Federation Star - April 2015 by Jewish Federation of Collier County

Happy Passover First night Seder - April 3

Passover is a time for family gatherings and happiness as we commemorate the story of the Exodus. The Jewish Federation of Collier County would like to wish your family a happy and healthy Passover.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THIS SEASON’S TWO BIG EVENTS:

Read the Federation Star on your tablet!

* * * * *

Evy Lipp People of T the Book Cultural Event SOLD OU Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Celebrating Jewish Life in Collier County, Israel and the World

Federation Star Published by the Jewish Federation of Collier County serving Naples, Marco Island and the surrounding communities

www.JewishNaples.org INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 4 6 7 14 20 23 23 25 28 30 30 32 34 35

Visit www.issuu.com

Men’s Cultural Alliance Women’s Cultural Alliance Community Focus Jewish Interest Israel & the Jewish World Tributes Business Directory Commentary Focus on Youth Rabbinical Reflections Synagogues Organizations Community Calendar Community Directory

6 WCA’s “Season” is off to a resounding start!

Enter “Federation Star” in the search box and click on the cover image of the issue you’d like to read. Then simply scroll through the pages.

8 Subject of Israeli best-seller visits Naples

January 2015 - Tevet/Shevat 5775

Federation President

28 Naples BBYO teens at Regional Kallah

later in life. First, he became a scientist and worked in the field of ecology. “I would have preferred studying the humanities, but Jews in the former Soviet Union (f.S.U.) weren’t allowed to be historians or philosophers.” Utilizing his fluency in English, he often acted as a tour guide for American ambassadors and members of congress. He took them to Babi Yar, the infamous ravine in Kiev where, in two September days in 1941, German forces and local collaborators massacred nearly 34,000 Jews. As a rabbi, he says, “I get to combine all of these disciplines, because a rabbi is not only a teacher but also a scientist and a tour guide.” In addition to Judi Palay at Temple

Shalom, another local connection is the Jewish Federation of Collier County, which currently provides a grant to a Jewish preschool in Kiev. The rabbi detailed a wish list of ongoing “pockets of need,” for donations from people he meets on this talking tour who desire their own connection to Jews in Ukraine. “We need money for mundane expenses, like rent for premises and salaries for professionals. We also train lay leaders to conduct Shabbat services and do congregational work. We want to sponsor summer and winter camps that provide education promoting Jewish self-identification.” Noting that in Judaism the primary unit is the family,

continued on page 2

Jeffrey Feld, Steven D. Goldberg, Rabbi Alexander Dukhovny, Judi Palay, Rabbi Adam Miller

The case for giving at the beginning of the year…and for giving more Alvin Becker

Israeli artist to exhibit at Estero Fine Art Show

Vol. 24 #5

Kiev rabbi makes connections By Carole J Greene

eing a journalist provides me opportunities to connect with fascinating people. When Rabbi Alexander Dukhovny visited Naples on November 12, I enjoyed the privilege and pleasure of chatting with him about the challenges and successes of the Progressive Jewish Congregations (i.e. “Reform”) of Kiev, Ukraine. He is chief rabbi of the present 47 (!) congregations, an impressive increase from the eleven existing when he began. As we talked, the word “connections” came up multiple times. Rabbi Dukhovny came to the U.S. to foster connections with American Jews and forge new ones. Temple Shalom’s Judi Palay is one of the former connections and she opened her home to the rabbi, whom she’d met when traveling in Ukraine. When he spoke that evening at Temple Shalom, he likened his role on this whirlwind “talking tour” (if it’s Wednesday, this must be Naples) to fertilizing seeds of Progressive Judaism sown by others in Ukraine. “American rabbis plowed the soil. I’m the fertilizer because I know the culture, the language.” Although he knew all his life that he was a Jew, he came to the rabbinate

number of organizations have as their priority to support the most vulnerable people in our community – children, the aged, and those suffering humanitarian emergencies. Other groups seek to keep Israel safe, strong and prosperous. Still others support Jewish practices and perspectives that enrich our lives and draw us closer to family, friends and community. Finally, some promote advocacy to

Jewish Federation of Collier County Inc. 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Ste. 2201 Naples, FL 34109

Prsrt Std US Postage Paid Permit #419 Ft Myers FL

ensure that our voices are a prominent force in policy decisions. But ONLY the Jewish Federation of Collier County includes all of these priorities in its work as an important force in our community – creating, building, supporting and strengthening much needed groups here and elsewhere. Please see page 3 for a list of organizations and programs that were supported, in part or in whole, by Federation dollars last year. I am confident that you will find one or more groups or programs that strike a responsive chord

in your supportive thoughts. Note that the list is long – but so are the needs. And those needs are immediate and continue to grow. Don’t wait to make a contribution to the Jewish Federation of Collier County until later in 2015. The beginning of the year is a wonderful time to be part of a caring community that gives back. Donate now. Volunteer now. Make a difference now. You’ll have the whole year to feel good about what you’ve done. Happy New Year!

GIVE GIVEYOUR YOURBUSINESS BUSINESS GROWTH GROWTHPOTENTIAL. POTENTIAL. ADVERTISE ADVERTISEWITH WITHTHE Federation Star Contact Jacqui Aizenshtat at 239.777.2889 Robin Leonardi • 941.552.6307 • rleonardi@jfedsrq.org or jacqui1818@gmail.com. www.TheJewishNews.org

You can also read Connections on your tablet. Search for “Collier Connections”.

It’s that simple!

Celebrating Jewish Life in Collier County, Israel and the World

Federation Star Published by the Jewish Federation of Collier County serving Naples, Marco Island and the surrounding communities

www.JewishNaples.org INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 5 6 7 10 16 20 21 21 23 24 25 26 30 31

Men’s Cultural Alliance Women’s Cultural Alliance Community Focus Jewish Interest Israel & the Jewish World Tributes Business Directory Commentary Rabbinical Reflections Focus on Youth Synagogues Organizations Community Calendar Community Directory

4 Noted speaker warns about global terror

15 AIPAC Policy Conference report

25 Naples BBYO members dine in the dark

28 Southwest Florida Jewish Pioneers: Elena Rosner



April 2015 - Nisan/Iyar 5775



Vol. 24 #8

Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger draws 800 to Evy Lipp People of the Book event

ur community held another signature event, marking the eleventh anniversary of the Jewish Federation’s Evy Lipp People of the Book program. Kudos go to Stan Lipp and Teri Kampmeyer for their efforts as cochairs and for all of their planning of this special event. Our thanks go to Temple Shalom for once again hosting the Federation for the evening. Special thanks go to the generous underwriting support for this program from the Patron Donors listed below. This season’s distinguished guest speaker, Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger, was outstanding, keeping the sold-out audience of 800 enthralled during his talk and the question-and-answer session.

Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger, Teri Kampmeyer, Tricia Kampmeyer, Stan Lipp

Evy Lipp People of the Book Patron Donors: Sheila & Alvin Becker Rosalee & Jerry Bogo Jeanne & Neil Braverman Rhonda & Stephen Brazina Dr. Paula Brody & Merrill Hassenfeld Linda & Dan Carp Sheri & Louis Citterman Myra & Dr. Mort Friedman Susie & Ronald Goldsmith Teri & Tricia Kampmeyer & Stan Lipp Jay & Stuart Kaye Lin & Ron Klein Helene & Judge Norman Krivosha Gracia Kuller Debbie Laites & Ben Post Bobbie & Dr. Bernard Lublin Ida & Jeffrey Margolis Fran & Rob Nossen Judi Palay Judith & Ben Peltz Susan & Dr. Nathaniel Ritter Betty & Les Schwartz Phyllis & Michael Seaman Jane Schiff & Lon Gratz Myra Shapiro Linda Singer & Louis Klein, Jr. Arlene & Michael Sobol Janet & Howard Solot

Jewish Federation of Collier County Inc. 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Ste. 2201 Naples, FL 34109

Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger with Evy Lipp People of the Book event committee members and volunteers

Prsrt Std US Postage Paid Permit #419 Ft Myers FL

Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger signed copies of his book, A German Life, for event attendees

For additional photos from the Evy Lipp People of the Book event and Patrons Dinner, visit www.jewishnaples.org or www.facebook.com/JewishFederationofCollierCounty

2 Federation Star April 2015 d, how good and how pleasant it is for people ld,to how good and pleasant itPsalm is133for people “Behold, howtogether good and how how in pleasant it is for people dwell unity.” to dwell together in unity.” to dwell together in unity.” Psalm 133 Psalm 133

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for people to dwell together in unity.” Psalm 133

JEWISH FEDERATION

Is it really better to give than to receive? Alvin Becker

PFLAG PFLAG Seventh Annual

PFLAG

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for people “Behold,tohow good and how pleasant it133is for people together in unity.” “Behold, dwell how good and how pleasantPsalm it is for people to dwell together in unity.” Psalm 133

Interfaith Convocation Seventh Annual to dwell together in unity.” Sunday, May 4, 2014, 3:00 PM Interfaith Convocation Psalm 133

Unity of Naples Church 2000 Unity3:00 Way,PM Naples Sunday, May 4, 2014, ofand Naples Church PFLAG (Parents,Unity Families Friends of Lesbians and Gays) invites people of all 2000 UnitySharing Way,religious Naplestraditions and rituals unites us in faiths to worship together.

Eighth Annual Seventh Annual PFLAG Interfaith Convocation Interfaith Convocation PFLAG PFLAG

promoting acceptance and belonging for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) invites people of all persons and their families in our community. o worship together. Sharing religious traditions and rituals unites us in ing acceptance and belonging for Gay,PRAY Lesbian, Bisexual, PLEASE WITH US!and Transgender and their families in our community.

Eighth Annual Seventh Annual Seventh Annual Sunday, May 4, 2014, to follow Service3:00 Reception19, Sunday, April 2015, 3:00PM PM Interfaith Convocation Interfaith Convocation PLEASE PRAY WITH US! Interfaith Convocation Unity of Naples Church Naples United Church of Christ Reception to follow Service Sunday, April 19,4,2015, PM Sunday, May 2014, 3:00 3:00 PM 2000 Unity Way, Naples Sunday, May 4, 2014, 3:00 PM 5200 Crayton Road, Naples Welcoming Houses of Worship

Beth Tikvah * Celebration Metropolitan Community Church * Cornerstone United Methodist * Emmanuel Lutheran Church First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) * Fort Myers Congregational United Church of Christ * Jewish Congregation of Marco Island Lighthouse Congregational UCC * Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ * Naples Jewish Congregation Naples United Church of Christ * Samudrabadra Buddhist Center * St. John the Apostle MCC Welcoming Houses of Worship St. Monica’s Episcopal Church * Temple Shalom * The Baha’I Faith * Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples Tikvah * Celebration Metropolitan Community Church * Cornerstone United Methodist * Emmanuel Lutheran Church Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers * Unity of Naples Church * Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church tian Church (Disciples of Christ) * Fort Myers Congregational United Church of Christ * Jewish Congregation of Marco Island Lighthouse Congregational UCC * Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ * Naples Jewish Congregation United Church ofwww.pflaginterfaith.com, Christ * Samudrabadra Buddhist Center * www.PFLAGnaples.org St. John the Apostle MCC ForNaples information: or 239-206-3267 Monica’s Episcopal Church * Temple Shalom * The Baha’I Faith * Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers * Unity of Naples Church * Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church

Federation Board Chair

n previous messages, I have suggested that giving to charity (and, most particularly, to the Jewish Federation of Collier County) will make you feel better, but I have offered no hard evidence for my claims. Now, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, a growing body of research suggests that it really is better to give than to receive – at least when it comes to your health. According to the WSJ, the research,

The Jewish community of Collier County is awesome! Jeffrey Feld

NaplesUnity United ChurchChurch of Christ of Naples Unity of Naples Church 2000 UnityRoad, Way, Naples 5200 Crayton Naples Families and Friends ofWay, Lesbians 2000 Unity Naplesand

nts, Gays) invites people of all Federation s, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) invites people of allPresident/ PFLAG (Parents, Families Friends Lesbiansand andGays) Gays) invites invites people of LAG (Parents, Families andand Friends ofof Lesbians peoplerituals ofallall hip together. Sharing religious traditions and unites us in CEO PFLAG (Parents, Families andSharing Friends of Lesbians and invitesunites people of faiths towww.pflaginterfaith.com, worship together. religious traditions and rituals rituals us ininall formation: www.PFLAGnaples.org or Gays) 239-206-3267 ths to worship together. Sharing religious traditions and unites us ip together. Sharing religious traditions and rituals unites us in faiths to worship together. Sharingfor religious traditions and rituals unites usand in Transgender promoting acceptance belonging Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender ceptance and belonging Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, omoting acceptance andand belonging forfor Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender n the short time that I have lived promoting acceptance and in belonging for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender persons and their belonging families our community. eptance and for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender rsons families and their families in our community. heir in our community. here, I have been amazed at what persons and their families in our community.

ir families in our community. PLEASE PRAY WITH US! PLEASE PRAY WITH US!

the Collier County Jewish community has accomplished and continues to to follow Service ReceptionPRAY PLEASE WITH US! Reception to follow Service achieve. I have witnessed hundreds of follow Service Reception Welcomingto Houses of Worship people participating in a wide variety Beth Tikvah * Celebration Metropolitan Community Church * Cornerstone United Methodist * Emmanuel Lutheran Church Welcoming Houses of Worship Myers Congregational United Church of Christ * Jewish Congregation of Marco Island First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) * Fort Welcoming Houses of Worship Bat Yam – Temple of the Islands * Beth Tikvah * Cornerstone United Methodist Emmanuel Lutheran Church * First Christian Church of programs. Members of our Jewish Congregational UCC * Community Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ * Naples Jewish Congregation Lighthouse Beth Tikvah * Celebration Metropolitan United Methodist * Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Christ) * Fort Myers Congregational United Church Church *ofCornerstone Christ * Jewish Congregation of Marco Island * Lighthouse (Disciples Naples United Church of Christ * Samudrabadra Buddhist Center * St. John the Apostle MCC Christian Church of Christ) * Fort Myers Congregational United ChurchJewish of Christ * Jewish Congregation of Marco Island First community seek out more opportunities UCC (Disciples *Episcopal Mayflower Congregational United of Christ * Naples Congregational Church * Temple Shalom * TheChurch Baha’I Faith * Unitarian UniversalistCongregation Congregation *ofNaples GreaterUnited NaplesChurch of St. Monica’s Congregational UCC * Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ Naples Jewish Congregation Lighthouse Christ * New Day Metropolitan Community Naples * Samudrabadra Buddhist Center* Presbyterian * St. John the Apostle MCC * St. Unitarian Universalist ChurchChurch of Fortof Myers * Unity of Naplesof Church * Vanderbilt Church Welcoming Houses Worship to engage with other Jews in all sorts of Naples United Church of Christ * Samudrabadra Buddhist Center * St. John the Apostle MCC Monica’s Episcopal Church * Shepherd of the Glades Lutheran Church * Temple Shalom * The Baha’I Faith * Unitarian Universalist Episcopal Church * TempleUniversalist ShalomChurch * The Baha’I*ofFaith Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples St. Monica’s elebration Metropolitan Community Cornerstone United Methodist * Emmanuel Lutheran Church Congregation of Greater Naples * Unitarian Church Fort* Myers * Unity of Naples Church * Vanderbilt Presbyterian activities. Welcoming Worship Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers Houses * Unity of www.PFLAGnaples.org Naplesof Church * Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church For information: www.pflaginterfaith.com, or 239-206-3267 Church h (Disciples of Christ) * Fort Myers Congregational United Church of Christ * Jewish Congregation of Marco Island For example, as I have been atf theinformation: Islands * Beth Tikvah * Cornerstone United Methodist Emmanuelor Lutheran Church * First Christian Church For www.pflaginterfaith.com, www.PFLAGnaples.org 239-206-3267 Congregational UCC * Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ * Naples Jewish Congregation tending services at our different conFor information: www.pflaginterfaith.com, www.PFLAGnaples.org or 239-206-3267 t)Naples * FortUnited MyersChurch Congregational ChurchBuddhist of ChristCenter * Jewish of Marco of Christ *United Samudrabadra * St.Congregation John the Apostle MCC Island * Lighthouse gregations, I’ve been told that we CC * Mayflower Church Christ * Naples JewishCongregation Congregation NaplesNaples United Church of piscopal Church * Congregational Temple Shalom *United The Baha’I Faithof* Unitarian Universalist of *Greater have increasing Metropolitan Community Church of Naples Center * St. JohnChurch the Apostle MCC * St. numbers of people arian Universalist Church of Fort Myers * Unity *ofSamudrabadra Naples ChurchBuddhist * Vanderbilt Presbyterian participating every week at Shabbat, at l Church * Shepherd of the Glades Lutheran Church * Temple Shalom * The Baha’I Faith * Unitarian Universalist Federation programming, and at other Greater Naples * Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers * Unity of Naples Church * Vanderbilt Presbyterian activities. I have been amazed to see ion: www.pflaginterfaith.com, www.PFLAGnaples.org or 239-206-3267 the large number of people coming to on: www.pflaginterfaith.com, www.PFLAGnaples.org or 239-206-3267 so many different cultural, educational and social events. Our Jewish Federation’s Evy Lipp People of the Book Cultural Event, featuring Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger, was sold out with over 800 people in attendance. Two nights earlier, Sabi Shabtai was our invited guest, speaking on behalf of the Israel Advocacy Committee, and he addressed a capacity crowd in excess of 340 people. Federation’s Annual Community Event was also at capacity with more than 300 people celebrating I am honored to help you locate that evening. I continue to see the overyour dream home or sell your property. flowing numbers of people participating in WCA and MCA programs. We could identify programs at each of the different congregations and from a variety of organizations that are experiencing capacity crowds participating in those opportunities. This sign that our community is

PLEASE PRAY WITH US! PLEASE PRAY WITH US! to follow Service Reception

Reception to follow Service

Luxury Knows No Limits.

Consider Me Your Trusted REAL ESTATE ADVISOR

recently published in the Journal of Economic Psychology, found that donating to charity may actually improve a giver’s physical and emotional wellbeing. The WSJ article points out that studies in the medical literature find that giving to others reduces stress and strengthens the immune system. Not that you needed another reason to participate in the Jewish Federation of Collier County’s 2015 Campaign. Whether caring for people in need or nurturing and sustaining Jewish identity for future generations, our Federation is where our Jewish community comes together as one. Our slogan is “No Gift Touches More Lives.” Now, we can state that your gift to the current JFCC Campaign will truly affect your life as well.

growing is AWESOME, but along with a growing community comes growing needs. It is wonderful that we have more Jews living in our greater Naples community who are finding more opportunities to engage with other Jews in our community. We know that the greater Naples community is expected to grow significantly over the next five to ten years. By reviewing the demographic data – both anecdotally and statistically – we can project that that the Jewish community will grow at least proportionately to the general community. People are coming from everywhere: relocating from northern communities (to escape winters like the one they are having this year), relocating from the East Coast of Florida (to a less crowded area), and relocating in general, because they are learning that Naples may, in fact, be Paradise. The growth in the population is always a cause for conversation. At the Jewish Federation of Collier County, we are also using this as a topic of conversation for future planning. We know that as the Jewish community grows there will be more demands that are going to be made of the Jewish agencies, organizations and leadership. It is imperative to begin planning how we will meet those needs. The Jewish Federation of Collier County is about to embark upon a strategic planning process to help our community be prepared to meet those growing needs. Joel Kessler, of Joel Kessler Strategic Services, is working with our Federation so that we will be prepared to be the best possible Jewish Collier County. We will need your input in order to plan for our community’s future. Thanks for your help! I wish each of you and your families a Zissen Pesach.

This month’s advertisers KEVIN AIZENSHTAT REALTOR®

JFCC Officer & Board Member Since 2006 “Kevin provided us with exceptional service. His ability exceeded our expectations.” — Dr. Joel and Jane Waltzer —

239.777.1451

707 12th Avenue South Naples, Florida 34102 | www.gcipnaples.com

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 the Federation Star. A. Stephen Kotler, Attorney....21 Beth Adelman, Realtor®.........21 Kevin Aizenshtat, Realtor®......2 Dr. Gary Layton, DDS..............8 CallSaul-YourPersonalDriver.21 LTCi Marketplace..................21 Classic Transportation...........21 Naples Diamond Service.......21 Coni Mar Designs..................21 Naples Envelope & Printing..21 Entertainment Direct..............14 Palm Royale Cemetery..........14 Dr. William Ertag, FAAN.......21 Pearl, Freeman & Kuhl.............7 FGCU....................................6 PFLAG....................................2 Fuller Funeral Home.........12,21 Preferred Travel.....................17 Dr. David Greene...................12 Publix....................................32 Gulfcoast Foot & Ankle.........16 Stage 62 Delicatessen..............3 Gulfshore Playhouse..............18 Sheldon Starman, CPA...........21 Hadassah - Florida Central.....23 Temple Shalom......................13 Harmon-Meek Gallery...........11 The Samuel Team, Realtors®..13 Hodges Funeral Home.............9 Debbie Zvibleman, Realtor®.....9 Jewish Museum of FL-FIU....15

JEWISH FEDERATION

Israel Scouts coming to Naples Tuesday, June 9 By Ted Epstein, Editor Federation Star et ready! The Tzofim (Israel Scouts) Friendship Caravan is coming to Naples! Currently, the plans include an evening performance on Tuesday, June 9 at Temple Shalom and a performance at the JFCS Senior Center the next day. Look for complete details in the May and June issues of the Federation Star. The Caravan is made up of five girls, five boys and two Caravan leaders from all over Israel. In order to be in the Caravan, these teenagers went through a highly competitive selection process and were chosen based on their maturity, fluency in English, and performance skills. Scouting is big in Israel, with over 60,000 members, and those chosen to participate here are selected for their ability to best represent the State of Israel. As shlichim, or Israeli delegates, these teens have a love for Israel and a desire to share that with North Americans. The Scouts are bright and dynamic performers. Their singing, dancing and

storytelling are high-energy and upbeat. They will have you singing and dancing in your seat or, if you are lucky, dancing with them. The Scouts spend the 10 weeks of summer performing in synagogues and churches, schools and summer camps, even nursing homes – wherever people want to share their love for Israel. The Scouts events in Naples are sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Collier County. Hosting the Scouts The hosting experience is often times the most exciting and meaningful part of the Caravan’s visit. Community members are responsible for hosting the twelve Caravan members. The hosting relationship goes far beyond providing food and a bed – the host families become true surrogate families during their stay. Families love bringing the Caravan into their homes, getting to know the teens and learning more about Israel. It is a valuable and unforgettable experience. Responsibilities include dinner and sleeping arrangements on Tuesday night, breakfast on Wednesday morning, and transportation to/from the events on both days. If you have youngsters or teens at home, this would be a real treat for them. If you are interested in hosting one or more of the Scouts or team leaders, please contact me at fedstar18@gmail. com or 239.249.0699 for Some of the Israel Scouts who performed at Temple Shalom in June 2013 more information.

Kiev connection: Rabbi Dukhovny’s stages of wisdom By Carole J Greene

ome people – particularly those who have not operated as journalists – listen to a sermon, a lecture or some other meaningful oral presentation without taking notes. Then a few days later, they can’t quite recall what at the time seemed eternally unforgettable. Sound familiar? When Kiev’s Rabbi Alexander Dukhovny spoke at Temple Shalom last November, I took notes. I found memorable what he told us about the stages of wisdom. In case you’ve forgotten, or perhaps were not present to hear him speak about the Jewish community in Ukraine, let me come to your rescue. The rabbi enumerated his four stages of wisdom. The first stage is “listen.” I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying: “We should listen twice as much as we talk. That’s why God gave us two ears and one mouth.” On our journey to wisdom, we have to move away from the ideas swirling around in our heads to hear what others say. The second stage, Rabbi Dukhovny told us, is “be quiet.” That’s reasonable. If we make a lot of noise, we can’t listen to what’s going on around us. We might miss something important. However, being quiet is more than not being noisy.

It means opening our inner ears to the wisdom that comes from within. Third comes “remember.” What’s the point of listening and being quiet if we let the lessons slip away? We need to recall them, reflect upon them, embrace them and make them our own. The fourth stage may be the toughest for some of us: “act.” I get that. We’ve listened, stayed quiet, remembered. But for what purpose? If wisdom does not propel us to action, why do we seek to become wise? We have work to do! As one of our sages, Rabbi Tarfon, reminded us in Pirkei Avot: “You are not required to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to abstain from it.” In other words, act. Rabbi Dukhovny added a fifth stage. Once we have attained the first four, what else must we do? “Teach.” Aren’t you glad I took notes? The Jewish Federation of Collier County sends a grant to assist Hatikvah Preschool in the Kiev, Ukraine, Jewish community. To help the school and its teachers accomplish the fifth stage of wisdom, please act. Make a donation to the Federation’s annual campaign. For details, call 239.263.4205.

Join us for the Annual Meeting of the Jewish Federation of Collier County on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the David G. Willens Community Room at the Federation offices.

