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Gainesville's Jewish Cemetery May Be the Oldest North Central Florida’s Jewish Community Newspaper Published and Supported by The Jewish Council of North Central Florid a Summer 2015 Kayitz 5775 Gainesville’s Jewish Cemetery May Be The Oldest ‘Separate’ Jewish Cemetery In Florida Is it possible that Gainesville has the oldest Jewish Cem- etery in the state of Florida? Yes, according to Ralph Lowenstein, dean emeritus of UF’s College of Journalism and Communications, and chair of B’nai Israel’s cemetery committee for a dozen years. Ac- cording to Lowenstein, Gainesville has the oldest “separate” This gravestone Jewish cemetery in the state, dating back to 1871, when a 20 marks the burial site -year-old named Abraham Pinkussohn was buried in the of Abraham cemetery. Pinkussohn, age 20, “Several other cities claim to have the oldest Jewish the first person buried cemetery,” Lowenstein said, “but based on my research of in B’nai Israel Ceme- the Internet, they are – if you will pardon the expression – tery in 1871. dead wrong.” Jacksonville and Key West have older burial areas, but those areas are sections of a larger municipal cemetery. St. Augustine should logically take the title, but there are no tombstones in the bare area where, guides say, Marranos (Jews who converted to Christianity) were supposedly bur- ied. Ocala has a very old Jewish cemetery, but provides no fund-raising campaign currently under way for the expan- gravestone proof on the Internet. Lowenstein says he plans sion of B’nai Israel Cemetery. This is his listing of Florida’s to investigate. oldest “separate” Jewish cemeteries: Lowenstein said he came across Gainesville’s interesting Gainesville, 1871 distinction while preparing information for the $250,000 Pensacola, 1874 Tampa, 1881 Miami, 1897 Jacksonville (not separate) Key West (not separate) Tallahassee (not separate) St. Augustine (authenticity suspect) The Jewish Council is grateful to these organizations Ocala (age not yet proven) and businesses for their support. Our successful program Gainesville’s original cemetery was purchased for $20 year was made possible by the relationships we have devel- by young Abraham Pinkussohn’s father, Pincus Pinkussohn, oped and the resources we shared. Thank you for helping us and another early Gainesvillian named Gershon Joseph. build the wonderful, dynamic Jewish community of North (Continued on page 10) Central Florida! Organizations Inside This Issue B’nai Israel Community Day School Center for Jewish Studies at UF Stuart Cohn’s History of the Warsaw Museum ······················· 3 Chabad of Marion County The Rabbi’s Pen Pillars of the World ····································· 4 College of the Arts at UF JCNCF Grant Reports ······················································· 5 Congregation Beth Israel Virginia Brissette Reflects On Five Years With The JCNCF ······· 7 (Continued on page 6) The Music Maven: New Cantor Shlomo Glick ························· 8 News from Israel - Acro-Yoga is the latest fitness trend ·········· 11 Page 2 The ChrOnicle Summer 2015 Congregation B’nai Israel Program On Aug. 30 Will Help You Prepare Your Heart For The High Holidays On Sunday, August 30th, B’nai including traditional prayer and expe- scotch tasting. You can take one class Israel presents a special opportunity riences. For families looking to be or you can take them all! Each of these for spiritual preparation for the high home by naptime, this will be perfect classes will show you how to prepare holidays. Beginning at 9 a.m., Rabbi for you! your home and your heart for the up- David Kaiman, Debby Kinman-Ford Following lunch, participants will coming New Year. and Suzanne Chester will lead educa- be able to take part in various sessions Registration for this event will be tion sessions suitable for families and including floral arrangements and ta- available beginning July 1st, but until individuals with a focus on blescape, meditative yoga, cooking for then mark your calendars and save the meaningfully celebrating the holidays, the holidays and Shofar blowing and date! The CHrONICLE Published 10 times per year by The Jewish Council of North Cen- President Board Members tral Florida, Inc. * Dawn Burgess-Krop Joanne Block (2013-2015) PO Box 357936 (2013-2015)* Stuart Cohn (2014-2016)* Gainesville, FL 32635 Vice President Larry Hartfield (2014-2016)* office: (352) 371-3846 Reba Bandyopadhyay Sharon Hirshik (2013-2015)* fax: (352) 371-3846 * www.JCNCF.org (2013-2015) Richard Howard (2014-2016)* Secretary Edward Hunter (2013-2015)* Heath Lynn Silberfeld * * Abe Goldman (2013-2015) (2013-2015) Helene Johns (2014-2016)* Treasurer Esther Mauffray (2013-2015)* Steve Bobroff Myrna Neims (2014-2016)* (2013-2015)* Email: [email protected] Richard Sadove (2014-2016)* The Chronicle is produced for the Staff * Jewish Council by: Executive Director Stacey Steinberg (2014-2016) * Virginia L. Brissette Steven Slutsky (2013-2015) * Hunter Communications Community Ken Wald (2014-2016) Ed Hunter, Editor * Engagement Associate Dan Wernecke (2014-2016) Toby Hunter, *Member’s Term of Office Ad Layout Damien Boada and Design (352) 379-5802 Submission Policy General The entire contents of The Chronicle are copyright © 2015 by the Jewish Council Please submit all material on or before the 15th of the month prior to publication. of North Central Florida. Because of space limitations, it is not always possible to publish all items submitted. If an item is not published and is still relevant, it will be automatically considered for the next month’s Chronicle. Publication and/or specific placement in The Chronicle cannot be guaranteed. Please limit articles to 500 words. Articles should be substantially original material of interest to the Greater North Central Florida Jewish Community. Material can be e-mailed in Word Document format to [email protected], faxed Support (please don’t fax pictures) to (352) 379-5802 or dropped off at the Jewish Council of North Central Florida offices next door to Temple Shir Shalom. If you have any ques- tions, e-mail [email protected] or call (352) 379-5802. Our The Chronicle and the Jewish Council do not endorse the goods and services advertised in these pages, and make no representation as Advertisers to the kashrut of the food, products and services in such advertising. Kayitz 5775 The Chronicle Page 3 Highlights Of The Warsaw Museum Of Jewish History Include A Replica Of A Wood Synagogue By Stuart Cohn Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of Stuart Cohn's description of his Holocaust. In post-war Po- The Golden Years were visit to the Warsaw Museum of the History of the Polish People, which land the Russians fomented the 15th-17th centuries. opened in October, 2014. The museum chronicles the 1,000 year history strong anti-Semitism as an Those years were so favora- of the Jewish community in Poland. excuse for local problems, ble that Poland was referred Part 1 of the article, in the May 2015 issue of The Chronicle, culminating in 1968 in the to during that time as the described how Polish nobility welcomed Jews to Poland in the Middle expulsion of Jews from aca- “Jewish Paradise.” The good Ages when other European countries closed their borders or were expel- demic positions and a major times came to a sudden end ling Jews. Part 1 can be viewed online at going to www.jcncf.org, and exodus of almost 18,000 in 1648 with the Cossack clicking on the Chronicle tab. Jews to the U.S., Israel and uprising against the Polish elsewhere. nobles led by Chmielnicky. The defeat because it immediately followed the I am well aware that many Jewish of the nobles led to huge massacres of period 1919-1939 when Polish Jewry people have a strong negative attitude Jews who no longer could count on was at its height. Warsaw was one- towards Poland and the Polish peo- protection from the nobility. Enor- third Jewish in 1939 and Jewish cul- ple. I had my own serious misgivings mous insecurity existed, which was a ture thrived as nowhere else in the the first time I went to Poland to major factor in the rise of Hasidism, as world. There were dozens of Yiddish teach. Although there is no question many lost faith in traditional ways. newspapers, theaters, movies and that anti-semitism was very strong, This was fertile ground for the “God is schools. Numerous pictures and films and still exists in Poland as it does all found through ecstasy” notion of Ba'al of schoolchildren, sports groups, social over the world, the fact is that, until Shem Tov and his disciples. All of this clubs and families were heartbreaking the Nazis took control, Poland al- history is wonderfully re-created with to see, as the observers knows what lowed the greatest flowering of Jewish visuals, pictures, original writings and was coming to these innocent people. religion and culture in a relatively interactive stations. And the problems did not end with the (Continued on page 10) One of the highlights, among many, was a large room that replicated the inside of a wooden synagogue, with beautifully painted walls and ceil- B’nai Israel To Offer Free K-2 ings depicting Biblical motifs, and a corresponding painted “bema” in the Religious School To Members middle of the room. The ark was against the Eastern wall. During the Every organization strives to stand our youth is a vital component of what Torah portion, the Torah was taken by their purpose and mission in all we do at B’nai Israel. We are invested from the ark to the bema. things they do and that sentiment was in making sure that every family can The room also had several com- clear at Congregation B’nai Israel provide a Jewish education for their puter terminals with interactive soft- when the Board of Trustees voted child.” said Rabbi Kaiman.
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