and so much more. How does Judaism impact the decision-making process? What are the questions we ought to be asking our children, our-selves and the college admis-sion team? How do we affi rm what we heard during the col-lege tour?

Rabbi Joshua Lief, senior rabbi at The Temple, will discuss these questions with

parents of college-bound stu-dents on Thursday, Jan. 8, at the home of Jill and Mike Abel, at 7 p.m. While the entire com-munity is welcome to attend, a reservation is required due to space considerations. [email protected].

With anti-Zionism running rampant on many campuses – presenting new challenges to students and parents – the pres-sures of college social life, the opportunity for independence, and the transition to college

can be a challenge. We have the responsibility and the oppor-tunity to prepare our children for what they may encounter and to teach them appropriate responses in their new environ-ment. “If we want our children to grow up to be adult Jews, we should support them in making meaningful choices for their own lives,” Lief explains. “Col-lege is a major opportunity for them to spread their wings; we should remind them that they don’t have to fl y alone.”


In Israel Tu b’Shevat marks the beginning of spring and the start of the rains that support and sustain life in the desert. School children celebrate the holiday by planting trees which are often provided by Jews living abroad through contribu-tions to the Jewish National Fund.

For Jews outside of Israel, the New Year of Trees is also a chance to connect with God, both in nature and within our-selves.

On Feb. 6 the Temple will

host its annual Tu b’Shevat Seder at 6 p.m. All are welcome to attend. Our teen youth group, JAFTY, will assist Senior Rabbi Joshua Lief in leading par-ticipants through this inspiring evening. RSVP at [email protected] or call the offi ce at 904-733-7078.

Modeled after the Passover Seder, the Tu b’Shevat Seder includes the drinking of four cups of wine, and readings on trees and fruit from a range of Jewish sources.

“The Tu b’Shevat Seder is an amazing opportunity to connect with our faith in diverse ways,”

Lief explains. “We celebrate Judaism’s appreciation of our natural world, reconnect with mystical spirituality, plant trees, build bridges with Israel, sing festive songs and share exotic fruits and nuts with our friends, families and fellow congre-gants.”

“It is a special joy to brighten up our winter with thoughts of spring just around the corner,” Lief said. “So, too, the unique experience of our Temple Tu b’Shevat Seder brightens our spirits through fellowship, forestry and food. We invite you to join us.”


Andrea Hernandez, a language arts teacher at Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, recently presented at edJEWcon, a national confer-ence for Jewish educators, in Cleveland. The presentation, Learning is Messy, sets out a student-centered, rather than instructor-centered, teaching style in which children learn through dialogue with their teacher rather than the traditional model of the teacher imparting information to

the students.Attendees were most im-

pressed by student blogfolios, in which students take ownership of tracking their learning and progress, as well as student-led conferences, in which students lead their parent-teacher confer-ences beginning in grade 4.

In those conferences, kids outline for their parents what their goals were for the grading period, whether they met those goals, and what their strategy will be for improvement.


Temple presents meeting with God series

Preparing for college Jewishly

Temple hosts annual Tu b’Shevat Seder

Temple Bet Yam holds sock hop

Etz Chaim announces scholar in residence

SoShul Networks hosts Sip and See on Jan. 22

Teacher presents at national conference

Try us onlineHave you been separated from your print copy of the Jacksonville Jewish News? Do you need your Jewish News now? Try reading the Jewish News online. Go to jewishjacksonville.org/news and follow the link.

You can also fi nd us on Twitter @jaxjewish and on Facebook at facebook.com/jaxjewish.

Jacksonville

Jewish News


Do you want to help out at a food pantry? Mentor a child? Help an adult learn to read? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then chances are you’re a Caregiver. You belong with us.

With Federation you can do incredible things. Change people’s lives. Make an impact in ways you never even dreamed of. And more.

NO MATTER WHAT TYPE YOU ARE, YOU’LL BE AMAZED BY WHAT YOU CAN DO THROUGH FEDERATION.