April 2015 Federation Star

Community-wide Yom HaShoah Commemoration Wednesday, April 15 at 5:00 p.m. Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Road Yom HaShoah is the internationally-recognized date for Holocaust Remembrance Day. It corresponds to the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, and marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

The community-wide commemoration is collaboratively sponsored by: Jewish Federation of Collier County Holocaust Museum & Education Center of SWFL Temple Shalom Naples Jewish Congregation Beth Tikvah Chabad Naples Jewish Congregation of Marco Island GenShoah SWFL (children of Holocaust survivors) All members of the community are invited to attend this program, which is suitable for anyone above middle-school age. Reservations are not needed.

For more information, call the Jewish Federation at 239.263.4205.

Federation Star April 2015

JEWISH FEDERATION

Noted speaker warns about global terror By Jeff Margolis

efore a packed audience and heightened security at Temple Shalom in Naples, international terrorism expert Sabi Shabtai noted that the current war on terror “is the most difficult and complex war in history.” He said that this war was being fought on many levels, not just a military one. Shabtai spoke as part of the Israel Advocacy Committee’s Speakers Program. When polled by the speaker, those in the audience agreed with his assessment that at the present time we are not winning the war on terrorism and we may not see an end to the war

on terror in our lifetime. He challenged the entire “civilized world” to unite to combat terrorism. He stated, “We cannot wait for the other shoe to drop.” The Doomsday Clock, he noted, is inching toward midnight. Dr. Shabtai also stressed the importance of our support for Israel, as it is the only democratic country in on the front line against the forces of evil in the Middle East. He observed, “What happens in Israel can happen elsewhere.” With the end of season rapidly approaching, the Israel Advocacy Committee is pleased to announce its

Sabi Shabtai (center) with Israel Advocacy Committee members Alan Gordon, Jeff Margolis, Steve Brazina and Rabbi Sylvin Wolf

second annual Summer Film Series, hosted by IAC co-chair Steve Brazina. The first film, Above and Beyond, is a compelling documentary about the creation of Israel’s Air Force. The date for the showing is Wednesday, July 15. The second film, The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers, is the next installment of last year’s immensely popular and sold-out first installment in the series. The scheduled date for this presentation is Wednesday, August 12. Both films will be screened in the David G. Willens Community Room of the Jewish Federation of Collier County. Looking ahead to the 2015-16

Jeffrey Feld and Sabi Shabtai

season, the IAC is pleased to announce two major films to be screened. The first will be the acclaimed production of

Body and Soul - The State of the Jewish Nation on January 13, 2016. Executive producer Gloria Greenfield will be on hand to introduce the film, which has been shown in dozens of communities around the world and was featured at the annual AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. in March. On February 17, 2016, the IAC will present the next installment of The Prime Ministers. Watch the Federation Star for an announcement of a major speaker for our December 2015 kickoff program. And Steve Brazina will also continue his Israel Education Program next season. Look for thoughtprovoking programs as part of Israel 301.

Don’t forget Federation

Phyllis Seaman Federation Vice Chair ou are probably scratching your heads about this month’s title. This month many of you will be leaving your southern home here in Naples for your northern residences. In the last few months I have written of some changes that have been made in how our campaign is run. To run a better more successful campaign and reach more donors, we have a Campaign Cabinet comprised of a group of caring committed volunteers. I hope by this time many of you have received calls or have met with members of our fundraising committee. To help run a more efficient campaign and help plan allocations and grants to our community we have to reach out to the community earlier. I realize that many of you make your gifts to the campaign at year end, and here I am appealing to you to consider your 2015 gift NOW! Some of our grants are needed earlier than December and the end of the calendar year. As an example, the grants for the synagogues’ summer camps, preschools and Hebrew schools are needed between June and September. They have to work around our schedule and hope our allocations will meet their needs. The same holds true for many other organizations in Collier County, nationally, Israel and over 60 countries around the world, as we provide for the needs of our people and others in crisis. Receiving your gift to Federation now would be wonderful, and a 10-20% or more increase over a past gift would be fabulous. Of course, just making your commitment on a pledge card when a volunteer calls and paying it later in the year certainly helps us with our allocation process. We also welcome “surprise” checks and calls with credit card donations. Jeffrey Feld, our President/CEO, and the Federation staff are pleased to meet, greet and thank donors who want to drop off their checks in person. In the next few months I will be writing more about Women’s Philanthropy, Lion of Judah and Endowments. Endowed Giving is now on the rise nationally in the Federation system. The

Jewish Federations of North America has asked Campaign Chairs to promote endowed giving. An endowed gift is what will sustain Federation’s work in the future. As many of you know, I have endowed my Lion of Judah gift. My gift will keep giving to the Jewish Federation of Collier County long after I’m gone. I also hope to encourage many of you to include a meaningful bequest to our Federation in your wills. My husband Michael and I have planned giving and, of course, our Federation is included. Our community is an aging one – as are many in Florida – and our over-50 donors represent our Major Donor Division. For these reasons I am appealing to all of my Roaring Lions, Major Donors and anyone who is considering an Endowed or Legacy gift to please call Jeffrey Feld at 239.263.4205 to set up a plan on how to best accomplish that goal. I also hope to reach out to our young professionals in the community. Think about how much Federation and our partner organizations do to sustain your family’s Jewish quality of life and identity. We provide your preteens and teens with BBYO and BBYOConnect programs and meeting space. Your Federation provides scholarships for Jewish camp experiences, Israel trips and high school programs in Israel. High school graduates between the ages of 18 and 26 can receive Birthright Israel trips totally free. Our grants to the synagogue preschools and Hebrew schools help provide scholarships to families that otherwise might not afford these important programs. When I think about it, all of you reading this are touched in some way by Federation almost every day. Over 1,400 women and men, members of WCA and MCA (Women and Men’s Cultural Alliance), use Jewish Federation of Collier County facilities, conference rooms and the David G. Willens Community Room. Please consider a meaningful gift above your membership dues. As I have asked before to those of you who haven’t made a gift of a minimum of a dollar-a-day, please consider such a gift. It is less than a cup of coffee, but what that dollar-a-day could do for those in need is amazing. We are so blessed to live, work and play in beautiful Naples when many of our people are struggling around

the world. If you are headed north, have a wonderful summer, and...don’t forget Federation. In closing, I would like to pay respects to Judith Jaffe. Judi, became our most generous donor during the last four years. She cared very much about what

we were doing for children and the less fortunate in our community and worldwide. She was our only Platinum level Lion. May her memory be for a blessing. Remember, no gift goes further and helps more people worldwide than a gift to Federation. Have a wonderful Pesach.

We Are The Strength of a People – The Power of Community WHERE YOUR DOLLARS GO Youth Programs & Youth Education  Beth Tikvah Youth Education  BBYO Naples  Camp Scholarships  Chabad - Camp Gan Israel/Preschool of the Arts/Hebrew School  Jewish War Veterans Post #202  Temple Shalom - Preschool & Religious School Scholarships  Hillel at Florida Gulf Coast University Israel & Overseas Humanitarian & Social Services  American Jewish World Service  JFNA - Overseas Core Assessment  JFNA - Israel Action Network  JFNA - Stop the Sirens Campaign  JNF - Sderot Emergency Fund  JNF - Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center  Neve Michael Children’s Village  Yad LaKashish  Sapir Community Center, Kfar Saba  WUPJ - HaTikvah Preschool in Ukraine  Birthright Israel  ORT (World ORT/ORT America) Local Humanitarian & Social Services  Jewish Family & Community Services  Senior Outreach & Support  Developing Healthy Socialization Skills  Counseling & Mental Health Support Cultural Programs & Adult Education  Anti-Defamation League  Beth Tikvah Scholar-in-Residence  Catholic-Jewish Dialogue  Evy Lipp People of the Book Event  Fund for Human Needs  Holocaust Museum & Education Center of SWFL  Israel Advocacy Committee Programs  Jewish Community Relations Council  Men’s Cultural Alliance  Naples Jewish Congregation Cultural Program  Stand Up for Justice Grant  Temple Shalom Men’s Club  Jewish Cong. of Marco Island - Jewish Film Festival  Jewish Cong. of Marco Island - Cultural Series  Women’s Cultural Alliance

April 2015 Federation Star

JEWISH FEDERATION

Published by

Men's Cultural Alliance of Collier County 2015-2016 Membership Form The membership year is from November 1 until October 31 of the next year. Dues received after April 30 will be applied to the next season.

2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201 Naples, Florida 34109-0613 Phone: (239) 263-4205 Fax: (239) 263-3813 www.jewishnaples.org Email: info@jewishnaples.org Ofﬁcers Board Chair: Alvin Becker Vice Chair: Kevin Aizenshtat Vice Chair: Phyllis Seaman Vice Chair: Berton Thompson Secretary: Wallie Lenchner Treasurer: Jerry Sobelman Immed. Past President: Judge Norman Krivosha

Board of Trustees Joshua Bialek Harvey Brenner Stephen Coleman Amanda Dorio Michael Feldman Alan Gordon Neil Heuer Ben Peltz Joel Pittelman Dr. Tracey Roth Jane Schiff Arlene Sobol Michael Sobol Dr. Daniel Wasserman Beth Wolff Barry Zvibleman

Past Presidents Gerald Flagel, Dr. William Ettinger, Ann Jacobson, Sheldon Starman, Bobbie Katz, Rosalee Bogo

Board Members Emeritus Hans Levy Shirley Levy

Synagogue Representatives Cantor Donna Azu Sue Baum Rabbi Ammos Chorny Phil Jason Rabbi Edward Maline Rabbi Adam Miller Suzanne Paley Rabbi James Perman Dr. Arthur Seigel Neil Shnider Rabbi Sylvin Wolf Rabbi Fishel Zaklos

Federation President/CEO Jeffrey Feld

Staff Jill Saravis, Community Program Coord. Iris Doenias, Administrative Assistant Deborah Vacca, Bookkeeper Federation is the central Jewish community-building organization for Collier County, providing a social service network that helps Jewish people in Collier County, in Israel and around the world. As the central fundraising organization for Jewish communal life in our area, strength is drawn from organized committees of dedicated volunteers. Programs include: • Annual Campaign & Endowment fund • Community Relations Committee • Educational & cultural programs • Long Range Planning for expected community growth • Men’s Cultural Alliance • Publication of the Federation Star, our monthly newspaper; Connections, our annual resource guide; and Community Directory • Women’s Cultural Alliance • Women’s Division • YAD – Young Adult Division • Youth Activities Committee – sponsoring youth education and scholarships for Jewish Summer Camp and the Israel Experience

The work of the Jewish Federation of Collier County represents both our community and our community’s most generous tradition – to give to others even in the most difficult times.

Please check one: New ☐ Renewal ☐

(PLEASE fill out the form completely and PRINT CLEARLY!)

Name: Spouse or Partner Name, if applicable: Local Address: City: State: Email (very important): Florida phone: Cell or alternate phone: Northern Address: City: State: In Southwest Florida: full-time ☐ part-time ☐ (from

Zip:

)

Membership fee: $56 (US Funds only, Minimum for the year; includes Federation membership.)

NAME BADGES A name badge will be issued to you at no charge if you are a NEW member. I want a replacement name badge: Yes ☐ No ☐ Fee: $8. If you checked yes, submit a total fee is $64. Name as you want it to appear on the name badge Additional donation to the Federation is voluntary and encouraged. Please make your check payable to: Jewish Federation of Collier County and mail with this form to: MCA/ Jewish Federation of Collier County 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Ste. 2201 Naples, FL 34109

I would like to volunteer my services/expertise and would be willing to chair or co-chair a meeting/outing on the following topic or topics: EVENT PARTICIPATION WAIVER By signing below, I accept the terms of this waiver. As a participant in an MCA event, I , acting for myself, my executors, administrators, heirs, next of kin agree as follows: That I waive all rights, claims, cause of action, of any kind whatsoever that I or my heirs, legal representatives may claim to have against either The Jewish Federation of Collier County, and or the Men’s Cultural Alliance of Collier County, their members, agents, servants, and or employees, for any loss, injury, or damage sustained by me while participating in an MCA event. This waiver and release shall be construed broadly, under the Laws of the State of Florida.

Signature For more information: Contact Steve Brazina sbrazina@aol.com

MCA honors World War II vet By Jeff Margolis

erald Mansbach is a modest man. The 92-year-old World War II veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart and the French Legion of Honor medal, does not think of himself as a hero. Before a crowd of over 80 members at the February MCA Luncheon, Mansbach recounted the details of the event that led to his injury as well as the loss of some of his buddies in a brutal tank battle. He feels extremely fortunate to have survived the ordeal. Mansbach noted that the real heroes of the war are buried in the cemeteries in France. The MCA luncheon season concluded on Thursday, March 12 with a presentation by Collier County Commissioner Georgia Hiller. Congratulations to Meir Kehila and all those who helped to make this season’s luncheon events successful. Kudos to all the speakers, and those who planned and arranged for a successful inaugural season of the MCA Monthly Speaker Series. MCA member and University of Minnesota professor Steve Yussen presented an insightful look into the life and writings of author Philip Roth. Yussen sprinkled his dialogue with readings from Roth’s works, most notably Portnoy’s Complaint. The MCA Speaker Series concluded in March with a presentation on genealogy by member Arthur Sissman. Look for more dynamic programs next season. The season moved into high gear with the annual trip to the Florida Everblades and the boat trip to Keewaydin Island. The numerous MCA activities clubs will continue through the spring. Check the eblast for upcoming events and activities. If you have a suggestion for an activity or program next

season, please contact Steve Brazina at sbrazina@aol.com. Many of you will agree that this season was made more enjoyable with an amazing variety of MCA activities. For those of you who are leaving us for

a few months to go north, we wish you safe travels. Before you leave town, please renew your membership for next season using the MCA membership form above. Best wishes to all for a Happy Passover.

Heading North?

If you’re heading north at the end of the season, we’ll miss you! So let’s stay in touch. Please help us update our files by providing us with your northern address.

Please choose one of the following methods to provide us with the information below:

• call us at 239.263.4205 • email your information to info@jewishnaples.org • complete this form and fax it to 239.263.3813 • complete and mail this form to: Jewish Federation of Collier County 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201 Naples, FL 34109 Thank you! Name: ____________________________________________________ Northern Address: _________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Northern Phone: __________________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________________ Leaving SW Florida: _______________________________________ Returning to SW Florida: ____________________________________

Federation Star April 2015

JEWISH FEDERATION

WOMEN’S CULTURAL ALLIANCE

www.WomensCulturalAlliance.com / 215-820-6697

WCA goes to the movies By Susan Pittelman, WCA Publicity Director

oing to the movies can be a “hit or miss” experience, but the women who participate in any of WCA’s three movie/film interest groups are certain to have a lot of “hits.” The talented leaders of WCA’s Foreign Films, Current Films, and Documentary Films groups are experienced in identifying, showing and facilitating discussions about outstanding films. This season, WCA movie lovers not only had the opportunity to view and discuss movies – they also had the chance to cheer for and celebrate the success of their favorite movies at a WCA Couples Group special event held during the Academy Awards. Foreign/Independent Films Cecile “Chet” Rivel has been offering WCA members the opportunity to view the films she has carefully selected since our organization was under the auspices of Brandeis. She has screened hundreds of movies to select the ones that she will show – and then discuss – with the women in her group. Chet explained, “I select films that have won awards at International Film Festivals around the world but have limited distribution in the U.S. It is my goal for the group to appreciate that direction, lighting, cinematography, editing, music and soundtrack are as important as script and acting to the making of a good film.” Films are screened twice monthly, on the second Monday and Wednesday of each month from December through March. Chet has such a tremendous following that in January, Chet offered

a third showing so that more women could participate. Current Films This group has been meeting under the direction of Nancy Kahn for ten years. Nancy said, “I love to go to movies during the day, but sometimes I feel guilty about doing so. Being the facilitator for this group has justified seeing movies in the middle of the day!” Nancy spends a lot of time reading movie reviews in order to decide which film the women in the group will see. As many as 30 women meet the third Wednesday of the month, year round. They meet for lunch, go to the theater to see a movie, and then discuss it afterwards. The week before the group meets, Nancy lets the participants know what film they will be seeing, and the time and place they will meet. Women have learned to respond right away once the notice comes out, as the group fills up quickly. (Getting into the group “off season” is usually not a problem.) Some of the movies the group has seen in the last few months include Ida, Selma, The Theory of Everything and Rosewater. Documentary Films This is the third season of the Documentary Film Group. Facilitator Steve Brazina explained, “I call this series ‘Not Coming to a Theater Near You,’ as most of these films, although award-winning productions, would not be not screened in local movie theaters.” The first two seasons Steve offered this series, WCA and MCA each had its own group that

Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies

met monthly. This year, a joint screening was held for both WCA and MCA members on the first Thursday of each month, December through March. The number of participants has grown steadily as word of the quality of the productions has spread among the memberships of WCA and MCA. There are presently over 100 members on the Documentary Films distribution list. Steve Brazina, a self-described “film buff,” personally chooses the movies that he shows. He focuses on award-winning documentary films and docudramas based on subjects of interest to group members. Participants have seen films on historical events with present-day ramifications, and inspiring biographies of individuals of extraordinary courage who have made a difference in our world. Steve commented, “Many of the films I show reflect my passion and commitment to fighting hatred and injustice, and creating a better world for future generations.” WCA members greatly enjoy participating in these three intellectually stimulating film discussion groups. This year, members of the WCA Couples Group went one step further to show their appreciation of good movies! On Sunday, February 22, the night of the 87th Academy Awards, 20 couples gathered at Café Alfredo to celebrate an evening of stars, movies and great Italian cuisine. The evening began with “selfies”

on the Red Carpet and discussions of “Who’s wearing who” as members and their guests sipped wine and watched “THE” event on an 80-inch TV. According to Phyllis Padolsky, who planned this fabulous event, “The couples had an Unbroken Dialogue about what The 2015 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences brings to mind. The Judge might say that a Wild or Interstellar Theory of Everything is that during Boyhood, if someone ever went Into The Woods, you could have come across the Birdman, an American Sniper, or a Fox Catcher, and, as a result, you might have turned out to be a Gone Girl or Still Alice, and in Selma or The Grand Budapest Hotel! As WCA’s own 87 th Academy Awards Oscar Night came to a close, the Final Award to be presented was in the “Trivia Experts” category. The “Oscar” went to Gina and Tim Cannon for their outstanding performance in the Trivia Contest. Phyllis concluded the evening by remarking, “We want to thank WCA, Federation, our family, friends and you! See you at the movies!” For intellectual discussions, increasing your knowledge, enjoying new experiences, making new friends, and for just plain FUN – join (or renew!) your membership in WCA today! Don’t miss out! Simply complete the form below and mail it in with your check. For further information about WCA, visit www.womensculturalalliance.com.

WCA now has a membership gift card. Give the gift of membership in WCA to a friend, relative or as a hostess gift for someone who is not yet a member. For more information, please contact Linda Simon, WCA Membership Chair, at lgsimon2947@yahoo.com.

Dedicated to educating all sectors of society about Jewish civilization, the Holocaust, and genocide through: • scholarship • outreach • inquiry • sharing knowledge • preserving the record • helping teachers • encouraging students

Visit www.fgcu.edu/hc/ Dr. Paul Bartrop, Director



Women’s Cultural Alliance Membership Form Please check one: r New r Renewal For more information about WCA or the Membership Form, call WCA at 239.444.0102.

Please make your check payable to: Jewish Federation of Collier County and mail with this form to: WCA Jewish Federation of Collier County 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Ste. 2201 Naples, FL 34109

The Oscar for Best Performance in the Trivia Contest was presented to the Cannons: Gina Cannon (holding the Oscar), Chuck and Phyllis Padolsky, Tim Cannon

Membership: $90 for the year includes all programming and Federation membership. r My information below contains new items.

In Southwest Florida: r full-time r part-time (from ________ to ________) Name: _________________________________________________________ Spouse or Partner Name, if applicable: ______________________________ Local Address: _________________________________________________ Community: ___________________________________________________ City: _____________________________ State: _____ Zip Code ____________ Email: _________________________________________________________ Florida home phone:____________________________________________ Cell phone: ___________________________________________________ Northern Address: ______________________________________________ City: _____________________________ State: _____ Zip Code ____________ Northern home phone: __________________________________________

Your membership check is your permission for Women’s Cultural Alliance to take and use photographs/videos for appropriate purposes in accordance with WCA’s mission.

COMMUNITY FOCUS

April 2015 Federation Star

HOLOCAUST MUSEUM & ED CTR OF SWFL

www.holocaustmuseumswfl.org / 239-263-9200

Holocaust Museum update Amy Snyder Executive Director

pril marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of liberation for many concentration camps in Western Europe during WWII. The first camp liberated by American forces was Ohrdruf, a subcamp of Buchenwald, on April 4, 1945. A week later, General Eisenhower visited the camp and demanded that everything be documented. He did not want anyone in the future to be able to deny the atrocities of the Nazi Regime. In commemoration of the 70th anniversary, the Museum hosted with great

An Austrian-Jewish survivor shows highranking U.S. Army officers a mass grave in the newly liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp. Among those pictured are Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower, George Patton, Omar Bradley and Manton Eddy. Also pictured is Jules Grad, correspondent for the U.S. Army newspaper Stars and Stripes.

success Triumph 2015 – Love and Liberation During World War II, our annual fundraising event. Held at Quail West Country Club, the theme tied in with the Museum’s current exhibit, Dearest Pauline: A World War II Healer Writes Home. Congratulations to our outstanding Event Committee for a memorable evening: Honorary Chairperson Kaye Duff George, Chairperson Paula Iacampo, co-Chairs Nancy White and Estelle Price, and Committee members Sharon Hale, Maureen Lerner, Diane McGinty and Karen Mollahan. Many thanks also to the fine staff at Quail West Country Club for their efforts in making the evening a success. Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner while the Brooks Brothers Band played the music of the 1930s and 1940s. The highlight of the evening was the dramatic presentation featuring the wartime correspondence of the exhibit’s main subjects, Dr. Price H. Duff and his wife, Pauline. Actors Gerritt Vandermeer and Carolann Sanita portrayed Dr. Duff and Pauline, bringing their letters to life. Gerritt and Carolann are married in real life, enabling them to add an extra dimension to their performances. Young actresses Charli Bartlett and Cadence Bramby-Zedd were wonderful as the Duffs’ daughters, Ann and Kaye. All proceeds raised benefit the Museum’s Education programming. On Fridays, April 10 and 17, join us for a special tour of the Dearest Pauline exhibit led by Dr. Price H. Duff’s granddaughter, Paula Iacampo. Ms. Iacampo will provide visitors with an overview of the exhibit and also share family stories. The tour runs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Reservations are required, as

space is limited. The special tour is free limited to 30 people, so please contact for our Museum members, and $10 for Ida Margolis at ida.margolis2@gmail. nonmembers, which includes admission com or 239.263.9347 to reserve your to the Museum that day. The Dearest spot. Pauline exhibit is on display through The month of April is also Genocide May 3. To make reservations for the Awareness Month. Dearest Pauline tours, please contact Finally, the Museum will be closed the Museum at 239.263.9200 or email Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 for Danielle@HolocaustMuseumSWFL. the Passover and Easter holidays. org. There will be a special additional GenShoah meeting at the Museum on Sunday, April 19 at 4:30 p.m. Prior to the discussion portion of the meeting, a special tour has been arranged for GenShoah members of the Dearest Pauline exhibit with Paula Paula Iacampo giving a tour of the Museum’s current exhibit, Iacampo. Space is Dearest Pauline: A World War II Healer Writes Home

Holocaust History Lecture Series

On Thursday, April 9, Museum Docent Elliott Katz presents the final lecture of the season of his Holocaust History series. His topic is “Like Sheep to the Slaughter or Not? Jewish Resistance in World War II.” The lecture will be held at the Collier County Library, Orange Blossom Branch, in the Theater Room from 6:00 to 7:45 p.m. The address is 2385 Orange Blossom Drive, Naples. Reservations are required and a $5 donation is suggested. To RSVP, contact the Museum at 239.263.9200 or email Danielle@HolocaustMuseumSWFL.org.

Elliott Katz at his February 2 talk in the Naples Daily News Community Room

Introducing

Pearl, Freeman & Kuhl a Partnership of Professional Associations

Robert J. Pearl, Esq. Florida & New York

THE PEARL LAW FIRM, P.A.

239.653.9330

robert@investorattorneys.com 2014 “Top Rated Lawyer”

in the practice area of Litigation by Martindale-Hubbell™

PRACTICE AREAS Securities Law

Probate

Yale T. Freeman, Esq.

Securities Fraud

Probate Litigation

YALE T. FREEMAN, P.A.

Commercial & Residential Real Estate

ytfreeman@ytfreemanlaw.com

Investor’s Rights Personal Injury

Michael W. Malarney, Esq. New York

THE PEARL LAW FIRM, P.A.

239.653.9330

mike@investorattorneys.com

Criminal Law

Civil Litigation

Healthcare Fraud

Commercial Litigation

White Collar Criminal Defense

Estate Planning Estate Administration Business Law

Florida

239.530.2500

2014 Super Lawyer 2015 Best Lawyers in America® Criminal Defense: White-Collar 2014 Lion of the Law Recipient

Internal Investigations Corporate Law Elder Law

7400 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 101 Naples, FL 34108

Ryan C. Kuhl, Esq.

Florida, New York & Arizona

Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney

THE KUHL LAW FIRM, P.A.

239.290.5845

Amanda M. Dorio, Esq. Florida & Wisconsin

THE PEARL LAW FIRM, P.A.

