www.JewishFederationLCC.org Vol. 40, No. 8 n April 2018 / 5778
Program notes pril is a busy month. On Sun- about the Holocaust, and by interviews event. Seating is limited and RSVPs face painted or do both! Eat delicious day, April 8 at 3:00 p.m. at previously conducted by the Holo- are a must to me at 239.481.4449 x3 Israeli-style falafel, hummus and pita, ATemple Beth Shalom in Cape caust Museum & Education Center of or [email protected]. There is no while tasting a variety of Israeli wines Coral, the community will come to- Southwest Florida, this presentation cost to attend. or shopping for items in the “shuk.” All gether to remember the victims of the will help to ensure that these impor- And if the previous two events this and more is planned for this very Holocaust. Attendees of this year’s an- tant stories are not forgotten. Please were not enough, Sunday, April 15 momentous event. nual Holocaust Memorial Service will join us. brings the community celebration of There is no cost for admission. hear the stories On Wednesday, April 11 there ISRAEL AT 70. Mark your calendars Vendor items and food will be for sale. of the survivors is a special program at the Federation now and plan to attend Israel’s 70th ISRAEL AT 70 will take place from we invite to light featuring Nir Kabaretti, conductor of birthday party. An Israeli band from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at The Heights Cen- the memorial the Southwest Florida Symphony. Fol- Miami, the SHALOM band, will per- ter, 15570 Hagie Road, Fort Myers. candles. lowing a dessert and wine reception, form along with local entertainers like Wait, you might think April’s al- Documen- Maestro Kabaretti will speak about The Big Yamulkes and the Temple ready so full, that there couldn’t be tary filmmaker “The Two Bernsteins” – composers Beth El children’s choir. Our fabulous anything else happening – but you Rozzi Osterman Leonard Bernstein and Elmer Bern- Israeli dancers will be on hand to teach would be wrong. The last of the four PJ has produced a stein. Although the two were not re- us Israeli dancing. Traditional fun Is- Library holiday programs for families Leni Sack short film that lated, they were both very talented and raeli activities for children are planned will take place on Thursday, April 26 will highlight the poignant history of prolific Jewish composers. Israeli-born – think Party Steam Spray cans and at 5:00 p.m. at Temple Judea. Fami- survivors who live in our community. conductor Nir Kabaretti has been a Yom Ha’Atzmaut hammer noisemak- lies will celebrate Lag B’Omer, a fes- Supported by interviews that Temple wonderful addition to the Southwest ers. Ladies (and men) can luxuriate in tive minor holiday that falls during the Judea Religious School students con- Florida community and we are honored an Israeli spa with Dead Sea Mud fa- seven weeks between Passover and ducted as a school project to learn to have him as our guest speaker at this cials. Get a henna design or have your continued on page 3
9701 Commerce Center Court POSTMASTER: NONPROFIT ORG Fort Myers, Florida 33908 DATED RELIGIOUS U.S. POSTAGE NEWS ITEMS. PAID TIME SENSITIVE– FT. MYERS, FL PLEASE EXPEDITE! PERMIT NO. 175 DELIVER TO CURRENT RESIDENT OR L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 2 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties OUR FEDERATION
In this issue: Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties 7 Our Community 8 Jewish Interest 12 Marketplace ANNUAL 14 Israel & the Jewish World 18 Commentary 20 From the Bimah MEETING 22 Focus on Youth and Dessert Reception 24 Organizations 26 Community Directory HONORING ROZZI OSTERMAN 26 Temple News & OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY
Wednesday, May 9, 2018 7:00 P.M.
Hosted by
FineMark Bank Jewish 12681 Creekside Lane Federation Fort Myers, FL Lee and Charlotte Counties
Jewish news published monthly by Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties 9701 Commerce Center Court, Fort Myers, FL 33908 (239) 481-4449 • Fax: (239) 481-0139 Online at www.JewishFederationLCC.org April 2018 • Volume 40, Number 8 Co-Presidents: Rozzi Osterman • Brian Simon Board: Paul Bartrop • Herb Fried • Carolyn Gora Jerry Greenfield • Keith Grossman • Andi Horowitz Charles Idelson • Linda Idelson • Marsha Kistler Sara Krivisky • Michele Laboda • JoAnn Lewin Barbara Siegel • Sylvia Simko • Sherri Zucker Executive Director: Alan Isaacs Program Director: Leni Sack Executive Assistant: Lori Ramos Jewish Family Services: Jodi Cohen Editor/Designer: Ted Epstein (239) 249-0699 Bring us unexpired Advertising: Jim Lewin (239) 634-6923 canned goods and L’CHAYIM invites correspondence on subjects of interest to Jewish people. Partisan political opinions will not be published, but opinions on subjects affecting the Jewish community are other non-perishable welcome. All inquiries regarding copy for L’CHAYIM should be directed to the editor. All news material must be very clearly printed or typed (not in all-capital letters) and double-spaced. Electronic submissions encouraged. The editor reserves the food items. right to edit for space and content. Photographs should be clear, black-and-white or color prints. If you wish a photograph returned, include a stamped, self-addressed envelope of appropriate size. The Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties disclaims responsibility or endorsement of the views expressed by the writers and claims by advertisers. MAY ISSUE EDITORIAL DEADLINE: Thursday, April 5 Grow your business with L’CHAYIM. Reach 5,000 local Jewish residents through this paper. WE FEED For more information FOOD PANTRY THE HUNGRY or to place an ad, call Jim at 239.634.6923 or send an email to 9701 Commerce Center Court * Fort Myers, FL * 33908 [email protected]. L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 OUR FEDERATION Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 3
Program notes...continued from previous page 1 Shavuot (this period is known as the is free, but RSVPs are necessary to me. the coming year and honoring those meet some new ones. Omer). Although we won’t be cel- Now is also the time to mark your stepping down from the board. Show Our community and our commu- ebrating with a bonfire, which is a calendars to attend the Jewish Federa- your support for the women and men nity calendar of events continue to typical celebration in Israel, we will be tion’s Annual Meeting, held this year who make such a valuable contribution grow. I hope you take advantage of the playing games, doing arts and crafts, at FineMark Bank on Wednesday, May to our community each year. You will variety of upcoming programs. I look singing and reading stories about the 9 at 7:00 p.m. Besides a delicious des- also hear about some of the plans for forward to seeing you soon. holiday. All families with children ages sert and wine reception, we will be in- the upcoming year and have a chance 2-8 are invited to attend. The program stalling a new Board of Directors for to “schmooze” with old friends and e i it Maestro K A TT o t e o t est lori a o rese ti “T T T ” e es a o a e e i it ir Kabaretti a lear ril abo t t ese t o tale te e is o osers M at t e i e essert e e tio e is e eratio Leonard Bernstein Elmer Bernstein o er e e ter t M T ere is o ost to atte ort M ers Maestro Kabaretti’s talk eati is li ite b ril t to e i a k le ibsa k e l or t
For a continuously updated calendar of events, visit www.JewishFederationLCC.org.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS TO ATTEND The Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties
Annual Holocaust Memorial Service
Sunday, April 8 at 3:00 P.M.
Temple Beth Shalom 702 SE 24th Avenue Cape Coral 33990
“To remember, not once to forget”
Come hear the stories of the survivors in our community, who light the memorial candles each year. L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 4 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties OUR FEDERATION
The Jewish Federation Annual Campaign provides the resources to strengthen and enrich our Jewish community locally, in Israel and around the world. YOUR SUPPORT Sunday Promote Strengthen & enrich Honor/ Share your KINDNESS JEWISH COMMarchMUNITY 1st Remember MITZVAH A LOVED ONE
This year please consider making an additional campaign contribution in honor or in memory of a loved one. Because kindness is contagious we would like to highlight your generosity in L’CHAYIM and notify personally those whom you honor. You may choose how your generosity is noted and how we share your mitzvah with our community.
How the Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties Serves
Happy Passover Local Jewish Education and Culture Community wide Jewish Education and Culture Programs for all ages including the Jewish Film Festival, Jewish Author First night Seder - March 30 Events, Israel Celebration, Jewish genealogy, Israeli folk dancing, social groups, etc. Passover is a time for family gatherings and happiness L’CHAYIM published monthly to keep the Jewish community informed about local, national and international Jewish issues. as we commemorate the story of the Exodus. Community Relations activities include monitoring anti The Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties Semitism and issues of separation of church and state in the community. wishes your family a happy and healthy Passover. Israel Advocacy and Initiatives to strengthen local Jewish community ties with Israel. Holocaust Education through the Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida to middle and high school students in the community.
TRIBUTES Overseas In memory of Sonny Mandell Funding to the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American from Sheila & Jerry Laboda and family Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) for full spectrum social services to Israel and Jewish communities in 60+ Each month, L’CHAYIM will list your Tributes. countries around the world. Partnership 2Gether relationship with the Hadera Eiron Region Please send them to Lori Ramos in Israel. at the Federation at [email protected]. Local Seniors Services Holiday baskets and teen visits to seniors and senior facilities Thanks to the following supporters of L’CHAYIM for Rosh Hashanah, Hanukah and Passover. Seniors & Volunteers Lunch Program. for their contribution to help underwrite the cost of Emerging and pressing needs related to senior housing, health bringing news of the local, national and international and socialization.
Jewish community to your mailbox every month! Local Case Management Services Non sectarian, individual and family outreach, information and REPORTERS: SUBSCRIBERS: referral services. Hilde M. Abraham Individual life coaching and support services. David Heligman Rabbi Stephen & Victoria Fuchs Local Emergency Services Food Pantry. Emergency financial assistance. Education and aid associated with natural disasters.
Local Community Services The Jewish Federation thanks our Support families of children with special needs. SAT preparatory classes for high school students. GENEROUS DONORS Volunteerism. Organizational Collaboration. Assessment and Planning.
Jewish Community Foundation An endowment that ensures the long term financial base of INDIGENT FUND charitable, social and educational programs in our community. Shalom Dancers Sheila & Gerald Laboda Needs based college scholarships and study scholarships in Robert & Carolyn Siegel Gene & Andrea Sipe Israel. Jack & Ellen Esformes Projects and programs aimed at Jewish community enrichment.
FOOD PANTRY Temple Beth El Boni Raitt Temple Judea Leon Goldstein Shalom Life Center Don Kamito Mellow Mah Jongg Jary Scott Brian & Mindy Simon Ruth Lefberg Beginner’s Mah Jongg Group Joseph Horowitz Israel Travel
Grants Available
The Joseph Horowitz Israel Travel Grant is available through the Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties. The grant may be used for travel to Israel to participate in programs that are volunteer or educational in nature. Our hope is that these programs will enhance Jewish knowledge and identity in preparation for participation in American Jewish life. This grant is for Jewish residents of either county who are 25 years old or younger and can demonstrate a financial need. Academic standing and community involvement may also be considered. For more information or an application, please visit our website at www.JewishFederationLCC.org or contact the Federation at 239-481-4449, ext. 4 or email [email protected]. Together we CAN Make a Difference! L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 OUR FEDERATION Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 5
The Jewish Federation Annual Campaign provides the resources to Senior Lunch Bunch update strengthen and enrich our Jewish community locally, in Israel and around the world. By Jodi Cohen, Senior Outreach Coordinator YOUR SUPPORT ur February lunch took place thing we use during the lunch. There Senior Outreach Program Sunday right before Purim, so we were are a lot of moving pieces and the gen- Promote Strengthen & enrich JEWISH COMMUNITY Odelighted when Rabbi Bruce erosity of spirit is glorious. Honor/ Share your KINDNESS March 1st Diamond of The Community Free Syn- The free monthly lunch continues Remember MITZVAH agogue dressed up to be a friendly inviting place to meet A LOVED ONE in costume, talked people, connect with friends, and be in about the holiday, community. I have come to describe and led us in a the monthly lunch as a cross between sing-a-long. Ja- a bar/bat mitzvah, a wedding and a This year please consider making an additional campaign contribution in honor or in memory of a loved one. cob Rubin did a simcha because there is so much joy in Because kindness is contagious we would like to highlight your generosity in L’CHAYIM and notify personally those whom fine job twirling the room as well as abundant delicious you honor. You may choose how your generosity is noted and how we share your mitzvah with our community. the grogger, and food provided by our community part- Come out for lunch, see familiar faces a good time was ner, Jason’s Deli. and meet new friends at Jodi Cohen had by all. Our next Senior Lunch Bunch is our monthly senior lunches. We were delighted to welcome Tuesday, April 10 at noon at Temple new people to the Federation’s month- Beth Shalom in Cape Coral. RSVP to Tuesday, April 10th ly senior lunch, and as always, grate- me by April 6 at 239.481.4449 x6 or 12:00 PM ful for the work of the volunteers who [email protected]. Please let me Temple Beth Shalom help before, during and after the lunch. know if you would like a volunteer to 702 SE 24th Ave, Cape Coral Because the Federation rotates venues pick you up. There is always a place at (RSVP by April 6th) every month, we rely on our dedicated the table for YOU so come on down! volunteers to shlep in and set up every- Thursday, May 10th 12:00 PM Temple Beth El Giving and receiving – 16225 Winkler Ave. Fort Myers who benefits the most? (RSVP by May 7th) By Jodi Cohen, Senior Outreach Coordinator any years ago a friend in- a nationally recognized math scholar. vited me to join her where I became close friends with Anne, a Mshe volunteered at a nursing hypnotist who worked in the Catskills Let us know if you will be home to transport the Jewish residents during its heyday. We laughed uproari- driving or if you would like from their respective apartments or ously whenever she showed me her a volunteer to pick you up. rooms to the lounge for the monthly collection of black-and-white photos Shabbat service. I had never done any- of people all over the stage in various RSVP—Jodi Cohen thing like this before and didn’t know states of sleep during her act. 239-481-4449, ext. 6 or what to expect. I ended up volunteer- These people became part of my [email protected] ing for over five years and eventually orbit, my personal landscape. We cele- led the singing at the service after the brated Shabbat, holidays, birthdays and cantor had the nerve to accept a posi- anniversaries together. A family with tion in the Virgin Islands. two small girls and no grandparents The nursing home complex was in town started coming to help hand huge and required traversing several out the wine and challah, and the girls buildings, floors and elevators in order became everyone’s granddaughters. A to gather residents in their wheelchairs, woman and the big black dog she res- and sometimes even hospital beds, to cued after Hurricane Katrina started at- bring them to the lounge. Every month tending and we all would pet the dog I was afraid I would get lost. There was before, during and after the service. It an ongoing sense of adventure among is hard to say who benefited more from Like us on Facebook! the volunteers about navigating our attending the monthly Shabbat service way, wondering if we were ever going because how can you measure depth of to make it to the Promised Land, which feeling, how can you measure the full- in this case was the lounge. Sometimes ness of the human heart? ConneCt we ended up at the beauty shop or the The needs of Jewish seniors in our with your Jewish Community popcorn cart, but we always found our own community continue to grow. The way to the Shabbat service. Federation is evaluating the services it The social worker who led the ser- provides for seniors and potential vol- www.facebook.com/ vice would invite residents to answer a unteer opportunities such as driving facebook.com/jfedsrq question each month that was related someone to a doctor’s appointment or JewishFederationLCC to the holiday or parsha (Torah por- helping someone shop for groceries. tion), and that was how I got to know If you have any needs that are not cur-
everyone. There was Anna, who was rently being met or are interested in smuggled out of Germany and hidden volunteering, please contact me at the in a barn during the first two years of Federation at 239.481.4449 x6 or jodi LAG B’OMER is a festive her life, and Charlotte, who had been [email protected]. minor holiday that falls during the seven weeks between Passover & Shavuot This month’s (this period is known advertisers as the Omer). This publication is brought to you each month thanks to the support of our advertisers. Please be sure to use their products and services, and mention that you found them in L’CHAYIM. Joseph Horowitz Israel Travel Advanced Pain Management....28 Hodges Funeral Home...... 6 PJ LIBRARY PROGRAM Advanced Physical Therapy.....10 Lee Lighting...... 12 FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN
Grants Available Alliance Financial Group...... 12 Living Happily Counseling...... 12 2 8 YEARS OF AGE ® ® Hal Arkin, Realtor ...... 12 Charles Massie, CPA, CFP .....12
Celebrate Lag B’Omer Art of Fashion and Moore...... 12 Michael Shapiro Photography...23
® Gwen Baker, Realtor ...... 12 Miromar Outlets...... 21 Israeli Style The Joseph Horowitz Israel Travel Grant is available through Dr. Daniel Bendetowicz...... 12 Paragon Pools...... 12 Thursday, April 26 5:00 6:30 p.m. the Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Lee Cruise Everything...... 9 PCC Tile...... 12 and Charlotte Counties. The grant may be used for travel to Cypress Cove...... 17 Alan J. Rubinstein, Attorney.....12 Israel to participate in programs that are volunteer or We won’t have a big bonfire like in educational in nature. Our hope is that these programs will Harold Eskin, Attorney...... 12 Senior Housing Solutions...... 13 Israel, but we will play games, do enhance Jewish knowledge and identity in preparation for FGCU...... 19 Seniors Helping Seniors...... 12 arts & crafts, sing and read stories. participation in American Jewish life. This grant is for Jewish FineMark Natl. Bank & Trust....20 Shell Point...... 11 There is no cost to attend. residents of either county who are 25 years old or younger Florida Specialists in Urology...12 Snyderman’s Shoes...... 12 and can demonstrate a financial need. Academic standing ® RSVP to Leni at 239 481 4449 Ext. 3 Susan Glasser, Realtor ...... 19 Douglas Spiegel, Attorney...... 12 Or [email protected] and community involvement may also be considered. For Gordon’s Pool & Spa Service....12 Southwest Florida Symphony.....8 more information or an application, please visit our website at Green Schoenfeld & Kyle, LLP..12 Taschner Periodontics...... 14 www.JewishFederationLCC.org or contact the Federation at Gulf Coast Orthodontics...... 16 The Palms of Fort Myers...... 15 at TEMPLE JUDEA 239-481-4449, ext. 4 or email [email protected]. 14486 A&W Bulb Rd. Dr. David Heligman...... 7 The Terraces at Bonita Springs..13 Fort Myers Henderson Franklin...... 12 Bob Vinikoor, Realtor®...... 12 Higginson Tax & Accounting....12 Paul Weinstein, CFP®...... 12 L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 6 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties OUR COMMUNITY Holocaust Museum update – Triumph 2018 Deeper thinking, deeper living in Southwest Florida By Susan Suarez, Executive Director hank you to all who made our Triumph 2018 dinner. WGCU Public Triumph 2018 event a great Media reporter Quincy Walters filed Tsuccess! Special thanks to our a story about the visit and President Sponsors: Title Inspire Sponsors Rissa Eisenhower’s impact on Holocaust edu- and Richard Grossman, Naples Daily cation. Here’s a link: http://news.wgcu. News, WGCU Public Media, First org/post/david-eisenhower-reflects- Florida Integrity grandfathers-impact-after-holocaust Bank, Life In Triumph 2018 honored the 20th Naples Magazine anniversary of “Out of the Ashes,” the and Publix Super Golden Gate Middle School classroom Markets Charities. project about the Holocaust and the Congratulations genesis for our Museum. Seventh-grade on an outstanding teachers David Bell and Michelle Lee event to Triumph and their students carried on the Holo- 2018 Committee caust education work begun by General Susan members Rosalee Eisenhower in 1945. On a visit to newly Suarez Bogo, Sandra liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp, Buxton, Rissa Grossman, Maureen he immediately ordered the devastation Lerner, Jack Nortman, Estelle Price, be documented and publicized so the Hadassah Schulman and Nancy White. world would remember and couldn’t David Eisenhower, grandson of deny in the future that the Holocaust the late president, was our featured happened. Mason Clark, Michelle Lee, David Bell, Susan Suarez, Kamela Patton, Herb Berkeley speaker. While in town, David toured Accepting the Award on behalf of (photo courtesy Nancy Yachnes, Dell River Imagery) the Museum with board members and Golden Gate Middle School were Mr. “Tell your children to tell their children, The Holocaust Museum has come special guest Holocaust survivor Reva Bell and Ms. Lee, along with Collier and their children to tell their children. a long way from its first tiny storefront Kibort. As a 12-year-old girl in a DP County School Superintendent Kamela We will never forget!” location and initial school programs. We camp, she was selected to present Gen- Patton and current Golden Gate Middle The evening ended with a con- were originally founded with commu- eral Eisenhower with flowers during his School Principal Mason Clark. The versation between David Eisenhower nity support, and have since grown into inspection visit. David honored Reva by students’ motto for “Out of the Ashes” and former CBS News correspondent an important community partner. In fact, presenting her with a rose during the remains as viable today as it did in 1998: Phil Jones. The discussion centered we have grown so much that we have a on the life and legacy of General very exciting announcement! Eisenhower, and his impact on Holo- The Museum will be moving to caust education. They also discussed its own building in late 2018! Located the two books David wrote about his on US 41, just north of Immokalee B’NAI MITZVAH grandfather: Eisenhower at War, about Road, the building offers 6,000 square his military career, and Going Home to feet for additional exhibit space for our Glory, a personal reminiscence about permanent collection and temporary ex- life with his grandfather in the years hibit galleries, updated technology, and 1961-1969. ample parking for visitors and school With its participation in the upcom- and tour group buses. The new Museum ing Yom HaShoah commemoration at will use our amazing collection of ar- Temple Shalom, and the April obser- tifacts and present them in refreshed, vance of Genocide Awareness Month, professionally-designed displays. the Museum continues the education Owning our own facility gives us mission of General Eisenhower and greater financial stability and flexibility “Out of the Ashes.” The students would to ensure our ability to continue offering David Eisenhower, Survivor Reva Kibort, Susan Suarez (photo courtesy Nancy Yachnes, Dell River Imagery) be astounded at their legacy today – over quality programs and fulfill our mission 175,000 students in six counties im- – “Teach the lessons of the Holocaust pacted by Museum programs, Museum to inspire action against bigotry, hatred visitors from all 50 states and 40-plus and violence.” countries, the designation as “2017 Best For more information on our plans, Museum – Collier County” by Gulf- programs and opportunities to help us shore Life Magazine, and an established grow, please contact me at Susan@ organization dedicated to sharing the HolocaustMuseumSWFL.org or call lessons of the Holocaust with students 239.263.9200. We look forward to see- and the public so that the Holocaust will ing you before and after we move! never be forgotten. Passover begins at sundown on Friday, Proudly serving the Jewish community of Lee County for over March 30. Many of the 52 years, Hodges Funeral Home at Lee Memorial Park Cemetery area’s temples will hold off State Road 82 provides many convenient and affordable first- and second-night options for traditional as well as contemporary funeral and Seders open to the burial services. community. Contact Garden of David spaces starting at $2,995 the temples for more information.
