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Federation Star
JEWISH FEDERATION
May 2021
Federation welcomes new Annual Federation Star Community Campaign Director Published by Celebrating Jewish Life in Collier County, Israel and the World
Published by the Jewish Federation of Collier County serving Naples, Marco Island and the surrounding communities
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: Jane Schiff Vice Chairs: Karen Deutsch (Chair Elect), Marc Saperstein, Beth Wolff Secretary: Rosalee Bogo Treasurer: Elliot Lerner Immediate Past Chair: Alvin Becker
Board of Directors Frank Baum, Patti Boochever, Harvey Cohen, Marcia Cohodes, Amanda Dorio, Paula Filler, Merlin Lickhalter, Robin Mintz, Les Nizin, William Petasnick, Joel Pittelman, Stuart Price, Nat Ritter, Michael Rubenstein, Jamie Satz, Betty Schwartz, Arlene Sobol, Steve Strome, Jay Weiss, Jeff Zalasky, Board Member Emeritus: Phyllis Seaman
Past Board Chairs Gerald Flagel, Dr. William Ettinger, Ann Jacobson (z”l), Sheldon Starman, Bobbie Katz, Rosalee Bogo, Judge Norman Krivosha (z”l)
Synagogue Representatives Cantor Donna Azu, Sue Baum, Rabbi Ariel Boxman, Steve Chizzik, Rabbi Ammos Chorny, Rabbi Mendel Gordon, Rabbi Mendy Greenberg, Rabbi Mark Gross, Rabbi Howard Herman, Rabbi Adam Miller, Roberta Obler, Rabbi James Perman, Dr. Arthur Seigel, Daryl Sissman, Rabbi Fishel Zaklos
communal professional, in his words “by kismet,” taking a position as Program Director for Jewish Living with one of Canada’s largest synagogues. All the while, he was an active volunteer with Jewish Federation’s Young Leadership Division, completing its rigorous 18-month training program, as well as with Canadian Zionist Federation and Israel Cancer Research Fund. When he moved to the United States in 2001, he made the transition from Jewish Federation volunteer to Executive Director of Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem counties in Vineland, NJ. After almost 10 years in Vineland, Wisemayer moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he Kirk Wisemayer served as Chief Executive Officer of Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo and its campus of agencies, until returning to New Jersey in 2012 to serve as Executive Director of Jewish Federation of Atlantic & Cape May counties and its Jewish Community Foundation. For the past two years, Wisemayer has been busy facilitating the merger of the two New Jersey Jewish Federations he has served, permanently bringing together the two communities, only 26 miles apart, for which he cares deeply.
Jeffrey Feld Federation President/ CEO
I
am pleased to announce that, following an extensive national search, we are welcoming Kirk Wisemayer as our new Annual Community Campaign Director, effective Monday, May 10, 2021. Wisemayer, who has served for nine years in Margate, NJ, as the Executive Director of Jewish Federation of Atlantic & Cape May counties and its Jewish Community Foundation, is a Jewish communal professional with three decades of experience in Jewish Federations, synagogues, schools and Jewish social welfare organizations. A native of Toronto, Canada, who grew up in Australia, Wisemayer was immersed in his active Jewish community, involved with Israel youth groups, his synagogue, and any number of communal activities and initiatives during his schooling and university education. While he began his career in corporate human resources and public relations, he worked as a Hebrew school teacher in addition to volunteering hundreds of hours as a youth advisor and campaign solicitor for United Israel Appeal to serve his Jewish community and Israel. It was not until his return to Canada in 1991 that Wisemayer became a Jewish
In addition to his professional role in the Jewish community, Wisemayer has long volunteered with many local, national and international Jewish organizations, among them Avoda; Chevra Kadisha of Vineland, including its men’s Tahara group; Israel Bonds; Israel Cancer Research Fund; Sons of Jacob Congregation; and Young Israel of Margate. Wisemayer is an ardent Zionist, having visited Israel for pleasure or professionally on almost three dozen occasions. He supports many causes and organizations in Israel and is deeply committed to Jewish peoplehood, philanthropy and pluralism. He views his role as one of service to the Jewish people, believing, “There is no holier work we do as Jews, in small measure or in great, than providing for and ensuring the welfare of other Jews, wherever they live.” “As the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples’ Community Campaign Director, I look forward to forming those very special relationships that bind Jews to one another and to their community,” says Wisemayer, adding, “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve and become part of a Jewish community well known for its warm and welcoming people, its enormous capacity to exceed expectation and its willingness to embrace possibility – all in one of the most idyllic locales imaginable.” We are very glad to have Kirk join our team and we are looking forward to his help in growing our community.
Staff Jeffrey Feld: Federation CEO/President Reneé Bialek: Program Director Marcy Friedland: Capital Campaign & Planned Giving Director Janine Hudak: Admin. Coordinator Nathan Ricklefs: Database Manager Teresa Zimmerman: Finance & Operations Manager
Federation is the central Jewish community-building organization for Greater Naples, providing a social service network that helps Jewish people locally, 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 • Celebrate Israel • Educational & Cultural Programs • Israel Advocacy Committee • Israel Scouts • Jewish Book Festival • Jewish Community Relations Council • Jewish Young Professionals • Jewish Russian Cultural Alliance • Men’s Cultural Alliance • PJ Library • Publication of the Federation Star, Connections and Community Directory • Women’s Cultural Alliance • Women’s Division • Youth Activities Committee – sponsoring youth education and scholarships for Jewish Summer Camp and the Israel Experience
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A new home for the Jewish community We will be back to being together in person. Although the timetable for that is unknown, it will happen. When it does, the new Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center may still be under construction, or not. But it will be rising from the ground in reality. Whether you come to programs in person or choose to attend programs virtually, you will be part of our new home. Your community will have a roof over its head. In order for us to successfully continue with the mission of the Federation to serve those in need, we must raise more than the current $8,600,000 raised thus far. The cost of the building is VIEW around $10,000,000. We need another $5,000,000 to help offset the increased maintenance and other costs that will accrue when we are in our own building. Under 300 families have participated in the Capital Campaign. I thank those of you who have joined me in making this dream a reality. You are making our community shine and grow bright because of your gifts. There are so many more families that have the capacity to help us reach our goal. If each family that contributes to the Annual Campaign gave us a gift, reaching our goal would happen. There are still wonderful naming opportunities available.
THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER NAPLES BUILDING
Please contact Marcy Friedland at mfriedland@jewishnaples.org or call her at the office, 239-263-4205, to become W E G M A N D E S I G N G R O U P part of this effort. Groundbreaking will take place soon. Watch your email for the date and details. I hope each of you will feel wonderful when you walk into the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center, seeing your name on a donor plaque and knowing that, without you, this effort would not have happened. There is no way to properly acknowledge Marc Saperstein for his diligence, perseverance, guidance and many thousands of hours he has invested in planning for the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center.
LOBBY
There have been many hiccups as we have moved forward, and each time, his cool and thoughtful approach has gotten us past the moment. His team, and it’s a big team, has worked with him every step of the way. But Merlin Lickhalter, his cochair (or wing man, as Marc calls him) deserves special acknowledgment. Thank you to all of you who are on the Building Committee. Thank you, for reading this very long, very fact-filled article. Thank you for being a valued and valuable member of our community. Thank you for all you do for our community. Thank you for caring!
