12 minute read
JCA Leaders Honored for 2021
ByBeth Milograno Berry,Jewish Community Alliance
Each year, the Jewish Community Alliance recognizes members of our community who have gone above and beyond in service with the Howard Korman President’s Award and Special Service Award.
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The Howard Korman President’s Award recognizes a JCA board member who embodies the qualities of leadership, vision and courage during each program year. The recipient this year, Brent Trager, was recognized with the prestigious award for his long-time commitment and support of the JCA. Brent's leadership as the former Chair of the JCA Board of Trustees set the scrum decisionmaking methodology in motion at the JCA to ensure our community experiences continued growth. In addition, Brent showed unwavering dedication and support to the JCA community throughout the pandemic. We are beyond thankful to have Brent's knowledge and experience at the JCA and cannot think of a more deserving board member to receive the Howard Korman President’s Award this year.
Each year, the Special Service Award is presented to a person or people who demonstrate outstanding service to the JCA. Natalia Fisher and Donna Jacoby received the award this year for their dedication and commitment to the JCA's Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten. After our beloved preschool director, Theresa Levy was involved in a car accident earlier this year, Natalia and Donna were devoted to JCA members and students as they seamlessly transitioned to fi ll Theresa's leadership role. Natalia succeeded Theresa as the JCA's Director for Michele Block Gan Yeladim, while Donna now serves as the Associate Director. Together, the ladies continue to elevate JCA school practices while collaborating with educators to promote the emotional and intellectual growth of the children in our care. We are so proud of Natalia and Donna, and remain thankful for their continuous commitment to the Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten.
The JCA Excellence Award is presented this year to a person who demonstrates years of service and excellence to our community. The 2021 recipient, Theresa Levy, was honored for her 29 years of dedication to the Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool & Kindergarten. Throughout her tenure, Theresa maintained the JCA National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation, nourished long-lasting partnerships with organizations in Jacksonville, and founded the Early Childhood Annual Professional Development Conference, which later became the Educator Support Network. After serving as the Director of Michele Block Gan Yeladim for many years, Theresa will start a new journey at the JCA this fall as the Early Childhood Education Alumni Coordinator. Join us in congratulating and thanking Theresa for her many years of providing enriching experiences for children within the JCA community.
Natalia Fisher Donna Jacoby
Theresa Levy Brent Trager
BOARD SPOTLIGHT: WIATT BOWERS
ByDonna O'Steen,Jewish Family & Community Services
Wiatt Bowers, AICP, is an urban planner with over 26 years of experience. His primary areas of expertise include corridor studies and master plans, complete streets, long-range transportation studies, travel demand modeling, transit planning, bicycle/pedestrian planning, traffi c impact studies, and mobility plans. Wiatt grew up in the Baltimore-Washington area, earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Temple University in 1993, and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University in 1996. He moved to Jacksonville in 2006, and resides in the downtown area. Wiatt has been involved with the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association for over 20 years, and currently serves as President of the 3000-member organization. He is also involved with other organizations, including the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida, Groundwork Jacksonville, Nevus Outreach International, Florida State University Hillel Foundation, and Congregation Ahavath Chesed – The Temple. Wiatt is passionate about community involvement and, in the Jewish tradition, believes that all of us are responsible in “helping make the world a better place.” In his spare time, Wiatt enjoys biking, swimming and traveling. JFCS is excited to have Wiatt on our Board of Directors and we look forward to him joining in our mission to help people help themselves. Welcome Wiatt!
ByRhoda London, Temple Ahavath Chesed Sisterhood
Although I grew up in Illinois, my family moved to Texas after my freshman year of college. I'm a southerner now and over the years have been fascinated with Southern Jewish history. My parents, Rabbi Leo E. and Evelyn Turitz, wrote the book, “Jews in Early Mississippi,” and were founders of the original Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience located in a Jewish camp in Utica, Mississippi.
The museum is now located in New Orleans and just re-opened more than 30 years later! The New York Times has raved about it as a major contribution to American Jewish history.