Each Tuesday afternoon, an open session of Mah Jongg isEach held Tuesday at the Jewishafternoon, Federation. an open session of Mah Jongg
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DAY: Tuesdays, 12:30~3:30 P.M. FEE:DAY: Tuesdays,$1 per week 12:30~3:30 P.M. FEE: $1 per week
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Fort Myers, FL 33967 (239) 334-4880 for more information call Rona for Strausberg more information at 239.949.9003 call Rona Strausberg at 239.949.9003 L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 OUR COMMUNITY Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 7 Deeper thinking, deeper living in Southwest Florida eginning Thursday, April 26 larly in Southwest Florida, are looking people the tools to experience a richer, Marlene Price. (Day Course at 12:30 p.m. and to deepen their experience of life,” ex- deeper and more meaningful life.” JLI, the adult education branch of BEvening Course at 7:30 p.m.), plained Rabbi Minkowicz. “This JLI Like all JLI programs, this course Chabad-Lubavitch, offers programs in Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz of Chabad course invites participants to live more is designed to appeal to people at all more than 800 locations in the U.S. Lubavitch of Southwest Florida will be deeply, by deepening their thinking, in- levels of knowledge, including those and in numerous foreign countries, in- offering “What Is? Rethinking Every- sight and awareness of the fundamen- without any prior experience or back- cluding Argentina, Australia, Belarus, thing We Know About Our Universe,” tals of life and of our universe.” ground in Jewish learning. All JLI Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, a fascinating, new six-session course “What Is?” explores six of the most courses are open to the public, and at- Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, from the Rohr Jewish Learning Insti- intriguing questions that have plagued tendees need not be affiliated with a Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatema- tute (JLI). mankind, such as: Is the world real? Is particular synagogue, temple or other la, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakh- The website description of the time travel possible? Why does evil ex- house of worship. stan, the Netherlands, Panama, Russia, course reads: Drawing on the wisdom ist? Who is God? What is conscious- Interested students may call South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, of Chassidic teaching, the most basic ness? And are we bound by fate? 239.433.7708 or visit www.myJLI. Turkey, Ukraine, the United King- building blocks of existence are reex- “Our goal is to invite participants com for registration and other course- dom, Uruguay and Venezuela. More amined from the bottom up, revolu- to seek out a deeper understanding of related information. JLI courses are than 400,000 students have attended tionizing our understanding of life, re- their world,” explained Rabbi Zalman presented in Fort Myers in conjunction JLI classes since the organization was ality and our place in the world. Abraham of JLI’s Brooklyn headquar- with Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest founded in 1998. “I find that many people, particu- ters. “In doing so, we hope to give Florida, and sponsored by Dr. Gary & Babies and Bagels Holocaust Memorial Day emple Beth El welcomed eight big sister Zara. babies into our community in Come meet other young parents, Gathering T2017! To celebrate, all young commiserate over lack of sleep, and his year, Yom HaShoah (Holo- mother, an unknown brother in Canada families with babies are welcome to have in-depth conversations about caust Memorial Day) begins at and his father’s true identity slowly join us for a Babies and Bagels brunch pacifiers, sleep training and baby mile- sunset on Wednesday, April 11, emerge in this extremely personal in- on Saturday, April 21 at 11:00 a.m. at stones that only other parents of babies T and in its observance, The Community vestigative film. Timely questions of the home of Rabbi Nicole Luna and can appreciate! RSVP to Rabbi Luna at Free Synagogue will host a 7:00 p.m. identity, resilience, compassion and the Joe Bord, parents of baby Iris and 239.433.0018. gathering featuring the screening of plight of displaced persons are brought the new award-winning documentary, to life as Izak and Shep, the almost Read the current and recent issues of L’CHAYIM Aida’s Secrets. 70-year-old brothers, finally meet in “Family secrets, lies, high drama Canada, then head to a nursing home online at www.JewishFederationLCC.org. and generations of contemporary his- in Quebec to introduce Shep to his el- tory unspool in this international story derly mother, Aida, for the first time.” that begins with World War II and con- (IMDb) B’NAI MITZVAH cludes with an emotional 21st-century The Community Free Yom Hasho- Jacob Spiegel, son of Andrew and Elena family reunion. Izak was born inside ah gathering will also include memo- Spiegel, brother of Nathan, grandson of the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons rial candle lightings and prayers. Open Stan and Judy Spiegel and Ed and Anita camp in 1945 and sent for adoption to all, this event takes place at 10868 Straney, will be called to the Torah as a bar in Israel. Secret details of his birth Metro Parkway, Fort Myers. mitzvah on Saturday, April 14. Jacob is a seventh-grader at Lexington Middle School, where he continues to get high honors of achievement and is a mem- ber of the National Junior Honor Society. Some of his favorite hobbies are spending time with his friends, playing sports. Jacob always has a smile on his face and loves to make people laugh. Jacob thanks his friends and family for helping him to achieve this im- portant milestone in his Jewish life. He also thanks Dale Cohen, Rabbi Nicole Luna and all of his Hebrew teachers. He looks forward to continuing his jour- ney and commitment to Jewish life.
Zoe Sax, youngest daughter of Vanessa and Jay Sax, sister to Mackenzie, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah on Sat- urday, April 28. A seventh-grade member of the Na- tional Junior Honor Society at Lexington Middle School, Zoe loves singing, draw- Specializing in ing, music, biking, swimming, babysitting, outpatient hip and and hanging out with her friends. knee replacement For her mitzvah project, Zoe volun- teers at Gladiolus Learning and Develop- ment Center, at Temple Beth El and at the Jewish Federation. Grateful to all her teachers, committed to Judaism, remembering her late teacher, Morah Claire with love, Zoe looks forward to celebrating with family and friends. Zoe thanks Dale Cohen for going above and beyond, and is grateful for the spiritual teachings and guidance of Rabbi Nicole Luna.
Jack Andrew Calder, son of Alison and Andrew Calder, and younger brother to Ian, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on Saturday, May 5. A seventh-grade honor roll student at Lexington Middle School, Jack enjoys ten- nis, summer camp, spending time with his family, video games, Netflix and joking around. For his mitzvah project, Jack will vol- unteer at Ronald McDonald House, using his love of cooking to prepare meals for the families staying there. Jack thanks Dale Cohen, Rabbi Nicole Luna, Morah Hillary and all his other religious school teachers. He is excited to share this special occasion with his family and friends. Each month, L’CHAYIM will list your Life Cycle events – births, B’nai Mitzvah, engagements, weddings, anniversaries and obituaries. For B’nai Mitzvah, please include up to 150 words about your child. Submit your events to [email protected]. Photos are appreciated; please e-mail as JPGs at 300dpi. L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 8 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties JEWISH INTEREST Mimouna: a delicious way to celebrate Stars of David By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist the end of Passover – recipe by Dalia Hemed Editor’s note: Persons in BOLD CAPS are deemed by Nate Bloom to he end of Passover is celebrated fruits, vegetables and flowers, yet are honey, and the second way is that they be Jewish for the purpose of the column. Persons identified as Jewish widely by indulging in glori- sweet and eatable. Other cookies are are smeared with butter and honey and have at least one Jewish parent and were not raised in a faith other than Tously leavened foods like pizza, made with chocolate, and others are then rolled like a cigar with the butter Judaism – and don’t identify with a faith other than Judaism as an adult. Converts bread and cookies. But in Morocco, Is- made with sesame, almonds and a vari- and honey inside them. to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish. rael and most Sephardic communities, ety of other tasty things. On Saturday night, April 7, I am there’s an actual holiday for that called Jewish women make a challah-like going to host a traditional Israeli Mi- Mimouna. round loaf with a hard-boiled egg se- mouna fest to celebrate the end of There is a unique, beautiful and cured in the center with strips of dough. Passover exactly like I used to do in Is- delicious end-of-Passover tradition ob- Single men and women receive bless- rael. Come to listen to traditional mu- served by Moroccan Jewry, which has ings that they would be married in the sic, connect with friends and eat mu- recently become a national celebration year ahead. Women wear their fanciest fleta. Drop by if you want to join in the in Israel. On the day after Passover, clothes, girls don white, and children fun! Moroccan Jews around the world cel- dress in costumes. Even if you can’t get to my house, ebrate the Mimouna holiday in order to Many traditional Mimouna tables Israel or Morocco to join in one of the mark the beginning of spring and the are set with symbols of luck and fertil- many community parties, or if you are ability to once again eat hametz (leav- ity: live fish in a bowl signify life and not of North African descent, you can ened bread products). It is a day full vitality; five coins dipped in flour for get in on the Mimouna celebrations. of celebration and joy, where women prosperity; stalks of wheat for a full har- Make your favorite sweets or try your Personal Chef Dalia Hemed wear traditional Moroccan dresses, vest; a hamsa, or hand-shaped amulet, hand at mufleta. It takes a bit of prac- can be reached at men dress in traditional Moroccan fez to ward off evil; and honey and dates tice to make them perfectly, but they [email protected]. hats, Moroccan music is played, and for sweetness. A typical spread features are easy to make. They are so delicious everyone enjoys various foods. colored marzipan sweets, candied cit- that they disappear before they have balls or 40 small balls (half eggs). Moroccan Jews celebrate this day rus rind, date rolls, assorted homemade a chance to get cold. They have only The traditional way is to grab the by baking a variety of sweet things. jams and jellies made from fruits and a few ingredients, so you can easily mass of dough and squeeze the de- Different Moroccan Jewish commu- vegetables such as kumquats, carrots, make your own. Serve them with mint sired amount between a forefinger nities have different traditions for the even eggplant, almond crisp cookies tea and lots of honey to help ensure that and thumb, them twist and pinch holiday. Some Moroccan Jews make a and marzipan cookies. all that you do this spring is sweet and off the protruding ball. Dip and roll sweet pancake called mufleta, which is However, the most popular dish successful. the balls in the oil to coat, place on served with honey, butter and unique served on this night is mufleta, and the Mufleta Ingredients: a flat surface, and let stand for 30 homemade jams, which Moroccan Mimouna simply wouldn’t be com- • 1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active minutes. woman work to prepare throughout plete without it. dry yeast XX Heat an ungreased large cast-iron the year. These jams can include egg- Mufleta are essentially like crepes • 1½ cups lukewarm water or nonstick skillet over medium plants, lemons, oranges, tomatoes and that are either dipped or coated in hon- • 1 teaspoon sugar or honey heat. a variety of other fruits and vegetables. ey and butter. Traditional mufleta are • 2 teaspoons table salt XX On an oiled flat surface and using Other Moroccan Jews have a tra- made as follows: balls of dough are • About 3¾ cups unbleached all- oiled hands, flatten the balls into dition of making couscous mixed with rolled out in very thin leaves or sheets purpose flour 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Cook the either warm milk or yogurt. This dish and cooked together in a frying pan. • About ½ cup vegetable oil for dough rounds until golden brown is known as birkouksh. Yet, still, other Each new sheet or leaf is laid on the dipping on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Moroccan Jews make a special cream previous one so that the fresh leaf is al- • Melted butter for drizzling Turn and cook until golden and called jaban, which is made with al- ways on the bottom. When the Mufleta • Honey for drizzling cooked through, about 1 minute. monds and eggs. is finished cooking, it is brought to the XX Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup wa- Cover the mufletas with a kitchen Naturally, all Moroccan Jews, re- table and the leaves are separated. Mu- ter. Stir in the sugar and let stand towel until serving to keep soft. gardless where they are from within fleta are then eaten in one of two ways: until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. In a Eat warm, drizzled with butter and Morocco, make a variety of cookies. one way is that pieces are broken off large bowl, combine the yeast mix- honey. Some of the cookies look like various and dipped in a blend of butter and ture, remaining water, salt and 2 cups flour. Gradually add enough Look for remaining flour to make dough Chef Dalia Hemed’s slightly softer than regular bread dough. On a lightly floured sur- recipes each month face, knead until smooth and elas- in the pages of tic, about 10 minutes. XX Divide the dough into 20 egg-sized L’CHAYIM.
Studying family history brings more than just historical knowledge, Studying family history brings more than just historical knowledge, it builds relationships. Learning the stories behind names and dates it builds relationships. Learning the stories behind names and dates teaches a personal history that explains more than just how each teaches a personal history that explains more than just how each person came to be. EVERYONE WELCOME. person came to be. EVERYONE WELCOME.
Jewish Genealogy SIG (Special Interest Group) Jewish Genealogy SIG (Special Interest Group) Next meeting: Thursday, April 12 Next meeting: Thursday, April 12 10:00 11:30 a.m. 10:00 11:30 a.m. LEARN HOW TO BEGIN RESEARCH INTO YOUR FAMILY’S HISTORY LEARN HOW TO BEGIN RESEARCH INTO YOUR FAMILY’S HISTORY OR GET HELP FINDING NEW STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THE SEARCH OR GET HELP FINDING NEW STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THE SEARCH YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED. YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED.
There is no cost to attend. RSVP is a must to Arthur at [email protected] There is no cost to attend. RSVP is a must to Arthur at [email protected] Meetings are held at the Jewish Federation ● 9701 Commerce Center Ct. ● Fort Myers 33908 Meetings are held at the Jewish Federation ● 9701 Commerce Center Ct. ● Fort Myers 33908
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.org jfedlcc dilla@ amypa mail to nd an e SeSend an email to [email protected] L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 JEWISH INTEREST Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 9 Stars of David Interested in Your By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist Editor’s note: Persons in BOLD CAPS are deemed by Nate Bloom to Family’s History? be Jewish for the purpose of the column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jewish parent and were not raised in a faith other than Nate Bloom (see column at left) has become a family history expert in 10 Judaism – and don’t identify with a faith other than Judaism as an adult. Converts years of doing his celebrity column, and he has expert friends who can help to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish. when called on. Most family history experts charge $1,000 or more to do a full family-tree search. However, Bloom knows that most people want to start An Oscar First, of film. There’s a very good interview with a limited search of one family line. and it’s a Jewish Woman with Morrison on the Time magazine A reliable source just told me that I website. It includes a brief video So here’s the deal: failed to include a notable Jewish Os- with pics of her family. Google: Time Write Bloom at [email protected] and enclose a phone number. car nominee in my recent coverage: Rachel Morrison Firsts. Nate will then contact you about starting a limited search. If that RACHEL MORRISON, 39, the first TV Series Catch-Up woman in Oscar history to be nominated The Netflix series Love, a quirky ro- goes well, additional and more extensive searches are possible. for the (best) cinematographer Oscar. mantic comedy with drama, started The first search fee is no more than $100. No upfront cost. Also, Morrison was nominated for shooting streaming its entire 3rd and final season Mudbound. She is almost a cinch for on Friday, March 9. The series was several of this newspaper’s readers have asked Bloom to locate another Oscar nomination next year: she co-created by JUDD APATOW, 50, friends and family members from their past, and that’s worked out was the cinematographer for this year’s LESLEY ARFIN, 38, and Paul Rust, great for them. So contact him about this as well. mega-mega hit Black Panther. Born and 36 (who is married to Arfin). It’s worth raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the your time. Rust plays Gus, a decent, daughter of a doctor, Morrison didn’t smart and kind guy who aspires to be Rise, playing a character who is based federal government prisoners during have an easy childhood. Her mother a scriptwriter. Gus is in an off-and-on on Volpe. Radnor, the former star of Passover? Answer: Un-Leavenworth). was diagnosed with breast cancer when relationship with Mickey, an attrac- How I Met Your Mother, is a practicing The HBO series Barry stars Bill Rachel was four and died when she tive radio program manager with a Jew and a practicing musician. Late last Hader as a low-rent hitman who moves was 14. Morrison told Time that she whole lot of problems. Rust, who looks year, he released a CD in collaboration to Los Angeles and finds a new out- turned to photography and home mov- stereotypically Jewish, but is not, told with Australian Jewish musician BEN look on life by getting involved in the ies to capture her childhood’s fleeting the story of how he met Arfin at a pub- LEE, 39. L.A. community theater scene. Co- happy moments and freeze them in licity roundtable last year. They were Also starting on the 13th was the stars include HENRY WINKLER, time. both at the same party, and Arfin asked ABC series For the People. It fo- 72, Canadian actress SARAH GOLD- Morrison said that it took her SARAH SILVERMAN whether or not cuses on new lawyers working for BERG, 32, and GLENN FLESHLER, shooting 11 indie films until she was he was a member of the tribe. Silverman the prosecution and the defense as 49 (started Sunday, March 25). given a chance to shoot a “studio” told her, “If he’s not, his face should they litigate criminal cases before the On Wednesday, March 28, ZACH movie. Men, she said, usually got a sue God.” federal court in New York City. BEN BRAFF, 42, the former star of Scrubs, studio “gig” after two or three good On Tuesday, March 13, NBC pre- RAPPAPORT, 32, plays a newly returned to series TV with his new indie films. But there’s progress, she miered Rise, a musical drama based minted assistant U.S. attorney. BEN ABC series, Alex, Inc. He plays Alex says. Women she’s mentored now get on the non-fiction book Drama High SHENKMAN, 49, plays the head Schuman, a radio journalist, husband a studio gig after two or three indie (2013) by MICHAEL SOKOLOVE, of the federal prosecution unit. Rap- and father of two, who decides to quit films, like the men. Her breakthrough 61. He grew up in Levittown, Penn- paport, a handsome fellow who grew his job and start his own company. film wasFruitvale Station (2013), a hit sylvania, a blue-collar community up in a religious home in Houston, has indie film directed by African-American which has been in an economic slump appeared in a few recurring TV roles What do you think? Ryan Coogler. Coogler had another hit for decades. But it has had at least one (including The Good Wife). Shenk- with Creed and had the “juice” to make great thing going for it: Lou Volpe, a man was a regular on the TBS comedy Need to reach the editor of Black Panther and to hire Morrison to recently retired teacher who ran, for Royal Pains (Dr. Sacani) and Emmy- shoot a big-budget comic-based spec- 45 years, a nationally-acclaimed the- nominated for his performance in the L’CHAYIM? Send an email to tacular. Morrison is the first woman ater program at Levittown’s only high HBO production of Angels in America. [email protected]. to be the cinematographer on this type school. JOSH RADNOR, 43, stars in (Joke: Where do they send Jewish Remarkable Rhine River Cruise / Jewish Heritage Tour An 11-Day Luxury River Cruise That Showcases Your Dynamic Jewish Heritage AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS — BASEL, SWITZERLAND