239.653.9330

amanda@investorattorneys.com

PFKlawyers.com

Offices: Naples, Rochester, New York City, Miami

ryan@kuhllawfirm.com

Federation Star April 2015

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Jewish Family & Community Services update Dr. Jaclynn Faffer JFCS President/ CEO

he Senior Center is having a birthday party! On Tuesday, March 31 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. we will be celebrating our first birthday with an exhibit of the members’ art work, the naming of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Café, and “hard hat” tours of our expansion project. Currently, the Senior Center has over 550 members and is in operation five days a week with multiple programs each day. Please visit www.jfcsswfl.org for more Senior Center details. We are so happy to say “Thank You” to so many for supporting JFCS.

First, thank you to Shirley Besikoff, Anita Siegal and Cheryl Alifeld and their over 100 friends who attended a “Maj and Lunch” program and brought in toiletries and other staples for the JFCS Food Pantry. This has become an annual event and we are so appreciative of their support. We want to thank all of our donors who participated in “Give Where You Live 30.” JFCS was one of 30 nonprofit organizations selected to be part of the first one-day giving event sponsored by the Community Foundation of Collier County and the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. Generous donors contributed $213,932 to the Community Foundation on behalf of JFCS during the time period of noon on March 3 to 11:59 a.m. on March 4. Thank you to all of our friends in the community for their support! With Passover just around the

corner, JFCS once again wants to thank our partners for another successful year of Seder-in-a-Box. Beth Tikvah Congregation, Chabad of Naples, the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island, the Naples Jewish Congregation and Temple Shalom generously supported this annual Passover drive and helped

us put Passover food on the tables of ap-F proximately 100 people. We also thank the community for helping us provide a fully-cooked turkey dinner to 21 families for our Easter-in-a-Basket program. From the JFCS board and staff, best wishes for a Sweet Passover.

The Naples Jewish Caring Support Group

Next meetings: Mondays, April 13 & 27 10:30 a.m. to noon at JFCS, 5025 Castello Road, Naples

Call Donna Levy at 239.325.4444 for more information.

Eighth Annual PFLAG Interfaith Convocation

triving to cultivate unity in our community, and understanding and cooperation among groups and individuals of all religious and spiritual faiths, 22 Welcoming Houses of Worship are participating in creating the 8th Annual PFLAG Interfaith Convocation. Through music and prayer engaging our hearts, minds and spirits, our community will experience how good and appropriate it is to join together not just by including, but also by celebrating with the gay and lesbian members of our families. Harmony and unity in song will be heard as a myriad of voices blend in melodies inspired by the psalmists words, “Behold how good and how pleasant it is when people dwell in Unity.” Welcoming people of all faiths to

join in this extraordinary endeavor, PFLAG is sponsoring the Interfaith Convocation. PFLAG is a parent-based organization that was started by heterosexual parents wanting to understand

and help their gay children. PFLAG’s role is to serve as a support group providing a non-judgmental outlet for feelings, questions and understanding as well as making available resources

Several clergy and speakers gathered at the 2014 Convocation

Gary A. Layton, D.D.S.

GenShoah SWFL to tour Dearest Pauline exhibit By Ida Margolis

Gentle Endodontics O and second opinions

(Root Canal Therapy)

and educational opportunities. Naples PFLAG meets on the third Thursday of each month. The Convocation will be a unique opportunity to foster a sense of acceptance and belonging for all people of faith to pray together without discrimination, disenfranchisement or stigma. The Convocation will be the chance for all of us, together, to share our traditions and rituals to provide the critical elements of public acknowledgement and social sanctions that are strengthened by communal worship. The Interfaith Convocation will be held at Naples United Church of Christ, 5200 Crayton Road, on Sunday, April 19 at 3:00 p.m. with a reception to follow. The public is welcome. Further information is available at www.PFLAGInterfaith.com.

n Sunday, April 19 at 4:30 p.m. at the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida, GenShoah SWFL will be holding a special meeting to discuss input received regarding future programs as well as an addition to the GenShoah mission statement due to the recent unfortunate increase in anti-Semitism. The current mission statement of this group for children of Holocaust survivors is: “The promotion of Holocaust education, preservation of memories of the Holocaust, connection of the Second Generation with one another and support of the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida.” Following the discussion will be a special tour of the current exhibit in the Holocaust Museum, Dearest Pauline: A World War II Healer Writes Home. The tour will be led by Paula Iacampo,

granddaughter of Dr. Price Duff whose letters are the subject of the exhibit. Having Mrs. Iacampo as the guide to this exhibit will give those in attendance personal insight into the life of Dr. Duff. Space is limited to 30 participants and reservations are a must. The community-wide commemoration of Yom HaShoah will be held at Temple Shalom at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15. All members and friends of GenShoah are encouraged to attend and to tell others about this important commemoration. For additional information about GenShoah and for reservations for the special tour of the Dearest Pauline exhibit, contact me at ida.margolis2@ gmail.com or 239.963.9347. For more information about Dearest Pauline, visit www.holocaustmuseumswfl.org.

BROWNSTEIN JUDAICA GIFT SHOP AT JCMI Looking for the perfect gift? Choose from our many items:

For testimonials please visit: www.GaryLaytondds.com

West Lake Professional Center 4959 Castello Drive, Naples

239-262-2677

Mezuzahs Menorahs Travel bags Jewelry Gifts for pets Novelty aprons Designer Hand Bags Silk and Handmade Kippot Mah Jongg Jewelry, Cards & Supplies

991 Winterberry Drive Marco Island (239) 642-0800 Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:30 - 1:30 Friday Evening: Before & After Shabbat Service

COMMUNITY FOCUS

April 2015 Federation Star

Temple Shalom events open to the community

-For more information on these events, call 239.455.3030. econd Night Seder teachers to 26, from 12 students to 112, k Join us for a Passover Seder on we have a lot to celebrate! Join us at 6:00 a Saturday, April 4 at 6:00 p.m. p.m. for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, Temple Shalom will once again be hostsilent auctions and entertainment, and, ing a Seder that is open to all. The cost of course, an elaborate display of incredt is $55 for Temple Shalom members, ible artwork created by our very own $65 for nonmembers, and $18 for chilTSP artists! dren 6-10 years of age. Children 5 and Shabbat on the Beach! under may attend free of charge. Please Join us on Friday, April 10 at 6:00 p.m. call the temple office to make your as we gather on the beach at Lowdermilk reservations. Park for a wonderful Shabbat evening Temple Shalom Preschool service. Bring your beach chairs and, if th 25 Anniversary and Art Show you’d like, a picnic dinner. We’ll sing, On Thursday, April 30 we will compray and enjoy the warmth of commumemorate 25 years of growth and nity with a gorgeous Gulf Coast sunset nurturing at our Preschool. From three as a backdrop. All are welcome!

Caren Plotkin honored On Friday, April 17, at a special Shabbat evening service, we will be honoring Temple Shalom’s Religious School Director, Caren Plotkin, for her 17 years of dedication to Jewish education in Naples. Joins us at 7:30 p.m. for services. A delicious Oneg Shabbat will follow. Rosh Chodesh Gather together with Cantor Donna Azu for a women’s celebration and a showing of the movie Women Unchained at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 16. Women Unchained follows six women in their quest to receive a get, or Jewish divorce,

from their husbands. The film interviews leading women’s rights advocates, rabbis and experts in Jewish law. It explores the state of women’s rights in Judaism and details “get-o-nomics,” outlandish extortion schemes levied against some women. There will be a discussion following the movie. Torah Talk Join us the first Shabbat morning of the month for a volunteer-led discussion of the week’s Torah portion. On April 4, the portion is Pesach. There will be a light breakfast at 8:15 a.m. with discussion to follow at 8:30 a.m. There is no charge and all are welcome.

MYSTERY BEGINS IN FRONT OF 793 FIFTH AVENUE, NAPLES Diocese of Venice hosts Holocaust Remembrance (Yom HaShoah) event

he Catholic Diocese of Venice in Florida, under the leadership of Bishop Frank J. Dewane, will be hosting the annual Yom HaShoah: An Hour of Remembrance at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 19. The event will be held at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice (350 Tampa Ave. West), with a reception to follow. Each year, the Diocese of Venice in Florida hosts this commemoration of the Holocaust as an interreligious gathering bringing together members of the Catholic and Jewish communities in order to recommit to the promotion of peace and solidarity among all peoples. The event this year has special significance as 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration Nostrae Aetate (On the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions), the important document that called for a fresh and positive relationship between the Catholic and Jewish faiths. Honored speakers this year will

be Rabbi Noam Marans, Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations for the American Jewish Committee; and Reverend Dennis McManus, Director of the Jan Karski Institute for Holocaust Education at Georgetown University and Associate Director of the University’s Program for Jewish Civilization. Bishop Dewane enthusiastically remarked: “The Diocese of Venice is honored to host this annual Yom HaShoah interreligious event remembering the Holocaust. It is one way in which the Catholic Church in Southwest Florida, in union with Pope Francis, wishes to show friendship with our Jewish brothers and sisters, and to reaffirm our dedication to respect, dialogue and solidarity with the Jewish Community.” All members of the Jewish community, especially survivors of the Holocaust and their families, as well as members of the Catholic Community of the Diocese of Venice in Florida are invited to attend.

Israeli and International Folk Dancing Where: When: Why: Teacher: Cost: Questions:

Fleischmann Community Center, 1900 Fleischmann Road, Naples, opposite Coastland Center Mall Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Exercise, relaxation, socializing, learning, good health and fun Richard Eddy, member International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO) and Florida Folk Dance Council Only $5 per session Richard Eddy - 703.303.4719; Fleischman Comm. Ctr. - 239.213.3020

The next meeting of the Jewish Genealogy SIG (Shared Interest Group) at the Jewish Federation of Collier County offices (2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 2201, Naples) is on Tuesday, April 14 at 10:00 a.m. Seating is limited. RSVP to genresearch13@yahoo.com. You will receive an acknowledgement that you have a reservation. Bring a notebook and pen with you to the meeting.

YIDDISH CLUB OF NAPLES

meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of December, January, February, March and April at 10:00am at Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Road, Naples You don’t have to speak Yiddish to enjoy. You just have to enjoy hearing it spoken, read or sung.

Come Schmooze and Enjoy!

BUYING ~ SELLING RELOCATING Call Debbie Z for all your Real Estate needs

(239) 272-8878 DZvibleman@JohnRWood.com www.debbiesellsyourhome4you.com

Search for Southwest Florida Properties at:

http://dzvibleman.listingbook.com 10% of my net commission will be donated to the charity of your choice

Federation Star April 2015

COMMUNITY FOCUS / JEWISH INTEREST

Intergenerational concert a big success! capacity crowd filled Temple Shalom on Saturday night, February 28 to enjoy the exceptional musical talents of Josh Nelson and Neshama Carlebach. The concert was the culmination of Temple Shalom’s “Scholars in Song” weekend. Josh and Neshama joined Rabbi Adam Miller and Cantor Donna Azu for Friday night Shabbat services. Josh had us imagining what we might do if faced with a sea in front of us and Pharaoh’s army at our backs. Neshama related heartwarming stories of her late father, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, and her personal transition as a Jewish woman. Shabbat morning services and Kiddush lunch were enhanced with a unique musical lesson. The weekend culminated with a toetapping concert Saturday night. “We were so fortunate that Neshama

and Josh were able to join us. They were a pleasure to work with and to hear,” said Nancy Wiadro, Concert Coordinator. The concert committee included VIP, Debra Antzis; Pre-Concert Dinner Chairs Karen Deutsch and Estelle Price; Seating and Crowd Control Chairs Carol Swartz and David Malakoff; Reservations Chair Frances Nossen; Dessert Reception Chair Jane Friedberg; and Sponsorships, Donald Shapiro. We are grateful to our ushers and dessert reception volunteers Beth & Irv Povlow, Jane Friedberg, Debra Antzis, Ginny Goodman, Michele Pelletiere, Carol Swartz and David Malakoff. Guests at the lavish dessert reception enjoyed Chef Jay Wolfson’s delicious display, and lingered by candlelight to savor the spirit of the concert.

Jerusalem Post Crossword PuzzleS “The Final Frontier” By David Benkof 1

Difﬁculty Level: Easy

20 23

34 39

42 47

40 44

Are you looking for delicious kosher food? Chabad of Naples has partnered with the well-known Aroma Kosher Market and Catering of Cooper City, Florida, to bring kosher food to you. Please call the Chabad office at 239.262.4474 for an order form and instructions. Aroma Market delivers orders to the Chabad of Naples, 1789 Mandarin Road, once a week.

Advertising Sales Reps needed for the Jewish Federation of Collier County’s publications

The Jewish Federation of Collier County is looking for outgoing, energetic go-getters who can meet goals and create lasting connections with local businesses. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, enjoy speaking to people, and believe in the work of the Federation, then we want you on our team! This position is 100% outside sales, selling the advertising space in the Federation’s publications (Federation Star, Connections, Community Directory, Annual Report) as well as sponsorships. You’ll also have the opportunity to sell advertising space for the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties’ publications – L’Chayim and Connections. Commission structure based on experience; 15 hours per week minimum.

Make your own hours Be your own boss Supplement your income If you are interested, or for more information, contact Ted Epstein at 239.249.0699 or fedstar18@gmail.com.

E f i w i

37 41

45 49

50 55

Editor: David Benkof, DavidBenkof@gmail.com

Temple Shalom’s younger members participated in the Havdalah service that was led by Neshama Carlebach and Josh Nelson

Across 1. Actor Leonard, the subject of this puzzle, who died February 27, 2015 6. Seltzer 10. JAP type 14. Debbie Friedman’s “Let Us ___” 15. Animals the priests would “use” in the Temple 16. Look (over), like a rabbi with a medieval text 17. Prepares one’s knees to bow during the Aleinu 18. “___ Fair” (1989 George Segal movie about a war-games retreat) 19. What an IDF soldier may be at? 20. Do it to yourself to prepare for the Birkat Hamazon 21. 1977-1982 TV series about mysterious phenomena 23. Non-kosher cocktail variety? 25. Comes close to beating Maccabi Haifa 26. “___-Devil” (1989 comedy with Roseanne Barr) 27. Transports in Rahm’s city 28. Territory that would refuse its refuseniks (abbr.) 31. With 55-Across, catchphrase of 69-Across 36. Chanukah commemorates the fight when one of Zeus was erected in the Temple 38. He got miffed that he wasn’t notified about Netanyahu’s speech to Congress 39. Yiddish interjections of note 41. “Hearts ___” (early 1990s Ed Asner sitcom) 42. Circumcising grammatically? 44. 1966-1969 TV series about space exploration 46. Chazer’s home 47. Tiny drops of water about which there’s a Passover prayer 49. Shalom from Josephus 50. Kind of truck whose number of wheels equals chai 51. Matzahs cannot have them 55. See 31-Across 59. Reagan Interior Secretary who said “a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple” 61. Feel ready for a Shabbos nap 62. Filled with righteous indignation 63. Italian city whose Jewish ghetto was built in 1660 64. Cuban prisoner Gross finally freed in December 2014 65. In March 2015 it was worth 4.5 shekels 66. Under the ___ of an Orthodox rabbi (one way to convert) 67. It’s owed to a moneylender

Solution on page 22

68. Competitor for Jann Wenner’s Rolling Stone 69. Vulcan character from 44-Across Down 1. Acts like a gonif 2. “God is One” and “The dead will rise,” e.g. 3. October or Tishre 4. Seder has it and means it 5. In Ladino, it’s “Si” 6. “Milk” Best Actor Oscar winner 7. Magical birds that helped a famous Daniel Radcliffe character 8. Leave out, as the o when spelling the word G-d 9. Uses a slingshot against Goliath, e.g. 10. Groucho Marx headwear 11. 2014 Russell Crowe Bible movie 12. “... maybe more, maybe less... who knows exactly?” 13. It’s fleishig 21. ‘Net abbreviation for a maven 22. Stop on the way to Eilat 24. National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame hockey player Bob Nystrom, e.g. 28. Instruction in Joan Nathan’s “Quiches, Kugels and Couscous” 29. What Bob Dylan or Joel Coen mean by “You betcha!” 30. Smell like pickles in brine 31. Mandelbrot are formed into these before they’re baked and cut 32. How Steve Wynn expresses skepticism? 33. “Opinions ___” (common statement about Jewish law) 34. Bird that isn’t kosher because it resembles the forbidden ostrich 35. “Makin’ Whoopee” lyricist Kahn 37. In the back of the ship Altalena 40. Became Rabbi Emeritus, e.g. 43. Israel’s recent nationality bill does this to Arabic from its status as an official national language 45. Give testimony to a beit din 48. Start to use more sekhel 50. Got rid of some shekels 52. One way to prepare the home for Shabbat 53. Dance music heard in World War II ghettos 54. Philosophy that influenced Philo of Alexandria 55. Not the whole megillah 56. Exodus river 57. The clothing of Joseph’s brothers, perhaps 58. Actress Gilpin who replaced Lisa Kudrow in the role of Roz Doyle on “Frasier” 60. Burning the chametz, e.g. 63. Kind of mask worn by Israelis during the Gulf War

Read the current and previous editions of the Federation Star online at www.jewishnaples.org.

JEWISH INTEREST

Stars of David

By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist Editor’s note: Persons in BOLD CAPS are deemed by Nate Bloom to 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 Judaism – and don’t identify with a faith other than Judaism as an adult. Converts to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish.

Mensch=Nimoy Here’s a story about the late LEONARD NIMOY that I just came upon that was not in any obit. Last August, WALTER “Chekov” KOENIG, 78, spoke to the Las Vegas Sun newspaper. About Nimoy, he said: “Leonard was a very good man. Sound ethics and a good sense of morality [for example] when it came to the attention of the cast that there was a disparity in pay, in that George [Takei/ “Mr. Sulu”] and I were getting the same pay, but Nichelle [Nichols/ “Uhura”] was not getting as much, I took it to Leonard and he took it to the front office and they corrected that.” The website Trekmovie. com contacted Nimoy, who confirmed the story. He added: “There was also the case where George and Nichelle were not hired to do their voices in the animated series. I refused to do Spock until they were hired. Mr. Roddenberry [Star Trek’s creator] started calling me the conscience of Star Trek.” The website author noted that Nimoy’s stand for Nichols back in the ’60s took some courage: he was then just a cast member without much pull and it could have hurt his career. The author added that the story just proves that “Nimoy is a mensch.” The first visitor comment on the article was: “There are people who don’t know Nimoy is a mensch?” (By the way, the Jewish members of the main cast of Star Trek included Nimoy, Koenig, and WILLIAM SHATNER, now 83. Notable Jewish guest stars included the late MARK LENARD and the late ARLENE MARTEL, as, respectively, o

Spock’s father and fiancée.) New-ish on TV The Fox series Empire, which began in January, has become a hit. It centers around an African-American hip-hop mogul (Terrence Howard) and his extended family. In the February 25 episode, the mogul’s middle son, Jamal, a singer, reveals to the world that he is gay. Playing Jamal is JUSSIE SMOLLETT, 31, who is the son of a Jewish father and African-American mother. Smollett, who is gay in real life, posted an Instagram photo of himself lighting Hanukkah candles last December. Battle Creek is a CBS police drama, with comedy, that is set in Battle Creek, Michigan (but not filmed there). Josh Duhamel plays an FBI agent with many resources who is tasked with helping the cash-strapped local police. Dean Winters plays a gruff, but smart local detective who works with the FBI. Here are examples of the show’s quirky humor: The city’s mayor is a dead-ringer for Toronto’s “wacky” exmayor, Rob Ford, and in the second episode, the police had to deal with a criminal cartel selling stolen maple syrup. (Began March 1. New shows air Fridays at 10:00 p.m.) The co-creator of the series is the “hot” Vince Gilligan (creator of Breaking Bad). He wrote the Battle Creek pilot twelve years ago. The studio brought in DAVID SHORE, 55, the creator of House, to update the pilot and help write new episodes. Shore says, “I raised the child that Gilligan birthed.” Shore, by the way, comes from a religious Toronto family. His

April 2015 Federation Star

Interested in Your Family’s History? Ten years of doing a Jewish celebrities column has turned Nate Bloom (see column at left) into something of an expert on finding basic family history records and articles mentioning a “searched-for” person. During these 10 years, he has put together a small team of “mavens” who aid his research. Most professional family history experts charge at least $1,000 for a full family tree. However, many people just want to get “started” by tracing one particular family branch.

So here’s the deal: Email Nate at nteibloom@aol.com, tell him you saw this ad in the Federation Star, and include your phone number (area code, too). Nate will then contact you about doing a “limited” family history for you at a modest cost (no more than $100). No upfront payment. twin younger brothers are both Aish HaTorah (Orthodox) rabbis. PATRICIA ARQUETTE, 46, who won the best supporting actress Oscar for Boyhood and a best actress Emmy for Medium, returned to TV as the star of the new series CSI Cyber. She plays the head of an FBI team of cybercrime investigators. (Started on CBS on March 5. New shows air Thursdays at 10:00 p.m.) The Royals is the E! cable network’s first “scripted” series. It start-

ed on March 15 and new episodes air Sunday nights. Elizabeth Hurley stars as Queen Helena, the matriarch of a fictional British royal family (this one has a reigning king). JOAN COLLINS, now 83, has a supporting role as Helena’s mother, a Duchess. In real life, Collins, whose father was Jewish, was recently made a British “Dame” (equivalent of knighthood). Yes, I am aware Collins starred in a very good original Star Trek episode.

SIGN UP FOR THE FEDERATION’S WEEKLY COMMUNITY eNEWSLETTER! Get the latest information on upcoming community events and cultural activities, news from Israel and lots more.

Send an email to info@jewishnaples.org

Federation Star April 2015

JEWISH INTEREST

Lincoln manuscripts illuminate his Jewish connections By Philip K. Jason, Special to the Federation Star Lincoln and the Jews: A History by Jonathan D. Sarna and Benjamin Shapell. Thomas Dunne Books. 288 pages. $40.

t once a fresh perspective on Jewish American life in midnineteenth century America and a fresh perspective on President Lincoln, Lincoln and the Jews is also a splendid coffee table attraction. With its high-quality reproductions of Lincoln photographs and Lincoln manuscripts (most of them holdings of the Shapell Manuscript Foundation, the book’s copyright owner), this handsome, oversized volume Phil Jason will be the solution to finding a great gift for friends who are book lovers and especially history fans. Its main value, however, is the story it tells. Unlike the U.S. presidents who came before him – and most of those who came after him – Lincoln had many Jewish friends. In a country where anti-Semitism festered, Lincoln showed in his words and actions a fullhearted respect for Jews as a historic people and as fellow citizens. With these perspectives on full display, he stretched the boundaries of political risk-taking. Of course, this attitude toward Jews was thoroughly consistent with the humanism of the man who could craft the Emancipation Proclamation. Talk about bypassing Congress! When Lincoln was born in 1809, there were only about 3,000 Jews in the entire United States, mostly in the major Atlantic ports. At the end of his

life, the number had grown to over 150,000. Lincoln would have met few, if any, Jews during his childhood years. In his professional life as a lawyer and politician, he met many. With some, he developed intimate acquaintanceships and friendships. As Prof. Jonathan D. Sarna points out in his introduction, “Experience had taught him to trust Jews, even when those around him displayed ugly prejudices against them.” Among the prominent Jews with whom Lincoln had long and fruitful relationships, Abraham Jonas was perhaps the most important. They met when Jonas moved to Quincy, Illinois. Jonas, a businessman and lawyer, was a dynamic orator and canny politician who served with Lincoln in the Illinois legislature. Both men made the transition from Whig to Republican, and both praised Henry Clay. Jonas was one of the first to consider Lincoln to be presidential material, and he did much to help Lincoln succeed in reaching the presidency. Issachar Zacharie was Lincoln’s chiropodist and, at Lincoln’s request, was charged with several important political tasks during the Civil War.

Benjamin Shapell

Jonathan D. Sarna

Among these was some spy work regarding the movement of supplies to the Confederate Army. He was also involved in behind-the-scenes peacemaking efforts.

