MARCH – APRIL 2014 / 29 ADAR – 30 NISAN 5774 Page 1 RABBI HILLEL SKOLNIK’S MESSAGE Dear SOJC, Every year when the spring comes, it brings with it the hopes of new ideas, new dreams and new possibilities. Of course living in Florida the Shabbat / Holiday Services winter actually feels like spring, but nevertheless, this time of year gives us Sat. Morning, Mar. 1 - 9:30 AM the chance to look ahead to summer vacation, summer travels and summer Fri. Night, Mar. 7 - 7:30 PM smiles. It is a season of looking forward and dreaming about the good Sat. Morning, Mar. 8 - 9:30 AM things in our lives that are yet to come. This particular spring there is much Fri. Night, Mar. 14 - 7:30 PM dreaming taking place as we look ahead to the future of our congregation. Sat. Morning, Mar. 15 - 9:30 AM For those who may not know, after holding our annual elections, the new PURIM Family Friendly Services Board of Directors elected a new president to lead our congregation, Cheryl Sat. night - Mar. 15 - 8:30 PM Nathan-Weiner. Cheryl has been an active member and Board of Directors Sun. morning - Mar. 16 - 10:30 AM member for a number of years and has spent many, many hours working Fri. Night, Mar. 21 - 7:30 PM behind the scenes to help make our congregation run smoothly. We wish Sat. Morning, Mar. 22 - 9:30 AM Cheryl Mazal Tov and look forward to her leadership in this new position. In Fri. Night, Mar.28 - 7:30 PM this moment we also take a moment to thank from the bottom of our hearts Sat. Morning, Mar. 29 - 9:30 AM and overwhelmingly acknowledge the incredible work that has been done by Fri. Night, Apr. 4 - 7:30 PM our now immediate past-President Michele Fischer, who worked tirelessly to Sat. Morning, Apr. 5 - 9:30 AM see all of our dreams realized. Not to worry, Michele will continue to be part Fri. Night, Apr. 11 - 7:30 PM of the Board of Directors serving as co-Financial Secretary and will continue Sat. Morning, Apr. 12 - 9:30 AM to be an integral part of our leadership structure including managing the PASSOVER Services SOJC office. To celebrate these two wonderful women and to officially install Tues. Apr. 15 - 9:30 AM - Day 1 the new Board of Directors and President, the entire Board of Directors will Wed. Apr.16 - 9:30 AM - Day 2 called up for an Aliyah together on a date that will soon be determined. I Fri. Apr. 18 - 7:30 PM hope you’ll join us for that special moment and for a special Kiddush that will Sat. Apr. 19 - 9:30 AM follow. Mon. Apr. 21 - 9:30 AM - Day 7 As we begin March this year, we also look forward to one of everyone’s Tues., Apr. 22 - 9:30 AM - Day 8, favorite holidays, Purim!! And let’s be honest…who doesn’t enjoy a including Yizkor holiday where we are encouraged to dress in costumes and make noise Fri. Night, Apr. 25 - 7:30 PM during services? Our celebration of Purim this year is going to be extra Sat. Morning, Apr. 26 - 9:30 AM special as it will include the premiere of this year’s Purim Schpiel, “That’s Esthertainment!” I invite you all to join us for this wonderful performance SOJC NEWSLETTER - 11200 South Apopka Vineland Rd. Orlando, Florida 32836 407-239--5444 • www.sojc.org MARCH – APRIL 2014 / 29 ADAR – 30 NISAN 5774 Page 2 SOJC which will be on Sunday, March 9. Doors open at 12:45 pm and the curtain goes up at 1 pm. Tickets for the show are $5 per person with a family max of $15. If anyone is interested and/or hungry, we will have a pizza lunch available beginning at 12 pm (immediately following Religious School) which will also be $5 per person and includes two slices of pizza, one drink and one piece of fruit. I hope you’ll join us for the show and the rare opportunity to see members of SOJC take to the stage! Just a few days later, we get to celebrate Purim which begins on Saturday evening March 15th and continues on the 16th. Due to an unusual confluence of events including a Jewish leap year, the changing of the clocks and Purim falling on a Saturday night into Sunday, services on Saturday evening will begin at 8:30 pm. I understand that is a late starting time for a holiday designed for young children, but Purim cannot start until Shabbat is over, so 8:30 pm it is. Despite the late starting time, it will still be a festive service for families of all ages with costumes, groggers, a full reading of the Book of Ester, and ice cream social afterwards. Since it is such a late starting time, on Sunday morning, as part of Religious School, we will have a second family friendly Purim service with a partial reading of the Book of Ester, more groggers and more costumes beginning at 10:30 am. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend with their Religious School student, children not in Religious School and of course families without children in the Religious School are encouraged to attend as well. Those services will lead directly into the last part of our Purim celebration…the Purim Carnival!!!!!!!!! We are super excited about all of the fun games and prizes we will have this year. Bracelets – which will give you unlimited access to all games and fun – cost $20 in advance and $25 at the door. We also will be in need of parent volunteers so please let us know if you can help out at the Purim Carnival. Since this is the March and April issue, it would be wrong to not mention that barely four weeks after Purim comes Passover, which this year begins on Monday night, April 14. Please be on the lookout for announcements regarding service times over Passover as well as information on how to order Kosher for Passover food from “Pesach in Style.” It promises to be an exciting and festive two months! Sincerely, Rabbi Hillel Skolnik When Purim Is Here.... Passover is not far behind. Hag Sameach! SOJC NEWSLETTER - 11200 South Apopka Vineland Rd. Orlando, Florida 32836 407-239--5444 • www.sojc.org MARCH – APRIL 2014 / 29 ADAR – 30 NISAN 5774 Page 3 SOJC PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE I am honored to have been chosen to serve as President of SOJC. Our newly elected Board boasts many new members with a variety of new ideas that will help to better serve the needs of our SOJC family. We also have several long-standing members who serve to remind us of our history and our roots. This coming year it is my goal to continue Michele Fischer’s legacy to meld the old with the new and continue to grow our SOJC family into a place where all feel welcomed and part of our family. I am also honored to share this year and everything we will accomplish with an outstanding group of members who compose the 2014 Board of Directors. These are people with passion and eagerness for SOJC’s continued successes and growth. Cheryl Nathan-Weiner President SOJC 2014 SOJC Board of Directors President - Cheryl Nathan-Weiner Directors 1st Vice President - Vivian Kerstein Aileen Schaked 2nd Vice President - Jeff Sikora Ed Bromberg 3rd Vice President - Brett Spector Jeffrey Pasler Treasurer - Karla Salvatierra Joe Jamoom Financial Secretary - Michele Fischer/Shelly Blatt Larry Wolfman Recording Secretary - Ben Bolusky Lynell Medel Past President - Michele Fischer Michael Goldberg Yehoshua Saenz As I told the Board when they asked me how I felt after being elected, I have large shoes to fill but a clear path to follow. I want to thank Michele Fischer for four years of exemplary leadership and true dedication. In 2010, when Michele was elected President, she became the only sitting SOJC president with no financial parachute and a loan that would come due during her presidency. In addition, the social hall roof began to leak, all five air conditioners stopped working and above all else she was determined to hire a Rabbi before the end of her first year as president. These challenges only made Michele more determined to make it all work. She dug in her heels and with her guidance we hired Rabbi Skolnik when many around her said we couldn’t afford to. She had all five air conditioners replaced and had the roof repaired. This past year she received donations toward new flooring and to top it all off, she repaid the loan before we had to refinance again and worked with Rabbi Skolnik to renew his contract for five more years! Michele works tirelessly in the SOJC office with a smile and an answer for all who come with their many questions. She heads the Fundraising committee and the Building and Grounds committee. Michele is truly the face of SOJC. She and her family are fixtures at our Shabbat services on Friday night and she and her husband Jeff provide the wonderful desserts that are served (which they will continue to do for the next year in case you wondered!). What a legacy to leave. Thank you Michele! Moving on to the year ahead, the Board would like to encourage each and every one of you to join a committee this year. Be a part of what is happening at SOJC and make a difference.