Elliot Zisser’s 50 Years of Service

ELLIOT ZISSER HONORED FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE BY THE FLORIDA BAR

By Ron Whittington, Whittington PR

Jacksonville Attorney Elliot Zisser was recognized by The Florida Bar on the 50th anniversary of his membership in the state organization. Zisser was among those attorneys honored for their years of service at The Florida Bar’s Senior Lawyers Committee Luncheon, held in Orlando in June.

“While the practice of law has undergone many changes over his professional career, Elliot has remained committed to the high ideals of service to Floridians and the protection of their rights,” said Florida Bar President Dori Foster-Morales.

“Being part of The Florida Bar has been an important part of my life and has certainly helped me in my professional career, and in solidifying our fi rm’s legal strength over the years.” Zisser said. “I’m very honored and privileged to be recognized by my peers at this event, but it really doesn’t seem like it’s been 50 years.”

As with many other professions, Zisser said technology has brought the biggest changes in the legal fi eld.

“We’ve gone from no computers to computers on everyone’s desk, from papers to paperless, from law books to no books, since everything is on-line,” he said. Zisser adds that now, after the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person hearings are now video hearings, consultations are now video consultations, and practices are extending across county lines and circuit court lines since everything is being handled remotely.

Elliot Zisser founded his downtown fi rm, Zisser Law, with his brother Barry Zisser in 1971. Carolyn Zisser, Elliot’s wife, founded her law fi rm, Carolyn S. Zisser, P.A./Zisser Family Law, in Neptune Beach in 1975. The two fi rms merged in January 2020 under the name Zisser Family Law, becoming a single-family law practice with downtown and beach locations.

Current partners include Elliot Zisser, Carolyn Zisser and their son Jonathan Zisser, who had joined the downtown practice from the Jacksonville Public Defender’s Offi ce in 2007. The fi rm also includes three associate attorneys who were with the Zissers’ previous fi rms: Joseph Alvarez, Katherine Johnson and Lynn Salvatore.

Zisser is a past president of the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida. For more information about Zisser Family Law, visit www.zisserfamilylaw.com.

USING ART FOR ACADEMIC ACHEIVEMENT

ByChana Novak,Ganeinu Early Childhood Development Center Studies show that students who study art are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement and three times more likely to be awarded for school attendance. In fact, countries that consistently score highest in math and the sciences have mandatory art classes in schools. As a Reggio Inspired Early Learning Center, at Ganeinu Preschool we use the word “art” to describe a lively process of engagement that is refl ective, creative and deliberate and that deepens and extends the children’s learning. Art benefi ts children in a variety of ways including, Motor Skills, Language Development, Decision Making, Cultural Awareness and Encouraging Neural Connections. Recently we hosted an exciting process-art experience featuring Jewish Pop Artist Yitzchok Moully. Renowned for his art murals, interactive art installations and iconic “AmStarChai'' design, Moully introduced our friends to Robert Indiana’s AHAVA Sculpture (“love” in Hebrew) which we are privileged to display in our gallery. We then proceeded to blot our very own interpretations onto a canvas using crumpled-up paper towels, selecting whichever artistic combination of colors and patterns we chose to.

After they were dry we silk-screened the image of AHAVA over our creative masterpieces. Combined these canvases will form a new mural to greet us each morning at Ganeinu Preschool! To learn more about Ganeinu and to view the completed masterpiece visit Ganeinu.com and Instagram.com/GaneinuJax.

HOW 5,640 TRIANGLES WITH MESSAGES BROUGHT A TEMPLE TOGETHER DURING COVID

By Ellen Berson, Congregation Ahavath Chesed

Congregation Ahavath Chesed created a unique art piece titled Ebb & Flow; an origami mural made up of 5,640 triangles, many of which have notes written on them by congregants during the pandemic on display in the Temple at 8727 San Jose Boulevard in Jacksonville.

Temple member and paper artist, Cliff ord Buckley, designed and created Ebb & Flow, a 3’ x 6’ origami mural of waves rising and falling, refl ecting the ebb and fl ow of the tide that mirrored our lives.

Sometimes just a word or two was written on a page, children drew pictures, and in some cases, members fi lled an entire page. One note is a hand drawing done by a child with the note, “My Heart, age 3”. Another writes, “Such a strange time. So isolated. A reader who cannot read. A husband two miles away and it could be 100. No way to touch.” And another with only the word, BREATH is written down.

The true power of “Ebb and Flow” is that it is created from the thoughts, prayers, drawings, music, and other inspirational quotes and stories of Ahavath Chesed congregants during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This piece of pandemic art memorializes the fears, anxieties, and the many losses during this diffi cult time. Yet, it also holds the hopes and dreams for the future.