PROUDLY PERFORMING IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FOR 15 YEARS

The authors, Sarna and Shapell, very effectively present the paper trail of Lincoln’s complex relationships with these men and many, many others of the Jewish faith. Names like Charles Bernays (consul to Zurich and Elsinore) and Ferdinand Sarner (first Jewish regimental Jewish chaplain in the Union Army) are only two of many dozens of Jewish citizens whose lives connect with Lincoln’s in important ways. With regard to the chaplaincy, it should be noted that until Lincoln got a law passed eliminating the restriction, only Christians could serve as chaplains. This change was at the urging of Jewish acquaintances. Though Lincoln received great support from the growing Jewish community, the authors do not skirt the fact that many Southern Jews were hostile towards abolition and strong supporters of the Confederate cause. Lincoln and the Jews is a well thought out and carefully designed production. The glossy, heavyweight paper gives the book a refined, classy feel. The quality of the color reproduction (done in China, of course) is impressive; the page layout balances text and illustrations with grace and generates a respect for Lincoln’s estimable language skill for both formal and informal occasions. To see the evidence of his own hand building responses to solicitations or requesting a favor on someone’s behalf or asserting a position on an important issue makes the reader/beholder feel the very presence of a great humanitarian. Thanks to uncredited book designer Jason Snyder for a splendid job. One can feel Lincoln’s comfort with his Jewish friends and acquaintances; one can feel their comfort with him. This is a comfort that stems in part

from the president’s pushing against the constant pressure to have the United States defined as a Christian nation in its public declarations. He did this not merely as a response to the interests of his Jewish friends but as a matter of larger principle – perhaps a vision – of a truly inclusive nation whose greatness lay in this inclusiveness. The book benefits from such features as a two-page graphic presentation of “Lincoln’s Jewish Connections,” concentric circles around the hub of Lincoln’s face organized by the nature of the relationship: friends, associates & supporters, acquaintances, appointments & pardons. A blowup poster of these pages would make a terrific teaching tool. The endnotes, keyed to the chapters, are extensive, clear and engaging; the index performs its difficult task with a quiet confidence. Do I need say that this is a dazzling slice of Jewish history in America by a co-author (Sarna) who has already taken on the larger subject in his authoritative American Judaism: A History (2005)? In this new book, Sarna provides a capsule version of the story about how Lincoln revoked General Grant’s infamous order expelling Jews from jurisdictions under his wartime command. The full treatment is in Sarna’s recent When General Grant Expelled the Jews (2012). Make sure that someone you care about receives a copy of Lincoln and the Jews. Philip K. Jason is Professor Emeritus of English from the United States Naval Academy. He reviews regularly for Florida Weekly, Jewish Book World, Southern Literary Review, and other publications. Please visit Phil’s website at www.philjason.wordpress.com.

Where the science of medicine meets the artistry of aesthetics is pleased to announce the 1st annual

Jewish Book Fair of Collier County Rhinoplasty Septoplasty Sinus surgery Tonsillectomy for Adults & Teens Oﬃce treatment of nasal bl blockage & congestion Facial plastic surgery Scar revision Blepharoplasty Treatment of facial lines & wrinkles

Plans are for the Jewish Book Fair to feature about ten authors talking about their new books next season over several days and at different venues throughout Collier County. As details become available, they will be published in the Federation Star, in Federation eblasts and on www.jewishnaples.org. To help create the best possible Jewish Book Fair, we will need several committee members as well as readers to review potential authors/books. Book readers are needed during the two-week period of May 29 - June 11, 2015. If you are interested in being a book reader or on the committee, please email Ted Epstein at fedstar18@gmail.com. More detailed information will be sent in early April to those interested in helping make the 1st annual Jewish Book Fair of Collier County a huge success.

Botox®, Restylane®, Juvederm® Removal of skin lesions and spider-veins of face & neck Rem Removal, reconstruction & treatment of skin cancer of the face, head & neck

Educated & Trained at Harvard, Yale, Stanford & University of California - San Francisco

Goodlette Road North

US-41

Golden Gate Pkwy. Colonial Square Plaza

(239) 263-8444

www.DavidGreeneMD.com

1112 Goodlette Road N., Suite 203 Naples, FL 34102 US-41

(Located inside Colonial Square, just south of the Post Oﬃce)

“Serving the Jewish Community for Over 14 Years” Traditional Jewish Services

JEWISH INTEREST

April 2015 Federation Star

National survey of American Jewish college students shows high rate of anti-Semitism on campuses

ore than half of 1,157 selfidentified Jewish students at 55 campuses nationwide who took part in an online survey reported having been subjected to or having witnessed anti-Semitism on their campuses, according to a new report issued jointly by Trinity College (Hartford, Connecticut) and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (Washington, D.C.). The National Demographic Survey of American Jewish College Students, which covered a variety of topics, was conducted in spring 2014 by a research team from Trinity College. Of the 1,157 students in the sample, 54 percent reported instances of anti-Semitism on campus during the first six months of the 2013-2014 academic year. The data provide a snapshot of the types, context and location of anti-Semitism as experienced by a large national sample of Jewish students at university and fouryear college campuses. The rates of victimization for students with different social characteristics – such as type of campus, year of study, academic major, demographics, religiosity or politics – ranged from a low of 44 percent to a high of 73 percent. There was only a slight variation in the rates across the regions of the United States, strongly suggesting that anti-Semitism on campus is a nationwide problem. The Trinity College researchers who led the team conducting the survey were Barry Kosmin and Ariela Keysar, public policy and law professors and the authors of other well-known national social surveys, including the American Religion Identification Survey (ARIS) series. Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (LDB) President Kenneth L. Marcus,

former head of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and author of a forthcoming volume on The Deﬁnition of Anti-Semitism (Oxford University Press, 2015), provided recommendations on the report. Kosmin and Keysar pointed out that, historically, the most likely targets of anti-Semitism in the general population have been Orthodox Jewish males, who tend to be easily identified by perpetrators. However, this tendency does not seem to be the case on college campuses. Conservative and Reform Jewish students are more likely than Orthodox students to report being victims. Membership in a Jewish campus organization also raises the likelihood of a student reporting anti-Semitism. According to Kosmin, “The patterns and high rates of anti-Semitism that were reported were surprising. Rather than being localized to a few campuses or restricted to politically active or religious students, this problem is widespread. Jewish students are subjected to both traditional prejudice and the new political anti-Semitism.” Another finding was that female students were more likely than males to report anti-Semitism. “Jewish women seem to feel more vulnerable on campus, with 59 percent of female students versus 51 percent of males telling us that they have personally witnessed or experienced anti-Semitism,” said Keysar. “This gender gap is alarming and needs to be further explored,” she added. Kosmin and Keysar observed that while anti-Semitism is often linked to anti-Zionism, this survey was undertaken in the spring of 2014, before the summer 2014 conflict in Gaza that led to a worldwide flare-up in anti-Semitism. Numbers of participating students

The Samuel Team

at John R. Wood Properties “Professionals on your team.”

239.537.3732 or 239.298.3555 visit us on the web at

www.lovingnaples.com

voiced concern that their experiences of anti-Semitism made for an uncomfortable campus climate. In his foreword for the report, Marcus wrote, “We hear frequently from college students who find that their experiences of anti-Semitism are not taken seriously. A decade ago, Jewish college students spoke of the vindication that they felt when the U.S. Civil Rights Commission gave voice to their concerns,” added Marcus, who, as then-staff director, drafted the Commission’s announcement that campus anti-Semitism had become a “serious problem” at many universities. “This report should provide a similar vindication, since it indicates that the scope of this problem is greater than most observers had realized.” The report includes recommendations for colleges, universities and Jewish community organizations to remedy this situation. A follow-up study could examine incidents of antiSemitism in more detail with the aim of better understanding the problem and enhancing tolerance on U.S. campuses. “Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, every federally funded institution of higher learning has an obligation to ensure equal educational opportunity for its students. Kosmin and Keysar’s eye-opening findings should awaken authorities to the need to address campus anti-Semitism much more aggressively, comprehensively and effectively than they are now doing. Moreover, this report should guide more thoughtful, researchbased responses to this problem,” recommended Marcus. The National Demographic Survey of American Jewish College Students and the 2014 Anti-Semitism Report were supported by funding grants from the Pears Foundation, U.K.; Posen

Foundation, Switzerland; Zachs Foundation and Mendelson Foundation, Connecticut; and the Jim Joseph Foundation, The Mark Bloome Fund of the Tides Foundation, and the Helen Diller Family Foundation, California. Read the Report at http://bit. ly/1w2mfTI. Contact Barry Kosmin at barry.kosmin@trincoll.edu or 860.297.2388, and Ariela Keysar at ariela.keysar@trincoll.edu or 201.784.5724. About Trinity College Founded in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1823, Trinity College (www.trincoll. edu) is an independent, nonsectarian liberal arts college with more than 2,200 students from 44 states and 62 countries. It is home to the eightholdest chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in the United States. The faculty and alumni include recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, the MacArthur award, Guggenheims, Rockefellers and other national academic awards. Trinity students integrate meaningful academic and leadership experience at all levels on the College’s celebrated campus, in the capital city of Hartford, and in communities all over the world. About Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (LDB) is a nonprofit organization designed to protect the civil and human rights of the Jewish people, and promote justice for all. Specifically, LDB combats anti-Semitism on college and university campuses through legal advocacy, public policy education and research. It is not affiliated with the Massachusetts University, the Kentucky law school, or any of the other institutions that share the name and honor the memory of the late U.S. Supreme Court justice.

JEWISH INTEREST

Federation Star April 2015

The liberation of the camps, April 1945 By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD

t was always inevitable that this server, “the camp area was strewn with month would see a plethora of corpses; thousands of skeletally emacievents and commemorations recated and fatally ill people were crowdognizing the liberation of the camps ed into miserable barracks, so spent seventy years ago. Across the nation by hunger and disease that even in the and across the world, people will be days and weeks following liberation taking note of what happened in Eularge numbers of them died.” rope in April 1945. Pictures of this horror were circuYet when dislated throughout the world. Newsreels cussion gets around were broadcast in local theatres, and to “the liberation of citizens were urged to view them as the camps,” what do a civic duty. Bergen-Belsen became people mean? Was the first evidence of the inhuman barthe period under disbarity and total state of terror of the cussion one singuNational Socialist concentration camp Dr. Paul Bartrop lar event? How did system. “liberation” take place? Who brought On April 15, the day of the liberait about? tion, the British found approximately The answer, as with most momen60,985 survivors; there were some ten tous events, is far from easy to explain. thousand unburied dead who lay where In January 1945, Auschwitz was they had fallen in the compound, and evacuated by the Nazis, and a great another fifteen thousand succumbed to many of the prisoners there were sent disease and starvation after the British on hideous death marches. They were arrived. evacuated in the face of Soviet progIronically, Bergen-Belsen had never ress; indeed, the Russians were so been given formal concentration camp close while the prisoners were marchstatus. In the final months of the war, ing away that the sounds of battle could however, a fierce typhoid and typhus be distinguished clearly. epidemic and tuberculosis devastated They suffered terribly during the the camp, which had grown fourfold forced marches that took them toward in population within two months, and the west, and countless numbers peras a result the area looked like a charished. When they arrived at their new nel house from ancient times when the destinations their trials were hardly British arrived. eased, as they faced massive overAs they grasped the reality of their crowding in the camps to which they first liberated camp, their only impreshad been evacuated. sion was that this was a metaphor for Bergen-Belsen in northern Germahorror. ny was perhaps the supreme example Due to the dislocation of the north of the chaos, overcrowding and general German rail network because of conhorror that struck all the camps. Belsen stant Allied bombing, the Nazis could was yet another of the many types of not transport food to Belsen; medicine, concentration camp, a euphemisticallyin the form of both doctors and equiptermed Krankenlager, or “sick camp.” ment, was completely lacking. MoreIn its way, Belsen has left just as indelover, no attempt had been made by the ible an image of the Nazi system on the Nazis to clean the place up. One of the Western mind as Auschwitz has in its. first things the British did, therefore, Established during the second half of was to set the captured Nazi guards to 1943, the camp is best remembered for work helping gather the dead together the images brought to the WORLD world at the in advance of their burial. CLASS time of its liberation by the British in In images that have come to repENTERTAINMENT ~ SOUND & LIGHTING April 1945. resent for many what the liberation As recalled by one & British ob- PARTY signified, most of those who had died SHOW DANCE BANDS

WORLD CLASS CLASS WORLD ENTERTAINMENT~ ~ SOUND SOUND &&LIGHTING ENTERTAINMENT LIGHTING SHOW&&DANCE DANCE PARTY PARTY BANDS SHOW BANDS

NRG (dance band)

High Society (Gatsby to today)

were simply piled up in what became mountains of putrescent flesh, and then shoved unceremoniously into giant pits dug by British Army bulldozers. The prisoners, dropped into places like Belsen to await liberation through either death or an Allied victory, had little time to wait in real terms, though each day dragged by unendingly. Painfully slowly, as German units both west and east surrendered, the camps were liberated. On April 12, 1945, the Dutch transit camp at Westerbork was set free; the next day, Buchenwald’s inmates rose against their SS guards and took over the camp, handing it to the Americans. Belsen was liberated by the British Army on April 15, and on April 23 the SS transferred Mauthausen to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The next day Dachau, after twelve years and twenty-eight days of unending misery and abuse, was overrun by the U.S. Army. Five days later, on 29 April, Ravensbrück was liberated. The liberations continued into the next month, with Theresienstadt handed over to the Red Cross by the Nazis on May 2, and transferred by the Red Cross to the Russians on May 4. American troops took possession of Mauthausen – the last major camp to be liberated in the west, on May 8. By this stage, the military side of the war was over. What now remained was to reconstruct new lives and a new Europe from the ashes and ruins of the old, a task that would prove as daunting as it was heart-rending. As the present looked as though it was coming under control, thoughts turned uncertainly towards the future, with one question uppermost in the minds of many: What was to be the fate of the survivors? Only the passage of time, over the next few weeks, months and years, would tell. Dr. Paul Bartrop is Professor of History and the Director of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. He can be reached at pbartrop@fgcu.edu.

Holocaust play at FGCU

n Tuesday, April 14, Florida Gulf Coast University’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies (in Fort Myers) will be staging a reading of the award-winning play If the Whole Body Dies: Raphael Lemkin and the Treaty Against Genocide by Robert Skloot. The play reading will be taking place in order to mark Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), which commences at sundown the following evening. Lemkin, a Polish Jew who invented the word ‘genocide’ in 1944, will be portrayed by Skloot himself. The play takes place over the course of August 27, 1959, the last full day of Lemkin’s life. Frustrated by political intractability, he continues to lobby for the adoption by the United States Senate of the UN Convention on Genocide. As the day progresses, he reflects on the inspirations for his life’s work: his mother, who died in the Shoah; and the young, tragically optimistic Anne Frank. His reveries are interrupted by telephone calls from creditors, and by conversations with his publisher who turns down the opportunity to publish his memoirs. Despite this, his frustrations are alleviated by his mental interludes, the motivation for him to continue to struggle for the international recognition and ratification of the treaty bearing the word he invented, genocide. Skloot will be accompanied in this play reading by a number of FGCU students, who will read the parts of those interfering with Lemkin’s day. The event will take place in Edwards Hall, room 112, at 7:00 p.m. At the conclusion of the performance, Dr. Skloot will engage in a discussion with audience members about the play, the life of Raphael Lemkin, and genocide in the modern world. Attendance is free and open to the public, and there is no need to register. For more information, please contact Dr. Paul Bartrop, Director of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies, at pbartrop@fgcu.edu.

For daily news stories related to Israel & the Jewish world, visit the home page of www.jewishnaples.org.

Shalom Gardens

at Palm Royale Cemetery

Hitsville USA (Motown review) ~ Disco Divas

NRG (dance band) (Gatsby to today) (jazz) Classic Rock ~ High DJs ~Society Blu Wave

band) Peter Duchin Orchestra NRG (dance band) High Society (Gatsby to today) Hitsville USA (Motown review) ~(big Disco Divas

Classic Rock ~ DJs ~ Blu Wave (jazz)

Island Breeze (reggae)review) ~ Disco Simcha (Israeli) Hitsville USA (Motown Peter Duchin Orchestra (big band)Divas Classic Rock ~ DJs ~ Blu Wave (jazz) Island Breeze (reggae) Simcha band) (Israeli) Peter Duchin Orchestra (big Simcha (Israeli)

“They did a marvelous job… consummate professionals – highly recommended.” “They did a marvelous job… consummate professionals – Elaine L. Reed, Executive Director, Naples Historical Society highly recommended.” Elaine L. Reed, Executive Director, Naples Historical Society

You’ve spent the best years of your life in Naples, why Palm Royale Cemetery is committed to serving seal memories anywhere else? overlook this the your Jewish community. Through theDon’t knowledge of your mostgem sacred beliefs, memorialization pristine so close toyour home. Make Naples will yourbefinal truly representative of the life it represents. destination. Make Palm Royale your final resting place. Ask about our beautiful Shalom Gardens.

Open 7 days a week Sunday business hours

Island Breeze (reggae)

Teresa Shepp Family Service Counselor

“Your added a professional touch. Our fundraising– “They music did a marvelous job… consummate professionals “Your music added a professional touch. Our fundraising venue doubled this year… you helped make it happen.” highly recommended.” revenue doubled this year… helped make&itChildren happen.” Marci Sanders, Shelter foryou Abused Women Elaine L. Reed, Executive Director, Naples Historical Society Marci Sanders, Shelter for Abused Women & Children

Your music added a professional touch. Our fundraising ENTERTAINMENT DIRECT ENTERTAINMENT DIRECT venue doubled this year… you helped make it happen.” 239.514.7628 ~ www.edirectglobal.com

239.514.7628 ~ www.edirectglobal.com Marci Sanders, Shelter for Abused Women & Children

6780 Vanderbilt Beach Road • Naples

239.354.5330

www.palmroyale.net

JEWISH INTEREST

April 2015 Federation Star

AIPAC 2016

By Goldie Wetcher, Exclusive to the Federation Star, March 4, 2015 efficient in the AIPAC Village that there was no waiting in line for a variety of kosher foods. Huge monitors lined the vast room for general sessions, and on a couple of occasions bottled water and a breakfast muffin were on all the chairs along with the literature for that day. The conference made maximum use of the latest technology so that everyone had a clear understanding of their schedule for that day and the speakers that would be present. Times for National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Mitch McConnell, as well as Congressional meetings, had to be updated, but conference members received personal daily updates. essions alternated between the spectacular general sessions which introduced a wide variety of people who spoke about their experiences with Israel and AIPAC, and breakout sessions of your choice with experts in specific fields. I selected one session on China and the Far East and through that information, I recognized the possibility of nuclear proliferation should we fail to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions. There were multiple meetings of regions and other support groups to give people the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas. Special events like Shabbat dinner, Havdalah and musical entertainment added to this outstanding experience. General sessions introduced important people and special projects from the U.S. and Israel. In one session, several innovative Israeli products were presented by their developers. My cousin and I agreed that we would like to order Zeekit, developed by Yael Vizel. It facilitates buying clothes on line by providing an exact personal body map. Since my son lives in Prague, I was delighted to hear Milos Zabar, President of the Czech Republic, express strong solidarity with Israel. Only the U.S., Canada and the Czech Republic vote consistently with Israel in the UN. He stated “I am a Jew” and pointed to Islamic terrorism as the enemy. He said, “Never again shall we march as sheep to the slaughter.” Both Samantha Power, Ambassador to the UN, and Susan Rice expressed U.S. soliKen and Goldie Wetcher at the AIPAC Policy Conference darity with Israel though they ence exceeded my expectations. I know recognized thare are major differences that I can make a difference by sharing about how to deal with the escalating what I have learned and doing my part nuclear threat posed by Iran. to carry out the mission of America’s Mitch McConnell reviewed the pro-Israel lobby which is to strengthen Congressional procedure for dealing U.S. and Israel relationships through with the nuclear ambitions of Iran and bipartisan education. the Kirk/Menendez bill which is enI met people who were in attendance dorsed by AIPAC. You can read more about this bill on the AIPAC website. at the first AIPAC conference when Please do it. This is an important bill there were only 200 delegates. This for all of us to watch. It is sponsored by year there were over 16,000 people who Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Robert stood in support of Israel regardless of Menendez (D-NJ). AIPAC believes that their political affiliations, religion or the U.S. must make a good deal with race. We were amazed at the seamlessness of this huge operation despite all Iran and refuse to compromise. A final of the security that was necessary to comprehensive nuclear agreement must ensure the safety of those attending. constrain Iran’s nuclear infrastructure Buses were immediately available to so that Iran has no pathway to a bomb, take us to the conference site and reand that agreement must be long lasting. turn us to our hotels or to the Hill on Further, it must include Congressional lobbying day. Despite the vastness of oversight. the Washington Convention Center, The highlight of the general session an army of friendly AIPAC workers programming was, of course, Israeli ushered us quickly on our way to both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the general and breakout sessions and who spoke to AIPAC the day prior to through security. Lunch lines were so his speech to Congress. We were told

multiple times to arrive before 7:00 a.m. in order to get through both American and Israeli security. The commitment of this huge group showed in the bright faces that walked steadily through the orderly lines to hear him speak as had been planned a year before his invitation to address Congress. He spoke clearly and authoritatively to the cheering crowd about his appreciation for the steady U.S. commitment to Israel and his heartfelt concerns for the safety of Israel. I felt grateful to be in that room at this critical period in history, no longer alone in my fears that Iran will carry out its threats to “kill all the Jews.” We need

in his conference room. These Florida legislators expressed unequivocal support for Israel and a strong stance against Iran’s continued march towards nuclear weapons capability. They support the adoptions of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (S.615) introduced by Senators Bob Corker (RTN) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and signed a letter to the President about their hope that a diplomatic solution preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon may yet be reached and their desire to work with him to assure such a result. There is much work ahead to in-

Like us on Facebook!

CONNECT with your Jewish Community

www.facebook.com/ facebook.com/jfedsrq JewishFederationofCollierCounty

Goldie Wetcher, Brianna Diener, Bob Diener, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), Miriam Tabacinic, Jose Tabacinic, Ken Wetcher, Joshua Diener

the support of our communities and of Congress to review any agreement with Iran and loudly object if a bad agreement is reached. Congress is supposed to assert its historic foreign policy role as the representatives of the people. In a large Florida group I met with Sen. Marco Rubio and a delegate from Sen. Nelson’s office, who sent his apologies for not attending personally due to illness. We went over to the Hill to meet with our representative, Mario Diaz-Balart, and joined a few others

sure the safety of the U.S, Israel and future generations. Please visit www. aipac.org, continue to educate yourself, listen to creditable sources, and write your Congressman. It counts. We also have an AIPAC Fellow for our area – Jonah Nagrotsky, a recent graduate of Georgetown University. He can be reached at jnagrotsky@aipac,org. Yes, my husband and I have already signed up for the AIPAC conference for next year. Formed from the Collections of the Jewish Museum of Florida, originated by Marcia Jo Zerivitz, Founding Executive Director.

y husband Ken and I attended the AIPAC Policy Conference this year for the first time on the recommendation of my granddaughter Aliza, who is a freshman at Berkeley, and her mother, my daughter Karen, who accompanied her to last year’s conference. My cousins, Janet and Steven Scharf from Los Angeles, provided further incentive for my husband and me to join them in Washington for their third AIPAC conference. As members of Valley Beth Shalom, they were two of 160 delegates from that synagogue, while the San Fernando Valley alone sent 535 delegates. According to the statistics from AIPAC, about three thousand delegates came from Florida, and approximately seventy-five were from the Fort Myers/Naples area. Three thousand high school and college students attended and, of those, three hundred were from historically black colleges. Six thousand AIPAC Club members attended. This was the largest and most diverse group in the history of the AIPAC conference, and included Christians, Hispanics, African Americans, and people who identified themselves at LGBT. Why did I want to go to the AIPAC conference this year? Perhaps like you, I have been troubled by the mounting dangers that surround us in the world, anti-Semitism on the rise, the BDS movement on our college campuses, multiple problems in the Middle East, and particularly potential nuclear proliferation that spells danger not only for Israel but the world. I wondered what sort of legacy we are leaving to our grandchildren. I didn’t know a great deal about AIPAC when we signed on to attend this conference, but I thought that by going to Washington I would find some answers to what I could do to make a difference. The AIPAC confer-

Vision 20/20 Looking Back/Looking Forward

JMOF-FIU 20th Anniversary Exhibition On view through October 22, 2015 Floridian Jewish families have played an integral part in every area of the development of the Sunshine State, from the pioneers who settled here more than 250 years ago, to contemporary movers and shakers. In honor of our 20th Anniversary, Vision 20/20 provides a glimpse into our collection of more than 100,000 items, documenting the history makersof yesterday to those of today.

Also on view - The Seventh Day: Revisiting Shabbat April 14 - October 25, 2015 (Preview Reception: April 13) 2-for-1 admission with this ad

FedStar

301 Washington Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139

305.672.5044 • jewishmuseum.com info@jewishmuseum.com Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am - 5pm Except Holidays

The Museum is supported by individual contributions, foundations, memberships and grants from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners and the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council.

Federation Star April 2015

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

What’s in that drink? Futuristic device lets you ﬁnd out Want to know which watermelon is sweeter, whether an avocado is ripe, or what’s in that diamond? New pocket-sized molecular sensor reveals all. By Abigail Klein Leichman, ISRAEL21c, www.israel21c.org

efore buying fruit at the greengrocer, steak at the butcher, or a nutritional supplement at the pharmacy, imagine taking a gadget out of your pocket, aiming it at the item and instantly seeing its quality, ripeness and nutritional value, plus a whole lot more data hidden at the molecular level. That is about to happen. Come July, Israeli company Consumer Physics will start shipping preorders of its futuristic SCiO, the world’s first consumer-grade molecular sensor. The sensor, a tiny spectrometer, allows you to get instant relevant information about the chemical make-up of just about everything around you, from foods to plants, medicines, diamonds and more, sent directly to your smartphone. “In the last 10 years or so, we’ve all gotten used to having an instant ‘search button’ in our pocket that lets us know where we are on a map, book a table at a restaurant, listen to a song in a different language and buy it and translate it,” says Consumer Physics cofounder Dror Sharon, who describes his position as “CEO and Chief Happiness Officer.” “The power in our pockets is phenomenal, but one piece is missing, and that’s information about the things in our physical world – everything from food to medicine to fuel. That’s the basic need we’re trying to answer.” Is that a good avocado? Sharon tells ISRAEL21c that Consumer Physics was founded in 2011 specifically for the purpose of bringing cutting-edge sensing technology to consumers. Before approaching investors, the team of engineers and scien-

tists first wanted to prove to themselves that a pocket-sized molecular scanner would be viable technologically and from a consumer experience perspective.

