Jewish Community News www.jfedps.org The Publication of the Jewish Federation of the Desert Elul/Tishrei 5779 - October 2019 Your Act of Generosity, Your Legacy Legacy giving does not require tomorrow. This legacy ensures that your partnership we will continue to great wealth, only great commitment. you and your values live on. make sure that community is there Every dollar makes a difference to the Legacy gifts support and sustain for our children and our children’s Jewish causes and organizations that Jewish community and guarantee that children. Whatever your passion, one care about and allows donors to the most vulnerable among us will together we can ensure the Jewish have a profound impact on the future know they are not alone in the world. future. Thanks to your gift, your of their community. Appreciating the Through your Federation legacy, you values will live on in the Desert, Israel, critical importance of this resource have the power to ensure families in and around the world. You can help has moved Chuck Cohen and Cora Cora Ginsberg Chuck Cohen need will not just survive but will have a child build the foundation of a Ginsberg to spearhead this ambitious the years to come. the opportunity to thrive and live full lifelong identity at Jewish summer undertaking, reminding us that What will your legacy be? With a Jewish lives. camp, connect young adults to Jewish when you create a Jewish legacy Jewish Federation legacy, you will be For more almost 50 years, our Jewish life in new and meaningful ways, you take an important step towards remembered for helping Jews in need Federation has been meeting the support our impactful work in Israel, strengthening Jewish life now and in today and building the community of needs of the community – and with and more. Suspect Arrested in Fire at Historic Minnesota Synagogue Times of Israel Staff blaze about 2 a.m. Monday. A fire department spokesman says the building “is pretty much a total loss.” Amiot has been charged with first degree arson. According to its website, the Adas Israel Congregation is an Orthodox/high Conservative Jewish congregation with a membership total of 75. Construction of the synagogue was completed in 1902. Eight Adas Israel Synagogue ablaze of 14 Torah scrolls stored in the Authorities have arrested 36 year synagogue were saved. old Deluth resident Matthew James The local Jewish Federation has Amiot for the fire that that destroyed started a fundraising campaign a historic synagogue in northeastern on behalf of the synagogue, and Minnesota. Adas Israel Congregation, another local synagogue, Temple built in 1902, was burned down in Israel, has offered Adas Israel blaze that destroyed 6 Torah scrolls. temporary space. Firefighters responded to the Giving Thanks the New Year, we have so much for worked tirelessly to make our events and Chuck Cohen, dedicated and which to be thankful. so successful. committed individuals spearheading Thank you to everyone in Thank you all for attending our our Legacy program and who want appreciation for all you do. many programs hosted by Federation to guarantee that the Federation ROBERTA Thank you to our donors who that highlighted speakers and continues to provide its programs and NYMAN have responded so magnificently to community events. services for many years to come. our Annual Campaign this past year. Thank you for contributing to our Thank you to our Board that was JEWISH This has enabled our local Jewish Tzedakah Fund, which enabled the led so ably by Celia Norian and Allan FEDERATION Federation to make a meaningful Federation to respond to emergency Lehmann. Our Federation thanks you BOARD CHAIR difference to our local community and needs of Jews living in our community. and we are so proud of our community. to Jews in the world wherever they Remember we are here for you if the Allan and I extend our warmest It is “traditional" to thank people may live. need arises. wishes for a good year for all of you. at the end of one’s term of office, but Thank you to our volunteers Thank you to our Staff who have Shana tova. I want to start off my year expressing who have assisted Staff at our many been exemplary in their performance my appreciation to everyone who programs. that enabled our Federation to “The miracle of this – made and is making a difference in our Thank you to our Committee accomplish so much so smoothly. The more we give, the more we have” community. As we are about to begin Chairs and their Committees who have Thank you to Cora Ginsberg Leonard Nemoy 2019-2020 JEWISH FEDERATION Monday, January 13, 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS JAN Women’s Philanthropy Roberta Nyman, Board Chair Lori Fritz, Campaign Chair Lion of Judah Arnie Gillman, Vice Campaign Chair Luncheon OF THE DESERT Phil Glass, Treasurer 13 Stephanie Ross, Secretary Allan Lehmann, Past Co-Chair Celia Norian, Past Co-Chair Monday, February 10, 2020 SAVE Bruce