Not a Caregiver? Find yourself today at www.jewishjacksonville.org

WHAT KIND OF JEW ARE YOU? FEDERATIONJEWISH

OF JACKSONVILLE

FEDERATION NEWS


B’nai MitzvahJamie Alexis Bielski, daugh-

ter of David and Carrie Bielski, will be called to the Torah on the occasion of her Bat Mitzvah on Jan. 17, 2015, at the Jackson-ville Jewish Center.

Shar-ing in the simcha will be her sister Allie, 10; grandparents Abe and Shirley Bielski of Jacksonville and Ar-thur and Kay Gomberg of Coral Springs; as well as many other friends and family from Sweden to South Florida.

Jamie is a seventh grade hon-ors student at Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, where she serves as president of the student council. In addition, she also serves as vice president of her youth group, Kadima. She enjoys dancing and loves spending time with her friends.

Morgan Rachel Bruman, daughter of Michael and Lori Bruman, will be called to the Torah on the occa-sion of her Bat Mitzvah on Jan. 24, 2015, at Congrega-tion Ahavath Chesed. Sharing in the simcha will be her sister Paige, 15; grandparents Karen Shenman and Martin Foster of New Jersey; and many other friends and family.

Morgan is in seventh grade at Fruit Cove Middle School, where she is an honor roll student. Mor-gan is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, where she regularly volunteers her time helping teachers after school.

She enjoys playing softball and hanging out with friends. For her mitzvah project, Morgan is collecting used sports equipment and donating it to needy youth in St. Johns County.

Jake Allen Gould, son of Nai-da and Christopher Gould, will be called to the Torah on the oc-casion of his Bar Mitzvah on Jan. 10, 2015, at Chabad of Northeast Florida.

Sharing in his sim-cha will be his sisters, Lucy, Kagan and Reba Gould. His maternal grandparents are Jo-Ann and Alan Kagan of Jacksonville. His paternal grand-parents are Diane and Richard Gould of Palm Coast. Many other family members and friends will join him from New York, Missis-sippi, North Carolina, and South Florida.

Jake is an eighth grade student at Martin J. Gottlieb Day School. He enjoys spending his summers at Camp Ramah Darom. He is an active member of Kadima, NCSY and Boy Scouts. His hobbies in-clude studying Torah, playing on his laptop, traveling and hanging out with friends.

WeddingSusan Diana Teitelman and

Gabriel Rossall Arab were mar-ried Nov. 8, 2014, in Ponte Vedra Beach by Cantor Jesse Holzer with many friends and family in attendance. Benjamin Arab served as best man and Jeanine Rogozinski as matron of honor. The signing of the Ketubah was witnessed by Dr. Chaim Rogoz-inski and Leah Seymour. Follow-ing a honeymoon in New York City and The Bahamas the couple will live in Jacksonville Beach. The bride’s parents are Barbara

Teitelman and Mervyn Teitelman, of blessed memory. The groom’s parents are Chris and Lou Arab.

Sympathy… to the family of Richard

Bell who died Dec. 15, 2014. He is survived by his wife Norma, son Brian (Robyn) Bell, grand-children Madyson and Levi, and many members of his extended family. Contributions may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the fund of your choice at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.

… to the family of Audrey Chenkin who died Nov. 28, 2014. She is survived by her children Helen (John) Hill and Richard (Paula) Chenkin; grand-children David Strait, Jeffrey (Jessica) Strait, Danielle Chen-kin, Teresa (Tony) Phillips, Todd Chenkin, and Steven Barber; and 11 great-grandchildren. Con-tributions may be made to the Jacksonville Jewish Center, the Jewish National Fund or Hadas-sah.

… to the family of Dorothy Cohen who died Dec. 1, 2014. She is survived by children Jerry (Sherry) Cohen, Peggy (Ken) Or-ganes, and Karen (Todd) Morse; grandchildren Tavi (Grant) McLeod, Michael (Michele) Cohen, Marsha Cohen, Rachel (Will) Kenneth, David Organes, and Ben, Maci and Trudy Morse; and four great-grandchildren. Contributions may be made to the fund of your choice at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.