Scanning produce with SCiO clues you in on quality, ripeness and nutritional value

They began with food, the most basic and ubiquitous part of daily life. Once they were convinced their hardware and related apps could provide the kind of information people currently cannot access but want to know, they sought and won funding from strategic investors, from Khosla Ventures in California and through the Jerusalembased OurCrowd funding platform. Portable storage innovator Dov Moran was Consumer Physics’ first angel investor. And last summer the company completed one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns in history, raising more than $2.7 million (starting with a goal of $200,000) from nearly 13,000 backers. These early investors will get their SCiOs first. The device, which costs $249, comes loaded with several apps divided into categories, such as dairy foods and pharmaceuticals. Other apps will be added according to need, and there’s a SCiO software development kit (SDK) available for $449; about 1,000 developers were among the Kickstarter investors. Sharon believes the possibilities

Gulfcoast Foot and Ankle Center, Inc. www.gulfcoastfootcare.com

Are your feet killing you?

are endless. For example, the device could reveal the properties of the diamond you’re thinking of buying, or the calorie count of the Hollandaise sauce at your favorite French restaurant. “We will supply apps that are going to tell you some useful information about your physical world, and we expect it to grow over time as we see how people use SCiO,” says Sharon. Googling the physical world “The SCiO molecular scanner will create the first database of matter allowing people to ‘google’ the physical world and understand more about the environment around them and what they are putting into their bodies,” says OurCrowd partner David Stark. “This has major implications for commerce, health and scientific research.” Each SCiO is made of hundreds of

SCiO puts molecular scanning at your fingertips

tailor-made components sourced from several different countries. However, Consumer Physics didn’t try to reinvent any manufacturing processes, which would have slowed the path to commercialization of its core technology. The idea is to scale quickly to the level of smartphones – billions of units per year. Sharon tells ISRAEL21c that other companies are attempting to make

consumer molecular scanners, “but we have yet to see something comparable in size or cost. The efforts have accelerated since we showed there was an interest in a solution like this.” He points out that they’re targeting a market that doesn’t exist yet, so it’s actually helpful for others to join in identifying potential users. “Every time you use SCiO you will be helping to build a database of knowledge about the stuff around us,” says Sharon. “The bigger our community gets, the more data SCiO will have about different materials and this goes right back to our community of users.” He predicts that within 10 years, people will take molecular scanning for granted to the same degree as they now take smartphone cameras for granted. “It’s cool to think about googling your physical world, but really it’s also a basic human need,” he says. SCiO will be sold via Consumer Physics’ ecommerce platform worldwide – preorders are already arriving from customers in countries including Iraq and Afghanistan – and eventually will be sold in retail stores. For more information, visit www. consumerphysics.com/myscio/. Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and associate editor at ISRAEL21c. Prior to moving to Israel in 2007, she was a specialty writer and copy editor at a daily newspaper in New Jersey and has freelanced for a variety of newspapers and periodicals since 1984.

International Women’s Day 2015 – Israeli statistics

Summarized from the annual report of the Central Bureau of Statistics  At the end of 2013, there were 2,986,000 women aged 15 and up living in Israel. Women 65 years old or older constituted 11.8% of the total female population, compared to 9.4% among the male population.  Divorce in Israel is on the rise. In 2012, 13,685 couples divorced (8.6 for every thousand married women)  Life expectancy at birth in 2013 was 80.3 years for men and 83.9 for women.  In 2014, the percentage of women in the work force who were unemployed was 5.9%, similar to the percentage of unemployed men.  The average monthly salary for women wage earners in 2013 was



Many people continue to suffer unnecessarily from Heel Pain, Sore Bunions, Neuromas, Numb or Burning feet when help is just around the corner.

Visit one of our four convenient locations North Naples 9955 Tamiami Trail N. Suite 1 Naples, FL 34108 (239) 566-8800 Bonita Springs 3501 Health Center Blvd. #2150 Bonita Springs, FL 34135 (239) 949-3399

Physicians Regional 6101 Pine Ridge Rd. 3rd Floor Naples, FL 34119 (239) 304-5161 Shoppes of Pebblebrooke 15205 Collier Blvd. Suite 101 Naples, FL 34119 (239) 300-4230

NIS 7,280, while for men it was NIS 10,683. The average difference in wages was 31.9%; the median difference was 26.7%. This is partly because women on the average work fewer hours than men; the gap between the hourly wages of women and men was only 14.4%.  The hourly wage of Arab women was higher than that of Arab men by 6.1%. Part of the reason is that the average educational level (years of study) of Arab women is higher than that of Arab men.  For the first time the annual International Women’s Day report includes figures on the self-employed. In 2013, 31.9% of the self-employed were women. The average monthly wage of self-



employed women was NIS 7,406 (1.7% higher than female wageearners). Among self-employed men, the average wage was NIS 12,440 (14% higher than male wage-earners). Women constituted 57.8% of people employed in academic professions in 2014. Women formed only 32.8% of people in management positions. In high-tech, women constituted 35.5% of the total workers. Two-thirds of the people employed in traditionally female professions – caregivers, retail or wholesale salespersons, secretaries, bookkeepers, day-care workers, school teachers – were women. 32% of all women workers were employed in these professions. Students: In the 2013-14 academic year, there were 312,500 students in various institutions of higher education in Israel; 57.3% of them (179,200) were women. In contrast, in 1969-70 women constituted less than half of the students (43.3%). Social aspects: 86% of women expressed satisfaction with their lives, similar to the percentage of men. 51% of the women were satisfied with their economic situation, while 49% were not very or not at all satisfied with their economic situation. About 1.6 million women had driving licenses in 2013, 43% of the total number of licensed drivers in Israel. About 7% of the women drivers in Israel were convicted of driving offenses, compared to 15% of male Israeli drivers. The number of women who were victims of sexual harassment or theft in 2014 was higher than the number of male victims. The number of women who were victims of violence was lower than the number of male victims.

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

April 2015 Federation Star

HURRY! OFFER ENDS APRIL 30, 2015.

*Cruise must be booked March 11–April 30, 2015. Applies to 5-night or longer sailings on or after May 15, 2015. Applies to selected categories and ships. Restrictions apply to offer choices. Subject to change and availability. Please contact us for complete details. Ships’ Registry: The Bahamas

(239) 261-1177 (800) 523-3716

www.prefererrednaples.com SunTrust Building at Pelican Bay 801 Laurel Oak Drive • Suite 300 Naples, FL 34108

Wilma Boyd— CEO

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

Federation Star April 2015

BRIEFS ISRAELI COMPANY SAVING AUSTRALIAN WATER

($44,330), France ($43,500) and Germany ($47,350), while behind it are Italy, Spain and Greece. Japan’s GNP stands at $39,140. This leap completely disconnects Israel from such countries in the region as Egypt ($3,700), Jordan ($4,870) and Iran ($6,070). (Guy Bechor, Ynet News)

Israeli water technology company TaKaDu has picked up a slew of Australian contracts after it saved Yarra Valley Water thousands of megaliters of water and millions of dollars by installing software that identifies and tracks leaks in real time. Yarra Valley Water managing director Patrick McCafferty said, “In the last three years we’ve saved about 2,700 megaliters of water...which has worked out to be about $5,000 a day in water savings.” Sydney Water, Unitywater on the Sunshine Coast, and Queensland Urban Utilities in Brisbane have also started using it. (Yolanda Redrup, Australian Financial Review)

ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY TORCHLIGHTERS ANNOUNCED Seven men and seven women were approved by the Ministerial Committee for Symbols and Ceremonies to light beacons at the April 22 ceremony that opens Israel’s Independence Day festivities, all chosen for the breakthroughs they’ve made in their various fields. They include Danny Gold, developer of the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system; Sima Shein, who served as head of the Mossad’s research desk, the highest intelligence position ever held by a woman; and Pvt. Dan Korkowsky, a member of the IDF’s Special Intelligence Unit 9900, composed of soldiers who are on the autism spectrum. Korkowsky has rare intelligence-gathering abilities and his success led to the expansion of the unit. (Ha’aretz)

ISRAELI ECONOMY REBOUNDS AFTER GAZA WAR Israel’s economy rebounded dramatically in the fourth quarter of 2014, growing by an annualized 7.2% after last summer’s Gaza war helped slow growth in the third quarter to 0.6%, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. (Niv Elis, Jerusalem Post)

ISRAELI PER CAPITA GNP LEAPS IN PAST DECADE Few are aware of the leap Israel made in its gross national product (GNP) per capita in the past decade. While the GNP was $15,600 in 2003, it jumped to $40,620 per capita by December 2014, while the overall product jumped from $104 billion to $300 billion during that period. Ahead of Israel are Britain

NAVY INSTALLS ADVANCED UNDERWATER AQUASHIELD DETECTION SYSTEM The Israeli Navy is currently installing the AquaShield Diver Detection Sonar system along Israel’s northern sea border, and has already installed it along

KRISTEN COURY, Producing Artistic Director

SPRING 2015 SEASON

VANYA SONIA NIA MASHA Spike by by

Christopher Christopher Durang Du g JAN 17-FEB 8

the sea border with Gaza. The system makes it possible for the IDF to identify individual divers underwater from a significant distance from the coast. AquaShield can also provide protection for vital infrastructure such as gas rigs. (Lilach Shoval, Israel Hayom)

ISRAELI SEAWATER DESALINATION PLANT SETS WORLD RECORD FOR WATER PRODUCTION IDE Technologies’ seawater desalination plant in Ashkelon, Israel, the largest and most advanced in the world, has produced 1 billion m3 of high-quality tap water since 2005 and has a capacity of up to 330,000 m3 per day. The plant has also achieved one of the world’s lowest prices for desalinated water. (WaterWorld)

MOSES IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Near the end of his address to Congress, Prime Minister Netanyahu pointed to the image of Moses overlooking the lawmakers in the House of Representatives chamber. The portrait, designed by artist Jean de Marco, is one of 23 marble reliefs that depict historical figures noted for establishing the principles that underlie American law, according to the Architect of the Capitol. On either side of Moses are 11 profiles that face left and eleven which face right, so that all look toward Moses in the center. (Anav Silverman, Tazpit-Ynet News)

ISRAEL, INDIA SET UP JOINT VENTURE TO PRODUCE DEFENSE SYSTEMS Israeli government-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. and the Indian Kalyani Group recently announced an agreement to establish a joint venture to produce missile systems, remotely-controlled weapons positions, and advanced systems for the protection of tanks and APCs. The agreement was signed during the Aero India weapons exhibition in Bangalore, in which 15 Israeli defense companies took part. “We have always wanted to contribute to the modernization of the Indian armed forces,” said Rafael chairman Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Gat, referring to the agreement. (Yuval Azulai, Globes)

ISRAEL, IRAN LOCKED IN ESCALATING CYBER WAR

THE

GWYDION SUILEBHAN FEB 28-MAR 22

The BY

DAVID IVES

BASED ON THE PLAY BY

PIERRE CORNEILLE

APR 4-26

SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE! www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org • Call for Tickets: 1.866.811.4111 The Norris Center 755 8th Avenue South, Naples, FL

SEASON BENEFACTORS PATTY & JAY BAKER

CORPORATE PARTNER

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS BOB & LINDA HARDEN CHRISTINE PADDOCK

Israel has made “dramatic” advancements in its offensive cyber capabilities over the past 5-7 years, said Tom Kellermann, chief cybersecurity officer at the security research firm Trend Micro. The Israeli military collects information on the layout of Iran’s nuclear program, works to dismantle Iran’s Internet restrictions, and tries to enable the flow of information to dissenters in the country, Kellermann said. Israel has also infiltrated Iran’s infrastructure with dormant “disruptive

SAVE THE DATE

capabilities” that could be activated at any time. (Cory Bennett, The Hill)

ISRAEL ENCOURAGES ISRAELI ARAB HI-TECH

Today there are 2,000 Arab engineers in Israel’s high-tech industry, up from just 350 in 2008. The strongest leap is in Nazareth where 600 Arab software developers lead the sector, up from just 40 in 2008. Israel’s Authority for the Economic Development of the Arab, Druze and Circassian Sectors receives $45 million to ignite the Arab tech sector. Aiman Saif, who heads the group, said, “In the last month, we’ve approved seed funding for 11 Arab-led start-ups in Nazareth.” (Kate Shuttleworth, USA Today)

TOP ISRAELI INNOVATIVE COMPANIES

An estimated eight million times a year, errors in U.S. drug prescriptions can have life-threatening consequences. MedAware’s Prescription Analysis and Alert System analyzes the prescription a healthcare provider enters, compares it to the patient’s records and to other patients with the same condition, analyzes the provider’s prescribing patterns, and approves the prescription within seconds or flags it. Billguard identifies breaches of credit-card security, detecting patterns that could mean that a person’s creditcard number was stolen. Salient Eye lets you deploy unused smartphones that have built-in cameras as a do-it-yourself home-security system. Its motion-sensor app for Android allows users to monitor the area or room where the phone unobtrusively rests. The app emits an alarm and sends photographs, texts or email alerts of intruders. (Fast Company)

31 COUNTRIES FACE MORE TERRORISM THAN ISRAEL

17,958 people were killed in terrorist attacks last year, 61% more than the previous year. 31 countries rank higher than Israel (ranked 32) in the 2014 Global Terrorism Index, including the UK (27) and the U.S. (30). The GTI, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, measures the direct and indirect impact of terrorism in terms of lives lost, injuries, property damage and the psychological after-effects. (Institute for Economics and Peace)

WHILE ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVITY ON CAMPUS IS RISING, SO IS PRO-ISRAEL ACTIVITY

In the wake of the 2014 Gaza war, the number of U.S. campuses with antiIsrael activity jumped by 51.4%, the Israel on Campus Coalition notes in its Fall 2014 Campus Activity Report. Yet ICC data reveals an even larger surge in pro-Israel activism on campuses. Pro-Israel students and organizations are mobilizing to prevent Israel’s

continued on page 20

Israel Scouts performance: Tuesday, June 9, 2015 Temple Shalom

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

April 2015 Federation Star

s e

d -

a s . s -

s -

r y s f

, l s

At the seder table we recline. Many have no bed. We taste bitter herbs. Others face grim hardships. The Jewish Federation is the safety net for our community

The Jewish Federation is the safety net for our community here at here at home, in Israel and in over 70 countries around the home, in Israel and in over 70 countries Through world.around Throughthe ourworld. efforts and with your help, a hungry child our efforts and with your help, a hungry in Kiev receives hot gets delivered to a in Kievchild receives hot meals. Medicine meals. Medicine gets delivered to a fragile Holocaust survivor in Shelter is provided for fragile Holocaust survivor in Haifa. Haifa. Food and services are provided for a struggling family in a homeless family in <<name of your community>>. And Collier County. And much more. Change hardship into hope today. much more. Change hardship into hope today. Give now at <<JewishFederation.org>>

Donate. Volunteer. Get involved. www.jewishnaples.org • 239.263.4205

e -

t e . s s

YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLE!

Everything Federation does is made possible through the generous donations from members of the community. Please consider making a gift today!

FS0415

 I hereby pledge and promise to pay my Federation for the 2015 JFCC/UJA Annual Campaign a contribution of:  $36  $72  $180  $540  other $_________  Contribution enclosed (Check #__________)  Please charge my:

 MasterCard

 Visa

 Please bill me  American Express

Jewish Federation may add a 3% donation to my payment to offset credit card service fee _____ (initials or √ denote authorization)

Account #___________________________________________________ Exp. Date____________ ccv#__________ Name: ____________________________________________________ Signature:__________________________________________ Billing Address:______________________________________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________ ST: ______ Zip: _______________ Phone: __________________________________ Please send to: Jewish Federation of Collier County, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Suite 2201, Naples, FL 34109-0613 JFCC/UJA CAMPAIGN OF THE JEWISH FEDERATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA

Federation Star April 2015

TRIBUTES

Tributes

Tributes to the Federation Campaign

To:

Rosalee Bogo Wishing you a full and speedy recovery From: Phyllis & Michael Seaman Jane Schiff & Lon Gratz Maxine & Harvey Brenner Delores & Corky Levin Lisa & Sid Freund In memory of Sid’s beloved father From: Barbara & Gene Goldenziel

Drs. Karen & Ed Ezrine & Family In memory of Ed’s beloved mother, Jeanette Ezrine From: Monica & Dr. Allan Goodwin To:

Mae & Judge Morton Riefberg In honor of your 60th Anniversary From: Carole Soling To:

To:

Judith & Sam Friedland Thank you for your hospitality Ted Epstein

To:

Vicki Nolen Wishing you get well From: Maxine & Harvey Brenner

To:

Joan & Bert Thompson In memory of Bert’s beloved sister, Marion Thompson Gonshor From: Maxine & Harvey Brenner Rosalee & Jerry Bogo Phyllis & Michael Seaman David Willens

To:

Truly Nolen Wishing you a Happy Birthday From: Maxine & Harvey Brenner

Nancy Kaplan In honor of your son’s wedding From: Helen & Dr. Edward Rosenthal Gracia Kuller Jack Jacobsen Best wishes for many more happy & healthy birthdays. Happy 80th Birthday! From: Maxine & Harvey Brenner David Willens

• • • • • • •

Thanks to the following supporters of the Federation Star for their contributions to help underwrite the cost of bringing news of the local, national and international Jewish community to your mailbox every month!

SUBSCRIBERS:

Howard & Heidi Gilbert

Jack & Marilyn Torgow

BRIEFS

placed to pressure the PA to alter its priorities, but it has refused to do so. (Evelyn Gordon, Commentary)

continued from page 18 detractors from taking campuses hostage. During the last school year, the pro-Israel movement succeeded in defeating 14 out of 18 divestment resolutions. Even in instances where antiIsrael resolutions have passed, campus communities have demonstrated broad support for Israel. During the fall 2014 semester, ICC tracked 759 anti-Israel events at colleges and universities nationwide and 1,531 pro-Israel events. The number of pro-Israel student groups also rose from 362 in 2012 to 484 in 2014. (Israel on Campus Coalition)

THE PALESTINIAN VICTIMS OF THE WEST’S ISRAEL OBSESSION The Jerusalem Post reported recently that a leading Palestinian hospital is at risk of closure because of a $30 million debt. A major reason for this debt is that for years, the Palestinian Authority has failed to pay Mokassed Hospital for many of the patients it treats, though the PA has ample funds to pay generous salaries to thousands of terrorists sitting in Israeli jails. It’s a matter of priorities. Another news report notes that thousands of Palestinians who bought homes in the new Palestinian city of Rawabi can’t move in because the city isn’t connected to the water system. Why? Because all West Bank water projects need approval by the IsraeliPalestinian Joint Water Committee, which the PA has refused to convene for the last five years. Evidently, it would rather deprive its own people of better housing than agree to meet with Israeli officials. Almost 40% of the PA’s budget consists of foreign aid, with the vast majority coming from Western countries. The West is therefore uniquely

Dick Polinsky All good wishes for a full and speedy recovery From: David Willens Maxine & Harvey Brenner To:

Norene Karon & Family In memory of your beloved husband, Dr. Everett Karon From: Delores & Corky Levin To:

Phyllis & Stephen Strome In honor of your granddaughter’s Bat Mitzvah From: Lea & Michael Bendes To:

Robbie & Joel Wise In honor of our very good friends and wonderful hosts From: Anna & Yale Levin

Norene Karon & Family on the passing of her beloved husband, Dr. Everett Karon Lisa & Sid Freund & Family on the passing of Sid’s beloved father Nora & Rony Joel & Family on the passing of Nora’s beloved father, Harold Noskin Joan & Bert Thompson & Family on the passing of Bert’s beloved sister, Marion Thompson Gonshor Marcelle Reiss & Family on the passing of her beloved son-in-law, Paul Nitkin Judy & Mark Schaengold & Family on the passing of Mark’s beloved mother, Joan Schaengold Andrea & Gene Sipe & Family on the passing of Gene’s beloved father

Friends of the Federation Star

REPORTERS:

To:

The Jewish Federation of Collier County extends condolences to:

To:

Tributes require a minimum donation of $18.

BOYCOTT ISRAEL MOVEMENT STUNTS THE PALESTINIAN ECONOMY A push to “boycott, divest and sanction” (BDS) Israeli companies has limited impact on the credit profile of Israel, yet it directly harms its intended beneficiaries, the Palestinians. “The impact of BDS is more psychological than real so far and has had no discernible impact on Israeli trade or the broader economy,” said Kristin Lindow, senior vice president at Moody’s and its lead analyst for Israel. “The sanctions do run the risk of hurting the Palestinian economy...as seen in the case of SodaStream.” Israel (population 8.3 million) has a GDP of $291 billion, the Palestinian territories (population 4.1 million) $11.3 billion. Such asymmetry shows the Palestinians needs Israel, economically speaking. Yet the BDS crowd would impair economic ties, despite evidence that trade between peoples lessens the outbreak of war. Israel employs 110,000 Palestinians and has built 16 industrial parks in the West Bank and east Jerusalem hosting 1,000 facilities where Jews and Arabs work shoulder-to-shoulder. (Carrie Sheffield, Forbes)

SAVING THE DEAD SEA Jordan’s signing of an agreement with Israel for the implementation of the first stage of the project to transfer Red Sea water to the Dead Sea follows an agreement signed by Jordan, Israel and the PA in Washington in 2013 that aimed to secure the three sides with urgently needed water. The scheme also entails replenishing the shrinking Dead Sea with new sources of water to offset the drastic reduction in its level. The accord is a breakthrough of strategic significance that will secure the Kingdom with a new source of po-

SIGN UP FOR THE FEDERATION’S WEEKLY COMMUNITY eNEWSLETTER! Get the latest information on upcoming community events and cultural activities, news from Israel and lots more.