Landgarten, FEB Chief Executive Officer Major Gifts Elliott Cohen Margie Kulp Dinner THESE Jackie Cohen Ron Langus Judith Cohen Bernard Reiter 10 Bobbi Holland Gary Schahet Table of Contents Monday, March 9, 2020 DATES Vol. 46 • No. 3 MAR Women’s Philanthropy Please contact Community Calendar 16-17 Federation 2, 3, 19 Pearl Society the Jewish Endowment 1, 7, 28 Luncheon Federation for Lecture Series 19 09 further Women's Philanthropy 6 event details. Have A Nosh 27 Sunday, April 19, 2020 Holiday Greeting 22-25 APR PJ Library 3, 12 Community Schools/School Listing 25 Yom HaShoah OF THE DESERT Simchas & Classifieds 26-27 Observance 69-710 Highway 111 Temples Listing 16 19 Rancho Mirage CA 92770 Tributes 17 (760) 324-4737 • www.jfedps.org 2 • JCN • October 2019 • Elul/Tishrei 5779 • www.jfedps.com An Alliance of Leaders Coming Together board of peers that can provide From the CEO very candid and strategic input while facing similar challenges in array of insights and challenges in a safe and and strong voices. When we open different non-profits. Through the confidential place, receiving collegial ourselves to hearing – and actually relationships we will be developing Bruce support while, concurrently, working listening to – each other’s unique we aim to gain a better appreciation Landgarten towards building a better community. perspective, we deepen our of the diversity of opinion and Jewish Federation We believe that every top executive understanding of what makes us thought as we strengthen the fabric Chief Executive who has valuable experiences and who we are and how we can move of our greater community and our Officer a genuine willingness to help other forward together. Jewish community’s place in it. This executives should be part of the I reached out to non-profit and will be a sounding board of peers that can provide candid and strategic In these contentious and often Alliance of Chief Executives. community-based organization input to issues that senior executives dangerous times in which we live, Our diversity provides access to senior executives in the desert may be facing. solidifying positive relationships executives who have already been with this concept and the response In exchange for their willingness to within the general community and, there and done that on virtually every was extraordinary. An exceptional share their knowledge, we will gain more specifically, with professional challenge or opportunity that a CEO core group of senior executives access to the collective experience leadership, promotes a better may face. Diversity allows a group have bought into the concept. and gain wisdom from a variety of appreciation of the diversity in our to conceptualize problems in novel These individuals are dedicated to our local mission driven non-profit Desert community and our Jewish ways that create innovative solutions building community and welcome agencies. community within it. and fresh ideas. Our objectives: to the opportunity to discuss their most The Alliance, to me, is really about Towards this end, Jewish learn from the collective experience, challenging issues and opportunities learning how to be a “best-in-class” Federation of the Desert has gain a deeper understanding of in strategic and powerful ways. leader in an unfettered learning spearheaded a new opportunity our challenges, and discover new I am excited that they are and open environment. These are for local senior executives to come opportunities and fresh perspectives welcoming Jewish Federation as the exciting times ahead. together in an Alliance to share the for future strategic initiatives. central address for this endeavor. exchange of ideas, best practices, Our community is built on varied Think of the Alliance as a sounding JCN • October 2019 • Elul/Tishrei 5779 • www.jfedps.com • 3 IDF Soldier in Anti-Tunnel Unit Moves to Gaza Border JEWISH Kibbutz, with 28 Friends COMMUNITY An Israeli soldier who specializes in about his role. “In my job there’s no room no way that at the end of the day they NEWS locating Gaza terror tunnels has moved for mistakes. If I miss something, maybe won’t be lively places. I put a call out on A Publication of the to Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, which borders in a few months people will come out of WhatsApp. I was a sure that it would Jewish Federation of the Desert the Gaza Strip, and has brought 28 other a tunnel and kill civilians.” bring in a few people, then suddenly 70 VOL. 46, No. 3 young Israelis with him. Kerem Shalom is a small community people signed up.” EDITORIAL The soldier, only identified by the ringed with protective concrete walls The community’s newest residents Bruce Landgarten, first letter of his name, Aleph, serves in which abuts Israel’s border with southern moved into ten apartments, with two or Chief Executive Officer the Israel Defense Forces in the area of Gaza and is near the border with Egypt.