Federation Star - November 2015 by Jewish Federation of Collier County

presented by

Tickets are on sale now!

See the 4-page pullout in section B of this issue for a complete schedule of events, venue locations, author bios, book synopses, ticket packages and an order form.

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:

4A 5A 8A 13A 13A 14A 16A 20A 22A 26A 27A 30A 31A 1B 5B

Women’s Cultural Alliance Men’s Cultural Alliance Community Focus Tributes Business Directory Focus on Youth Jewish Interest Israel & the Jewish World Commentary Synagogues Organizations Community Calendar Community Directory Arts & Culture Jewish Book Festival

7A Campaigners’ Mission: Israel - part 3

10A Jewish Russian Cultural Alliance (JRCA) update

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November 2015 - Heshvan/Kislev 5776

Featured presenter at Evy Lipp People of the Book Cultural Event By Carole J Greene

t takes a highly-skilled writer to create a biography of a famous rabbi who was for much of his life a recluse. How do you research a revered man who never traveled outside of his home area of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, had no personal confidants, and almost never commented on his own thoughts or feelings? But write Rebbe, Joseph Telushkin did, and if bestseller lists are any determiner, he has demonstrated the skills to ferret out the facts of the famous Lubavitcher rabbi’s life. The subtitle of his newest book, published in 2014, provides a hint of what Telushkin might talk about when he is our Evy Lipp People of the Book presenter on Wednesday, February 17: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Inﬂuential Rabbi in Modern History. This is a free cultural event presented by the Jewish Federation of Collier County for its members. What made the rebbe so influential was his devotion to his ChabadLubavitcher movement, molding it into one of the “most dynamic organizations ever seen in the Jewish world,” commented author Dennis Prager. “At once an incisive work of history and a com-

Israeli technologies about to transform your home

pendium of Rabbi Schneerson’s teachings,” Prager goes on to say, “Rebbe is the definitive guide to understanding one of the most vital, intriguing figures of the last centuries.” Rebbe Schneerson, who died in 1994, codified the Chabad practice initiated by his father-in-law, his predecessor as leader of the Lubavitcher movement, of sending out emissaries to persuade Jews to become more observant. One comprehends the success of these emissaries when one realizes that in some isolated areas and even in some countries, there is but one rabbi and he was sent by Chabad. These modern spreaders of their brand of Judaism – according to “Why Rabbi Schneerson Was Good for Jews but Bad for Biographers,” a book review in the Forward – have fanned out around the world to do missionary work among lapsed Jews or in areas where little remains of organized Jewish life. Their schools, camps, adult education and Shabbat dinners have reinvigorated Jew-

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin (by Stephen Friedgood)

ish life where it had been left for dead. Some followers believed Schneerson to be the Messiah, but Telushkin discounts that idea and exonerates Schneerson from supporting that view. Still, 20 years after his death, the controversy lives on. Talk magazine heralded Telushkin as one of the top 50 speakers in the nation. Controversial subject matter delivered by a top-rated speaker is sure to draw a full house to Temple Shalom for the February 17, Evy Lipp People of the Book presentation. Be sure to complete and return the registration form the minute you spy it in this issue of the Federation Star.

See page 11B for the reservation form for the 2016 Evy Lipp People of the Book Cultural Event.

What’s in a name?

15A

20A

Vol. 25 #3

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin to speak February 17

Jeffrey Feld

Naples BBYO teens make a difference

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Federation President/ CEO

name identifies a person, place or thing. The Jewish Federation of Collier County is a great name! We actually use a variety of names for different purposes. Each year, our Federation hosts a community campaign event. We have determined that it is important for this event to have a proper name. Beginning with Campaign 2016, this annual event will be known as the

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

“POWER OF COMMUNITY CELEBRATION.” You will all be invited to attend the POWER OF COMMUNITY CELEBRATION, which will be held on Saturday evening, January 16, 2016, at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples. This event will kick off Campaign 2016. We want to celebrate the “power of our community.” Our power is our ability to help support the Jewish congregations, agencies, organizations and others, here in Collier County, as well as to provide support for Jews in need in Israel and around the world. Our power is that we care about making our Jewish community, locally and globally, vital, vibrant and secure. Our power is that we come together to work in the best interest of securing our Jewish future.

Because of you, we are able to celebrate the power of our community. We have been taught that it is essential to have a good name. By that, we generally think of a good name meaning a good reputation. The Jewish Federation of Collier County has a good name! We are known for doing good things to help others. In that respect, we have a great reputation. More than just words, statistically speaking, we have earned a good reputation. An independent audit of our financial statements was recently completed. I am pleased and proud to tell you that we received an “unqualified/ clean” audit. It means that our numbers show that we really do what we say we are endeavoring to accomplish.

continued on page 3A

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Federation Star November 2015

JEWISH FEDERATION

Renee’s community program & events corner Renee’ Bialek

Community Program Coordinator

ackgammon, Book Club, Chess Club, Board Games, Puzzles, Building Time, Bingo, Jewish Professionals group, Tea Time, Koffee Kvell, and more! See below for many new and exciting programs for the Jewish Community. These programs are for ALL ages. Read the Federation’s Monday eblasts to get weekly updates on new programs that are being added. The events and programs listed in this column require an RSVP to rbialek@ jewishnaples.org. November 2015: Saturday, November 7: Martin Goldsmith book signing event at Beth Tikvah at 7:30 p.m. Martin Goldsmith will give

a presentation on his book The Inextinguishable Symphony: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany. After his presentation and a Q&A, Mr. Goldsmith will sign copies of this book and Alex’s Wake: A Voyage of Betrayal and a Journey of Remembrance. Books will be available for purchase for cash or check. RSVP by November 4 and let me know if you plan on purchasing a book or two. Sunday, November 8: A special Kristallnacht Commemoration at 2:30 p.m. at St. William Catholic Church, 601 Seagate Drive, Naples. All are welcome to attend this free program commemorating “The Night of Broken Glass.” Thursday, November 12: Come play backgammon at the Jewish Federation of Collier County from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. If you know how to play and have a board, please bring it. If you want to learn how to play, contact Dena Robbins for lessons at denarobbins@comcast. net. Free event. Maximum of 12 people.

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The Catholic-Jewish Dialogue Of Collier County Presents a Commemoration of the th

77 Anniversary of Kristallnacht “The Night of Broken Glass” Sunday, November 8 2:30 PM St. William Catholic Church 601 Seagate Drive, Naples Keynote Speaker: Martin Goldsmith “Alex’s Wake, My Family’s Saga” Sponsored by: Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Collier County Diocese of Venice in Florida Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida

RSVP by November 10. Sunday, November 15: Backgammon from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. RSVP by November 10. Sunday, November 15: All are welcome to join us for Puzzle Challenge from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Who can put a puzzle together? Challenge your friends and family at this free event. You may bring a puzzle to share; there will also be puzzles available for you to put together. Maximum of 25 people. RSVP by November 10. Sunday, November 15: Chess Club from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Free event. Maximum of 20 people. RSVP by November 10. Sunday, November 15: Book Club Planning for Young Adult Readers and Adult Readers from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Come share your reading interests. RSVP by November 10. Tuesday, November 17: Jewish Professionals meet-and-greet at ROW Restaurant from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Maximum of 30 people and you must RSVP by November 4. Free to attend and free flatbreads will be served. Drinks (2 for 1) and food will be available for purchase. ROW Seafood Bar/Restaurant is located downstairs from the Jewish Federation office. Monday, November 23: Join us at the Jewish Federation for Tea Time from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Enjoy chamomile tea and its health benefits at the Jewish Federation. Tea sandwiches will be served. Free event. Maximum 10 people. RSVP by November 17. Monday, November 30: Join us for coffee and tea from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Koffee Kvell. Share your favorite book or current book you are reading. Free event. Maximum of 15 people. RSVP by November 24. December 2015: Thursday, December 3: Backgammon from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. RSVP by December 1. Thursday, December 3: Join me for story time from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. for The Christmas Menorahs discussion and an activity. Maximum of 15 people. RSVP by December 2. Sunday, December 6: Marco Island Chanukah Festival at 5:30 p.m. at the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island. Monday, December 7: Join us for the Community-wide Chanukah and Menorah Lighting Celebration at 5:45 p.m. at the Mercato. The Naples Klezmer Revival Band, the preschool children and the Religious School children will perform for us on this special night. Don’t miss the fun activities and exciting entertainment! Everyone is welcome to attend this free event. Thursday, December 10: Backgammon from 12:00 to 3:00 pm. RSVP by December 8.

Tuesday, December 15: Join us for coffee and tea from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Koffee Kvell. Let’s talk and catch up. Free event. Maximum of 15 people. RSVP by December 8. Thursday, December 17: Backgammon from 1:00-4:00 pm. RSVP by December 15. Monday, December 21: Building Time with Legos, hexabits, fish connectors and more, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Use your imagination and show us what you can build! This free event is open to all ages. Maximum of 25 people. RSVP by December 15. Tuesday, December 22: Chess and Board Games from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Let’s play a variety of board games. This free event is open to all ages. Maximum of 25 people. RSVP by December 15. Thursday, December 24: Backgammon from 1:00-4:00 pm. RSVP by December 22. Tuesday, December 29: Puzzles and Bingo Time for all ages from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Free event. Maximum of 25 people. RSVP by December 22. Wednesday, December 30: Mandala coloring, Sudoku and crossword puzzles for all ages from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Free event. Maximum of 25 people. RSVP by December 22. Wednesday, December 30: Read the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio, prior to this date. We will discuss this book and have activities about this New York Times bestseller. Free event from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. Maximum of 25 people. RSVP by December 22. Wednesday, December 30: Read the book The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, prior to this date. We will discuss this book and have activities about this popular book. Free event from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. Maximum of 25 people. RSVP by December 22. January 2016: Save these dates. More details to follow. Monday, January 18: Come march with us at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade. Email me to let me know you are interested. Wednesday, January 20: Naples Klezmer Revival Band Concert at South Regional Library at 6:00 p.m. Here are the steps you can take to ensure you get all the information on Jewish Federation of Collier County events:  Contact me at 239.263.4205 or rbialek@jewishnaples.org and ask me for an easy form to fill out  Find us online at jewishnaples.org. Renee’s Program and Events Corner is under the Major Events tab  Find us on Facebook and “like” us at “Jewish Federation of Collier County” I hope to see you soon!

This month’s advertisers 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. Beth Adelman, Realtor®......13A A. Stephen Kotler, Attorney.13A ArtsNaples..........................15B Dr. Gary Layton, DDS.........16A CallSaul-YourPersonalDriver.13A LTCi Marketplace...............13A Center for Performing Arts...3B Naples Envelope & Printing.13A CoolAir.................................2A Naples Jewish Cong............10A Chellie Doepke, Realtor®.......3A Naples Jewish Film Festival.16B Entertainment Direct.............6B Nash Insurance & Assoc.....17A Estero Fine Art Show............9A New Beginnings by Dodi....13A FGCU.................................19A Palm Royale Cemetery.........7A Fuller Funeral Home...........13A P.B.S. Photograhpy Studio..15A Dr. David Greene.................17A Preferred Travel..................23A Gulfcoast Foot & Ankle......18A Jamie Ross, Broker Associate®.13A Gulfshore Playhouse.............1B Senior Housing Solutions...13A Hadassah.............................13B Stage 62 Delicatessen..........17A HIAS..................................19A Temple Beth El.....................2B Hodges Funeral Home.........12A Temple Shalom.............11A,2B Jason’s Deli...........................6B Zen Aveda Salon...................3A Jewish Museum of FL-FIU.18A Zionist Org. of America......21A JNF.......................................7A Debbie Zvibleman, Realtor®.10A

JEWISH FEDERATION

Magic pill for happiness and longevity…found!

Alvin Becker

Federation Board Chair

e eaders of my previous messages u recall that I have maintained that l generosity, both volunteering yand charitable donations, is good for you, both physically and psychologically. Now, according to Terri Yablon.sky Stat of the Tribune Newspapers, countless studies confirm that position. According to those studies, the benefits of giving are significant: lower blood pressure, lower risk of dementia, yless anxiety and depresswion, reduced cardiovascular risk, and overall greater dhappiness. . According to one researcher, volunteering moves people into the present and distracts the mind from the stresses and problems of the self. Studies show that when people think about helping others, they activate a part of the brain .called the mesolimbic pathway, which doles out happiness chemicals, including dopamine, endorphins that block pain signals, and oxytocin, known as kthe tranquility hormone. k A 2010 study from UnitedHealthcare found that people who volunteer have .

less trouble sleeping, less anxiety, less helplessness and hopelessness, better friendships and social networks, and a sense of control over chronic conditions. Another study revealed that, among seniors, volunteering is likely to reduce the risk of dementia and is associated with reduced symptoms of depression, better self-reported health, fewer functional limitations, and lower mortality. Volunteering has even been shown to lower blood pressure. A Carnegie Mellon University study showed that adults over 50 who volunteered at least 200 hours in the past year (four hours a week) were 40 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure than nonvolunteers. Where to volunteer to derive its many health benefits? Look through this issue of the Federation Star. All of the agencies and organizations profiled and referenced here are in need of volunteers in order to carry out their important missions. Find one of interest and contact them with an offer to volunteer. Of course, the Jewish Federation of Collier County is dependent on volunteers to fulfill its wide-ranging mission and community goals. Contact the Federation’s office at 239.263.4205 to learn about its many volunteer opportunities. WANT TO FEEL BETTER… REALLY BETTER? VOLUNTEER NOW!

November 2015 Federation Star

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Making real estate dreams reality

Jeffrey Feld...continued from page 1A

According to the audit, 75% of all monies expensed by the Jewish Federation are used for Program Allocations/ Distribution and Program Services. 10% yis used for the management and general administration of the Federation. 15% is used for our fundraising endeavors. 75% of all monies are used to help our hJewish communal agencies, congrega.tions, organizations and community umembers in need, as well as to provide that kind of help in Israel and to Jews in sneed around the globe. Our being able to identify that 75% figure should make us all feel very proud of what we were able to accomplish. We recognize that nthe high percentage of funds expensed yfor end-user/program support puts the Jewish Federation of Collier County rin very good standing by any “charity watchdog.” Our Jewish Federation continues to work to be worthy of that .good name. The Federation has a number of r good names. Actually, we are revitaliz-

ing a particular name from the past. Mix & Mingle is beginning anew. This is a group for single Jewish men and women from the greater Naples area who are 50 and over. You will learn more about the group in this issue. Our Jewish Federation, our community, is committed to providing for Jewish continuity. Our first thought regarding continuity usually goes to youth. We do recognize, however, that it is important to engage members of all ages in order to make sure that we do have a vital, vibrant Jewish community. Our Jewish Federation has a great name. We do have a very good reputation. We should be very proud of all our accomplishments on behalf of our Jewish community. The power of our community is because of each of you. We need your continued help and generosity to continue to grow our community. I do hope that you will choose to join with us for our POWER OF COMMUNITY CELEBRATION.

s r

Camp Scholarships Beth Wolff, Scholarship Committee Chair

he Jewish Federation of Collier County has a proud tradition and responsibility of helping our Jewish youth with scholarships for various Jewish camps and programs available throughout the country and the world. One of our priorities is a focus on our youth, as they represent the future of our Jewish community. The forthcoming summer should be no different than last summer for our students. Again, qualifying students will have an opportunity to apply for partial scholarships through the Federation. If your child or a child you know is deserving of a scholarship and wants to have a rewarding Jewish summer experience, we urge you to submit an application. The deadlines for applications to reach the Federation ofﬁce are: December 1, 2015 for summer camps; February 1, 2016 for Israel experience programs. I know what you’re thinking – that’s early to consider what your child may be doing next summer. It’s really not. Most camps want you to give a deposit to a camp session by February of that year. And our committee needs time to evaluate all the applications that come in to the office.

The following is an excerpt of a letter written by one of our scholarship recipients, who attended the JCC Maccabi Games for Basketball one summer. He had a great time and your child can too. “My experience at the JCC Maccabi Games in Orange County was truly a tremendous opportunity. The magnitude of the games was incredible. As all of the Jewish athletes walked on the big stage at the opening ceremony, our faces lit up. We walked through the arch and realized the amazing journey ahead. Our journey included passionate competition and new friendships in a Jewish environment. The Games had officially begun.” If your child is thinking about camp, a leadership program, Birthright trip, March of the Living or other Jewish experience, start your research soon. Just do a search of “Jewish Summer Camps” and you will be surprised at what you can find. If your child is a BBYO member, check out www.bbyo. org for some options, too. You can always call the Federation office for guidance at 239.263.4205, or email me at winggy1@gmail.com for additional information. All requests are kept confidential.

The Israel Advocacy Committee of the Jewish Federation of Collier County And

Israel Bonds Invite You to a Brunch for Israel Featuring

Alon Ben David 'Israel's Strategic Challenges in the Middle East’ Drawing on twenty-five years of experience as a journalist

Sunday, November 1, 2015 · 11:00 AM The Club Pelican Bay 707 Gulf Park Drive Naples, FL Couvert: $25* per person with a minimum $36 Israel Bond Investment

OR $ 75* per person (*not tax deductible)

To RSVP or For More Information Contact: Monica DiGiovanni, Registered Representative tampa@israelbonds.com * 727.282.1124

Federation Star November 2015

JEWISH FEDERATION www.WomensCulturalAlliance.com / 215-820-6697

WOMEN’S CULTURAL ALLIANCE

Expand your horizons with WCA – it’s not just a bus trip! By Patti Boochever, WCA Trip Coordinator

iami, Sarasota, Delray Beach, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, Miami Beach. Is your interest piqued yet? As part of WCA’s diverse and interesting programing, WCA is planning bus trips to these and other places this season! Join us as we expand our horizons and discover Florida beyond the Naples area – new cultures, theater, history, world-class art, and the bounties of Florida agriculture. Of course, let’s not forget opportunities to eat, shop and make new friends along the way! Back by popular demand! In No-

vember, our first excursion will be a return to Festival Flea Market in Pompano Beach. Start the season with some new things for you and your home with a day at this shopping paradise of over 500 shops carrying fragrances, cosmetics, shoes, clothing, jewelry, home furnishings and gifts. After you’ve shopped ’til you drop and eaten at the international food court, you’ll be thrilled you don’t have to drive yourself home, but instead can relax and show off your deals on the WCA bus! In January and February, we’ll ex-

2015 WCA Welcome Back Luncheon Please Join Us for an Afternoon of Friendship and Inspiration with Carol Gardner Creator of Zelda Wisdom “How to Go from Top Dog to Underdog Without Barking Up the Wrong Tree” Thursday, November 19, 2015 11:00am to 2:00pm The Club Pelican Bay 707 Gulf Park Drive, Naples, FL 34108 Ten dollars of the luncheon couvert is a tax-deductible contribution to JFCS of Southwest Florida Complimentary valet parking Membership in WCA is required to attend

Carol Gardner is the mastermind behind Zelda Wisdom, Inc. She started her company with 24 greeting cards in the middle of her living room. Today, Zelda Wisdom products garner more than 50 million dollars a year in sales and can be found around the world. From OPRAH to Good Morning America, Zelda Wisdom is making a difference in people’s lives. Since starting Zelda Wisdom, Carol has inspired audiences with her success story and her advice for how to meet life’s challenges. Join us as Carol shares a little of her “Zelda Wisdom” and tells us how to turn our disadvantages to advantages. “At the core of Zelda Wisdom is humor and healing...Zelda and I started out as underdogs, but we are proof that you don’t have to be thin, rich, young or wrinkle-free to be successful. More importantly, you don’t have to be perfect.” ~ Carol Gardner

plore three culturally-diverse museums in three different cities. Did you know there is a State Museum of Florida? There is, and it’s in Sarasota! The Ringling is administered by Florida State University and features a historic mansion and theater along with a renowned art museum and circus museum. We’ll tour Ca’ d’Zan, John and Mable Ringling’s 36,000 square foot home, built in the 1920s, with 41 rooms and 15 bathrooms. After lunch, we’ll view the beautiful Bayfront Gardens and have a chance to explore the 31 galleries of the Museum of Art and the Circus Museum – the museum of The Greatest Show on Earth. There’s something for everyone at the Ringling Estate – a taste of Italy in Sarasota. Later in January we’ll learn about nearly 250 years of Jewish life in Florida. We’ll head over to Miami Beach and start with a Jewish Food Walking Tour in the SoFi (South of Fifth) neighborhood. We’ll learn the history of SoFi and the Jewish-owned restaurants there, past and present. Lunch will be a sampling of food from some of these restaurants. After our taste buds are sated, we’ll visit the Jewish Museum of Florida. Affiliated with Florida International University, the museum’s exhibits explore the richness and diversity of Jewish life in Florida. Our third cultural adventure will be to the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in February. Who knew that there was a century-old connection with Japan in Palm Beach County? Since its opening in Delray Beach in 1977, the Morikami has been a center for Japanese arts and culture in South Florida. We will experience authentic Japanese culture, cuisine, art and gardens in a beautiful setting. Also in February, we will provide transportation to the 53rd Annual Coconut Grove Art Festival in Miami. Always held over Presidents Day Weekend, Coconut Grove is one of the country’s top outdoor festivals of fine art showcasing over 380 artists. If you’ve never been, this is truly a chance to experience and perhaps purchase world-class art directly from the artists. If you’ve been before, not to worry!

Every year brings new artists from all over the world to exhibit their work across from Biscayne Bay. In addition, there is a smaller arts and crafts show of 150 artists next door at St. Stephen’s. After browsing, buying, and eating at one of the festival food vendors or nearby eateries, we will rendezvous for the ride back to the west coast. In March, we will discover some of the bounties of Florida agriculture. We will visit an orange grove and tour the processing plant. We will also visit a winery (NAPA South?) and sip some samples with our friends. Do you love Broadway? How about Irving Berlin? Our excursions this season will end in April with a tour of the Costume Museum in Boca Raton, the site of a most unusual collection of original costumes from over 35 Broadway productions and revivals. After our tour, we will enjoy lunch and attend a matinee performance at the Wick Theater of I Love a Piano – a celebration of the music and lyrics of Irving Berlin. The show features over 60 of Berlin’s songs while following the story of a piano as it moves in and out of American lives for over a century. WCA members really enjoy our trips! One member commented, “Without these trips, I never would have known about the interesting places within driving distance of our slice of paradise near Naples.” Another said, that she “enjoyed talking to new people on the bus, people that often became new friends by the end of the trip!” Please join us on one of our excursions this season and share these adventures with the wonderful community of women that is WCA. Registration information for these trips, including dates and costs, will be in the WCA weekly email blasts. If you are not already a member, join today so that you can take advantage of all the wonderful programming available to our members. Joining is easy. Simply fill out the membership form below. Or check out at www.WomensCulturalAlliance. com for information about membership benefits and other wonderful programs available for WCA members. Hope to see you see soon!

Women’s Cultural Alliance 2015-2016 Membership Form

Our membership year runs from September 1, 2015 to August 31, 2016. (Dues for members who joined after March 1 of this Season will also cover the 2015-2016 Season.) This form is for payment by check only. If you wish to pay by credit card, visit www.womensculturalalliance.com and follow the prompts. PLEASE fill out this form completely, PRINTING clearly. Please check: New____ Renewal____ There is NO CHANGE to my contact info from last year______

Men's Cultural Alliance of Collier County Men's Cultural Alliance of CollierForm County 2015-2016 Membership

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

Please check one: New Please check one: ☐NewRenewal ☐☐ ☐ Renewal

Name__________________________________________ Spouse/Partner Name__________________

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

Name: Name: Spouse or Partner Name, if applicable: FL Street Address_____________________________________________________________________ Spouse or Partner Name, if applicable: Local Address: FL City______________________________________________State____________ Zip_____________ City: State: Local Address: Community in which you live_____________________________________________________________ Email (very important): City: State: Florida phone: Cell or alternate phone: FL Phone_________________________________ Cell _______________________________________ Email (very important): Northern Address: Northern Street Address and City _________________________________________________________ City: State:phone: Zip: Florida phone: Cell or alternate

Email (print clearly!)___________________________________________________________________

Zip:

Northern State/Province _________ Zip__________ Northern Phone____________________________

In Southwest Florida: full-time ☐ part-time ☐ (from to ) Northern Address: Membership fee: $56 (US Funds only, Minimum for the year; includes Federation membership.) City: State: Zip: NAME BADGES

In FL: Full Time______ Part Time______ (from ___________________ to _______________________) Membership Fee: $90.00 (US Funds only) Dues include a $36 donation to Federation

$ 90.00

badgefull-time will be issued you at no charge you are a NEW member. In SouthwestA name Florida: to ☐to part-time ☐if(from

)

I want a replacement name badge: Yes ☐ No ☐ Fee: $8. If you checked yes, submit a total fee is $64. Namefee: as you want(US it toFunds appear on the name badge Membership $56 only, Minimum for the year; includes Federation membe Total Enclosed $_______________________ Additional donation to the Federation is voluntary and encouraged.

I am also including a voluntary donation to the Federation in the amount of $_______________________

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

Please make your check payable to Jewish Federation of Collier County (JFCC) and mail with this formA to: WCA/JFCC, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., #2201, Naples, FL 34109. You must sign the waiver below, and return this completed membership form with your check. (To be included in the WCA Membership Directory, you must return this form with your check by August 1, 2015.)

I would like to volunteer for WCA: _____ Chair or Co-Chair a Program Please ______Be a Speaker or lead a Workshop on these topics:_____________________________________

I would like to volunteer my services/expertise and would be willing to chair or co-chair a meeting/outing

make on your payable to: Jewish Federation of Collier County and mail with this form to the check following topic or topics: MCA/ Jewish Federation of Collier County EVENT PARTICIPATION WAIVER EVENT PARTICIPATION WAIVER By signing below, I accept the terms of this waiver. By signing below, I am indicating my acceptance of the waiver. 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd,in Ste. 2201 As a participant an MCA event, I , acting for myself, my executors, administrators, heirs, next of kin agree As a participant in a WCA event, I, acting for myself, my executors, administrators, heirs, next of kin agree as follows: as follows: That I waive all rights, claims, cause of action, of any kind whatsoever that I or my heirs, legal I waive all rights, claims, cause of action, of any kind whatsoever that I or my heirs or my legal representatives may Naples, FL 34109 claim to have against The Jewish Federation of Collier County, the Women’s Cultural Alliance, or their agents, servants, and or employees, for any loss, injury, or damage sustained by me while participating in a WCA event. This waiver and release shall be construed broadly, under the laws of the State of Florida.

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, I would like to my services/expertise and would be willing to chair or co-chair a meeting/ or volunteer damage sustained by me while participating in an MCA event. This waiver and release shall be construed Your membership payment is your permission for Women's Cultural Alliance to take and use photographs/videos for broadly, under Laws of the State of Florida. on the following topic orthe topics: appropriate purposes in accordance with WCA's mission.

Signature______________________________________________Date__________________________ Any questions? Contact Nancy Kahn, dearnancykahn@gmail.com.

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EVENT PARTICIPATION WAIVER By signing below, accept the terms of this waiver. For more information: Contact Steve BrazinaI sbrazina@aol.com

JEWISH FEDERATION

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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 Secretary: Wallie Lenchner Treasurer: Jerry Sobelman Immed. Past Chair: Judge Norman Krivosha

Board of Directors Joshua Bialek Rosalee Bogo David Braverman Harvey Brenner Dan Carp Stephen Coleman Karen Deutsch Michael Feldman Alan Gordon Neil Heuer Joel Pittelman Jane Schiff Arlene Sobol Michael Sobol Steve Strome Dr. Daniel Wasserman Beth Wolff Edward Wollman 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 Adam Miller Suzanne Paley Rabbi James Perman Dr. Arthur Seigel Neil Shnider Rabbi Sylvin Wolf Rabbi Fishel Zaklos

Federation President/CEO Jeffrey Feld

Staff

Renee’ Bialek, Community Prog. Coord. Iris Doenias, Database Manager Stacy Hersha, Business Oper. Mgr. Julie Hartline, Administrative Assistant

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 • Educational & cultural programs • Israel Advocacy Committee • Jewish Book Festival • Jewish Community Relations Council • Jewish Russian-American Cultural Alliance • Men’s Cultural Alliance • Publication of the Federation ership.) Star, Connections and Community Directory • Strategic Planning is $64. • Women’s Cultural Alliance • Women’s Division • YAD – Young Adult Division • Youth Activities Committee – sponsoring youth education and o: scholarships for Jewish Summer Camp and the Israel Experience

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

November 2015 Federation Star

Outstanding Israel journalists kick off Israel Advocacy Committee season By Jeff Margolis

he Israel Advocacy Committee of Collier County in conjunction with Israel Bonds is sponsoring a joint brunch program on Sunday, November 1 at 11:00 a.m. at the Club at Pelican Bay, 707 Gulf Park Dr., Naples. The featured speaker will be Alon Ben David, a journalist for over 25 years, who will present “Israel’s Strategic Challenges in the Middle East.” Alon Ben David received his BA in Political Science from Tel Aviv University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University. He is the senior defense correspondent for Israel’s Channel 10. This event is a fundraiser for Israel Bonds and as such the couvert is $25 per person with a minimum $36 bond investment or $75 per person. To RSVP or for more information, please contact Monica DiGiovanni, Registered Representative, at tampa@israelbonds. com or 727.282.1124. Herb Keinon, an American-born Israeli journalist for the Jerusalem Post will be the featured speaker on Thursday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples. He is the author of several books, most notably Lone Soldiers, Israel’s Defenders from Around the World. Mr. Keinon’s topic will be “Is It As Bad As It Appears: A non-sensationalist look at Israel’s current state of affairs, from Iran to Gaza, Obama to Abbas.” Reservations are required for this event to iacnaples@gmail.com. The cost is $10. The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra will be presenting a concert on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at 8:00 p.m. at the North Naples United Methodist

Church, 6000 Goodlette Road. Tickets may be purchased at www.stayinmay. com or by calling 239.390.2788. The Israel Advocacy Committee of Collier County encourages all community members to support this outstanding and important event. Be sure to read the article “The Politicization of Middle East Stud-

ies” by Asaf Romirowsky, reprinted in this issue of the Federation Star. Mr. Romirowsky, who is the Executive Director of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, will be our featured speaker on Wednesday, December 16 at Temple Shalom. Look for more information about this important event in next month’s Federation Star.

Israel Advocacy Committee Program Schedule Save these dates:  November 1, 2015 - Israel Bonds Luncheon with Alon Ben-David  November 12, 2015 - Veteran Jerusalem Post Correspondent Herb Keinon  December 14, 2015 - “The Israel Connection” Education Series, Program #1, 2:00 p.m., JFCC office  December 16, 2015 - Middle East Analyst and Fellow of the Middle East Forum, Asaf Romirowsky. Topic: “How to Combat the Boycott of Israel (BDS) Movement,” Temple Shalom  January 5, 2016 - “The Israel Connection” Education Series, Program #2, 7:00 p.m., JFCC  January 13, 2016 - Former IDF Intelligence Officer and Senior Arabic Lecturer at Bar Ilan University, Dr. Mordechai Kedar, Chabad (cosponsored by ZOA)  January 27, 2016 - Screening of Body and Soul with Producer Gloria Greenfield, Hodges University (co-sponsored by ZOA)  February 9, 2016 - “The Israel Connection” Education Series, Program #3, 7:00 p.m., JFCC  February 23, 2016 - Screening of Moriah Films’ newest production of The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Statesmen, Temple Shalom. This film was shown in a sneak preview in August to rave reviews.  March 7, 2016 - “The Israel Connection” Education Series, Program #4, 10:00 a.m., JFCC  May 15, 2016 - CELEBRATE ISRAEL, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Mercato More details to follow in subsequent issues of the Federation Star and in the Federation’s eblasts. “The Israel Connection” Education Series will consist of a small group video and discussion program and will be limited to the first 30 reservations. Reservations are required for all of the above events by email only to iacnaples@gmail.com.

MCA luncheon to launch new season By Jeff Margolis

CA of Collier County is pleased to announce its kickoff luncheon for the 20152016 season. The program will take place on Thursday, November 12 at 11:30 a.m. at the Vasari Country Club. The keynote speaker will be Thea Rosenbaum, whose topic will be “No Place For a Lady.” Ms. Rosenbaum, was born in Berlin during World War II and witnessed the Russian occupation firsthand. She later worked to become Germany’s youngest, and only, female stockbroker, leaving that job to become Germany’s only female war correspondent in Vietnam. Please plan

and Yeshiva student Sid Freund, the group will focus on ancient Jewish civil laws, with group members participating as judges and scholars. Knowledge of Hebrew is not required. The group will meet on Wednesdays, November 18, December 2 and 16 at 2:00 p.m. in the David G. Willens Community Room.