Temple Ahavath Chesed and its Sisterhood hosted a Zoom tour of the museum which shares the history of southern Jews from 13 states. Museum Executive Director Kenneth Hoff man explained about the history of the original museum which has evolved, after many years of planning, into 9,000 square feet of colorful, interactive exhibits.
Although it houses more than 4,000 artifacts from small congregations that no longer exist, it is not a Holocaust museum. Its focus is covering Southern Jewish history, also incorporating shared personal family histories. It serves as an historical and cultural representation of why Jews came South, how they were received, their triumphs and tribulations, and their unique stories and accomplishments. Two of Jacksonville's largest congregations, Temple Ahavath Chesed and the Jacksonville Jewish Center, are more than a century old and part of that history. Although we've had "only" one Jewish mayor, our community members have been major contributors to business, medical, cultural arts and sports. Jacksonville City Hall exists in the former May Cohen's department store!
Visit the museum online at msje.org. If you grew up in the South, go to the site to share your family history or donate artifacts.
GOING TO SCHOOL — IN THE HOSPITAL
ByHelen Hill, Hadassah Jacksonville
As another school year approaches, hospitalized children at Hadassah’s two Jerusalem-based hospitals will join more than two million healthy Israeli children to start the 20212022 school year. These children are given an opportunity to thrive within an educational framework, while taking their current state of health into consideration.
Hadassah’s school operates within all 10 pediatric departments on both the Ein Keremand Mt. Scopus campuses. Each department runs a mini school with its own teachers. All classes include students of diff erent ages and from varied backgrounds, similar to the old one-room schoolhouses.
This unique and award-winning hospital-based school is known as Hadassah’s Experimental School (HES). One of the things that makes Hadassah’s school unique is remembering that their patients are, fi rst and foremost, children. “They deserve a normal childhood, including an elementary education,” says Mrs. Edna Pinhover, HES Principal. “Our children are more than sick patients. They are students, still capable of learning.”
The school is unique in that all classes are conducted in Hebrew and Arabic simultaneously. It isn’t uncommon to see a child wearing a kippah learning to sing a song in Arabic so he can sing together with his Arabic-speaking classmates.
Additionally, children facing the most brutal of realities describe the school to be an anchor. One young child, whose battle with cancer resulted in an amputation of his arm, kept his confi dent personality. According to his grandfather, “Yusuf has undergone so much during his months in the hospital and yet Hadassah’s school helped him retain his positive personality.”
As adults, we understand the concept of the body, mind, and spirit connection relative to healing. For children it is no diff erent. A connection to a “healthy lifestyle” including the simple normalcy of going to school, is an important piece of their complete recovery.
“Our students don’t have a choice of whether or not to be in the hospital...but they can be reminded that their entire personality isn't only that of a sick patient. They are students, too." -Edna Pinchover, HES Principal
STAYING FOR GOOD
By Rebecca Caspi, Jewish Federations of North America, published originally in the El Paso Jewish Voice
Whenever he called me from the United States, my uncle asked the same question, “Do you think you’re going to stay in Israel?” As the decades passed, the question turned more and more into a jest. And now that I’ve lived in Israel for almost forty years, including marrying and raising a family here, it’s pretty clear that I’m here for good. And I mean that last phrase in two senses—not just that I’m here permanently, but that I’m contributing to the vibrancy and vitality of my adopted homeland.
I’ve felt that profound sense of pride ever since I started working for the Jewish community in Israel in 1991—fi rst for the Joint Distribution Committee, and then, since 2007, in my current role as the director of the Israel offi ce for the Jewish Federations of North America. And I’ve experienced it especially deeply lately, as Israel was under relentless rocket attack from ruthless terrorists for two nerve-wracking weeks in May, and as my staff and I at JFNA worked tirelessly around the clock to manage Federations’ emergency response and to keep the North American Jewish community up to speed on all the breaking news, up to and including the ceasefi re that was fi nally declared.