… to the family of Joel Selber who died Dec. 1, 2014. He is survived by children Robin (Jim) Yates and Blair (Evelyn) Selber; sister Ina (Alan) Taffet; two grandchildren, Paige and Mela-nie Selber; and many extended family members in our commu-nity. Contributions may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the American Cancer Society.

LIFECYCLES/FOUNDATION NEWS

BUSINESS CARD DIRECTORY


Diane RodgersCommunications Director904.448.5000 [email protected]

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EVENTContinued from p. 1

HUMANContinued from p. 1

services.”The Major Gifts Event brings

together donors to the Jewish Fed-

eration’s annual campaign whose minimum gifts of $5,000 account for more than 80 percent of the total donations achieved each year.

For information on the Major Gifts Event, please call Alan Mar-golies at 904-448-5000, ext. 207.

instances of modern-day slavery, while Florida ranks third in the nation.

Look at the accompanying map and consider where you live in relation to the circles and squares. Those icons represent places in our city where human trafficking

cases have been investigated. Are you surprised by the proximity to Mandarin, the Beaches or St. Johns Town Center?

The WRJ Temple Sisterhood will present: Let Our People Go – Modern Slavery: Human Trafficking in Our World Today at 1 p.m. Feb. 8 at Congregation Ahavath Chesed. Co-sponsors are Artworks for Freedom, Beth El the Beaches Synagogue Sister-

hood, The Freed Firm, Jack-sonville Hadassah, Jacksonville Jewish Center Sisterhood, Jewish Family & Community Services and Jewish Federation of Jackson-ville. Slavery is in our midst and it relies and thrives on our lack of information on the one hand and apathy on the other. Come and learn from our panel of experts. This event is free and open to the community.

Thanksgiving at my son and daughter-in-law’s was outstanding. The food was

plentiful and non-stop, and spend-ing time with family is always wonderful. Now as we approach Cha-nukah and look toward the new year, it seems as though the next four weeks will be focused on cel-ebrating and eating a lot more food.

In Hebrew, Kemah, means flour, but flour can also mean sustenance. In the Mishnah, Pirke Avot, it reads, “If there is no flour (sustenance) there is no Torah and if there is no Torah there is no flour.” Torah is a source of wisdom for the Jewish people. It has sustained culture, laws and the Jewish people.

Can a Shabbat or Yom Tov meal be complete without freshly baked challah? And for those who bake their own challah, there is a great deal of pride in knead-ing flour into a creation in which everyone will enjoy and partake. And if the challah recipe has been passed on from one genera-tion to the next, the result is even sweeter.

Sustainability is a key word in our jargon today. Foundations like the Jewish Community Founda-tion of Northeast Florida have been here and will be here in the future to sustain our commu-nity’s programs and services. Our local Jewish Family & Commu-nity Services food pantry served 77,000 meals last year, feeding close to 9,000 people, yet 1 out of 5 individuals go to bed hungry in Duval County. Much of that is nonperishable food but dairy products and other perishables such as fruits and vegetables need to be fresh. So food cards are

provided to the families so they may purchase these items. JFCS provides many other programs and services that sustain individu-als and families.

Hunger isn’t a phenomenon that only happens in faraway countries. Hunger affects people living in impoverished condi-tions in every community around the globe. Here in Jacksonville your neighbor may be a recipi-ent of food from the JFCS food pantry due to unemployment, or unexpected medical or pharmacy expenses.

The fact is that food is some-thing that will always be needed. People in the community feel good about donating their non-perishables to JFCS on a regular basis. But to sustain the JFCS food pantry, like so many other worthwhile programs in the com-munity, an endowment fund at the Foundation earmarked for that purpose would provide ongoing income for this program and will make it sustainable for the hungry today and tomorrow.