For information and reservations, email Sid at sidfreund@gmail.com. Just a reminder. It is not too late to renew your MCA membership or to join MCA if you are new to the area. Please see the membership form on page 4A or contact Steve Brazina, MCA chair, at sbrazina@aol.com.

to join us for this excellent presentation and reconnect with fellow MCA members. The cost is $26. Reservations are required. RSVP to Meir Kehila at 4751 West Bay Blvd., #804 Estero, FL 33928. For more information, email meirkehila1@me.com. Our well-received speaker series resumes on Wednesday, November 18 with a presentation by MCA member Jeff Margolis. An author, lecturer and retired educator, Margolis will be speaking about “Boardwalk Empire, The Rise and Fall of Atlantic City.” The program will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the David G. Willens Community Room at the Federation office. RSVP to mcalectures@aol.com. Check the weekly MCA eblasts for future lectures in the series. MCA is also pleased to announce the formation of a Talmudic Study Group. Led by former school superintendent

The Federation Star is a monthly nonprofit newspaper supported by generous readers, committed advertisers and the Jewish Federation of Collier County.

Federation Star November 2015

JEWISH FEDERATION

Author Martin Goldsmith to speak at Kristallnacht Commemoration and book signing By Jeff Margolis

he Collier, Lee and Charlotte county communities are invited to attend the commemoration of the 77th anniversary of Kristallnacht, “The Night of Broken Glass,” on Sunday, November 8 at 2:30 p.m. at St. William Catholic Church, 601 Seagate Drive, Naples. This program, free and open to the public, is jointly sponsored by the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, the Diocese of Venice in Florida, and the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida. Each year, our community pays

tribute to the victims of the Holocaust with the annual commemoration of Kristallnacht which occurred on the night of November 9, 1938. The systematic, government-sponsored, anti-Jewish riots resulted in the destruction of synagogues, homes and Jewish-owned businesses in Germany and Austria, and generally marks the beginning of the Holocaust in Europe. Holocaust survivors, along with Jewish and Catholic community members in Collier County join anti-racist groups worldwide to remember this day. The keynote speaker for this year’s event will be Martin Goldsmith, American radio personality and author, best known as a classical music host on

National Public Radio and Sirius XM. Mr. Goldsmith is also known as an author of Holocaust-related books. The Inextinguishable Symphony is the true story of his parents’ experiences as Jewish musicians in Nazi Germany, and Alex’s Wake tells the story of Mr. Goldsmith’s family on the ill-fated voy-

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age of the ship The SS St. Louis. The topic of Mr. Goldsmith’s presentation at the commemoration will be “Alex’s Wake, My Family’s Saga.” On the evening prior to the commemoration, Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m., Mr. Goldsmith will speak and sign books (available for purchase) at Beth Tikvah, 1459 Pine Ridge Road, Naples. Mr. Goldsmith holds a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and has participated in the podcast “Voices of Anti-Semitism” sponsored by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. For more information, please contact the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue at cjdialogue@naples.net.

Meet your Federation board: Stephen Strome By Jean Amodea

native of the Detroit area, newly installed Federation board member Stephen Strome brings a colorful, experiential background and demonstrated business acumen to his role. His career accomplishments include posts as chairman, president and CEO of one of the nation’s largest music distributors, the Handleman Company, and an induction into the Video Hall of Fame for his contribution to the development of the ‘“sell-through” video market. These days, still active in the business world, he and his wife Phyllis spend about nine months a year in Naples as Florida residents. Strome shares his leisure time exercising twice weekly and playing golf, or “trying to play golf,” he jokes, and enjoying seven grandchildren from the marriages of the couple’s daughter Shelley and son Michael. Dual members of temples in their hometown of Bloomfield Hills and in Chicago, Strome holds the privilege of blowing the shofar on the High Holidays. “When people ask me how I do that, I tell them that all you need is to have a lot of hot air,” he said. Having visited Israel a couple of times, he appreciates his upbringing in a Jewish home, and carries on the traditions of his heritage and culture “to the extent we feel comfortable.” With views about our burgeoning community, we chatted to find out more. What contributed to your decision to join the board? When you look at Naples in its totality, not just the Jewish community, clearly it’s growing. There’s a need to look at

the growth and this is probably a point Jewish and non-Jewish friends – Chrisof transition for the Federation to help tian, Muslim and those of multiple rein terms of looking at it strategically. ligions. Overall, I think the community Where it is today and where the comgets along quite well. munity would like it to go are important I see that you have no problem asquestions with decisions that need to be sociating with diverse cultures and made. We have a new executive director those of other faiths. who is seeking points of No problem at all. I do some view from multiple conconsulting on the side, and stituencies, and I thought, am working with a Detroit based on all of that, that firm owned by Syrian MusI would be willing to be lims. Religion doesn’t enter involved to the extent into my work at all; it’s that I am needed. people working together What are your strengths to figure out solutions to and what do you bring problems. from your career expeWhat do you see as the rience? Clearly, I have most important goals of done a good amount of the Federation? community work with The Federation is sitting on non-profits. Within Nathe precipice of the future, Stephen Strome ples, I am on the board of the Holocaust and they will need to think strategically Museum & Education Center of Southabout how it wants to grow. It starts with west Florida and serve as treasurer. In how the community sees the organizaMichigan, in the past, I was a board tion. What does the community want member for the Michigan Roundtable from the Federation and how should it for Diversity and Inclusion (formerly, take those needs and create a Federation the Roundtable for Christians and Jews) that meets the needs of what the folks in and headed its nominating committee. the city, the environs of Collier County, I was on the board of Detroit public really want. The board members that I television for 15 years and chairman know are intelligent people who think for three years. I was also on the board things through. I think that at an hour of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. or so board meeting, it’s hard to assess When it was having financial troubles, individual strengths and weaknesses. I headed a committee to do a 10-year But, part of this has to be done through financial plan, of which we are in year committee work, and that’s how effecthree. tive boards get things done. Going forWhat is the barometer of the relations ward, I suspect through the committee of Christians and Jews in Naples? work, the needs of the Federation will It is interesting because there is a strong be addressed. integration within the community. Even Why would you encourage others to though there is not a huge Jewish popuplay a more active role for the comlation, the people in the community have munity good?

There are multiple reasons that people engage and get involved in communal work. Not just for the Federation but with any non-profit communal work. Fundamentally, as part of my upbringing, we learned you need to get involved, you need to help others, and you need to work to better the community in which you live. Part of that is investing yourself into the community through not-for-profit organizations. My former company used to encourage people, and we gave them time off to get involved in civic activity. We sponsored a building through Habitat for Humanity for a number of years. If you are fortunate enough to be in a position to help, you should reach out and be willing to help. That is my personal point of view, and my wife and I have done it over the years. With which organizations are you afﬁliated today? I am still involved with the Detroit Symphony and am an emeritus member of Detroit public television, involved in providing advice and counsel to the CEO on a regular basis. With Wayne State University, I work with the career planning and placement office in the business school with those who run a mentoring program. We identify mentors for first-generation college students who don’t have role models. Jean Amodea, a former school principal from New Jersey, is a freelance writer for the Naples Daily News and its community publications as well as director of Peter Duchin Music of Naples/Entertainment Direct. She also performs with her husband Ron’s dance band, jazz ensemble and Caribbean quartet. Reach Jean at jeanamodea@gmail.com.

Jewish Federations awarded funds for groundbreaking Holocaust survivor care

he Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) is proud to announce that the United States Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the organization $12 million over five years, pending the availability of federal funds, to advance innovations in person-centered, trauma-informed supportive services for Holocaust survivors. This award will help Jewish organizations and the broader Aging Services Network support the compounded and urgent needs of Holocaust survivors, and ultimately, all aging survivors of trauma. “We are honored and humbled to partner with the federal government to provide much needed assistance to Holocaust survivors,” said Mark Wilf, chair of JFNA’s National Holocaust Survivor Initiative. “With this award, we will be able to advance our efforts to provide crucial services to vulnerable survivors, including those living in poverty, those in the Orthodox

Jewish community and those from the former Soviet Union. These are our mothers and our fathers, our teachers and our mentors. They deserve to live their remaining years in dignity, and this award will help make that hope a reality. Our gratitude goes out to the Administration for Community Living and Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee for recognizing this particularly vulnerable population.” Today’s announcement is in line with Vice President Biden’s threepronged initiative announced in December 2013 to inspire public-private partnerships to address this dire need. When combined with matching funds, the $2.5 million each year will support $4.1 million in programming annually for organizations that help Holocaust survivors, including many Federationaffiliated agencies. Through a competitive award process, this program will allow local agencies to expand their provision of comprehensive supportive

services for survivors. In addition, the program will allow for the development of a national technical assistance center, housed at JFNA, to facilitate the spread of information about personcentered, trauma-informed approaches to serving Holocaust survivors. “We thank the U.S. Senate and House Appropriations Leadership for funding this vital program and we are grateful for the unending bipartisan leadership of Senator Cardin, Senator Kirk, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and Congresswoman RosLehtinen for calling attention to the needs of Holocaust survivors,” said William Daroff, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Director of the Washington office for Jewish Federations. JFNA will implement this program together with the organization’s partners at the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims

Against Germany and other partners including UJA-Federation of New York, Selfhelp Community Services, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, The Blue Card, Agudath Israel of America, the Orthodox Union of America, LeadingAge, Meals on Wheels America, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA). JFNA’s National Holocaust Survivor Initiative links support from Federations, foundations, private citizens and federal, state and local governments to help aging Holocaust survivors live their remaining years with dignity, security and peace of mind in the comfort of their communities. The Jewish Federations, collectively among the top 10 charities on the continent, protects and enhances the wellbeing of Jews worldwide through the values of tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedakah (charity and social justice) and Torah (Jewish learning).

JEWISH FEDERATION

November 2015 Federation Star

Campaigners’ Mission: Israel (part 3) – Overcoming challenges: Helping others in their daily lives Phyllis Seaman Federation Vice Chair

ay four of our amazing, emotional and exhausting mission started again with 6:00 a.m. wake-up calls and having our luggage ready for our trip to Jerusalem. Before we would arrive in Jerusalem we had another full day ahead of us. Arriving in Beersheva, the “Capital of the Negev,” we were greeted at a local gymnasium in Neve Zeev for a Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) interactive visit with disabled people. This gymnasium is near the Center for Independent Living, a multi-service facility for people with disabilities, run by people with disabilities. The Center empowers, educates, and gives social, emotional and educational support. It offers help to about 1,500 people to craft the independent lives they want. People with all types of disabilities find common ground and kinship using the Center’s services, including counseling rights guides, career guid-

ance and advocacy. We participated in activities and role playing that would give us a real feel of having a handicap and coping. We broke into three groups in different parts of the gymnasium and alternated activities and disabilities, such as being blind, missing limbs, or paralyzed in wheelchairs. We took turns in one activity, being a guide and a blind person. After being blindfolded, your guide would walk and guide you in a mazelike area with different obstacles. Obviously, being the guide was much easier. It’s a scary, horrifying feeling not being able to see and to be that dependent and trusting in your guide. The next challenge was playing a ball game and following in a circle dance with the disabilities of missing limbs, being blind, or on crutches. You had your hands or feet tied, were blindfolded or given crutches – again not an easy task. Our last challenge was wheelchair basketball. I bowed out and left that to the younger competitive people. I might have needed a wheelchair after that. The people we met in this program were truly amazing, optimistic, and accepting of their handicaps, but at the same time striving to do more and be

Mission attendess participated in activities and role playing that gave them a real feel of having a handicap and coping

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a part of society. Dor’s vision started to fail at 18, when he entered the army. He spent six years in the army doing computer work. He is now 50 and almost totally blind. A few years ago he decided he wanted to run and be outdoors more. JDC has a program, Healthy Life, to match handicapped with non-handicapped people for outdoor athletics. Dor has biked

don’t learn English until 4th grade. This program teaches English in 2nd grade. We met with four Arab teenage girls and two 11-year-old boys in the summer program. The boys were in a robotics class and showed us their project. What was so startling to me, was how touched and moved I was by the four Arab girls, with their enthusiasm for education and their appreciation of the wonderful opportunity they have been given. Ibtism Bayya is trying to take as many courses as possible. She loves painting, guitar, chess, public speaking and debating. Haya Awad dreams of becoming a doctor. She is taking a medical course in diseases, body knowledge and energy. Shahd HamMission attendees attempted wheelchair basketball mad loves debating and public speaking. She worked hard to and hiked in the Himalayas, become a convince her parents that she should atvolunteer in the program, and started a tend university. Bana Hidmi is majoring sports program on Israel Trail, a 600in computer science. The best experimile trail through Israel. Dor said he ence of her life was winning a computer thinks of himself as not whole, but comprogramming competition. plete. How can you come away from These four girls spoke so beautifully people like this and not be optimistic and optimistically and were so thankful and inspired? for their good fortune to be a part of this Last year, the Center was an emerwonderful program. Speaking to them at gency center during Operation Protecthe end of our visit, I told them that I was tive Edge, and reached out to the local proud of them and their commitment. I Bedouin community. Its program of told them they were the future for their One on One during an emergency has people, Israel and peace. become a model throughout Israel. Maybe I’m being naive. I truly The director of the Center encourages want to believe that with education and outside employers to hire people with understanding there could be peace. I’d disabilities. love to see it in my lifetime. Next we were off to a World ORT I hope my articles have given you program at Makif Alef School Beera greater understanding of our Federasheva, YOU-niversity Jerusalem, Beit tion’s many Partner Agency programs Hanina (the Arab Community) and and where some of your dollars go. The the Torah of Life for the Haredi (ultraJewish Federation truly does “A World Orthodox) community. Beit Hanina is of Good.” the largest Arab neighborhood in JerusaWe are now in the last two months lem, providing 280 Arab girls and boys of the 2015 Campaign year. WE NEED their first afterschool activities in sciYOU NOW! Please consider your gift ence and technology. The Torah of Life to the 2015 Campaign with a 10% or program uses traditional Jewish topics more increase over a past gift. If you to introduce 850 boys in eight Talmud have made your gift, THANK YOU! I Torah Centers (grades 4-8) concepts have already made my increased pledge of science and technology for the first for the 2016 Campaign. Please join me! time. The programs are geared to teach I would like to take this opportunity skills and training for self-sufficiency, to thank all of you for all your kind and economic development for a shared words and gestures after my recent society. They want to start schooling at a surgery. younger age to plant the seeds of education for the future. The Haredi children We Are the Strength of a People speak Yiddish in their community and – The Power of Community

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Federation Star November 2015 HOLOCAUST MUSEUM & ED CTR OF SWFL

COMMUNITY FOCUS www.holocaustmuseumswfl.org / 239-263-9200

Honoring our military servicemen and women Amy Snyder Executive Director

ovember is the month we honor our military servicemen and women, both past and present. This year marked a special anniversary for those who served in World War II – the 70th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe and the Pacific. It also marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. As educators with a focus on the history of World War II, we know the value of teaching students about this important period. We know the lasting impact on those who hear the personal stories of someone who directly experienced World War II. Rather than a dry recitation of dates and facts, which quickly disappear from memory, history learned through personal stories remains in the mind and heart. The

testimony of a survivor, liberator and veteran puts to rest the stories that the Holocaust never happened or that war is a glorious adventure. Students are provided an experience they will carry forward the rest of their lives. Through these personal stories, our programs encourage students to make a positive contribution to their families and communities, showing how one person truly can make a difference. Since the founding of the Museum, we have been privileged to work with local residents who are liberators and WWII veterans. They have been unfailingly generous with their time, sharing their stories with students, community members and Museum visitors. Each brings a unique viewpoint to teaching the history of WWII. Their stories vary widely and all were impacted by the war in some way. They have spoken with students from middle school grades through college and university. These audiences are often the same age now as the storytellers were then, which makes quite an impact on the students. Some have donated items to the Museum’s

permanent collection that they acquired during their tour of duty. Among those who spoke of their experiences in the European theatre were Seymour Taffett, a physician who was a liberator. Fred Balfour worked on the staff of the Allied Prosecution team at the Nuremberg Trails. Bob Miksa saw it all, from D-Day to the Battle of the Bulge to the liberation of a concentration camp. Phillip Snoberger’s unit liberated 12 work camps, of which he participated in the liberation of 10 of them. Bob Grossman was in the Battle

Bob Miksa (photo by Erik Kellar)

of the Bulge and witness to evidence of a women’s concentration camp prior to its liberation. Dorothy Carlson was a nurse who spent time in a field hospital treating victims of Dachau, and donated photographs and her uniform to the Museum’s permanent collection. The Museum’s Oral Visual History Project preserves for future generations the stories of many Southwest Florida residents who were liberators and veterans. If you know someone who served in World War II, encourage them to tell you their story. Each one is important, and it is important that they are acknowledged before time takes its inevitable toll. The people listed above have participated over the years in our Education programs, Teacher Workshops, Liberator Panels and community outreach. We honor them and thank them for their service and sharing their personal stories so that history Photo courtesy of Dorothy Carlson won’t be forgotten.

JFCS’ Naples Senior Center doubles in size! Dr. Jaclynn Faffer

JFCS President/ CEO

onstruction is completed and the certificate of occupancy is in our hands. The Naples Senior Center has doubled in size from 3,000 sq. ft. to 6,000 sq. ft. The additional space includes two large program rooms that will enable us to have multiple activities going on at one time. We can now seat over 200 for our Wednesday “Lunch and More” program. So many of you have been supportive of our expansion by buying bricks to be put on the wall of the new entrance, and we thank you. We are planning two events to celebrate the newly expanded Naples Senior Center. On Thursday, December 3 we will be honoring our generous donors and friends who made this all happen, and on Sunday, December 6 we will host

a community-wide open house. To see the schedule of activities at the Naples Senior Center, and all that is happening at JFCS, please visit www. jfcsswfl.org. Why is the Naples Senior Center so successful? In doing some research for a presentation I gave to the Collier County Conference on Aging on Tuesday, October 13, I came across some material that I paraphrased as follows: Six Ways to Help Seniors Avoid Social Isolation: 1. Make transportation available: The Naples Senior Center works closely with CAT to bring members to our programs. 2. Promote sense of purpose: Our wonderful professionals and corps of dedicated volunteers work hard to make sure each member maximizes his/her participation in our wide range of programs. 3. Give a senior a pet or plant to take care of: Well, no pets, but we do provide horticultural therapy through a grant we received from

the Naples Garden Club. 4. Encourage a positive body image through healthy exercise: Drop by and see our Tai Chi classes, chair yoga and video yoga classes. 5. Encourage hearing and vision tests: Through our community partner program we have lectures and informational meetings on both! 6. Encourage dining with others: With 150 members enjoying a hot

The Naples Jewish Caring Support Group Next meetings: Mondays, November 9 & 23 10:30 a.m. to noon at JFCS, 5025 Castello Road, Naples

Call Donna Levy at 239.325.4444 for more information.

Community Chanukah Celebration The Jewish Federation of Collier County and our Community Synagogues and Organizations invite you to join us

Monday, December 7 at 5:45 p.m.

The Lawn at Mercato Across from Silverspot Cinema

Free Admission. Everyone is welcome! Greetings from Community Leaders Latke eating contest Concert by the Naples Klezmer Revival Band Candle Lighting Performance by Temple Shalom Preschool & Religious School Students Free crafts at the “Kids Corner” hosted by BBYO Food and latkes available for purchase

Sponsors: Mercato, Whole Foods, Stage 62 Deli, Vom Fass, Grace and Shelly’s Cupcakes WE CELEBRATE OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY Jewish Federation of Collier County • Beth Tikvah • Chabad Jewish Center of Naples Jewish Congregation of Marco Island • Naples Jewish Congregation • Temple Shalom • BBYO JFCS of Southwest Florida • Hadassah • Humanistic Jewish Havurah • Jewish War Veterans Post 202 • ORT

meal and comradery at our Wednesday “Lunch and More” programs, this one is obvious! I know I suggested checking out our website. Better yet, drop by the Naples Senior Center and see all that is happening! You will be amazed...and, if you are 60 or over, maybe you will even join! Membership is $15 per person per year, and through that membership you have access to all activities.

SEVENTH ANNUAL SIXTH ANNUAL MARCO ISLAND MARCO ISLAND COMMUNITY COMMUNITY CHANUKAH CELEBRATION CHANUKAH CELEBRATION Sponsored by Jewish Congregation of Marco Island and Jewish Federation of Collier County

Residents and Guests on Marco Island and Vicinity are invited to CELEBRATE on

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2014 TIME: 5:45PM PM AT 5:30 Jewish Congregation of Marco Island 991 Winterberry Drive Marco Island, FL 34145 (239) 642-0800 www.marcojcmi.com Join us for a Candle Lighting Ceremony and Chanukah Music Lots of holiday spirit for the Entire Family

Light Refreshments

For a continuously updated community calendar, visit www.jewishnaples.org.

COMMUNITY FOCUS

The Mix & Mingle singles group is back!

re you a card-carrying member – of AARP, that is? Do you qualify to be a member? If so, we have some exciting news for you! M&Ms (Mix & Mingle) is startaing up again, new land invigorated, with a new steer-ing committee and lots of new ideas. yThe requirements for membership: age s50+, single, Jewish, and wanting to amix and mingle with others of similar background. We will be under the auspices of the lJewish Federation of Collier County, ,thus giving us access to articles and yannouncements in this monthly newspaper and the weekly Federation email eblasts. We will be working with Renee’ Bialek, Federation’s Community Proe

gram Coordinator, in this regard. You won’t want to miss our first two planned events: dinner at a very unusual restaurant on Thursday, November 5, and our Chanukah party on Sunday, December 6. So, what are you waiting for? Let us know you are interested by responding to Karen David (kkd51@ yahoo.com, 239.353.0201), Bill Kaye (wmkaye@gmail.com, 239.353.7337) or Michael Rubner (exfgomsu@aol. com, 239.594.9793). We will add your name to our mailing list that will include invitations to all future events. Try us out. We look forward to your joining M&Ms and seeing you at one of our events.

Blues Zones Project from a Jewish and theological perspective

November 2015 Federation Star

CALLING ALL JEWISH BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS JEWISH PROFESSIONALS MEET & GREET Join other professionals at the next networking event and make connections to help your business grow.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 5:30 – 7:00 pm

ROW Restaurant 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 1100 (downstairs from the Federation office) Free admission and free flatbreads will be served. Drinks (2 for 1) and food will be available for purchase. Hosted by

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by November 4 to rbialek@jewishnaples.org. Event size is limited to 30 people.

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By Allen S. Weiss, MD, MBA, FACP, FACR, President and CEO, NCH Healthcare System

or time immemorial, the challenge of sustaining the spiritual and physical health of society has been intertwined with religious beliefs -of all faiths, particularly Judaism. According to rabbinic teaching, the , Oath of Maimonides, a traditional oath for physicians attributed to the outstanding 12ths century philosopher and Talmudist of eSpain and North Africa, is often used as an alternative by medical students to the ,Greek Hippocratic Oath, which requires enew physicians to uphold pristine ethical standards. In Judaism, the subject of repairing the world, tikkun olam, is an evolutionary concept that has held different meanings for different generations. In recent times, “tikkun” has evolved to signify social responsibilities for “repairing” or “mending” or “improving” the world around us. Here in Southwest Florida, NCH Healthcare and other community leaders and institutions have embarked on a tikkun olam of our own in terms of healthcare. We call it the Blue Zones Project, and its goal is to help people live longer, healthier and happier lives, with lower rates of chronic disease and a higher quality of life. Ours is part of the national Blue Zones Project®, a community well-being improvement initiative now in 28 U.S. communities, including ours. Blue Zones communities share nine principles: 1. Participating in a faith-based community can add up to 14 years to your life. 2. Move naturally by finding ways to move in your daily life, which can burn calories without thinking about it. 3. Wake up with purpose to your life and add up to seven years to your life. 4. Reverse disease by finding a stressrelieving activity that works for you. 5. Eat mindfully and stop when 80% full. 6. Put more fruits and vegetables on your plate. 7. Invest time with your family and add up to six years to your life. 8. Surround yourself with people who support you and positive behaviors.

9. Enjoy a glass of red wine with good friends each day. (But if you don’t drink, don’t start.) These principles will form the core of our initiative in Southwest Florida. We are committed to improving wellness among our citizens and aiding them in living longer lives. Here again, according to rabbinic lore, there was no aging process until Abraham, and no disease until Jacob. In secular terms, healthcare in America today consumes about 18% of the Gross Domestic Product. It is startling to realize that half of the money we spend on healthcare is consumed by only 5% of the population. The point is that rather than focusing on the very ill once they are already very ill, we should be preventing illness by embracing healthier choices throughout our lives – the earlier the better. That is what Blue Zones in Southwest Florida is all about. Southwest Florida is off to a wonderful start. Many rankings consider us healthier than the rest of Florida, with the longest life expectancy for a woman and the second longest for a man. USA Today ranked Naples as the ninth healthiest city in the nation. Robert Wood Johnson has ranked Collier County 1st, 1st, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 2nd over the past six years compared to the 67 counties in Florida. Unfortunately, Collier’s generally healthy condition is an outlier in our state; Florida ranks consistently in the 3rd quartile compared to the other 49 states. I believe Southwest Florida, with a strong assist from the Blue Zones Project, can become the healthiest community in the nation over the next decade. We have had wonderful early support from the faith-based communities, volunteers, citizens, parents, students, business community, gated communities, restaurants, groceries, not-for-profit non-governmental agencies, City of Naples, and many more organizations and individuals. We still have a long road to travel. And this is definitely a “we” project, which everyone of good faith can agree upon. Increasing the health and wellness of our community is truly a nondenominational issue. Helping everyone live a longer, happier and healthier life is fundamental to all.

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

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November 21 & 22, 2015 At Miromar Design Center

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10A Federation Star November 2015

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Why choose an “old” classic for One Book Southwest Florida? By Ida Margolis

recently overheard someone ask why the One Book Southwest Florida committee would select a 30-year-old book for discussion. This is a very valid question and one that deserves an answer. The One Book committee consists of individuals from the Collier County Library, the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of SWFL, and GenShoah SWFL who work together to select a book to be used for the One Book community reading program which takes place during January, Jewish History Month in Florida. After having previously worked on numerous One Book committees, this One Book is unique and a great example of cooperation. The Collier County Library presents a great variety of excellent programs throughout the year, and has presented programs for Florida Jewish History Month. When GenShoah SWFL proposed the One Book concept to Amy

Snyder, Executive Director of the Holocaust Museum, Amy then suggested that Pat DeGroot, Administrative Supervisor of the Collier County Libraries, might be interested in a One Book, One Community reading program as one of the events during Florida Jewish History Month. Mrs. DeGroot was indeed interested. Adapting the parameters set forth by the American Library Association for community-wide reading programs, our One Book Southwest Florida began with Gertruda’s Oath by Ram Oren as the first selection. Due to many requests to continue the program, the committee met and decided that since 2015-16 marks the 70th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials, a book related to that topic would be the choice for the upcoming season. After reading a number of books, the committee felt that The Sunﬂower by Simon Wiesenthal met the criteria for a community read. It was currently easily

Naples Jewish Congregation events

unday at the Movies On Sunday, November 29, Naples Jewish Congregation will present the second half of the film Masada. Because of the length of the movie, we decided to present it in two parts. Originally a made-for-TV miniseries, we saw the first two episodes in October. This second half will be shown at 4:00 p.m. in the David G. Willens Community Room at the Federation office. There is no charge to see this film, but all donations are graciously accepted. To RSVP or for more information, please call 239.431.3858.

Spin the dreidel and eat some latkes! On Tuesday, December 8, Naples Jewish Congregation will have its annual Chanukah Party. Enjoy great food and entertainment. A full plated dinner with either chicken or brisket, plenty of latkes, dessert and beverage will be served. Entertainment will be provided by our very spirited Cantorial Soloist, Jane Galler, and our talented Music Director, Alla Gorelik Stadnik. The price for nonmembers is $60. To make your reservation and dinner choice, please contact Iris Weissman by November 23 at 239.431.7944.

From the greeters at the entryway, to the warm, engaging members of the congregation, Naples Jewish Congregation (NJC) is a sanctuary from the fast-paced Naples scene. Nestled in a peaceful and bucolic setting, NJC is a hidden gem. The beautiful services are enhanced by thoughtful commentary from our rabbi and the joyful song of our cantorial soloist. Very active senior-centered programming furnishes intellectual stimulation and many opportunities for socialization. NJC provides us with an affordable, spiritual home. From our first visit, NJC has been our congregation “where everybody knows your name.” – Shelley & Steve McCloskey, Pelican Bay

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T o

available in paperback and e-book, it what circumstances, is it required of was a reasonable length, it could be read us, can we refuse to offer it? This is a by both students and adults, and it would timeless and timely discussion for any community. lend itself to discussion. The Sunflower is also considered to be a classic. Please join members of the comThe Sunflower has been reviewed munity in reading The Sunflower, for over 40 years, and has sharing your thoughts and been reprinted and exfeelings at one of the many panded. Essays have been discussions that will be held. written about what makes Then plan on hearing Mark a book a classic. These esWeitzman, the Director of says include criteria such Government Affairs and the as a book that merits reTask Force Against Hate and reading, and that with reTerrorism for the Wiesenthal reading offers even more Center, who will be at South enlightenment than the Regional Library at 4:00 p.m. first reading, exercises inon Tuesday, January 19, and Mark Weitzman fluence, does not exhaust in Lee County on Wednesday, what it can say to the readers, and a January 20. Sponsorship reserved seatbook to which the reader cannot reing will be available for Mr. Weitzman’s main indifferent. And reviews of The presentation at Temple Shalom on Sunflower include adjectives such Thursday, January 21. as powerful, extraordinary, riveting, For more information about One impactful, fascinating and intense. AdBook Southwest Florida, contact ditionally, the theme of The Sunflower me at onebookswfl@icloud.com or is forgiveness – who can grant it, under 239.963.9347.

Jewish Russian Cultural Alliance (JRCA) update

n Sunday, September 20, many Russian Jewish residents of Collier and Lee counties gathered at the Federation office to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with a potluck dinner and a movie. Peace to You, Sholom is a film about the once flourishing, but now nearly extinct, Pale of Settlement Jewish life. We were so pleased to share homemade Russian Jewish food, and offer and receive the Rosh Hashanah blessings from our peers, and people we just met. It was wonderful to spend the entire afternoon conversing in Russian. We shared the stories of our journeys, enjoyed the humor of our former compatriots, sang in Yiddish, and choked up and cried when we watched the film. In short, we became a modern shtetl. What a great beginning for this new organization. Attendees came from Naples,

Bonita, Estero, Fort Myers and even Palm Beach. Some have been residing in Southwest Florida for as long as twenty years and some as recently as fifteen days. The un-awarded prize for the longest residence in the U.S. went to Leo F., originally from Leningrad, who immigrated in 1974, and just last year relocated to Southwest Florida from New York. The youngest member was Leah D., a true Neapolitan, only one year and one month old. We offer special thanks to the Jewish Federation of Collier County for providing us a home. Honorable mention to the event organizing committee: Lyuba Gulabyan, Darina Lumar, Sofia Perlstein and Marsha Wolfson, each residing in the U.S. for over thirty years. We look forward to many such meetings and community activities with our old and new friends. Together, we are the foundation for our emerging Jewish Russian community – we are the mishpuhah. Please join us and let your Russian Jewish Southwest Florida friends know about JRCA. Contact us with suggestions and ideas at abgworld899@gmail. com or 239.566.1771.

Attendees at the first JRCA event, held at the Federation office

Classified Ad

The Humanistic Jewish Havurah of Southwest Florida seeks a musician – student or professional – interested in accompanying holiday programs using traditional and non-traditional music. Please call Paula Creed at 248.417.2514.

The Cardozo Society The Cardozo Society is formed as a way to network the many existing and new Jewish attorneys in our legal community. The Jewish Federation of Collier County continues to reach out to raise awareness through this association of Jewish attorneys, promoting professionalism, cooperation and identiﬁcation with our Jewish community. For more information, please contact Yale Freeman at ytfreeman@ytfreemanlaw.com.

November 2015 Federation Star

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Temple Shalom events open to the community

For more information on these events, call 239.455.3030.

orah Talk: Join us the first Shabbat morning of the month for a volunteer-led discussion of the week’s Torah portion. On Saturday, -November 7, the portion is Chayei ,Sarah. There will be a light breakfast dat 8:15a.m. with discussion to follow yat 8:30 a.m. There is no charge and all .are welcome. k Veterans’ Shabbat service – Frifday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m.: Everyeone is encouraged to attend our special Shabbat service honoring not only our lJewish veterans but also the men and hwomen currently serving in our Armed Forces. Veterans, dig out the uniforms, dthe ribbons and the medals! , Come to the Cabaret! – Sunday, -November 15 at 7:00 p.m.: Live entertainment begins at 7:30 p.m. Did nyou miss it last year? Then you missed a GREAT time! This year’s event will include the fabulous band, NRG, and tall the delectable desserts and delicious wine that you’ve come to expect. The cost is $18. Please contact Temple Shalom by November 11 to RSVP and for more information Sisterhood Book Bag – Thursday, November 19 at 1:30 p.m.: Go Set a

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Watchman by Harper Lee. Facilitator: Judy Picus. An adult Scout Finch travels from New York to Maycomb, Alabama, to visit her father, Atticus Finch, twenty years after the events of To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout is forced to grapple with issues both personal and political as she tries to understand her father’s attitude toward society and her own feelings about her birthplace. The Temple Chefs are preparing another spectacular dinner on Friday, November 20 at 6:00 p.m. The dinner will include salad, challah, glazed carrots, unsweetened applesauce and your choice of either braised brisket with potato latkes or mostaccioli (pasta) with ricotta and parmesan cheese. Join us for services after dinner. The cost is $20 for temple members, $25 for nonmembers, and $12 for children. RSVP by November 16. Shabbat at the Beach! – Friday, November 27 at 5:30 p.m.: Join us for a beautiful sunset Shabbat service on Lowdermilk Beach. Bring beach chairs and/or a beach blanket and a picnic dinner if desired. In the event of rain, the service will be held under the pavilion.

