JFS Illumination Magazine Summer 2015
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ILLUMSummer 2015 IRuthNAT & Norman Rales JewishI FamilyON Services Magazine Passing of the Torch: Judi Donoff installed as new Chair of the Board succeeding Jon Kimmel. Meet the New Members Rales Rides Spotlight on Legacy A Season of of the Board of Directors Begins Giving: Diane & Larry Events in Review PAGE 2 PAGE 20 Feldman PAGE 26 PAGE 24 02 MEET JUDI DONOFF, CHAIR Judi has resided in Director of Store Planning for Holt Renfrew, Atlantic University’s Center for Autism and Boca Raton for a high end specialty store, she designed and Related Disabilities (CARD) Constituency the past 19 years. managed the construction and renovations Board and has chaired numerous events Originally from of 20 stores across the Country. In the U.S. for organizations including 211 in Boca Canada, Judi is a she has received numerous recognitions Raton, the Center for Family Services, and prestigious interior including the Palm Beach Illustrated Dream Kids Sanctuary in Palm Beach. She and her designer and House Award and the Prism Award from the husband Craig, an estate planning attorney, member of the Gold Coast Builders Association. co-founded the Chase Donoff Aftercare American Society of Judi has served on the JFS Board for the past Program at the Peter Blum YMCA in Boca Interior Designers 8 years including the positions of Financial Raton and have been recently honored by (ASID). In Canada Development Chair and, most recently, as Israel Bonds. Judi has three children, two she designed offices First Vice-Chair. It is a natural evolution that sons, Matthew and Garrett Nemeroff, and a for Boeing of Canada, Continental Grain she steps into the role of Chair of the Board. daughter, Lindsey Donoff-Silverman. Company, and many health care facilities. As Judi is a former board member of Florida NeW MemBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SteVEN BecKER SAMY DWEK Steven has held various management positions in the Samy, along with his wife Ilana and three children, reside in Boca wine & spirits industry since 1978. He began his career Raton. Samy is a Managing Director and Banker at J.P. Morgan at Southern Wine and Spirits of America in 1985 as Private Bank in Florida. He has held various international roles in Vice President of Finance. In his present position of the company as well as previous positions at Republic National Executive Vice President and Treasurer, Steven is Bank (RNB) of New York. Samy is actively involved in many South responsible for the company’s treasury management Florida community organizations including Hillel of Palm Beach and functions. Broward Counties, the Boca Raton Committee for the Weizman Institute, The South Palm Beach County Jewish Federation and DeBORAH BeLFORD Boy’s Town Jerusalem. Deborah, her husband Howard and their three children moved to Florida from Columbus, Ohio in 1997. The StePHEN WINIG Belfords are very active at Congregation B’nai Israel Stephen, his wife Carol and their six children relocated to Boca Raton where their children received their Jewish education from Philadelphia in 1992. He was a leading real estate developer and where Deborah serves on the Board of Trustees. and manager in the Mid-Atlantic Region. More recently, Stephen Deborah is involved in numerous philanthropic causes served as President & COO of a group of healthcare manufacturing especially those organizations whose mission is to companies. He continues to be active in the commercial real estate improve the life of children. She supports many Jewish business. Stephen’s philanthropic involvement includes leadership organizations and believes it is a duty and privilege to roles in Jewish community organizations in the Philadelphia and serve our community and assist those in need. South Florida areas including Israel Chamber of Commerce, Ben- Gurion University, The Jewish Agency and the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County. LORRIE BeRKOWITZ Lorrie and her family moved to Florida in 1990 from MARILYN WeINBERG (Honorary Board) Larchmont, New York. The Berkowitzes have been Marilyn, originally from the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area in Virginia, members of Temple Beth El and Congregation B’nai has a long history of philanthropy. In Virginia, she was instrumental Israel. Lorrie serves on the Ambassador’s Council in the development of Women’s Israel Bonds in Norfolk, was the at N Street Village, a United Way organization and principle fundraiser for the Simon Jewish Community Center in women’s homeless shelter in Washington, DC. She Virginia Beach, raised funds for the Boy’s Home in Suffolk and was also volunteers in Washington at Bread for the City, a major supporter of Beth Chaverim Synagogue in Virginia Beach. a community food bank. Lorrie, a retired clinical She was the Vice President and Chief Fundraiser for the Virginia psychologist and former attorney, feels