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Ship Registry The Netherlands Florida Seller of Travel Registration Number ST14302 www.cruiseeverything.com L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 10 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties JEWISH INTEREST A cynical exercise in futility: The Bermuda Conference at 75 years By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD xactly 75 years ago this month, On March 23, 1943, William Temple, of a large media presence. Moreover, York, considered the meeting to have on April 19, 1943, two events the Archbishop of Canterbury, gave an the conference was limited strictly to been “a cynical exercise in futility,” Ebegan which were to have an impassioned speech to the House of government officials, and no reporters in which the Allies could be seen to important impact on the fate of the Jews Lords imploring the British government were permitted to attend the sessions. A be doing something worthwhile but in still left in Europe. In one of history’s to address the as-yet unnamed Holocaust number of Jewish organizations asked which the Jews themselves got nothing. coincidences, the Jews of the Warsaw – a catastrophe which Churchill himself to participate in the meeting, but were These days, the term would be “virtue Ghetto rose in re- had, on August 21, 1941, referred to as denied access, and Jews, by name, were signaling.” bellion against the “a crime without a name.” The Arch- not even mentioned before or during the And while the delegates talked, Nazis, and, on the bishop’s remarks received wide press meeting. The preferred term was “politi- no one even thought to mention or ac- same day, American coverage and prompted the Foreign cal refugees.” knowledge the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and British repre- Office to propose an Anglo-American A major topic for discussion at the which had commenced the same day as sentatives met in conference to address the issue. meeting related to the question of refu- the conference, continued throughout it, Bermuda ostensibly From the start, however, the Foreign gees who had been liberated by Allied and of which the delegates were fully to discuss ways of Office warned others in the British gov- forces and those still suffering under the apprised in daily updates. Dr. Paul rescuing Jews from ernment, as well as the U.S. State De- Nazis. No solutions were forthcoming. The major focus of commemorative Bartrop Nazi Europe. partment, that if a comprehensive plan In line with the general consensus that events this month will, no doubt, rest on Both events, as we now know, were to rescue European Jews did come to the war against Hitler must be won the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. This is as failures: the first a military one, the fruition, it might force the Germans and as the number one priority above all it should be. But it is also worth keeping second diplomatic. The Jews of Warsaw their satellite collaborators to abandon others, refugee-rescue (with a hidden in mind that the valiant Jews fighting at did not liberate themselves (indeed, their policy of extermination in favor agenda that applied to Jews even more) that time and in that place were betrayed it was never likely that this was their of mass deportation – a move which was somewhat lower in the order of by the very Allies who claimed that they intention), nor did the Uprising inspire could well create an unwelcome flood of affairs. were united in a common cause. Warsaw’s Poles to come to their aid. In millions of Jews into Allied-controlled Beyond that, when it came to sub- Eight months later, on December Bermuda, the American State Depart- areas. The impact would be a disaster for stantive issues, the Americans did not 10, 1943, the report of the conference ment and the British Foreign Office did the war effort, in that it would quickly offer to raise their immigration quotas, was published. Its only positive decision not accomplish any effective means to overwhelm Allied logistics, destabilize while the British made it clear that the was to revive the refugee committee rescue Europe’s Jews, their avowed aim governments, and possibly further im- prohibition on Jewish refugees seeking established at that earlier conference at in getting together. peril Jewish refugees. refuge in the British Mandate of Pales- Evian, in 1938. For most of the Jews The Conference, held in Hamilton, The Americans took several weeks tine would continue. The delegates at the murdered under the Nazis, it came Bermuda, from April 19 to April 30, to respond to the British proposal, and conference rejected any recommenda- too late. The Bermuda Conference ac- 1943, was a joint Anglo-American the Bermuda Conference did not begin tions that could not be accomplished complished nothing, and did not save a wartime meeting convened allegedly until April 19. The United States delega- under wartime conditions, and did not single Jew from the Holocaust. A cyni- to discuss the plight of European Jewry. tion was led by Dr. Harold W. Dodds, even discuss sending food or other sup- cal exercise, indeed. By the latter half of 1942, news of the President of Princeton University, and plies to Jews interned in concentration Dr. Paul Bartrop is Professor of History Nazis’ plan to exterminate the European the British by Richard Law, a junior camps. and the Director of the Center for Ju- Jews had been made public, and while minister at the Foreign Office. British and American Jews, together daic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies the American press tended to downplay Perhaps with an eye to the last inter- with others, saw the Bermuda Confer- at Florida Gulf Coast University. He these reports, the British press paid more national gathering on Jewish refugees, ence as nothing but a major disappoint- can be reached at [email protected]. attention to them. Before long, leaders at Evian, France, in July 1938, both ment. Rabbi Stephen Wise, in New of the Anglican Church and some Brit- governments worked to lower expecta- ish political leaders began lobbying the tions of the meeting, and tried to keep government of Prime Minister Winston its deliberations secret. Indeed, Ber- Churchill to do something to alleviate muda was chosen as the venue largely the mounting humanitarian catastrophe. because of its isolation and the lack ELIMINATE YOUR PAIN RESTORE YOUR MOBILITY JEWISH FEDERATION REGAIN YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE FOOD PANTRY
Following is a list of staples always in need at the food pantry: All physical therapy is not the same… Peanut butter and jelly Pasta sauce (pasta, not needed) Thank you for letting us show you Rice and beans Canned vegetables and fruits what sets us apart from the rest! Cereal Canned meats Condiments Toiletries for adults & children
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This is all part of having a otherjoin usvolunteers, for coffee, as bagels we help and keep the thousandssimple satisfaction of local true commitment and passion for what we do.” readersthat comes informed from meetingabout local, and nationalmaking andfriends interna- with tionalother volunteers,Jewish news. as we help keep thousands of local readers informed about local, national and interna- tional Jewish news. Call 481.4449 ext. 3 to add your name to the phone list. Each month we will call to confirm the mailing date and you can let us know if THE RESULTS YOU WANT. THE CARE YOU DESERVE. Call 481.4449 ext. 3 to add your name to the youphone are list. available Each month to help we label will L call’CHAYIM. to confirm the mailing date and you can let us know if Thomas S. Zeller, DPT & Associates Time: 9:30 A.M. www.YourBestTherapy.com you are available to help label L’CHAYIM. Monday, April 23, 2018 Fort Myers 239-432-0556 TuesdayTime:, 9:30May 22, A.M. 2018 Cape Coral 239-772-2363 Monday, April 23, 2018 Tuesday, May 22, 2018 L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 JEWISH INTEREST Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 11 A young, partly Jewish German soldier serves as a member of elite SS unit Book review by Philip K. Jason, Special to L’CHAYIM The Soul of a Thief, by Steven Hartov. gregarious. However, he also exhibits weapons of all kinds, distinctive characters, Hanover Square Press. 304 pages. cruelty, extreme egocentricity and un- and the effects of those I kept waiting for the Hardcover $24.99. quenchable lust. For the most part, he weapons on combat- consequences of rais- effectively rallies those in his command. ants, buildings and veg- ing the mischling issue. ischling” is a German term Yet he is frequently unpredictable. He etation. Somehow, it’s just not employed in the period of certainly takes every opportunity to And then there is there. Nor is the relevance MNazi rule for those with abuse women, and he does so mon- Gabrielle Belmont. of Gabrielle eventually mixed ancestry; that is, less than fully strously and without remorse. This gorgeous young being identified as a Jew- Aryan parentage. Most often it con- In a way, Himmel is Shtefan’s woman lives in the ess. A closing reference to notes individuals of mixed Aryan and benefactor. He insists that his fighting town of Le Pontet, the Jewish Brigade seems Jewish blood. The men are real men. No virgins will do. now occupied by forced. narrator of this And when Shtefan reveals his sexual Nazi forces. Himmel Nonetheless, I heartily admirable histori- innocence, this leader makes the ap- has discovered her recommend this book to cal novel, Shtefan propriate arrangements. The young man and sends Shtefan lovers of historical fiction Brandt, is one such is terrified, though finally successful, to bring her to the and combat literature. Also, person. oddly appreciative and indebted. colonel’s bed. She resists just for good measure, there Somehow, Shtefan adores the colonel and de- these second-hand advances, which is a surprising amount of wit and humor Shtefan – like spises him at the same time. impresses Shtefan immensely. In fact, mixed in with the horrors of the Nazi approximately Nazi-occupied Europe during 1943 the young adjutant has fallen in love war machine. 150,000 people of and 1944 is the novel’s overall setting. with her. Eventually, Himmel finds a * * * Phil similar ethnic/ra- Many scenes are set on the Russian way of forcing her to his will. Shtefan Steven Hartov is the coauthor of the Jason cial status – came front, and many others in occupied is crushed, but he eventually learns that New York Times bestseller In the Com- to serve in Germany’s military during she had no choice. pany of Heroes, as well as The Night WWII. In this case, because the SS The stretch of the novel that in- Stalkers and Afghanistan on the Bounce. leader found something attractive about volves the interplay of these three For six years he served as Editor-in- him, Shtefan became an adjutant to characters – Shtefan, Gabrielle and Chief of Special Operations Report. Colonel Erich Himmel and thus attached Himmel – includes many of the book’s He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, to the Waffen SS command. most memorable scenes. Many other CNBC, FOX and, most recently, the It is not clear if Himmel knew that fine scenes take readers through stages History Channel’s Secret Armies. A his young functionary was of tainted of the Allied invasion. Hartov boldly former Merchant Marine sailor, Israel blood. What is clear is that Shtefan’s paints the dashed hopes of Nazi leader- Defense Forces paratrooper and special status made him especially vulnerable. ship and the ensuing chaos leading up operator, he is currently a Task Force His true identity, if known, could lead to to Hitler’s death. Commander in the New York Guard. all kinds of deprivations. It could even And then, once Himmel comes to He lives in New Jersey. lead to his death (as if the risk of death in see that he will be on the losing side Philip K. Jason is Professor Emeritus battle was not enough). If Himmel was Steven Hartov of the war, there is his plan to steal Al- of English from the United States Na- aware of the mischling, he would take (photo by Robert L. Cunningham) lied money and “retire” – probably to val Academy. He reviews regularly for opportunities to exploit Shtefan’s mar- France. Hartov’s portraits of the places another continent! Shtefan, privy to the Florida Weekly, Jewish Book World, ginality. For reasons beyond the ladder and the battle actions are magnificent. plan and no longer in thrall of Himmel, Southern Literary Review, and other
of command, Shtefan could not question Through the lens of Shtefan’s process- intends to play along but then takes publications. Please visit Phil’s website any command, let alone say “no.” ing of Himmel’s decisions and leader- the money and runs. at www.philjason.wordpress.com. Shtefan, as memoirist-narrator, ship strength, readers witness appalling Though I enjoyed this book im- draws a complex portrait of Himmel. combat scenes. Sensory detail is abun- mensely for its hard-pulsing action, The man is skillful, charismatic and dant: uniforms in repair and disrepair, sharply drawn combat scenes, and Location. Location. JEWISH FEDERATION FOOD PANTRY
Following is a list of staples always in need at the food pantry: Peanut butter and jelly Pasta sauce (pasta, not needed) Rice and beans Canned vegetables and fruits Shell Point Cereal Canned meats Condiments Toiletries for adults & children
Gift cards to places like Publix, Walmart, Target, etc., as well as cash donations, are also appreciated. Jewish Family Services helps seniors, individuals and families with a variety of needs.
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Call 481.4449 ext. 3 to add your name to the Reserve today; call (239) 529-4749 or 1-800-780-1131. phone list. Each month we will call to confirm Or, reserve online at shellpoint.org/seminars. the mailing date and you can let us know if Shell Point is located on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River you are available to help label L’CHAYIM. just 2 miles from the Islands of Sanibel and Captiva. Unparalleled setting. Unparalleled lifestyle. ™ Shell Point is a nonprofit ministry of The Christian and Missionary Alliance Foundation, Inc. www.shellpoint.org Time: 9:30 A.M. ©2018 Shell Point. All rights reserved. SLS-3549-18 Monday, April 23, 2018 Tuesday, May 22, 2018 L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 12 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties MARKETPLACE
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Boycotting Israeli products ferent groups and political bodies who (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) move- is “art-washing,” the use of art and cul- and imposing cultural restrictions does asked me not to come here. I refused. I ment? Yes, it has been affected, and in ture to cover up the oppression of Israel nothing to improve the lives of Palestin- do what I think, and I have many friends quite a big way. and give a picture of normalcy. The ians. Critics of Israeli peace policy and who support Israel.” You may not recognize the names proponents of BDS claim Israel uses peace activists oppose BDS campaigns Arlene Stolnitz, founder of the Sara- of some of these art-washing as a form of propaganda, as being counterproductive. The cultural sota Jewish Chorale, is a member of performers unless that is, using culture as a weapon. boycott attempts to prevent Israeli artists the Jewish Congregation of Venice. A you are a pop mu- Who are some of the supporters from performing anywhere in the world retired educator from Rochester, New sic fan, one who of BDS and who are their opponents? and to block international artists from York, she has sung in choral groups for follows the ac- There are a core of singers and celebri- appearing in Israel. over 25 years and also sings in Venice’s tivities of these ties who have resisted the pressure im- It would do us well to remember Chorale (formerly Exsultate!). Her stars in the world posed on them. British singer Morrissey the words of Sir Elton John, who wrote interest in choral music has led to this of music. Travel- is a resister as well as Boy George, who in 2010, “Musicians spread love and series of articles on Jewish folk music ing worldwide in recently performed in Tel Aviv wearing peace, and bring people together.” And in the Diaspora. performance, they a Star of David decorated suit. Others Arlene Stolnitz appear in every have been outspoken also. J.K. Rowling, country to throngs of adoring fans – renowned author of the Harry Potter PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO SUPPORT every country that is, except Israel. series, musician Jon Bon Jovi, the late OUR FEDERATION & HELP MAKE L’CHAYIM POSSIBLE. There is a move on, you see, to prevent Joan Rivers, radio shock jock Howard these musicians from performing in Stern, and English-born music producer Israel. Simon Cowell have been positive advo- When musicians sign contracts to cates for Israel by encouraging singers appear in Israel, they are pressured to to perform. cancel. In fact, last year, several mu- Those who openly support the sicians withdrew from Berlin’s Pop- Palestinian movement include singer Kultur Festival over its partnership Rihanna, former Daily Show host Jon with the Israeli embassy. Worldwide, Stewart, basketball star Dwight How- hundreds of musicians have refused to ard, singer Selena Gomez, rapper Lupe Honest, caring and appear in Israel. Fiasco, actresses Penelope Cruz and In case you need a refresher on Emma Thompson, late physicist Stephen knowledgable advice BDS, it is a non-violent Palestinian-led Hawking, actor Danny Glover, and Pink about assisted campaign that encourages the with- Floyd songwriter Roger Waters, who has living options… drawal of all investment in Israeli and been one of the most vocal proponents international companies. The campaign of BDS. Then there is South African at no cost to you! claims that Israel violates Palestinian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop rights, and according to international Desmond Tutu, who has compared the Personal and professional law, is running an apartheid state. The Israeli government to South Africa’s advice for you or a loved one group promotes Israel’s withdrawal former apartheid regime. There are many when you need it the most from the occupied territories, removal others…too long a list to include here. of the separation barrier from the West What is the answer? There are Bruce B. Rosenblatt, Owner Senior Housing Expert Bank, full equality for Arab-Palestinians many reasons to oppose BDS. First and of Israel, and promotion of the right of foremost is that the movement does not 239.595.0207 return of Palestinian refugees. recognize the State of Israel and seeks its www.SeniorHousingSolutions.net Besides a ban on doing business destruction. Then, the BDS movement
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AL License #12385 COA #08075 L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 14 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD Israel steps in to help teachers after Parkland shooting Israeli trauma experts arrive in Florida to offer coping strategies a day before the children go back to lessons at Stoneman Douglas High School. By Abigail Klein Leichman, ISRAEL21c, www.israel21c.org, March 7, 2018 en days after the shooting at helped deal with all over the world.” far, ITC has sent 17 delegations abroad – Associates of Broward-Counseling Stoneman Douglas High School Dagan felt that most of the profes- usually two or three professionals from Centers of Goodman JFS and the Jewish Tin Parkland, Florida, experts sionals and lay people are now better ITC partner organizations who speak Federation of Broward County. from the Israel Trauma Coalition ar- equipped to understand what they went the local language. Ongoing ITC trainings in Houston, rived at the community to guide teach- through and to intervene using practical “Outside of Israel, 95 percent with three more scheduled for this year, ers, clinicians, law enforcers, first of the time we do are funded by the UJA-Federation of responders, social workers, parents and not provide direct New York. ITC’s work in Las Vegas, clergy through a “day after” strategy care,” Levanon ex- funded by Jewish Nevada, is getting for helping people face the future with plains. “It’s the local started with a “mapping mission” resilience. professionals who to identify local partners, needs and Seventeen people were killed in know the commu- resources. In Mexico, local Jewish the shooting – 14 students and three nity and the culture. Federations are supporting ITC training staff members – making it one of the Our purpose is to through the Joint Distribution Commit- world’s deadliest school massacres. The train them in wellbe- tee (JDC). community, which had never dealt with ing, resilience and Michael Balaban, president and a shooting on this scale, was in shock. coping skills, and to chief executive officer of the Jewish “It was devastating,” says Nancy provide tools to take Federation of Broward County, said, Teitelbaum, senior director of marketing care of themselves “We know that the need for these kinds and communications at Goodman Jew- and others. of resources is, unfortunately, going ish Family Services of Broward County. Israel Trauma Coalition professionals Yotam Dagan and Alan Cohen “Wherever we to be long lasting, and we know that “Everyone in our small community in lead a training session for 600 community leaders in southern Florida go, we always focus we have a partnership with the ITC after the Parkland school shooting Parkland is affected.” on the strengths of that allows us to lean on them for that Teitelbaum has a son in 11th grade tools developed in Israel. But there is the people and how they cope as individ- expertise over the long haul.” at Stoneman Douglas, and he was at more to be done. uals or as part of the community. When Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and the school on the day of the shooting. “The situation in the Parkland area someone from the outside comes to help associate editor at ISRAEL21c. Prior Her older son graduated from the same didn’t end when we left,” says Dagan. they bring a fresh perspective and can to moving to Israel in 2007, she was school just a year ago. “There is still work to do and we will see your pain and your strengths.” a specialty writer and copy editor at a “Most counselors, teachers and go again soon. As we did in the Philip- ITC’s sessions in Florida were co- daily newspaper in New Jersey and has clinicians have never dealt with a mass pines four years ago, in Florida we hope ordinated by the Israeli Ministry of For- freelanced for a variety of newspapers shooting,” she tells ISRAEL21c. “They to select a smaller group to be trainers, eign Affairs with the Consulate General and periodicals since 1984. have no frame of reference.” leaving our model in place when we go of Israel in Miami, Behavioral Health That’s exactly what the Israeli team back home.” came to provide. ITC members Yotam ITC professionals offer their exper- Dagan from Natal Israel Center for tise following crises across the globe. Trauma and Resilience, and Alan Cohen Currently, ITC is actively assisting com- BRIEFS from the Community Stress Prevention munities in Houston in the wake of Hur- ISRAELI FOOD TECH in order to combat the Mediterranean Center, led sessions for about 600 com- ricane Harvey last August; in Mexico IS BOOMING fruit fly. munity leaders in the Parkland area. after a deadly September earthquake; in Israeli start-up companies are finding The sterile male flies mate with fe- Returning to normalcy Las Vegas following a mass shooting in new ideas to change the way we think male flies infesting the crops, thus pre- “We got there the first day teachers went October; and now in Florida. about, produce and eat food. venting the creation of the next genera- back to school and the day before stu- “So many disasters are happening Inno-Bev has created a plant-based tion of fruit flies. dents went back to school, so we were in the world and we always try to see if drink that keeps El Al pilots awake The technique is an environmen- very relevant in teaching them how to we can help,” says ITC Director Talia during long flights. tally-friendly and chemical-free pest handle that period with some kind of Levanon, a clinical social worker who SuperMeat is developing lab-made control method. (Lidar Grave-Lazi, normalcy,” Dagan, a seasoned clinical has flown to several countries – in addi- chicken meat. Jerusalem Post) psychologist, tells ISRAEL21c. tion to overseeing ITC’s work in Israel Hargol runs a commercial farm “The psychological shockwaves – to train leaders in community-based producing grasshoppers as a source of ISRAEL NOTES ADVANCES of the event have been tremendous. healing and resilience. protein. IN ANTI-TUNNEL Almost everyone had a connection Helping the helpers Other companies are developing TECHNOLOGY with someone on the scene. We met as The ITC was created in 2002, a year new solutions to check for food safety. Advances in anti-tunnel technology many community members as we could, of unrelenting terror attacks in Israel, Inspecto is working on a portable de- have provided the Israeli military with enabled them to talk about their trauma to harness the collective knowledge, vice that detects contaminants in food, new means of heading off attacks from and then shared Israeli best practices for expertise and experience of Israel’s like residues of fertilizer. Palestinian militants based in Gaza, an the day after.” governmental and non-governmental Yarok has invented a microbio- Israeli military official who heads the “What was really apparent was trauma management organizations. logical test which allows to check for underground-warfare section of the that the experts from Israel really knew Originally focused on direct care, bacteria in food in 45 minutes; the tests IDF’s technological unit said recently. what they were talking about,” says Te- the umbrella organization expanded to in use now take up to 72 hours and the He noted that the new technology had itelbaum. “They have deep experience professional training for community results are often inaccurate. (Simone resulted in the elimination of at least and long-term insight from what they’ve resilience and national emergency pre- Somekh, Tablet) three tunnels since October. “We know seen at home and from crises they’ve paredness in Israel and elsewhere. Thus what we’re doing now... We have a CAPE TOWN MAY DRY good plan,” he said. UP BECAUSE OF AN The official suggested that the AVERSION TO ISRAEL technology was based on techniques Water taps in Cape Town, South Af- used by the oil and gas industries, rica, are expected to go dry on July 9, which sometimes employ seismic or due to drought, inept management, and sound waves to prospect for minerals a devotion to anti-Israel ideology. or fossil fuels. Detection technology Israel has trained water technicians needed to distinguish between concrete in more than 100 countries, and in or open space associated with tunnels, and naturally occurring clay or sand. Ronny S Taschner DDS 2016, Israel’s Foreign Ministry offered to bring in desalination experts to help, Looking for tunnels is basically a task Active Member of the American Academy of Periodontology of finding “the right anomaly,” he said. but South African officials ignored or rebuffed the no-strings Israeli proposal. He also described advances in Jennifer Taschner DDS MMSc If the South Africans are snubbing technologies used to destroy tunnels Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology the Israelis out of solidarity with the once they have been detected. The IDF Palestinians, they might want to con- is now able to detonate tunnels in cer- sider that the Palestinian Authority has tain instances with minimal damage to worked with Israel on a range of water surface structures. (Missy Ryan, Wash- projects since 1995. ington Post) Israel provides the PA with more than half the water for domestic con- HOW EGYPT WILL GAIN sumption by Palestinians in the West FROM THE GAS DEAL Bank. And it pipes more than 2.5 bil- WITH ISRAEL lion gallons of water into Hamas-con- Egypt is the only country in the eastern trolled Gaza each year. (Seth M. Sie- Mediterranean that has the infrastruc- gel, Wall Street Journal) ture for liquefying natural gas, with two of the world’s largest liquefaction WHY IS ISRAEL plants: SEGAS and Egyptian LNG, SCATTERING MILLIONS which were established 15 years ago at 1645 Medical Lane, Fort Myers, FL OF FLIES AROUND GAZA? a cost of $3.2 billion but are now ly- Every week, 33 million flies are scat- ing idle. The Egyptian company Dol- Phone 239-936-0635 tered from airplanes onto orchards phinus Holdings is to purchase $15 Visit Our Website www.taschnerperio.com and agricultural farmland surrounding billion of Israeli gas over 10 years, to Gaza by Israel’s Agriculture Ministry continued on next page L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 15