Jewish Genealogy Group Meeting 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, November 10 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.

Dream

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This season’s events at JCMI

For more information on these events, call 239.642.0800.

ingo: As of October 5, every Monday evening at 5:30 p.m. through April 2016. Dinner and dessert included. Bridge: Every Wednesday from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. throughout the year Duplicate Bridge: As of December 1, every Tuesday from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Cultural Series: 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 10, Saturday, February 13, and Sunday March 6, 2016 Jewish Film Festival: Sunday, December 13 at 1:30 p.m., and Sundays,

January 17, February 21 and March 13 at 2:00 p.m. Jewish Deli Fest: Sunday, January 24 Women’s Book Group: Tuesday, November 17, and monthly (third Tuesday) through April 2016, at 11:00 a.m. Friday Evening Sabbath Services: All year at 8:00 p.m. For detailed information about the Cultural Series and Jewish Film Festival see pages 12B and 14B in this issue.

Veterans Day program at Beth Tikvah

obert “Bob” Hilliard was born do with them, but Bob and his army on June 25, 1925, in New York buddies found creative ways to take City. He was drafted in 1944 care of them by stealing food for them, and served in the Infantry. In late April informing their friends of the situation, 1945, Bob became the editor of his and asking them to spread the news. The unit’s newspaper. They were stationed displaced persons were finally rescued in September 1945 by U.S. officials. near Landsberg, Germany. In May 1945, his army peers told him Bob has shared his story of a concert at Saint Otas both documentary and tilien Monastery because memoir. His message is that they thought he could the efforts of one individual, Miracle at St. Ottilien get a story. The concert however lowly in rank, can was held by musicians make a life-or-death difwho were Jews recently ference to another human liberated from the conbeing. centration camps. Bob Meet author/educator and his friends continued Robert Hilliard on Wednesto return to Saint Ottilien day, November 11 at 7:30 after that day. p.m., as Beth Tikvah presents Bob befriended two a Veterans Day CommemoJewish doctors who were treating the ration with a screening of Displaced! remaining survivors. At Saint Ottilien, Miracle at St. Ottilien and honors our he witnessed the extreme mistreatment military veterans. RSVP requested to of the displaced persons there. These 239.434.1818 or bethtikvahnaples@aol. people had traveled from Dachau, were com. Beth Tikvah is located at 1459 Pine very sick, and still wore concentration Ridge Road, Naples. camp stripes. No one knew what to

On!

A Night of Stars

Join us for a glimmering, shimmering, elegant, fun-filled, five-star celebration and special fundraising event

Anne & Dr. Mark Rubin

honoring

Anne & Dr. Mark Rubin and

Janet & Howard Solot

benefiting

TEMPLE SHALOM,

Janet & Howard Solot

our Temple Family and our Future

Live Band • Silent & Live Auctions Fabulous Cuisine March 26, 2016 6:00pm Wyndemere Country Club

For reservations and information, please contact Dream On Chairs: Stephanie Heuer 239.877.2557 phone steph@askamommy.com

Veora Little 239.450.2883 phone veoralittle@gmail.com

12A Federation Star November 2015

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Absorbing ﬁlm about Eichmann trial follows next GenShoah meeting

Ida Margolis GenShoah President t 5:00 p.m., immediately following the 4:30 p.m. meeting of GenShoah of SWFL on Sunday, November 15, there will be a screening of the new documentary The Trial of Adolf Eichmann. This film presents actual footage of the trial that was held in an Israeli courtroom in 1961 and broadcast around the world. The trial was an historic event for survivors and the new State of Israel. Included in the film are accounts of Eichmann’s capture, eyewitness testimonies, and behind-thescenes drama. Both the meeting and film will be held at Beth Tikvah, 1459 Pine Ridge Road, Naples. GenShoah meetings are generally held from October to April on the third Sunday of the month from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. Meetings are usually held at the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida, but are occasionally held at other venues. GenShoah is open not only to children of Holocaust survivors (the Second Generation), but to all those who are interested in the mission of GenShoah which is: preservation of the history and memories of the Holocaust, promotion of Holocaust education and human rights, connection of members of the Second Generation with one another, and support of the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida. Programs, which are open to the public, are presented following the brief meetings.

Films, speakers and special events presented by GenShoah throughout the season are listed in the box at right. The Trial of Adolf Eichmann was selected by GenShoah program director Steve Brazina because of its relation to this season’s One Book Southwest Florida selection, The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal. The Sunflower, which deals with the possibilities and limits of forgiveness, is also related to a future program about the ordeal of the refugee ship The SS St. Louis that has become a symbol of the world’s indifference to the plight of European Jewry on the eve of the Holocaust. Wednesday, February 10 ﬁlm presentation Robert Krakow, the producer of the film Complicit: The Untold Story of Why the Roosevelt Administration Denied Safe Haven to Jewish Refugees, will be presenting his film at Temple Shalom on Wednesday, February 10 at 7:00 p.m. This film, which contains archival footage of the St. Louis, explores the controversial topic of FDR and the U.S. State Department’s response to the Holocaust. A display about the St. Louis will be available for viewing at 6:30 p.m. A discussion with the producer and a St. Louis survivor will take place after the film. Space is limited and reservations are required for all events. So that GenShoah can continue to present exceptional programming, donations will be requested and are greatly appreciated. For more information about GenShoah or making a tax-deductible gift to the organization, to be placed on the email list, or to RSVP for meetings and events, please email genshoahswfl@ icloud.com or call 239.963.9347.

GenShoah of SWFL: Upcoming Meetings & Public Programs Sunday, November 15 4:30 p.m.: Meeting 5:00 p.m.: Film - The Trial of Adolf Eichmann - Actual trial footage and emotional recollection provide insight and contrasting perspectives of the Eichmann legacy Beth Tikvah, 1459 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples Sunday, December 20 4:30 p.m.: Potluck dinner at member’s home Sunday, January 17, 2016 4:30 p.m.: Meeting 5:00 p.m.: Film - Facing Fear - Haunting account of an attack on a young gay boy by a neo-Nazi skinhead and their chance meeting twenty-five years later, and their journey of forgiveness and reconciliation Holocaust Museum, 4760 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples Special Community Event: Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Mark Weitzman, Director of Government Affairs and the Task Force Against Hate and Terrorism for the Simon Wiesenthal Center is the keynote speaker on The Sunﬂower, the “One Book SWFL” selection Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples Special Community Event: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 6:30 p.m.: Display about the S.S. St. Louis 7:00 p.m.: Film - Complicit: The Untold Story of Why the Roosevelt Administration Denied Safe Haven to Jewish Refugees; followed by a discussion with the producer and an S.S. St. Louis survivor - Explores the controversial topic of FDR’s and the U.S. State Department’s response to the Holocaust Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples Sunday, February 21, 2016 4:30 p.m.: Meeting 5:00 p.m.: Presentation by Maud Dahme, Holocaust educator, subject of the film The Hidden Child, and inductee in the New Jersey Hall of Fame Holocaust Museum, 4760 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples Sunday, March 20, 2016 4:30 p.m.: Meeting 5:00 p.m.: Film - Hitler’s Courts: Betrayal of the Rule of Law in Nazi Germany Examination, using interviews and archival footage, of how those charged with defending the rule of law betrayed that trust during the Nazi era Holocaust Museum, 4760 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples Sunday, April 17, 2016 4:30 p.m.: Meeting 5:00 p.m.: Program TBA

RSVP required for all events. Contact Ida Margolis at genshoahswﬂ@icloud.com or 239.963.9347.

Hadassah Donor Recognition Event By Nancy Wiadro, Hadassah Major Gifts Chair

he Collier/Lee Chapter of Hadassah welcomes women and men to its 16th Annual Donor Recognition Event on Sunday, December 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Quail West Golf and Country Club. The special guest speaker is Professor Eyal Banin, Director of Hadassah’s Retina Center and a globally recognized pioneer in stem-cell treatment for Macular Degeneration, Anyone who has pledged or donated a minimum single gift of $1,000 since March 2012 is welcome. One need not be a Hadassah member to participate. Included in this one-time giving level would be Hadassah’s Perpetual Yahrzeit. During the Kaddish prayer, your loved one’s name is annually recited beneath the magnificent Chagall Windows in the Abell Synagogue at Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem. You will also re-

ceive a personalized mailed notification of the upcoming yahrzeit anniversary every year. The event honors generous Major Donors and Keepers of the Gate. Keepers of the Gate is an annual minimum commitment of $1,000-$5,000 that can be specified to benefit medical research and treatment of Breast Cancer, Heart Disease (through the Associates’ Men’s Health Initiative), Stem-Cell Therapies and more. Hadassah has a 4-star Charity Navigator rating and welcomes foundation donations. Contact us to receive your invitation. Reservation deadline is December 14. For additional information, kindly contact me at nwiadro@hadassah. org, or Lisa Moore, Director of the SWFL Area Development Center, at 877.949.1818.

JOIN THE ISRAEL ADVOCACY COMMITTEE The goal of the Israel Advocacy Committee of the Jewish Federation of Collier County is to present Israel in a positive manner. We’re doing this by hosting seminars and symposiums as well as addressing issues through editorials and commentaries in the local press. We address both the nonJewish and Jewish citizens of our community. We continue to expand and enhance our activities which include:  planning forums and programs for fall and spring 2015-2016  establishing campus programs at local colleges and universities  interfacing with our local media

For more information on how to get involved, please contact Stephen Brazina, Chair, Israel Advocacy Committee, 239.325.8694 or sbrazina@aol.com.

November 2015 Federation Star

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Tributes

Tributes to the Federation Campaign

To:

Michal & Mordechai Wiesler & Family In memory of your beloved son, Adi Gildor From: Gracia Kuller Rosalee & Jerry Bogo Ellen & Dr. Gary Gersh Barbara & Arnold Karp To:

Susan & Joel Pittelman & Family In memory of Joel’s beloved sister, Maris Bootzin From: Jane Schiﬀ & Lon Gratz To:

Gracia Kuller Mazel Tov! Enjoy the new house From: Phyllis & Michael Seaman To:

Nancy & Hank Greenberg Thank you for your friendship and your gracious hospitality From: Phyllis & Michael Seaman To:

Dr. Mort & Myra Friedman Thank you for your friendship and your gracious hospitality From: Phyllis & Michael Seaman

13A

Tributes require a minimum donation of $18.

Howard Solot Wishing you a speedy recovery From: Phyllis & Michael Seaman Donald Zulanch In honor of your special birthday From: Dr. Ira & Barbara Kushnir To:

Helen & Dr. Edward Rosenthal & Family In honor of Ari’s Bar Mitzvah – Mazel Tov! From: Anne & Peter Klein To:

Mr. & Mrs. Philip Silvert In memory of your beloved father From: Judith & Dr. Robert Sommerfeld

To:

Phyllis Seaman For a full and speedy recovery From: David Willens Gracia Kuller Marcy & Jerry Sobelman To:

Mary O’Haver & Family In memory of your beloved mother, Gloria Mejias From: Sue & Phil Dean To:

Ruben & Terry Wachalter & Family In memory of your beloved mother, Rose Wachalter From: Diane Schmidt

The Jewish Federation of Collier County extends condolences to:

• Mary & Tom O’Haver & Family on the passing of Mary’s beloved mother, Gloria Mejias • Ruben & Terry Wachalter & Family on the passing of your beloved mother, Rose Wachalter

To place a Tribute in the Federation Star in honor or memory of someone, please contact Iris Doenias at the Federation oﬃce at 239.263.4205 or iris@jewishnaples.org. Tributes require a minimum donation of $18. A note will be sent to the person you are honoring. Tributes help further the work of the Jewish Federation of Collier County.

BROWNSTEIN JUDAICA GIFT SHOP AT JCMI

Temple Shalom Si sterhood Ju dai ca Shop

Looking for the perfect gift? Choose from our many items:

Just arrived!! Sign up for The PJ Library and you’ll receive a FREE, high-quality children’s book or CD each month. The PJ Library will enrich your family’s life with Jewish stories and songs – and it’s absolutely FREE for families with children from six months up to eight years of age in Collier County.

15 new Yair Emanuel tallit sets from Israel!

The PJ Library is brought to the Collier County community by JFCS of Southwest Florida. For more information, please call 239.325.4444.

Store hours: Sundays - 9:30AM to 12:15PM

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Wednesday afternoons during Religious School 4:00PM to 6:15PM

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14A Federation Star November 2015

FOCUS ON YOUTH

Rising young star: Elena Martens

By Jean L. Amodea

Who: Elena Martens Age: 14 School/Grade: Pine Ridge Middle School ature for her age, well spoken, intelligent and artistic, are a few adjectives that accurately describe Elena Martens, who has aspirations for a bright future. Elena has already impressed family, friends and the public, holding the distinction of being the only person in Collier County to be awarded the Sheriff’s “Do the Right Thing Award” twice. The first, for being the youngest person to be certified in CPR and First Aid at ten and a half years old. Then, within one week, Elena was presented the same award for helping to save a toddler from drowning. Impressive indeed. Adopted from Guatemala by her mother, Lorel Martens, at four months of age, Elena is appreciative of her blessings and of the opportunities that she has today, fully embracing her Jewish identity. I recently spoke with this poised young woman to talk about her thoughts and dreams. In what academic subjects do you excel? I love English, world history and math. I enjoy reading history books and fiction, and enjoy studying about the Holocaust. Through a connection at Temple Shalom, I was able to speak with Mr. Abe Price about his experiences during the

Holocaust, which was special for me. Bat Mitzvah last January. What did you learn from that meetI also attend the Chabad ing? Jewish Center of Naples, He told me to be passionate about who where I feel so much love you are. And, like he did, he said not to from Rabbi Fishel and be afraid of and not hide the fact that Ettie Zaklos. you are Jewish. What is most important In which sports or activities do you to you now, and who is participate? your inspiration? I am participating in lacrosse and Ballet is most important to soccer, and I love sports. But my main me, and the Naples AcadElena Martens (center) and her mom, Lorel, hosted three Israel Scouts during the Scouts’ visit to Naples this past June activity is ballet, which I practice five emy of Ballet has helped times weekly for up to me to improve and progress so beautiful. I have performed in Swan three hours each time, since I started dance at Lake, Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty and at the Naples Academy age four. Misty Copeland The Nutcracker at the Sugden Theatre of Ballet. In dance, you most inspires me. She is a throught the Naples Academy of Ballet. get to express who you professional ballet dancer What do you think is the secret to are and you don’t have to who is different from typisuccess? talk. Just by your movecal dancers in that she is Being confident in yourself and knowment, you show your not into being skinny but ing you are doing okay. It is also imfeelings. has a muscular body and is portant to not be negative or too critical What are your plans proud of it. It inspires me to of yourself. We all look at ourselves after graduating high see that she can be so great to improve, but that is something that school? but doesn’t have to copy you don’t have to do all the time. It is I haven’t yet thought other dancers; she can just important to be the person you want to about colleges, but I have be herself. be and not think that you have to copy thought of a few career What is your favorite someone else. We see perfect models paths. I may become a ballet and have you perin magazines, but that is not the image Elena Martens lawyer, or a psychologist formed in any ballets? we should try to become. You have to like my mother. I think it is cool how I love Swan Lake as it is a very graceful be true to yourself. the mind works. and peaceful dance, and the scenery is What does it mean to be Jewish? I converted to Judaism when I was six years old. And though I am adopted, I know that my grandparents and family are Jewish, and I feel close to the Jewish culture and faith. I go to services at Temple Shalom, where I had my

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

Temple Shalom Preschool update By Seyla Cohen, Preschool Director

ne of our favorite holidays at the preschool is Sukkot. Every year, the children make beautiful decorations to adorn Temple Shalom’s sukkah. This year, the sukkah was placed near the brand new Temple Garden. The children visited the garden with Rabbi Miller and Miss Jane, placed their creations in the sukkah, sang songs, danced and had their snacks.

The Preschool has had a phenomenal start to the school year; many classrooms are at capacity and we still continue to give tours to new parents. Word has spread about the amazing TSP Experience, and parents do not want to miss the opportunity to give their children the very best head start to their school careers. Our success is due in part to our dedicated teachers and

HEY KIDS! What are your plans for the summer of 2016?

Would you like to go to a Jewish Summer Camp or visit Israel? The Jewish Federation of Collier County, Temple Shalom and Temple Shalom Men’s Club, together offer PARTIAL scholarships for Jewish Summer Camps and the Israel Experience for teens. There are scholarship opportunities for all Jewish children in the community regardless of congregation affiliation. For information and a scholarship application, contact your local synagogue or call the Jewish Federation at 239.263.4205.

Scholarship request deadlines: Summer Camps: December 1, 2015 Israel Programs: February 1, 2016

our TSP families who share their wonderful experiences with their friends and business associates. We at Temple Shalom Preschool recognize that building self-esteem, trust and confidence sets the foundation of a healthy, secure individual. Our curriculum is progressive, and includes advanced academic standards and a varied and broad-based extra-curricular schedule. However, just as important as setting high standards in academics

Lions class eating their snacks in the sukkah

and the arts, we recognize that developing and nurturing proper social skills, empathy and self-reliance leads to the development of a whole, happy and healthy individual. One of the ways of fulfilling this effort is through what we term performing a mitzvah, a good deed. On Friday, November 6, TSP will again participate in its yearly Trike-A-Thon to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This weeklong program teaches children about bicycle safety. Each day, a different lesson is taught, culminating at the end of the week when preschoolers participate in the Trike-A-Thon with bicycles and helmets, and rules of the road in place. Through donors’ generosity, children are able to help desperately-ill children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by raising money for research and treatments. St. Jude depends on sponsorships to guarantee that families do not have to pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is denied care due to the fact that their family is unable to pay. St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and from around the world. This activity instills in children the importance of helping others. TSP instituted this program and is proud of the fact it has raised over $1,000 annually. One of the goals of TSP is to teach

the children, from an early age, the importance of mitzvah, giving back to society. Mitzvah is defined as a religious duty or obligation and one of the commandments of Jewish religious law. Essentially it means performing an act of kindness. Trike-A-Thon is just one of the many mitzvah activities participated in throughout the school year by both children and parents. Through such activities, TSP is a leader in the preschool community in teaching its students strong-based standards such as integrity, compassion, awareness and responsibility. Anyone wishing to contribute to this worthy cause can contact me at 239.455.3227. Recent event The Pre-K classes have all been learning about engineering throughout the month. Recently, the children were read the classic The Three Little Pigs. They broke into groups. One group built a house of straw, one group built a house of twigs, and the other built a house of bricks (Legos), and they all placed a little toy pig inside. The children went on to “huff and puff, and blow the house down.” They confirmed the story line was correct, that straw and twigs are

Ms. Catherine and Miss Jodi’s class huffing and puffing and blowing the straw house down

weak, and do not make a strong structure. Further discussion on other building materials was brought up and the kids all suggested materials that they would use to build their future homes.

Save the Date: CELEBRATE ISRAEL Sunday, May 15, 2016 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Mercato

November 2015 Federation Star

FOCUS ON YOUTH

15A

Naples BBYO teens make a difference By Skylar Haas, Associate Regional Director of BBYO’s North Florida Region

BYO in Naples is becoming the place to be for all Jewish teens in high school – from kugel cook-offs during the High Holidays, and pumpkin carving contests for “Havdalaween,” to choosing a Stand UP cause, and figuring out fun and unique ways to give back to our community. Teens volunteered their time helping the Naples Jewish Congregation transport canned goods that were col-

lected over the holidays to the JFCS Food Pantry. They also participated in Temple Shalom’s Food Truck Rodeo, where they ran a crafts table to give kids an opportunity to make simple decorations for the sukkah. It doesn’t stop there. Coming up on Wednesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m., Naples BBYO is going once again host a pre-screening for the new Hunger Games movie, Mockingjay

d e

t s o y

e Rosh Hashanah Potluck Social

Part 2, being released in November. own service and advocacy projects The pre-screening will be linked with while connecting with their friends multiple can-tribute drives, where teens community-wide to support the same will be collecting cans of food, and partcause. nering with various organizations before For more information about service, the day of the event. The event is open advocacy and philanthropic opportunito all ages, community wide. Each indities for Naples teens, please email me vidual who attends the pre-screening is at shaas@bbyo.org. asked to bring at least two canned goods Follow us on Instagram @Naples to donate to the JFCS Food Pantry. BBYO & Like us on Facebook at Naples November is Hunger and HomelessBBYO. ness Awareness Month. According to the Food Research and Action Center, in 2012, 49 million Americans faced hunger – 16 million of which were children. As a response to this and as part of BBYO Stand UP – BBYO’s grassroots service, advocacy and philanthropy initiative – BBYO teens chose hunger awareness and advocacy as their movement-wide cause this year. Through events like the Mockingjay prescreening, teens can Sarah Castro, Hannah Castro, Adam Mitrani, Jason Randall create and manage their

Preschool of the Arts update By Ettie Zaklos, Preschool Director

aying “thank you” can be one of the best ways to learn. Gratitude, derived from the Latin, can mean grace or gratefulness, and it is strongly associated with greater happiness. Most people feel healthier, more hopeful and resilient when they count their blessings. So do most kids. At Preschool of the Arts, gratitude eis not simply a value we give lip service to, but an integral part of our program, -deeply ingrained into our school culture. Taking a moment to appreciate a family member, a teacher, good food or our nbeautiful facilities gives members of tour Preschool of the Arts community that endorphin boost of happiness. Rersearch in the field of gratitude education hsupports the idea that gratitude improves the lives of school-age students, sencouraging: ¡¡ Higher grades ¡¡ Higher goals ¡¡ More satisfaction with relationships, life and school o t¡¡ Less materialism ¡¡ More willingness to give back As I reflect on the successful first quarter of our 2015-2016 academic year, I feel incredibly grateful and blessed to be in a position where I can provide yearly, defining childhood experiences that set the foundation for a lifetime of learning, success and, yes, a sense fof satisfaction and gratitude about life. aOur school year begins by celebrating tthe Jewish holiday season with our stuedents, marking special days and learning ethe importance of celebration for the blessings we have. October was a month filled with learning for both our students and our parents, as our well-rounded, awardwinning program really kicked into high gear in the classrooms, while the evenings provided ample opportunity for educational and community-building events for our parent body. The highlight of the month was our annual Parent Curriculum Night which served to activate and strengthen the unique partnership between our talented school faculty and dedicated parent body. This year, we had the distinct honor g to welcome two noted guest speakers s dat our Curriculum Night to address our parents and inspire them on the journey toward raising successful, independent children. Jim and Blake Marggraff are a unique father-son duo who are incredibly accomplished CEOs and innovators in their respective industries. Jim

Maggraff is the CEO and inventor of the world’s first smart-pen, and the $1 billion LeapPad Learning System. His son, Blake Marggraff, 22, is founder and CEO of Epharmix, a health IT company that sits at the intersection of research, medical impact and technology. These impressive thought leaders spoke about the importance of early childhood experiences and the opportunities needed to set children on the path to success, sparking a meaningful discussion on the best way to encourage our children to reach for the stars while maintaining a loving parent-child relationship. The evening’s message resonated with many in the room as they understood the importance of gifting

Concentration at its best at Preschool of the Arts

children with a solid education, and the impact it can have on their future. At Preschool of the Arts we take this role very seriously, as we are guided by our understanding of how young children learn best. Our program offers students the opportunity to develop the building blocks for future success – positive self-image, social skills, language communication and independence. Even at a very young age, children have an infinite potential to absorb knowledge. Our days are filled with opportunities to learn new skills, concepts and ideas, building on children’s natural curiosity and thirst for learning. Through a dynamic and developmentally appropriate curriculum, we create an atmosphere that invites children to observe, to try new things, to actively participate, and to make choices. Art experiences, culinary arts, performing arts, imaginative play, gardening, my gym and yoga foster a culture of wonder and discovery that is shared with friends. The learning continues through

November, but this time it is underscored by the theme of the month: gratitude. While we teach gratitude every day at our preschool, the Thanksgiving holiday really brings the message to the fore. It is the perfect mid-year opportunity to stop and remind ourselves of how blessed we are and express our heartfelt gratitude to our community – our dedicated and loving staff, our caring and involved parents and, of course, the children who bring us such joy, teach-

ing us more about love and thankfulness than we can ever teach them. We are excited to culminate our learning with a grand Thanksgiving performance and community feast, reminding us all that when we stop and count our blessings, there is always reason to celebrate. For more information, contact me at 239.263.2620 or naplespreschool ofthearts@gmail.com, or visit www. naplespreschoolofthearts.com.

Look what’s growing in the Preschool of the Arts garden!

16A Federation Star November 2015

JEWISH INTEREST

Ask the Rabbi: Same-sex marriage

Jean Amodea interviews Rabbi Adam Miller of Temple Shalom (Reform)

hot-button topic, last June, a Supreme Court 5-4 ruling granted equal rights to same-sex couples who wanted to be united in marriage. In religious circles, the dividing line of thought regarding same-sex marriage falls between Orthodox Judaism and both Conservative and Reform Judaism. The latter, known as the least traditional in practice, was the first of the movements accepting of same-sex marriage, active in advocating for homosexual rights since 1965. Locally, Rabbi Adam Miller upholds a resolution passed in 2000 by the Central Conference of American Rabbis that deems the relationship of Jewish, same-gender couples as “worthy of affirmation through appropriate Jewish ritual.” “My view is that within the Reform movement, it is up to each individual to form their own conclusion after understanding and studying, including the most widely accepted understanding of the acceptance of same-sex marriage. There is also a willingness on behalf of most of my colleagues to perform samesex ceremonies,” said Miller. We caught up with Rabbi Miller to chat further. How do you reconcile traditional Jewish values and ethics with the Reform movement view? One has to go back and understand where the conversation about same-sex relationships has been to where we are now. There is a famous comment of prohibition in Leviticus that says a man should not lie with another man as he would with a woman. That prohibition is often taken out of context and just cited, not appreciative of the greater context in which it appears. It is part of a conversation including the prevention of early Israelites in engaging in rituals or acts that would connect them with other

religious groups. At the time, in Canaanite and in other Middle Eastern worship, there were non-consensual relationships between men and young boys as part of worship rituals to their god. This Leviticus prohibition was preventing that behavior. So, how should the text be read? Oftentimes, we get stuck on the reading of that text. We are looking at that text and its meaning and understanding of that time period and realize that for most modern Jews, and in fact for all Jews, we don’t read the text literally. In fact,

Rabbi Adam F. Miller we never read the Bible, the Tenach, literally, but read it through different lenses. Within the Orthodox community, it is read through the lens of Mishnah, Talmud and Jewish law, which interprets that text. In Torah, a section talks about the rebellious child that should be stoned before that child causes damage to the community. But later, the rabbis said that such a thing never happens, and we don’t do that. Literally, the words are there but they evolve over time and change, and that is how Judaism has also evolved. Through what lens does Reform Judaism read the texts? We see it through the lens of looking at it so we are not reading it for capital “T” truth, that literally the words themselves are true, but reading it for the “truths” – lowercase “t” – that we learn from the text and the values. So, in that context, looking at the Leviticus text, keeping people from idolatry and non-consensual relationships, it is not

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speaking about people who are in love with each other. What is the Reform view of those who wish to engage in same-sex marriage? A very important ethical value in Judaism, one we emphasize, is the idea from Genesis that every single human being is created in the divine image, and every person should be treated with respect. That is a more important understanding than seeing someone’s intrinsic attraction to the same gender, or their sexual orientation as somehow abhorrent, which violates the very concept that everyone is created in the divine image, and that everyone is holy. So, if we consider the concept of divine image (B’tzelem Elohim), the view of marriage being solely between a man and a woman is inaccurate. Yes. The view that the Bible says that marriage is only for a man and a woman is not true. If you look at the text, the idea of what we think of marriage is not at all represented in the text. Rather, the text talks about the idea of a woman being acquired by a man, taken from the household of her father and being brought into the household of her new husband. She was essentially treated as – forgive the term – chattel or property, and transferred from one place to the next, and so much so, that it was not about marriage or love as we think of it today. That men had multiple wives was a sign of great wealth in that you could afford more than one wife. So, to say that somehow we violated the biblical ideal of marriage is a false premise to begin with. Can we truly consider same-sex marriage as fulﬁlling the intent of the concept of kiddushin? Kiddushin is the perfect word for this because it is from the root “kiddush,” holy, and you are declaring your partner to be holy to you in your eyes. It doesn’t say kiddushin means the union of a man and a woman; it is two individuals

declaring each other to be holy. MyE view is whether those two individualsf are a man and woman, two women ori two men, if they love each other andw they are willing to say, in front of alli those important to them, that this person is sacred to me, this person is holy to me and this relationship is holy, then you’ve reached a very special place. Have you performed same-sex marriages? I have been open to the fact that I am willing to perform these ceremonies. There are two pieces. One is that I was always willing to perform such ceremonies, and the other is that I am also respectful of my role, as it has been given to me, in a legal context. It could not be called a marriage until the area in which I lived allowed it. I was not going to misrepresent and say I would perform the ceremony if it were not legal. Last January, Florida made it legal. I have stated publically that I would embrace it and that I was open to it, and also that I support the LGBT and Naples Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) organizations. Last spring, I was thrilled to be asked by a lovely couple, two men, to perform their marriage ceremony, and I did my first, last May. It was a joyful moment. How has the congregation accepted the issue? Ten years ago would have been different, but now, because we are so clear in the message that we are all created in the divine image and everyone is equal, it is not something that people flinch at. It was a bit of surprise when I did the May ceremony, but beyond the media attention, I have received a lot of support. We are doing and following through on what we believe. We create an open environment. If people have disagreements, we have civil discourses, and we talk about Jewish values and the import of doing this or that and what it means to us.

Is there a Treasure in your Attic? Yiddish Books are a Cultural Treasure of the Jewish People The National Yiddish Book Center is a non-profit organization working to save Yiddish culture. Please check around your home for old Yiddish books and records, and inquire among friends and relatives. Gifts of these books are tax deductible. Please drop off your Yiddish books and records at the Jewish Federation, for further delivery to the National Yiddish Book Center, or call Louis Rusitzky at 239.455.6447 to schedule a pick-up. Visit the National Yiddish Book Center at www.yiddishbookcenter.org.

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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. Football and Yogi The following five Jewish players were on an NFL (National Football League) team as of September 24. Jewish Sports Review magazine aided this item: NATE EBNER, 26, free safety, New England. Now in his 4th season, Ebner has established himself as an outstanding special-teams player. TAYLOR MAYS, 27, free safety, Oakland Raiders. In a happy way, Mays could quote the famous Godfather III line: “I thought I was out, but they brought me back-in!” A college star at USC, Mays had a so-so career in four seasons with Cincinnati. Released at the end of last season, he was signed and then quickly released by Minnesota, Detroit and Oakland (August. 25). However, on September 15, he was re-signed by Oakland following injuries to Raider safeties. He started in the team’s home opener. Mays, by the way, is a son of an African-American, non-Jewish father (Stafford Mays, an 8-year NFL player, now a Microsoft executive) and a white Jewish mother who is a Nordstrom executive. He was raised Jewish and had a bar mitzvah. ALEXANDER “ALI” MARPET, 22, guard, Tampa Bay. He’s the only Jewish rookie this year. Marpet has defied the odds. He made the NFL after a small-school career (Hobart College in upstate New York) and he started the Bucs’ first two games. Marpet went on a Birthright trip to Israel (his father worked in Israel during the mid-1970s as a TV cameraman). GEOFF SCHWARTZ, 29, guard,

N.Y. Giants. Now in his 7th season, Schwartz was injured most of last season. Healthy now, he started the Giants’ first two games. MITCHELL SCHWARTZ, 26, tackle, Cleveland Browns. Mitchell, a very good, steady player, and the brother of Geoff, has started in all the Browns’ games since being signed in 2012 (50 straight games as of September 20, 2015). Fun facts: Mendel is Mitchell’s Hebrew name, and Gedalia Yitzhak is Geoff’s Hebrew name. The Arizona State football team defeated UCLA in a big upset on October 3. What’s more remarkable is that both Division I teams had Jewish starting quarterbacks (MATT BERCOVICI, 22, Arizona, and JOSH ROSEN, 18, UCLA). No Jewish sports maven can recall this happening before. New York Yankee great Yogi Berra, who died in late September, was famous for his baseball skills and his memorable one-line comments (like “It ain’t over ’til it’s over” and “You can observe a lot by just by watching”). Sadly, many well-known remarks attributed to Berra were writers’ inventions. Berra verified that he actually said one of my favorite quotes in his 1998 book, The Yogi Book, I Really Didn’t Say Everything I Said! In 1956, New York papers were full of stories that Dublin, Ireland, had elected ROBERT BRISCOE its first Jewish Lord Mayor. Berra was asked about Dublin electing a Jewish mayor and he replied: “Only in America!” In his book, Berra

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:

Send Nate an email 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. explained: “Geography was never my strong suit.” More New TV Season Hebrews The sit-com Grandfathered premiered on Fox on September 29 at 8:00 p.m. (new shows on Tuesdays). John Stamos (Full House) stars as Jimmy, a suave restaurant owner who finds out that not only is he a father – his previously unknown-to-him son has a young daughter. JOSH PECK, 28, an actor whose charm and talent, I think, sneaks up on you, plays Jimmy’s son, Gerald. The Grinder airs on Fox right after Grandfathered (8:30 p.m.). Rob Lowe plays Dean, an actor who decides to move back home to Idaho and join his family’s law firm after eight years playing a lawyer on TV. Problem is that Dean has no law license or formal legal training. His brother, Stewart (FRED SAVAGE), is a real-life lawyer who has to cope with Dean injecting Hollywood into his law practice. This is Savage’s first big acting role since The Wonder Years. He’s been a very busy

TV director. He has three kids with his Jewish wife, JENNIFER. Lowe isn’t Jewish, but his wife of 24 years is Jewish, and the couple’s two sons were raised in their mother’s faith. Red Oaks premiered on Amazon TV in October and the whole first season was released at once. The year is 1985 and most of the action centers around Red Oaks, a New Jersey country club that is mostly Jewish. The central character is David Meyers, a Jewish college student who works at the club. Getty (PAUL REISER, 58), one of the club’s richest guys, takes an interest in David and mentors him. Meanwhile, David’s father, played by RICHARD KIND, 58, is more working class and he and Getty sometimes clash.