blessed to be Symphony and served as the Vice President for the Strelitz Diabetes able to serve at JFS and looks forward to giving back Foundation. She has received numerous honors including being to the local community. Lorrie and husband Lloyd an Honoree in the 2006 Women’s American Ort Fundraiser, the spend time visiting their three adult children who live ALS/Muscular Dystrophy Association in 2006 and 2007 and has in three different cities up north. been on the Lion of Judah Endowment Honor Roll since 1978. In South Florida, Marilyn and her husband Jay have continued to be major supporters of JFS including being the Grand Benefactors of TOBY COOPERMAN our Reflections of Hope Luncheon. Together they support other Toby Cooperman, along with her husband Leon, have organizations including JAFCO and Temple Beth El. Marilyn has helped dozens of organizations in the Short Hills, New a daughter and a stepson and is a proud grandmother to four Jersey and South Florida areas through the Leon and grandchildren. Toby Cooperman Family Foundation, The Cooperman Family Fund for the Jewish Future and, more recently, IRA GeLB, MD (Medical Advisor) the Toby Cooperman Community Support Fund. The Dr. Gelb, a renowned board-certified cardiologist, serves as Assistant Cooperman’s have been generous supporters of JFS Dean for Pre-Baccalaureate Programs and Clinical Professor of for many years. Biomedical Science in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at FAU. In this role, Dr. Gelb oversees the pre-professional courses offered by the College. After retiring and relocating to Florida in the mid-1990s, Dr. Gelb championed efforts to expand medical and science education in South Florida. ILLUMINATION Summer 2015 03 to our 2014 Premier Agency Sponsor! Contents 04 Agency News Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services 10 Food & Financial Assistance Help. Hope. Humanity. 12 Center for Families & Children 13 Career & Employment Services 14 Counseling & Mental Health Services ILLUMINATION 15 Volunteer Services Letter from the President & CEO 16 Senior Services Dear Friends, 20 Weisman Delray Community Center 22 Development Welcome to our summer edition of Illumination Magazine. Summer is certainly here in South Florida and while a majority 26 Events of our donors and volunteers are not here during these hot summer months, the staff of JFS is hard at work serving the Jacobson Family Food Pantry. The client was in tears. needs of our clients and preparing for the start of our fall She was so thankful to have had food and fundraising activities. Planning for our Gala, Luncheon and Golf praised the staff person who helped Tournament are all well underway and I invite you to read more her get the much needed food about this past season’s event recaps beginning on page 24. delivered to her home. It’s stories like these that make all of our work Since our last publication, I am proud and honored to inform rewarding. As part of my job, I am you that JFS was recognized by the Sun Sentinel as a “Top privileged to be the voice in the Workplace” in Palm Beach County in 2015. In addition, community for these clients for who amongst the other agencies recognized, JFS was named the many, including myself, may never 10th best place to work! Award recipients are selected based meet, but who without our help, on anonymous surveys completed by staff and then compared would be living in difficult and often to other similar sized agencies. Both for-profit and non-profit dire circumstances. So, on behalf of agencies are eligible to receive this recognition and we couldn’t all those people, I want to say be more excited to be recognized in this way. We truly are a “Thank You” – thank you for great place to work! supporting our work as a donor, volunteer and staff. It I appreciate when our staff shares client stories with me and truly takes a community then tells me how good they feel knowing that they are helping and I’m proud to be part people in some of their most challenging times. Recently Rita of ours. Gitter, who has helped with the Meals on Wheels program since its inception, told me how amazed she was that the Happy Reading! program quickly grew from 10 clients to over 90 people Sincerely, receiving close to 400 meals each week. She told me she enjoys when people leave her notes thanking the agency for Danielle N. Hartman helping to provide them with nutritious meals when they are no longer able to cook for themselves. Sometimes the feedback is President & CEO via voicemail messages. For example, a voicemail was recently forwarded to me from a client who was just added to our Board of Directors Marcia Langley Honorary Board 2015-2016 OFFICERS Steven Becker Rabbi Dan Levin Members Deborah Belford Roxane Frechie Lipton Stan Barry Chair Vice Chairs: Lorrie Berkowitz Laura Litinsky Judi Donoff Margaret Blume Financial Resource Joy Binkovitz* Robert Marton Arnie Friedman Treasurer Development Laurence I.