Send an email to info@jewishnaples.org

table water and revive the Dead Sea. The full implementation of this megaproject would change the landscape of Jordan’s development plans for the future by ensuring the long-term availability of water and create new possibilities for exploiting the Jordan Valley for irrigation, tourism and agro-industrial projects. (Editorial, Jordan Times)

JORDAN, ISRAEL SIGN DEAL TO HELP SAVE DEAD SEA Israeli and Jordanian government officials on Thursday, February 26, signed a bilateral agreement to jointly funnel Red Sea water to the shrinking Dead Sea. In the $800 million project, Jordan and Israel will share the water produced by a future desalination plant in Aqaba, while a pipeline will carry saltwater from the plant to the Dead Sea. In return for the desalinated water, Israel will double its supply of water to Jordan from the Sea of Galilee. (Sharon Udasin, Jerusalem Post)

ARAB ISRAELIS VOLUNTEERING FOR ISRAEL’S NATIONAL SERVICE While most Jewish citizens of Israel are conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces (women for two years, men for three), Arab citizens of Israel are exempt. While the Arab leadership has discouraged national service for civilian tasks, because the program is run by Israel’s Defense Ministry, more and more young Arabs are joining the ranks, seeing it as a way to get ahead in Israeli society. The number of Arabs volunteering for national service in local Arab communities, schools and hospitals has jumped 30% in the past year to more than 4,000. When they finish, they receive the same benefits as anyone who has served in the army. (Linda Gradstein, Media Line-Ynet News)

PALESTINIAN ACTIVIST: “ISRAEL IS NOT AN APARTHEID STATE”

Palestinian Bassem Eid, 56, grew up in a refugee camp in east Jerusalem but does not blame Israel for those difficult years. He blames Jordan for removing 500 people from the old city in Jerusalem in 1966 and creating the camp. In fact, he says he would rather be a Palestinian refugee in Israel than in Syria, Lebanon or Jordan. “Israel is not an apartheid state,” he said. “It’s a democracy. Arabs are treated at the best hospitals and study at the best universities in Israel. Did that happen during apartheid?” Eid, a human rights activist and political analyst, was brought to South Africa by the SA Jewish Board of Deputies to counter the messages being put out during Israel Apartheid Week. He said that outside interference and calls for boycotts of Israel make the Palestinian-Israeli situation worse. (Katharine Child, Times Live - South Africa)

GAZANS ENJOY ISRAELI PRODUCTS AMID WEST BANK PALESTINIANS’ BOYCOTT

Israeli products are available at malls and supermarkets throughout Gaza, while in the West Bank, the Palestinians had decided to boycott these products. The Gaza-based ministry of national economy gave permission to Gaza businessmen to import products made in Israel, which used to be banned, because “local industry and factories in Gaza are unable to produce these kinds of products.” Gaza used to get products from Egypt through underground tunnels, many of which have now been destroyed. (Hamada Hattab and Osama Radi, Xinhua - China)

April 2015 Federation Star

COMMENTARY

After Copenhagen, what next for Europe? By David Harris, Executive Director, AJC, February 15, 2015

nce again, the jihadists have attacked, this time in Copenhagen. Once again, they have murdered innocent people. Once again, they have targeted both democratic values – freedom of speech and the press – and a minority community – the Jews. And once again, Europe has been reminded that it is at the center, not the periphery, of this global challenge. As a result, we will have all the right symbolic gestures, which I don’t wish to minimize. There will be visits to the synagogue, solidarity events, statements of anguish, and affirmations of collective will and determination. But will they really change anything on the ground? That remains to be seen. With each such bloody outrage, we earnestly hope that something might be learned because we don’t want to believe that history must continue to repeat itself in this all-too-familiar cycle of killings, vigils and mourning. And yet, after 15 years of engaging with European leaders to get their attention, help them understand what stares them in the face, and press for sustained action, I’m not quite ready to bet the family farm that the day after tomorrow will be all that different than the day before yesterday. Even so, I desperately want to believe that Europe, with all its dazzling

achievements since the end of World War II, can still strengthen its resolve, stiffen its spine, and fully understand the stakes involved, however late in the day it is. Here is what I wish would happen now. First, the European Union should quickly organize a high-level conference to discuss the rise in anti-Semitism, as evidenced by repeated terror attacks, EU polls showing rising fear among Jews, and statistics in countries like France and the United Kingdom revealing a major spike in anti-Semitic incidents. It ought to discuss and adopt a comprehensive plan of action, and then implement and monitor it. Second, European leaders must understand, as French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has, that anti-Semitism is not only an attack on Jews, but also an assault on Europe and its values. The two cannot be separated. That was amply illustrated in the attacks in Paris last month and in Copenhagen this month. In the end, if there is no other choice, Jews will leave Europe, but where will Europe go, unless, that is, it is prepared to succumb to the jihadist threat? Third, call a spade a spade. For many Europeans, there is no hesitation in identifying the source of anti-Semitism when it emanates from right-wing extremists. But when anti-Semitism, including deadly violence, springs from within a segment of the Muslim population, ver-

bal acrobatics all too often come into play. If you can’t name the adversary, how can you effectively fight it? Of course, this problem is not unique to Europe. In the United States, we saw the massacre at Fort Hood ludicrously labeled “workplace violence” rather than the jihadist violence it so obviously was, and our government’s refusal to refer to “Islamist” or “jihadist” terrorism, even when the perpetrators themselves do. Fourth, stop tying anti-Semitism to Islamophobia, as if the two are Siamese twins. AJC’s Brussels office has been trying for months to encourage a European Parliament hearing on antiSemitism, only to be met with insistence that any such meeting include Islamophobia. Why this demand to join the two together, when the majority of incidents occurs against Jews, when Europe has a particularly ugly history of anti-Semitism, and when the principal attackers of Jews invoke their Islamic faith? Fifth, recognize that we confront both a short- and long-term menace that won’t be overcome by even the most eloquent of speeches and the most symbolic of acts. Rather, it requires a full-court, sustained effort by individual governments (and, of course, by the EU) using the resources they have the capacity to mobilize, joined by the determined efforts of civil society. Sixth, connect the lessons of the Holocaust to the present-day threat

to the Jews. I’ve witnessed too many Holocaust-related events where murdered Jews are mourned – Jews who, tragically, cannot be brought back to life – but that totally ignore the current dangers to living Jews. A refusal to connect the two quite frankly empties these commemorations of much of their meaning and sincerity. Seventh, don’t apologize for European values of democracy, human dignity, openness and pluralism. Europe has built something to be proud of and that is well worth defending. It is, after all, to Europe that refugees and immigrants are seeking to go by any means possible to escape failed or failing societies, and not the other way around. It’s high time to stand up in defense of these noble values and do everything possible to ensure that newcomers embrace them as well. And last, but by no means least, it is important to understand that the jihadist barbarism which Europe is experiencing firsthand is not much different from what Israel has been facing for decades. Why, then, does Europe continue to try drawing a distinction, when, in reality, none exists? The same jihadists who hate Europe detest Israel, and the same jihadists who wish for Israel’s annihilation aspire to no less for Europe as we know it. Since hope springs eternal, here’s hoping for the dawning of a new day, starting right now. For more information, visit www.ajc.org.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY ACCOUNTANT

ATTORNEY - ELDER LAW A. STEPHEN KOTLER Comprehensive Wealth Transfer Planning Asset Preservation • Federal Transfer Tax Probate and Trust Administration Elder Law and Special Needs

Rogers Wood Hill Starman & Gustason Certified Public Accountants 2375 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 110 Naples, FL 34103 Tel: 239-262-1040 • Fax: 239-262-8403 Email: sstarman@rwhsgcpa • www.rwhsgcpa.com

FUNERAL SERVICES

North Naples 1625 Pine Ridge Rd. 592-1611

East Naples 4735 Tamiami Trail E. 417-5000

Advanced Funeral Planning Specialists Call about our Pre-Planning Discounts

FRANK WEINBERG

Board Certified Wills, Trusts and Estate Lawyer

Sheldon W. Starman, CPA

KOTLER LAW FIRM P.L. 999 Vanderbilt Beach Road Suite 200 Naples, Florida 34108

DIAMONDS & JEWELRY

Phone 239.325.2333

skotler@kotlerpl.com

NAPLES DIAMOND SERVICE Diamonds, Watches and Jewelry Bought/Sold, Repaired and Appraised Coins – Bullion 660 9th St. N., Ste. 31-B Naples, Florida 34102

Phone 239-403-1055 Fax 239-403-0946

E-mail mrfrank3@centurylink.net

PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO HELP MAKE THE FEDERATION STAR POSSIBLE.

INSURANCE

Long Term Care Insurance Life Insurance • Disability Income Protection Critical Illness Coverage

Mitchell Dannenberg, CLTC

(239) 461-5511

Representing all major companies

www.LTCiMarketplace.com

INTERIOR DECORATOR

NEUROLOGY

PR I N T I N G

REAL ESTATE

TRANSPORTATION

Beth Shaw Adelman, GRI, Realtor® Naples Fine Home Specialist

239.571.4791 Beth@Bocaexecutive.com www.Bocaexecutiverealty.com/Naples Newest location at Naples Bay Resort! 1490 5th Avenue South, #A1-104 Naples, Florida 34102

CALL SAUL

YOUR PERSONAL DRIVER

• AFFORDABLE • COMFORTABLE • ON TIME

AIRPORTS & CRUISE LINES IN TOWN & LONG DISTANCE RIDES • SHOPPING • DR. APPOINTMENTS • ERRANDS NDS

•

• NAPLES •

MARCO ISLAND • FT MYERS FT LAUDERDALE • TAMPA • ORLANDO • LUXURY SEDANS • LIMOS • BUSES • LICENSED/INSURED • MIAMI •

SAUL WILNER (239)

777-2918

ONLINE: WWW.CALLSAULYOURPERSONALDRIVER.COM

Federation Star April 2015

COMMENTARY

Free stuff for Palestinians By Moshe Phillips and Benyamin Korn, March 2, 2015

eing a Palestinian Arab gets you all sorts of things these days. In addition to longstanding bonus perks such as sympathetic international media coverage and endless handouts from various United Nations agencies, it now turns out that among the benefits of being a Palestinian is free electricity. The only reason we know about this remarkable Middle Eastern freebie is that the New York Times finally had an opportunity to accuse Israel of withholding it. Without Israel as the villain, the story just wasn’t fit to print. But last week the Times dutifully reported that the Israel Electric Corporation “briefly reduced the power supply to two Palestinian districts in the northern West Bank on Monday because of a ballooning debt, according to company officials.” The size of that ballooning debt? Nearly half a billion dollars. That’s right, the Palestinian Authority owes Israel a staggering $485 million in electricity bills. And even that enormous default led to only a slight reduction – “for less than an hour” – and only to two PA districts. And that only came after repeated warnings by the Israel Electric Corporation and attempts by the IEC “to find an arrangement to reduce the debt through contacts with the Israeli government and international bodies, to no avail.” So let’s assume for a moment that you had an electricity bill of $485. Not $485 million, just $485. And let’s say you didn’t feel like paying it. Do you think there is any electric company in the United States that would keep your power turned on, even as you ignored

repeated warnings to pay up? Do you think your electricity provider would then contact the federal government or international agencies to work out “an arrangement” with you? And if you persisted in your scofflaw ways, would the electric company then only reduce power to, say, your living room and basement for less than an hour, as a warning? Not a chance, of course. If you don’t pay, then within a short time, your power would simply be turned off. But the constant pressure and criticism from the UN and the international media have created a kind of battered wife syndrome, in which nervous Israeli government officials hesitate to apply normal standards of law and order, lest Israel be the subject of a new round of criticism for “mistreating” Palestinians by “depriving” them of electricity. Indeed, the Israelis have already agreed to stop the brief reductions of power in exchange for a payment of $75 million. Not a payment from the PA, mind you; it still refuses to pay a penny of the bill. Israel took the $75 million out of some tax revenue that the Israeli government had planned to transfer to the PA, but had temporarily held up. From the Palestinians’ perspective, this is all old hat. They have been receiving free stuff from Israel and the international community for decades, so they must be used to it by now. The most egregious example is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Established in the wake of the 1948 Arab invasion of Israel, it has provided untold sums

Opinions and letters printed in the Federation Star do not necessarily reflect those of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, its Board of Directors or staff, or its advertisers.

Jerusalem Post Crossword Puzzle Solution to puzzle on page 10 N A B S

I D E A S

M O N T H

O R D E R

L O G S

I B E T

A T A D

N I L E

V E A M R U Y S D P R E A N B T

Y E S I S L A N D E R

I M H O D E M O T E S

S E A N P E N N W I S E U P

O W L S

D E L E T E

A S S A I L S

G U S S T A A V Y E P E R E D R O I N

S P E R C E S S T A A F R T E A S W G E A E S P

N O A H

O R S O

B E E F

S T I R

S U R E

R E E K

T A N G O

S T O I C

T A S K

What’s the best way to reach the Jewish community in the Naples area? You’re holding it in your hands! Reach over 6,000 Jewish residents through the Federation Star. For more information or to place an ad, call Ted Epstein at 239.249.0699.

of assistance to Palestinian Arabs who fled Israel, but no aid to the far greater number of Jews who were expelled from Arab countries. Moreover, UNRWA has employed an incredibly elastic definition of “refugee” in order to maintain a permanent constituency for handouts. To qualify as a “refugee,” a Palestinian Arab need not have ever moved from one city or country to another. He only has to be a descendant of an Arab who left ‘Palestine’ in 1948. That’s like declaring most of today’s American Jews “refugees” since their grandparents or great grandparents fled pogroms in Czarist Russia. Add to that the aid-without-accountability package that the Palestin-

ian Authority has been receiving from the United States. At $500 million annually for 21 years, the total has now surpassed $10 billion. The aid has continued to flow despite widespread corruption in the PA and despite the PA’s violations of the Oslo accords, for example its refusal to extradite terrorists to Israel for prosecution, and its endless anti-Israel and anti-Jewish incitement. It turns out the symbol of the “Palestinian revolution” is an outstretched hand, with American taxpayers subsidizing the dole. Moshe Phillips is president and Benyamin Korn is chairman of the Religious Zionists of America, Philadelphia

COMMENTARY BRIEFS THOSE CALLING FOR A BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL ARE IGNORING SOME PAINFUL TRUTHS Recently, 700 British artists had a letter published in the Guardian in which they called on others to boycott Israel until what they term the “colonial occupation” ends. As someone who supports the creation of a Palestinian state, it has been a long time since I saw a letter so shallow and lacking in coherence. The fact that the majority of the signatories are unaware of the reality here in the Middle East doesn’t reassure me. I wonder if anyone told the signatories that in 2000 and in 2008, Israel offered the Palestinians the chance to build an independent state on over 90% of the territories, and on both occasions the Palestinians refused. Do they know that Gaza is ruled by Hamas, a terrorist organization that punishes homosexuality with hanging? As artists – who by definition are people with imagination – let’s imagine the IDF puts down its weapons and stops protecting the people of Israel for 24 hours. What do they think would happen? Radical Islamists would kill us all. Women and children first. That’s what they’re doing to their brethren across the Islamic world. To end the conflict Israel only has one demand: security for our citizens. We don’t believe that’s unreasonable. In 2005, Israel pulled out of Gaza without any demands, took down the settlements and removed the army. The Palestinians kicked out the Palestinian Authority and brought in Hamas – a fundamentalist Islamist terror group of

the worst kind. And after a few months they began building terror tunnels into Israeli territory and started massive rocket and mortar fire upon Israel’s innocent civilian population. (Yair Lapid, past Israel finance minister and member of the security cabinet, Guardian - UK)

WHY ISRAEL MATTERS TO AMERICA

Israel is a mirror image of America in its commitment to religious liberty, education, women’s rights, free speech, democratic governance and free-market capitalism. While a Jewish state, Israel also protects all religious shrines and provides Christians, Muslims and Jews universal access to all religious sites. (How many churches or synagogues are equally protected by the Syrians or the Iranians?) Israel’s military also takes extraordinary measures to prevent civilian casualties. I witnessed the elaborate steps they take to protect noncombatants – even those used as human shields to protect terrorists. No nation, not even the United States, takes greater care to protect civilians. While we may offer them arms and military hardware, Israel has never asked us to provide American personnel to fight their battles. We are equally targeted for annihilation by Islamic jihadists. The forces that toppled the Twin Towers; flew an airplane into the Pentagon; behead Christian children, journalists and relief workers; and burn alive a captured pilot – have vowed to kill every Jew and every American. (Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor who first visited Israel 42 years ago at age 17, Washington Examiner)

A triple dose of Dry Bones

RABBINICAL REFLECTIONS

April 2015 Federation Star

The pursuit of justice Rabbi Adam F. Miller

ne of my teachers tells the story of Sussie, a woman who lived in Munich, Germany, during World War II. Riding the bus home from work one day, her heart started to race as SS storm troopers stepped into the road, bringing the bus to a halt. After boarding, the soldiers began to check identification papers for passengers on the bus. Most were allowed to remain. But those with Jewish papers were being taken off the bus to a nearby truck. Watching from her seat in the rear of the bus, Sussie began to panic. As the soldiers systematically moved down the aisle, tears began streaming down her eyes. A man sitting nearby noticed

her reaction and politely asked why she was so upset. “I don’t have papers like you do. I am a Jew. I know they are going to take me away like the others.” The man leapt out of his seat, yelling with anger, cursing at Sussie, “You stupid, ignorant woman! You are ridiculous! I cannot stand being anywhere near you,” he roared. Drawn by the shouting, the SS soldiers moved to the back of the bus. “What is wrong? Why are you shouting at her,” they asked the man. “Damn her,” the man shouted. “My wife has forgotten her papers again! I am fed up. She always does things like this!” The soldiers laughed, and left the bus. Shocked by this turn of events, Sussie remained in her seat unable to speak. A few stops later, through her teary eyes she saw the man leave the bus. As he stepped off, Sussie realized

that she had never even asked the name of the man who saved her life. This month we celebrate the holiday of Passover and observe the solemn occasion of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Linked together as stories of our oppression and suffering, our experience in Egypt and the Holocaust are also used to emphasize the same lesson. Our tradition teaches us that we have been slaves in Egypt, and therefore must treat the widow, orphan and strangers among us, the most vulnerable elements of society, with respect. Similarly, our people suffered through the horrors of the Holocaust, therefore we must pick up the torch of “Never again!” and speak out against hatred and genocide in our world. In both cases, we are instructed to work toward a just world in which all are treated equally. Torah goes further, teaching that one must actively seek out justice, as we read in Deuteronomy, “Tzedek, tzedek, tirdof” – Justice, justice

shall we pursue. Rarely does one find an example of word repetition in Torah, drawing further attention to this statement. The true core of the message rests with the final verb, tirdof, for it is in the active pursuit of justice that we fulfill the command. Our mission is not just knowing what is right, it is pursuing what is right; acting to make a difference in the lives of others and to end injustice and inequality. As we retell the story of our people around the Seder table, let us also reflect on our own deeds and actions. Have we learned from the experience of our people? Have we pursued justice in our world for ourselves…justice for others whom we may not even know? When each of us is willing to stand up on the bus to protect the life of the stranger, then the lessons of Passover and the Holocaust will come to fruition. May we all succeed in our pursuit of justice, tzedek, tzedek, tirdof.

Do your ‘soles’ connect with the ground? Rabbi Fishel Zaklos

esach is a favorite holiday because we not only tell the story, we experience it with lessons from every detail. One hero of the Passover story is Moses, Moshe Rabeinu. When G-d first revealed Himself to Moses at the Burning Bush, He said, “Shaal n’olecho me-al raglecho” – remove your shoes. Have you ever wondered why Moses, when becoming a leader, was told to take off his shoes? Did G-d only like Rockports and not Birkenstocks? There is a reason and a lesson to be learned: when we wear shoes, our walk is generally smooth and easy. We don’t feel every little bump in the road. G-d’s message to Moses was: “You are about to become the leader of Am Yisroel. Take off your shoes. From this day on, you have to be sensitive to every ‘pebble,’ to every bit of pain and sorrow your flock will encounter in its journeys.”

A key quality for leadership is empathy, feeling the pain and distress of others. There are three personality traits: apathy, sympathy and empathy. A professor, asked to explain the difference between ignorance and apathy replied, “I don’t know and I don’t care!” Apathy is a lack of feeling. Apathetic people are disconnected, disengaged, isolated and detached from others, from G-d, from the world around them. It’s not a healthy way to live. Sympathy means we connect, but not too deeply. We say hello to one another, we shake hands, we wish each other good Shabbos, we ask, “How are you?” Nice, friendly, cordial. We’re involved, but not too deeply. We maintain an arm’s-length relationship like Twitter and text-messaging. That’s sympathy. It’s somewhat superficial. In many instances it’s sufficient to wear shoes, but not the heavy work-boot variety. Empathy means we are involved, engaged and invested in others. We feel for them and are genuinely interested. Empathy means we take off our leather shoes and actually feel the plight of another, being right there in his circumstances, sharing in his sorrow,

rejoicing in his joy. Moses’ first meeting with G-d teaches us that the ultimate approach is empathy: take off the shoes and feel the plight of another. Empathy is not just responding to another’s pain and distress, but to anticipate it, to be proactive and to wonder who needs us. This applies to all of us, not just to a leader. On Yom Kippur we don’t wear comfortable leather shoes. As we stand before G-d, beseeching Him for our needs, we do so with a profound sense of sensitivity and empathy toward our fellow man. We can’t realistically maintain an empathetic connection with everyone because we have only so much time and emotional energy. The question is: do we connect empathetically with anyone at all?

We must be ready to give, to invest. It does not work as a one-way street. In order to breathe, we can’t just inhale oxygen; we also have to exhale carbon dioxide. There needs to be an exchange. When we are ready to give of ourselves to others, this creates abundance and blessings, seen as flows of spiritual energy and vitality. There may be situations in which sympathy is acceptable and appropriate, but then there are times in which we must feel empathy in a very real way, times in which we must be very engaged, connected, involved and invested. So as we approach Passover, let us take heed from our leader Moses and open our hearts and our homes. Is there an extra chair for someone at your Seder?

What do you think? The Federation Star wants to know! Send your letters and comments to fedstar18@gmail.com.

Letters Policy Include your name, full address and daytime phone. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. We reserve the right to edit for length and/or accuracy. Letters do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, the Federation Star or its advertisers.

HADASSAH FLORIDA CENTRAL WISHES YOU A HAPPY PASSOVER

Hag Sameah. CELEBRATE SPRING · CELEBRATE FREEDOM · CELEBRATE PASSOVER

HADASSAH THE WOMEN’S ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA, INC.

3118 Gulf to Bay Blvd. Clearwater, FL 33759 727.799.0618 flcentral@hadassah.org

For a continuously updated community calendar, visit the Federation’s website at www.jewishnaples.org.

FOCUS ON YOUTH

Federation Star April 2015

Rising Star: Gabby Van Slyke

By Jean L. Amodea Who: Gabby Van Slyke Age: 14 School/Grade: Barron Collier High School freshman Family: Father, Brian; mother, Amanda; and sister, Zoe, age 17 A top student who takes senior honors math, is on the debate team, math team, in the scholar bowl, and who recently participated as the plaintiff in a mock trial at school, Gabby Van Slyke is a determined, self-confident young woman. We chatted with the teen to find out more. In what academic subjects do you excel? I enjoy science and biology labs, and I really like to learn and to know the reason behind things and what makes them work. I also like math and reading, especially fiction writer James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series. Do you participate in sports? I am a competitive horseback rider. I have a brown gelding, Rocky, and a black mare, Darky, who is around 15 years old. I ride my horses every day, and I also take care of them myself. Once a month, I compete with them and my trainer. What is the level of your participation in BBYO? I was in the BBYO Connect and joined

the group in the second semester of eighth grade. This year, we get together every Thursday and try to meet once monthly as a group. It keeps us looking forward to a fun event. There are separate boards for the boys’ and girls’ chapters. Recently, we had a sisterhood sleepover, a member event to help us bond. We do things like social action projects. Recently, we had a dining in the dark event where we wore blindfolds and ate a meal in darkness to get a perspective on what it is like to be blind. We also do things for the community.

Gabby Van Slyke

We went to a Hunger Games private pre-screening through BBYO, and we brought cans of food to be distributed to those in need. What does it mean to you to be Jewish?

A while ago, I was struggling with the faith and didn’t know what it meant to be Jewish, and I only attended Sunday school. After attending BBYO, now, I see that being Jewish is something that links you to, and that you share with, other people. I think it is an amazing religion and I am proud to be a part of the faith. As a family, we attend Temple Shalom and observe the holidays. What are you plans for the future? Because of my love for horses, I want to be a large animal veterinarian and surgeon. University of Florida has a top-rated veterinarian school and a great program. It is very prestigious and has a limited acceptance rate of only 150 students per year for its veterinarian program. The veterinarian who tends to my horses is aware of my future goals and lets me assist him when he treats my horses. He explains the procedures that he is using and allows me to take part in them. Who is your inspiration and why? My sister, Zoe, is my inspiration. At first, Zoe used to be timid and shy and

insecure around people. But through BBYO, she changed. Her participation in BBYO helped her to become more confident. Now, she is always herself and doesn’t let others’ opinions get in her way, which is amazing. So many people have the goal of becoming secure within themselves, and she has accomplished that. What advice would you give to your peers? One of the biggest things is to set goals. If you don’t set goals, you will not feel obligated to achieve anything. A lot of people try to dodge setting goals, but having goals pushes you. Even little goals keep you accountable. I saw something online about having goals that are measurable, attainable and deadline driven. So, if you set goals, then I think it’s very possible to be successful. If you set an attainable goal and keep reaching for higher goals, then it will be possible to be successful. Jean Amodea, a former school principal from New Jersey is a freelance writer for the Naples Daily News and its com-B munity publications as well as director2 of Peter Duchin Music of Naples/En-G tertainment Direct. She also performso with her husband Ron’s dance band, jazzu ensemble and Caribbean quartet. Reacho Jean at jeanamodea@earthlink.net. t o e y t ( g a S o

Want to see your “rising young star” featured in the Federation Star? Send an email to jeanamodea@earthlink.net with the details.

Temple Shalom Preschool update By Seyla Cohen, Preschool Director

tudents have been working hard to ready their masterpieces for display at the annual Temple Shalom Preschool Art Show scheduled for Thursday, April 30 at 6:00 p.m. This year, the Art Show will be exceptionally special because we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of TSP. The growth and development over the past quarter century is astonishing. I am extremely proud of how the school has expanded. Today we can boast a progressive curriculum, a dedicated staff, professional child development methods and philosophy, and exceptional family involvement. Temple Shalom Preschool has been acknowledged by local educators, prestigious publishers, and parents as a top-rated preschool in

the Naples area. Each year, pieces crafted by children at the preschool adorn the walls of the social hall where parents gather to view the artwork under the guidance of Art Director Linda Ginsberg. Such an exhibition gives the children a sense of pride and confidence, so important to the self-esteem of our preschool students. The annual Art Show is an opportunity for parents, relatives, congregants and friends to gather, mingle and enjoy a pleasant evening of wine, refreshments and music. At the same time, they are given the opportunity to purchase student creations, participate in the silent auction, and bid on many other items and services auctioned and raffled off. As in the past, the evening

will prove a welcoming, warm and attentive fundraiser from which students, families and the preschool benefit. Moneys raised during this entertaining event, along with Jewish Federation of Collier County grants, provide funds to support scholarships for Temple Shalom Preschool families in need of aid with tuition. We invite the public and anybody who was a part of our beautiful school to attend and celebrate our 25th anniversary and Art Show on April 30. Camp Shalom and Camp Einstein Summertime, an exceptionally warm season here in Southwest Florida. Children look forward to their school vacation, and parents search for constructive ways to occupy and enrich their lives during these months. A wonderful alternative to consider is Temple Shalom Preschool’s Summer Camps for children ages 2-8. Once again, Temple Shalom is offering two programs: Camp Shalom for those in the 2-4 year age range, and Camp Einstein for boys and girls 5-8. Both camps offer seven weekly sessions beginning Monday, June 8. As in the past, Camp Shalom provides a fun-filled program for the younger crew including music, art, water play, science, technology, storyland

R and dance. New friendships are formed1 and social interaction, so important at( this age, is sustained. A weekly themet entertains little ones, making each week( a new and exciting experience. For older kids, Camp Einsteind proves a wonderful link between aP carefree atmosphere and maintaining aa stimulating educational environment.3 Parents concerned about keeping learn-2 ing alive and inquisitive minds activem have come to welcome this wonderful2 program. Literature, science, math,r reading, technology and art are providedR in a relaxed and engaging climate, help-A ing to provide continuity in educationt 2 during the long summer holidays. n The TSP Tech Lab Created with the abilities and interests of preschoolers in mind, the Tech Labu includes age-appropriate tablets, lap-w tops, interactive iPad and TV interfaces, digital cameras, and child-friendly photo and video editing software, as well as many other technology-related learning opportunities. The atmosphere is comfortable, encouraging little ones to learn about technology as well as test out their abilities to design and create.