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18A Federation Star November 2015

JEWISH INTEREST

Fast-paced, globe-spanning thriller takes readers from Hawaii to Hebron Book review by Philip K. Jason, Special to the Federation Star Saving Sophie, by Ronald H. Balson. St. Martin’s Griffin. 416 pages. Trade paperback $15.99.

his exciting, information-packed novel is almost bursting at the seams of its ambition. In it, author Ronald H. Balson orchestrates several intersecting storylines that cover a broad geographical, generational and geopolitical span. The two main narratives follow an $88 million embezzlement case in Chicago and a sophisticated terrorist plot masterminded out of Hebron. When the payoff from a Phil Jason colossal business deal engineered in part by accountant (and single father) Jack Sommers goes awry, the money not deposited in the authorized account, Jack is among those under suspicion. So he takes on a false identity and hides out in Hawaii. The complicated legal case triggered by the embezzlement requires the skills of key characters from Once We Were Brothers, Balson’s first novel. They are attorney Catherine Lockhart, once fired from the firm that now needs her, and private eye Liam Taggart. These two have a long-simmering romance that percolates throughout. They are also tied to the terrorist plot headed by Jewish Jack’s Muslim father-in-law, Dr. Arif al-Zahani, from his home in Palestinian Hebron. The doctor is a leader of the Sons of Canaan, a sinister group preparing a devastating

action designed to kill thousands. mation about the journey of the Liam is recruited to work with a embezzled money. Is Jack their beautiful counterterrorism agent, Kaynext target, or is he in league la Cummings, who is at first identified with them? Or is he only a target as attached to the U.S. Department of of law enforcement, which must State. The mission is to rescue Jack’s be kept at bay so that he can daughter, Sophie – who has been kidmanage the rescue of Sophie? napped by her grandfather, al-Zahani – (A subplot, perhaps overly disand to foil the looming attack. tracting from the main business of the A degree of teasing romantic reparnovel, involves a college-basketball tee develops between Kayla and Liam point-shaving racket run by one of the that suggests his lack of commitment principals in the business buyout.) to Catherine. However, in the end, One of Balson’s goals is to create Kayla actually helps Liam adjust his a rich context for the action that taps behavior in order to deserve and win into 20th-century Middle East history Catherine. Here and elsewhere, Balas well as the history of the region as son’s representations of interpersonal enshrined in Biblical narratives beginrelationships are drawn with subtlety ning with Abraham’s land purchase. and sophistication. His vehicle for this exposition But what of the money? Where is – which is ultimately pro-Israel but it, and what will it be used for? Perhaps strenuously attempts to balance Jewit’s the price of Sophie’s release: a huge ish and Arab-Muslim perspectives – bankroll for future activiis primarily dialogue. ties of the Sons of Canaan, Rather than using the whose motto is “From the narrator’s voice, he Golan to the Gulf.” feeds his facts through In Hawaii, Jack runs the exchanges of his into Marcy, the best friend characters. In this, Balof his deceased wife, Alison’s execution is borna, al-Zahani’s rebellious derline unwieldy. daughter. Alina, it turns Even though the out, was an early victim of expository conversaher father’s bacteriologitions are motivated by cal weapon, punished for the circumstance of her disobedience to his one character having Ronald Balson (photo by Monica J. Balson) rigid expectations, which knowledge and another included marrying Jack and leaving needing to be educated, too often they Hebron. Marcy is willing to help Jack read like prepared speeches. After a and become a second mother to Sowhile, more becomes less. phie, assuming the captive child can be These excesses do little damage to rescued. the overall impact of the novel, though, Into the plot salad Balson tosses which remains strong, colorful and Russian mobsters who seem to trail the constantly suspenseful. Many of the action, bumping off anyone with inforbest scenes in the later chapters focus

on the doings of the determined and capable Kayla Cummings, who is revealed to be an Israeli agent. Readers will also admire the scenes between the doctor and his granddaughter, with their complicated emotions and unresolvable conflict. The meetings of the Sons of Canaan are drawn deftly, the group’s members humanized and individualized. But best of all may be the exchanges that convey the growing relationship between Jack and Marcy, filled with desperation, romance and moral reverberations concerning responsibility and guilt. With its well-handled, vividly painted settings in and around Jerusalem and Hebron, Hawaii and Chicago, Saving Sophie will keep readers engaged from first to last. And educated, too. (It’s generously stocked with supplementary materials for reading groups.) This review, which first appeared in the online Washington Independent Review of Books, is reprinted by permission. 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.

Look for Collier County Jewish Book Festival information, including a schedule of events, venue locations, author bios, book synopses, ticket packages and an order form, in section B of this issue.

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November 2015 Federation Star

19A

Atrocity and punishment in November 1945 By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD

wo related events – one largely unknown, the other very well known – took place 70 years ago this month. The first saw the discovery of a mass grave of murdered Jews near Iwje, Poland, where, on the eve of the Holocaust, some 3,000 Jews lived. The town of Iwje, today part of Belarus, was located between Vilna and Minsk. It was Dr. Paul Bartrop comprised largely of tradesmen, artisans and factory owners; Jewish political parties and youth movements, together with religious and educational institutions, were all active in a vibrant Yiddish environment. About a week after the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Iwje fell into German hands. That August, the Nazis rounded up 224 of Iwje’s Jewish intellectuals, including rabbis and teachers, and, with the assistance of local Lithuanian auxiliaries, shot them in a nearby forest. A ghetto was then established in Iwje, and by April 1942, hundreds more Jews had been transferred there from neighboring villages. On May 12, 1942, thousands were gathered in the ghetto’s market square. Some 2,300, including many women and babies, were taken to the same site in the forest, where they were murdered. It was only on November 12, 1945, that their grave was located and news made public of their murder. November 20, 1945, a few days later, was the opening day of the International Military Tribunal (IMT), based in the German city of Nuremberg, which sat for the purpose of trying twenty-two major Nazis, accused under any of four counts: Crimes against Peace, War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and (the chief indictment) Conspiring to Commit any of the foregoing in a “Common Plan.” Known colloquially as the “Nuremberg Trials,” the Tribunal was convened by the victorious Allies (France, Great Britain, the USSR and the United States), each of whom sent two judges. Their task was to try the leaders of the Nazi hierarchy as well as six Nazi organizations (the Nazi Party, the Gestapo, the SA, SD, the Reich Cabinet and the Army General Staff). The city of Nuremberg was chosen, after the initial choice of Berlin

was rejected, because of its infamous association with the anti-Semitic Nazi racial laws of 1935. The trials took place at the Palace of Justice, and were to set the tone for all subsequent war crimes trials down to the present day. The major emphasis of the IMT lay in a concern to bring to justice those who had upset the international order by waging aggressive war. At the time, nothing was seen as being more criminal than the foisting of aggressive war upon a world which had previously been clearly committed to avoiding it. Nuremberg was therefore not a trial that sat in judgment on the Holocaust. In the popular awareness, however, since November 1945 there has been a perception that the International Military Tribunal actually sat in judgment on the Holocaust, owing to the shocking disclosures and film footage that came to light in evidence. Yet while the Holocaust itself was not on trial, what was revealed served to confirm for people around the world why the struggle against the Nazis had been too important to lose. The Charter of the Nuremberg Trials was unprecedented in international law, and a vital step on the road to a universal anti-genocide, anti-crimes against humanity, and anti-war crimes regime that would be binding upon all. Most significantly, the IMT rejected as a defense position that of “following superior orders,” emphasizing, instead, the principle of individual responsibility provided there was a moral decision to be made. This set the stage for not only the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948), but the later International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in the 1990s. It had its crowning moment in 2002, with the establishment of the International Criminal Court. When the International Military Tribunal handed down its decisions, there were few surprises. Six of the accused were found guilty on all four counts; another six were similarly sentenced after having been found guilty of some of the counts. Twelve of the defendants were sentenced to death: they were Herman Göring (who committed suicide prior to the sentence being carried out), Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Alfred

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

Rosenberg, Hans Frank, Julius Streicher, Fritz Sauckel, Alfred Jodl, Arthur Seyss-Inquart and Wilhelm Frick. Martin Bormann, head of the Reich Chancellery, was sentenced to death in absentia. Sentenced to life imprisonment were Rudolf Hess, Walter Funk and Erich Raeder. Sentenced to various length prison terms were Albert Speer, Konstantin von Neurath, Karl Döenitz and Baldur von Schirach. Acquitted were Fritz von Papen, Hjalmar Schacht and Hans Fritzche. Also indicted was Robert Ley, leader of the German Labor Front, but he committed suicide prior to the start of the trials. Adolf Hitler had already committed suicide the previous April,

as had Heinrich Himmler in May. The massacre of the Jews of Iwje, Poland, and discovery of their common grave in November 1945, shocked many, but was missed by most. The start of the trial of major Nazi war criminals that began a few days after this discovery was a further reinforcement of why the war against the Nazis had been fought, and of why the fate of the Jews of Iwje had to be remembered by future generations. Especially today, in these uncertain times, both events still need to be recalled, together. 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.

Events at Florida Gulf Coast University in November

n Friday, November 20, to mark the 70th anniversary of the opening day of the Nuremberg Trials in 1945, FGCU’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies will be holding an all-day symposium entitled “The Nuremberg Trials after 70 Years: Justice or Vengeance.” Speakers will include Dr. Paul Bartrop (FGCU), Dr. Steven Leonard Jacobs (University of Alabama), Dr. Herbert Hirsch (Virginia Commonwealth University), Dr. Alex Alvarez (Northern Arizona University) and Mr. Michael Dickerman (Stockton University). The symposium will be held in the Cohen Center, room 214, from 9:15 a.m. onwards. There is no registration required. Then, on Monday, November 23, the Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies, in conjunction with FGCU Community Outreach, will be

hosting Holocaust survivor Mrs. Eva Kor, who will be addressing us on the theme “Echoes from Auschwitz.” Mrs. Kor, who as a child survived experimentation at the hands of the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele, will be recounting her experience in Auschwitz and her decision to forgive. This event will be held in the Cohen Center Ballroom at 6:00 p.m. No registration is required. Full details on both events can be found by looking at “Forthcoming Events” on the Center website, http:// www.fgcu.edu/HC/events.html. For the event on November 20 it is mandatory that you collect a parking permit from the Welcome Booth as you enter the university if you are not a member of the university community. Florida Gulf Coast University is located at 10501 FGCU Blvd., Fort Myers.

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20A Federation Star November 2015

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

12 technologies that are about to transform your home Israeli companies are tops in ‘smart home’ solutions to save you time, worry, energy and water. By Abigail Klein Leichman, ISRAEL21c, www.israel21c.org, October 1, 2015

ezeq, Israel’s largest telecom, recently set up a model “smart home” at its Tel Aviv headquarters and in the IKEA store in Netanya to demonstrate its Bhome subscription service – a cutting-edge package of Wi-Fi-enabled sensors and monitors to help keep out intruders and save energy. But you don’t necessarily have to live in Israel to take advantage of sophisticated Israeli smart-home technologies. Whether you want to control temperature, humidity and lights, monitor and optimize water usage, activate audio systems and alarms through a mobile phone or tablet, there’s a product on the market – or close to market – to help you do it with the magic of the Internet of Things (IoT). Here are a few of the many options available now or coming soon. 1. SwitchBee This Netanya-based startup provides a platform including programmable switches, a central control unit, a smartphone/tablet application and cloud-based data services. The plug-and-play devices, featured in the Bhome model smart home, are designed to embed in existing outlets quickly and wirelessly. The company says you can convert a light switch into a smart switch in less than two minutes, or turn your whole house into a smart home in less than 90 minutes. Using the app’s secure dashboard, the user can program custom preferences for each SwitchBee-enabled light or device including on/off and fine adjustments. 2. Singlecue Singlecue is a standalone device that lets you use touch-free gestures to control infrared- and Wi-Fi-enabled media and smart-home devices in its range of sight. You can do everything

from lowering the thermostat to lowering the TV volume to lowering the blinds. CNN named Singlecue one of 36 “coolest gadgets of 2014.”

Singlecue recognizes hand motions for remote control

Singlecue is made by eyeSight Technologies, a Herzliya company whose machine-vision systems have been built into devices made by OPPO, Lenovo, Toshiba, Hisense, Phillips and other manufacturers since 2005. 3. EarlySense This digital health company in Ramat Gan recently released myEarlySense, an under-mattress automatic sleep-monitoring system designed to integrate with smart-home solutions. Users can adapt their home environment based on the sleep-cycle data collected from the myEarlySense sensor – for example, arming and disarming home security systems, turning off the TV, turning on the coffeemaker, and adjusting the thermostat. The myEarlySense technology is built into Samsung’s new SleepSense IoT device. 4. Smart Garden Hub by GreenIQ Recently launched at Home Depot stores across the United States and also sold online, GreenIQ’s Smart Garden Hub allows you to adjust irrigation based on past, current and forecast weather – without stepping outside – yielding water savings of up to 50 percent. The device connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi or cellular connection and is controlled from an iOS or Android

The Israel Advocacy Committee of the Jewish Federation of Collier County Invites Your Participation In Our Major Multi-Cultural Community Event

“CELEBRATE ISRAEL, its CULTURE and its PEOPLE” Discover the creative spirit and success behind “The Start-Up Nation”

Sunday, May 15, 2016 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at the Mercato

The event will include delicious foods, Israeli music and dancing, fun games for children of all ages, exhibitors of Israeli art and products, travel opportunities to Israel, vendors and other representatives of the many local organizations that support Israel. Although May seems a long way off, time is of the essence. We need your help now in coordinating this exciting multi-faceted event and getting it off the ground. Those interested in participating with us are encouraged to email iacnaples@gmail.com with your name and contact information, including a statement as to which part of the event you would like to provide your assistance.

ENTR lets users control entry from a smartphone, tablet or other Bluetoothenabled device. You can create or disable virtual keys immediately, lock or unlock the door at preprogrammed times, and Put the device in your garden and control it by app monitor the system (photo courtesy of GreenIQ) remotely. The underlying algorithms were developed at the app. The Petah Tikva-based company’s Israeli R&D facility of U.S. chipmaker app can also adjust outdoor lighting Freescale. and can connect to a Netatmo weather 10. Evoz station and rain gauge or a water-flow Evoz turns an iOS device into a sensor for leak detection. virtual baby monitor. Its technology 5. WeR@Home by Essence is built inside the Belkin-Evoz WeMo This cloud-administered wireless monitor, which stores and graphs basystem lets users manage and comby’s cries and analyzes the informamunicate with a large variety of thirdtion to provide parenting tips; and in party connected home devices, such as British Telecom’s next-generation home video devices. Evoz also can be used for monitoring housebound seniors, detecting and sending alerts The WeR@Home suite about safety and security, and evaluating electricity usage. lighting, thermostats and door locks. 11. SmartH2O by BwareIT Essence is based in Herzliya. Attach the SmartH2O home wa6. Sensibo ter meter to your sink or shower tap or Sensibo’s tagline is “Give your old your garden hose, download the app air conditioner a brain.” The system inand start seeing exactly how much wacludes a pod that sticks onto your A/C ter your household is using, how long and heating unit, and an intuitive app the water is running and at what temthat lets you monitor and modify your perature, and how much it’s costing settings from any smartphone, tablet or you. computer. If you’ve got a Samsung in Now being incubated in Startup the living room, an LG in the bedroom Scaleup, the European Commission’s and a Friedrich in the study, Sensibo IoT accelerator, the device could be on will control all of them with one interthe market within a year to give conserface. A new public API for developers vation-oriented users an unprecedented will enable integration of Sensibo with awareness of water consumption. The other home appliances as well. 7. SmarTap SmarTap’s digital shower system, currently available in Israel and the UK and next year in the United States, was chosen for Bezeq’s Bhome demo to show how the product can reduce water and energy use by enabling precise control of flow and temperature. An app lets users program actions such as preheating the shower, The meter makes it easy to watch water usage on any faucet setting a maximum temapp will also inform you of any leaks, perature and flow rate, and specifying and show how your water usage comhow high to fill the bath. The Nesherpares with the average in your region based company will be adding funcor country. If you’re proud of how you tions such as automatic leak detection, stack up to your neighbors, you can opening cold-water pipes to prevent share your rating on social media. freezing, and monitoring usage pat12. Mybitat terns; the software will be upgraded This IoT company, headquartered remotely with each new feature. IBM in Herzliya, is partnering with SamResearch in Haifa is now researching sung to develop a smart-home solution how SmarTap can help reduce water aimed at helping the elderly remain in and energy use in commercial buildings. their own homes longer and enhancing 8. PointGrab their quality of life. The technology Anything plugged into a power combines advanced sensors, cloudsource can be connected to PointGrab’s based software and behavior analytics PointSwitch product to enable gestureto monitor an individual’s daily roucontrolled adjustments and on/off actine and wellness. If it detects changes tions up to 17 feet away, even in full in behavior or health, the system will darkness. This Israeli gesture-control send alerts to preselected family memtechnology is already powering tens of bers or caregivers. millions of devices made by Fujitsu, Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Samsung, TLC associate editor at ISRAEL21c. Prior and Skyworth. The company is based to moving to Israel in 2007, she was in Hod Hasharon. a specialty writer and copy editor at a 9. ENTR by Mul-T-Lock daily newspaper in New Jersey and has This battery-operated smart lock freelanced for a variety of newspapers from Mul-T-Lock in Yavneh is deand periodicals since 1984. signed to be retrofitted into existing doors.

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

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

POLL: PALESTINIANS SUPPORT RENEWED ARMED INTIFADA

57% of Palestinians support a return to an armed intifada, up from 49% three months ago, according to a poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in the West Bank and Gaza on September 1719, 2015. 65% want President Abbas to resign. 52% of Gazans say they seek immigration to other countries, as do 24% in the West Bank. In Gaza, only 42% say Hamas came out a winner in the 2014 war; a year ago, 69% in Gaza said Hamas had won. 60% of Palestinians reject and 37% accept a French proposal that would request the UN Security Council to affirm the establishment of a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 lines. Only 40% support mutual recognition of national identity – of Israel as the state for the Jewish people and Palestine as the state for the Palestinian people – while 58% oppose it. 50% believe that Israel intends to destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock and replace them with a Jewish temple. 80% say the Arab world is too preoccupied with its own conflicts, and that Palestine is no longer the Arabs’ principal cause. 58% believe that there is an Arab Sunni alliance with Israel against Iran. 83% support and 13% oppose the war waged by Arab and Western countries against ISIS. (Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research)

November 2015 Federation Star

21A

BRIEFS U.S. FIRM LIVEPERSON EMPLOYS 400 IN ISRAEL

Rob LoCascio is CEO of LivePerson, a U.S. company that provides help services for online businesses in the form of help chat services, analytics and other forms of customer engagement. LoCascio says the company remains committed to Israel because of the high quality of work LivePerson gets out of its workers here. “We’ve been in Israel for fifteen years,” LoCascio said. “We are in Israel by choice – and not because of any ethnic, religious or political ties.” (David Shamah, Times of Israel)

ISRAELI TEAM ADVANCES IN LUNAR SPACECRAFT COMPETITION

The Israeli nonprofit group SpaceIL has signed a contract with American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX to launch an unmanned spacecraft into lunar orbit – the first step in an international competition sponsored by Google to send a privately-funded spacecraft to the moon. The Israeli group is the first of 16 teams to finalize a contract with a launch provider. (AP-Ha’aretz)

REALITY-BASED DEMOGRAPHY

Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reported a Jewish fertility rate of 3.11 births per woman in 2015, a rate that is trending upward. The Arab fertility rate in 2015 was 3.35 and is declining. In 2015, Israel’s Jewish births constitute 78% of total births, compared with 69% in 1995.

The documented number of Arabs in the West Bank is 1.7 million – 1.1 million less than the number claimed by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The Palestinian census of 2007 included many people with mythological life expectancy, who were born in 1845, 1850 and 1860. Arab net-emigration from the West Bank was 20,000 in 2013 and 25,000 in 2014. (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom)

BON JOVI STANDS UP FOR ISRAEL – AND AGAINST THE BOYCOTTERS

Bon Jovi played Tel Aviv on Saturday, October 3 – the latest band to flip off Roger Waters and the rest of the odious Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement. For years now, Pink Floyd cofounder Waters has hectored other artists to stop performing in Israel. Asked about Waters’ whines, Jon Bon Jovi said simply, “It doesn’t interest me. I told my managers to give one simple answer: that I’m coming to Israel, and I’m excited to come.” (New York Post editorial)

CHRISTIAN EVANGELICALS IN JERUSALEM SHOW LOVE FOR ISRAEL

Thousands of evangelical Christians from more than 80 countries descended upon Jerusalem recently to show their support for the Jewish state, including pilgrims and politicians from countries with a history of hostility toward Israel. “Israel has no better friends throughout the world,” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a video-

taped address Tuesday, September 29. The annual weeklong Feast of Tabernacles, held during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, included a flag-waving parade through the streets of Jerusalem. (Daniel Estrin, AP-U.S. News)

PALESTINIAN GROUPS AHEAD OF ISIS IN DESTROYING ANTIQUITIES

From July to September 2015, 13 editorials and articles appeared in the Washington Post alone on the threat to, and eventual destruction by ISIS of the ancient Roman city of Palmyra in Syria. Yet, ISIS is far from alone when it comes to defacing and destroying evidence of ancient, non-Islamic civilizations. In 2013, more than 200 terror attacks occurred at Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem, where the Jewish matriarch Rachel is said to be buried – 119 of those attacks included the use of explosives at the sacred site. In the course of the second intifada, Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem were stoned by Arab mobs on the Temple Mount above them. The Temple Mount is considered to be the holiest site in Judaism. Its sanctity long predates the building of the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque at the same location in the century after the Islamic conquest. During Jordan’s occupation of Jerusalem and the West Bank (19481967), Jewish holy places in eastern Jerusalem were desecrated and destroyed, and Jews were denied entry to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.

continued on next page

22A Federation Star November 2015

COMMENTARY

Attacks against Israelis: The world’s silence is deafening By David Harris, Executive Director, AJC, October 11, 2015

or days now, I have been watching in dismay as Israeli citizens face random attacks, some deadly, by Palestinian assailants on the streets of their cities and towns. Children have been orphaned, parents have lost children, and some survivors are doubtless scarred for life. I have been waiting to see whether Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whose false claims about Israel supposedly changing the status quo at a Muslim holy site helped trigger the unrest, would seek to calm the situation or inflame it still further. I have been following the journalistic acrobatics of some mainstream media, such as the BBC and The New York Times, which seek to avoid calling a spade a spade in reporting what’s happening, blurring the distinction between who are the arsonists and who are the firemen. I’ve been observing the international community largely languish in silence or, at best, issue mealy-mouthed statements calling for “restraint” on both sides, hewing to the 50-yard line. And I’ve been wondering, not for the first time, what it would take for the world to wake up and acknowledge – without equivocation, resort to moral equivalence, or diplomatic gobbledygook – that Israel, the lone liberal democracy in the Middle East, is facing violence that must be condemned unequivocally, and that it, like any other nation, has the obligation to defend itself. It’s striking how, when it comes to these issues, some otherwise intelligent and thoughtful people in government, media or think tanks, just shut down their critical faculties. Instead, they resort to a Pavlovian response mechanism that essentially rejects any possible legitimacy for the Israeli position and blindly defends whatever Palestinian narrative comes along. In this mindset, if Israelis are being shot or stabbed, they must have done something to “deserve” it. If Israeli authorities mobilize the army and police to stop the terrorism, then, by definition, Israel is using “excessive force.” No matter how inflammatory President Abbas’s speeches at the UN may

be, he is a man of “peace.” No matter how many times Israeli leaders call for face-to-face negotiations with the Palestinians, Israel is always branded as the “obstacle” to peace. Isn’t it long overdue to get real, see things as they actually are, and stop living in a world of self-imposed illusions and falsehoods? Undoubtedly, some of the individuals who express these views, and the institutions they represent, are ideologically blinded. Down deep, they just can’t abide the notion of Jewish selfdetermination, even as they place the Palestinians on a political pedestal. But there are others who hope to see a two-state accord, allowing both Israelis and Palestinians to pursue their national aspirations alongside one another, and I have no reason to doubt their sincerity. Yet I do question their strategy. While they do not hesitate to push, prod and criticize Israel when they believe, rightly or wrongly, that Israel isn’t acting in the spirit of a two-state vision, they’re too often deafeningly silent when it comes to Palestinian behavior – including right now. This double standard is the height of condescension or, indeed, infantilization. By indulging the Palestinians, rationalizing their every misstep, coddling their leaders, going along with their unilateral steps at the UN and elsewhere, ignoring incitement and glorification of “martyrs,” and excusing every turndown of an Israeli two-state offer, these presumably well-intentioned actors are making the achievement of a two-state agreement less, not more, likely. After all, if the Palestinians aren’t held to a higher standard of conduct (or are quietly believed to be incapable of it), how in the world could they ever responsibly govern a state of their own, and not become yet another volatile, undemocratic Arab nation? And if that’s the prospect, why would Israel, already facing a region in turmoil that only promises to get still more so, now conclude that the Palestinian leadership can be a reliable partner for peace? Apropos, I recently met the foreign

minister of a Latin American country, and we discussed his nation’s voting pattern at the UN on Israel-related issues. He said proudly that he considers carefully each of the (endless) resolutions before giving instructions on how to vote, paying particular attention, he stressed, to its implications for Israel’s security. This sounded pretty good and he certainly came across as genuine. But I then asked him when was the last time he had visited Israel to see the evolving situation on the ground and along the country’s borders. He replied that he had never been there, but hoped to go one day. Forgive me, but how can someone thousands of miles away who has never laid eyes on tiny Israel, not even once – never stood at the border with Lebanon to see Iran-backed Hezbollah forces on the other side, never traveled to the Gaza frontier to understand Hamas’s proximity, never realized that Islamist cells operate in the West Bank just a few miles, if that, from Israeli population centers, and never gazed across the border with Syria, where the only thing all the warring factions agree on, from ISIS to Assad’s forces, is their hatred of Israel — determine what is and

is not in Israel’s best security interests? But with all my grief at the attacks in Israel, and all my despair about how much of the international community is (and is not) reacting, there’s one thing that gives me hope – Israel itself. No matter the danger, Israel remains unbowed and unbent. It will defend itself as it must, and it will teach the world, which faces its own terrorist threats, a few lessons in the process. It will continue to yearn for enduring peace, even as its adversaries clamor for Jewish blood. And the people of Israel will not for a single moment stop living and contributing to one of the most exciting, innovative and creative countries on the planet. Shortly after a Tel Aviv discotheque was attacked by a Palestinian terrorist 14 years ago, killing 21 young people, someone came along and wrote on the charred building façade: “They won’t stop us from dancing.” Indeed, they won’t. For more information, visit www.ajc.org.

BRIEFS

The Kiryat Arabia site is located near the Arab village of al-Arub in Gush Etzion in the West Bank. In 1968, a winding, branching cave was discovered at the site, one of the caves where Bar Kokhba hid. The cave was originally dug beneath the ancient community of Kiryat Arabia, which is mentioned in scrolls found at Nahal Hever in the Judean Desert. The scrolls include military correspondence between Bar Kokhba and his fighters. The Kfar Etzion Field School recently resumed trips to the area and discovered the destruction of the site. The ancient structures were ruined, and the mouth of the cave was almost completely filled in. Field school director Yaron Rosenthal said, “While the cultured world is appalled at the destruction of ancient cities in Iraq and Syria by [Islamic State], we are witnessing broad-scale destruction of antiquities in our country.” (Efrat Forsher, Israel Hayom)

continued from previous page In 1996, the Muslim Waqf religious trust brought in heavy machinery to the Temple Mount and excavated and removed 6,000 tons of earth, dumping it in the Kidron Valley. Subsequently, archaeologists have found Jewish artifacts among the rubble. The director of Israel’s Antiquities Authority, Amir Drori, called the Waqf’s act an “archeological crime.” Attorney General Elyakim Rubenstein referred to it as “an assault on Jewish history.” (Sean Durns, CAMERA)

BAR KOKHBA-ERA ANTIQUITIES SITE RAZED BY PALESTINIAN VANDALS

An antiquities site that served as an encampment for Jewish leader Shimon Bar Kokhba during his revolt against the Romans from 132 to 136 CE has been destroyed by Palestinian vandals.

The AJC West Coast Florida oﬃce, located in Sarasota, can be reached at 941.365.4955.

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24A Federation Star November 2015

COMMENTARY

The politicization of Middle East studies

The influential Middle East Studies Association objects to the State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism, thereby giving up any pretense of professionalism it still had. By Efraim Karsh and Asaf Romirowsky, September 18, 2015 Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in The American Interest. It is reprinted with permission. Mr. Romirowsky, who is the Executive Director of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, will be the Israel Advocacy Committee of Collier County’s featured speaker on Wednesday, December 16 at Temple Shalom. Look for more information about this important event in next month’s Federation Star. t has been a while since the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), the largest and most influential professional body for the study of the region, whose 2,700-plus members inhabit departments of Middle East studies throughout the world, dropped its original designation as a “non-political learned society” to become a hotbed of anti-Israel invective. So deep has the rot settled that the association seems totally oblivious (or rather indifferent) to the fact that its recent endorsement of the anti-Israel de-legitimization campaign, and attendant efforts to obstruct the containment of resurgent anti-Semitism on U.S. campuses, have effectively crossed the thin line between “normal” Israel-bashing and classical Jew baiting. On February 15 of this year, a MESA referendum approved a resolution, passed by the membership during the association’s annual meeting three months earlier, which not only lauded the “calls for [anti-Israel] institutional boycott, divestment and/or sanctions [BDS]” as “legitimate forms of nonviolent political action” and deplored opposition to these exclusionary moves as an assault on the freedom of speech, but “strongly urge[d] MESA program committees to organize discussions at MESA annual meetings, and the MESA Board of Directors to create opportunities over the course of the year that provide platforms for a sustained discussion of the academic boycott and foster careful consideration of an appropriate position for MESA to assume.” Jews have of course been subjected to all kinds of segregation, ostracism and boycotting from time immemorial, and the BDS is but the latest manifestation of this millenarian hate fest. Those sponsoring it are obviously more interested in hurting Israel, if not obliterating it altogether (as many of its leaders have openly conceded), than in promoting

human rights; otherwise they would be pushing boycotts of the numerous Middle Eastern dictatorships that are guilty of the most horrendous atrocities against their own peoples rather than targeting the region’s only democracy, and the only place in the Middle East where academics enjoy complete and unrestricted freedom of expression. There were, for example, no boycotts of Saddam’s Iraq, Qaddafi’s Libya, or King Hussein’s Jordan, the latter of which killed more Palestinians in the single month of September 1970 than Israel did in decades. Nor has there been a boycott of the Syrian regime, which slaughtered far more people over the past four years than those killed during the 100 years of Arab-Israeli infighting; or of its Iranian abettor, which, apart from torturing its hapless subjects for nearly four decades and triggering a war that claimed some million lives, is the world’s foremost sponsor of terrorism and an open proponent of a genocide against an existing member of the international community; or of Turkey for its oppression of the vast Kurdish and Alevi minorities and the incarceration of thousands of political activists on the flimsiest and most dubious charges; or of Saudi Arabia for its political oppression and gender apartheid; or of the oppressive and corrupt regime in the West Bank and Gaza established by Yasser Arafat (the so-called Palestinian Authority). And so on and so forth. Nor do these boycotts, especially the academic one, reflect an honest sense of solidarity with the Palestinians in general, and the Palestinian universities of the West Bank and Gaza in particular, which for the past two decades have been under the control not of Israel but of the Palestinian Authority. Rather, they are an unabashed attempt to single out Israel as a pariah nation, to declare its existence illegitimate. As such, Israeli universities are to be ostracized not for any supposed repression of academic freedom but for their contribution to the creation and prosperity of the Jewish State of Israel, a supposedly racist, colonialist implant in the Middle East as worthy of extirpation as the formerly apartheid regime of South Africa. Given these circumstances, it was only natural for MESA President Nathan Brown to warn University of California

COMMENTARY BRIEFS THE HYPOCRISY OF THE BOYCOTT

September 22, 2015 The Reykjavik City Council in Iceland decided last week to boycott all products from Israel. I have a few questions: Does the boycott include products made by Israel’s Arab minority which is 20% of the population? Does the boycott include the 14 Arab Israeli parliamentarians who sit beside me in Israel’s parliament? Does the boycott include Israeli factories which employ tens of thousands of Palestinians for whom this is the only opportunity to provide for their children? Does the boycott include Israeli hospitals at which tens of thousands of Palestinians are treated every year?