has been. Notably, despite endless Israel steps in to help teachers after Parkland shooting talk about the Democratic party BRIEFS “turning against Israel” under Obama, Democratic support for Is- continued from previous page DISCOVER WHAT IT’S rael is essentially the same in 2018 be delivered to the liquefaction stations (49%) as it was when Obama took in Damietta and Edco. The Egyptian office in 2008 (48%). LIKE TO HAVE AN company will then export the liquefied Israel is viewed even more posi- Israeli gas to Europe. tively than head-to-head polling What will happen with the Israeli about the Israeli-Palestinian con- EXCEPTIONAL DAY, gas will also happen with Cypriot, flict would indicate. When asked Greek and Lebanese gas. Consequent- simply whether they viewed Israel ly, Egypt will be the main center for the favorably (rather than to choose a EVERY DAY. export of gas to Europe. In addition to side in the conflict), “83% of Re- the expected profit from the deal, the publicans, 72% of independents gas will allow Egypt to establish new and 64% of Democrats view Israel projects in the field of petrochemicals. favorably.” It is now incumbent on Egypt to deal Support for Israel is higher among with this agreement as a direct Egyptian older brackets, but still robust interest that constitutes a purely non- among the young. As Gallup puts 2674 Winkler Avenue political trade agreement. (Abdellatif it, “Israel also receives higher fa- Fort Myers, FL 33901 El-Menawy, Arab News - Saudi Arabia) vorable ratings from adults 55 and 239-275-7800 older (80% favorable) than from EGYPT GAS DEAL A CAUSE those 35 to 54 (72%) or 18 to 34 FOR CELEBRATION (65%).” (Yair Rosenberg, Tablet) Celebration is in order after the opera- tors of the Tamar and Leviathan natu- ISRAEL TO BROADCAST ral-gas fields off Israel’s coast signed a 2018 SOCCER WORLD $15 billion deal with an Egyptian con- CUP TO ARAB STATES sortium in Israel’s biggest gas export FOR FREE deal to date. The claim that no Arab One of the most watched events in the neighbor would be willing to enter into world, the FIFA World Cup, will be an agreement with Israel was wrong. broadcast via satellite in Arabic for free As soon as a proper pipeline is set up, by the Israel Broadcasting Authority. the Israeli gas will be transferred to The Israel Foreign Ministry called Egypt, where it will be liquefied and the move “a historic step that confirms exported to Europe. the status of the Arabic language and Geopolitically, the deal fortifies Israel’s respect for it.” commercial ties with Egypt and pro- The IBA paid $7.8 million to pur- vides an example of how it is possible chase the rights to broadcast the 2018 to do business with the Jewish state. Is- World Cup. rael signed a deal with the Jordan Elec- For millions of soccer fans in tric Power Company in 2016. Now two Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, to watch Arab countries that share borders with the World Cup costs $45 per household Israel shared an appreciation of Israel’s through Qatar’s beIN Sports channel. contribution to their own well-being. (i24News) Additional export deals are reportedly in the offing with Greece, Turkey, Bul- IS FAVORING ISRAEL AN garia and Cyprus. AMERICAN NATIONAL The Egyptian sale will provide funding to develop the Leviathan field, SECURITY INTEREST? The State Department, over the years, which still has not begun producing. has been reluctant to “take sides” in the The deal also provides Israel with ad- Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, ditional tax revenues. this has magnified Palestinian intran- Skeptics have claimed that export- sigence, while draining American tax- ing gas will mean that less is left for payer dollars, propping up a corrupt Israel. However, less than half is slated Palestinian Authority without demand- for export, and Israel has enough gas ing anything substantial of it. to provide its needs for about 50 years, For the U.S., there is no better even if no new reserves are discovered. source of reliable information in the (Jerusalem Post) Middle East than Israel. The Israelis POLL: AMERICANS live in this bad neighborhood and un- REMAIN STAUNCHLY derstand the realities better than those on the outside. It was Israel that dis- IN ISRAEL’S CORNER covered the North Korean-built Syrian Americans’ stance on the Israeli-Pales- nuclear reactor and destroyed it. Can What does exceptional senior living mean to you? At tinian conflict is as strongly pro-Israel you imagine if there were loose nukes The Palms of Fort Myers it means a lifestyle where as at any time in Gallup’s three-decade in today’s Syria? 24-hour Five Star service meets a world of opportunities. trend. Today the U.S. has a reliable naval Savor a delicious meal prepared for you by our culinary In a poll taken February 1-10, 64% port in Haifa, joint military exercises say their sympathies in the dispute lie preparing its soldiers, American troops team or whip up something special in your own more with the Israelis, tying the high manning the X-band anti-missile sys- kitchen. Take an exercise class with your neighbors previously recorded in 2013 and 1991. tem in Israel to protect Europe, Israeli or start your day with our Coffee and Crosswords Just 19% of Americans sympathize security technology for U.S. homeland group. Our lifestyle is designed for the way you live. more with the Palestinians, slightly security, and Israel’s advances in drone higher than the 15% in Gallup’s initial technology to benefit our military. DISCOVER: 1988 measurement. You need only to look at Erdogan’s Currently, 74% of U.S. adults view Turkey, the eastern flank of NATO, • Month-to-month rental community Israel favorably and 23% view it un- to know how important Israel has be- • Five Star Dining Experience, featuring Signature favorably, whereas 21% view the Pal- come to American long-term security recipes estinian Authority favorably and 71% interests in the region. Favoring Israel unfavorably. is an American national security inter- • Lifestyle360 program offering a full-schedule of This results in a strong tendency est. (Eric R. Mandel, director of the activities for Americans to sympathize with Isra- Middle East Political and Information el in the conflict and to call for greater Network, The Hill) • Variety of in-house religious services diplomatic pressure on the Palestin- • Scheduled local transportation for medical ians. (Lydia Saad, Gallup) ISRAEL DISTRIBUTES FOOD AID TO REFUGEES appointments and shopping AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR • 24-hour care available, should your needs change ISRAEL AT RECORD HIGH: IN SOUTH SUDAN An Israeli Foreign Ministry delegation • Exceptional senior living experiences WHAT THE GALLUP POLL headed by Ambassador to South Sudan SAYS Hanan Goder recently distributed 20 Call to see how you can live the Recently, Gallup released its annual tons of food to refugees affected by the poll on American attitudes toward Is- civil war there. exceptional life today! rael and the Israeli-Palestinian con- Goder also announced that Israel flict. As it has for decades, the survey will receive 60 students from South showed overwhelming American sup- www.ThePalmsAtFortMyers.com Sudan for agricultural training in the INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING port for Israel. coming year, up from 20 students this What is remarkable about the poll- MEMORY CARE • REHABILITATION year. (Itamar Eichner, Ynet News) Assisted Living Facility License #AL07269 ing on Israel is how consistent it Pet continued on next page continued on page 17 ©2018 Five Star Senior Living Friendly L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 16 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD FIDF supporters heading to Poland and Israel Organization recognized for largest global Jewish bone marrow registry; with Holocaust survivors and Israeli Army officers unveils recipient story alongside new campaign. ore than 150 Friends of the Auschwitz survivor Leon Shear, 91, presence of our people’s bravest – the near-extinction in Europe, the creation Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) who was born in Bedzin, Poland, and soldiers of the IDF – fills my spirit with of the State of Israel 70 years ago as the Msupporters from across the watched his mother and sister being new hope,” said Shear, who plans to say Jewish homeland, and the new genera- United States will embark on a mission sent to the gas chambers at Auschwitz- a special prayer for those murdered at tion of Jewish defenders who safeguard to Poland and Israel, April 12-20, with Birkenau. Except for his brother, who the camp. “I haven’t forgotten you, and our legacy today. Marching tall and Holocaust survivors and 50 soldiers and also resides in the United States, his our people will always remember what proud into the dreadful Auschwitz- officers representing all branches of the entire family perished in the Holocaust. happened there.” Birkenau camps together with IDF of- Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The mis- Shear now lives in Beachwood, Ohio. Also joining the group from Is- ficers and the survivors who somehow sion is the largest in FIDF’s history, and His son, Howard, and grandson, Jeremy, rael will be Holocaust survivors Giselle endured there, all while flying the Israeli will celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary, will accompany him on his journey to “Gita” Cycowicz, 91, Eva Lavi, 81, and flag, sends a powerful message to the as well as the establishment of the IDF Poland and Israel. Arie Oz, 82. Cycowicz was born in the world that we will never forget; ‘Never on May 26, 1948, two weeks after the “I survived two years at Auschwitz, town of Khust, then creation of the State of Israel. but it was as if time stood still in that part of Czechoslo- Joining the delegation will be hell. To return to this awful place in the vakia, in the Car- pathian Mountains, and survived five months in Birkenau. At just six years old, Lavi was the youngest person on German industrialist Oskar Schindler’s Leon Shear (fourth from left) with his family before the war. Only Leon list, which helped and his brother, Sam (left), survived. (Photo courtesy of the Shear family) spare the lives of some 1,200 Jews who Forget’ is the guarantee of ‘Never were destined for Auschwitz. Born in Again.’ Thanks to a strong IDF – one of Germany, Oz fled to Holland, where the world’s most moral armies – we can a Christian family hid him. From their make sure that the Holocaust cannot and attic, he watched Allied bombers at- will not ever happen again.” tack the Nazis and dreamed of one day “This mission comes at a crucial becoming a pilot. Oz moved to Israel time, and is one of the last opportunities after the war and joined the Israeli Air for survivors to return to Auschwitz and Force, flying in Israel’s historic wars and tell of its horrors,” said Weintraub. “We IAF Commander of Aerial Defense Brig. Gen. Zvika Haimovich; Auschwitz-Birkenau survivor Giselle operations, and retiring with the rank of will pass through the gates of hell, ignor- “Gita” Cycowicz; FIDF National Vice President Robert Cohen; Auschwitz-Birkenau survivor Bronia lieutenant colonel. ing the false promise that ‘work will set Brandman; and FIDF National Director and CEO Maj. Gen. (Res.) Meir Klifi-Amir walking through the Led by FIDF National President you free,’ where countless Jews suffered entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau, beneath the infamous sign that reads “work sets you free,” in German, on April 27, 2017 (Photo credit: Shahar Azran) Peter Weintraub and FIDF National from unimaginable cold, hunger and Director and CEO Maj. Gen. (Res.) despair. We’ll be surrounded by those Meir Klifi-Amir, the nine-day “From who survived within the camps’ walls, Holocaust to Independence” mission and also by those who make sure their will span Jewish history, from its darkest stories are not forgotten – the brave moments to its most triumphant. Israeli soldiers who protect their legacy: the soldiers and Holocaust survivors will State of Israel and the Jewish diaspora.” accompany the FIDF supporters on a About Friends of the trip across Poland, starting in Krakow, Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) once home to more than 60,000 Jews, FIDF was established in 1981 by a and tracing the community’s steps from group of Holocaust survivors as a the city’s ghetto to the Buczyna forest, 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization where the Nazis executed more than with the mission of offering educational, 800 children, and then to the Auschwitz- cultural, recreational and social pro- Birkenau concentration and extermina- grams and facilities that provide hope, tion camps. purpose and life-changing support for The entire delegation will then fly the soldiers who protect Israel and Jews to Israel, where they will visit IDF bases worldwide. Today, FIDF has more than and meet soldiers serving on Israel’s 150,000 loyal supporters, and 20 chap- front lines, commemorate Yom HaZi- ters throughout the United States and For daily news stories related karon – Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen Panama. FIDF proudly supports IDF soldiers and victims of terror – and cel- soldiers, families of fallen soldiers, and to Israel & the Jewish world, ebrate Israel’s 70th Independence Day. wounded veterans through a variety of “This historic delegation traces the innovative programs that reinforce the visit the Federation’s website at modern history of the Jewish people vital bond between the communities in through the memories of Holocaust the United States, the soldiers of the www.JewishFederationLCC.org. survivors and the eyes of IDF officers,” IDF, and the State of Israel. For more said Klifi-Amir. “It tells the story of our information, visit www.fidf.org. Sundays at 4:00 P.M. Jewish Federation Community Room 9701 Commerce Center Ct. Fort Myers 33908
ISRAELI DANCING IS FOR ALL AGES Everyone is welcome, no partner is needed and no previous experience is necessary. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle. Better yet, bring a friend — the more the merrier!
RSVP necessary each week to Marsha Kistler [email protected] L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 17 FIDF supporters heading to Poland and Israel Ezer Mizion launches #SharedLife at AIPAC conference Organization recognized for largest global Jewish bone marrow registry; with Holocaust survivors and Israeli Army officers unveils recipient story alongside new campaign. near-extinction in Europe, the creation EW YORK, NY, March 8, 2018 received recognition for building and candidates from each recruitment cycle. guests were on-site to share in the of the State of Israel 70 years ago as the – Ezer Mizion, the largest non- maintaining the largest Jewish bone To date, its database has 885,264 regis- celebrations. Israeli supermodel Bar Jewish homeland, and the new genera- profit organization providing marrow registry. trants (including 470,038 IDF recruits), Refaeli, a registry member since 2009, tion of Jewish defenders who safeguardN health support services in Israel and the In 1998, Dr. Bracha and Moti Zisser has successfully matched nearly 12,000 has generously lent her support through our legacy today. Marching tall andlargest Jewish bone marrow registry… founded the Ezer Mizion’s bone mar- patients, and has facilitated nearly 3,000 social media to bring awareness to proud into the dreadful Auschwitz-saving lives globally, launched its new row registry. What originally began as transplants. #SharedLife. Birkenau camps together with IDF of-campaign, #SharedLife, at the Ameri- a small project has today expanded to Dr. Bracha Zisser, Director of the About Ezer Mizion ficers and the survivors who somehowcan Israel Public Affairs Committee be the largest Jewish-specific registry Registry, debuted the new campaign Established in 1979 by Chananya endured there, all while flying the Israeli(AIPAC) Annual Policy Conference. around the world. Through its exclusive and unveiled a donor/recipient duo to Chollak, Ezer Mizion is one of the flag, sends a powerful message to theThe campaign showcases the strong partnership, formed in 2005, with the Is- demonstrate its impact. Steve Arnow’s largest nonprofit organizations in Israel world that we will never forget; ‘Neverconnection between a donor and a rael Defense Forces, Ezer Mizion is able journey began when he was diag- providing medical support services. recipient. Additionally, Ezer Mizion to obtain a fresh pool of pre-screened nosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome. The organization’s goal is to positively Through Ezer Mizion, he connected impact the lives of the sick, disabled, faster and more consistently than near- with IDF soldier/donor Gev Blau for elderly and underprivileged. It benefits ly any other in the OECD for the past a transplant. The two were introduced 670,000+ people annually, has 25,000+ BRIEFS 15 years,” said OECD acting Chief for an emotional first-meeting on the volunteers, and an annual budget of Economist Alvaro Pereira. (Ariel continued from page 15 AIPAC stage. $100M. One of its key initiatives is the Whitman, Israel Hayom) To honor Ezer Mizion, AIPAC largest Jewish bone marrow registry. TH ISRAEL IS 11 HAPPIEST shared an emotional video showcasing To learn more, please visit www.ezer NATION IN THE WORLD BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL the organization’s impact. Honorable mizion.org. Israel remains the 11th happiest country PARTICIPANTS SAVE Leon Shear (fourth from left) with his family before the war. Only Leon in the world for the fifth year running, OVER 200 LIVES and his brother, Sam (left), survived. (Photo courtesy of the Shear family) according to the UN’s annual “World More than 53,000 participants in Birth- Forget’ is the guarantee of ‘NeverHappiness Report,” published March 14. right Israel have given tissue samples Again.’ Thanks to a strong IDF – one of The report for the first time evalu- for testing to see if they can be bone the world’s most moral armies – we canated 117 countries by the happiness marrow donors. 1,543 matches were make sure that the Holocaust cannot and and well-being of their immigrants. It made and 205 saved others’ lives. (Judy will not ever happen again.” notes that Jews who immigrated to Is- Siegel-Itzkovich, Jerusalem Post) “This mission comes at a crucial rael from the former Soviet Union have time, and is one of the last opportunities much better lives than before they im- ISRAEL HAS HIGHEST for survivors to return to Auschwitz andmigrated. (Times of Israel) FERTILITY RATE tell of its horrors,” said Weintraub. “We IN THE WEST will pass through the gates of hell, ignor-OECD: ISRAEL ONE OF The average number of children per ing the false promise that ‘work will setWORLD’S LEADING mother in Israel – 3.11 in 2016 – is the you free,’ where countless Jews sufferedECONOMIES highest in the West, according to Cen- from unimaginable cold, hunger and A new report by the 35-member Or- tral Bureau of Statistics data published despair. We’ll be surrounded by those ganization for Economic Cooperation Tuesday, March 13. who survived within the camps’ walls,and Development has found that the In most OECD countries, fertility and also by those who make sure theirIsraeli economy is one of the strongest rates in recent years were less than 2.1. stories are not forgotten – the bravein the world. Israel’s economy grew by 73.9% of babies born in Israel in soldiers who protect their legacy: the 3.3% in 2017, helped by strong popu- 2016 were born to Jewish women, State of Israel and the Jewish diaspora.”lation growth and a robust high-tech 20.7% to Muslims, 1.4% to Christians, About Friends of the sector, and the OECD forecasts 3.5% 1.3% to Druze and 2.6% not classified. Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) growth in 2018. (Amir Alon, Ynet News) FIDF was established in 1981 by a “The Israeli economy has grown continued on page 24 group of Holocaust survivors as a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization with the mission of offering educational, cultural, recreational and social pro- grams and facilities that provide hope, purpose and life-changing support for the soldiers who protect Israel and Jews worldwide. Today, FIDF has more than 150,000 loyal supporters, and 20 chap- ters throughout the United States and Panama. FIDF proudly supports IDF soldiers, families of fallen soldiers, and wounded veterans through a variety of innovative programs that reinforce the vital bond between the communities in the United States, the soldiers of the IDF, and the State of Israel. For more information, visit www.fidf.org. Sundays at 4:00 P.M. Jewish Federation Community Room 9701 Commerce Center Ct. Fort Myers 33908
ISRAELI DANCING IS FOR ALL AGES Everyone is welcome, no partner is needed and no previous experience is necessary. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle. Better yet, bring a friend — the more the merrier!