Like us on Facebook!

CONNECT with your Jewish Community

www.facebook.com/ facebook.com/jfedsrq JewishFederationofCollierCounty The Temple Shalom Preschool Tech Lab

FOCUS ON YOUTH

BBYO dines in the dark

n March, Sababa BBG and Negev AZA hosted a BBYO International initiative called “Dining in the Dark” where the teens had the opportunity to discuss and raise awareness of people who live every day with visual impairment. The teens ate kosher hot dogs and potato chips while wearing a sleeping mask on their eyes in the dark. “I had fun eating in the dark because I was able to put myself in the shoes of someone living with a visual handicap,” said Jacob Klein, current chapter Secretary. “Our group had a lot of screaming, frustration and confusion, but in the end I think a lot of us learned about patience. We completed the meal with smiles, laughter and some great discussion!” Naples BBYO teens recently connected with Jewish teens from

around the world at BBYO’s International Convention in Atlanta. BBYO International Convention (IC) 2015 is an annual event that began 90 years ago as a way for BBYO members to connect once a year, but has now grown to be a setting for individuals across the Jewish community to learn, lead and work together toward ensuring a strong Jewish future, spearheaded by the next generation. This year, from February 12-16 in Atlanta, 42 North Florida Region teens joined more than 2,200 Jewish teens (a 24% increase from 2014) and 1,100 Jewish adults – including some of the community’s top educators, professionals and philanthropists – from 20 countries for this unprecedented moment. Come join Naples BBYO at the

April 2015 Federation Star Jewish Federation offices! Teens in grades 8-12 are welcome to join the weekly chapter meetings that take place on Thursdays from 6:00 to7:30 p.m. Contact Skylar Haas at shaas@ bbyo.org for more information.

Preschool of the Arts update By Ettie Zaklos, Preschool Director

¡ Professional, dedicated and loving teachers ¡ Promoting school readiness in literacy, the sciences and mathematics ¡ Nurturing the values of compassion, respect, tolerance, friendship, community, responsibility and character development ¡ Brand new state-of-the-art facility, playground and security system ¡ Two sunshades over the playground to provide relief from the Florida sun ¡ Outdoor Artists Corner for children to enjoy the arts Our Art & About Program focuses on local guest artists who visit our preschool to talk about their art and do hands-on activities with our preschool children, and our ever-expanding Visual Arts Program, Performing Arts Program and Culinary Arts Program, where our children are taught new skills and develop new interests in the arts – from learning new songs and musical techniques, to basic cooking skills and healthy eating habits through hands-on food preparation, to learning about different artists and their artistic styles. In keeping with our healthy body, healthy mind approach, we also offer gardening, yoga and My Gym, a blend of gymnastics, dance and sports. Space is limited. Call 239.263.2620 to register. (We are a peanut-free campus.) The wonders of science We feel so fortunate to welcome Darlene Thiele as our science teacher at Preschool of the Arts. Within a short space of time, Darlene has captivated the interest of our preschoolers and piqued their curiosity and sense of wonder about the world around them with her engaging science lessons. Our preschoolers are wide-eyed with wonder as Darlene helps them discover how the world works. Whether Look who visited the children at Preschool of the Arts!

2015 Summer of the Arts registration Give your child the gift of a summer of fun, exploration and activity! Sign up for our dynamic six-week Summer of the Arts program, which runs June 8 through July 17. Our program offers an opportunity to develop skills and interests in sports (outdoor sports, water play, yoga), culture (literary arts and storytelling), culinary arts, performance arts (music and dance), classic children’s games, crafts and activities, including a Friday challah-baking workshop and Shabbat celebration, under the guidance of experienced teachers. This year’s themes are: “Let’s Read!” for the Minors Program (ages d18 months to 4 years); and “Game On!” t(includes field trips, swimming and trips to the beach) for the Majors Program k(ages 5 to 11). Summer of the Arts 2015 begins daily at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. aPre-care is available from 8:00 to 9:00 aa.m., and after-care is available from .3:00 to 5:00 p.m. To sign up, call 239. 263.2620 or visit www.NaplesSumemerOfTheArts.com. l2015-2016 Preschool of the Arts ,registration dRegistration for our Preschool of the Arts 2015-2016 school year opened nto existing families in mid-December 2014; registration for new families is now open. Your child will be a part of our s bunique early learning programming -which includes:

d e

Darlene is teaching a lesson on germs (how wonderful to see our budding scientists trying on lab coats, goggles and plastic gloves as they investigate how germs spread – and the importance of hand washing) or a lesson on solids, liquids and gases (so sweet to see the preschoolers learning to make slime!), one thing’s for sure, our preschoolers are learning new vocabulary and problemsolving skills – and having fun while doing so. The importance of daily family routines Our preschoolers enjoy the routine of knowing what to expect during their day at school, and studies have shown that in the same way preschoolers thrive on a routine at school, they also thrive on having a routine at home. Our Preschool

of the Arts parents do a great job of creating daily family routines and we wanted to share our successes and suggestions with you: 1. Make time to read or play with your child. 2. Assign responsibility for a household chore. 3. Eat dinner together. 4. Be firm about bedtime. Our parents see that when they set goals and expectations for their children, their children rise to the occasion – and the benefits for their children (both academically and socially) are profound. For more information, contact me at 239.263.2620 or naplespreschool ofthearts@gmail.com, or visit www. naplespreschoolofthearts.com.

Host families needed for the Israel Scouts The Israel Scouts are coming to Naples on Tuesday, June 9! (See the article on page 3.) The hosting experience is often times the most exciting and meaningful part of the Scouts’ visit. Community members are responsible for hosting the twelve Caravan members. The hosting relationship goes far beyond providing food and a bed – the host families become true surrogate families during their stay. Families love bringing the Caravan into their homes, getting to know the teens and learning more about Israel. It is a valuable and unforgettable experience. Responsibilities include dinner and sleeping arrangements on Tuesday night, June 9, breakfast the next day, and transportation to/from the events on both days. If you have youngsters or teens at home, this would be a real treat for them.

If you are interested in hosting one or more of the Scouts or team leaders, please contact Ted Epstein at fedstar18@gmail.com or 239.249.0699.

Jewish Bedtime Stories & Songs for Families

The PJ Library program supports families in their Jewish journey by sending Jewishrelated books and music on a monthly basis to children for free.

Sponsered by

Preschool of the Arts Research and Development Department

Arthur Susan Karp Th e PJ &Library is Family Charitable Foundation, Inc brought to the Collier A Supporting Foundation of County community The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee by Jewish Family & Visit the Federation website to sign up! Community Services www.jfedsrq.org of Southwest Florida. For more information, Follow us at facebook.com/pjlibraryofsarasota call 239.325.4444.

Federation Star April 2015 CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF NAPLES

SYNAGOGUES www.chabadnaples.com / 239-262-4474

Chabad Jewish Center of Naples update

assover Join us on Friday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m. for our inspirational Community Passover Seder, which is so popular that it sells out every year. Don’t be disappointed. Space is limited. Sign up as soon as possible so you can to sit back and enjoy original handbaked Shmurah Matzah, four cups of exquisite kosher-for-Passover wine, and a gourmet kosher dinner as you wait for Elijah’s visit! Aron Kodesh We look forward to fulfilling our plans for construction of a beautiful new Aron Kodesh (Torah Ark) before the High Holidays. After more than a year of intensive planning, our committee submitted a stunning, yet practical, design which will enhance our sanctuary. To join this important project or for more information, call our office

at 239.262.4474 or visit www.chabad naples.com. Partners Project event Each year we celebrate with gratitude, our ever-growing group of benefactors and supporters with a special evening where we honor and entertain members of the Partners Project. This year’s event will be held on Thursday, May 14. Call now. It’s not too late to become a member of this special group! See Israel - as you never have! Chabad Naples is currently compiling a list of people interested in a trip to Israel. Our confirmed dates are March 27 to April 5, 2016. The trip is conducted by Rabbi Fishel Zaklos, and he plans on visiting sites of religious, geographical and political impact. Now more than ever, we need to unite and stand strong with Israel! More details and information will be published soon, but as this

NAPLES JEWISH CONGREGATION

first-class tour will have limited availability, we would ask those who are seriously interested to call the office. Hebrew School registration Registration for 2015-2016 is currently underway and prospective parents and students are invited to visit our Hebrew School on any Wednesday afternoon to observe our growing program and the happy faces of our Hebrew School students. Please call Ettie to schedule a visit or for more information. Jewish community calendar Our annual art calendar will again be distributed to the entire Naples Jewish community free of charge just prior to the High Holidays. The calendar offers a unique opportunity to connect with the Naples Jewish community with business advertisements or personal greetings. Friends and supporters of Chabad Naples are encouraged to sub-

mit holiday greetings or add birthdays and Yarzheits to the calendar. Call us for more information about our calendar. Monday Minyan We hold a regular Monday Morning Minyan in the Herstein Library at 8:00 a.m. Flying Challahs Here is your chance to bring a smile to someone’s face. If you know people who need a visit or just a little caring attention, your suggestion via a phone call will bring a freshly-baked challah flying to their doorstep. Weekly services and children’s program Join us every Shabbat at 10:00 a.m. for weekly uplifting services, and bring the kids to the incredible children’s program at the same time. Kiddush and a social gathering for the family follow services.

www.naplesjewishcongregation.org / 239-234-6366

Naples Jewish Congregation update By Suzanne L. Paley, President

t seems like just yesterday when “season” was upon us, yet here we are preparing for Pesach and the traditional end – at least for us – to the traffic jams and lines in restaurants. I am not complaining about the crowds in the winter months, for without them there would be so much less to offer year-round Neapolitans. As we look to April we have a busy month ahead. Traditionally we have had our Community Seder on the first night. Things are a bit different this year due to the coinciding of Easter and Pesach. We have had to move our Community Seder to the second night of Pesach, Saturday, April 4. We will still enjoy the companionship of fellow members and guests, the retelling of the story of the Exodus, and the

slurping of matzo ball soup! To close out the season for Sisterhood and the Men’s Club, we are holding a luncheon and fashion show at the Cypress Woods Country Club on Tuesday, April 14. Toni Jacobus, Chairman, has spent the winter planning this event, which will be elegant yet fun. Fashions and models will be provided by Steinmart of Bonita Springs. Tickets are available at $35 per person. Contact Toni at 239.261.0131 or richjacobus@ gmail.com to make your reservations. Mail your check (payable to NJC Sisterhood) to: NJC, PO Box 111994, Naples, FL 34108. On April 18 and 19, Naples Jewish Congregation will participate in the American Cancer Society’s “Relay for

JEWISH CONGREGATION OF MARCO ISLAND

Life,” not only in events over the weekend, but also as contributors of the letter “C” in Cure. Many of us have lost loved ones to cancer, and the fight goes on to find a cure and to support the survivors and those suffering at this time. On Friday, April 24 Jeffrey Feld, President/CEO of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, will be the featured speaker at our Shabbat service. I want to remind everyone that as of the month of May, Naples Jewish Congregation will be having services only on the last Friday of the month until September, when we resume weekly services. We will still begin at 7:30 p.m. and gather at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Napa Woods Way in Naples.

In closing, I wish to thank everyone involved in the success of our Scholarin-Residence program, especially the Jewish Federation of Collier County for its grant, and St. Agnes Catholic Church for the use of its Parish Hall. Our annual meeting will be held on Friday, March 27, and I look forward to working with our Board of Directors for another term. Please join us for a Shabbat service and find out why “NJC is a place for you to belong!” An Oneg always follows our services, which gives everyone a chance to greet, meet and chat. For further information about Naples Jewish Congregation, please call 239.431.3858 or visit www.naplesjewishcongregation.org. Happy Pesach to all.

www.marcojcmi.com / 239-642-0800

Jewish Congregation of Marco Island update By Sue R. Baum, President

n Tuesday, March 17, the honor was bestowed upon me, to become the next president of JCMI. It is not an easy task to follow my predecessor, Roger Blau, who served us with distinction. We thank you, Roger. The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island has become an important part of the Marco Island community. We welcome the community to our synagogue and the community comes – an excellent way to establish inter-religious dialogues and build bridges with the community-at-large. To demonstrate: ¡ The Monday Night Bingo, starting October and continuing to the first week of May, is brimming with players from Marco and outlying communities. All love the extra prizes, the big pots of money, but above all, the kosher hot dog. ¡ The Deli Fest, which saw approximately 2,000 people from Marco and beyond, eager for delicious homemade chicken soup with matzo balls, beef barley soup, pastrami sandwiches and home-made

baked goods ¡ The Jewish Film Festival, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Collier County, each year drawing larger and larger crowds of all persuasions ¡ The Saul I. Stern Cultural Series, in its 21st season, also in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Collier County, drawing recordbreaking attendance from afar ¡ The Barbara P. Katz Maj Jong Tournament, filled to capacity, with all denominations ¡ The Community Seder, drawing persons of all religions and fabulously presented by our congregants, the Four Chefs Behind the above events, are congregants devoted to their religion, their synagogue, their country and, above all, Israel. They are knowledgeable, creative, energetic and desirous of making our synagogue important to the Jewish community and the community-at-large. That is the reason I consider it an honor to lead this congregation!

JCMI Presents

Our Annual Family Passover Seder Friday, April 3, 2015 6:00 PM Sharp

Jewish Congregation of Marco Island

The Haggadah will be read by the attendees, led by Rabbi Edward M. Maline, D.D. and Cantorial Soloist Hari Jacobsen

A complete holiday meal will be served and each table will be set with the traditional foods and beverages.

Guests Welcome For Reservations and Additional Information Contact JCMI Office: 239-642-0800

or Visit our Website: www.marcojcmi.com

For a continuously updated community calendar, visit the Federation’s website at www.jewishnaples.org.

April 2015 Federation Star

SYNAGOGUES / ORGANIZATIONS

www.bethtikvahnaples.org / 239-434-1818

BETH TIKVAH

Beth Tikvah update Phil Jason President

ou can spend Pesach week at a resort hotel or you can spend it on a cruise ship. You can spend it at a relative’s home or at a synagogue or at a country club. You can spend it in your own home in the company of friends and family. You can spend it strictly KP, or vaguely K, or with a traditional menu, or with nouveau Passover cuisine. You can use a familiar Haggadah or one filled with novelties and special readings. BUT YOU MUST TELL THE STORY. Never leave out the story. Never forget that it is your story. There is a tendency to universalize the story – to set it up as the prototype of liberation narratives. The motive is to be inclusive and to wish for the liberation of all enslaved peoples. Some feel that the Passover story gains importance if it is somehow merged. For me, it loses importance if we lose our identification ewith it as something essentially Jewish

– Hebrew – Israelite. Certainly many themes of the holiday are universal, but the content is specific and unique. It’s delightfully strong stuff. Let’s not water it down. Ruth and I will be spending most of Passover week in the Washington, D. C., area during the middle of the Cherry Blossom Festival. The lovely blooms will remind us that Passover has origins as a springtime festival – a celebration of new life that in ancient days marked the first grain harvest. Our preparation for the holiday, of course, is the archetypal spring cleaning. Thus, the Hametz Bash. On Thursday, April 2 at 6:00 p.m., join Beth Tikvah for a pre-Passover hametz extravaganza. Cost: $8 per adult, children 12 and under

free. Tell us how many are coming and get your check to Beth Tikvah by March 30. Don’t throw away sealed packages and containers of hametz; rather, please bring them to the synagogue as a donation to the food bank. Our Kosher Community Seder will be conducted by Rabbi Chorny on Friday, April 3. Doors open for seating at 5:45 p.m. Evening service begins promptly at 6:15 p.m. followed by the Seder at 7:00 p.m. We are probably sold out, but contact Sue to find out at 239.398.5485 or suebrown80@ comcast.net. Rosh Chodesh Group Our Rosh Hodesh Women’s Study Group holds its next meeting on Sunday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. The meeting facilitator will be Sue Hammerman. For more information, call Elaine Kamin at 239.593.6821. Israel Night On the evening of Wednesday, April 22, we will observe both Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut. The observance includes Boris Sandler and Bella Gutshtein perform at Beth Tikvah’s Yiddishkeit Night remembrance of those

e r

fallen in battle, similar to the U.S. Memorial Day, and celebration of Israel’s Independence Day. Israeli food, music, and prayers of mourning and gratitude mark the occasion. Cost: $15 per adult, children free. Book Group We will meet on Monday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss A Replacement Life by Boris Fishman. A singularly talented writer makes his literary debut with this provocative, soulful and sometimes hilarious story of a failed journalist asked to do the unthinkable: forge Holocaustrestitution claims for old Russian Jews in Brooklyn, New York. Religious Services Schedule Friday services begin at 6:15 p.m.; Saturday services begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude with a Kiddush luncheon. Our Sunday morning minyan resumes in late fall. We regularly convene Yahrzeit minyanim upon request. Please join us at any service. Our participatory worship services and most other events are held at 1459 Pine Ridge Road, just west of Mission Square Plaza. For more information, call 239.434.1818, email bethtikvahnaples@aol.com or visit www.bethtikvahnaples.org. You can reach Rabbi Chorny directly at 239.537.5257.

ORGANIZATIONS

l h h . e

www.hadassah.org / 239-598-1009

COLLIER/LEE CHAPTER OF HADASSAH

Hadassah update

r e -

Lynn Weiner President

ou’re invited to join Every Step Counts - Hadassah’s Walking Program! Walk with Hadassah on a virtual route from our New York headquarters to our hospitals in Jerusalem. Challenge yourself, your family and friends to take real steps to a healthier life. All you need are a pedometer, comfortable shoes, and a commitment to get yourself moving! There are three challenge levels (one’s perfect for you). You’ll record your steps online with Walker Tracker. Walker Tracker will even convert dozens of other activities to add to your totals, such as housecleaning, biking or us-

ing a wheelchair. We’re serious about our fun! Come walk with us into your healthy future. Even ten minutes at a time can change your life. To begin, go to Hadassah.org/everystepcounts. We also have a Hike for Health and Lunch Group that will be doing a walk in April. Please contact Debbie Slutsker at 763.442.2045 or debbie-slutsker@ comcast.net for details. Happy walking! Hadassah’s national offices are moving soon to 40 Wall Street in New York City. There will be naming opportunities for rooms and furniture in the new offices. Please let me know if you are interested in donating and having a naming opportunity at the new Hadassah offices. It was recently announced that Professor Charles Sprung, Director of Hadassah Medical Organization’s General Intensive Care Unit, won one of six 2015 Nefesh B’Nefesh Bonei Zion Prizes for making a significant impact

Want to receive the Federation Star in your mail box every month? Call: 239.263.4205 Email: iris@jewishnaples.org

Subscriptions are free, thanks to generous readers, committed advertisers and the Jewish Federation of Collier County.

Advertise

The Federation Star delivers!

Introduce your business to a POWERFUL demographic and reach over 6,000 Jewish residents in the Naples area!

For ad rates and deadlines, contact Ted at 239.249.0699 or fedstar18@gmail.com.

on the Jewish state. The $10,000 prize will be awarded to Professor Sprung in the Science and Medicine category. He has published 300 papers in medical journals. The prize is awarded to immigrants to Israel who make a difference. Dr. Sprung made aliyah to Israel in 1990 from the United States. The prizes will be presented at a ceremony in May at the Knesset. We will have our final Knowledge & Nosh @ Noon of the season on Wednesday, April 22 at 11:30 a.m. at Brio Tuscan Grille in Naples. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Jaclynn Faffer, President/CEO of Jewish Family & Community Services. Please contact Elyse Morande at 239. 498.0623 for more information. Our Daytime Study Group continues to meet the third Monday of the

month – first for lunch at First Watch on Pine Ridge and Livingston at 11:30 a.m. and then for discussion at 1:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom. Questions? Contact arleney2001@embarqmail.com. Our Evening Activity Group meets each month for a different activity. If you would like to be put on the email list for this group, please contact Lauren Becker at 239.592.5304. If you would like to join Hadassah, transfer your membership or make a gift of membership to a family member, please contact Donna Goldblatt at mom443@aol.com. Annual Membership is $36, Life Membership is $212, and Associate Affiliation for men is a one-time payment of $212. We also have Child Life Memberships available for $212. I wish you a Zissen Pesach!

JEWISH WAR VETERANS 239-304-5953

Jewish War Veterans update By Gil Block, Commander Post # 202

pril is the busiest month for our post. The seven high schools in Collier County have Jr. ROTC programs, and in April they have honor assemblies to recognize the individual accomplishments of their Cadets. Our Jewish War Veterans will be attending all of these assemblies, and at each we will present two scholarship awards to two outstanding Cadets. Our awards will consist of medals, certificates and $100 checks. This year, the program has been underwritten by the Jewish Federation of Collier County with a $1,400 grant ($100 each to 14 Cadets). We have asked Jeffrey Feld, President/CEO of the Federation, to come with us on at least one occasion to make the presentation. This program certainly brings recognition to the Jewish War Veterans, a primary goal

of our Post. We have often stated in our articles that we are desperately in need of new members in order to keep our Post functioning. We have many members who are paid up and do not come to meetings. We appreciate the membership, but we do not have the participation needed. Also we know that there are good Jewish men and women who were in the service, not necessarily during a war time. These men and women are good contributors to Jewish causes, but do not want to join our Post. On the other hand, if all of these eligible veterans would join our Post, they would have the opportunity to develop their ideas for a successful Post. Thank you for considering your participation and the shaping of the future Post.

Federation Star April 2015

ORGANIZATIONS www.ort.org / 239-649-4000

ORT AMERICA – GULF BEACHES CHAPTER

How the Oscars, nudes, desserts and ORT help students By Marina Berkovich n Sunday, February 22, one former ORT Argentina film student was anxiously anticipating the opening of the envelope for the Foreign Language Film category. His film Wild Tales was in the Oscars running. Filmmaker Damian Szifron, 39, was born in Ramos Mejía, Argentina. He has recorded and edited short films with his friends, and has watched as many as five movies a day with his father since the age of 10. An Argentinian Jew, he features Jews and many aspects of Jewish life and culture in his TV and film work, which has been compared to that of Spielberg, Hitchcock and Almodovar. Wild Tales received a 10-minute standing ovation at Cannes, and even though it did not receive the coveted 2015 Oscar, it brought Damian’s work to the worldwide audience’s attention. ORT is very proud when its students prove ORT’s formula “don’t give them fish, teach them to fish” works. World ORT is one of the largest education and training non-governmental organizations in the world.

Founded 130 years ago, in 1880 in St. Petersburg, World ORT’s past and present activities span more than 100 countries on five continents. To date, more than 2,000,000 students have been educated by ORT and 300,000 students benefit worldwide from World ORT projects every year. ORT schools and training centers operate in North and Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, as well as Israel, the CIS and Baltic States. As the largest region of ORT America, the Florida Region is composed of 5,500 ORTists. Our Florida ORTists include energetic retirees as well as young professionals with interests that range from diverse community involvement to a lifelong dedication to the educational mission of ORT, changing lives through education. ORT is the largest Jewish education non-profit in the world, and our supporters are defining generations of Jews globally. Gulf Beaches Chapter of ORT America is committed to the ORT legacy. On Thursday, April 23, join

our local ORTists for the “Just Desserts” series final presentation of the season – “The Nude in Art from Ancient to Modern: Modern Period,” by Baker Art Museum docent Dottie Magen. The event will take place in the David G. Willens Community Room at 1:00 p.m. The cost of $20 includes the lecture and refreshments. To reserve your spot, mail a check (payable to ORT America) to Marebe Crouse, 3200 Gulf Shore Blvd N., #401, Naples, FL 34103. In February, ORT Gulf Beaches was lucky. Arlene Levin, the author of My Cooking Journey, provided

delicious desserts for “Just Desserts.” And the unofficial nod for “Just Desserts Oscar 2015” goes to Peppermint Marble Cheesecake.