Does the boycott include Microsoft Office, cellphone cameras, Google – all of which contain elements invented or produced in Israel? One of the best kept secrets about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that it is one of the smallest conflicts in the Middle East. In the past 67 years, fewer innocent Palestinians were killed than in one week in Syria. In fact, in that same period around 12 million people were killed in the Arab world. The boycott industry is a vast industry of media and public relations organized by Islamist groups funded by Qatar and Iran. Their purpose is not the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel but a Palestinian state on the ashes of Israel. Hamas has no intention of creat-

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President Janet Napolitano last month that its adoption of the State Department definition of anti-Semitism, as requested by some Jewish organizations, “would have a chilling effect on scholarly discussion of international affairs in California.” This is because, in his view, the definition “includes, as examples of anti-Semitism, certain kinds of philosophical and political criticisms of the State of Israel which are not only valid topics of academic discussion but are protected by the free speech guarantees of the U.S. Constitution and by the principles of academic freedom enshrined in California law and in University of California system policy.” It goes without saying that no state is above criticism and that faulting Israel for acts of commission or omission is a legitimate part of the political (and scholarly) discourse. But does the State Department definition of anti-Semitism seek to stifle this discourse as Brown claims? Quite the reverse, in fact. It takes care to stress that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic.” At the same time, however, the definition makes a clear distinction between such legitimate criticism and the constant outpouring of outlandish anti-Israel diatribes (often masqueraded as “philosophical and political criticisms”), which it considers pure and unadulterated anti-Semitism; and it offers three main ways in which this bigotry is manifested: ¡¡ Demonization of the Jewish State by using the symbols and images associated with classic antiSemitism to characterize Israel or Israelis; drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis; and blaming Israel for all inter-religious or political tensions. ¡¡ Double standard for Israel by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. ¡¡ Delegitimizing Israel by denying the Jewish people its right to selfdetermination, and denying Israel the right to exist. Had such abuse been meted out to any other state, religious community, or ethnic/national group in the Middle East (and beyond), it is doubtful whether MESA would have considered it a

“valid topic of academic discussion.” Yet its leaders and luminaries have had no qualms about singling out Jews and Israelis for disproportionate and unique opprobrium and denying them – and them alone – the basic right to national self-determination while allowing it to all other groups and communities, however new and tenuous their claim to nationhood. The late Edward Said, who exerted immense influence on the association despite having done no independent research on the Middle East or Islam, was a vocal proponent of the “one-state solution” – the standard euphemism for Israel’s replacement by an Arab/Muslim state in which Jews would be reduced to a permanent minority. Past MESA presidents like Rashid Khalidi (holder of the Edward Said chair at Columbia University), Joel Beinin, Juan Cole, among others, have, in one form or another, publicly advocated the destruction of Israel as a state. This is not a legitimate “philosophical and political criticism of the State of Israel” but reiteration of the millenarian antiSemitic myth of the “Wandering Jew” – a rootless nomad lacking an authentic corporate identity and condemned to permanent lingering on the fringes of history without an indigenous place he could call home. MESA’s Jewish and Israeli members should therefore insist that their association reverts to its original mission to “foster the study of the Middle East, promote high standards of scholarship and teaching, and encourage public understanding of the region and its peoples” rather than endlessly obsess with Israel and Jews. Should this demand prove unavailing, as it most likely will, they should shun membership in the association. Fortunately enough, MESA is no longer the only professional venue in the field of Middle Eastern studies. Efraim Karsh is emeritus professor of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies at King’s College London and professor of political studies at Bar-Ilan University, where he is also a senior research associate at the BESA Center for Strategic Studies. Asaf Romirowsky is Executive Director of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) and a research fellow at the Middle East Forum. The authors thank the Middle East Forum for its sponsorship of this essay.

ing a Palestinian democracy but a dark theocracy in which homosexuals are hanged from telephone poles, women aren’t allowed to leave their homes, and Christians and Jews are murdered for being Christians and Jews. Are those values acceptable to the Reykjavik City Council? They voted in favor of them. (Knesset Member Yair Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid party, and former Israeli finance minister)

more wrongheaded. What we failed to realize was that any deal to return the Golan Heights occupied by the Israelis in 1967 was likely to be the most fraught precisely because Assad was so cruel in his policies and that his regime consisted of an Alawite minority governing a Sunni majority. It was only a matter of time before Syria experienced real instability. Had Israel given up the Golan, today it would face a hot front confronting Hizbullah, Iran and a range of Islamist jihadis. Given the Golan’s strategic importance, Israel would have had to reoccupy it and would have found itself in the middle of Syria’s civil war. It’s a cautionary tale for well-intentioned U.S. and Israeli peacemakers alike. (Aaron David Miller, vice president at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, Wall Street Journal)

WHAT IF ISRAEL HAD GIVEN UP THE GOLAN HEIGHTS? A LESSON FOR SYRIA’S CRISIS

As Syria continues to be ravaged, I wonder what would have happened had U.S. efforts succeeded in negotiating an Israeli-Syrian peace agreement in the 1990s. I was part of a U.S. negotiating team that tried to reach such a deal. But had we succeeded, the results might have been catastrophic for Israel and for the U.S. Rarely did we focus on the prospect that an Israeli-Syrian accord might be at risk if instability in Syria led to a change in regime. With Hafez Assad there was an assumption that his brutality in suppressing dissent would guarantee stability. Rarely has a political judgment been

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES: DOES U.S. HOLD ITSELF TO SAME HIGH STANDARDS IT HOLDS ISRAEL?

October 6, 2015 In August 2014, the State Department called Israel’s shelling of a UN school in Gaza “disgraceful,” adding: “The suspicion that militants are operating nearby does not justify strikes that put

continued on next page

COMMENTARY

November 2015 Federation Star

Jewish cool

Juggling: The art of living life to the fullest

Rabbi Sylvin L. Wolf

Jewish woman of 70, viewing one of Pope Francis’s motorcades, said, “I’m Jewish and this is still the coolest moment of my life.” A definition of cool: The best way to say something is neat-o, awesome or swell. Pope Francis is a celebrity. He seems to be an agent of change for the Papacy, the Vatican and for the Catholic Church. He has addressed significant issues of our day. He reaches out to people. He walks humbly. I would say Pope Francis is, indeed, cool. I could understand Julie Rodgers’ comment that “this is the coolest moment of my life.” My first reaction to her comment was my desire to talk with her, to ask her questions about her own Jewish experiences. Were there any cool ones? I wanted to ask her whether she was aware that when Pope Francis spoke about the poor and the needy he echoed Isaiah, the eighth-century prophet from Judah, who spoke these words (Isaiah 58): Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the fetters of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? I wanted her to consider other Biblical passages. And a stranger shalt thou not oppress; for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 23) Cool.

In Leviticus 19 we read: And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corner of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather the fallen fruit of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God. I think these Biblical teachings are very cool. What about my own cool Jewish experiences? Bringing my son and daughters into the Covenant of Israel, officiating at their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, my Bar Mitzvah, the many Seders I have attended, the many sukkot I have built and celebrated in. I recall the Simchat Torah celebration when my father carried me on his shoulders and someone handed me a small Torah with a red cover. (Have you seen Chagall’s Rabbi with Red Torah?) That was really cool. Cool was when Nelson Glueck, President of Hebrew Union College, placed his hands on my head and ordained me as a rabbi. Several years ago I was in Israel and saw the Kotel with the big lighted menorah in front of it. That was cool. On May 14, 1948, when the State of Israel was proclaimed, I was celebrating in the streets on the lower East Side of New York. That was really cool. Recently, the NAACP organized a Journey for Justice, a 40-day march from Selma, Alabama, to Washington, D.C. Seventy-nine Reform rabbis joined the march. I think that was cool. In Israel there is an organization called Women of the Wall. Its sole goal is the free prayer of women at the Western Wall. It declares: It is an honor to be a shining example of the struggle against the exclusion of women in the public sphere in Israel. I think Women of the Wall is very cool. What is the coolest? I do not know. To me, it is all hot stuff. Rabbi Sylvin Wolf serves at Naples Jewish Congregation.

Commentary Briefs...continued from previous page

at risk the lives of so many innocent civilians.” This week AP reporter Matt Lee asked Deputy State Department spokesman Mark Toner about U.S. policy in light of Saturday’s U.S. bombing of a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, that left 22 patients and staff dead. While Toner apologized for the oloss of life and stressed that the U.S. eavoids civilian casualties, he told Lee -to “give me a pass [while] we wait for tthe investigation to run its course.” His response flies in the face of last eyear’s instantaneous criticism of Israel -– made long before any investigation had even begun. Enemies like the Taliban, Hamas and Hizbullah quite intentionally hide -among civilians, using them as human gshields. Israel has known that for a long time – and now the Obama administra-tion is painfully coming to learn it, too. -(New York Post editorial) f

THE PALESTINIAN dVICTIMHOOD NARRATIVE .AS AN OBSTACLE t TO PEACE

The speech recently delivered by PA leader Mahmoud Abbas at the UN General Assembly was proof, once

e g t

Rabbi Fishel Zaklos

n my daily interactions I encounter people from all walks of life, and it’s my privilege to learn from every one of them. I’ve met so many amazing people who constantly show care, concern and get involved with others. But I find this generosity often drags them down into the politics and pettiness of life, where they end up getting their hands ‘dirty.’ Then there are those whose nature is to remain aloof, distanced from other people’s individual problems. That’s how they avoid the stress and anxiety that might result. How do we go to the next level: dare to get involved, really care and be connected to people, yet remain pure, wholesome, innocent and idealistic? How do we do the right thing, and still keep our hands clean? I’m writing as we gear up for the holiday of Sukkot, but you’ll be reading this in November when we will have enjoyed a beautiful, inspiring month filled with holidays. Let’s not forget to use those holiday messages, lessons and inspirations to recreate our lives in better ways – rethink our priorities, rebuild our inner world, improve how we treat our families and friends and outer world. Here’s a special thought to inspire your travel through your life’s journey. On the holiday of Sukkot, a special joyous celebration was held in the holy Temple in Jerusalem. One of the highlights was a scene of pious men dancing and juggling torches of fire. When I was about 7 years old, I heard they were holding juggling contests. I was always mesmerized by the airborne balls. How do so many go up in the air at once without falling? My mother bought juggling bean

25A

bags. I practiced diligently and learned to juggle. It made me feel part of the story, as throughout Jewish history juggling at joyous occasions has continued. Remember the wedding scene in Fiddler on the Roof? Wedding guests performed a well-choreographed dance step while balancing bottles of wine on their heads without spilling a drop. Juggling, an art which each of us should cultivate, captures in a very physical, tangible way, the meaning of life and the path toward genuine joy. We can learn a powerful lesson, as the juggler has that unique ability to operate continuously on two levels, in two states of reality. We juggle home and business, we juggle our jobs and leisure, we juggle what we want to do and what we feel obligated to do. How do we do this? By balancing the two realms of our lives – the spiritual and the physical. Going through life we can either get down or stay up in the air, but the trick is to have balance. At times, we are involved with helping others we genuinely care about with all our hearts, yet occasionally we need to detach from all the pressures and allow ourselves to soar, like children running into their fathers’ arms to be lifted up, embraced and hugged, without any motives. The soul, too, needs moments when it can be elevated in an embrace by its Father in heaven, liberated from any concern or incentive. If I always remain down here, I am snared by the pressures of life. I become burdened and depleted. If I always stay up there, I feel as if I am abandoning my mission and cannot be content. By cultivating our spiritual juggling act we can interact in our social circle without being taken down. We can grow spiritually while being successful materially. We can even listen to the news and not get depressed or disheartened, because when we do, we can just throw that ball back up and catch another. Rabbi Fishel Zaklos serves at Chabad Jewish Center of Naples.

again, that the Palestinian “narrative” of victimhood has become a threat to any practical prospect for peace. No mention can be made of the recent rise in Palestinian terror activities; no mention of the Palestinian decision to walk away from the framework advanced by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry; no word on Hamas’ habitual shelling of Israeli civilian targets. There is also no mention of the collapse of all past peace efforts. In other words, all that the Palestinians have ever suffered is someone else’s fault. Any sober assessment of what it would take to strike an Israeli-Palestinian deal inevitably leads to the clear understanding that painful but practical political compromises are required from both sides. Alas, this concept seems alien to many in the region, particularly to Palestinians; and the international community is not doing its part to help the Palestinians mature towards this realization. Global actors that want to help achieve peace need to assist the Palestinians in moving beyond wallowing in self-pity and rituals of bashing Israel. (Col. (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies-Bar-Ilan University)

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.

The Federation Star is a monthly nonproﬁt newspaper supported by generous readers, committed advertisers and the Jewish Federation of Collier County.

26A Federation Star November 2015 BETH TIKVAH

SYNAGOGUES www.bethtikvahnaples.org / 239-434-1818

Beth Tikvah update Phil Jason President

azal Tov to Rabbi Chorny, Cantor Wine, Harvey Rosenthal, and the Ritual Committee for a superb High Holiday experience. We were pleased to provide a large number of new faces with an uplifting taste of Beth Tikvah. Speaking of taste, the Break Fast has been acclaimed as the best we’ve ever had. Thanks to Ruth and her committee for a splendid job. Because this year the religious holiday schedule conflicted with the religious school calendar somewhat, we have not yet had many classes. Therefore, students who register late will not have missed too much. If you are still looking to find a religious school for your children’s Jewish education, look in Beth Tikvah’s direction. Our registration forms are on our website, www.

bethtikvahnaples.org, accessible from the download tab. Call Rabbi Chorny at 239.537.5257 for an appointment. Elsewhere in this issue you can find information about our Naples Jewish Film Festival. It may be November, the month that almost never has a Jewish holiday, but there is still plenty to do at Beth Tikvah. Book Talk: On Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m., Beth Tikvah will host a Catholic-Jewish Dialogue presentation by author and radio personality Martin Goldsmith. He will speak about his book The Inextinguishable Symphony: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany. After his presentation and Q&A, Mr. Goldsmith will sign books. RSVP to Ida at 239.963.9347. Film and Presentation: Our Veterans Day Commemoration on Wednesday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m. features noted author Robert Hilliard as well as a documentary film called Displaced! Miracle at St. Ottilien. The film presents the efforts of two U.S. privates to provide relief to displaced Holocaust survivors housed at St. Ottilien, a monastery 30 miles from Dachau, im-

CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF NAPLES

Were Brothers, Balson has constructed a powerful thriller that connects a Chicago embezzlement case with plans for a tremendous terrorist act by the Hebron-based Sons of Canaan. The plot also involves the rescue of a young girl whose grandfather, a leader of the Sons of Canaan, has abducted her. Her Jewish father, involved in the embezzlement, is on the run in Hawaii. Drop by for a lively discussion. Religious Services Schedule:S Friday services begin at 6:15 p.m.;M Saturday services begin at 9:30 a.m.p and conclude with a Kiddush luncheon.S Our Sunday morning minyan resumes inw late fall. We regularly convene Yahrzeitt minyanim upon request. Please join usg at any service. Our participatory wor-o ship services and most other eventso are held at 1459 Pine Ridge Road,t just west of Mission Square Plaza. Forp more information, call 239.434.1818,t email bethtikvahnaples@aol.com orn visit www.bethtikvahnaples.org. Youo can reach Rabbi Chorny directly atm 239.537.5257. a D t y a h www.chabadnaples.com / 239-262-4474 p

mediately following the war. After the privates saw the poor conditions at the monastery, they knew they had to act. One of these two soldiers was Hilliard, a liberator, who will answer questions about the film. Local veterans will be honored. Rosh Hodesh Women’s Group: The second meeting of the new (Jewish) year will be held on Sunday, November 15 at 10:00 a.m. Paulette Margulies will be the facilitator. The next meeting of this very popular women’s study group is on Sunday, December 13. Contact Elaine Kamin at 239.593.6821 for more information. Film Screening: On Sunday, November 15 at 5:00 p.m., Beth Tikvah will host a GenShoah event – a screening of the new film The Trial of Adolf Eichmann. The discussion will relate to the One Book Southwest Florida selection, Simon Wiesenthal’s The Sunﬂower. RSVP to Ida at 239.963.9347. Book Group: On Monday, November 23 at 7:30 p.m. we will explore Ronald Balson’s highly acclaimed Saving Sophie. Drawing upon two important characters from his first novel, Once We

Chabad Jewish Center of Naples update

igh Holidays and Aron Kodesh Grand Opening: What an exciting and inspirational time! Not only did we celebrate the High Holy Days with the largest attendance ever, we also had the added privilege of holding services in front of our stunning new Aron Kodesh. Save the date of Sunday, January 10 at 1:00 p.m., when we will hold the Grand Opening of the Aron Kodesh for the entire community. We are honored to announce that to date, close to 200 families/people participated in the project to help us reach quite far in our goal. Dedication opportunities remain. Please call our office. Men’s Club: The Men’s Club begins on Wednesdays for short Torah

discussions and schmoozing. Jewish Community Calendar: If you do not receive a copy of this lovely art calendar which we distribute free of charge, contact the office. See Israel!: Register today for this trip of a lifetime! See Israel with Chabad from March 27 - April 5, 2016. It’s a unique, first-class Land and the Spirit excursion with experienced guides and many optional tours available. Whether it’s your first or twenty-first trip to Israel, you won’t want to miss the opportunities to see and enjoy so many exciting aspects of Israel up close. Call the office for more information and to register. Kosher Food: In season, Kosher food arrives from Aroma every Thursday, ordered through the Chabad office.

NAPLES JEWISH CONGREGATION

You are encouraged to call your orders in as early as possible each week. Grand Chanukah Festival: Our highly anticipated Grand Chanukah Festival, with the theme of New York City, will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 9 at Cambier Park. The preschool children will be performing and, as always, there will be music, fun and entertainment for the whole family. Stay tuned for details! Community Shabbat Dinner: We will hold the first of our very popular Family Community Shabbat Dinners on Friday, December 11. Keep your eye here or on the website for registration. These events usually sell out and you won’t want to miss the great food and our exceptional camaraderie.

t m Flying Challahs: Here is yourK chance to bring a smile to someone’sL face! If you know people who need aV visit or just a little caring attention, youro suggestion via a phone call will bringt a freshly-baked challah flying to theird doorstep. i Weekly Services and Children’s Program: Join us every Shabbat atg 10:30 a.m. for weekly uplifting services,o and bring the kids to the incredibleo children’s program at the same time.a A kiddush and social gathering for theA family follow services. p Monday Minyan: We hold aa regular Monday Morning Minyan in thet Herstein Library at 8:00 a.m. b

www.naplesjewishcongregation.org / 239-234-6366

Naples Jewish Congregation update By Suzanne L. Paley, President

ave these dates As I have mentioned in previous columns, Naples Jewish Congregation has a lot going on in the coming months. In addition to our Sisterhood and Men’s Club activities, and Rabbi Wolf’s Adult Enrichment classes, please save the following dates: Tuesday, December 8: Naples Jewish Congregation’s Annual Chanukah Party, to be held at Longshore Lakes Clubhouse. Enjoy a full plated meal of either chicken or brisket, complete with plenty of latkes. Spirited entertainment will be provided by our Cantorial Soloist, Jane Galler, and our Music Director, Alla Gorelik Stadnik. The cost is $45 for members and $60 for nonmembers. Please contact Iris Weissman at 239.431.7944 to make

your reservations. Saturday, January 23: Get out your spats, beads and feathers, and join us for a Roaring ’20s Party. The evening’s entertainment will feature the “White Caps,” a very talented group of jazz musicians. Beverages, appetizers and desserts will be served. Check the December issue of the Federation Star for more information and to make your reservations. Thursday-Friday, February 4-5: He’s back! You loved him before, and you will love him again. Rabbi/StandUp Comic Bob Alper will be our Artist/ Scholar-in-Residence. Rabbi Alper was just named “Official Honorary Comedic Advisor to the Pope.” On February 4, Bob Alper will entertain you with his clean, non-offensive but very funny

humor. His performance will come complete with hearty appetizers and dessert (enough to satisfy anyone’s hunger); a cash bar will be available as well. Tickets for general admission are $45 – not bad for dinner and a show! More information will follow in the next issue of the Federation Star, but be sure to mark your calendars – you won’t want to miss this performance. On Friday evening, February 5, Rabbi Alper will be our guest speaker during our Shabbat service. His topic is “The Spirituality of Laughter: A Jewish Look at the Holiness of Humor.” As always, everyone is welcome to join us for this and any other service. Monday, March 14: We are very pleased to be a sponsor of the first annual Collier County Jewish Book

Festival. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples, our spiritual home, will be hosting the event that we are sponsoring. Please join us at 6:30 p.m. to meet and listen to the two authors as they review their inspirational books. More information will be forthcoming. Our Shabbat services begin at 7:30 p.m. and we gather at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples. Please join us for a Shabbat service and find out why “NJC is a place where you 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.naples jewishcongregation.org.

The current and previous editions of the Federation Star, as well as the 2015 edition of Connections, are available on your iPad, tablet and mobile! Go to issuu.com and search for “Collier Federation”.

November 2015 Federation Star

ORGANIZATIONS

27A

www.hadassah.org / 239-598-1009

COLLIER/LEE CHAPTER OF HADASSAH

Hadassah update

d -

Lynn Weiner

e t

Collier/Lee Hadassah President

id you know that within the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem, the Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Jerusalem trains medical .professionals from all over the world? .Speaking at the graduation ceremony, nwhich marked 40 years of the Internattional Masters of Public Health prosgram, Prof. Alex Brown, a past graduate of the program who heads up research on Aboriginal Health in Australia, noted ,that the school “sets us out on a path to rpursue knowledge without fear. We need ,to stop and appreciate the incalculable rnumber of lives we’ve saved – tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, tmaybe millions.” Speaking, also, to this year’s graduating class, Prof. Yehuda Neumark, Director of the Braun School, noted that, “We have done our best to prepare you to actively engage in a complex and changing world, to improve the health and well-being of the world’s population.” Among the countries represented in this year’s class are Cameroon, Guatemala, India, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kosovo, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, the U.S. and Vietnam. This is just another example of how Hadassah impacts people around the globe. Thanks to your support, Hadassah can continue its wonderful work in programs like this! Season has arrived and have we got a season for you! November starts off with our Evening Activity Group on Thursday, November 5 at 7:00 p.m., an evening of discussion with Rabbi Ammos Chorny of Beth Tikvah, at a private home. Contact Lauren Becker at 239.592.5304 for details. Our Daytime Study Group will discuss the book Jews, God and History by Max

, a

Dimont on Monday, November 16 at 1:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom, Naples. (Optional lunch at 11:30 a.m. at the First Watch at the corner of Pine Ridge and Livingston.) RSVP to Arlene Yedid at 239.455.1912 or arleney2001@ embarqmail.com. The first Knowledge & Nosh @ Noon lunch will be held at Brio Tuscan Grille, Naples, on Wednesday, November 18 at 11:30 a.m. David Silverberg, author, journalist and editor, will speak about his experiences as editor during the 9-11 attack, as well as the role of the Jewish community in the 2016 election. To RSVP, contact Elyse Morande at 239.498.0623. We are participating in One Book Southwest Florida and will have several discussion groups about the book, The Sunﬂower by Simon Wiesenthal. Email onebookswfl@icloud.com for details. Also, our “Hadassah Reads” book this year is Raquela, a Woman of Israel by Ruth Gruber. It is the true story of a woman who lived during the beginning of the State of Israel. Learn the history of Hadassah and Israel in a book you won’t be able to put down! The 16th Annual Hadassah Donor Recognition Event will be held on Sunday, December 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Quail West Golf and Country Club, Naples. Our special guest speaker is world-renowned Professor Eyal Banin, Director of Hadassah’s Retina Center and a pioneer in stem-cell treatment for Macular Degeneration. This event honors Major Donors and Keepers of the Gate (an annual level of giving), as well as anyone who has pledged or donated a minimum single gift of $1,000 or more since March 2012. You need not be a member of Hadassah to attend. New pledges are encouraged. For more information, please contact Nancy Wiadro at nwiadro@hadassah. org or Lisa Moore at 877.949.1818. (See article on page 12A.) Ship Ahoy! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 1 at 6:00 p.m. and get ready to “Sail Away” at Hadassah’s Annual Fundraiser. This event is open to the whole community. We have a fabulous evening planned at Heritage Bay

Golf and Country Club, Naples, with a sumptuous dinner, honorees, first-class entertainment and fun! We will honor Ida and Jeff Margolis for their commitment to Hadassah and overall leadership in our community. Set your sails and climb aboard for a stellar event. You won’t want to miss this highlight of the season. If you would like to be a Table Captain and put together your own table, please contact me at 239.598.1009 or lynninaples@yahoo.com. Proceeds to benefit Hadassah Medical Organization. For additional information, contact

Lauren Becker 239.592.5304. Remember, until December 31, Life Members and Associates can give a free “gift” of Annual Membership to a woman age 17 or over who is not a member of Hadassah or hasn’t been a member since 2013. Contact Donna Goldblatt at 239.597.3441 or mom443@aol.com for details or to become a Hadassah Annual or Life Member. Looking forward to a great Hadassah season!

SAVE THE DATE:

¡ Sunday, November 1: Evening Activity Group Welcome Back Dinner, 5:30 p.m. ¡ Thursday, November 5: Evening Activity Group, 7:00 p.m., Rabbi Ammos Chorny ¡ Monday, November 16: Daytime Study Group, 1:00 p.m., Temple Shalom ¡ Wednesday, November 18: Knowledge & Nosh @ Noon, 11:30 a.m., BRIO, Speaker: Journalist David Silverberg ¡ Wednesday, December 9: Women’s Chanukah Celebration, 1:00 p.m., Temple Shalom ¡ Thursday, December 10: Evening Activity Group Chanukah Pot Luck Dinner, 6:30 p.m. ¡ Saturday-Sunday, December 12-13: Installation of Chapter Officers and Region Board Meeting, Tampa ¡ Sunday, December 20: Major Donors/Keepers of the Gate Recognition Event, 10:30 a.m., Quail West Country Club, Speaker: Prof. Eyal Banin from Hadassah Hospital ¡ Monday, December 21: Daytime Study Group, 1:00 p.m., Temple Shalom ¡ Thursday, January 14: Evening Activity Group, 7:00 p.m., Speaker Madeline Sugerman ¡ Tuesday, January 19: Daytime Study Group, 1:00 p.m., Temple Shalom ¡ Thursday, Jan 21: One Book Southwest Florida Speaker, 7:00 p.m., Temple Shalom ¡ Tuesday, January 26: Chapter Installation Luncheon, Blue Zones Speaker, 10:45 a.m., Bonita Bay Country Club ¡ Monday, February 1: Annual Mahj and Card Party, 11:30 a.m., Cypress Woods Country Club ¡ Thursday, February 25: Spring Meeting and Luncheon, Speaker Dr. Cederquist, 10:30 a.m., Tiburon Golf and Country Club ¡ Tuesday, March 1: Hadassah Annual Fundraiser “Sail Away!,” 6:00 p.m., Heritage Bay Golf and Country Club ¡ Wednesday, March 9: Hadassah-sponsored Jewish Book Festival event, 6:30 p.m., Beth Tikvah ¡ Wednesday, March 23: Knowledge & Nosh @ Noon, Speaker Shelley Goodman, 11:30 a.m., McCormick and Schmick’s ¡ Wednesday, April 13: Knowledge & Nosh @ Noon, Speaker Deena Baxter, 11:30 a.m., Cypress Woods Golf and Country Club

www.jwi.org / 239-498-2778

JEWISH WOMEN INTERNATIONAL

ZBT adopts JWI as ofﬁcial philanthropy

Millie Sernovitz JWI Past International President

eta Beta Tau (ZBT) Fraternity announces Jewish Women International (JWI) as a new educational and philanthropic partner. This new relationship will further the Fraternity’s efforts in promoting healthy relationships and help ZBT brothers to make a strong impact on their campus communities. Inspired by a legacy of progressive women’s leadership and guided by Jewish values, JWI’s mission is to ensure that all women and girls thrive in healthy relationships, control their financial futures, and realize the full potential of their personal strengths. JWI will be a strong advocate for, and partner in ZBT’s mission and strategic plan to offer top-notch training to its brothers. JWI’s reach extends far beyond just women and Jewish communities, and its impact can be felt in diverse communities across the globe. “Our initial experience with JWI

in our award-winning “Safe Smart Dating” program with Sigma Delta Tau (SDT) Sorority created an immediate impact within ZBT,” said ZBT Executive Director Laurence A. Bolotin, CAE. “The staff at JWI has continued to present ZBT with numerous opportunities that have created valuable training for our brothers on critical topics being addressed on college campuses today. The opportunity to create a formal relationship with JWI that is not only philanthropic but also educational will be a win-win for all involved. Its mission resonates strongly with ZBT and it will be a delight to work with JWI.” ZBT and JWI will launch a new signature event next month to support the ZBT Foundation’s Fund for Safe and Healthy Campuses. “Green Light Go” is intended to be a fun way to raise awareness of healthy relationship issues based on the game Red Light, Green Light. This program’s efforts will position ZBT brothers as leaders in changing the culture on campus and being examples of the very best of the fraternal world. “Green Light Go” will supplement the work done through JWI’s awardwinning “Safe Smart Dating” program created in partnership between ZBT,

JWI and SDT Sorority. An initial $10,000 donation to JWI has been made to the ZBT Foundation’s Fund for Safe and Healthy Campuses. This generous support will allow for the launch of the “Green Light Go” program and the provision of other tools to ZBT brothers and friends in regard to healthy relationships. JWI is now the third official philanthropy of ZBT, alongside Children’s

Miracle Network Hospitals and the ZBT Foundation. For more information about the JWI’s adoption by ZBT as an official philanthropy or other JWI endeavors nationally, please contact me 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.

JEWISH WAR VETERANS 239-304-5953

Jewish War Veterans update

By Gil Block, Commander Post # 202

e will proceed with our change of meeting places on certain months. Our next meeting will be held at Temple Shalom (4630 Pine Ridge Road) on Friday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. This is our annual Veterans Shabbat. The following meeting will be held at Beth Tikvah (1459 Pine Ridge Road) on Sunday, December 20 at 10:30 a.m., after the congregation has its services. We hope that our exposure will

be increased by changing our meeting places. We will have the opportunity to show and explain what our local Jewish War Veterans Post does. Please note that you do not need to have served during a war to become a member at Post #202. You only had to be in the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, etc. We will look forward to seeing and meeting you at our various meetings.

28A Federation Star November 2015

ORGANIZATIONS www.hjhswfl.org / 239-398-3935

HUMANISTIC JEWISH HAVURAH

Join our Humanistic Jewish community Paula Creed HJH President

ovember is membership renewal time for the Humanistic Jewish Havurah of Southwest Florida. Dues of $85 per person include membership in our national organization, the Society for Humanistic Judaism. Visit www.hjhswfl.org for a membership form and mailing instructions, or call Dena Sklaroff at 239.591.0101 for more information. While a growing number of Jews no longer feel the necessity to join a temple or synagogue, most of our membership, coming from dispersed families, have found that the family feeling and family support they could no longer find in their personal settings or in a large and formal congregation, is now provided by membership in the Havurah. In these times, the old extended family has become a mere memory, so folks are searching for substitutes. Our monthly Shabbat gatherings become the family dinners, our Humanistic Jewish Seder becomes the family Seder. Our monthly Sunday afternoon meetings

offer high quality opportunities for adult education and discourse on Jewish topics as well as topics of interest to secular Jewish humanists. Until and when we attract young families with children, our activities concentrate on adult programing, lectures, dialogue, holiday celebrations, and even theater and other cultural activities. Humanistic Judaism also provides lifecycle events including marriage ceremonies and funerals/ memorial services. Everyone enjoys a setting for these shared experiences with like-minded people, a benefit that comes with membership and participation in the Humanistic Jewish Havurah. Involvement can make a significant difference in the life of a Humanistic Jewish Havurah member. We attempt to sustain our members in a supportive, caring environment. We enable our members to affirm their Jewish identity – their connection to the Jewish people, past, present and future. Most importantly, membership in our Havurah affords the opportunity to cultivate warm, personal relationships with compatible folks. Finally, the growth and development of the Humanistic Jewish Havurah of Southwest Florida enriches the life of the wider Jewish community. We have reached out and attracted many unaf-

filiated, uncommitted and unconnected Jews, promoting pluralism and Jewish survival. So, if you believe in the power of human effort and in taking personal responsibility for actions as an individual and a members of society; believe that Jewish culture and history are the creations of the Jewish people, rather than of divine origin; believe in the natural origin of events and experiences, rather than the supernatural; believe in biological evolution; believe that the Bible and other ancient Jewish books are worth reading and studying because they give us insight into our history and the way our ancestors thought; believe in scientific inquiry and a commitment to reason; believe each person should follow paths of dignity, self-esteem, and responsibility to the present, to enhance life on earth rather than prepare for an afterlife; believe in respecting the beliefs and opinions of all though we may disagree; believe in forging meaningful community traditions based on current conditions and needs rather than simply adopting wholesale those rituals

and traditions forged in the past; and believe it is important for Humanistic Jews to participate in the activities of the Jewish community, and that acceptance of the right of all peoples to believe as they wish is both Jewish and empowering, then you need to join the Humanistic Jewish Havurah and add fulfillment and happiness to your life. *** Chanukah will be celebrated on Wednesday, December 9 with a traditional holiday meal at Vasari Country Club in Bonita Springs, along with other fun activities. Reservations may be secured upon receipt of your payment in the amount of $40 per person, made payable to “HJH,” and mailed to Joan Weinstein, P.O. Box 110285, Naples, FL 34108, prior to December 1. Consider bringing a gift of comfortable clothing, or a monetary contribution, to be donated to JFCS of Southwest Florida for distribution to seniors in need of our assistance.