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Opinions and letters printed in L’CHAYIM do not necessarily reflect the views of the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties, its Board of Directors or staff, or its advertisers. Shame: 10 ways Israel is treated differently Three billboards east of Fort Myers By David Harris, AJC CEO, January 4, 2018 he recent focus on the Jerusalem more questionable than Israel’s, such as got through. No UN official since has the Human Rights Council. issue is a telling reminder that those that were created by brute force, pushed for resettlement. Indeed, astonishingly, every year, TIsrael is treated according to occupation or distant mapmakers. Just Moreover, the UNRWA and UN- Israel is on the receiving end of more a totally different standard than other look around at how many nations fit HCR definitions of a refugee differ such efforts than the other 192 UN countries in the international system. those categories – including, by the markedly. Whereas the UNHCR ser- member states combined. No one can Of course, Israel deserves attention way, quite a few Arab countries. Why, vices only those who’ve actually fled seriously argue that this is remotely and scrutiny as does every other nation. then, is it open hunting season only on their homelands, the UNRWA definition warranted, but it’s a reality because But it also merits equal treatment – noth- Israel? Could it possibly have anything covers “the descendants of persons who in every UN body except the Security ing more, nothing less. to do with the fact that it’s the only became refugees in 1948,” without any Council, where each of the five perma- First, Israel is the only state whose Jewish-majority country in the world? generational limitations. nent members has a veto, it’s all about capital city, Jerusalem, with which the Third, Israel is the only UN member Fifth, Israel is the only country that majority voting. Jewish people have been umbilically state that’s been targeted for annihilation has won all its major wars for survival When close to two-thirds of the linked for more than 3,000 years, is not by another UN member state. and self-defense, yet is confronted by world’s nations today belong to the recognized by almost all other countries. Think about it. The leadership of defeated adversaries who have insisted Non-Aligned Movement, and when Imagine the absurdity of this. For- Iran, together with Iran-funded proxies on dictating the terms of peace. they elected a country like Iran as its eign diplomats live in Tel Aviv while in Lebanon and Gaza, has repeatedly In doing so, ironically, they’ve chair from 2013 to 2016, followed by conducting virtually all their business called for wiping Israel off the map. Is found support from many countries Venezuela, the current leader, that just in Jerusalem, where the prime minis- there any other country facing such a which, victorious in war themselves, about says it all. ter’s office, the Knesset (Parliament), stated goal of genocidal destruction? demanded – and, yes, got – major border And tenth, Israel is the only state the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Meanwhile, a majority of countries adjustments. A quick glance at, say, ear- targeted by the BDS (boycott, divest- Foreign Affairs are located. continues to conduct business as usual lier maps of Europe and today’s amply ment and sanctions) movement. In fact, look at listings of world with Tehran, as if this threat to another illustrates the point. Has anyone seen any significant cities, including places of birth in nation was either welcome or somehow Sixth, Israel is the only country in campus activity that takes aim at true passports, and you’ll see something deemed irrelevant. the world with a separate – and perma- human rights offenders, including some striking – Paris, France; Tokyo, Japan; Fourth, the UN has two agencies nent – agenda item, #7, at the Geneva- in Israel’s neighborhood, who behead,Poland’s new law Pretoria, South Africa; Lima, Peru; and dealing with refugees. based UN Human Rights Council. forcibly convert and expel Christians; Jerusalem, sans country – orphaned, if One, the United Nations High No other member state, including drop chemically-laced barrel bombs on his past February a new law was you will. Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), serial human-rights violators like North civilians; deny Palestinians full rights; enacted and approved by Presi- Second, Israel is the only UN mem- focuses on all the world’s refugee popu- Korea, Syria, Iran and Sudan, gets its persecute LGBT communities; and use Tdent Andrzej Duda of Poland. It ber state whose very right to exist is lations, save one. The other, the United own agenda item. capital punishment, even for minors,states, anyone suggesting Poland was under constant challenge. Nations Relief and Works Agency for Only the sole liberal democracy in with abandon? complicit in the Holocaust could face Notwithstanding the fact that Israel Palestine (UNRWA), handles only the the Middle East is treated in this bla- Has any student group tried to pre-fines or even imprisonment of up to embodies an age-old connection with Palestinians. tantly biased manner because that’s the vent undergraduates from traveling tothree years. The law makes it illegal to the Jewish people, as repeatedly cited in But the difference goes beyond way it works – the bad guys circle the any country other than Israel, as was theaccuse the Polish nation of having taken the most widely read book in the world, the anomaly of two structures and two wagons to protect one another, and, at case with an earlier “pledge” circulatedpart in the atrocities and the systematic the Bible; that it was reborn based on the bureaucracies. In fact, they have two the same time, gang up on Israel, creat- at UCLA? mass murder of Jews committed by the 1947 recommendation of the UN; and strikingly different mandates. ing an automatic majority against it. Has anyone seen any flotillas orGermans during World War II. that it has been a member of the world UNHCR seeks to resettle refugees; Seventh, Israel is the only country flytillas organized by European far-left For the better part of 73 years, Poles body since 1949, there’s a relentless UNRWA does not. When, in 1951, John condemned by name at the World Health groups that don’t involve an anti-Israelhave been grappling with their com- chorus denying Israel’s very political Blanford, UNRWA’s then-director, pro- Organization as a “violator” of health angle? plicity in the destruction of 3,000,000 legitimacy. posed resettling up to 250,000 refugees rights. Has anyone seen movements forJews in Poland. According to the Jewish No one would dare question the in nearby Arab countries, those coun- This canard is registered despite companies to pull out of any country Virtual Library, this equates to 90% of right to exist of many other countries tries reacted with rage and refused, the fact that Israel provides world-class other than Israel? the pre-final solution Jewish population whose basis for statehood is infinitely leading to his departure. The message medical assistance to Syrians wounded Turkey, to take one example, has in that country. Of the 21 European in the country’s civil war and Palestin- brazenly and unjustifiably occupied one-countries overrun by the Nazis from ians living in Hamas-ruled Gaza; has third of the island nation of Cyprus for1939-1945, not unsurprisingly, Ukraine achieved one of the world’s highest 44 years, deployed an estimated 40,000accounted for the second most deaths, Fall 2018 life expectancy rates for all its citizens, Turkish troops there, and transferred 900,000. Educational Scholarships Jewish and non-Jewish alike; is among countless settlers there from Anatolia, This new law also grants the gov- the very first medical responders to yet there’s not a peep about Ankara fromernment the right to restrict different interpretations of the past. So much for Available humanitarian crises wherever they may those who purport to act in the name of occur, from Haiti to Nepal; and is daily “justice” and against “occupation.” the much ballyhooed Polish gambit in advancing the frontiers of medicine for Given political realities, tacklingdemocracy. It’s nothing less than an at- everyone, something that can’t be said any of these instances of egregioustempt to rewrite Polish history accord- for too many other nations. double standards and blatant hypocrisying to nationalist political aspirations. Eighth, Israel is the only country can be a daunting challenge. And, still In an article published in Haaretz, that’s the continuous target of three worse, this list is not complete. Polish-born historian Jan Grabowski Scholarship standing UN bodies established and The old advertisement proclaimedwas lambasted and eventually won a applications are staffed solely for the purpose of advanc- that you don’t have to be Jewish to lovelawsuit against a Polish website for an ing the Palestinian cause and bashing Levy’s Jewish rye bread. Well, surely,annotated book he recently had pub- now available for Israel – the Committee on the Exercise you don’t have to be a pro-Israel activistlished: Hunt For the Jews: Betrayal Jewish residents of Lee of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestin- to be troubled by the grotesquely unjustand Murder in German-Occupied Po- and Charlotte Counties, ian People; the Special Committee to treatment of Israel. All it takes is a capac- Florida, wishing to pursue Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting ity for moral outrage that things like this the Human Rights of the Palestinian are happening in today’s world. postsecondary education. People; and the Division for Palestin- I D ian Rights in the UN’s Department of The AJC West Coast Florida Political Affairs. office, located in Sarasota, newspapers don’t fly… Ninth, Israel is the only country annually targeted by at least 20 UN Gen- can be reached at however your address will Applicants must be under eral Assembly resolutions and countless 30 years of age and priority measures in other UN bodies, such as 941.365.4955. will be given to full-time stu- dents. Funding is limited and decisions will be based primarily on financial need.
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Opinions and letters printed in L’CHAYIM do not necessarily reflect the views of the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties, its Board of Directors or staff, or its advertisers. Three billboards east of Fort Myers By Rabbi Michael J. Schorin s we leave the Academy there is another picture of matzah and have 18 minutes to get the matzah in on to Mt. Sinai, and on to the Promised Awards and head to Passover, the word next to it is “humility.” Well, the oven. Similarly, our ego’s tendency Land. And it is our faith, too, which Aforgive me if I use a cinematic that’s interesting, you think. What con- to rise needs to be countered every so reminds us that even if life can be dif- metaphor. Imagine you’re on a road nects matzah and humility? Pharaoh, often. ficult, and our ordeals can be bitter, and and you see three billboards coming Passover’s bad boy, would never have And then we drive up to the third Pharaoh can be a frightening opponent, up. As you get closer, you see the first eaten matzah, for he saw himself as a billboard. Once again, we see the same this journey is our exodus, as well. Per- one has a picture of a matzah and the god. He was a master of “chutzpah.” picture of a piece of matzah, but this haps that is why the Haggadah tells us, words “bread of affliction.” Well, this When Pharaoh is told to let the Isra- time the word next to it is “faith.” After “In every generation, each individual is isn’t your first Seder and you know elites go, he replies that he has never the chicken soup and brisket, and even bound to regard themselves, as if they that matzah is not among your favorite heard of our G-d, so why should he? after the macaroons and chocolate, we personally had gone forth from Egypt.” culinary treats for the holiday, so you Pharaoh doesn’t want to let our people pause to eat the Afikomen. This is from With best wishes for a Chag Sa- agree with the billboard. Without leav- go and attempts to keep them in sub- the piece of matzah that was hidden and meach and great billboards along the ening and being able to rise, this poor jugation. Sometimes, we all want to then was ransomed back. Traditionally, way! person’s bread may be filling, but it has stay in our limited circumstances and this was made to be the last morsel eat- Rabbi Dr. Michael J. Schorin, MAPC, little else to recommend it. Indeed, one not break out of them. Pharaoh is like en so that the taste of all of the miracles BCC is a Chaplain in Lee Health’s of the explanations for consuming mat- our individual ego, wanting to keep of Passover would stay with us through Department of Spiritual Services, and zah is this is a perfect food for slaves: it the status quo rather than moving on the night. So it represents the faith of ministers at the Gulf Coast Medical is simple, quick and filling. It reminds to a deeper level of awareness. So, all those people who were willing to Center. us of how poor we were as slaves and this billboard is calling on us to side follow Moses into the unknown, and how limited the options were. with Moshe Rabbenu and stay on the Drive on a bit further and you see humble side of the road. From the mo- a second billboard coming up. Here, ment the water hits the flour, we only What do you think? Poland’s new law L’CHAYIM wants to know! By Jerrold L. Sobel, ZOA of SWFL President his past February a new law was land. Based on a foundation of primary Send your letters & comments to [email protected]. enacted and approved by Presi- sources, the book describes the Polish Letters Policy Tdent Andrzej Duda of Poland. It population’s involvement in turning in Letters must include the writer’s full name, full address and daytime phone. Letters states, anyone suggesting Poland was and murdering Jews who asked for their should be no longer than 300 words. We reserve the right to edit for length and/ complicit in the Holocaust could face help during the Holocaust. or accuracy. Letters do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of L’CHAYIM nor its fines or even imprisonment of up to The author, whose father was a Ho- advertisers. We cannot acknowledge or publish every letter received. three years. The law makes it illegal to locaust survivor, concentrates part of his accuse the Polish nation of having taken book on a rural region of southeastern part in the atrocities and the systematic Poland called Dabrowa Tarnowska. Of mass murder of Jews committed by the its population of 60,000 on the eve of Center for Judaic, Holocaust, Germans during World War II. the war, 5,000 were Jews, most of whom For the better part of 73 years, Poles were deported to the death camp Belzec. and Genocide Studies have been grappling with their com- Approximately 500 managed to escape plicity in the destruction of 3,000,000 and hid amongst Polish citizens, but Dedicated to educating all sectors of society about Jews in Poland. According to the Jewish Grabowski discovered only 38 survived Jewish civilization, the Holocaust, and genocide through: Virtual Library, this equates to 90% of the war. The others were betrayed and • scholarship the pre-final solution Jewish population either directly or indirectly murdered by in that country. Of the 21 European their Polish neighbors.” • outreach countries overrun by the Nazis from Were there cases where Poles tried • inquiry 1939-1945, not unsurprisingly, Ukraine to rescue their Jewish neighbors? Abso- • sharing knowledge accounted for the second most deaths, lutely, and the author highlights them. • preserving the record 900,000. But he also points out many of their • helping teachers This new law also grants the gov- motives were not exactly altruistic. He ernment the right to restrict different points out instances where victims were • encouraging students interpretations of the past. So much for extorted and, in some cases, murdered the much ballyhooed Polish gambit in if the “rescuers” didn’t get what they democracy. It’s nothing less than an at- wanted. tempt to rewrite Polish history accord- Some might ask, why believe ing to nationalist political aspirations. him and not the nationalist Polish In an article published in Haaretz, government in power today? Whereas Polish-born historian Jan Grabowski Grabowski’s book overflows with first- was lambasted and eventually won a hand accounts and is replete with Polish, Visit www.fgcu.edu/hc/ lawsuit against a Polish website for an Jewish and German records from the Dr. Paul Bartrop, Director annotated book he recently had pub- war and postwar periods, the govern- lished: Hunt For the Jews: Betrayal ment has only wishful revisionist history and Murder in German-Occupied Po- to buttress their argument. For All Your Southwest Florida I D Real Estate Needs newspapers don’t fly… Susan Glasser, Realtor® however your address will John R. Wood Properties 15065 McGregor Blvd. #105 Fort Myers, FL 33908 In front of Gulf Harbour
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Opinions and letters printed in L’CHAYIM do not necessarily reflect the views of the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties, its Board of Directors or staff, or its advertisers. “The Season of The meaning of matzah atzah, unleavened bread, is people. It is a reminder of our responsi- Our Freedom” called lehem oni. The second bility to deal with the problem of world n the Passover Haggadah, we say: tual potential and giving it expression. Hebrew word carries with it hunger. here is an under-theme of con- M cern that goes through our cel- “Even if we are all wise, all men The Seder night is a time when several different meanings. The third meaning of lehem oni of understanding, and all know the these forces do not have the power to The first and is “the bread over which much is an-Tebration of Pesach. We read I about a wicked child who sits at the Torah, it is a mitzva (commandment) hold us back. For Passover is “The oldest use of lehem swered.” The word haggadah itself for us to tell of the Season of Our Freedom.” From the oni is “the bread of means literally “the telling.” The Seder table but feels no connection to the exodus from Egypt.” time of the Exodus – and indeed, from affliction or oppres- service tells the children and, inciden- story of our people. This quote indicates the beginning of time – this night was sion.” Matzah is a tally, the adults, the answers to some Then we spill out that the point of the chosen as a night on which the poten- slave bread. That is basic questions about history and life wine for each of the Seder is not merely tial is granted to express our G-dly because it is not en- itself. Ten Plagues because an intellectual expe- core. Every year, at this time, within riched but is simply Judaism is a repository of wisdom the entire people rience. For after all, the spiritual hierarchy of the world, Rabbi flour and water. It which offers a guide to the conduct of of Egypt suffered, if we are wise and there is “an exodus from Egypt.” All Solomon is bread that can be a good life. In fact, someone once ob- whether they partici- Rabbi know the Torah, then restrictions fall away and transcendent Agin made quickly. There- served that the problem today is that pated in our oppres- Yitzchok we also know the G-dliness is revealed. fore, it becomes a symbol of slavery Judaism has the answers but we mod- sion or not. As Jef- Minkowicz story of the Exodus. This spiritual awakening filters and our commitment to work on behalf ern Jews have forgotten the questions. frey Goldberg wrote Instead, the intent is that the Seder down within our souls, prompting us of freedom. Perhaps, if we ask again the meaning in New American enables us to relive the Exodus, to real- to tap our spiritual core, express our The second meaning of lehem oni of matzah, we will find some very sig-Haggadah, “There is no such thing as ize – as we say later in the Haggadah unbounded G-dly potential, and leave is “the bread of poverty.” Since mat- nificant answers to the questions of life.an immaculate liberation… It is naïve – that “not only our ancestors [were] Egypt, i.e., to break through any and all zah is made of just flour and water and A Joyous Passover to all. to think that the defeat of evil comes redeemed from Egypt, but [G-d] re- restraints. no other ingredients, it is the cheapest Rabbi Solomon Agin serves at Templewithout cost.” deemed us as well.” Every Seder is an This experience should not remain form of bread. It is the bread of poor Shalom in Port Charlotte. When we think about the story of opportunity for each one of us to leave an isolated spiritual peak. Instead, Pesach, we think mostly in black-and- Egypt. Passover should initiate a process of white terms: Pharaoh and the Egyp- What does it mean for us to leave endless growth, empowering us to con- Remembering Matthew tians enslaved us; God saved us. Pha- Egypt, when many of us have never tinuously break through ever subtle raoh and the Egyptians chased after us; seen that part of the world? levels of limitations and express our Shepard as we confront God split the sea for the Jewish people Mitzrayim, the Hebrew name for spiritual potential at all times. but the Egyptians were drowned. In Egypt, shares a connection with the This concept is reflected in the the dominant strand of the Haggadah, homophobia today the story of our persecution and libera- term meitzarim, meaning “boundaries” Lubavitch custom not to recite the pas- y 50th college reunion ap- The float makers attached a sign to the or “limitations.” Leaving Egypt means sage “Chasal Siddur Pesach” (“The tion is the model for all Jewish history. proaches, and it makes me Shepard like figure, which read, “I’m“In every generation there are those going beyond those forces that hold us Passover Seder is concluded”), which aware of how much things gay.” back and prevent us from expressing others say at the end of the Seder. The M who seek our destruction, but the Holy have changed. Kevin Jennings, executive director who we really are. The idea of leaving intent of the omission is to emphasize One, praised be He, saves us from their When I graduated from Hamilton of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Edu-hands.” But, when we read the Hag- Egypt reminds us that, in a certain way, that our Passover experience should College in 1968, it was an all men’s cation Network, noted, “People would we are all slaves. be ongoing. Throughout the year, we gadah closely, there are rumblings of school, and none of like to think that what happened todiscomfort. Were all the Jews worthy Each one of us has a soul which is should look to the Seder as the begin- my classmates was Matthew was an exception to the rule, “an actual part of G-d.” This is the core ning of a pattern of new growth and of being freed? Did all the Egyptians openly gay. By the but it was an extreme version of whatdeserve to be punished? of our being, our real “I.” But we find spiritual expression. time we celebrated happens in our schools on a daily ba- ourselves in Egypt, for there are forces, Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz serves at th I’ve just returned from the AIPAC our 25 reunion, a sis.” Policy Conference in Washington, both external and internal, that prevent Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Flor- good number had For too long, religious teaching us from being in touch with this spiri- ida. D.C., where there were very strong come out. has been part of the problem. To mydominant themes: the growing threat For much of my sadness, homosexual hatred finds itsfrom Iran; celebration of the United Rabbi career, I was silent greatest support in the words of ourStates recognition of Jerusalem as the Stephen on the issue. I regret Hebrew Scriptures: Fuchs capital of Israel; the concern about the that silence because “Do not lie with a male as one liesBDS movement; Israel’s continuing F M N B T is proud to there are events which force us to con- with a woman; it is an abhorrence.”development of technology that it is consistently earn a 5-star rating from Bauer Financial, front who we are and how we think. (Leviticus 18:22) And, “If a man liesselling throughout the world. Israel’s the nation’s leading independent bank rating rm*. We There are events which motivate us to with a man as one lies with a woman,place in the world was in the fore- change. the two of them have done an abhor-ground. attribute our success to the meaningful relationships For me such an event was the trag- rent thing; they shall be put to death we build with our clients. e better we know you, the ic death of Matthew Wayne Shepard. – their bloodguilt is upon them.” (Le- better we can serve you. Murderous thugs savagely beat Mat- viticus 20:13). thew Shepard, and then hung him on I have no cute exegetical tricks to a fence post like a scarecrow to die for re-interpret these passages. Like many only one reason in Laramie, Wyoming, other biblical verses to which I could on October 6, 1998. He was a homo- point, they have no validity and make sexual. no sense in our times. His horrible death taught me I As Rabbi Jerome Davidson of could no longer stand idly by the issues Great Neck, New York, noted in refer- of rights for gay and transgender indi- ence to homosexual acts, “The Bible viduals. Hi death taught me that we are (only) knew of these acts in the context all either part of the problem or part of of war, coercion and idolatry – not in the solution. the context of loving, caring relation- Matthew Shepard could have been ships.” anyone’s brother, son, cousin or friend. For me there is a prior, more en- His horrible death evoked appropriate during passage that supersedes those outrage across the country. I quoted earlier. It is the Torah’s first But his death also unleashed acts story that teaches that God created hu- of homophobia and hatred too despi- man beings in God’s image, in the very cable for adequate description. A TIME image of God. magazine article by Steve Lopez not- I believe homosexual men and ed, “While his family prepared for his women are the way they are because burial and spoke of Shepard’s gentle- God made them that way. If God made ness and tolerant ways, a Kansas minis- people a certain way, how dare we ter with a website called godhatesfags. judge them inferior to the way God com made plans, “to do a grave dance made others? at the funeral.” When it comes to our LGBT In Fort Collins, Colorado, some neighbors, every day each of us must members of Colorado State University choose: Are we part of the problem or fraternities and sororities rode atop a part of the solution? homecoming float with a scarecrow Rabbi Stephen Lewis Fuchs serves at figure, which resembled the body of Bat Yam Temple of the Islands on Sani- Matthew Shepard, tied to a fence post. bel Island. PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO SUPPORT OUR FEDERATION Fort Myers • Bonita Springs • Charleston • Estero • Naples • Palm Beach • Scottsdale 239-461-5900 • www.fi nemarkbank.com • Member FDIC • Equal Housing Lender *5-Star Financial Rating issued by Bauer Financial, a leading independent bank rating and research fi rm. Rating is 5 out of 5. & HELP MAKE L’CHAYIM POSSIBLE. Trust and investment services are not FDIC insured, are not guaranteed by the bank and may lose value. Reach 5,000 local Jewish residents through L’CHAYIM. L’CHAYIM is a monthly nonprofit newspaper supported by generous readers, committed advertisers and the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties. For more information or to place an ad, call Jim Lewin at 239.634.6923. L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 FROM THE BIMAH Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 21