Our JFCS food pantry is a lifeline for families, and the need has increased. While you and I may look forward to a holiday season, it is at the holiday season when the JFCS food pantry is the busiest as school-age children are on school vacation. At school these children may be fed three meals a day. Sadly, at home, these families don’t know how they are going to feed the kids.

By establishing an endowment fund before year end for the JFCS food pantry with appreciated assets such as stock or mutual funds or cash, you will provide sustenance for those who need it. So that next holiday season, abundant food and even warm delicious challah will be on their tables. For more information please call me – 904-394-0720 – so we can explore this and other possibilities. On behalf of the Foundation Board of Trustees and Mark Green, president, I would like to wish you a happy Chanu-kah and happy New Year.

By JEFF KLEINJewish Community Foundation

Jeff Klein

Keep the food coming


Informational MeetingSunday, January 11Home of Iris and Mark Kraemer4 p.m.

Come learn more about an amazing summer experience.Open to all rising high school students.

For information contact Jill Abel at [email protected].

Tikkun Olam teen travel

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It is symphony season at Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten and students are learning all about the orchestra this month.

For two weeks in Jan-uary, chamber ensembles from the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra will visit students for three educational, in-house concerts as part of an ongoing partnership between Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten and the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.

In preparation for the visits, students have been studying music and the instruments of the orchestra.

The halls of Michele Block Gan Yeladim dis-play full-sized diagrams of trombones and double basses, while each classroom is decorated with colorful pictures of oboes and violins.

“Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool’s partnership with the Jacksonville Symphony provides students with a rare opportunity to have face-to-face interactions with world-class musi-cians. It’s so much more memorable for the chil-dren to hear a real cello than to only ever hear

it on a recording,” says Rochelle Golomb, assis-tant director of Michele Block Gan Yeladim.

“Having the sym-phony ensembles visit is a unique experience for our students and per-haps will inspire some of them to pursue the study of music, or at the very least, appreciate a rich musical tradition that needs future gen-erations to support it. At Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool, we feel like it’s important that we give our students the opportunity to have this exposure to the fine arts,” Golomb affirms.

The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra ensembles perform for the junior kindergarten and kindergarten classes on Jan. 13, 20 and 22.

The Discovery Seminar, which will take place at Etz Chaim Synagogue on Sunday, Feb. 8, will be from 9:30 a.m. to noon. We are honored to have as our guest lecturer Rabbi Yaakov Salomon, noted psychotherapist in a private practice in Brooklyn, N.Y., for over 30 years. Salomon’s speak-ing, writing and musical talents have delighted audiences from Harvard to Broadway and every-thing in between.

More than 200,000 people worldwide have attended the Dis-covery Seminars, including guest hosts Ed Asner, Kirk Douglas, Elliott Gould, Joel Grey and Jason Alexander. The seminar begins by inviting participants to challenge Judaism’s cen-tral principles through a novel process called Failsafe. Based on analytical techniques used by the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, the chain of discussions draws audiences into an intellec-tual means of testing the rational basis for belief in Judaism; and answers the questions such as,

By Etz Chaim Synagogue

Rabbi Yaakov Salomon

“Why be Jewish?” “Does God exist?” and “Is Torah true?”

The event is co-sponsored by Etz Chaim Synagogue, and the Lawrence and Kathy Kanter fam-ily. The Discovery Seminar will challenge and engage the spirit with topics that include: I believe in God, now what; the seven won-ders of Jewish history; and what really happened at Mt. Sinai.

For more information or to register please visit etzchaim.org or contact Rabbi Avi Feigenbaum at [email protected].

EDUCATION/SYNAGOGUE NEWS

Center Sisterhood is proud to announce this year’s Horty T Gendzier Woman of Achievement award will be presented to Robin Morris.

Robin has been a strong sup-porter of the Torah Fund Cam-paign and a leader within the Cen-ter Sisterhood for over 30 years.