Check out our redesigned website at www.hjhswﬂ.org www.jhsswf.org / 239-566-1771

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SWFL

Famous Jews of Collier County Marina Berkovich JHSSWF President

reserving the emerging Jewish History is our mission at the Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida. Newcomers and old-timers may want to know some of the information we come across on our journey. Fleischmann Park, named after Julius Fleischmann, spans over fifteen lush green acres and is located just South of Coastland Center Mall on Fleischmann Blvd. at Goodlette-Frank Road. The City of Naples is happy for its present-day facilities and amenities: racquetball courts, lighted baseball/softball courts, sand volleyball courts, two lighted basketball courts, lighted football and practice fields, playgrounds, picnic pavilions, and a community center with dance and meeting rooms.



Julius, an American merchant, was born in 1872 and was a member of the staff of Governor McKinley before the latter was elected president. Fleischmann, a Republican, was elected mayor of Cincinnati in 1900, and reelected in 1903. Naples was very different then, but it is very safe to suppose that Julius would have liked to be at the Swamp Buggy Parade assembly point across from “his” park, and may have even ridden in one or another of the machines. When the Lipman family moved to Collier County and started what is now known as Six L’s operations, there was no serious agriculture effort in this county. Now, only one lifespan later, a major Florida tomato and vegetable operation, Six L’s has growing and packing operations throughout the East Coast of the U.S., California and Mexico, as well as a repacking operation with facilities in California, Tennessee, North Carolina and Maryland. The Lipman Family started a business that put the City of Immokalee on the map, and has provided employment to many of its residents for decades

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

at its tomato and vegetable packing plant. A short film featuring interviews with the Bill and Gloria Lipman will be premiered at the Second Annual Jewish Historical Society Event in January. There are no viable statistics on the number of Jewish families currently living in Immokalee, but we know of one – a husband and wife, who dedicated their lives to teaching. The Fleischmann and Lipman families are still contributing to the progress, education, industry, arts and culture of Collier County and further up the coast in Southwest Florida. They were not alone, but they were among the first Jews to settle this far south on the West Coast of Florida at a time when not identifying themselves openly to the outside world was a prevalent practice. Much has happened since, and on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, the Collier County Museum (3331 Tamiami Trail East in Naples, 239.252.8476) will host its first ever Florida Jewish History Month event for the Jewish Historical

Society of Southwest Florida. An afternoon program is planned at 2:00 p.m. with fascinating speakers, films and discussion. Please save the date. If you have not joined our mailing list, now is the right time to do so. We also need volunteers to help with interviews, films, photo and document archives. Become a member, a sponsor or a donor. We need you. Step up to share information, stories or photos. Please call us and make the Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida your favorite local non-profit this season. For more information, visit www.jhsswf. org, call 239.566.1771, or email jhsswf@ gmail.com. Reach us by mail at Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida, 899 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 116, Naples, FL 34108. The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida is a section 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Membership Application 2015 Membership Level:

 Student - $9  Individual - $36

 Family - $54  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.

November 2015 Federation Star

ORGANIZATIONS

29A

www.ort.org / 239-649-4000

ORT AMERICA – GULF BEACHES CHAPTER

ORT to eternity Marina Berkovich

n d

ORT Gulf Beaches President

ven those who have followed ORT’s progress for years may be interested in knowing more nabout its founders and how ORT has in-fluenced Jews and the world since 1880. y(continued from the October 2015 issue) hPart II. The Founders: Nikolai Bakst yand Samuel Polyakov The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in eEastern Europe names Nikolai Bakst nas the initiator of ORT. He was born LNoah, son of Isaac, in 1842 in Mir, near rGrodno, Russian Empire (now Belarus). -Under his Russian name, Nikolai Ignaetievich Bakst, he graduated from Saint aPetersburg University and was sent abroad, where he earned his master’s degree, enabling him to become a docent at Saint Petersburg University, where he also lectured at Women’s Medical Courses. Nikolai’s field of study was physiology. He attained prominence, and is considered a leading authority of his time. Pogroms in Russia in 1881 peaked Bakst’s concern for the Jews of the Pale. Already a published author of social interest articles, he turned his

attention toward improving the status of the Jews through equalizing their rights in the Russian Empire. He was, indeed, the initiator of the idea of ORT, starting the “Temporary Committee of Artisan and Agricultural Fund,” the formation of which opened the way for his ORT co-founders, Horace de Günzburg and Samuel Polyakov, to launch the appeal to the wealthy layer of Russia’s Jewish community. Samuel Polyakov was born on December 24, 1837, in Dubroŭna, present day Belarus, to a small-time tradesman. He worked at his father’s alcohol tax farming business until 1861. He then started a construction company, but wanted to work for the government, and soon acquired a private postal station in Kharkov vicinity. There, in the course of business, he performed some important duties for the Minister of Posts and Telegraph, Ivan Tolstoy, who then launched Samuel’s career. That was a frequent post-1861 emancipation relationship. Polyakov prospered, first building the vodka distillery on the wastelands of Tolstoy’s estate, then moving on to building local railroad lines. Through pioneering railroad construction schedules in the 1870s Samuel became one of Russia’s seven top railroad barons, of whom three, including Polyakov, were Jewish converts to Christianity. Polyakov acquired the nobility rank of privy councilor, but failed to reach

the coveted rank of baron. He donated millions to charity, established College of Railroad Trades in 1867 and co-sponsored the Katkov College in Moscow in 1868. Katkov College has evolved over the years to become the present-day Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Polyakov financed the Grand Choral Synagogue of Saint Petersburg and, together with Bakst and de Günzburg, created ORT, which he viewed as his answer to delivering the rapidly evolving capitalism into the Pale of Settlement. Polyakov suddenly died of a stroke at the age of 50. The tomb of Samuel Polyakov by famous Jewish sculptor Mark Antokolski is now part of The Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg.

Another statue of Polyakov, also by Antokolski, is on display in the Museum of Arts in Saratov, one of the many institutions he sponsored. Daniel, Samuel’s only son, assumed his father’s chair in the ORT board, but was not interested in continuing his father’s business and lived most of his life in Paris. Samuel’s three daughters married Russian, English and French bankers. (to be continued in December issue) *** ORT provides scholarships to 300,000 students annually in over 60 countries. GulfBeaches ORT Chapter 2015 fundraising efforts benefit ORT in Israel. Please help us with our financial challenge by mailing your renewal or donation check, payable to ORT America, to Hella Amelkin, 3200 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., #307, Naples, FL 34103.

ORT America (Organization for Rehabilitation through Training) Did you know that: ¡ ORT supports 300,000 students annually in 59 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.

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

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INSIDE TH 4A Women’s IS ISSUE: Cultura

l Alliance 5A Men’s Cul tura 8A Community l Alliance Focus 13A Tribute s 13A Business 14A Focus on Directory 16A Jewish Youth Inte 20A Israel & rest the Jewish Wo 22A Comme rld nta 26A Synago ry gues 27A Organizat 30A Commu ions nity Calenda 31A Commu r nity 1B Arts & Cul Directory ture 5B Jewish Boo k Festival

7A Campaig ners’ Mis sion: Israel - pa rt 3

10A Jewish Ru ssian Cu ltu Alliance (JRCA) up ral date

ies

Novembe r 20

- Heshvan/ Kislev 57 Rabbi Jo 76 to speak seph Telushkin February 17

Vol. 25 #3

Featured presenter at Evy Lip By Carole p People J Greene of the Bo t ok

takes a hig Cultural Eve hly-skilled nt cre ate a bio writer to gra phy of pendium of rabbi who a fam ous Rab ings,” Prager bi Schneerson’s teac recluse. How was for much of his life hgoes on to a do you rese the definiti say, “Rebbe man who nev arch a revered ve guide to is er traveled one of the understand home area most vital, ing of Crown Hei outside of his intriguing of the last ght had no per figures centuries.” sonal confida s, Brooklyn, Rebbe Sch nts, and alm never com neerson, wh men ost 199 4, cod o died in or feelings? ted on his own though ifie d the ts But write Cha initiated by bad pra ctic Rebbe, Jos Telushkin his father-i e did, eph n-la decessor as any determi and if bestseller lists leader of the w, his preare ner, he has movement, Lubavitche dem skills to ferr Rabbi Jose of r et out the fact onstrated the ph Telushkin persuade Jew sending out emissaries (by Stephen Lubavitche s to s to becom Friedgood r rabbi’s life of the famous ish life whe ) van e more obsert. One com . re it had The subtitle Some followe been left for dead. of his these emissar prehends the succes published s of rs believed ies when one in 2014, pro newest book, son to in Schnee be som realizes that vides a hin the Messia what Telush e isolated area h, but Telush rt of kin might dis s and cou cou nts eve ntries, ther talk about n in some he is our Evy kin tha when Schneerson t ide a and exo ner Lipp People was sent by e is but one rabbi and ate s presenter on from suppor of the Boo he Chabad. Still, 20 yea Wednesda ting that view These mo y, February k The Life and rs . 17: Teachings troversy live after his death, the con brand of Jud dern spreaders of the of Menachem Schneerson s on. aism – acc , the Most M. Talk magazin ording to “W ir Rabbi Sch Influential in Modern neerson Wa hy e heralded Rab History. Thi as one of s Good for Telushkin but Bad for s is a free cult bi the event presen Jew Biographers ural ted by the nation. Con top 50 speakers in ,” a book revi s in Forwar Jewish Fed tion of Col the trov d– ersial sub ew eralier County delivered by ject matter the world to have fanned out aro for its mem a What mad und do bers. to draw a full top-rated speaker is lapsed Jew missionary work amo sure tial was his e the rebbe so influen house to Tem s or in are ng for the Feb devotion to ple Shalom as where remains of ruary 17, Evy Lubavitche his Chabad little org r mo the Book pre Lipp People schools, cam anized Jewish life. The one of the “mo vement, molding it of sen tation. ir ps, adult edu into st dynamic Be sure to Shabbat dinn cati ever seen org on com aniz and ers have rein plete and retu ations in the Jew registration vigorated Jew ish world,” rn the mented auth form the min comor Dennis in this issu Prager. “At e of the Fed ute you spy it an incisive once eration Sta work of hist r. ory and a com -

What’s in

Jeffrey Feld

See page 11 B 2016 Evy Lip for the reservation form p People of th fo e Book Cultu r the ral Event.

a name?

“POWER OF COMM UNITY CE EBRATIO N.” You will LBecause of all be invited attend the you, we are POWER OF to 15A able to cele the power Federation COMMUN Naples BB CELEBRA brate of our com ITY TIO YO teens munity. We have bee Saturday eve N, which will be held make a dif Presiden n taught that on ning, Januar t/ ference sential to hav The Ritz-Ca y 16, 2016, it is esCEO e rlton Golf generally thin a good name. By that Resort, Nap at Thi , we s k event of a good nam les. name iden a good rep e meaning tifie 2016. We wan will kick off Campaig utation. The n or thing. The s a person, place Jewish Fed tion of Col of our com t to celebrate the “po Jewish Fed lier erawer mu nity.” tion of Col eraWe are kno County has a good nam Ou r pow er lier County our ability name! We wn e! for is a great to help sup is doing thin actually use others. In that port the Jew congregati names for respect, we gs to help ons, agencie ish different pur a variety of reputation. have a gre s, organizatio and others, poses. Mo at Each year, here in Nap ns tically speakin re than just words, stat our Federat to provide les, as wel community isg, we have ion hosts a l as sup campaign reputation. earned a goo Israel and aro port for Jews in nee 20A event. We An determined d ind Israeli tec d epe in und have ndent audit the world. that it is imp financial stat hn is that we care of our Our power event to hav ortant for eme nts to transfor ologies about abo was recently this ut making e a proper pleted. I am community m your ho comour Jewish name. pleased and Beginning , locally and me you that we proud to tell with Cam vibrant and globally, vita this annual received an paign 201 sec l, event will 6, clean” aud “unqualifie we come tog ure. Our power is be known it. It d/ that ether to wor as the show that we means that our num interest of k in the bes bers really do wha sec t urin g our Jewish are endeav Jewish Fed t we say we oring to acc future. omplish. 2500 Vandereration of Collier Cou Prsrt Std continued Naples, FL bilt Beach Rd., Ste. nty Inc. US Postage on page 3A 2201 34109 Paid

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30A Federation Star November 2015

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Get the Service you Deserve November 2015 – 5776 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

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

10:00am BBYO Board Mtg 10:00am TS-S Board Meeting 12:15pm BT Torah Study 1:30pm CJD Committee Mtg 4:00pm BT Torah Study 4:00pm JFCC Executive Bd Mtg

9:00am BT Sunday Minyan 9:00am BT Sunday School 9:30am TS Sunday School 10:00am BT Rosh Chodesh 1:00pm JFCC Backgammon, Puzzle, Book, Chess 4:30pm GS Meeting & Film 7:00pm TS Cabaret

12:00pm NJC-S Book Club 1:00pm HDH Daytime Study 5:30pm JCMI Bingo

9:00am BT Sunday Minyan 9:00am BT Sunday School 9:30am TS Sunday School 11:00am IAC Speaker 5:30pm HDH Evening Group

10:30am JFCS Naples Jewish 9:00am BT Sunday Minyan Caring Support Group 9:00am BT Sunday School 1:00pm JCRC Commitee Mtg 9:30am TS Sunday School 10:30am NJC Adult Enrichment 5:30pm JCMI Bingo 2:30pm CJD Kristallnacht Commemoration

9:00am BT Sunday Minyan 10:30am JFCS Naples Jewish 9:00am BT Sunday School Caring Support Group 9:30am TS Sunday School 2:00pm JFCC Tea Time 10:30am NJC Adult Enrichment 5:30pm JCMI Bingo 7:30pm BT Book Group

WEDNESDAY 4

1:00pm JCMI Bridge 1:00pm WCA TS Canasta 4:30pm BT Hebrew School 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 4:30pm TS Hebrew School 7:30pm BT Torah Study

THURSDAY 5

11:30am CHA Men’s Club 5:00pm JFCC Mix & Mingle 6:30pm BBYO Youth Activity 7:00pm HDH Event

9:00am BT Sunday Minyan 3:00pm NJC Sunday Movie

SATURDAY

9:00am WCA Board Meeting 5:30pm TS Table Shabbat 6:15pm BT Services 6:30pm TS Shir Joy Shabbat 7:30pm NJC Services 7:30pm TS Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

8:30am TS Torah Talk 9:30am BT Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services 7:30pm BT-GS-JFCC Author Event

1:00pm JCMI Bridge 1:00pm WCA TS Canasta 1:30pm IAC Commitee Mtg 4:30pm BT Hebrew School 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 4:30pm TS Hebrew School 6:30pm TS Adult B’nai Mitzvah 7:30pm BT Veterans Day Prog

11:00am MCA Luncheon 11:30am CHA Men’s Club 1:00pm JFCC Backgammon 2:00pm NJC Board Mtg 3:00pm HM Exec Cmte Mtg 5:30pm TS Rosh Chodesh 6:30pm BBYO Youth Activity 7:00pm IAC Speaker Event

12:15pm BT Torah Study 4:00pm BT Torah Study 5:30pm Jewish Professionals 7:00pm TS Exec Comm Mtg

11:30am HDH Knwldge & Nosh 1:00pm JCMI Bridge 1:00pm WCA TS Canasta 4:30pm BT Hebrew School 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 4:30pm TS Hebrew School 6:30pm TS Adult B’nai Mitzvah 7:30pm BT Torah Study

11:00am WCA Luncheon 11:30am CHA Men’s Club 12:00pm NJC-M Meeting 1:30pm TS-S Book Bag 4:00pm BT Board Meeting 6:30pm BBYO Youth Activity 7:00pm JCMI Board Meeting

9:30am BT Services 11:00am CHA Thanksgiving Lunch & Performance 10:00am CHA Services 5:30pm TS Preschool 10:00am TS Services Thanksgiving Feast 6:15pm BT Services 7:30pm NJC Services 7:30pm TS Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

26 THANKSGIVING

27 THANKSGIVING

10:00am Jewish Genealogy 11:30am TS-S Luncheon 12:00pm NJC-S Luncheon 12:15pm BT Torah Study 4:00pm BT Torah Study 7:30pm JFCC Board Meeting

12:15pm BT Torah Study 4:00pm BT Torah Study 7:00pm TS Board Meeting

11 Veterans Day

1:00pm JCMI Bridge 1:00pm WCA TS Canasta 4:30pm CHA Hebrew School 7:30pm BT Torah Study

11:30am CHA Men’s Club 3:00pm HM Board Meeting

Candle lighting times: 29

FRIDAY

6:15pm BT Services 7:30pm NJC Services 7:30pm TS Veterans Shabbat Services w/Choir 8:00pm JCMI Services

5:30pm TS Shabbat on the Beach 6:15pm BT Services 7:30pm NJC Services 7:30pm TS Services 8:00pm JCMI Services

9:30am BT Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services 6:30pm BBYO Feast

9:30am BT Services 10:00am CHA Services 10:00am TS Services 6:30pm BBYO Havdalahween

November 6: 5:24 November 13: 5:20 November 20: 5:18 November 27: 5:17

9:30am JFCS Koﬀee Kvell 5:30pm JCMI Bingo

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 • GS: GenShoah of SWFL • HDH: Hadassah • HJH: Humanistic Jewish Havurah • HM: Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida

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: Jewish Congregation of Marco Island • 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 • JRCA: Jewish Russian-American Cultural Alliance • JWV: Jewish War Veterans • MCA: Men’s Cultural Alliance (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 • 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.

November 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 Dr. Anna Solomon, Dir. of Cong. Ed. Seyla Cohen, Preschool Director Peter Lewis, Organist/Choir Director Shabbat Services: Shabbat Eve - Friday 7:30 p.m. Shabbat - Saturday 10:00 a.m. 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

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 25, No. 3 November 2015 48 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: Melody Klein 239-633-2895 December Issue Deadlines: Editorial: November 2 Advertising: November 6 Send news stories to: fedstar18@gmail.com

31A

JEWISH CONGREGATION OF MARCO ISLAND

NAPLES JEWISH CONGREGATION

BETH TIKVAH

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

Hari Jacobsen, Cantorial Soloist Sue Baum, President Shabbat Services Friday 8:00 p.m. Torah Study and Saturday Services Sisterhood • Men’s Club Brownstein Judaica Gift Shop

(Reform)

(Conservative)

(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

Let’s Talk Turkey With a planned gift to the Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, your estate plan Mayflower into a horn of plenty for you, and the Jewish community gets the gravy. Don’t get stuck at the kids’ table. Carve out a piece of the pie for the Jewish community. This is no small potatoes when it comes to letting a flock of taxes gobble up your estate. We’ll be happy to guide you through the maize of charitable gift planning. You’ll get the bountiful end of the wishbone.

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 Jewish Committee

• Regional Dir: Brian Lipton, 941-365-4955

American Technion Society

• Chapter Dir: Kelley Whiter, 561-395-7206

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

Friends of the IDF • Exec. Dir.: Dina Ben Ari, 305-354-8233

Let a charitable gift to the Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation be the centerpiece of your estate plan.

Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida

Give. Thanks.

Humanistic Jewish Havurah of Southwest Florida

For more information on gift planning, call Jeffrey Feld at the Federation at 239.263.4205.

Please note our email addresses: Jeffrey Feld, Federation President/CEO – jfeld@jewishnaples.org Renee’ Bialek, Community Program Coord. – rbialek@jewishnaples.org Iris Doenias, Database Manager – iris@jewishnaples.org Stacy Hersha, Business Operations Mgr. – shersha@jewishnaples.org Julie Hartline, Administrative Assistant – jhartline@jewishnaples.org General information requests – info@jewishnaples.org Melody Klein, Advertising Account Rep – mklein@jewishnaples.org Ted Epstein, Editor, Federation Star – fedstar18@gmail.com

Like us on Facebook!

ConneCt with your Jewish Community

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

• President: Joshua Bialek, 263-9200

• Paula Creed, 495-8484

Israel Bonds

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

JFCS of Southwest Florida Phone: 325-4444 • Chairperson: David Rutstein • 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

• President: Steve Brazina, 325-8694

Naples Friends of American Magen David Adom (MDA)

• SE Reg Dir: Joel Silberman, 954-457-9766

ORT - Gulf Beaches Chapter

• President: Marina Berkovich, 566-1771

Women’s Cultural Alliance

• President: Elaine Soffer, 431-7905

Zionist Organization of America • President: Jerry Sobel, 914-329-1024

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.

32A Federation Star November 2015

SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY

Through Federation, you stand shoulder to shoulder with Jews everywhere.

Through Federation, you stand shoulder to shoulder with Jews everywhere. Europe,where whereJews Jewsare arefacing facingattacks attacks on on schools schools and and businesses. businesses. On North InInEurope, American college campuses, where Jewish students are all too often encountering On North American college campuses, where Jewish students are all a hostile environment. too often encountering a hostile environment. Donate. You are standing up for any Jewish community in need of support, protection and You are standing up for any Jewish community in need Volunteer. solidarity. Please give to <<NAME.>> today. of support, protection and solidarity. Please give to Get involved. the Jewish Federation of Collier County today. 239.263.4205 www.jewishnaples.org

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!

FS1115

 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

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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

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



November 2015 - Heshvan/Kislev 5776



Vol. 25 #3

Arts & Culture

Federation’s Jewish Book Festival takes off By Philip K. Jason, Jewish Book Festival co-chair

oming this winter, the first annual Collier County Jewish Book Festival will add a spectacular new ingredient to the cultural life of our community. A project of the Jewish Federation of Collier County in cooperation with the Jewish Book Council, the Festival will have an unusual format, multiple venues, and a total of 23 authors visiting through the winter season. This is without even counting Rabbi Joseph Phil Jason Telushkin, author of Rebbe and many other brilliant books, the superb choice for the Evy Lipp People of the Book Cultural Event on Wednesday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Shalom. This event may be seen as a kickoff for the Festival proper. With two exceptions, each of the Festival events will feature two authors paired by a related theme. One exception is Chef Rossi, who will regale her audience at the Hilton Naples on Tuesday, February 23 during a breakfast meeting sponsored by U.S. Bank, when she will discuss her book The Raging Skillet. Billed as a memoir with recipes,

theme is “Family” with David Bernstein’s guide for aging wisely, I’ve Got Some Good News and Some Bad News: You’re Old, and Dani Klein Modisett’s comic relief marriage advice Take My Spouse, Please. This event is sponsored by JFCS of Southwest Florida. On Wednesday, February 24 at 1:00 p.m., discover our local authors at the Naples Daily News Community Room, 1001 Immokalee Road. Meet Bob Mandell, author of the unique self-help book Stroke Victor; Jerry Greenfield, author of the humor-filled Secrets of the Wine Whisperer; Marc Simon, author of the highly imaginative novel The Leap Year Boy; and B.A. Shapiro, whose recent historical fiction release The Muralist has met with critical acclaim. On Monday, February 29 at 6:30 p.m., Chabad Naples will host an evening centered on spirituality. Sarah L. Kaufman’s The Art of Grace considers the spirituality of motion, and Jay Michaelson’s The Gate of Tears explores the interplay between sadness and joy. On Tuesday, March 1 at 1:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom, Holocaust biography is represented by Steven Pressman’s 50 Children and Daniel M. Cohen’s Single Handed. This event is sponsored by the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida.

of Hadassah. O n T h u r s d a y, March 10 at 6:30 p.m., the theme is “Powerful Women.” Lisa Green will introduce On Your Case, a witty legal guide for all stages in a woman’s life. Julia Pimsleur will discuss Million Dollar Women, which profiles successful women entrepreneurs. This special event at the Hilton Naples, and sponsored by èBella magazine, includes beverages and treats. On Monday, March 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Universalist Unitarian Congregation of Greater Naples, the theme is “Inspiration.” At this event, sponsored by Naples Jewish Congregation, Sherre Hirsch will speak about her book Thresholds, which discusses how to live regret-free, and Goldie Milgram will introduce her collection New Mitzvah Stories, illustrating mitzvahcentered living for the whole family. The first annual Collier County Jew-

ish Book Festival is sponsored by Hilton Naples, U.S. Bank, Florida Weekly, èBella magazine, Barnes & Noble, Women’s Cultural Alliance, JFCS of Southwest Florida, Collier/Lee Chapter of Hadassah, Naples Jewish Congregation, and the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida. Special thanks to Beth Tikvah, Chabad Naples, Hilton Naples, Naples Daily News, South Regional Library, Temple Shalom, and Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples for providing space for the Festival events. Full information is available at www.jewishbookfestival.org. For questions and general information, call 239.263.4205 or email bookfestival@ jewishnaples.org.

KRISTEN COURY, PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Off-Broadway...just O f off 5th

For a complete schedule of events, venue locations, author bios, book synopses, ticket packages and an order form, see the 4-page pullout on pages 7B-10B. it tells one woman’s story of cooking her way through some of the most unlikely kitchens in New York City. The other exception is the Wednesday, February 24 “local authors” session with four presenters. At all the other events, the two authors sharing the bill will not co-present or share the stage, but provide back-toback presentations. Each speaker will give a 30- to 45-minute talk followed by 15-20 minutes of Q&A plus booksigning time. There will be a short break between presentations. On Thursday, February 18 at 1:00 p.m. at Beth Tikvah, discover two books by authors who take us to Russia: Talia Carner’s provocative novel Hotel Moscow and David Lawrence Greene’s interview-based travel narrative Midnight in Siberia. On Monday, February 22 at 1:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom, the

On Wednesday, March 2 at 1:00 p.m., Beth Tikvah welcomes two authors with compelling stories of Israel. Discover Jessamyn Hope’s intriguing novel Safekeeping and Mike Kelly’s dynamic investigative reporting in The Bus on Jaffa Road. On Thursday, March 3 at 1:00 p.m., go to the South Regional Library (Lely Cultural Pkwy.) for exciting fiction. Susan Jane Gilman spins the American Dream with The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street and Julia Dahl offers a haunting mystery in Run You Down. This event is sponsored by the Women’s Cultural Alliance. On Wednesday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Beth Tikvah, the focus is memoirs. Meet Sally Fingerett, author of The Mental Yentl, and Dafna Michaelson Jenet, author of It Takes a Little Crazy to Make a Difference. This event is sponsored by the Collier/Lee Chapter

Reserve your seats now for many of the major Jewish cultural events of the season

n this Arts & Culture section, you will find information on, and ticket order forms for the first annual Collier County Jewish Book Festival, the Evy Lipp People of the Book Cultural Event, JCMI’s Jewish Film Festival and Saul Stern Cultural Series, and the Naples Jewish Film Festival. You’ll also read about the exciting season of shows at Gulfshore Playhouse (a longtime Federation Star advertiser and supporter), the Center for the Arts

Bonita Springs, exhibits and events at the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida, and much more. We couldn’t bring you this special Arts & Culture section, as well as the wealth of Jewish-related content in each monthly issue of the Federation Star without the support of our advertisers. Please patronize them, and remember to tell them you saw their ads in this newspaper.

NOVEMBER 7-29 www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org

Call for Tickets: (866) 811-4111

The Norris Center 755 8th Avenue South, Naples, FL SEASON BENEFACTORS: PATTY

CORPORATE PARTNER:

& JAY BAKER

CORPORATE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: MOSEY & DON GUNTHER, LINDA & BOB HARDEN, CHRISTINE PADDOCK, DOTTIE & JOHN REMONDI, DOUGLAS DANFORTH In Memoriam

Federation Star November 2015

ARTS & CULTURE

Naples Jewish Film Festival’s opening film recreates Jewish history from the ground up By Carole J Greene

he 2016 film lineup for the Naples Jewish Film Festival has now been announced, promising to continue with a most memorable array of not-to-miss stories. Should there be any doubt, the Festival’s first two years were sold out, resulting in the Festival now calling the Sugden Community Theatre its home. Opening night, Sunday, February 28, is sure to fascinate as the audience will be touched by the documentary Raise the Roof, chronicling from vision to completion the recreation of the Gwozdziec synagogue. This was a magnificent example of the historically unique construction that emerged in the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. After WWII, few of that type remained, mostly because of Nazi destruction. None still stood that featured a prayer hall ceiling painted in vibrant colors within a towering, tent-like cupola like that existing in 1731. What started as an educational project transformed into the 2014 unveiling of the roof as the centerpiece of Warsaw’s new POLIN Museum for the History of the Jews. While the film is an amazing story and feat in its own right, what seals audience connection to the film is the project’s execution by over 300 students and professionals from various disciplines and over 16 countries over 10 years to realize the vision of the “Gwozdziec Reconstruction Making/ History: The Wooden Synagogue Replication Project.” “The audience will be mesmerized,”

said Trish Adkins, film selection coordinator for the Festival, “as they watch students learn-by-doing such skills as hand-hewing giant timbers from logs, putting them together with tongue-andgroove design, shaping the sturdy wood, lifting segments of the structure into place – all with the kinds of tools used 400 years ago.” Added insight comes with the knowledge that most of those artisans involved in this historical and artistic project were not Jewish. “Through this dynamic hands-on learning experience, diverse people cooperated in creating art and history,” remarked Adkins. “It shows how a love of history and art serves as an effective medium to connect people.” The project was envisioned and guided by Handshouse Studio in conjunction with the University of Massachusetts. Handshouse Studio, according to its website, is a non-profit educational organization that creates adventurous hands-on projects around the world “as a way to explore history, understand science, and perpetuate the arts.” To share the story firsthand, Assistant Professor Rob Duarte of Florida State University’s Art Department, who worked on the project, will be on hand that night. He’ll also be a special guest at an opening-night private reception for patrons and subscribers. “I’ve worked with Handshouse for a dozen years,” Professor Duarte said in a telephone interview. “All its projects are imbued with a quest for knowledge and education. They are always life-changing for those involved. This synagogue

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project has gone on the longest. More remarkable is that it culminates not only in the object in the museum but also in this remarkable film.” For additional information about the project, the Internet is rife with opportunity. Try handshouse.org and allow yourself at least an hour to savor what you find there. The Naples Jewish Film Festival

was established in 2014 by Beth Tikvah Congregation of Naples to enrich the vast cultural opportunities available in Naples. Sponsorships and subscriptions are now available for the 2016 season. Tickets for individual films will be offered only if available, starting Friday, January 15. To join in now, refer to the ad on page 16B or visit the website at naplesjewishfilmfestival.org.

Southwest Florida premiere of film about Adolf Eichmann

n Sunday, November 15 at 5:00 p.m. at Beth Tikvah (1459 Pine Ridge Road, Napes), there will be a showing of the absorbing new film The Trial of Adolf Eichmann. The Southwest Florida premiere of this highlyrecommended film will be presented by GenShoah program chair Steve Brazina. Actual trial footage is used to give audiences the opportunity to feel as though they are at the trial. Emotional testimonies of trial witnesses and other

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participants provide both insight and contrasting perspectives of the Eichmann legacy. Adolf Eichmann, the principal logistical military officer of the Nazis’ mass murder of 6,000,000 Jews, escaped a prisoner of war camp after WWII and eventually made his way to Argentina.

In 1960, agents of the Israel government captured him and transported him to Israel. This internationally-televised trial was for many people their first education about the Holocaust. Although Eichmann admitted to most of the accusations made, he claimed that he was powerless to resist orders from his military superiors. There is an interesting connection between Simon Wiesenthal, author of The Sunﬂower, this season’s One Book Southwest Florida selection, and the capture of Eichmann. Many people feel that Wiesenthal’s most significant contribution to Eichmann’s eventual capture was keeping him on the “wanted lists” by preventing the court issuance of an official declaration of death, which his wife had applied for in 1947, and also giving information that Eichmann was living in the Buenos Aires vicinity to the Israeli Consul. Reservations are required and donations will be requested to assist with the cost of the public performance rights. For information and reservations, please email genshoahswfl@icloud.com or call 239.963.9347.