Opinions and letters printed in L’CHAYIM do not necessarily reflect the views of the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties, its Board of Directors or staff, or its advertisers. The meaning of matzah Our experience of The true meaning of nahes o what is nahes (the “H” sound moments of your conscious life in this enslavement and liberation is like the “H” in Hanukah) and world, when you leave it feeling that here is an under-theme of con- But in the background, there were how do you get it? the ones you love, who depended on cern that goes through our cel- hints of concern. AIPAC leaders em- S When you drill down into it, nahes you, will be alright. It’s the ultimate Tebration of Pesach. We read phasized regularly that it works equal- doesn’t really mean joy or pride. Nahes satisfaction you get from finally feel- about a wicked child who sits at the ly with Democrats and Republicans. is the Yiddish form of the Hebrew term ing that that you have managed to table but feels no connection to the People spoke repeatedly about all the that means “tran- equip them with enough of what they story of our people. members of Congress – from both par- quility” or “repose.” will need to carry on without you. Then we spill out ties – who AIPAC brings to Israel. Peo- So I guess the best That’s what we hope for the de- wine for each of the ple were worried that liberal Jews were translation would be ceased during the El Male memorial Ten Plagues because pulling away from Israel and AIPAC. “peace of mind.” when we say veyanoohoo beshalom – the entire people There was repeated reference to Two Jewish “may they rest in peace” (veyanoohoo of Egypt suffered, the Kotel Agreement and the possibil- mothers are sitting and nahes share the same root). It’s a whether they partici- ity of reviving that effort. Underlying Rabbi on a park bench. prayerful hope that the deceased left pated in our oppres- this discussion was the concern that Bruce One gives out with this world with a feeling of “mission Rabbi sion or not. As Jef- Reform and Conservative Jews would Diamond an “Oy yoy yoy!” accomplished” nahes, and that they Marc frey Goldberg wrote disengage from Israel involvement. The other says, “Selma, I thought we take that feeling into the next world Sack in New American One presenter spoke about how differ- agreed not to discuss the kids today!” and keep it for eternity as they observe Haggadah, “There is no such thing as ently Israelis and American Jews saw I discovered that when I became a their children and their children’s chil- an immaculate liberation… It is naïve issues of religion. parent, worry became the continuous dren carry as on in this world as the de- to think that the defeat of evil comes Tying these sub-themes together, background music of my life, and of- ceased would want. without cost.” there was concern that strident parti- ten that music didn’t stay in the back- The way I see it, nahes is the ulti- When we think about the story of sanship, within America and the within ground. It’s always there no matter mate prize. I have been around count- Pesach, we think mostly in black-and- the Jewish community, would be hurt- how well the kids are doing and how less individuals during the last days white terms: Pharaoh and the Egyp- ful to Israel. It would make the work old you or they get. and hours of their lives, and not a one tians enslaved us; God saved us. Pha- of building a pro-Israel coalition that Nahes is when a maturing child of them was concerned about not hav- raoh and the Egyptians chased after us; much harder. does or achieves something that helps ing a fancier home, a classier car, or not God split the sea for the Jewish people The dominant theme of the Seder you worry just a little bit less about having spent enough of their lives and but the Egyptians were drowned. In is that what unites us – our experience their future and your dreams and hopes talents accumulating wealth and toys. the dominant strand of the Haggadah, of enslavement and liberation – is fun- for them. All they really think about in the end is the story of our persecution and libera- damental to who we are. Life has rarely While you’re alive, nahes comes the ones that they are leaving behind. tion is the model for all Jewish history. been easy for us Jews and we cherish in drips and drabs and can dissolve The people who have a good end “In every generation there are those our freedom. We remind ourselves of with the very next phone call. If you’re are the ones who have the nahes from who seek our destruction, but the Holy this every year. But what I love about lucky, you’ll get little tastes of nahes knowing they made their best efforts One, praised be He, saves us from their the Seder – in addition to the company here and there, but there is nothing throughout their lives for those who hands.” But, when we read the Hag- and good food – is that it does not shy that can make that background worry continue after them, and that they have gadah closely, there are rumblings of away from the issues that continue to music completely go away, since you lived long enough to see those efforts discomfort. Were all the Jews worthy confront us. We still have children who never know... bear fruit. of being freed? Did all the Egyptians sit at the table grudgingly. The libera- A cherished teacher, Rabbi Herbert Rabbi Bruce Diamond serves at The deserve to be punished? tion of the Jews was not always pretty. Brichto (z”l), explained to me that na- Community Free Synagogue in Fort I’ve just returned from the AIPAC Our openness to these issues is what hes is really reserved for the last few Myers. Policy Conference in Washington, really makes us free: everything is up D.C., where there were very strong for discussion. dominant themes: the growing threat This balance of dominant themes from Iran; celebration of the United that unite us, while not shying away States recognition of Jerusalem as the from those issues with which we still HIGH STYLE capital of Israel; the concern about the struggle, was found at AIPAC as well. BDS movement; Israel’s continuing At both settings, we are reminded that at affordable prices! development of technology that it is there is much work to be done. selling throughout the world. Israel’s Rabbi Marc Sack serves at Temple place in the world was in the fore- Judea in Fort Myers. ground. The Passover Seder is
like a family photo album COMPANY STORE ike all new parents, I take a lot of worrying about the lighting? It is not pictures of our new baby. She’s just the special events worthy of a pho- Ltoo young for music recitals, tograph that make up our life. It is the dance performances, sporting games, daily activities we engage in, the mo- graduations – the usual picture-taking ments we take for granted as just life occasions. Right now I just document being lived, and the rituals that have her everyday life. I snap pictures of Iris become part of who we are. Can these playing on her ac- moments be photographed? Some yes, tivity mat, wiggling some no. We don’t think to photograph around on her blan- taking a walk with a friend, the dog ket, resting in her jumping on you when you come home rocker, even sleeping from work, the cup of coffee you drink in the bassinet, when every morning. she does manage to The Passover Seder is like a fam- get to sleep. ily photo album. Just as a photo album Rabbi We all have pho- gives us just brief glimpses and high- Nicole to albums filled with lights of our lives, so too the Seder Luna pictures of fun vaca- gives us the Exodus story’s overview, tions, family Passover Seders, beach and then leaves it to us to ask ques- days, and outings with friends we want tions, to add commentary and fill in ® to remember. We take pictures because the details. What was Moses’ relation- we want to seize those happy occasions ship with Miriam and Aaron? What MIROMAR OUTLETS and preserve them. Photos help us re- was Pharaoh like as a grandfather and OVER 140 TOP DESIGNER AND BRAND NAME OUTLET STORES member details of joyous events and ruler? How did God come up with the AND AN ARRAY OF RESTAURANTS lead to fun reminiscing. We love the il- ideas for the 10 plagues? What did the lusion that a moment can last forever, Israelites do as slaves? How did they VotedVoted the the Best Best Shopping Shopping MallMall andand Best Factory Outlet MallMall inin SouthwestSouthwest Florida Florida that we can view a photo and instantly feel crossing the Red Sea? As we cel- be transported back to a time when ebrate Passover, and perhaps even take UP TO 70% OFF RETAIL PRICES our kids were younger, when we were out our camera to capture the moment, Visit the Mall Office or the Information Kiosk to receive your FREE VIP Savings Brochure younger, when we were enjoying that let us delve deeply into the Passover GIFT CARDS MAKE THE vacation and not worrying about work story, spend time imagining the lives of or errands to run. our ancient ancestors, and picture what Perfect Gift
Yet what about the everyday mo- our family photo album would contain. MiromarOutlets.com • I-75, Exit 123 • (239) 948-3766 • 0418-0650 ments – those that don’t warrant taking Rabbi Nicole Luna serves at Temple *Subject to monthly maintenance fee. Terms and Conditions of the Card Agreement are set forth at MiromarOutlets.com. out the camera, making people pose, or Beth El in Fort Myers. Copyright © 2018, Miromar Development Corporation. Miromar Outlets is a registered service mark of Miromar Development Corporation. Reach 5,000 local Jewish residents through L’CHAYIM. For more information or to place an ad, call Jim Lewin at 239.634.6923. L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 22 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties FOCUS ON YOUTH
community to celebrate
TEMPLE JUDEA SCHOOLS Yom Ha’Atzmaut. We LAG B’OMER is a festive Fort Myers hope that you will join us there, although you are minor holiday that falls Temple Judea Religious School always welcome to join us for any of during the seven weeks Liz Singer our programming. between Passover & Shavuot Dir. of Congregational Learning * * * (this period is known March began with our Religious School Temple Judea Preschool Purim celebration. On the Sunday fol- Joann Goldman, Director as the Omer). lowing Purim, March 4, students con- The month of April begins matzah vened and did a version of an Escape covers and Seder plates. We will take Room. Students were split into mixed- a journey back in time to the land of aged groups that were tasked to solve Egypt as we discuss the holiday of five puzzles that would give them clues Passover. The children will enjoy sing- PJ LIBRARY PROGRAM that would allow them to open the five ing songs and sharing some special tra- FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN locked boxes that held prizes. ditions. All of the puzzles were centered We will taste and learn about veg- 2 8 YEARS OF AGE around the holiday of Purim. One etables. We will help students under- Celebrate Lag B’Omer puzzle was a crossword puzzle with a stand that lettuce does not grow in a clue hidden in invisible ink. The others bag from Publix. (Interesting what Israeli Style included two logic puzzles, a compre- children think and say.) Thursday, April 26 5:00 6:30 p.m. hension puzzle based on the content of The children really enjoyed Dr. the Megillah text, a puzzle where they Seuss week and making edible Cat We won’t have a big bonfire like in had to know about the four mitzvot of in the Hat hats! Planting beans and Israel, but we will play games, do Purim, and putting the Purim story in watching the growth as well as getting arts & crafts, sing and read stories. sequential order. Every aspect of the to dye their own flowers really sparked holiday was covered, and the puzzles the children’s interest. There is no cost to attend. The children in Pre-k RSVP to Leni at 239 481 4449 Ext. 3 had a wonderful time cel- Or [email protected] ebrating Dr. Seuss’s birth- day. They enjoyed listening at TEMPLE JUDEA to and making up their own 14486 A&W Bulb Rd. rhymes. This really pre- Fort Myers pared them for our rhym- ing party. All of the chil- dren brought in three items that rhyme and they had a chance to explain what the Students in grades K-2 learning Hebrew items were to the class. utilized different skills. Great care was Now that our letter of the week Candle lighting times: made that even the youngest children program has come to a close, we are re- could contribute. viewing all of our letters. The children April 6: 7:29 Our older students have been are doing a fantastic job writing all of doing very important work in their their letters and take such pride in do- April 13: 7:33 chugim (electives). Our cooking class ing so. They really enjoy their journals. learned about the history of rugelach. Our Teaching Time Program was Knowing the background makes cook- a huge success! The children taught April 20: 7:36 ing them and then enjoying them even their friends how to fish, bounce a ball, sweeter. They have also been making make a sandwich, create a salad, ride a April 27: 7:40 challahs to give to people in the com- scooter, crack an egg and how to play munity to let them know that they are baseball. being thought of. This month we will have a chance
The students in the media chug to create new colors as we discuss the have interviewed two Holocaust sur- color wheel. We are looking forward Results of a recent vivors and learned from their experi- to creating new colors and coming up national ences. To prepare for this experience, with some interesting names. survey of students in the media chug were men- Our classroom will be in full bloom DISCOVER 25,000 tored by filmmaker Rozzi Osterman, as we start planting flowers. The chil- families who taught us how to approach the dren will learn about different garden- THE FUN! conducted by sensitive subject and how important it ing tools and how to nurture the plants. PJ Library is that we document the survivors’ sto- On Tuesday, April 3, it’s “I Dressed ries. The stories were very meaningful. Myself Today!” Let children express This was an important experience for themselves by dressing themselves. Parents in Lee PJ Library is our students. The hope is that our con- Preschool Registration for 2018-19 and Charlotte tribution of video interviews will be If you are interested in registering for making a counties whose part of a Fort Myers community-wide preschool, we have limited spots avail- children are difference in the event. able. We do not have any openings in enrolled in lives of families April is also filled with many fun our Pre-k class. PJ Library raising Jewish activities. On Sunday, April 8, we will If you are would like further infor- participated in RECEIVE have another day of experiential edu- the survey. children.. mation regarding Temple Judea Pre- THE GIFT cation solving some puzzles related school’s various programs, please call to Passover. On Sunday, April 15, we 239.482.1121. OF FREE will join with the rest of the Fort Myers JEWISH CHILDREN’S STAY IN TOUCH BOOKS Sign up for e-blasts! Earn CAS Credits MAILED TO The Jewish Federation of Lee YOUR HOME and Charlotte Counties is SHARE the experience EVERY MONTH! interested in hearing from GET THE LATEST INFORMATION ON of reading with your teenagers in high school who UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS, children as they grow with Funded by the CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, might like to earn CAS credits PJ Library books.
BREAKING NEWS, though various work in the Roth Family UPDATES FROM ISRAEL & MORE. Jewish community. SIGN UP TODAY! Foundation & If you are interested, please Enrollment is open to Asher Family send the following information Jewish families with Foundation to [email protected]: children between the Name ages of six months to
cc.org Address eight years @jfedl More information, adilla Phone # living in Lee & Charlotte contact Leni Sack o amyp email t Age Counties. 239.481.4449 ext. 3 nd an [email protected] Se Grade Send an email to School Preferred volunteer hours [email protected] (e.g. 2 - 5P.M. Sundays) Families can sign up for PJ Library at pjlibrary.org L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 FOCUS ON YOUTH Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 23
Kashi on Sunday, March TEMPLE BETH EL SCHOOLS 4 was simply exception- Tot Shabbat Fort Myers al! ooking for a great way for met Sababa the Shabbat dinosaur, a On Sunday, March young Jewish families to get to blue dinosaur who loves to celebrate Temple Beth El Religious School 11 we had another phenomenal learn- know each other and for non- Shabbat. The families adjourned to Dale M. Cohen, R.J.E., MA.Ed. ing experience, our chocolate Seder, L Jewish spouses to feel comfortable in the social hall for blessings over Shab- Religious Education Director which is always a great way to spice the synagogue? Come to Tot Shabbat bat candles, grape juice and challah, I am reflecting back to when we had up the traditional Seder experience. It at Temple Beth El! and enjoyed a pot luck dinner and our wonderful Tu B’Shevat Seder. It was followed by Morah Hilary’s class On March 2, young Jewish fami- schmoozing. was such fun, interactive, educational performing a wonderful and extremely lies joined Rabbi Luna in the beautiful Parents and grandparents are wel- and extremely delicious, munching entertaining Passover play that never Temple Beth El sanctuary for a Shab- come to the next Tot Shabbats, which on all of those fruits. Somehow, we disappoints. bat celebration. At the start of the ser- will be at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April managed to sneak in some chocolate On Sunday, April 8, the Member- vice, each child shared their name and 6 and 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 4 at (in lieu of the carob). Todah rabah to ship Committee will meet and greet all received a warm “Shabbat Shalom” Temple Beth El, 16225 Winkler Road, our spectacular volunteers, Vanessa of our parents with the bagel and cof- from the group. In addition to singing Fort Myers. For more information, call Sax, Berny & Phyllis Aronson, Jor- fee schmooze. After you drop off your Shabbat songs and basic prayers, the Rabbi Luna at 239.433.0018. dan Olitsky, Catie Glass, Karen, Abby children for Religious School, please babies, toddlers and young children and Evan Kagan and many more. We stay a while as we thank YOU, our are grateful for everyone’s assistance. wonderful and supportive parents of We had a wonderful time, and then our Temple Beth El Religious School. students had the opportunity to deco- On Saturday, April 14, Jacob Spie- rate their pots and plant seeds to take gel will be called to the Torah as a bar home. mitzvah. We are so proud of Jacob and I have just tallied up the amounts all of his accomplishments. from our Barton’s (Miss Chocolate) On Saturday, April 28, Zoe Sax Passover candy sale and other items, will be called to the Torah as a bat Bar / Bat Mitzvah Specialist not all related to food, and we have mitzvah. We are so proud of Zoe and sold approximately $1,000 worth of all of her accomplishments. Choosing the right photographer is an important decision. some of the finest kosher candies avail- We wish both the Spiegel and Sax Michael Shapiro has more than 30 years experience in media able. The Activity Fund will gross 40% families much mazel and naches on and journalism. He is able to capture images that are unique, of the total. Todah rabah to everyone one of the most meaningful days of unexpected and spontaneous. who participated. We are very grateful their lives. for your support of Temple Beth El Re- Our next Junior Congregation is ligious School. scheduled for Saturday, April 21 from Our Purim celebration and activi- 9:00 to 10:15 a.m. in the sanctuary. ties in February were absolutely phe- Please remember that this is a manda- nomenal. Students baked hamentashen tory part of our curriculum for grades for the congregation’s Megillah read- 4-7. This is the best way to familiarize ing. Vanessa Sax, Mackenzie Sax and our students with the Saturday morning Zoe Sax prepared all of the dough pri- liturgy. We look forward to seeing you or to the creating and baking. We are all there. This will be our final Junior thankful and grateful for all of your Congregation for this calendar year. help! On Sunday, April 22, please come The Purim pancake breakfast was and participate in our wonderful Mitz- full of whimsy as we watched our stu- vah Day. It will begin promptly at 9:30 dents and adults decorate their favorite a.m., as we prepare to engage not only Other Services: Weddings / Family Portraits / Events Purim characters on top of their pan- in mitzvot for the community, but also cakes. The Megillah reading with Rab- for our beloved Temple Beth El. 239.770.6860 bi Luna, Cantor Bessman and Randy [email protected] www.shapiro-photography.com ConneCt DISCOVER with your Jewish Community THE FUN! www.facebook.com/ facebook.com/jfedsrqJewishFederationLCC PJ LIBRARY RADIO LIVE! PJ LIBRARY RADIO LIVE! RECEIVE THE GIFT OF FREE JEWISH CHILDREN’S BOOKS MAILED TO Now PJ library families can listen to Jewish kids YOUR HOME EVERY MONTH! Now PJ librarymusic families — anytime, can listen anywhere. to Jewish kids SHARE the experience Now PJ library families can listen to Jewish kids of reading with your Introducingmusic PJLibraryRadio.com — anytime, anywhere., an online children as they grow with Funded by the music — anytime, anywhere. streamingIntroducing radio PJLibraryRadio.com station with more than, an 2,000 online songs PJ Library books. Introducing PJLibraryRadio.com, an online Roth Family streamingfrom hundredsradio station of artists with moreacross than the 2,000globe. songs SIGN UP TODAY! Foundation streamingMusicfrom is availablehundredsradio station 24/7 of artists withwith specialmoreacross than themusic 2,000globe. blocks songs & fromfor hundreds Shabbat, of Holiday artists and across Bedtime. the globe. Enrollment is open to Asher Family Music is available 24/7 with special music blocks Jewish families with Foundation Music isfor available Shabbat, 24/7 Holiday with andspecial Bedtime. music blocks children between the • Listen tofor the Shabbat, music onlineHoliday and Bedtime. ages of six months to • Listen to the music online eight years Download the free app on ITunes, Google Play • More information, orListen Tune to In the Radio music online living in Lee & Charlotte contact Leni Sack • Download the free app on ITunes, Google Play Counties. 239.481.4449 ext. 3 • orDownload Tune In Radiothe free app on ITunes, Google Play [email protected] or Tune In Radio
