Wishing everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July!
OF GREATER NAPLES
CELEBRATING JEWISH LIFE IN GREATER NAPLES, ISRAEL AND THE WORLD
FEDERATI N STAR
Published by Jewish Federation of Greater Naples
SERVING NAPLES, MARCO ISLAND AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
www.JewishNaples.org July/August 2022 – Tamuz/Elul 5782 Vol. 31 #11
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Men’s Cultural Alliance
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Women’s Cultural Alliance
An interview with Building Committee Chair Marc Saperstein
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Community Focus
By Marcy Friedland, Capital Campaign & Planned Giving Director
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Tributes
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Jewish Interest
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Israel & The Jewish World
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Organizations
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Commentary
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Synagogue News
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Focus on Youth
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Community Directory
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Joshua Jay, author of “How Magicians Think,” will present his book with a discussion about why magic matters.
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t was my distinct pleasure to interview Marc Saperstein, vice-chair of the JFGN board and chair of the Building Committee, for this Federation Star edition. Below are my questions and his answers. MDF – Tell us a little about yourself and your family. How long have you been in Naples? MS – My wife, Joan, and I have been married 50 years this June and we moved to Naples in 2007 when I retired from General Electric after 33 years with the company. We are Florida residents and spend our summers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where we have had a home since 1993. We have a son and a daughter who are each happily married to wonderful spouses, and we have four incredible grandchildren. MDF – What made you decide to give your time and contributions to JFGN? MS – I was on the BBYO International Board of Directors about 5 years in 2012 when I decided to try to start a BBYO chapter in Naples along with my local co-chair, Bobbie Katz. Jewish Federation of Greater Naples was incredibly supportive of that effort, helping introduce us to our partners — Temple Shalom, Chabad of Naples and Beth Tikvah — contributing to us financially and providing office space for our BBYO professional. I saw directly how critical JFGN is in supporting our growing Jewish community. At the same time, my wife became involved with WCA, which not only provided great activities for her, but introduced us to many of our
before JFGN initiated its first significant strategic plan. MDF – What position do you hold, or have you held, on the board and what has your experience been? MS – I’ve been board secretary, chair of the Governance Committee and, most recently, one of our vice chairs. Currently, I am leading our effort to build the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center. MDF – What made you volunteer to be the chair of the Building Committee? MS – Our strategic plan in 2017 called for finding a larger home for JFGN and, when no one else volunteered, I felt it was critical we start to make progress in locating property and offered to take on the role. I’m not sure in retrospect, I realized it might lead to overseeing the building effort itself. MDF – Tell us a bit about your building committee and its members. MS – The building committee has been meeting every 3 to 4 weeks since January 2019, after we reached an agreement with Temple Shalom to build on its campus. We have 15 dedicated and knowledgeable members of the Building Committee whose role is to give us insight and suggestions on many of the decisions and challenges we face. Merlin Lickhalter is my co-chair and wingman. MDF – What have been your highs and lows during the construction process? MS – My highs are when I review our progress with our board, which has been continued on page 2
Marc Saperstein current Naples friends. When I was invited to join the Federation Board, I decided to become active in what I saw was a great organization. MDF – How long have you been a donor/lay leader at JFGN? MS – We have been donors to this Federation since we moved here (and, like so many snowbirds, still support our northern Federation). But Naples is our primary home now and we have shifted our priorities towards our new home. I joined the Board in 2016, just
“He Lost it in the Catskills” Join author Jerry Greenfield for a discussion about his book.
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Hebrew Conversations If you can speak in Hebrew and want to practice, join this new group!
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BUILT FOR LIVING BUILT FOR LIFE
LEARN MORE ON PAGE 5
www.KayeLifestyleHomes.com
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239.434.KAYE