November 2015 Federation Star

ARTS & CULTURE

Center for the Arts Bonita Springs 2015-16 Season of the Arts By Patrice Shields

he Center for the Arts Bonita Springs has hit the power switch to light up a season of live entertainment, films and exhibitions in Bonita Springs with tickets for a full year of performances now available for purchase. From local comedy troupes to Motown in Motion, the Center for Performing Arts Bonita Springs is poised and ready to launch residents and visitors into a season filled with comedy, music, film and theater. In addition to three Bonita Springs National Art Festivals at Riverside, CFAB’s inaugural Bonita Springs Inter-

national Film Festival (BIFF) will take place February 12-16, 2016. Those who join the Centers for the Arts for the first time as an individual member receive two tickets to select Live at the Center performances. The Centers for the Arts offers this benefit for first-time members and is for a limited-time only. A full schedule of offerings including classical, jazz, blues, chamber music, flamenco and more is now available at www.artcenterbonita.org or by calling 239.495.8989.

CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS BONITA SPRINGS 10150 Bonita Beach Road Bonita Springs, FL Tickets 239-495-8989 artcenterbonita.org

GREAT NOVEMBER ENTERTAINMENT Sunday, November 1, 3:00pm

Meet the Composers-Classical Music Series ‘Schumann & Clara, a Musical Love Story’ Join international artist and lecturer, Dr. Anne McLean the first Sunday of each month as she performs in a multi-media presentation highlighting a great composer’s music, fascinating historical insights and visual images of that unique era

2015-2016 schedule

Films for Film Lovers: foreign and independent films every Monday at 7:00 p.m. November 2015 SANDY SCOTT: A RETROSPECTIVE Exhibition on Display through December 31, 2015 November 1, 2015; 3:00pm Meet the Composers November 5, 2015; 8:00pm Guitar Legends November 7, 2015; 3:00pm Improv Cafe-Youth Comedy November 7, 2015; 8:00pm Improv Tonight!-Adult Comedy November 10, 2015; 7:00pm Southern Circuit Tour Imba Means Sing November 12, 2015; 8:00pm Night Train - ‘50s Dance Party November 13 & 14, 2015; 7:00pm The Adventures of Tom Sawyer-Youth Theater November 14 & 15, 2014; 2:00pm The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -Youth Theater December 2015 December 5, 2015; 8:00pm Acoustic Storytellers December 5, 2015; 3:00pm Improv Cafe-Youth Comedy December 5, 2015; 8:00pm Improv Tonight!-Adult Comedy December 6, 2015; 3:00pm Meet the Composers December 12, 2015; 8:00pm Naples Klezmer Revival Band December 13, 2015; 8:00pm Star Wars Movie Marathon December 17, 2015; 8:00pm Flamenco Puro January 2016 January 2, 2016; 3:00pm Improv Café-Youth Comedy January 2, 2016; 8:00pm Improv Tonight!-Adult Comedy January 3, 2016; 3:00pm Meet the Composers January 8, 2016; 7:30pm Motown in Motion January 9-10, 2016, 10am-5pm Bonita Springs National Art Festival (Riverside Park) January 16, 2016; 8:00pm Brazilian Jazz Night ‘O Som Do January 17, 2016, 3:00pm Southern Gothic Novel: A One-Man Show January 22, 2016, 6:00pm Off the Walls January 29 & 30, 2016; 7pm Hairspray The Musical-Teen Theater January 30 & 31, 2016; 2pm Hairspray The Musical-Teen Theater January 30-31, 2016, 10am-5pm Bonita Springs National Art Festival (Riverside Park) February 2016 February 4, 2016; 7:30pm Quattro Divos February 5, 2016; 6-8pm 27th Annual Members’ Exhibition Opening Reception February 6, 2016; 3:00pm Improv Café-Youth Comedy February 6, 2016; 8:00pm Improv Tonight!-Adult Comedy February 7, 2016; 3:00pm Meet the Composers February 9, 2016; 8:00pm Tea for Three February 12-16, 2016 Bonita Springs International Film Festival February 16, 2016; 7:00pm Southern Circuit Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning February 19-20, 2016; 8pm Assisted Living - The Musical February 21, 2016; 3:00pm Assisted Living - The Musical February 25, 2016; 8:00pm Riders in the Sky - Roy Rogers Tribute February 27, 2016; 8:00pm Dan Miller Jazz Rodgers & Hart

Chamber Music Series

Saturday, November 7 & December 5, 8pm Improv Tonight! - First Saturday Each Month Southwest Florida’s funniest local improv comedy

Thursday November 5, 8pm

Guitar Legends

Helios Swingtet Orchestra

March 2016 March 4, 2016; 8:00pm Rebecca Richardson Evolution of the Ladies of Swing March 5, 2016; 3:00pm Improv Café-Youth Comedy March 5, 2016; 8:00pm Improv Tonight!-Adult Comedy March 5-6, 2016, 10am-5pm Bonita Springs National Art Festival (Riverside Park) March 6, 2016; 3:00pm Meet the Composers March 8, 2016; 7:00pm Southern Circuit Tour American Made Movie March 9 & 10, 2016; 11:30am Barbara Rinella Presents: The News Sorority (Quail West) March 10-12, 2016; 8:00pm CFABS Players Present Arsenic & Old Lace March 11, 2016; 6-8pm Surf & Turf Exhibition Opening reception March 18-19, 2016; 8:00pm Arsenic & Old Lace March 13 & 20, 2016; 3pm Arsenic & Old Lace March 15, 2016; 8:00pm Irish Night March 23, 2016; 8:00pm Chamber Music Ensemble March 25, 2016; 8:00pm Jebry & Friends Jazz April 2016 April 1, 2016; 8:00pm Bay Singers April 1, 2016; 6-8pm FLAG Exhibition Opening Reception (CVA) April 2, 2016; 3:00pm Improv Café-Youth Comedy April 2, 2016; 8:00pm Improv Tonight!-Adult Comedy April 3, 2016; 3:00pm Meet the Composers April 12, 2016; 7:00pm Southern Circuit Althea April 13, 2016; 7:30pm Mama Cooks it Up April 15, 2016; 8:00pm Helios Swingtet Orchestra Jazz April 27, 2016; 8:00pm Chamber Music Ensemble May 2016 May 1, 2016; 3:00pm Meet the Composers May 7, 2016; 3:00pm Improv Café-Youth Comedy May 7, 2016; 8:00pm Improv Tonight!-Adult Comedy May 13 & 14, 2016; 7:00pm CFABS’ Youth Players Fiddler on the Roof May 14 & 15, 2016; 2:00pm CFABS’ Youth Players Fiddler on the Roof

Thursday, November 12, 8pm

Night Train - 1950’S Rock ‘n Roll Sock Hop Next stop, a night of dancing to the hits of the 1950’s with local favorites, Vic Tommarchi and the Night Train

November 13 & 14, 7pm Nov. 14 & 15, 2pm

CFABS Youth Players Present “Tom Sawyer” Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. Curtain Up Sponsor

Season Sponsor

Media Sponsors

Tickets 239-495-8989

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Federation Star November 2015

JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL

Book reviews and author information 2nd in a series of 5

presented by

Over the course of five Federation Star issues (October 2015 - February 2016), we will present the Jewish Book Festival committee members’ reviews and synopses of the books (and their authors) that will be featured at the Festival. Turn the page for a 4-page pullout with a complete schedule of events, venue locations, author bios, book synopses, ticket packages and an order form.

Stroke Victor by Bob Mandell Review by Philip K. Jason, Jewish Book Festival co-chair

his marvelous self-help book is likely to save or extend a lot of lives. However, its central focus is enhancing the quality of life for those who have undergone life-changing illnesses or injuries. While the information and advice is primarily for stroke victims, Bob Mandell’s guidance can be applied to many different situations in which recovery from a disability is sought. The author’s personal story is the engaging and inspiring trunk and branches of the book. On these branches Bob Mandell has hung the fruits of what he has learned. For me, his most widely applicable piece of advice is the need to take responsibility, to question, to be an aggressive patient who challenges medical personnel and especially conventional wisdom. Passive people are likely to be buried by their insecurities, by medical care bureaucracy, and by accepting

what’s immediately available or convenient rather than what is best for their recovery and rehabilitation. You have to fight to discover the best information, the best hospital, rehab facility, and medical expertise for your needs. You must be willing to take educated risks. However, Bob Mandell also knows that you can’t let an aggressive stance turn into adversarial relationships with those whose help and experience you are seeking. Make friends on this journey to well-being. Don’t turn people off. Another crucial piece of advice is the mantra “one step at a time.” People whose expectations are too ambitious (unrealistic?) are likely to be disappointed and fall into despair. They will lose heart and may never make progress. Set attainable goals and work hard to achieve each. With others, develop a plan that is consistent with your condi-

tion at the starting line so that you can reach the finish line of restored vitality and functionality. Forty-four brief, zesty and often humorous chapters (plus four appendixes) help create the feeling of “step-by-step” conquest over the stroke or other debilitating condition from which you need to rebound. You need to make and keep your commitment to practical interim goal-setting. Bob Mandell writes in an almost breathless style, underscoring his points via strong section headings, outline technique, boldface emphasis, and a kind of question-and-answer dialogue. Most important is his use of italicized passages that reveal what Bob was thinking at different stages of his own recovery and rehabilitation. He admits to and shares his doubts and dilemmas along the way. No one should think that anything less than tough-mindedness

Wednesday, February 24, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at the Naples Daily News Bob Mandell’s dedication to helping others stricken by stroke has led to a new career path as author, stroke coach, speaker and founder of The Stroke Research Foundation, whose mission is to improve post-stroke lifestyles through advocacy, outreach and 21st century research. In his prior life, he was a corporate marketing executive, partner in an international management consulting firm, an adjunct professor at Fairfield University, and an entrepreneur in the telecommunications field. Appearing with Bob Mandell at the local authors event will be B.A. Shapiro (The Muralist), Marc Simon (The Leap Year Boy) and Jerry Greenfield (Secrets of the Wine Whisperer).

and hard work will bring the results you desire. No one should think there won’t be setbacks. All these positive attributes of Stroke Victor do not quite disguise the fact that this book could benefit from careful, professional proofreading. Mr. Mandell shows his readers how to become researchers. Finding networks of people and organizations with shared concerns and knowledge, finding sources that explain various kinds of medical practitioner credentials and rankings of hospitals’ specialty units (like stroke units), and finding special umbrella organizations like NIH StrokeNet are necessities for you and your optimum recovery. The information in Stroke Victor seems endless. There is helpful guidance for and about caregivers; useful sections like “Sex after Stroke,” “Integrative and Innovative Therapies;” and an enormously important “how-to” discussion about discovering and taking part in clinical trials of new medications and therapies. Through his book, Bob Mandell is a great coach on paper. He is also a coach – a stroke coach – in life. He is a fully committed stroke recovery research advocate and educator who has founded the Stroke Research Foundation. You can check it out at www. StrokeRF.org. To invite Mr. Mandell to a speaking engagement, contact him at bob@strokevictor.com. Reprinted with permission from Florida Weekly.

Hotel Moscow by Talia Carner Review by Linda Smith, Jewish Book Festival committee member

he experiences of the daughter of Holocaust survivors in postcommunist Russia is the focus of Carner’s captivating and provocative novel. It is a time of great upheaval as Russia attempts but is not ready to embrace democracy and capitalism. Decades of Communist rule have been replaced by a culture of deprivation and crime. The protagonist of the story is Brooke Fielding, a 38-year-old New

York investment manager and the daughter of Jewish Holocaust survivors. Along with the fact of her birth is the unique burden that children of Holocaust survivors carry with them as they attempt to separate from their parents. Brooke accepts an invitation to join a friend on a mission to Moscow to teach entrepreneurial skills to Russian businesswomen. This could help save her job which is in jeopardy from a takeover of her company as she departs

for Russia. She would be one of the first Americans to visit Russia after the fall of Communism and to gain expertise in the emerging Russian markets. Because of the experience of her mother’s persecution in Russia a generation ago, she worries about her reception at her arrival in Russia. In Russia she becomes inspired by the women she meets and is committed to helping them. She becomes involved in investigating the criminal activity that threatens their

Thursday, February 18, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Beth Tikvah Talia Carner is formerly the publisher of Savvy Woman magazine and a lecturer at international women’s economic forums. The author of three novels and numerous stories, essays and articles, she is a committed supporter of global human rights, spearheading projects centered on female plight and women’s activism. Appearing with Talia Carner will be David Greene, author of Midnight in Siberia.

businesses and their lives. The story follows Brooke during the time when Boris Yeltsin tenuously holds onto his power during an uprising of the Russian parliament. She is encased in an atmosphere of danger and corruption. The story follows her attempts to expose the source of the corruption that is threatening the success of the mission. There is an intriguing love interest that involves a man who has taken on the role of Brooke’s protector while withholding the reason for his presence in Russia. Of greater importance, this book is about friendship and the tenacity of friendships despite great and deep cultural differences. For Brooke, it is coming to terms with her cultural legacy as well as her personal mistakes. The appeal of the book is not limited to a Jewish audience. The story informs the reader about the conditions in Russia after the fall of Communism, and presents the historical significance of the Holocaust as it relates to generational anti-Semitism. Written with humor and pathos, Hotel Moscow is an absorbing read.

TICKETS TO THE JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL MAKE GREAT CHANUKAH GIFTS!

November 2015 Federation Star

JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL

Single Handed by Daniel M. Cohen Review by Stephen M. Brazina, Jewish Book Festival committee member

magine you’re a 13-year-old Jewish boy forced to flee your home in Hungary to avoid being taken by the Nazis. Only miles from the Swiss border, you’re captured and sent to the dreaded Mauthausen concentration camp where a single misstep – a defiant look, a botched work assignment, a single louse in your hair — could mean instant execution. Through guile, courage and luck, you survive the Holocaust and make your way to America.

While the other young refugees are busy making new lives for themselves, you do the unthinkable and enlist in the U.S. Army, where you volunteer to fight the communists in Korea. The enemy is fierce, but the greatest danger lies in the bigotry of a redneck U.S. Sergeant who continually puts you in harm’s way because you are a Jew. Fighting valiantly to save yourself and your fellow soldiers, your bravery will earn the praise of commanding officers who

twice recommend you for the Medal of Honor – an award you won’t receive for 50 years. There is no need to imagine such a tale. It’s unbelievable, fantastic and all true, and one of the most exciting and riveting war memoirs that you will ever read. It’s a real page-turner about the only Holocaust survivor ever to receive the Medal of Honor. Daniel Cohen has captured the essence of character and courage during

Tuesday, March 1, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom Daniel M. Cohen is a filmmaker and writer. He wrote and directed the award-winning feature Diamond Men. A film critic and essayist for over thirty years, Single Handed is his first book. Appearing with Daniel M. Cohen will be Steven Pressman, author of 50 Children. This program is being generously sponsored by the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida.

the Holocaust and the Korean War, and he demonstrates that all American heroes are not homegrown. He tells a riveting tale that is well written and very often hard to put down. Tibor Rubin is a true hero for his countless acts of bravery and for putting others’ lives before his own safety. What stands out amid the horror and struggle is the upbeat spirit of this spritely little Hungarian who went far, far above the call of duty, placing himself in harm’s way to protect his fellow prisoners and soldiers, only to see his bravery and sacrifice ignored by the country he loved and fought for. It takes fifty years and countless others to help this man get the recognition that he truly deserved. Captivating from page one, Single Handed is an epic survival story layered with meaning, and told with ferocity and honesty. Author Daniel M. Cohen details the life of an unlikely hero who embodied faith, charity and valor in the most horrific of conditions. Recommend to all adults –young and old.

Thresholds by Sherre Hirsch Review by Robin Mintz, Jewish Book Festival committee member

hresholds are times of transition into a new way of thinking, feeling and being. Every one of us will experience many; some will be exciting, others painful. Either way, crossing from a familiar place into an unknown one can be terrifying. But what if you could embrace these times of transition as doorways to better

opportunities rather than seeing them as obstacles? Rabbi Sherre Hirsch’s new book, Thresholds: How to Thrive Through Life’s Transitions to Live Fearlessly and Regret-Free, presents ways for you to understand and navigate the thresholds in front of you and gain the hope, courage and the resilience that will keep you moving forward.

The thresholds of life referred to are those times of transition when we are moving from the way we were accustomed to living to a new way of thinking, feeling and being. Every one of us will experience many such moments. Some will be exciting – a new job, a marriage, the birth of a child. Others – the death of a loved one, an empty nest,

Monday, March 14, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Cong.

Rabbi Sherre Hirsch served as the first female rabbi of Sinai Temple Los Angeles. She has been sharing her intimate style with people in all kinds of “pulpits” from The Today Show to small Southern Baptist churches, and serves as the spiritual life consultant for Canyon Ranch Properties. She is also a frequent writer and contributor for magazines and online websites, and an inspirational speaker for corporations throughout the U.S. Appearing with Sherre Hirsch will be Goldie Milgram, author of New Mitzvah Stories. This program is being generously sponsored by Naples Jewish Congregation.

and a divorce – will be painful. Either way, crossing from a “room” that is comfortable and familiar into one that feels uncertain and unpredictable, can be terrifying. What do we do when the answers are unclear? This book will help you navigate through life’s critical turning points with confidence. Though written from a Jewish perspective, Hirsch’s book has wisdom and guidance for all. Hirsch is a rabbi and the author of We Plan, God Laughs. Surprisingly, faith in God is not required to benefit from this new book. All that is required is faith in yourself, and Hirsch knows how to get you there. Drawing on decades of counseling individuals of all faiths, the wisdom of ancient stories, research from psychology, and tales from real life, Hirsch helps readers summon the faith and courage to seize the exhilarating new possibilities and experiences that lie across the threshold.

The Gate of Tears by Jay Michaelson Review by Lee Henson, Jewish Book Festival committee member

s a citizen of the twenty-first century, a member of a closeknit family and the wider family of the “chosen people,” it would not be surprising to discover that I have often felt sadness. Yet this very experience makes me part of an ever growing circle of individuals who have similar feelings. The questions evolve: Where can I find relief from these feelings? How do I acknowledge them without slipping into depression and isolation? The answer just might lie within the pages of this book.

Jay Michaelson, while not a therapist or a doctor, is well suited to answer this question. He holds a PhD in Jewish Thought, has taught for over twenty years in almost 100 venues, and has written six books and many articles. He has a JD from Yale, a BA from Columbia, and is an ordained nondenominational rabbi. He is a teacher on religion, sexuality and the law, as well as a meditation leader. He has experienced and been treated for clinical depression, and knows the difference felt between that and the subject at hand – sadness. The organization of this book is in

three parts: 1. Opening, 2. Listening, and 3. Merging. As he quotes the Kotzker Rebbe in the beginning of his third section, “There is nothing so whole as a broken heart.” A teacher relies on other teachers. One gleans the most relevant parts of lessons, words that speak directly to you and remain part of your lessons to others. Jay Michaelson takes that truism to heart, sharing meaningful pieces from other poets, religious leaders and statesmen within his writings. This adds a depth to his writing that simple conversation might not address. Each

Monday, February 29, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at Chabad Naples Rabbi Dr. Jay Michaelson is the author of six books, editor at The Daily Beast and The Forward, and affiliated faculty member of Chicago Theological Seminary. He has taught at Boston University Law School and numerous Jewish institutions, and has appeared on NPR, CNN, MSNBC and NBC. He holds a PhD from Hebrew University, a JD from Yale, and non-denominational rabbinic ordination. Appearing with Jay Michaelson will be Sarah Lloyde Kaufman, author of The Art of Grace.

section of his book contains examples, meditations and comments on the universality of sadness. I personally found many parts of this writing directly spoke to me. In a discussion of “Comparison” he writes: Pain is not comparable. Is it possible to quantify the pain of one who has lost a child to an illness or accident? And then compare it to my lesser pain of losing a parent? Or the lesser pain of losing a job? And does the existence of greater pain make lesser pain somehow justified? Am I not “entitled” to feel sadness, because someone else is sadder? I have often struggled with just that thought. Or guilt, or everyday blues or the other forms of sadness discussed in this book. What made me happy? Finding the commonality in feelings, and the suggestion of relief This book was thought provoking on the topic of sadness. I am happily looking forward to getting to learn more about this subject directly from the teacher. Do join me in listening to what I am sure will be a fascinating talk with Jay Michaelson.

The majority of the Festival’s books will be available at a specified location in the Barnes & Noble store at the Waterside Shops beginning at the end of November. Books will also be available for purchase and signing at each author’s event. Books make great gifts for friends and family.

Federation Star November 2015

ARTS & CULTURE

Gulfshore Playhouse’s 2015-16 Season – its finest yet!

ulfshore Playhouse’s 20152016 season will showcase playwrights, actors and directors from across the world, and feature a diverse collection of New York-quality, professional theatre right here in Southwest Florida! With seven full-scale productions – up from its standard six – including a delightful mix of comedies, dramas and first-time productions – this season is sure to thrill audiences and critics alike. Opening the season from October 10 through the 25 was the beloved play The Glass Menagerie written by Tennessee Williams, directed by Kristen Coury, and produced in partnership with Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, Weston, Vermont. Up next, running November 9 through November 29, is a flighty farce from the swinging sixties – Boeing Boeing by Marc Camoletti, Beverley Cross

and Francis Evans, and directed by Julia Gibson. Bernard is engaged to Gabriella. And to Gloria. And to Gretchen. With three gorgeous stewardess fiancées, Bernard is flying high and living the dream. But things get a bit rocky when shy friend Robert comes to stay, a new turbo-charged Boeing is introduced, and we quickly learn that one woman is all Bernard can handle. This turbulent tale

about a jet-setting American playboy is sure to deliver quite a ride. From December 12 through December 20, Naples’ newest holiday tradition – Gulfshore Playhouse’s performance of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol written by Tom Mula and directed by Kristen Coury – will take center stage. Cody Nickell returns to Gulfshore Playhouse in this one-man tour-de-force. In a magical departure from the Dickens classic, Marley goes to Hell and begins a journey that travels through the streets of London, Christmases past, present and future, Heaven, Hell and the dimensions beyond. This journey of laughter and terror, redemption and renewal is the perfect tale for the holiday season. Bringing in the New Year, is Informed Consent written by Deborah Zoe Laufer and directed by Kristen Coury. The story follows an ambitious geneticist who enters a race against time to research diabetes ravaging an isolated Native American tribe while dealing with her own devastating diagnosis. This tale explores what we want to

know, what we want to change, and the question of whether knowledge actually IS power. Sure to be the season’s biggest crowd pleaser, master of comedy Ken

Ludwig makes his return in the zany comedy Moon Over Buffalo, directed by Philadelphia-based director Matt Pfeiffer, from February 13 through March 13. A madcap comedy from the author of The Fox On the Fairway and The Game’s Afoot, George and Charlotte Hay are has-been theatre actors from the 1950s. Charlotte dreams of becoming a film star, while George is satisfied with life as a stage actor. Struggling to perform Cyrano de Bergerac and Private

What, directed by Emily Wells, tells the story of Zarina, a talented young

writer who often clashes with her very traditional father and sister. Playwright Ayad Akhtar is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

Lives in rep while on the brink of splitting up due to George’s infidelity, they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom. Unfortunately, everything that could go wrong does go wrong in this side-splitting farce, resulting in non-stop hilarity. The final two productions of the 2015-2016 season will be An Enemy of the People, which will run from March 26 through April 17, and The Who and the What by Ayad Akhtar, which will run April 30 through May 15. An Enemy of the People is a new version of the Henrik Ibsen play by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and directed by Kristen Coury. This fast-paced thriller takes politics to a personal level in this new version of Ibsen’s timeless classic, more relevant today than the day it was written. The Who and the

Gulfshore Playhouse is passionately committed to enriching the cultural landscape of the region by producing professional theatre to the highest artistic standards, and providing unique educational opportunities to diverse groups of people in a spirit of service, adventure and excitement. For more information, please visit www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org or call 239.261.PLAY(7529).

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Presents the First Annual

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Each of the nine events on this 2-page spread are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. See the back of this 4-page pullout for two special events, an order form, Patron & ticket packages, venue locations and more. Tickets are less than $10 per event when you purchase a 9-event Book-Lover Package or 5-event package. Purchase a Patron Festival Package and get priority seating (front rows) at all 11 events, an invitation to a Patron Reception with at least one author, and your name listed in the Federation Star. See the order form for more details.

• Ticket prices are per event and not for each individual author. You get to hear two authors for the price of one. (The Local Authors Event ticket is good for all four authors.) • Buy your tickets early. Due to limited seating at some venues, events may sell out. • Tickets will be mailed beginning in mid-January. • Tickets are NOT tax deductible other than a portion of the Patron Festival Package (see order form). • Tickets ARE transferable and can be given to others. Consider buying the 9-event Book-Lover Package or 5-event package and give some tickets as gifts to your friends or colleagues. • Open seating at all events. Front rows will be reserved for Patrons and Sponsors. • If an author cancels (weather, illness, etc.), we will attempt to reschedule the author in late March or April. Your original ticket will be good for the rescheduled event. • No refunds unless entire event (both authors) is canceled and not rescheduled (for ticket packages, refund will be prorated). • Venues may change based on ticket sales, due to limited capacity at some venues. Ticket buyers will be notified. • All events will take place in Naples.

Thursday, February 18, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Beth Tikvah ~ Topic: Russia Talia Carner ~ Hotel Moscow

David Greene ~ Midnight in Siberia

From the author of Jerusalem Maiden comes a thought-provoking novel that tells the riveting story of a daughter of Holocaust survivors who travels to Russia on business shortly after the fall of Communism and finds herself embroiled in a perilous mafia conspiracy that could irrevocably destroy her life. Brooke Fielding, a 38-year-old New York investment manager, finds her life suddenly upended in September 1993 and accepts an invitation to join a friend on a mission to Moscow to teach entrepreneurial skills to Russian business women. Though excited by the opportunity, Brooke also wonders what awaits her in the country that persecuted her mother just a generation ago. Hotel Moscow is an eye-opening portrait of post-communist Russia and a profound exploration of faith, family and heritage. Talia Carner is formerly the publisher of Savvy Woman magazine and a lecturer at international women’s economic forums. The author of three novels and numerous stories, essays and articles, she is a committed supporter of global human rights, spearheading projects centered on female plight and women’s activism.

Midnight in Siberia chronicles David Greene’s journey on the TransSiberian Railway, a 6,000-mile cross-country trip from Moscow to the Pacific port of Vladivostok. In quadruple-bunked cabins and stopover towns sprinkled across the country’s snowy landscape, Greene speaks with ordinary Russians about how their lives have changed in the post-Soviet years. These travels offer a glimpse of the new Russia – a nation that boasts open elections and newfound prosperity but continues to endure oppression, corruption, a dwindling population, and stark inequality. Midnight in Siberia is a lively travel narrative filled with humor, adventure and insight. It opens a window onto that country’s complicated relationship with democracy and offers a rare look into the soul of twenty-first-century Russia. David Greene is a cohost of NPR’s Morning Edition. He is NPR’s former Moscow bureau chief and has spent more than a decade covering politics and events from the White House and abroad. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Rose, a restaurant owner and fellow traveler.

Monday, February 22, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom ~ Topic: Family Dani Klein Modisett ~ Take My Spouse Please In love as in comedy, timing is everything. One bad night doesn’t mean it’s time to quit. Have patience: great marriages, like a career as a comedian, take time. With her trademark humor and sharp yet reverent tone, writer and comedian Dani Klein Modisett shares a map for navigating your marriage through rough patches, bad jokes, and even nights when you bomb. Dani has interviewed dozens of well-known comedians, comic writers, and marriage counselors to deliver unique marriage “material.” The wisdom gleaned from these devotees of both comedy and marriage illuminates the core premise in every relationship: Humor matters. The celebration of love and humor – from gut-busting celebrity interviews to earnest advice – is the heart and soul of Take My Spouse, Please. Dani Klein Modisett is a comedian, actress and author. Her comedy act has toured nationally, and her one-woman show was featured at the HBO Aspen Comedy Festival. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Parents Magazine and Los Angeles Times. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

Dr. David Bernstein ~ I’ve Got Some Good News and Some Bad News: YOU’RE OLD Written for the aging and the aged, their children, and younger people who aspire to grow old, YOU’RE OLD illuminates the emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of aging, along with the diverse strategies people use to adapt to its realities. Dr. Bernstein’s compassion and connection with his patients has compelled him to share real patient stories, to explore what happens when we age – physically, mentally, spiritually and socially. Each chapter includes notes on living longer, and resources in each section provide topic-specific information. For a healthy, fulfilling life, he encourages the practice of GRACE: Goals, Roots, Attitude, Companionship and Environment. Dr. David Bernstein is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, practicing in Florida for over thirty years, a graduate of Albany Medical College and on the faculty of University of USF College of Medicine. He is a board member and past chair of Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services for twenty-six years.

Wednesday, February 24, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at the Naples Daily News ~ Local Authors Event B.A. Shapiro ~ The Muralist

Marc Simon ~ The Leap Year Boy

Entwining the lives of both historical and fictional characters, and moving between the past and the present, The Muralist plunges readers into the divisiveness of prewar politics and the largely forgotten plight of European refugees refused entrance to the United States. B.A. Shapiro is the author of the award-winning and New York Times bestseller The Art Forger. She has taught sociology at Tufts University and creative writing at Northeastern University.

Marc Simon’s short fiction has appeared in several literary magazines, including The Wilderness House Review (where he won the 2006 Chekhov Prize for best story of the year), Flashquake, Poetica Magazine, The Writing Disorder, Jewish Fiction.net and most recently, Slush Pile Magazine. His one-act plays have been three-time winners in the Sugden Theater Etc. Reader’s Theater New Plays Contest. His debut novel, The Leap Year Boy, was published in December 2012.

Bob Mandell ~ Stroke Victor

Jerry Greenfield ~ Secrets of the Wine Whisperer

Bob Mandell’s dedication to helping others stricken by stroke has led to a new career path as author, stroke coach, speaker and founder of The Stroke Research Foundation, whose mission is to improve post-stroke lifestyles through advocacy, outreach and 21st century research. In his prior life, he was a corporate marketing executive, partner in an international management consulting firm, an adjunct professor at Fairfield University, and an entrepreneur in the telecommunications field.

Jerry Greenfield’s memoir tells how he and his wife Debi became seduced by the “wine life,” and the adventures that resulted. An experienced public speaker and wine educator, Jerry is no stuffy sommelier; he makes great wine easy and fun to understand...and enjoy. He “de-mystifies” the subject and offers useful hints, tips and information that add elegance and fun to every lifestyle. Jerry holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Florida, and has lived in Spain and Israel. He is Creative Director of Greenfield Advertising Group.

Monday, February 29, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at Chabad Naples ~ Topic: Spirituality Jay Michaelson ~ The Gate of Tears

Sarah L. Kaufman ~ The Art of Grace

The Gate of Tears: Sadness and the Spiritual Path is the sixth book by Rabbi Dr. Jay Michaelson. Its message is a countercultural one: that sadness and joy can coexist, and that there is a great beauty to the vicissitudes of light and darkness that are inevitable parts of human life. By learning to make space for and even love these difficult emotions, they become like two notes of a minor chord – a song that is both beautiful and wise. With his blend of erudition and accessibility, Rabbi Michaelson weaves together Hasidic tales and Dharma teachings, Leonard Cohen and Langston Hughes. The Gate of Tears draws on his 15 years as a student and teacher of Jewish meditation, the recent passing of his mother, and the peace he has discovered along the way. Rabbi Dr. Jay Michaelson is the author of six books, editor at The Daily Beast and the Forward, and affiliated faculty member of Chicago Theological Seminary. He has taught at Boston University Law School and numerous Jewish institutions, and has appeared on NPR, CNN, MSNBC and NBC. He holds a PhD from Hebrew University, a JD from Yale, and non-denominational rabbinic ordination.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning dance critic teaches us to appreciate – and enact – grace in every dimension: physical, spiritual and emotional. Both social and physical graces have been taught since the dawn of civilization. Yet grace seems forgotten in our pushy, hectic modern world. Sarah L. Kaufman argues that we bring it back. She explores the concept of grace in faiths around the world, including Judaism, where grace is seen as a quality that engenders love. She singles out grace in sports, in the arts, and in the everyday ways people interact. Cary Grant is her muse: his uncanny ease flowed from training as an acrobat but equally from his wit, humility and compassion. So too, Kaufman suggests, we might unearth the potential for grace in ourselves. Sarah L. Kaufman is a Pulitzer Prize-winning dance critic for The Washington Post, where she has written about arts, sports and living for twenty years. A former French-American Foundation fellow, she has lived in France and Germany, and has lectured at universities around the country. She and her husband have three children and live outside Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, March 1, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Temple Shalom ~ Topic: Holocaust Steven Pressman ~ 50 Children

Daniel M. Cohen ~ Single Handed

In the spring of 1939, a Jewish couple from Philadelphia, Gil and Eleanor Kraus, traveled into Nazi Germany in a bold and daring attempt to rescue a group of Jewish children and bring them back into the safety of the United States. Despite incredible obstacles at home – fierce opposition by Jewish community leaders and organizations; rigid U.S. immigration quotas – the Krauses carried out their mission, resulting in the largest single group of unaccompanied children allowed into the United States during the entirety of the Holocaust. Steven Pressman was born and raised in Los Angeles and worked for many years as a journalist in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. He wrote, directed and produced the Emmy-nominated documentary film 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus, which premiered on HBO and led to his book on the same topic. He and his wife live in San Francisco.

