Happy Israel Independence Day! Sundown May 4 to Sundown May 5 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 May 2022 – Nisan/Iyar/Sivan 5782 Vol. 31 #9 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 20 21 1A 2A 3A 5A 8A 9A 10A 12A 15A
Men’s Cultural Alliance Women’s Cultural Alliance Community Focus Tributes Organizations Jewish Interest Israel & The Jewish World Commentary Synagogue News Focus on Youth Community Directory
An Oasis of Hope Join author Douglas P. Zipes, MD for a discussion about his book, “Ari’s Spoon,” and the parallels between antisemitism then and now.
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State of the Federation Jane Schiff Federation Board Chair
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he third year of COVID. Oh, my! But, as of the writing of this report, we are open and have had a few events. The joy of seeing each other in person has been overwhelming. Hugs — no kisses — elbow bumps, a few handshakes and smiles everywhere. For the past five years as your Board Chair, I have worked with Jeffrey Feld on our overriding goal of building a community. That was a tough job during COVID. When I witnessed the joy of seeing old and new faces, of reconnecting, I could see we have been successful. And, as I go through this report, I hope you will agree that we have made a difference and have, indeed, been successful!
PAID
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Outstanding Federation staff
Jeffrey Feld, our president and CEO, is the quiet driving force that keeps it all together. He is the most diplomatic and effective CEO I can imagine. He produces large city results with small city resources. His staff adores him, and we all deeply appreciate his tenacity, his vision, his results and his warm, inclusive personality. He is tireless, dedicated and passionate. He is respected throughout our community. We are indeed lucky to have him as our leader. Thank you, Jeffrey, for all that you do for our community.
has seen well over 500 families participate. She is super busy this year with the building construction roaring along. Thank you, Marcy. Teresa Zimmerman, our finance and operations manager, works with our Finance and Audit Committee to keep our books transparent. In addition, she oversees, fixes and manages the day-today operations necessary in the organization. Teresa works with the Federation Treasurer, the Finance and Audit Committee Chair, WCA and MCA as well as being on call for any questions that arise. Thank you, Teresa. Nathan Ricklefs was our database manager, and handled our technology. He resigned at the beginning of April. He will be missed as he moves on to other opportunities in his life. Thank you, Nathan. Janine Hudak does many of the administrative jobs required to assist members and the entire staff. She is the answer woman when you call the office with a question or just need to connect with a staff person. Thank you, Janine, and to the entire staff. Kirk Wisemayer started in May 2021 as Federation’s new annual community campaign director. He comes to us from a distinguished career at the Federation in Atlantic County, New Jersey. He is a wonderful addition to our staff, bringing innovations and excitement to our Federation. continued on page 2
Program Director Reneé Bialek is the force behind the majority of our Zoom events. She staffs our Jewish Book Festival, the IAC (Israel Advocacy Committee), JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council), Mix and Mingle, Jewish Professionals, Catholic-Jewish Dialogue, Yom Ha-Shoah, Jewish Day of Learning and more. She has been busier than ever this year, having to juggle online and
in-person events at the same time and making a quick decision to change from one format to the other. She received the gift of a partner to help her with PJ Library this year. Alicia Feldman joined the staff and has been running programs and finding many ways to connect young families. Thank you, Reneé and Alicia. Marcy Friedland is our capital campaign director and planned giving director. We have been in high gear for our Capital Campaign fundraising, with Marcy overseeing every detail. The paver program as well as the Capital Campaign
Deepening the Judaism Connection Join Roberta Rosenthal Kwall in a discussion about Judaism and what is needed for the Jewish organizational structure to survive. 5 Walls are Going Up! Check out the progress on the construction of our Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center. 23
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