Photo by Arlene Levin of her Peppermint Marble Cheesecake

ORT America (Organization for Rehabilitation through Training) Did you know that: ¡ ORT supports 300,000 students annually in 56 countries by providing technical education that emphasizes employable skills? ¡ ORT’s most famous (and least publicized) mission was to educate Holocaust victims in DP camps so they were able to move on with their lives? ¡ ORT America has four college campuses in the U.S., including two in New York, one in Chicago and one in Los Angeles, that serve the most vulnerable communities? ¡ ORT America is active in Southwest Florida? Please attend Gulf Beaches Chapter events and support ORT’s educational mission. Help ORT raise funds to save lives through education. To join/renew/transfer, please contact ORT America Gulf Beaches Chapter President Marina Berkovich at 239.566.1771, or Membership Chair Marebe Crouse at 239.263.4959. Please visit www.ortamerica.org for a virtual ORT experience.

www.jhsswf.org / 239-566-1771

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SWFL

Southwest Florida Jewish Pioneers: Elena Rosner By Marina Berkovich, President and Founder

hen Elena Spizzichino walked in the shadows of Nazi-infested Rome, hearing and seeing Americans from afar, and waiting for Americans to liberate her country, little did she know that several decades later she would play an anchoring role in Marco Island’s Jewish history. A young girl from a Jewish family from Pisa, Italy, together with her parents and siblings, Elena fled to Rome as the war circled around them. Hardships ensued as the Nazi occupiers narrowed their demands on the Jewish community of Rome. Among various lessons, Elena’s family’s day-by-day survival taught Elena to seize opportunities immediately. Elena moved to America in 1946 and never forgot her own ordeal and the family members she lost. It was late 1982, when Elena Rosner, by then a Realtor, got hold of the Marco Island development map. “There were several spots marked for churches. The developer was giving them away,”



Elena said during the oral visual history interview last month. So Elena called the company, got a friendly person on the phone and secured a plot for a temple. She negotiated the terms and then followed through to ensure they were met by a small group of Marco Jews, who met in her home to discuss details such as who will lead services and serve as president. Elena became the first vice-president. Most Jews at that time were not willing to “come out”

Marina Berkovich and Elena Rosner

Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida Membership Form

Please send your check (payable to JHSSWF) and this form to: Jewish Historical Society of SWFL 899 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 116 Naples, FL 34108 Phone: 239.566.1771 Email: jhsswf@gmail.com Online: www.JHSSWF.org

yet, but Elena and her friend, Marjorie, placed an ad in the local paper and a dozen or so people answered. “I am not a leader. I did nothing,” Elena insisted. “I was just at the right place at the right time, and connected the dots.” The plot that Elena secured is the land upon which the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island was built and has served the community since, offering a full spectrum of religious and cultural programs. Now in her early nineties, full of knowledge, vigor, plans and wisdom, Elena recently moved to the Miami area to be nearer her family. Understating her role to a minimum, Elena is modest and unassuming. Nonetheless, that was her carpe diem moment in the Jewish life of Marco Island. She spent over

three decades as a Marco resident and will forever be honored and remembered as its Jewish Pioneer. In every individual’s journey there are moments that affect the rest of the community. If you know of any Jewish resident in Southwest Florida whose story could be important, please contact us. If you missed the January screening of the educational documentary film Southwest Florida Jewish Pioneers: Helen Weinfeld, the film will be shown at the Jewish Federation of Collier County’s David G. Willens Community Room on Wednesday, April 22 at 11:00 a.m. To reserve your spot, please contact me at 239.566.1771 or jhsswf@gmail. com. For more information about the Society, visit www.JHSSWF.org. The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida, Inc. is a Section 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Membership Application 2015 Membership Level:

r Student - $9 r Individual - $36

r Family - $54 r Sponsor - $162

Name(s): _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Company (if applicable): _________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________ City: _____________________________ State: _____ Zip Code ____________ Florida home phone:____________________________________________ Cell phone: ___________________________________________________ Email: _________________________________________________________

The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida, Inc. is a Section 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

April 2015 Federation Star

ORGANIZATIONS NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN

239-353-5963 / 239-354-9117

National Council of Jewish Women update By Linda Wainick, co-President

e were honored to have Judge Lauren Brodie as our guest at our February meeting. Judge Brodie moved to Naples in 1988 when the Jewish community was very small. She was the second Jewish judge to be appointed out of 50 appointments. She explained that an attorney can become a judge by election or appointment. She has served as a county court judge, then a circuit court judge, and then as a mediator. She has been back in the criminal system for the past eight months. There are five counties in one circuit – Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, Glades. The county court – “the people’s court – includes misdemeanors, traffic tickets, small claims.

Circuit court includes civil, felony, criminal, family and juvenile. Civil involves a lot of paperwork and preparation for a variety of cases. Working with children and families is challenging and requires an understanding of family dynamics. She has had high-profile cases, and those with and without a jury. Our thanks to Judge Brodie for an insightful, fascinating presentation. Please join us for our closing luncheon on Tuesday, April 21 at 11:30 a.m. at the Vineyards Country Club. We will be honoring our Life Members, RCMA, JFCS, and Naples Envelope & Printing Co. Your check ($25 members, $28 nonmembers) may be sent to Muriel Hurwich, 11030 Gulfshore Drive, Naples FL 34108, or Carolyn Greenberg, 6095

JEWISH WOMEN INTERNATIONAL

Manchester Place, Naples, FL 34110. NCJW National NCJW noted that February is Jewish Disability Awareness month, intended to help the Jewish community intensify its ongoing efforts to include persons with disabilities fully in Jewish communal life. That means that our social agencies embrace persons with disabilities with suitable programs and assistance, that our schools accommodate children with disabilities, including learning disabilities, and that our places of worship are welcoming, inclusive and accessible. International Agunot Day is observed by NCJW each year at Purim. Thousands of Jewish women around the world are being denied the basic right of a divorce by a system of Jewish Law

that only allows a husband to initiate divorce proceedings. In Israel, because of the absence of religion and state, there is only the Halachic (Jewish legal) option available to couples seeking marriage or divorce. Moreover, any woman who desires a Jewish divorce (a get) and is denied one by her husband, is given the status of Agunah, and lacks any civil legal recourse. NCJW sees the withholding of a Jewish divorce as a serious violation of a woman’s freedom. The deprivation of the choice to liberate oneself from a marriage is an affront to individual rights. Just as Queen Esther did so long ago, we seek the right of all Jews to live free from oppression.

www.jwi.org / 239-498-2778

Help JWI send hope, love and ﬂowers to shelters this Mother’s Day Millie Sernovitz JWI Past International President

any women living in domestic violence shelters have never received flowers given with love. This year like every year, Jewish Women International (JWI), through its Mother’s Day Flower Project, will be sending two dozen roses and a basket of OPI beauty products to more than 200 shelters across the country – letting the women and children know that they are not forgotten. JWI receives truly moving comments from shelters after the flowers are received. In some cases the shelters allow the children to select bottles of nail polish and hand cream to give to their mothers as gifts they would otherwise not be able to give.

This project is made possible through partnerships with OPI and ProFlowers and thousands of people across the country making donations. New this year, JWI is including financial literacy materials with the roses and baskets for use in the shelters. Also this year, donors who are also supporters of the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism (WLCJ) and Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) can ask for JWI to include notices with the Mother’s Day cards letting the recipients know the project is in partnership with the sisterhoods. With each $25 donation, JWI sends a card to a special woman and lets her know that a gift has been made in her honor for Mother’s Day. Here is how it works: ¡ You choose an amazing woman in your life – mother, grandmother, sister, wife, daughter, aunt, special friend – to receive a Mother’s Day card ¡ You make a meaningful $25 dona-

HUMANISTIC JEWISH HAVURAH

tion to JWI in honor of this special person ¡ JWI sends a beautiful card to your designated recipient stating that a charitable contribution has been made in her honor ¡ JWI sends bouquets of beautiful flowers and beauty products to domestic violence shelters The project is an opportunity for JWI to raise awareness about domestic abuse while delivering compassion and support to women forced to live in domestic violence shelters. Contributions to JWI’s Mother’s Day Flower Project can be made by going online at www.jwi.org/fp or by calling 800.343.2823. Please email Sari Weintraub at sweintraub@jwi.org if you are interested in helping JWI spread the word about the Mother’s Day Flower Project. To learn more about the JWI’s

Mother’s Day Flower Project or other JWI endeavors locally and nationally, please contact Millie Sernovitz at 239.498.2778 or millie@sernovitz.com. Also, please visit the JWI website at www.jwi.org or its companion website for Jewish Woman magazine at www. jwmag.org.

www.humanisticjewishhavurahswfl.org / 239-398-3935

This month Humanistic Jews celebrate Passover and commemorate Yom HaShoah

Paula Creed President

he Humanistic Jewish Havurah of Southwest Florida will celebrate Passover on Tuesday, April 7 at 5:30 p.m. with a Seder at the Bonita Bay Club, 26660 Club Drive, Bonita Springs. While the dinner ($70 per person) will consist of the traditional foods of Passover, the reading of our Humanistic Haggadah before the meal will be a special treat. The deadline for reservations is March 30. For a reservation form, visit www.humanisticjewishhavurahswfl.org or call Dena Sklaroff at 239.591.0101. Passover is a time to celebrate the modern, as well as the ancient quest for freedom. We welcome you to join us for a truly meaningful celebration of this popular holiday. ***

In commemoration of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), a very special program is planned for 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 19 in the David G. Willens Community Room of the Jewish Federation of Collier County. Amy Snyder, Executive Director of the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of SWFL, will present the video Testimony to Truth, part of the Oral Visual History Project of the Museum, called “We Testify.” Southwest Florida residents who experienced the Holocaust during World War II are profiled in this production. The film features Abe Price, a survivor from Poland; Ann Jacobson, a survivor and refugee from Austria; Lorie Mayer, a German victim of the Nazi regime and refugee; Anneliese Salamon, a survivor from Czechoslovakia; Hella Wartski, a survivor from Hungary; and Peter Thomas, an American soldier who participated with his unit in the liberation of the Nordhausen camp. This meeting is bound to be popular, but in order to comply with fire department regulations, space is limited.

Reservations are a MUST, and can be made by contacting Dena Sklaroff at denas27@aol.com or 239.591.0101. Yom HaShoah commemorates the systematic murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II and the destruction of their culture. Secular Humanistic Jews observe the Holocaust on April 19, the date of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, one of the most dramatic examples of Jewish resistance. A band of several thousand Jews, unwilling to passively accept deportation and extermination, fought back for weeks in the face of certain death. Their martyrdom was an act of heroic defiance. The murder of six million European Jews during the Second World War was the most devastating assault ever experienced by the Jewish people. The founder of Humanistic Judaism, Rabbi Sherwin Wine, in his book A Provocative People, wrote, “The Second World War transformed Jewry even more than the ancient destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. There have been many genocides in human history, but none

as systematic and ruthless as the Nazi extermination of the Jews. The Nazis solved the ‘Jewish problem’ of the nations they conquered. The Jews as a provocative minority ceased to exist in most of Eastern Europe. Their presence and their culture fell through the floor of history.” For secular Humanistic Jews the concept that the Jewish people is a “Chosen People,” giving witness to the existence and power of a just and loving God, is difficult to sustain in the face of the Holocaust. On the contrary, the Holocaust serves a witness to the absence of a just and loving providence governing the affairs of humanity. There are physical laws of nature. But they are indifferent to the welfare of men and women. In the end, the only power available to resist human cruelty is human power. The most appropriate response to the Holocaust is to intensify the quest for human dignity, which can provide meaning and order in a chaotic, uncaring universe.

Federation Star April 2015

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

April 2015 – 5775Get the Service you Deserve SUNDAY

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY 4 PASSOVER

1:00pm JCMI Bridge 1:30pm JCRC Mtg 4:30pm BT Youth Ed Program 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 5:00pm TS Hebrew School 8:00pm BT Adult Ed

11:00am JCMI Mah Jongg

11:30am ORT Board Mtg 6:00pm JCMI Seder 6:00pm BT Seder/Services 6:30pm CHA Services 6:30pm TS Shir Shabbat 7:00pm CHA Seder 7:30pm NJC Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

8:30am TS Torah Talk 9:30am BT Services 9:30am JCMI Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services 6:00pm TS Seder

5 PASSOVER

10 PASSOVER

11 PASSOVER

9:00am BT Religious School

10:00am NCJW Board Mtg 1:30pm HDH Board Mtg 5:30pm JCMI Bingo

10:00am TS-S Board Mtg 12:15pm BT Torah Study 1:00pm JCMI Duplicate Bridge 1:30pm CJD Steering Cmte 4:00pm JFCC Exec Cmte 5:30pm HJH Seder

1:00pm JCMI Bridge 4:30pm BT Youth Ed Program 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 5:00pm TS Hebrew School

11:00am JCMI Mah Jongg 1:00pm NJC Board Mtg 3:00pm HM Exec Cmte Mtg

10:00am TS Services 6:00pm TS Services on Beach 6:15pm BT Services-Yizkor 6:30pm CHA Services 7:30pm NJC Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

9:30am BT Services 9:30am JCMI Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services

16 Yom HaShoah

9:00am BT Religious School 9:30am TS Sunday School 10:30am NJC Adult Ed 2:00pm HJH Comm Mtg

10:30am JFCS Naples Jewish 10:00am Jewish Genealogy Caring Support Group 11:30am JCMI-S Lunch Mtg 5:30pm JCMI Bingo 12:15pm BT Torah Study 1:00pm JCMI Duplicate Bridge 6:00pm TS Sr Study

11:00am CHA Women’s Circle 11:00am JCMI Mah Jongg 12:00pm NJC Men’s Mtg 1:30pm TS-S Book Bag 4:00pm BT Board Mtg 5:30pm TS Rosh Chodesh 7:00pm HDH Evening Group 7:00pm TS Exec Cmte Mtg

11:30am JFCC Women’s Div Luncheon 6:15pm BT Services 7:30pm CHA Services 7:30pm NJC Services 7:30pm TS Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

9:30am BT Services 9:30am JCMI Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services

9:30am HJH Board Mtg 1:00pm JCMI Bridge 4:30pm BT Youth Ed Program 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 5:00pm TS Hebrew School 5:00pm Yom HaShoah Comm 8:00pm BT Adult Ed

22 Yom HaZikaron 23 Yom HaAatzmaut 24

8:00am BBYO 12:00pm NJC-S Book Club 9:00am BT Religious School 1:00pm HDH Study Group 9:30am JWV Meeting 5:30pm JCMI Bingo 9:30am TS Sunday School 10:00am BT Rosh Chodesh 3:00pm PFLAG Interfaith Conv 4:30pm HM GenShoah

10:30am NCJW Luncheon Mtg 12:15pm BT Torah Study 1:00pm JCMI Duplicate Bridge 7:00pm TS Board Mtg 7:30pm JFCC Annual Meeting

11:30am HDH Knowl & Nosh 1:00pm JCMI Bridge 4:30pm BT Youth Ed Program 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 5:00pm TS Hebrew School 6:00pm BT Israel Night

11:00am JCMI Mah Jongg 7:00pm JCMI Board Mtg

9:00am BT Religious School 9:30am TS Sunday School 10:00am TS Annual Meeting 10:30am NJC Adult Ed

10:30am JFCS Naples Jewish Caring Support Group 5:30pm JCMI Bingo 7:30pm BT Book Group

1:00pm JCMI Bridge 12:15pm BT Torah Study 1:00pm JCMI Duplicate Bridge 4:30pm BT Youth Ed Program 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 7:00pm TS Board Mtg 5:00pm TS Hebrew School

6:00pm NJC Pot Luck Supper 6:15pm BT Services 7:30pm CHA Services 7:30pm NJC Services 7:30pm TS Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

9:30am BT Services 9:30am JCMI Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services

Candle lighting times:

11:00am JCMI Mah Jongg 3:00pm HM Board Mtg

April 3: 7:27 April 10: 7:30 April 17: 7:34 April 24: 7:37

Throughout the year, some holidays fall within the normal work week. The Federation office will be closed in observance of those holidays which are listed in all CAPITAL LETTERS.

Key: • AJC: American Jewish Committee • ATS: American Technion Society • BT: Beth Tikvah • CHA: Chabad Jewish Center of Naples • CHA-M: Chabad Men’s Club • CJD: Catholic/Jewish Dialogue • HDH: Hadassah • HJH: Humanistic Jewish Havurah • HM: Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida • JCMI: Jewish Congregation of Marco Island

Federation Star Publication Policy The Federation Star is a subsidized arm of the Jewish Federation of Collier County (JFCC). Its purpose and function is to publicize the activities and programs of the “Federation,” and to publicize the ongoing activities of the established and recognized Jewish organizations within Collier County. The mission of the JFCC is to reach out and unite all Jews of the greater Collier County area. While offering opinions and points of view do, and will continue to, exist about many issues of importance to Jews, the Federation Star will confine itself to publishing ONLY items that report the facts of actual events of concern to Jews and will only offer commentary that clearly intends to unite all Jews in a common purpose or purposes. Critical or derogatory comments directed at individuals or organizations will NOT be published in the Federation Star.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO HELP MAKE THE FEDERATION STAR POSSIBLE. Be sure to mention you saw their ad in the Federation Star.

• JCMI-M: JCMI Men’s Club • JCMI-S: JCMI Sisterhood • JCRC: Jewish Community Relations Council • JFCC: Jewish Federation of Collier County • JFCS: Jewish Family & Community Services • JNF: Jewish National Fund • JWV: Jewish War Veterans • MCA: Men’s Cultural Alliance • MDA: Magen David Adom • NCJW: National Council of Jewish Women (Adopted by the Ofﬁcers and Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federation of Collier County 1/98) To avoid misunderstandings, controversies and destructive divisions among our people, the Officers and Board of Trustees of the “Federation” have adopted the following publication policy: Advertisements: All advertisements, regardless of their sponsor, shall be paid for in full, at the established rates, prior to publication. The contents of all advertisements shall be subject to review and approval of the Federation Board or its designee. Commercial advertisers may make credit arrangements with the advertising manager, subject to the approval of the Federation Board. Regular Columns: Regular columns shall be accepted only from leaders (Rabbis, Presidents, Chairpersons) of established and recognized Jewish organizations within Collier County and the designated Chairpersons of the regular committees of the Jewish Federation of Collier County.

Create a Jewish Legacy I give, devise and bequeath… Create a legacy to benefit the Jewish Federation of Collier County and our overall Jewish community in your will or trust. Call 239.263.4205. "I did not find the world desolate when I entered it. And as my parents planted for me before I was born, so do I plant for those who will come after me." -The Talmud

• NJC: Naples Jewish Congregation • NJC-M: Naples Jewish Congregation Men’s Club • NJC-S: Naples Jewish Congregation Sisterhood • NJSC: Naples Jewish Social Club • ORT: Organization for Rehabilitation/Training • TS: Temple Shalom • TS-M: Temple Shalom Men’s Club • TS-S: Temple Shalom Sisterhood • WCA: Women’s Cultural Alliance • ZOA: Zionist Organization of America

Special Announcements: Special announcements shall be accepted from established Jewish organizations within Collier County and may, at the discretion of the Federation Board, be subject to the conditions applicable to paid advertisements, as set forth above. News Items: Only those news items pertaining to matters of general interest to the broadest cross-section of the Jewish Community will be accepted for publication. Note: Items of controversial opinions and points of view, about political issues, will not be accepted for publication without prior approval of a majority of the Federation Officers and Trustees. All persons and organizations objecting to the actions and rulings of the Editor or Publications Committee Chairman shall have the right to appeal those rulings to the Officers and Board of Trustees of the JFCC.

April 2015 Federation Star

COMMUNITY DIRECTORY TEMPLE SHALOM OF NAPLES (Reform) 4630 Pine Ridge Road, Naples, FL 34119 Phone: 455-3030  Fax: 455-4361 Email: info@naplestemple.org www.naplestemple.org Rabbi Adam Miller Cantor Donna Azu James H. Perman, D.D., Rabbi Emeritus Neil Shnider, President Caren Plotkin, Religious School Dir. Seyla Cohen, Preschool Director Peter Lewis, Organist/Choir Director

JEWISH CONGREGATION OF MARCO ISLAND

NAPLES JEWISH CONGREGATION

BETH TIKVAH

(Reform)

(Conservative)

991 Winterberry Drive Marco Island, FL 34145 Phone: 642-0800  Fax: 642-1031 Email: mgr.jcmioffice@embarqmail.com Website: www.marcojcmi.com

Services are held at: The Unitarian Congregation 6340 Napa Woods Way Rabbi Sylvin Wolf Ph.D, DD 431-3858 Email: rabbi@naplesjewishcongregation.org www.naplesjewishcongregation.org

1459 Pine Ridge Road Naples, FL 34109

Rabbi Edward M. Maline, DD Hari Jacobsen, Cantorial Soloist Sue Baum, President Shabbat Services Friday 8:00 p.m. Torah Study and Saturday Services

Shabbat Services: Shabbat Eve - Friday 7:30 p.m. Shabbat - Saturday 10:00 a.m.

CHABAD NAPLES JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER serving Naples and Marco Island 1789 Mandarin Road, Naples, FL 34102 Phone: 262-4474 Email: info@chabadnaples.com Website: www.chabadnaples.com Rabbi Fishel Zaklos Dr. Arthur Seigel, President Ettie Zaklos, Education Director Shabbat Services Shabbat - Saturday 10am • Camp Gan Israel • Hebrew School • Preschool of the Arts • Jewish Women’s Circle • Adult Education • Bat Mitzvah Club • Friendship Circle • Smile on Seniors • Flying Challah • Kosher food delivery

The Federation Star is published monthly, September through July, by the Jewish Federation of Collier County. 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road Suite 2201 Naples, FL 34109-0613 Phone: 239-263-4205 Fax: 239-263-3813 E-mail: info@jewishnaples.org Website: www.jewishnaples.org Volume 24, No. 8 April 2015 32 pages USPS Permit No. 419 Publisher: Jewish Federation of Collier County Editor: Ted Epstein, 239-249-0699 fedstar18@gmail.com Design: Federation Media Group, Inc. Advertising: Ted Epstein 239-249-0699 May Issue Deadlines: Editorial: April 1 Advertising: April 7 Send news stories to: fedstar18@gmail.com

(just west of Mission Square Plaza)

Phone: 434-1818 Email: bethtikvahnaples@aol.com Website: www.bethtikvahnaples.org

Suzanne Paley, President Jane Galler, Cantorial Soloist

Rabbi Ammos Chorny Phil Jason, President Sue Hammerman, Secretary

Shabbat Services Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m. May - August: services once a month

Shabbat Services Friday evenings at 6:15 p.m. Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m.

Sisterhood • Men’s Club Adult Education • Adult Choir Social Action • Community Events

Youth Education Adult Education Community Events

Sisterhood • Men’s Club Brownstein Judaica Gift Shop

Sisterhood • Men’s Club • Adult Education Havurot • Youth Groups • Religious School Judaic Library • Hebrew School • Pre-School Adult Choir • Social Action • Outreach Naples’ only Judaica Shop

Step up to the Plate On this Passover… make a gift that unites our heritage and our hopes for a bright and secure future.

Jewish Organizations to Serve You in Collier County (All area codes are 239 unless otherwise noted.)

Jewish Federation of Collier County Phone: 263-4205  Fax: 263-3813 Website: www.jewishnaples.org Email: info@jewishnaples.org • Federation Board Chair: Alvin Becker • Federation President/CEO: Jeffrey Feld

American Technion Society • Chapter Dir: Jennifer Singer, 941-378-1500

Your gift can make a world of difference in the lives of many.

Collier-Lee Chapter of Hadassah • President: Lynn Weiner, 598-1009

Friends of the IDF

The Jewish Federation Annual Campaign is a grassroots enterprise designed to strengthen and support our Jewish community from the ground up. It is America’s most trusted name in charitable giving.

• Exec. Dir.: Dina Ben Ari, 305-354-8233

Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida • President: Joshua Bialek, 263-9200

Humanistic Jewish Havurah of Southwest Florida • Paula Creed, 495-8484

For information, call Jeffrey Feld, Federation President/CEO, at 239.263.4205.

Please note our email addresses: Jeffrey Feld, Federation President/CEO – jfeld@jewishnaples.org Jill Saravis, Community Program Coord. – jill@jewishnaples.org Iris Doenias, Administrative Assistant – iris@jewishnaples.org Deborah Vacca, Bookkeeper – deborah@jewishnaples.org General information requests – info@jewishnaples.org Federation Star advertising – jacqui1818@gmail.com Ted Epstein, Editor, Federation Star – fedstar18@gmail.com

Israel Bonds • Reva Pearlstein, 800-622-8017 • Tyler Korn, 354-4300

Jewish Family and Community Services of Southwest Florida Phone: 325-4444 • Chairperson: Richard A. Goldblatt • President/CEO: Dr. Jaclynn Faffer

Jewish National Fund • West/Central FL Office, 800-211-1502 Uri ext 8910, Beth ext 8911

Jewish War Veterans Post 202,Collier Co. Chapter • Commander, Gil Block, 304-5953 • Senior Vice Commander, M/Gen. Bernard L. Weiss, USAF Ret. 594-7772

Men’s Cultural Alliance

Like us on Facebook!

CONNECT with your Jewish Community

www.facebook.com/ facebook.com/jfedsrq JewishFederationofCollierCounty

• President: Steve Brazina, 325-8694

Naples Friends of American Magen David Adom (MDA) • SE Reg Dir: Joel Silberman, 954-457-9766

National Council of Jewish Women • Co-President: Bobbie Katz, 353-5963 • Co-President: Linda Wainick, 354-9117

ORT - Gulf Beaches Chapter • President: Marina Berkovich, 566-1771

Women’s Cultural Alliance • President: Elaine Soffer, 431-7905

Federation membership

According to the By-Laws of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, members are those individuals who make an annual gift of $36 or more to the Annual Federation Campaign in our community. For more information, call the Federation office at 239.263.4205.

Federation Star April 2015

Have a joyous Passover. And share what it means to you. #PassoverPublix