When Tibor Rubin was 13, he spent a year in a Nazi concentration camp. When he was 18, Tibor came to America a penniless immigrant. A year and a half later he volunteered for the Korean War. When he was 20, Tibor defended a hill from hordes of North Korean soldiers single handed. He was recommended for the Medal of Honor, but a virulently ant-Semitic sergeant ditched the paperwork. After other acts of selfless daring, Tibor was recommended for the Medal again. The same sergeant refused to file the paperwork. When Tibor was 21, he was captured and sent to a Chinese POW camp, where he stole food to keep starving buddies alive. When Tibor was 50, the men whose lives he’d saved lobbied the Army to get him the medal he had been denied. Twenty-five years later, he finally received America’s highest military distinction. Single Handed is the amazing story of the only Holocaust survivor to have received the Medal of Honor. Daniel M. Cohen is a filmmaker and writer. He wrote and directed the award-winning feature Diamond Men. A film critic and essayist for over thirty years, Single Handed is his first book.

Wednesday, March 2, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Beth Tikvah ~ Topic: Israel Mike Kelly ~ The Bus on Jaffa Road

Jessamyn T. Hope ~ Safekeeping

Mike Kelly tells the story of two New Jersey teenagers who were killed in 1996 in a bus bombing on Jaffa Road in Jerusalem. In pursuit of justice, the parents of these American teenagers encountered political obstacles (from the White House and State Department, among others), adding suspense to the story of crime and punishment. The parents won a tremendous cash verdict against Hamas and Iran when a United States Federal Judge decided in their favor. Mike Kelly, a journalist for more than three decades, is the author of two books and many prize-winning newspaper projects and columns for the Bergen Record in northern New Jersey. His assignments have taken him to Africa, Northern Ireland, Israel, Palestine and Iraq. He covered the 9/11 attacks, the cleanup of Ground Zero, and the 9/11 Commission hearings in Washington, D.C., and has devoted much of his time to covering terrorism.

Set against the backdrop of Jewish history, Safekeeping is a novel about love, loss and the courage it takes to keep starting over. At its heart stands a sapphire brooch – forged in a medieval ghetto – with a perilous backstory spanning three continents and seven centuries. In 1994, Adam, a drug addict from New York City, arrives at Kibbutz Sadot Hadar with the priceless brooch. To redress a past crime, he needs to give it to a woman his grandfather loved when he was a Holocaust refugee on the kibbutz 50 years earlier. But finding this mystery woman proves more complicated than expected. On the kibbutz, Adam joins other damaged souls trying to turn their lives around. By the end of that summer, they each get their last shot at redemption. Jessamyn Hope’s fiction and memoirs have appeared in Ploughshares, Five Points and Colorado Review, among other literary magazines. She was the Susannah McCorkle Scholar in Fiction at the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Originally from Montreal, she lived in Israel before moving to New York City.

Thursday, March 3, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at South Regional Library ~ Topic: Fiction Susan Jane Gilman ~ The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street

As a child in 1913, Malka Treynovsky flees Russia for New York with her family – only to be crippled and abandoned in the streets. Taken in by a tough-loving Italian ices peddler, Malka survives. When she falls in love with Albert, they set off together across America in an ice cream truck to seek their fortune. Slowly she transforms herself into Lillian Dunkle, “The Ice Cream Queen of America” – doyenne of an empire of ice cream franchises and a celebrated television personality. Spanning 70 years, Lillian’s rise – fraught with setbacks, triumphs and tragedies – is inextricably linked to the course of American history itself, from Prohibition to the disco days of Studio 54. And when her past starts catching up with her, Lillian’s world implodes spectacularly. Susan Jane Gilman was a 2014 National Jewish Book Award finalist. She provides commentary for NPR and has written for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Ms. magazine, among others. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. She divides her time between Geneva and New York.

Julia Dahl ~ Run You Down Aviva Kagan was a just a teenager when she left her Hasidic Jewish life in Brooklyn for a fling with a college boy from Florida – and then disappeared. Twenty-three years later, the daughter she walked away from is a New York City tabloid reporter named Rebekah Roberts. And Rebekah isn’t sure she wants her mother back in her life. But when a man from the ultra-Orthodox enclave of Roseville, NY, contacts Rebekah about his wife’s mysterious death, she is drawn back into Aviva’s world. Pessie Goldin’s body was found in her bathtub, and her husband is certain she was murdered. Once she starts poking around, Rebekah encounters a whole society of people who have wandered “off the path” of ultra-Orthodox Judaism – just like her mother. But some went with dark secrets – and rage at the community they left behind. Julia Dahl writes about crime and justice for CBSNews.com. Her first novel, Invisible City, was named one of the Boston Globe’s Best Books of 2014 and was a finalist for the Edgar Award, the Mary Higgins Clark Award, and the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel. She was born in Fresno, CA, and now lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Wednesday, March 9, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at Beth Tikvah ~ Topic: Memoir Sally Fingerett ~ The Mental Yentl Known for her sharp wit and warm heart, Sally Fingerett is a freespirited, award-winning singer-songwriter who spent twenty-five years touring with the highly-acclaimed musical comedy group, The Four B**chin’ Babes. Holding artistic and contemporary Jewish life up to the light with love, humor and heart, Sally has written down the stories behind her best-loved songs from the stage and recordings. In these hilarious and endearing stories and essays, she celebrates her own personal goofs and flaws: having married, had a baby, divorced, trolled JDate, remarried, blended three teenagers into one family, while feeling that she’s really just a nine-year-old with a credit line. This designated daughter wanted only to fit in, be loved, do the right thing and – oops, almost forgot – have a career. Isn’t this what women do? Sally Fingerett is an award-winning composer and founding member of the musical comedy group The Four B**chin’ Babes. Sally has appeared on over seven-hundred stages, NPR’s What’ya Know, Mountain Stage, and World Cafe. Sally lives in Columbus, OH.

Dafna Michaelson Jenet ~ It Takes a Little Crazy To Make a Difference

Struggling with her divorce and commitment to life as an Orthodox Jewish woman and mother, Dafna Michaelson takes off to all 50 states to find and share stories of ordinary people solving problems in their community. Driven by her commitment to tikkun olam, she learns as she shares the stories of others to find her place and follow her conflicted heart when her non-Jewish boyfriend proposes. During her travels, Dafna’s quest was shared by Charles Osgood on CBS’s Sunday Morning, driving many to hear the stories of the 500 people she met. 65% of the people she interviewed are Jewish men and women driven to heal the world. The book recounts her journey over one year and shares her struggles with her commitment to faith and community. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, President of the Journey Institute, holds a BA from Stern College and an MBA from the University of Denver, and is a StorahTelling Maven. She held directorship posts at the Holocaust Awareness Institute and The March of the Living, BJENY. She currently sits on Hadassah’s National Board.

Monday, March 14, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at UUCGN ~ Topic: Inspiration Sherre Hirsch ~ Thresholds

Goldie Milgram ~ New Mitzvah Stories

Rabbi Sherre Hirsch thinks it’s time we started talking about the hallways – transitions – of our lives. This is not a book giving you advice about how to make a home; rather it is book about how to make a life. Hirsch wants to help you change the way you respond to these moments. There is no secret formula or pill, but there are skills and techniques right from our tradition. If you are willing, with practice you will no longer see these thresholds as obstacles; they will become opportunities. You will have many threshold moments in your lifetime. You may be in one now or the next one may be right around the corner. What will you do? Rabbi Sherre Hirsch served as the first female rabbi of Sinai Temple Los Angeles. She has been sharing her intimate style with people in all kinds of “pulpits” from The Today Show to small Southern Baptist churches, and serves as the spiritual life consultant for Canyon Ranch Properties. She is also a frequent writer and contributor for magazines and online websites, and an inspirational speaker for corporations throughout the United States. She is the mother of four children.

This collection of 43 true and fictional stories by leading Jewish authors, storytellers and educators has found its audience with all ages and groups across the spectrum of Jewish life. Each tale excites the imagination, opens the heart, and stimulates reflection, discussion and action. The stories pose challenges that highlight the lifeenhancing effect of mitzvah-centered living. Over 60 Jewish values are covered, with stimulating tales about Shabbat and Holy Days to core Jewish ethics like refraining from holding a grudge and taking revenge. New Mitzvah Stories celebrates contemporary Jewish values. Included are a study guide by co-editor Rabbi Dr. Goldie Milgram, accessibly translated sacred texts, discussion questions, learning activities, and tikkun olam possibilities for all ages and settings. Rabbi Goldie Milgram is Executive Director of Reclaiming Judaism and Dean of the Maggid-Educator Training Program, before which she served as 92nd Street Y Director of Innovative Jewish Programming. She is a widely published author, master teacher, public speaker, and professional Jewish storyteller.

Two Special Events:

Tuesday, February 23, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at Hilton Naples ~ Topic: Food $25 ~ No tickets sold after February 18 ~ Healthy continental breakfast included Chef Rossi ~ The Raging Skillet

When the microwave replaces her mother’s slow-cooked, traditional Hungarian dishes with meals from a box, Rossi takes to the kitchen – and a chef is born. This heartfelt and hilarious memoir takes us on the wild ride of Rossi’s life, from her Passover seders spent in the family camper to her 1980s Crown Heights adventures as a “wayward” girl living in a Chasidic rabbi’s home, to her observation of the High Holidays at Ground Zero as she served as a cook for first responders in the days just after 9/11. The Raging Skillet shows us how the creativity of the kitchen allows us to give a nod to where we come from.

Includes unpretentious recipes for real people everywhere. Rossi, as the owner and executive chef of The Raging Skillet, has earned a reputation as the one to call when it’s time to do things differently. The Raging Skillet has been described as a “rebel anti-caterer” by The New York Times. Rossi has written for Bust, The Daily News, The New York Post, The Huffington Post, Time Out New York and McSweeney’s. She is the host of a long-running radio show called Bite This, and has been featured on The Food Network and NPR.

Thursday, March 10, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. at Hilton Naples ~ Topic: Powerful Women $25 ~ No tickets sold after March 7 ~ Champagne & light treats included Lisa Green ~ On Your Case

Julia Pimsleur ~ Million Dollar Women

Television legal analyst and attorney Lisa Green offers something new: a witty, direct and empowering legal guide for women, filled with accessible information they can employ to understand and respond to common legal issues throughout their lives – from dating, marriage and kids to jobs, retirement, aging parents and wills. Lisa has an urgent message for women of all ages. Whether or not you invite it into your life, the law will find you. When it does, will you be ready to respond? Leveraging her professional training as a lawyer and her personal experience as a wife, ex-wife, mother and daughter, Lisa explains common, even complicated, legal issues in practical, easy-to-understand terms. Lisa Green is a lawyer and legal analyst, appearing on NBC News and MSNBC. While attending law school, Lisa worked as a columnist for The National Law Journal, after which she practiced law in New York, before joining NBC News – first as a lawyer and then as a senior producer and on-air analyst. She currently serves as communications director for a major NY law firm and is the mother of two young adults.

There’s a lot for feminists today to feel happy about. But there is one stubborn barricade that just won’t come down: the one that keeps women outside the room where the capital to build a big business is doled out. Lots of women start mom-and-pop businesses, and they start businesses at nearly twice the rate that men do. But only 3 percent of female business owners have revenues over one-million dollars – and even fewer of these women are Jewish. So how do you go big with your own business? In Million Dollar Women, Julia Pimsleur shares the inspiring story of building her own company, Little Pim, which produces a program for young children to learn foreign languages, and teaches the concepts, the lexicon, and the steps for heading a multimillion-dollar business. She shows you how to network, when to delegate, and how to overcome the emotional hurdles you have to jump to join the million-dollar club. This is the essential guide for female entrepreneurs, from someone who’s followed the same path. Julia Pimsleur is the CEO and Founder of Little Pim, a leading system for introducing young children to a second language.

Venue Locations

Jewish Book Festival Committee:

All locations are in Naples (area code 239): Special thanks to Beth Tikvah: 1459 Pine Ridge Road (434-1818) these organizations for Chabad Naples: 1789 Mandarin Road (262-4474) providing space for the Hilton Naples: 5111 Tamiami Trail N. (430-4900) Festival events. Naples Daily News: 1100 Immokalee Road (262-3161) South Regional Library: 8065 Lely Cultural Parkway (252-7542) Temple Shalom: 4630 Pine Ridge Road (455-3030) Unitarian Universalist Cong. of Greater Naples: 6340 Napa Woods Way (455-6553)

Carole Greene Dina Shein Harrilee Shevin Ida Margolis

Co-Chairs: Ted Epstein & Phil Jason Irene Pomerantz Linda Smith Iris Shur Marc Simon Judy Peltz Patti Boochever Lee Henson Robin Mintz

Steve Brazina Sue Bookbinder Susan Pittelman

Festival Sponsors

Book Sales

Most of the Festival’s books will be available at a specified location in the Barnes & Noble store at the Waterside Shops beginning at the end of November. Books will also be available for purchase and signing at each author’s event. Books make great gifts for friends and family.

We are grateful to the following businesses and organizations for their support of the Collier County Jewish Book Festival.

Festival Website & Email

Visit the official Festival website at www.jewishbookfestival.org for more information on the authors and their books, event updates and a printable order form. Have questions that have not been answered in this 4-page pullout? Send an email to bookfestival@jewishaples.org. One of the event co-chairs will reply.

Jewish Book Festival Ticket Order Form Patron Festival Package:

Includes all 9 events at right & 2 special events below for $180 # of packages: ___ = total $______

Personalize your festival experience with these options

Includes reserved seat in front rows at each event, Patron Reception with at least one author, and listing in the Federation Star. $51 of each package is tax deductible.

9-event Book-Lover Package:

Includes the 9 events at right for $79 # of packages: ___ = total $______ Does NOT include the two Special Events below.

• Tickets will be mailed beginning in mid-January. • Tickets are NOT tax deductible other than a portion of the Patron Festival Package (see above). • Tickets ARE transferable and can be given to others. • Open seating at all events. Front rows will be reserved for Patrons and Sponsors. • If an author cancels, we will attempt to reschedule the author in late March or April. • No refunds unless entire event (both authors) is canceled and not rescheduled. • Venues may change based on ticket sales, due to limited capacity at some venues. Ticket buyers will be notified.

Event Date - Authors: 2/18 - Carner/Greene 2/22 - Modisett/Bernstein 2/24 - Local Authors 2/29 - Michaelson/Kaufman 3/1 - Pressman/Cohen 3/2 - Kelly/Hope 3/3 - Gilman/Dahl 3/9 - Fingerett/Jenet 3/14 - Hirsch/Milgram Total:

5-event Individual package: tickets: $49 ea. $12 ea. Pkgs: ___ ($15 at the door) Please indicate # of tickets:

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ $____

Special Events: 2/23 - Breakfast - Chef Rossi # of tickets: ____ x $25 = $_____ 3/10 - Green/Pimsleur # of tickets: ____ x $25 = $_____

YES! I’d love to attend the Jewish Book Festival! Please send me the tickets I’ve reserved above for a total of $_______.  Check enclosed - payable to Jewish Federation of Collier County  Please charge my:  MasterCard  Visa  American Express

Women’s Cultural Alliance

Account #____________________________________ Exp. ____/____ ccv#______ Name: _______________________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________________ City: ____________________________________ ST: ______ Zip: _________________ Phone: _______________________ Email: __________________________________

4 easy ways to order your tickets: 1 Mail this order form to

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

2 In person

at the Federation office. Please fill out form in advance.

3 Charge by phone 239.263.4205 Please fill out form prior to calling.

4 Fax this order form

with credit card info to 239.263.3813 FS1115

All authors appearing at the Jewish Book Festival, with the exception of the local authors, are Jewish Book Council Network Authors.

November 2015 Federation Star

ARTS & CULTURE

11B

SAVE THE DATES FOR THIS SEASON’S TWO BIG EVENTS: F��’� E�� L�� P�� C�� P�� B�� C�� C�� E�� Saturday, January 16, 2016

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Evy Lipp PEOPLE OF THE BOOK Cultural Event Celebrating 12 years of bringing noted Jewish authors to our Federation members PROUDLY PRESENTS

RABBI JOSEPH TELUSHKIN WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016 at 7:30PM Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Road, Naples

Joseph Telushkin is the bestselling author of 16 books on Judaism, including Jewish Literacy, A Code of Ethics and Biblical Literacy among others. He was named by Talk magazine as one of the fifty best speakers in the United States. His book Words that Hurt, Words that Heal became the motivating force behind Senators Joseph Lieberman and Connie Mack’s 1996 Senate Resolution #151 to establish a “National Speak No Evil Day.” In his latest book, REBBE: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History, Joseph Telushkin offers a captivating portrait of the late Rabbi Schneerson, a towering figure who saw beyond conventional boundaries to turn his movement, Chabad-Lubavitch, into one of the most dynamic and widespread organizations ever seen in the Jewish world. At once an incisive work of history and a compendium of Rabbi Schneerson’s teachings, Rebbe is the definitive guide to understanding one of the most vital, intriguing figures of the last centuries. “Whether you are a believer, an admirer or a respectful skeptic, you will learn much from this deep and accessible account of a truly great man by a great writer.” — Alan M. Dershowitz

This event is open to all members of the Jewish Federation of Collier County. Become a member or renew your Federation membership today! A member is an “individual” who has made a contribution of $36 or more to the annual Federation Campaign in his or her name.

LIMITED SEATING - RESERVATIONS REQUIRED USING THE FORM BELOW

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This is my/our reservation for the People of the Book event on February 17, 2016.

Name(s): ________________________________________________________________________________________ # of reservations: ______ Phone: ___________________________ I/We are members of the Federation I/We would like to become members Enclosed is my check, payable to the Jewish Federation of Collier County, in the amount of $______________

Tickets will be mailed two weeks before the event.

Mail this form to: Jewish Federation of Collier County 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Ste. 2201 Naples, FL 34109 No phone reservations accepted.

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The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island in conjunction with the Jewish Federation of Collier County presents The 2016 Saul I. Stern Cultural Series – now in its 22nd year!

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Sunday, January 10, 2016, 7:30 p.m.

SHIBLEY TELHAMI is an Arab, born in Haifa, Israel. His family consider themselves Israelis. He is fluent in Hebrew and is Chairman of the Anwar Sadat Institute at the University of Maryland. He has taught at Princeton, Cornell, Columbia and Swarthmore. He is one of the leading pollsters in the Middle East and has become an expert on the area. He is an author and regular commentator on national and international media.

Saturday, February 13, 2016, 7:30 p.m.

THE NAPLES PHILHARMONIC BRASS QUINTET: For the 10th season performing at the Cultural Series, the Phil returns its outstanding musicians with a delightful variety of music and accompanying commentary. A Viennese table and Starbucks tasting follows the program.

Sunday, March 6, 2016, 7:30 p.m.

DAVID RUTHERFORD, NAVY SEAL: David served eight years in the Naval Special Warfare Community as a SEAL student, Combat Paramedic, Operator and Instructor. He has participated in clandestine operations in the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. His masterful ability to motivate, enables people from all walks of life to achieve success in any environment imaginable.

THE 2016 SAUL I. STERN CULTURAL SERIES

For more information, call the Synagogue Office at 239.642.0800. Please send this form and payment to the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island, 991 Winterberry Dr., Marco Island, FL 34145. Please send me tickets for the following Cultural Series programs: ____ $75 Patron, series ____ $50 Series for members ____ $60 Series for non-members ____ $20 Single tickets for members ____ $25 Single tickets for non-members ____ Enclosed is my check payable to JCMI

For those wishing single event tickets: # of tickets:____ Shibley Telhami # of tickets:____ The Naples Philharmonic # of tickets:____ David Rutherford ____ Please charge my credit card: Credit Card #_______________________________________ exp. ____/____

Please mail my tickets to the address below: Name_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip____________________________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________

This season’s exhibits, events and programs at the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of SWFL

he Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida in Naples celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2016. Thanks to our generous members, donors and community partners for helping us reach this milestone. Special thanks to the Jewish Federation of Collier County, which has been a supporter since our founding. We have a great selection of exhibits, programs and events in 2015-2016: Education Programs Over 145,000 Southwest Florida students, grades K-12 through college/ university, have participated in our Education programs. At the close of each program, students are challenged to take the lessons learned from the Holocaust, and go forth to make a positive difference in their lives and their communities. This year, two more programs were introduced: the “5-8-10 Program,” designed to reach every student in grades 5, 8 and 10 with age-appropriate instruction on the Holocaust, and an afterschool learning program in conjunction with Grace Place for Families and Children. The afterschool program is funded by generous grants from The League Club and Naples Children & Education Foundation, founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival. Museum Exhibits Two new exhibits debut in 2015-2016: Picturebook History: Telling the Story to

Children (November 3 - December 27, 2015) and At War’s End – The Nuremberg Trials (January 12 - May 1, 2016). Both were created in-house. Picturebook will show how creatively written, sensitively illustrated

children’s books can convey age-appropriate information about the Holocaust to young readers. At War’s End shows how the Nazi hierarchy was brought to justice after World War II. This exhibit is a joint effort between the Museum and the Museum Studies class at Florida Gulf Coast University. Materials from the Museum’s permanent collection will be utilized, including a rare set of briefing books used by Allied prosecutors. Both exhibits will also include associated special events. Events and Programs The Museum will again participate in One Book Southwest Florida. The community reading program’s selected book this year is The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal. Two of the four Book Discussion groups will be held

at the Museum, and two at Collier County Library branches. An additional discussion group will be held at a Lee County Library location. The program will end with special appearances by Mark Weitzman of the Wiesenthal Center. The program is co-sponsored by the Museum, GenShoah of Southwest Florida, the Collier County Public Library, the Lee County Public Library and the Naples Daily News. Contact the Museum at 239.263.9200 for more information. The popular Elliott Katz Holocaust History Subscription Lecture Series returns in 2016. Six programs – four morning and two late-afternoon sessions – will be presented. Reservations are required for all lectures. The cost is $10 per lecture. If you purchase seats for all six lectures before January 4, 2016, the total cost is $50. Seating is limited, so contact the Museum now to reserve your place. All major forms of payment are accepted. The Museum sponsors its first Author-in-Residence program February 22-24, 2016. Edwin Black, the prolific author and Holocaust historian, Edwin Black will give several presentations in Naples. Most events will be free and open to the public, with

reservations required. Contact the Museum for additional information. The Holocaust Survivor documentary We Testify will be shown at the Museum on November 29, 2015 and February 28, 2016. It was created by ABG World Video & Audio Productions of Naples, using footage from our Oral Visual History project of survivor and liberator testimonies. Reservations are required. Contact the Museum for more information and to reserve your seat. Two fundraisers will benefit the Museum’s Education programs: the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” Ladies Luncheon will be held on December 10, at The Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort. Margaret Cardillo, author of the children’s book Just Being Audrey, will speak at the luncheon. Reservations are required. Contact the Museum for more information. Our annual fundraiser, Triumph 2016, will be held on March 13, 2016. It will be a special celebration of the Museum’s 15th anniversary. Reservations are required, and details will be forthcoming. For more information, please visit our website at www.HolocaustMuseum SWFL.org or call the Museum at 239.263.9200. We hope to see you, your family and friends at the Museum this coming year!

Read the Federation Star and Connections online or on your tablet. Visit www. jewishnaples.org.

ARTS & CULTURE

November 2015 Federation Star

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We can’t stop the bloodshed.

We can stop the bleeding.

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Israel’s terror victims come through Hadassah’s hospital doors every day. · American Richard L. was stabbed in the heart in a terrorist bus attack and remains in critical condition. · Odel B. had deep wounds in her neck when she arrived at the hospital, after her husband was stabbed to death in Jerusalem’s Old City. Her toddler son also had knife wounds. They are recovering. · Teenager Naor B. was putting air in his bicycle tire when he was stabbed. He is in serious condition after complicated surgery.

The most difficult cases are rushed to Hadassah’s hospitals, world-renowned for trauma care and a team of surgeons that don’t give up. They fight to save lives and stop the bleeding. Help us #stopthebleeding To donate: 727-799-0618 or hadassah.org/stopthebleeding

HADASSAH THE WOMEN’S ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA, INC. ©2015 Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. Hadassah is a registered trademark of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.

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Celebrate being Jewish at the JCMI Jewish Film Festival By Isabel B. Price PhD

elcome to our 15th smashing season of the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island’s Jewish Film Festival. This season’s films will change the way you view movies and give you a larger perspective of the Jewish world and the contribution of Jewish culture to the whole world. Be enriched and entertained by films that transport you to other places and other times, and stir emotions while stimulating your mind and provoking your thoughts. The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island’s Jewish Film Festival is in fact, one of an estimated 175 thriving Jewish film festivals worldwide. There is one in Warsaw, Poland, one in Zagreb, Croatia, one in Toronto, one in Hong Kong,

several in the United Kingdom, and one in every large city in the United States. Even though the 2013 Pew Survey of American Jewry pointed to a decline in Jewish religious identification, the survey also indicated that today’s Jewish community is continually changing, evolving and finding new ways to be Jewish. And one of those new ways is to attend a Jewish film festival where many are saying they really feel part of the community. Perhaps they are drawn to these festivals because of the power of the compelling stories presented in the films, which penetrate to the heart of what moves us, and work toward the difficult task of bringing us together despite differences in ideologies and

political leanings. Perhaps it is because we want to know about what is happening to Jews who are having a different experience, in Israel, in Europe and other places around the world. But the increasing popularity of Jewish film festivals makes it clear that Jews crave a meaningful connection to their roots, to their culture, to other Jews and to their heritage. The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island kicks off its season on Sunday afternoon, December 13, with the film Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem. Before the film we will feature live klezmer music with Stu Warshauer and his Naples Klezmer Revival Band to celebrate Jewish music from the old world to our world.

In January we will screen Above and Beyond, a true story of Israel’s beginnings and American pilots who answered the call and fought for Israel in its War for Independence. In February we turn to modern-day Israel, with Apples From the Desert, a story about a daughter of an ultra-Orthodox family and her attraction to the life of Israel’s secular Jews. Deli Man will be screened in March. It is a story of the American Jewish deli and all of the tasty foods we love, brought to America by Jews from Russia and Poland. Each film comes with a reception including delicious deli noshes. It’s going to be a terrific film festival season and we look forward to seeing you at the movies.

November 2015 Federation Star

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15B

Weaving the fabric of life together

Ira and Sue Lances present ﬁber wearable art at 16th Bi-Annual eEstero Fine Art Show™, November 21 & 22 at Miromar Design Center

s oBy Gayathri Ilango extile has created history since l the beginning of civilization as an essential part of mankind. h Though the functions of textiles have t yremained the same, the methods and smaterials used to make them have dexpanded enormously. Fabric art has ndeveloped from the beginning as an eexpression of finesse and an identity of mrich and varied culture. People from difsferent parts of the world have uniquely developed this art and contributed to the history of their heritage. Fabric was merely a form of woven l gmaterial for the couple, Ira and Sue Lances, until they realized that they are creating fine pieces of art. Back in the 1980s in New York City, they were

A R T O RCH E S T R A CIN E M A C U L IN A RY DA N CE O P E R A FA S H I O N T H E AT E R CH A M BE R M U S IC

concentrating on boutique clothing for women as a source of family revenue. As the items became more creative, Ira and Sue felt the need to add value to their work. There was an opportunity to display and sell their work at arts and

craft shows, thus a new beginning for the Lances in the creative industry. Ira and Sue decided to pursue this avenue, and began selling their fiber pieces at various arts and craft shows throughout the country. Ira and Sue’s Jewish parents and grandparents are from Russia, Poland and Pennsylvania. Ira is a third-generation family member making clothing – he currently uses the sewing machines used by his father and grandfather – adding history to his work. Sue was later joined by Ira, who is the artist behind each piece’s creative “expression of life.” The Lances use several kinds of techniques to make their fine pieces of fabric. One of the techniques is handmade chenille, in which fabric is made with four layers of various rayon materials, stitching them together then coming back cutting through three layers, leaving one of the layers to be the lining. This process makes the fabric reversible. They also use other techniques where pieces of fabric are stitched in the form of lace work and as an appliqué pattern. Currently residing in Boca Raton, the Lances have customers who own more than forty of their pieces and have proudly said that they have been appreciated when they wear their pieces of art made by Sue and Ira. The Lances have developed their work over a period of time. They use fine yarn and materials from recycled rayon, which makes their clothing more sustainable. There is a wide range of fabrics with different textures and colors that can be worn both for day and evening. Fabric created by the Lances are machine washable and dryable, too! The Lances have been the recipients

of many awards for their unique designs. One should never miss an opportunity to personally visit Ira and Sue at the shows and buy their work. The Lances would be happy to assist you with selecting the best fiber piece that suits not only your wardrobe but a fine piece of art that compliments your life.

Ira and Sue will be presenting fiber wearable art at HotWorks.org’s 16th Bi-Annual Estero Fine Art Show™, November 21 & 22 at Miromar Design Center – the new home of the art fair, previously held at Miromar Outlets Mall. The Estero Fine Art Show is voted in the top 100 art fairs in the nation, among 2,000+ other art fairs evaluated by Sunshine Artist magazine. The patrons have been the pinnacle of support

for the Estero Fine Art Show in achieving its goals. More than 130 juried fine art and fine craft artists will be selling their original and personally handmade art. Hot Works Estero Fine Art Show identifies such unique talents not only for their original art work but also for each artist’s passion in what they create. Event hours are Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. A $5 donation helps support Institute for the Arts & Education, the 501(c)(3) non-profit arm which focuses on visual arts, diversity, community enrichment, and fostering art education amongst the youth. While at the art fair, be sure to visit the Youth Art Competition for grades K-8 or ages 5-12, in which students are encouraged to submit their original and personally handmade art. All youth art entries are publicly displayed under the “Youth Art Competition” tent, sponsored by Monkey Bars Storage Solutions of Southwest Florida. There is $250 in Youth Art awards, presented on Sunday, November 22 at 3:00 p.m. For more information, please visit www. hotworks.org.

STAY IN MAY

We’ll bring the world to you.

JERUSALEM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Debut Concert in Naples

Saturday, February 27, 2016 8:00 pm | North Naples Church Presented in partnership with

OFOF COLLIER COUNTY COLLIER COUNTY

CELEBRATE THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS

April 25 – May 8, 2016

Maestro William Noll Artistic Director

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.StayInMay.com or call 239.390.2788.

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

FEB-APRIL 2016 | SUNDAYS AT 7:30 PM SUGDEN COMMUNITY THEATRE | 5 TH AVE S FEB 28

RAISE THE ROOF

The synagogues of 18th-century Poland inspired artists Rick and Laura Brown to reconstruct the elaborate roof and painted ceiling of the Gwozdziec synagogue, destroyed by the Nazis in World War II. With help from 300 students and professionals from 16 countries over ten years, the Browns unveiled the Gwozdziec roof as the centerpiece of Warsaw’s POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in 2014.

MAR 13

DOUGH

Widowed and down on his luck, Nat Dayan (Jonathan Pryce) is desperate to save his bakery in London’s East End. In a pinch, he reluctantly hires a teen Muslim boy Ayyash, who deals a little pot on the side. But when Ayyash accidentally drops his stash into the dough, the challah starts flying off the shelf, and an unlikely friendship is formed.

MAR 20

RAISE THE ROOF

DOUGH

SABENA

In 1972, four Palestinian hijackers took control of Sabena Flight 571 from Brussels to Tel Aviv. Over the next 30 nerve-wracking hours, human, military and political drama unfolded inside and outside the plane. A reenactment of the events is woven together with archival material and exclusive interviews for a suspenseful, thought-provoking film.

APR 03

THE LAST MENTSCH

Marcus Schwarz has always denied his Jewish heritage. After surviving Auschwitz, he created a completely new identity in Germany, without any Jewish ties. But now he wants to be buried in a Jewish cemetery, and he needs proof. Enlisting a young Turkish woman to drive him, the unlikely duo set out on a road trip that will irrevocably change them both.

SABENA

2016 SUBSCRIPTION REQUEST Visit our website or mail this request with a check made payable to: Naples Jewish Film Festival • c/o Beth Tikvah 1459 Pine Ridge Road • Naples, FL 34109 Subscriber(s) / Sponsor(s) _________________________________________________________

THE LAST MENTSCH

_________________________________________________________________________________ Email ___________________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________________________ Phone __________________________________________________________________________

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS o EXECUTIVE PRODUCER $1,500 • Six tickets to each of the four films o DIRECTOR $1,000 • Four tickets to each of the four films o FESTIVAL FRIEND $500 • Two tickets to each of the four films all Sponsorship Levels include

Presented by

• Early entrance for priority seat selection • Private dessert reception opening night • Screen recognition

SUBSCRIBER LEVEL

o SUBSCRIBER $100 X ____ • Private dessert reception opening night

• One ticket to each of the four movies • Screen recognition

Business sponsorships are still available – contact us today!

NAPLESJEWISHFILMFESTIVAL.ORG

Single film tickets released January 15 if available Tickets mail February 5

239-434-1818