Celebrating Jewish Life in Collier County
Federation Star Published by the Jewish Federation of Collier County serving Naples, Marco Island and the surrounding communities
www.JewishNaples.org INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
2A Community Relations Comm. 6A Women’s Cultural Alliance 7A Community Focus 11A Tributes 14A Focus on Youth 17A Commentary 19A Rabbinical Reflections 20A Synagogues 22A Organizations 24A Business Directory 26A Community Calendar 27A Community Directory 1B Jewish Interest 5B Israel & the Jewish World
4A Yom HaShoah commemoration
7A Righteous Among Nations recognition
9A Volunteers fill 75 Kosher for Passover food bags
14A Ben’s Mitzvah project
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May 2013 - Iyar/Sivan 5773
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Vol. 22 #9
Israel – a place where we, our children and our children’s children can visit forever Judge Norman Krivosha President
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s I sit at the table in the apartment Helene and I have rented for our Passover stay in Jerusalem, I am once again awed by being in Israel for a Yom Tov. Being in Israel for any holiday is special, but Pesach is extra special. It is the only place in the world where even the restaurants change dishes for the holiday. Having kosher for Passover pizza or a hamburger on a Pesach bun in a crowded Jerusalem restaurant is like nothing else you have ever experienced. And there is something further exciting about greeting everyone you meet on the street with a hearty “Hag Sameach.” Or to travel to the Jewish market just before the holiday begins. One can believe you are with Indiana Jones. But being in Israel is more than sights and sounds and smells. It enables you to once again see life on the ground as it really is. To see a vibrant, bright and mostly free society conduct its daily business. To see people committed to living each day to the fullest, mindful of the hazards, but unwilling to give up living because of the possibilities of danger. To observe beautiful young people, some going into the army, some in the army, some out of the army, but all believing that there is a bright future which must be planned for and lived. One afternoon we drove with a family to the West Bank to see some of the communities, both Israeli and Arab. If one was not aware of the problems which exist with regard to the settlements on the West Bank, one might believe they were visiting any new town in the United States. We sat in a multilevel shopping mall having lunch at the Aroma Espresso
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Bar overlooking shops containing the latest in fashion, in the town of Ma’ale Adumim. Let me not, however, mislead you. While much looks wonderful on the surface and is, the obstacles to success are challenging. Not only are the external political problems huge, but the internal problems are as well. If the current government can hold, and that is not a sure bet, changes may be occurring in Israel that will affect many lives. One thing, however, you can be sure of. There will be an Israel today and in the future. What it may ultimately look like geographically or politically may be open to debate, but there is no debate that there will be an Israel.
I am further convinced that now, perhaps more than ever, Israel needs the support of Jews in the Diaspora. She needs our support in encouraging her to find a solution to the Arab problem. Doing nothing is not a choice and most Israelis, including the government, now believe that to be true. And Israel continues to need our support financially, as it seeks ways to overcome its financial problems. I am grateful that there is an Israel to which I can visit. I pray that with the wisdom of the Israeli people and the support of the Diaspora Jews, emotionally as well as financially, it shall be a place where we, our children and our children’s children can visit forever.
See Section B for “Jewish Interest” and “Israel & the Jewish World” items