Families can sign up for PJ Library at pjlibrary.org L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 24 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties ORGANIZATIONS
us imagine a time not State of Israel is every bit as much of a Unplugged” on Saturday, April 28 at SHALOM LIFE CENTER so long ago, when Israel miracle as the miracles we recount dur- 7:30 p.m. Sing and dance the night HADASSAH Fort Myers was surrounded by en- ing Pesach, Purim and Chanukah. away at this fabulous concert event fea- Collier/Lee Chapter (239) 218-3433 emies intent on its de- Though we continue to face threats turing the music of the 1950s, country (239) 301-0509 struction within minutes from Iran, Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah favorites, Elton John, The Beach Boys, Israel is 70! of reaching us. In those days we had and others who still seek our destruc- The Bee Gees and so much more. For Lawrence & Robin Dermer no economy, no friends or allies, and tion, we will remain positive, steadfast more information and to RSVP, call On May 14, 1948, President Truman were largely made up of people com- and hopeful that peace will come to us 239.218.3433 or email info@shalom recognized Israel. On May 14, 2018, ing from displaced persons camps in and the rest of the world. 2018 brings lifecenter.org President Trump will move the U.S. Europe after the Holocaust. us to a time when the nation of Israel Join us for Shabbat services ev- Embassy to Jerusalem. These two his- Seventy years on, Israel has ac- is better, greener, stronger, smarter ery Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday toric decisions are 70 years apart. This complished so much more than just and more wonderful than ever before. mornings for Torah study at 10:00 is the year Jerusalem will become one survive. Israel has thrived. Our army is We will never allow fear to overshad- a.m. From Yiddish Culture Club, Book united capital when we celebrate Yom one of the most powerful in the world ow our faith. Our continued survival Club, Men’s Group and Sisterhood, to Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s seventieth anni- and we’ve become world leaders in throughout the millennia is nothing Women’s Circle, SLC Kitchen, Choir versary. technology and humanitarian efforts as short of a miracle, and our Divine cov- and BBYO, there are so many ways In 1948 there were 600,000 peo- well. The miracle of our survival has enant assures us that G-d will continue to enhance your Jewish life at Shalom ple in a tiny country armed with little blossomed into the fulfillment of our to protect our nation and its people. Life Center. Visit our website at www. more than handguns fighting six well- mission, tikkun olam, the Jewish ideal Am Yisrael Chai – the people of Israel shalomlifecenter.org for more informa- trained and equipped Arab armies that of repairing the world. As our prophet live – and Anachnu Chazakim – We are tion on our many clubs, programs and came within 25 miles of Tel Aviv. As Isaiah wrote almost 2,700 years ago, strong! special events. we proudly celebrate the U.S. Em- we are to be a light to the nations. Mark your calendar for “Encore - bassy being moved to Jerusalem, let Looking back, we see the modern-day The Best of the Season Intimate and
after the film, some of Award. Charlane’s prior experience We are also extending the decision JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY the residents shared their includes ownership and operation of deadline for next season’s program- OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA recollections of the early a pack-and-ship businesses in Burl- ming and Southwest Florida Jewish (239) 566-1771 days of Port Charlotte ington and Lexington, Massachusetts; Pioneers films to June 1. Please sub- Jewish life, including Communications Director for Home mit your nominations of a noteworthy Lucky for us traveling to Hebrew school by boat – Goods, a division of TJX Corporation; SWFL Jewish resident or a candidate Marina Berkovich the only means of access at the time. board member of Burlington Business for an Eyewitness Interview to jhsswf “Mesmerized!” That is a one-word The new arrivals, unfamiliar with the Roundtable; Chairperson of Burlington @gmail.com. summary of the February 18 presen- inconveniences and hardships resi- Food Pantry. To renew your membership or tation of Southwest Florida Jewish dents had to weather, or the vast range Please note change of date: JHSS- become a member or an event sponsor, Pioneers: The Labodas of Fort Myers of developmental efforts they under- WF’s next Master Class presentation please email [email protected], visit to the Jewish community of Lee and took, were truly amazed that within a will be at the Jewish Federation of www.jhsswf.org or call us. Charlotte counties at Temple Beth El in human lifespan our region underwent Greater Naples on Wednesday, May Want to volunteer? Email office@ Fort Myers. This educational film was such drastic progress and that Jews 16 at 5:00 p.m. There will be no Mas- jhsswf.org if you have time and would previously shown in Collier County to were very involved. ter Class on April 24. Master Classes like to help. Specific needs: work inde- WCA members. One man in the audience identified include film presentations and discus- pendently in Microsoft Word, ability to The Lee County event was orga- himself as an employee of the Rosen sions of early Southwest Florida Jew- do research, proofreading. nized by the Jewish Federation of Lee Brothers and will be willing to share ish history. Classes are free. Light re- Explore the early Jewish life of and Charlotte Counties and was at- his story with us later this year. That freshments are provided. Register at SWFL by visiting the Virtual Museum tended by the audience of nearly 200, is the ultimate validation of our work http://jewishhistorysouthwestflorida. of Southwest Jewish History at www. including many who know the La- – finding the eyewitnesses to the deep org/ by May 10. jewishhistorysouthwestflorida.org. boda story, were part of their journey, trail the Jewish pioneers and settlers and heard about it in their respective created, which, thanks to our members counties. Now their wonderful story of and supporters, we are collecting and Ensemble Sing-a-Long Jewish legacy is part of the Jewish His- preserving. HAZAK 55+ CHAPTER led by Liz Singer, Avi torical Society of Southwest Florida’s A special note of gratitude to Char- at Temple Judea Gev and Sasha Zucker- valuable collection. lane King, JHSSWF’s super dedicated (239) 433-0201 man. We express our gratitude to Alan board member, for lending her won- In May there will Isaacs, Federation Executive Direc- derful skills and talents to all projects Jan Klein be an afternoon of miniature golf fol- tor, and Leni Sack, Program Director, the Society undertakes. Charlane also In March there was a great turnout for a lowed by dinner. Specifics will be an- as well as the three generations of the serves as JHSSWF Events Coordina- tour of the Holocaust Museum & Edu- nounced at a later time. Laboda family, who made this event tor. She is also the Director of Events cation Center of Southwest Florida in For more information about Hazak, possible and came out to support their of CAPA (Cultural and Performing Naples, followed by lunch out. contact President Andy Chernow at elders and the work of JHSSWF. Arts Center in Naples), and received On Sunday, April 22 at 4:00 p.m. at [email protected] or 607.423.3801. During the fascinating discussion the 2013 CAPA Outstanding Service Temple Judea, there will be a Musical
the Jewish state. Generations of Israeli ters have been set up in 16 states since throwers, but the Israeli authorities presidents have extended invitations to 2006 and have helped transfer Israeli insisted on continuing to run the train BRIEFS Jerusalem. Each time they have been agricultural technologies and knowl- through the Arab neighborhoods of quietly rebuffed on the advice of the edge to Indian farmers. Shuafat and Beit Hanina. (Nadav Shra- continued from page 17 Foreign Office, which worried about “Generally, 15-17 tons of toma- gai, Jerusalem Center for Public Af- ISRAEL CALLED upsetting the UK’s Arab allies. But that toes are harvested per acre. After im- fairs) STRATEGIC PARTNER decades-long snub will come to an end plementing mulching, combined with OF AZERBAIJAN this summer when the Duke of Cam- drip irrigation, we have harvested up to PRO-PALESTINIAN Israel is a strategic partner of Azer- bridge touches down at Tel Aviv’s Ben- 54 tons per acre,” said Indian official CAMPAIGNER ADMITS baijan and both cooperate in military- Gurion Airport. Srinivasan K. THEIR ACTIVIST INITIATED technical matters, in the latest technol- The shift reflects Britain’s deepen- In Maharashtra, experiments to 2010 VIOLENCE ABOARD ogies, and in healthcare, Ali Hasanov, ing security and trade relationship with combine Israeli mango varieties with MAVI MARMARA the Azerbaijani President’s Assistant Israel as well as a broader realignment local ones has helped reduce the height In newly revealed posts from a secret for Public and Political Affairs, told the in the Middle East. Whereas Israel was of the trees from 40 feet to 15 feet, British Facebook group, Greta Ber- Israel-Azerbaijan International Asso- once an awkward former colony with making spraying and harvesting very lin, the spokesperson of the group in- ciation. little to offer Britain except political easy. Swapna Merlin (The Print - In- volved in the flotilla that attempted to “Israeli specialists have been work- heartburn, today it is a dynamic high- dia) enter Gaza in May 2010, states that the ing in Azerbaijan for several years in tech economy and a regional intelli- WORK BEGINS ON NEW Israeli troops did not open fire until af- various fields of our economy, and in gence superpower. British and Israeli ter Ken O’Keefe, a former U.S. marine particular, in agriculture...where they security services cooperate closely on JERUSALEM LIGHT RAIL aboard the Mavi Marmara, seized a introduce the latest technologies and counter-terrorism. EXTENSION TO SERVE gun from one of them. equipment. Our countries are also unit- While a royal visit might once JEWS AND ARABS O’Keefe “was responsible for ed by our people. There is a big com- have been met with fury in Arab capi- Work has begun on the infrastructure some of the deaths on board the Mavi munity of Azerbaijanis in Israel, who tals, today many of those Arab states for the Jerusalem light rail’s second Marmara. Had he not disarmed an Is- have already integrated into Israeli so- are quietly aligning with Israel against line, the “Green Line,” which will run raeli...soldier, they would not have ciety and represent our republic with their shared enemy Iran. (Raf Sanchez, from Hebrew University on Mount started to fire,” she wrote on the Pales- dignity,” Hasanov said. He also noted Telegraph - UK) Scopus in the north to Gilo in the south. tine Live group in 2014. that in recent years, Azerbaijan is en- Like its predecessor, the line will serve ISRAELI TECHNOLOGY IS She added that O’Keefe was “not gaged in building a “bridge” between both the Jewish and Arab populations. a hero and his actions put others on the Israel and the Muslim world. (Trend - HELPING TO GROW CROPS At the same time, the “Red Line,” Mavi Marmara at risk.” Azerbaijan) IN INDIA which opened in 2011, will be extend- She also refers to “Ken’s crazy From increasing tomato yields in Tamil ed to Neve Yaakov in the north and ideas to attack” soldiers, branding him DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE’S Nadu to helping farmers grow crops Hadassah Ein Karem Medical Center “a menace,” and writing of his “rather VISIT TO ISRAEL WILL END in the deserts of Rajasthan, the Indo- in the south. crazy ideas of wanting to have a ‘sui- A 70-YEAR ROYAL SNUB Israel Agriculture Project over the last The Jerusalem light rail has be- cide boat.’” (Robert Philpot, Times of For 70 long years, Israelis have decade has been a fruitful one. come a symbol of coexistence, and Israel) watched Britain’s royals jet over their Israel recently inaugurated its 23rd 200,000 Jews and Arabs ride it each heads on visits to autocratic Middle agricultural center of excellence in In- day. In 2014-2016, the railway be- Eastern countries without stopping in dia at Mizoram. Twenty-two more cen- came a target for firebombs and stone L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 ORGANIZATIONS Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 25
time was had by all! We and activities that strengthen Jewish Medicine at Hadassah is above HADASSAH graciously thank Lee Hen- identity and support for Israel while pro- politics, beyond borders, indifferent to Collier/Lee Chapter son, chair of this exciting viding a unique opportunity to connect religious differences. Each patient who (239) 301-0509 event, along with all of socially. In a perfect world, Hadassah comes through its doors for treatment our friends, colleagues, would be a world of healthy people liv- receives personalized attention in an Happy birthday, Israel! committee members and board mem- ing in peace. It would be a Middle East environment of compassionate care. We Shelley Skelton bers, without whom none of this would made more secure by breakthroughs in can continue to build better lives for all Seventy years ago, the newspaper head- have been possible. medicine. The Sarah Wetsman David- the children of Israel while promoting lines were ominous: “Israel Constantly Proceeds from the event will help son Tower at Hadassah Medical Center peace through medicine. Working For Peace,” “An Immediate Hadassah continue to carry on its ex- was the first to unite advanced medical And finally, be sure to mark your Cease-Fire is Called For,” and fear was traordinary work. Through it all, time technologies with a profound spirit of calendars for the Hadassah-sponsored expressed over “Israel’s deep concern marches on and we pride ourselves on healing. People from all over the world Collier County Jewish Book Festival lest the fighting in Korea ignite world what has been accomplished. The ef- turn to Hadassah Hospital for medical event. Plan on joining our Hadassah peace.” Change a few names and dates forts of all of our dedicated volunteers, treatment in Israel. We are proud to be chapter at Beth Tikvah on Monday, and the headlines could have been writ- highly-qualified personnel, medical volunteers for an organization that sup- April 9, at 2:30 p.m., as we sponsor Abi- ten today. But even with those ominous researchers, scientists, doctors, gener- ports a hospital where the patient always gail Pogrebin, author of My Jewish Year headlines, Israel became a nation in ous donors, everyone involved in this comes first. – 18 Holidays, One Wandering Jew. 1948, and this year celebrates 70 years monumental achievement, help to sup- How do we reach our goals and For more information and to pur- of independence. port Hadassah’s initiatives. quotas? Through the generous support chase tickets, visit www.jewishbook And far be it from us to pass up a Hadassah offers members a wide of people like yourself, our members festival.org or call Renee’ Bialek at celebration! variety of health awareness programs and benefactors. 239.263.4205. On Sunday, February 25, members and friends of our Collier/Lee Chapter of Hadas- sah attended the birthday party We are also extending the decisionof the year! It was a fabulous deadline for next season’s program-brunch held at the Hilton Na- ming and Southwest Florida Jewishples, featuring Israeli cuisine Pioneers films to June 1. Please sub-and music, candles glowing mit your nominations of a noteworthyon a huge birthday cake, guest SWFL Jewish resident or a candidateentertainment by the Shalom for an Eyewitness Interview to jhsswfDancers, Cantor Donna Azu @gmail.com. and Cantorial Soloist Jane
To renew your membership orGaller, with our own Rhonda The Shalom Dancers were part of the festivities at the Hadassah Collier/Lee Chapter Event Chair Lee Henson, Karen Cohn, Nancy Wiadro and Elaine Soffer become a member or an event sponsor,Brazina as the MC. A good birthday party for Israel at the Hilton Naples on February 25 at the Hadassah Collier/Lee Chapter birthday party for Israel please email [email protected], visit www.jhsswf.org or call us. Want to volunteer? Email office@ lessons of the Holocaust “NEVER AGAIN BEGINS WITH a vow. There will never again be ha- jhsswf.org if you have time and would GENERATIONS OF THE SHOAH must never be forgotten. ME.” To me, “never again” means no tred, people say. Never again jail and like to help. Specific needs: work inde- SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Following the Holo- one should ever be murdered just for torture. Never again the suffering of in- pendently in Microsoft Word, ability to (239) 963-9347 caust, two phrases were their religion or race or sexual orien- nocent people, or the shooting of starv- do research, proofreading. used not only as phrases tation, the way that millions of men, ing, frightened, terrified children. And Explore the early Jewish life of“Never again” and Yom HaShoah but also Jewish resolutions. The first women and children were brutally never again the glorification of base, SWFL by visiting the Virtual MuseumIda Margolis was “Zachor” (the Hebrew word that ugly, dark violence. It’s a prayer.” of Southwest Jewish History at www.Most individuals reading this col- means to remember), to ensure that After reading that, I no longer felt jewishhistorysouthwestflorida.org. umn are familiar with Yom HaShoah, the past will never be forgotten and its that the students “hijacked” a Holocaust known as Holocaust Remembrance memory will always serve as a guide slogan. I now felt they found the per- Day. It is a memorial day for those who for the future. The second was “Never fect slogan – a slogan that also applies Ensemble Sing-a-Longdied in the Shoah. It is a day of com- Again.” This phrase or slogan is usu- to the shooting of our innocent school led by Liz Singer, Avimemoration for the six million Jews ally meant to “symbolize the Jewish children. Never again should students Gev and Sasha Zucker-who perished in the Holocaust as a re- people’s collective resolve to never be murdered in a place of learning, a man. sult of the actions carried out by Nazi stand by as the blood of their brethren place that should be safe. Never again In May there willGermany and its collaborators, and for is shed and to never allow innocents should any innocent person become a be an afternoon of miniature golf fol-the Jewish resistance. to be brutalized for the crime of being target of a crazed killer just because lowed by dinner. Specifics will be an- This year, the annual community Jewish.” they are at a concert, a shopping mall nounced at a later time. Yom HaShoah Commemoration will Shortly after the horrific murders or a place of worship. For more information about Hazak, be held at Temple Shalom (4630 Pine at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High murdered. Historian Raul Hilberg said Eli Wiesel said, “Never again is contact President Andy Chernow atRidge Road, Naples) on Sunday, April School, only about 100 miles from Na- that “never again” was seen written in more than a slogan… it is a prayer.” [email protected] or 607.423.3801. 8 at 10:00 am. Local students and lo- ples, I saw in the media that there was various languages at the liberation of Now it is also a call to action, a call cal Holocaust survivors will be par- a student-led organization advocating Buchenwald. So why should this slo- by children who want to save the lives ticipating. This community is fortunate for tighter regulations to prevent gun gan be a hashtag slogan for stricter gun of other children. It is a call for poli- to have survivors who are willing to violence that was called #NeverAgain. laws? Doesn’t it just belong to the Ho- cymakers to work together.” I will be share their stories with local students. My first response was, why would locaust? While researching the slogan, proud to wear my button from the Ho- The importance of the students having they use the slogan associated with I came across the following quote by locaust Museum not only for the vic- this opportunity is immense. Not only the Holocaust? After all, I often wear Eli Wiesel: tims of the Holocaust, but also for our should no one ever think that the Ho- my button from the United States Ho- “Never again” becomes more children. locaust never happened, but also the locaust Memorial Museum that states than a slogan: It’s a prayer, a promise,
the subject, which is the communities placed too many hopes – to assist the needy. HUMANISTIC JEWISH HAVURAH first major study of this hopes that, by design, were never go- In the summer of 1938, delegates of Southwest Florida conference. It will be the ing to be realized. from 32 countries met at the French (239) 495-8484 first time this talk will be The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Mu- resort of Evian. President Roosevelt presented in Southwest seum describes the conference on its chose not to send a high-level official, Significant topic for consideration Florida. Dr. Bartrop could not have website: “The Nazis aimed to make such as the secretary of state to Evian. on Yom HaShoah chosen a better audience than a com- Germany judenrein (cleansed of Jews) Instead, Myron C. Taylor, a business- Paula Creed munity of Humanistic Jews seeking by making life so difficult for them man and close friend of Roosevelt’s, On Sunday afternoon, April 15, the better understanding of our Jewish his- that they would be forced to leave the represented the U.S. at the conference. Humanistic Jewish Havurah of South- tory as related to the Holocaust. The country. By 1939 about 150,000 Ger- During the nine-day meeting, delegate west Florida will commemorate Yom public is invited to share in this man Jews, one in four, after delegate rose to express sympathy Ha-Shoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) experience. had already fled the coun- for the refugees. But most countries, with a program featuring Paul R. Bar- The Evian conference on try. After Germany an- including the United States and Brit- trop, PhD, Professor of History, at refugees from Nazism has long nexed Austria in March ain, offered excuses for not letting in Florida Gulf Coast University. His been identified as a “lost op- 1938, however, an addi- more refugees. topic is “Not Accepting Refugees: The portunity” – a failed initiative tional 185,000 Jews were Responding to Evian, the German Evian Conference of 1938 and its Rel- to save the Jews of Europe brought under Nazi rule. government was able to state with great evance Today.” from the Nazi menace. How- Many Jews were unable pleasure how “astounding” it was that At 1:30 p.m. we gather for cof- ever, as Paul Bartrop explains, to find countries willing to foreign countries criticized Germany fee ’n chat before the lecture begins this critique is based on the er- Dr. Paul Bartrop take them in.” for their treatment of Jews, but none of promptly at 2:00 p.m. in the David G. roneous premise that the conference Even though news of the vio- them wanted to open the doors to them Willens Community Room of the Jew- was intended to rescue the Jews in the lent pogroms of November 1938 was when “the opportunity offered.” ish Federation of Collier County, 2500 first place. Rather, he argues, the con- widely reported, Americans remained The current migrant crisis is Eu- Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201, ference was completely successful in reluctant to welcome Jewish refugees. rope’s worst since World War II – and Naples. Due to the limited capacity of what it set out to achieve: to discuss In the midst of the Great Depression, the struggle to find places for migrants this venue, we request that you contact the refugee problem without commit- many Americans believed that refu- and refugees bears great similarity with Dena Sklaroff at 239.591.0101 or de- ting any nation to concrete action or a gees would compete with them for jobs that earlier crisis. [email protected] to make your reserva- departure from its existing position. In and overburden social programs set up tion. this presentation, he will show that the This event will be most extraordi- refugee conference was always intend- Read the current and recent issues of L’CHAYIM nary. The content of Dr. Bartrop’s ad- ed to be window dressing onto which dress is based on his recent book on humanitarian agencies and Jewish online at www.JewishFederationLCC.org. L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 26 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties TEMPLE NEWS