What was also truly fulfi lling was the opportunity, just a few days after the ceasefi re had been declared, to host the fi rst senior leadership mission to Israel since the pandemic began. Their high-profi le trip came on the heels of an emergency fundraising campaign by Federations that raised more than $3 million to aid the victims of the bombings and the fi rst responders. The delegation’s message of love and support was heard loud and clear throughout the length and breadth of the land.
That visit was followed just a week later by one by the Israel Travel Alliance--a JFNA-convened collection of both Jewish and Christian organizations that sponsor trips, many of which are geared to young adults, to the Jewish State. We are collaborating with the Israeli government to ensure that, by the end of the summer, more and more North Americans will have had the opportunity to visit Israel and deepen their own connections to the people and the land of Israel—some may even decide, as I did, to make Israel their home.
So, am I staying? You’d better believe it. I’m staying for good.
Rebecca Caspi is the Senior Vice President for Israel & Overseas of JFNA and the Director General of JFNA’s Israel offi ce
THE MAX BLOCK FOOD PANTRY MAX, MICHELE AND THE BLOCK FAMILY LEGACY
ByDonna O'Steen,Jewish Family & Community Services
The 2021 Jewish Family & Community Services Max Block Food Pantry Challenge has come to a successful end! The match challenge began in 2005, thanks to a gift from the Block family, to encourage our community to contribute to the fi ght against hunger in Jacksonville. Since its start, our supporters have continually increased their support for the program, and we would like to thank everyone who recognized the tremendous need and donated to JFCS’s Max Block Food Pantry!
Because of you, JFCS met rising food demands during the pandemic by expanding our reach through partnerships with Inspire to Rise, George Washington Carver Elementary School and Door Dash, and served nearly 100,000 meals in 2020 during a pandemic.
While the generosity of our community has been incredible, we wanted to provide our supporters with a small glimpse of the man behind the name, so we decided to contact the Block Family to ask if they would share some details about Max “Mickey” Block. They agreed.
Born in 1933, Max Block was a graduate of the University of Florida and went on to become an innovator and entrepreneur in the food industry. After successfully working for and building Long Life Dairy, Max founded Darifair Foods – the fi rst national dairy supplier – in 1985. Today, the company is run by his three sons, Andy Block, Bill Block and Jeff rey Block. Outside of work, Max cofounded the JCA and served on the Board of The Temple. He also supported many other charities throughout his life.
“My dad was one of the most gracious and philanthropic people we have ever known. His goal was to protect our Jewish community and he was extremely humble about it,” Andy Block explained. “He always wanted to help those in need. He never desired acknowledgement or recognition for his support. He preferred to provide it from afar and often in silence.
Andy continued, “The Block Family got involved with JFCS because of my sister, Michele. She met with Iris Young, and she recognized the need in our community – not just for food, but for the services JFCS provides. Michele was active at JFCS. She joined the board and served for several years. She was passionate about the company and that strengthened the Block family’s ties to the organization.
“Unfortunately, Michele passed away in 2005, but Dad continued her legacy, supporting JFCS until he passed in 2015. As a family, we knew we wanted to honor our long-standing relationship with JFCS, so when the opportunity arose to name the food pantry after him in 2016, we jumped on it. It was a logical choice for us. Dad spent his life working in the food industry so it’s fi tting that his legacy lives on through something he was so passionate about,” Andy fi nished.
Bill added, “We do the easy part. We support the pantry monetarily. JFCS does the hard part – they staff it, they purchase the food, coordinate volunteers and run day-to-day operations – that’s the hard part. We, as a family, provide support so that the entire community – Jew and non-Jew alike – won’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from. Knowing that our family plays a part in that is the ultimate tzedakah,” he concluded.
JFCS is so thankful for the Block family. Their continued support makes it possible for JFCS to ensure food insecure people in our community have a resource to get nutritional food to get them through hard times. We invite you to join the fi ght.
If you are interested in learning more about or supporting the Max Block Food Pantry, contact Susie Menaged at(904)394-5727 or smenaged@jfcsjax.org. If you or your organization is interested in volunteering or holding a food collections drive, contact Donna O’Steen at (904)394-5714 or dosteen@jfcsjax.org.
