ORGANIZATIONS
December 2020
JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SWFL
Federation Star
29
www.jhsswf.org / 239.566.1771
Changing History Marina Berkovich JHSSWF President
S
imon Wiesenthal famously said, “Humor is the weapon of unarmed people: it helps people who are oppressed to smile at the situation that pains them.” Like you, I have been oppressed by COVID-19, masks and lockdowns, but I decided to retain my sense of humor as I tell you that we are moving the longplanned Jewish Historical Society’s 10th Anniversary Celebration with former Naples Mayor Bill Barnett from an inperson live event to a virtual live event. The new time is Monday, Jan. 7, 2021, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Zoom. This event will premiere the 13th film in the Southwest Florida Jewish Pioneers documentary series, “The Mayor with a Heart,” about Bill Barnett, four-time Mayor of the City of Naples. Tickets to this annual fundraiser can be purchased by emailing office@jhsswf.org or at Eventbrite. Throughout my turbulent road through life, I have always deferred to the unfortunate, tragic experiences of the immediately preceding generations of Jews to fully absorb and appreciate the blessings that were bestowed upon me. I am lucky, I always thought, not to be born in the midst of revolutions and pogroms, like my grandparents, or severest famine of her birth region, like my mom, or the Holocaust, like so many people whose names are lost forever, because their entire families perished. Born just several weeks after Gagarin’s space flight, I always lived with an idealistic hope of humanity working toward learning the lessons from history, so as
not to repeat the same mistakes; not to become trapped in someone’s power play that would certainly be viewed by history quite differently from the way it looks to the people caught in it. “Survival is a privilege which entails obligations. I am forever asking myself what I can do for those who have not survived,” is another wisdom from Simon Wiesenthal that I take seriously as a survivor and escapee from socialism. In 1947, the entire population of Naples, Florida was about 500 families, not one of them Jewish. By comparison, a medieval Jewish traveler visited the city of Naples, Italy in 1159 A.D. and recorded that 500 Jewish families lived there. Everything is fluid in today’s world, but at the rate of current migration to SWFL, it is quite possible that the Jewish community will grow to well beyond 10,000 people over the next two decades. It’s important that this expansion doesn’t destroy the quality of general and Jewish life that Jews, like Irving Berzon and Stuart Kaye, featured in our Southwest Florida Jewish Pioneers series, were instrumental in structuring. Our local Jewish heroes are honored and remembered thanks to your interest, generosity and support. Join us on Wednesdays in December, at 3 p.m., when we will be Zooming Southwest Florida Jewish Pioneers documentaries, the broadcast-quality films JHSSWF created from eyewitness testimonies The Society records. Please sign up at jhsswf.org for these December documentaries: Chief Plager, Sanibel, Dec. 2; Florence Hertzman, Naples, Dec. 9; and Irv Berzon, Collier County, Dec. 16. We thank you for 10 years of your unwavering support of our small, allvolunteer, local organization. Our common fight against COVID-19 may take us elsewhere than we now envision, but ultimately, it will be good.
Jewish Historical Society upcoming events
O
ver the past 10 years, The Jewish Historical Society of SWFL has interviewed dozens of eyewitnesses, producing 13 educational documentary films, collectively called the Southwest Florida Jewish Pioneers series. We invite you to join us to view these films and learn about the beginnings and the foundation of Jewish life of our Southwest Florida region — the obstacles, challenges and successes our pioneers had on the road to establishing our Jewish community.
10th Anniversary Celebration We are moving the long-planned Jewish Historical Society’s 10th Anniversary Celebration with former Naples Mayor Bill Barnett from an in-person live event to a virtual live event and changing the time, now Monday, Jan. 7, 2021, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Zoom. This event will premiere the 13th film in the Southwest Florida Jewish Pioneers
documentary series, “The Mayor with a Heart,” about Bill Barnett, four-time mayor of the City of Naples. To purchase tickets for this Annual Fundraiser and for other inquiries, email office@jhsswf.org.
Become a JHSSWF member today Family Membership $54; Individual Membership $36. Please mail checks to The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida, 8805 Tamiami Trail North, Suite # 255, Naples FL 34108. Contact us at 833-547-7935 (833-JHS-SWFL),
www.jhsswf.org or office@jhsswf.org. Virtual Museum of SWFL Jewish History is located at http://jewishhistorysouthwestflorida.org. The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida is a section 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions are deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
609-402-2201 Jami3154@aol.com
100% FREE REFERRAL SERVICES
Florida Jewish Pioneers Wednesdays in December, at 3 p.m., we are Zooming Southwest Florida Jewish Pioneers documentaries, the broadcastquality films JHSSWF created from recent Jewish History eyewitness testimonies. Sign up at jhsswf.org for these December documentaries: Chief Plager, Sanibel, Dec. 2; Florence Hertzman, Naples, Dec. 9; and Irv Berzon, Collier County, Dec. 16. Please join our email list at jhsswf.org to get each session’s login credentials in order to watch these broadcast-quality films or check your JFGN weekly emails for announcements.
Call Us First!
®
Honest, caring and knowledgable advice about senior living options in SWFL With over 30 years of experience, we provide a personalized service to eliminate the guesswork in choosing the right senior living community. We look beyond the fancy décor and evaluate facilities on: • Quality of care and services • Operational stability • Financial viability • Resident satisfaction • Health care violations • Overall lifestyle Locally owned and operated since 2008, we are familiar with all the options in the area and the pros/cons of each. Let us use our expertise to help find the right solution! Bruce B. Rosenblatt, Owner
239.595.0207
seniorhousingsolutions.net
Senior Housing Expert Naples Daily News Columnist
Certain conditions apply. Please contact us for more information.