Mark your calendars ership program. Our students, Sarah Hill and met with the office of their TEMPLE BETH EL for Wednesday, May 9. Gatof, Evan Kagan, Brianna Murray, senators and representatives. The stu- Fort Myers Sisterhood invites mem- Jared Olitsky, Mackenzie Sax and Al- dents, part of 30 Jewish teenagers from (239) 433-0018 bers and their guests to lison Traiger, made us proud. They Florida, met with legislative correspon- Mimosas, Mah Jongg, had a wonderful opportunity for ca- dents at Senator Bill Nelson’s office. www.templebethel.com and More, beginning at maraderie, celebration of Shabbat and Then our group met with an assistant 10:30 a.m. For $25 per Havdalah with 500 Jewish teenagers from Rep. Francis Rooney’s office. At Temple Beth El’s Mitzvah Day is com- person we will provide a delicious from all over the United States, par- each office, they were given the oppor- ing soon, back by popular demand, on brunch, prizes and a fun day out. Bring ticipation in interactive learning op- tunity to speak about issues of impor- Sunday, April 22 from 9:30 a.m. to your friends and the game of your portunities on policy issues (shuk pro- tance to not only them, but the United noon. All are invited to attend. Mitz- choice: mah jongg, dominoes, cards or grams), lobbying simulation, text study States and Reform Judaism. Their pas- vah Day is an opportunity to share in whatever you and your friends enjoy of Israel’s declaration of independence, sion was articulated with intensity and events that help the broader Southwest playing. Don’t have a regular game? and advocacy preparation. In the semi- integrity, representing themselves as Florida community, providing us with We’ll do our best to match you up with nars, students learned about becoming proud Jewish teenagers. an avenue for tzedakah and learning the game of your choice. Contact Ber- active and informed citizens. We vis- Temple Beth El honored these six for ourselves and our children. We will nice Turner for more information at bt- ited the Martin Luther King Jr. Memo- high-schoolers at Shabbat services on be packing lunches for Community [email protected]. rial, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, March 2 as we shared with our con- Cooperative, making arts and crafts for Temple Beth El Religious School had dinner in Georgetown, visited the gregation a video summary of the trip children in hospitals and others in need Director Dale Cohen and VP of Edu- Jefferson Memorial, explored some and presented the students with their of a greeting, and doing cleanup of cation Vanessa Sax accompanied six Smithsonian museums and had dinner L’Taken certificates of completion. some of the temple areas as well as the of our high-school students in the URJ on Pentagon Row. L’Taken was an incredible opportunity cemetery. If you are interested in par- Religious Action Center L’Taken Sem- After about 35 hours of seminars, for all which will not soon be forgot- ticipating in the activities or in leading inar in Washington, D.C., February discussion and educational exercises ten. the efforts, please call the temple office 9-12. L’Taken is a teen social justice under the supervision of an expert edu- at 239.433.0018. extensive four-day educational lead- cation staff, students went to Capitol
ground and all questions the Jewish Federation at lenibsack@ held every Friday from 6:00 to 6:30 TEMPLE JUDEA are encouraged. Every- jfedlcc.org or 239.481.4449 x 3. There p.m. right before Shabbat services. Fort Myers one is welcome and is no cost to attend. It’s a great time for members to enjoy (239) 433-0201 there is no cost to attend. In May 2019, Rabbi Sack will be socializing and greet prospective new The next Torah study is leading a trip to Israel for people who members and those visiting the syna- www.tjswfl.org Thursday, April 5. have already been there two, three or gogue. Temple Judea fol- more times. He will be taking the group For more information about Tem- Temple Judea is hosting a second night lows the Israeli calendar for holidays, to out-of-the-way places and exploring ple Judea or upcoming programs, call Passover Seder on Saturday, March 31 so Yizkor which is observed at the end parts of Israel that aren’t usually on the or email the synagogue office. at 6:30 p.m. in the social hall. Members of Passover, will be on Friday, April itinerary for first-time sightseers. Infor- Regular scheduled events: and nonmembers are invited to attend 6 during services which begin at 9:30 mation about the trip is now available. • Friday evening Shabbat services at this event which includes a traditional a.m. Services are open to the commu- Call Rabbi Sack for more information 6:30 p.m. kosher Passover meal. Reservations nity. about this new adventure. • Saturday morning Shabbat servic- are a must. Please call the synagogue PJ Library families will be at Tem- Our monthly volunteering at the es at 9:30 a.m. office for information about the cost ple Judea celebrating Lag B’Omer on Salvation Army’s Meals with Compas- • Lunchtime Torah study with Rabbi and to reserve a space. Thursday, April 26. It is the last of a se- sion (formerly Sally’s Café) continues. Sack the first Thursday of each Join Rabbi Sack at his monthly To- ries of four holiday programs for fami- Volunteers are needed for Sundays, month. rah study session held at the offices of lies with children ages two through April 15 and 29. If you would like to • Morning minyan every Monday at Myers and Brettholtz and Company. It eight. Children will be playing games, volunteer, please contact Linda Idelson 9:00 a.m. is an hour of open discussion of Torah doing arts and crafts, singing and read- at [email protected]. and Judaism where all levels of back- ing stories. RSVP to Leni Sack at A wine and cheese reception is
TEMPLE BETH EL CHABAD OF CHARLOTTE COUNTY REFORM ORTHODOX 16225 Winkler Road, Fort Myers, FL 33908 204 E Mckenzie St Unit B, Punta Gorda, FL 33950 Rabbi Nicole Luna Rabbi Simon Jacobson E mail: [email protected] Phone: (941) 833 3381 Temple educator: Dale Cohen, Ma.Ed., R.J.E E mail: [email protected] Preschool director: Jesyca Virnig Web site: www.chabadofcharlottecounty.com President: Ellis Rabinowitz IN LEE & CHARLOTTE COUNTIES Services: Saturday at 10 a.m. followed by Phone: 433 0018 • Fax: 433 3235 a kiddush Web site: www.templebethel.com Torah study: Wednesday at 8 p.m. Shabbat services: 7:30 p.m. Friday; Torah study 9:00 a.m. Saturday; B’nai Mitzah 10:30 a.m. Saturday CHABAD LUBAVITCH Religious School: 9:30 a.m. noon Sunday COMMUNITY FREE SYNAGOGUE Hebrew School: 5:00 6:30 p.m Wednesday OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA REFORM ORTHODOX Judaica Gift Gallery 10868 Metro Parkway, South Fort Myers Affiliated: Union for Reform Judaism 5620 Winkler Road (The Southwest Florida Masonic Center) Fort Myers, FL 33919 P.O. Box 07144, Fort Myers, FL 33919 Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz TEMPLE BETH SHALOM Rabbi Bruce Diamond Phone: 433 7708 • Fax: 481 9109 REFORM ([email protected]) E mail: [email protected] 702 S.E. 24th Ave., Cape Coral, FL 33990 Coordinator: Natalie Fulton Web site: www.chabadswf.org Rabbi Devora Buchen Adult Educator: Jessica Evers Services: Friday 5:15 p.m.; Saturday Kabbalah President: Arnie Schwartz Phone: (239) 466 6671 class 9 a.m.; Shacharit 10 a.m.; Kiddush at noon Phone: 772 4555 • Fax: 772 4625 E mail: [email protected] Minyan: Monday & Thursday 7:00 a.m. E mail: [email protected] Web site: www.fortmyerssynagogue.com Web site: www.templebethshalomcc.org Community Sabbath eve dinner each Friday at 6:30 p.m. CHABAD JEWISH CENTER Services: 7:30 p.m. Friday OF CAPE CORAL Religious School: Thursday 4:00 6:30 p.m. Sabbath eve worship every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Light breakfast and Torah study with the rabbi ORTHODOX Torah study with Rabbi Buchen: Shabbat 10:30 a.m. 1716 Cape Coral Pkwy. W., Cape Coral, FL 33914 Organizations: Brotherhood, Sisterhood, every Saturday morning from 9:30 11:30 a.m. Rabbi Yossi Labkowski Family Service (1st Friday of the month at 7:30 p.m.) Phone: 963 4770 TEMPLE JUDEA E mail: [email protected] BAT YAM TEMPLE OF THE ISLANDS CONSERVATIVE Web site: www.chabadcape.com 14486 A&W Bulb Road, Fort Myers, FL 33908 REFORM Services: Friday Evening 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Marc Sack Meets at Sanibel Congregational Church Saturday morning 9:30 a.m. followed by 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island E mail: [email protected] President: Jennifer Manekin Kiddush luncheon Rabbi Stephen L. Fuchs Sunday morning 8:00 a.m. President: Alan Lessack Director of Congregational Learning: Elizabeth Singer Monday Friday morning 7:00 a.m. Phone: 239 579 0296 (Oct Apr) JLI Courses: Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. 773 251 8862 (May Sept) Preschool Director: Joann Goldman Email: [email protected] [email protected] Weekly Torah Study: Tuesday evening 7:30 p.m. Cantor: Murray Simon Phone: 433 0201 • Fax: 433 3371 Hebrew School: Sunday 10:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Web site: www.batyam.org E mail: [email protected] Jgirls: Tuesday 6:00 7:00 p.m. Services: 7:30 p.m. Friday (Nov Apr) Web site: www.tjswfl.org 7:00 p.m. Friday (May Oct) Services: 6:15 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS Adult Education: Saturday Minyan: 9:00 a.m. Monday Shalom Life Center Saturday, 9:00 11:30 a.m. (Nov Apr) Religious School: Sun. 9:30 a.m. noon; Lawrence Dermer, Spiritual Leader 218 3433 Jewish Current Events: Saturday, 11:30 a.m. Wed. 4:30 6 p.m. • AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee): to 12:15 p.m. (Nov Apr) Early childhood education: Jacki Waksman (954) 653 9053 Write: P.O. Box 84, Sanibel, FL 33957 Preschool, M F, ages 18 months 5 years; • AJC (American Jewish Committee): “Mommy & Me,” 12 months 2 years Brian Lipton (941) 365 4955 Affiliated: Union for Reform Judaism • Anti Defamation League: (561) 988 2900 Affiliated: United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism • B’Nai B’rith International: (941) 302 4500 TEMPLE SHALOM CHARLOTTE • Chevra Kadisha: HARBOR AND THE GULF ISLANDS CHABAD OF BONITA SPRINGS/ Gene Sipe 841 4615 REFORM • Generations of the Shoah SWFL: 963 9347 23190 Utica Ave., P.O. Box 494675 ESTERO • Hadassah Collier/Lee Chapter: Lynn Weiner 598 1009 Port Charlotte, FL 33949 4675 ORTHODOX 24850 Old 41 Road, Suite 20 (in the Bernwood • Hadassah Sharon Chapter (Charlotte County): Rabbi Solomon Agin Odette Port (941) 505 1409 President: Gary Wein Centre) Bonita Springs, FL 34135 7024 • Hazak 55+ Chapter: Phone: (941) 625 2116 Joyce Rosinger 437 1566 E mail: [email protected] Rabbi Mendy Greenberg Phone: 949 6900 • Humanistic Jewish Havurah: Web site: templeshalomfl.com Paula Creed 495 8484 Services: 7:30 p.m. Friday Web site: www.JewishBonita.com • Israel Bonds: Regional Headquarters: (800) 622 8017 Religious school: Sunday 10 a.m. Services: Saturday at 10 a.m., followed by • Jewish Community Services: 481 4449 Beginning Hebrew: Tuesday 4:15 5:15 p.m. a kiddush • Jewish National Fund: (727) 536 5263 Advanced Hebrew: Thursday 4:15 5:15 p.m. Memorial Tree Planting in Israel 1 800 542 8733 Organizations: Sisterhood • Jewish War Veterans: Affiliated: Union for Reform Judaism Post 400: Commander Harvey Charter 246 3151 • Mikvah Bashka of Southwest Florida: Nechamie Minkowicz 822 2784 • ORT Gulf Beaches Chapter Marina Berkovich 566 1771 L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 TEMPLE NEWS Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties 27
looking for the afikomen. tive. Israeli Independence Day, Yom complishment. We need a vibrant and BAT YAM TEMPLE OF THE ISLANDS The evening is possible Ha’Atzmaut, is determined by the democratic Israel forever. Sanibel due to the meticulous Hebrew calendar date of 5 Iyar, that Until the end of April, Adult Edu- (773) 251-8862 planning by Sue Danford is April 19 in 2018. It was May 14 in cation classes are held Saturday morn- and Annette Pacyga. 1948. Plans in Israel include 70 hours ings beginning at 9:00 a.m. with He- www.batyam.org In between the two re- of celebration with events for Israelis brew reading with Rabbi Fuchs. At ligious observances, Temple and visitors. There will be a torch- 9:30 a.m., Rabbi Fuchs speaks about The Purim celebration at Temple Bat Bat Yam sponsored two special pro- lighting ceremony, singing, folk danc- a different Torah portion each week. Yam took place on March 2. Rabbi Ste- grams. On March 11, the public received ing, fireworks, an all-night beach party From 10:30 a.m., congregants offer phen Fuchs and guest Cantor Pamela a singing history lesson from Cantor and a parade of lights highlighting Is- presentations on varied interesting Siskin presented a dramatic retelling Murray Simon about famous cantors. raeli accomplishments and innovation. topics. Israeli current events begin at of the Book of Esther spiced by popu- On March 25, Marvin Kalb spoke about Those members of Bat Yam who 11:30 a.m. In November, Adult Educa- lar songs featuring special Purim lyr- his experiences in the Soviet Union. are in their 80s and 90s can remember tion will begin again. ics written and sung by Tanya Hochs- The Federation is sponsoring the the turmoil and the amazement at the Our snowbird congregants are child, Kathy Zoss, Edina Lessack and annual Holocaust Memorial Service creation of the State of Israel in 1948. leaving. The number of programs and Ben Yokel, joined by Rabbi Fuchs and on Sunday, April 8 at Temple Beth With the British withdrawal from that events is lessening. Thanks to volun- Cantor Siskin. At the request of Rabbi Shalom in Cape Coral. For Jews, the territory, on May 14, 1948, David Ben- teer congregants, Friday evening Shab- Fuchs, groggers (noisemakers) were phrase “Never Again” has been short- Gurion, then head of the Jewish Agen- bat services will take place every week crafted and filled with coins and then hand for an ongoing commitment to cy, proclaimed the establishment of the at 7:00 p.m., from May until Rabbi donated to tzedakah. It was a very re- remembering the Holocaust. Students State of Israel. U.S. President Harry Fuchs returns for Rosh Hashanah. warding evening. from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas S. Truman recognized the new nation Come to worship and learn at our The Bat Yam community Passover High School who survived the shoot- on the same day. Against tremendous meeting place located on the campus Seder is scheduled for Friday, March 30 ing carnage in February, have adopted odds, Israel prevailed militarily against of the Sanibel Congregational United with a wonderful blend of exegesis by the phrase “Never Again.” One can the assault by the Arab League mem- Church of Christ at 2050 Periwinkle Rabbi Stephen Fuchs, melody by Can- only hope that the killing stops. bers. Having a home for the Jews of the Way on Sanibel. Members of the com- tor Murray Simon, food, friends and This year, Israel turns 70 years old world for the last 70 years in the land munity, guests and visitors are always family. The children will be kept busy or young, depending on one’s perspec- of Israel has been an incredible ac- welcome to join with congregants.
en and set-up volunteers servance starts at 7:00 p.m. on Wednes- nity Free Synagogue is an independent COMMUNITY FREE SYNAGOGUE who are making our day, April 11 in the Community Hall. not-for-profit open community -reli Fort Myers Community Free Pass- Accompanying traditional memorial gious resource. All of its events and (239) 466-6671 over Seder such a joy- prayers and candle lighting, the touch- programs, including youth and adult ous and uplifting event. ing Holocaust survivors’ documentary Jewish education, are open to all and www.fortmyerssynagogue.com Thanks to them and un- Aida’s Secrets will be screened. Please always free. derwriters Drs. David consult the article in this month’s issue The purpose of The Community The people of The Community Free Heligman and Alan Tannenbaum, our for details. Free Synagogue is “Study, Worship Synagogue are saddened by the mid- free five-course homemade Seder re- Each Friday evening at 6:30 p.m., and Benevolent Acts,” generally fol- February passing of Gary Kolko. Gary mains the largest Passover meal in The Community Free Synagogue lowing progressive Jewish traditions. was a loving husband, engaged father, Southwest Florida! serves a traditional Sabbath dinner. It C.F.S.’ founder and leader, Rabbi committed Jew and early, enthusiastic We relished the 180 delicious ar- is free and reservations are never re- Bruce Diamond, D.D., is celebrating participant in our synagogue. Sincerest tisan hummentaschen Shelly and Jer- quired. At 7:30 p.m., the Sabbath is the 40th year since ordination at The condolences are extended to his devoted ry Gershune and their “holy roller” welcomed with prayer and song. A cof- Hebrew Union College-Jewish Insti- wife, his daughters and their families. helpers baked on the Sunday before fee hour follows worship. tute of Religion in Cincinnati, and his Mazel Tov to Melinda and Bruce our gala Purim Eve Megillah read- Every Saturday at 9:30 a.m., C.F.S. 21st year in Fort Myers. Diamond on their March 18 wedding ing. The apple pie, Nutella, strawberry offers a light breakfast followed bya The synagogue meets at the South- in the synagogue. Mrs. Diamond runs and other creative scrumptious fillings lively discussion of the week’s Torah west Florida Masonic Center, 10868 The Pampered Soul Spa and Rabbi Di- made these definitely not your grand- portion until 11:30 a.m., when the Metro Parkway in South Fort Myers. amond works with our congregation. mother’s holiday treats! Mourner’s Qaddish is recited. For more information visit its website Heartfelt thanks to the many kitch- The C.F.S. Yom HaShoah Eve ob- Now in its 13th year, The Commu- at www.fortmyerssynagogue.com.
The concluding ser- caust Community Remembrance Day & Learn with the Forward will be held TEMPLE SHALOM vice for Passover will Service will be held on Thursday, April on Tuesday, April 24 from 12:30 to Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands take place Friday, April 6 12 (Yom HaShoah) at 6:30 p.m. at the 2:00 p.m. There is no charge for lunch (941) 625-2116 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the First United Methodist Church of Pun- as this is a funded program. Shabbat service. Yizkor ta Gorda. This is the only Community The Temple Shalom Congrega- www.templeshalomfl.com will be included in the Service for the entire county. tional Meeting will be held on Thurs- service. Temple Shalom will celebrate day April 26 at 7:00 p.m. This meeting Temple Shalom’s Congregational The film Above and Beyond will Israel’s 70th anniversary on Satur- will give members a clear understand- Community Seder will be held on Sat- be shown on Sunday, April 8 at 4:00 day evening, April 21. This will be a ing of the direction that the temple took urday, March 31 at 5:30 p.m. at the p.m. This is a film about the Israel Air great event with Middle Eastern food, during the past year. Kingsway Country Club. This Seder Force. klezmer music and dancing. The chair- Temple Shalom is Charlotte Coun- is open to nonmembers. Please call Dr. Alan Solomon will lead Shab- person for this event is Judi Migdol ty’s only Reform congregation that Odette Port at 941.505.1409 for addi- bat services on Friday, April 13 during and the donation is $50. Open to all. serves all of the county, North Port tional information. The Seder is led by Rabbi Agin’s absence from the pulpit. Call the temple office at 941.625.2116 and North Fort Myers. A Joyous Pass- Rabbi Solomon Agin and attendees are Dr. David Katz will be assisting. for more information. over to you and your family filled with called upon to participate. The Harry and Emmy Loeb Holo- The concluding session of Lunch peace and good health.
Services 10:00 A.M. First Seder @ 8:00 P.M. $36 Per Child Per Night (Ages 3 to 12) CHABAD LUBAVITCH Kiddush & Farbrengen Saturday March 31 Sponsor $180 Fort Myers 12:15 p.m. Mincha & Maariv @ 7:15 P.M. Double Chai Sponsor $360 (239) 433-7708 Service 7:15 P.M. Second Seder @ 8:00 P.M. Elijah Sponsor $540 Candle Lighting 7:29 Cost: Platinum Elijah Sponsor $1,000 www.chabadswf.org P.M. $54 Per Person Per Night Saturday April 7 Thursday March 29 Kabbalah Class 9:00 A.M. DELEGATION OF POWER FOR SALE OF CHAMETZ Search for Chametz 8:08 P.M. Service 10:00 A.M. I, the undersigned, fully empower and permit Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz to act in Friday March 30 Kiddush 12:15 P.M. my place and stead, and on my behalf to sell all Chametz possessed by me, know- Eat Chometz until 11:23 A.M. Evening Service 7:15 P.M. ingly or unknowingly as defined by the Torah and Rabbinical Law (e.g. Chametz, Burn Chometz until 12:20 P.M. Shabbat & Yom Tov ends 8:22 P.M. possible Chametz, and all kinds of Chametz mixtures). Light Candles 7:25 P.M. Friday April 13 Also Chametz that tends to harden and adhere to inside surfaces of pans, pots Evening Service 7:15 P.M. Services 7:30 P.M. or cooking utensils, the utensils themselves, and all kinds of live animals and pets First Seder 8:00 P.M. Candle Lighting 7:32 P.M. that have been eating Chametz and mixtures thereof. Saturday March 31 Saturday April 14 Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz is also empowered to lease all places wherein the Kabbalah Class 9:00 A.M. Kabbalah Class 9:00 A.M. Chametz owned by me may be found, particularly at the address⁄es listed below Services 10:00 A.M. Services 10:00 A.M. and elsewhere. Evening Service 7:15 P.M. Kiddush & Farbrengen 12:15 P.M. Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz has full right to appoint any agent or substitute Second Seder 8:00 P.M Evening Service 7:30 P.M. in his stead and said substitute shall have full right to sell and lease as provided Light Candles after 8:18 P.M. Shabbat Ends 8:26 P.M. herein. Sunday April 1 Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz also has the full power and right to act as he deems Kabbalah Class 9:00 A.M. You are cordially invited to join Chabad fit and proper in accordance with all the details of the Bill of Sale used in the trans- Services 10:00 A.M. Lubavitch of SWFL for a Family Pass- action to sell all my Chametz, Chametz mixtures, etc., as provided herein. Evening Service 7:15 P.M. over Seder at Chabad Lubavitch of This power is in conformity with all Torah, Rabbinical and civil laws. Yom Tov ends 8:19 P.M. SWFL, 5620 Winkler Road, Fort My- Signed: ______Date: ______Thursday April 5 ers, FL 33919. For reservations, please Name: ______Evening Service 7:15 P.M. call 239.433.7708 or email rabbi@ Address⁄es: ______Candle Lighting 7:28 P.M. chabadswf.org. City⁄ State⁄ Zip: ______Friday April 6 Friday March 30 Phone: ______Kabbalah Class 9:00 A.M. Mincha & Maariv @ 7:15 P.M. Email: ______L'CHAYIM APRIL 2018 28 Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties
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