Robin exemplifies the goal of the Torah Fund Campaign; Women Ensuring the Future of Jewish Education in her role as an educa-tor at the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School. While wearing her Morah Rachel hat, she has been teaching at the Center for over 37 years. In addition, she attended Ivriyon at JTS – an in-house intensive program for non-Israeli Hebrew teachers from around the world.

Center Sisterhood will pres-ent Morris with the award at this year’s Torah Fund Event on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 7:30 p.m. The evening features New York

University’s a cappella group, and includes dessert and drinks for $18 per person or $36 per family. RSVP to www.jjcsisterhood.com/rsvp.

For more information about the Torah Fund Campaign and how it supports the seminaries of the Conservative Movement, visit www.jtsa.edu/_Support_JTS/To-rah_Fund.

An Israeli Mossad operative working undercover in Iraqi Kurdistan is caught in an explo-sion during a cross-border raid on Kurdish rebels by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp. Knocked unconscious, he wakes to find he has no memory of who he is, or why he is there. Is his mind playing tricks on him, or are they memories of a previous life?

This is the premise of “True Identity,” the new novel by local author and member of Congre-gation Ahavath Chesed (The Temple), Sam Griswold.

“There is a long, but relatively unknown tradition of reincarna-tion within Judaism,” explains Griswold. “In ‘True Identity,’ I use this belief to explore who the Hebrews really were. The answer will likely surprise you.”


By MOLLY SWEETMichele Block Gan Yeladim


Michele Block Gan Yeladim orchestrates concerts for students

Jacksonville hosts Discovery Seminar

Center Sisterhood honors Robin Morris on Jan. 31

Local Jewish author writes novel


FEDERATION NEWS

For more information about Camp Judaea, please visit us at CampJudaea.org

From our family to yours, Camp Judaea wishes you

a Happy New Year!

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Community University, the an-nual day of learning and celebra-tion, is set to take place on April 26 at the Jacksonville Jewish Center. For the fi rst time the pro-gram, now in its 19th year, will

be co-presented by the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Jewish Educator’s Council.

The Educator’s Council is made up of leaders and school heads from the Torah Academy of Jacksonville, Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschol, The Temple


TIR; Beth El - The Beaches Re-ligious School, and the Center’s Galinsky Academy.

This year’s theme is a Yom Haatzmaut in honor of Israel’s

67th birthday and will feature pro-grams all about Israel for ages 1 to 100. There is something for ev-eryone. Be on the lookout in 2015 for the opportunity to present

during one of the adult sessions. Last year presenter crowdsourcing was a huge hit, and we are thrilled to offer that opportunity to the community again.

The Jewish Federation of Jacksonville is thrilled to share that, since August 2014, we have had close to 2,500 participants at community-wide programs done by or in partnership with Federa-tion. Such Federation programs include the Campaign Kickoff 2015 featuring Dr. Will Recant, rGEN’s Drinks, Desserts & Da-vises, Break-the-Fast, Young Pro-fessionals Network, Ravin’ with the Mavens, Celebrate Delicious with Jamie Geller, and Chanu-karnival, Shalom Jacksonville’s

Jewish Java and It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere, and the Women’s Division Lion of Judah Luncheon. Community-wide programs in-clude The Israel Solidarity Event, done in partnership with our local synagogues and agencies; and Rick Recht Live, done in partner-ship with Congregation Ahavath Chesed, the Jacksonville Jewish Center, Jewish Family & Com-munity Services, PJ Library and Shapiro Insurance.

We could not be any happier by how our community has come together over the last few months. We are looking forward to great things in 2015.


Informational MeetingSunday, January 11Home of Iris and Mark Kraemer4 p.m.

Come learn more about an amazing summer experience.Open to all rising high school students.

For information contact Jill Abel at [email protected].

Tikkun Olam teen travel

to Israel

Tikkun Olam


Save the date for Community Yom Haatz maut University

Over 2,000 experience community programs during fall 2014


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Jacksonville Jewish News January 2015